## **WYTHENSHAWE SAFESPOTS CIO** End of year report 31 March 2025 1 ## **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) Denise Pollard Sarah Calthorpe (July 2024) Paul Quinn (Dec 2024) ## **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. 2 ## **Organisation Structure** The structure of the organisation is regularly reviewed by Trustees. The Trustees report a continued increase in referrals over the last 12 months and the organisation continues to respond accordingly. 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, 2 short term contractors plus 15 Key Volunteers** ## **Staff** ##  **Centre Manager – Full Time** Full time Monday to Friday 9-4pm ##  **Part Time Staff x 4** Each member of staff works 2- 3 days a week ##  **15 Key Volunteers** 2 Volunteers in the centre – 13 Volunteers externally ## **Volunteer 1** Supports staff on a Wednesday and occasional Fridays whilst the Freedom Programme and Freedom Forever sessions are being delivered. 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 Positive Parenting Programme. ## **13 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.** 3 Grants from Wythenshawe Community Housing Group and the Broome Family Trust, together with donations from Commercial Partners, Casey’s & Chiesi, continue to fund core expenses and 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**|**2025**| |**Jan**|0|50|30|73|90|76|429|664|563|793| |**Feb**|33|42|21|78|93|163|471|