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2024-03-31-accounts

WYTHENSHAWE SAFESPOTS CIO

End of year report 31 March 2024

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Reference and Administration Information

Charity number:

1183646

Registered office and operational address:

Suite 2/3 Alderman Downward House

Civic Centre Wythenshawe Manchester M22 5RF

Trustees

Trustees, who are also directors under company law, serving during the year of this report: Patricia Hawkins (Chair)

Anne Burns Jennifer Lambden Denise Pollard Beth Penfold (July 2023)

Bankers

TSB Civic Centre

Wythenshawe Manchester M22 5RB

Objects

The objects of the CIO are to preserve and protect the health of women and relieve the distress and suffering experienced as a result of domestic abuse in, but not exclusively, South Manchester, by the provision of outreach and drop in services which include advice, guidance and practical support.

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Organisation Structure

This has recently been updated and the structure of the organisation is regularly reviewed by Trustees.

The Trustees report a significant growth of the organisation over the last 12 months. The growth is in response to survivor support needed due to the increase in reported incidents of Domestic Abuse.

Staffing levels have increased to:

1 full-time & 4 part-time staff, plus 11 Key Volunteers

Staff

Centre Manager – Full Time

D commenced employment in January 2022 and was promoted to this role in May 2024

Part Time Staff x 4

Each member of staff works 2- 4 days a week

Volunteer 1

Supports staff on a Wednesday and occasional Fridays whilst the Freedom Programme and Freedom Forever sessions are being delivered.

C’s role includes answering the phones, welcoming attendees, making drinks, washing up, stocking food and toiletry cupboards.

Volunteer 2

Supports staff for 2 hours on a Monday with the Arts & Crafts session. L has input into session planning and purchasing of craft items.

Volunteer 3

Supports staff each Tuesday with Coffee Morning and other duties.

11 Key Volunteers support the centre externally in several ways:

Arranging local fundraising events

Collecting donated items

Sorting and washing donated items

Communicating with commercial partners

Collecting seasonal presents for families

The volunteers play a significant role in both the day to day running of the centre and future partnership/commercial development.

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Grants from Wythenshawe Community Housing Group and Commercial Partners continue to support the delivery of varied in-house sessions each week, maintaining the manageable number of individuals attending the centre.

Centre Figures - includes calls and visitors does not include emails
Month 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Jan 0 50 30 73 90 76 429 664 563
Feb 33 42 21 78 93 163 471 594 491
Mar 52 69 28 107 106 165 546 598 742
April 46 38 18 85 182 256 548 643 678
May 44 61 44 111 267 116 406 788 511
June 77 35 53 129 205 161 593 673 504
July 56 33 40 132 98 108 570 644 692
Aug 23 22 45 112 45 104 615 711 558
**Sept ** 46 21 58 125 117 170 826 658 589
Oct 71 31 58 125 127 289 575 598 883
Nov 62 29 72 103 102 436 630 774 598
Dec 34 23 48 86 61 221 723 316 373
Total 544 454 515 1266 1493 2265 6932 7661 7182

Challenges:

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Outcomes:

Collaborative working

Systems

In-house services provided

Human Outcomes/Impact

Below are examples of the achievements we have celebrated with our clients. Following this we have included a number of case studies.

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Summary:

We have equipped and empowered hundreds of women, providing emotional support and advocacy. As a result, we have nurtured their personal growth, improved safety for them and their families, including life impacting changes in mindset leading to enhanced problem solving and decision-making skills. With many, we have been privileged to see them recalibrate their lives, pushing through difficulties, redefining their experiences and walking into brighter futures.

Provision for:

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Case Study 1

R was a 27yr old single mum with a baby daughter when she was initially referred to us in May 2021. Her case had been heard at a multi-agency risk assessment conference (MARAC), resulting in the family being moved to a hotel for safety reasons relating to the domestic abuse and violence she had experienced with her ex-partner.

At her first appointment R was very nervous and visibly tearful and upset. She did not feel ready for any type of group work, so we worked one to one with her initially with a bespoke care plan to meet her specific needs. R has learning difficulties so our first job was to assist with pre-tenancy paperwork in order to move out of the hotel into temporary accommodation. The accommodation was outside Wythenshawe and R began to feel isolated and depressed. She had begun to reconnect with her family after the disruption caused by her abusive relationship and this was difficult in the new area. We continued to support finding local baby groups whilst helping source more appropriate long-term accommodation.

R received a court hearing notification stating that her ex-partner wanted to have contact with their daughter. She wanted to raise her concerns about this as she was aware that he was a drug user. Once she had accessed a solicitor, we were able to help R express these concerns and request that drug tests be taken prior to access being considered.

During this time R became stressed and was given to catastrophising about the outcome if contact was permitted. We undertook a programme of confidence building, encouraging YouTube workouts at home as she was unable to go to the gym. These became a focus in the evenings and gradually helped improve anxiety and boredom.

We supported R’s legal aid application and continued to assist communication with the solicitor. We were able to support the family as they moved into a mother and baby unit in Wythenshawe, assisting with the application and providing a reference. Although R was more comfortable in this area and was closer to her family, it did result in several incidents where she saw her ex-partner when she was out in the community.

This, together with threats made by his brother, impacted R’s confidence. She felt unable to go out and became isolated and withdrawn. At this time, we provided emotional support and helped her report the breach of her non-molestation order to the police. In addition, we undertook work around healthy relationships and boundaries, encouraging her to take part in some cooking lessons to improve her skills at home.

The court process required further hearings and we continued to support practically and emotionally. During this time there were further intimidating incidents involving her ex-partner both by email and in the community. This, combined with the CAFCASS interview for the court, triggered flashbacks and nightmares relating to the abuse she had experienced. We helped R with personal finances and budgeting as she established her new home with her daughter. Liaison with her GP, health visitor and Early Help support were all facilitated during our sessions.

The results of the drug tests revealed that her ex-partner had a more serious drug issue than R had thought. This caused her alarm and further upset. R was also suffering as her grandmother’s health

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deteriorated resulting in her move to a care home to keep her safe. Her grandmother was a key support and point of stability in R’s life.

R began to settle into her new home, joining baby group and growing in confidence. She began to attend our coffee mornings and mixing with others which was a huge step. R commented that she was proud with herself as she had felt she would never be able to do this. We supported her through a further interim court hearing prior to a final hearing to be 6 months later.

R disclosed that she had begun a new relationship, but felt that it was becoming toxic, noting he had begun to blackmail her. She asked for our help to compose a text sending a clear message that she wanted no further contact with him. We continued to work on healthy relationships and warning signs at this time. We were delighted when R agreed to attend the 11 week Freedom Programme which is group work focusing education around domestic abuse. R was supported throughout the course by our staff.

We continued to support R as she experienced post separation abuse from her ex-partner. These incidents made her doubt herself, impacting her confidence and self-esteem. As we worked together around these issues, we supported R to review the CAFCASS report and its recommendations. In the final hearing the judge ruled that her ex-partner would only be able to have indirect contact with his daughter. R was very happy and relieved with this result.

Following the hearing her ex-partner’s family made threats towards R. However, this time she felt confident enough to report these issues to the Police herself, without support. We continued to work together on positive thinking, wellbeing, affirmations, meditation techniques and self-care practices. R enjoyed this work, and we began to see more positive results reflected in her thinking and choices. We began to see her take an active role in group work, sharing her journey and expressing her opinions in the group.

Since this time, we have continued to support R to find a nursery placement for her daughter and to overcome difficulties with safeguarding issues in her accommodation. We have been able to provide emergency food supplies for the family, together with clothing as her daughter grew. This reflects a big change as previously R would ask for this type of help.

During challenges we have noted that although R is often initially upset, she has shown new levels of resilience, bouncing back quickly. We have seen R grow and become confident in her parenting skills. She has established a good routine with her daughter and has just started potty-training.

R’s grandmother recently passed away and, although we provided emotional support at this difficult time, once more we have been aware of R’s increased resilience. We continue to support her with administrative tasks which are challenging due to her learning difficulties, recently assisting her to send evidence of increased rent to the benefits agency.

R came to our service as a nervous young girl, with little confidence and uncertain as a parent. We are able to celebrate her growth as she now presents as a confident, assertive woman who believes in herself as a parent. She understands and has begun to process her abusive experiences and has a framework for healthy relationships. As a result of her recent experiences she is also capable of problem solving, leading

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to good decision making and is confident asking for help. ‘’What would I have done without Safespots? You have helped me cope with some of the most difficult times in my life. Thank you’’

Case Study 2

The Freedom Course

The Freedom Programme is an 11-week certificated course which examines the roles played by attitudes and beliefs on the actions of abusive men and the responses of victims and survivors. The aim is to enable an understanding of what has been experienced rather than being overwhelmed by it. The Freedom Programme also describes in detail how children are affected by being exposed to domestic abuse, together with how their lives are improved when the abuse is removed. The sessions have explored identifying controlling and coercive behaviours, warning signs and red flags indications of abusers.

K presented as highly anxious, evidenced by picking at her fingers, making them bleed. Always pulling on the neck of her clothing, she was paranoid about a mark received from being strangled. This lady was very quiet, found it hard to engage in group work and didn’t feel comfortable around people.

We felt K would benefit from a Ring doorbell as she was feeling threatened by her abuser’s family and this brought her a huge sense of security and put her mind at ease. We gave her a second doorbell for the back of the house as the garden was not secure. K was moved up to band 1 priority with the housing authority so that she could be moved more quickly for her own safety. She waited around 4 months for a new house in the area close to her mum, which she wanted as this was very important to her. She moved, with our support by providing removals transport, and was able to use both ring doorbells at the new house.

She slowly engaged in all group work, which included craft sessions and weekly coffee mornings. She completed the ‘Freedom Programme’ and is currently on the ‘Freedom Forever Programme’ which she says has changed her life.

K has come a long way from when she first walked through our doors and now presents as a much more confident, less anxious, happier person, attending the local gym regularly.

She feels very safe with her children in the new home and says she will always know where we are when she needs us.

Feedback from Mum:

‘’I learnt so much in the Freedom Programme and my graduation will stay in my memory forever. I love my photo against the tree in the purple cap and gown and that’s the first certificate I’ve ever received, it’s now up on my wall – thanks to Safespots I feel safe. I feel like I have a life again and can finally be myself.”

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Case Study 3

E was referred by Family Action in September 2023.

E has been through mental, physical and emotional abuse and has been taken to court by her abuser as he wishes to have contact with their 2 children.

E had no confidence, was extremely lonely and felt that she wasn’t good enough. She felt that she couldn’t ever truly leave her abuser as he had mentally abused her into feeling like she couldn’t survive without him. He had completely broken down her confidence about her looks, job and parenting, by calling her names and telling her awful things that have really stuck with her. E felt trapped with nowhere to go, as none of her friends and family understood because, in their culture, women are told that they should stay and put up with their husband’s abuse.

E has come a long way since first coming in to see us. She enjoys all of our group sessions, developing good relationships with the staff as she feels they all understand and don’t judge her. The sessions help build her self esteem and self confidence by being around and talking to other people. She is starting to speak and engage with other ladies after being really quiet over the last few months and really looks forward to the sessions.

Feedback from Mum:

“ Last Christmas was the best I’ve ever had with my children, and I have you all here at Safespots to thank. I’m really looking forward to coming back to the weekly craft sessions in the New Year, making beautiful things and chatting with friends over a cup of tea (or two)!’’

In conclusion:

This unique organisation provides a bespoke, safe space with critical emotional and practical support for Domestic Abuse survivors

Without the support of our funders, we would not have been able to offer this invaluable service in the community over the last 5 years

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CHARIIY COMMISSION | FOR ENGIAND AND WAIES Receipts and payments accounts CC16a Irom To Section A Receipts and payments Unr85trict8d nds RestrietÈd fund• Endowment ndB To¢41 funds Last y•ar A1R TNL Funth Tudor TruGt F WCHG F￿11 co CHIESI 71.5 15,r#Jo 10.7 10.73) f4.987 14. SUNJ Sub tot•l(Gross IrK0￿ for AR) JoAto 97233 f27.713 A2 As88t and In¥wstm•nt ul•s, 1s•• tabl•l. Sub lolal 127.T13 A3Pg 1U12 Trainlre RenL Ra￿8￿j CXTwSupF4 1617 1117 Web hosbry Jnd 5UFFcrfI FAmll SuptAXt 241 14.216 •J Prole56hxd Fe•J 1.703 ,11 1,7 1014S2 Sub total A4 Asset •nd in¥•$lm•nt Sub tot•1 21.109 81.363 N•1 olre¢Ol￿(WYm•nts) A5 Transf8rn bwtWg0fi fvnd* A6 Cash lund• i#t yaar •nd •.371 28.281 24411 33.782 25,750 41,630 50.161 75A12 CW Rl K•Jnl• ISSI 17112r2024

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Unr•strlcted fundo Restricted lund• t• n••r••t£ Endtswmènt lund• lo n•ATeAt£ uetaiis 81 Ca•h fund• BAnk Ba M2 2475 Tol•l c4sh fvn(ts 49.662 25.7J] fttnd• Detalls Delalls Fund kn whlch CurT•ntv4u• Detail$ B4 Atssets rot•ln•d for th• ¢harity• own u .147 FWKI Delails B5 Uabllltl•• S%JneLI by (Th ¢ otdl tha tru81885 Prnt Narne Date of ro Mr• Dgniw Polwd 17- 12- L CCXX R2 •Lwunts18S1 17112r1024

Independent examiner's report on the accounts

Section A Independent Examiner’s Report

Report to the trustees/ members of Wythenshawe Safespots Charitable Incorporated Organisation On accounts for the year 31[st] March 2024 Charity no 1183646 ended (if any) Set out on pages 1 and 2

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31/03/2023

Responsibilities and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation basis of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).

I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have examiner's statement come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Date: 17/12/2024 Signed: Name: Karen L Hunter FCCA Relevant professional ICAEW qualification(s) or body (if any): Address: Nolan James Ltd Suite 1, Armcon Business Park, London Road South Poynton, Cheshire, SK12 1LQ

October 2018

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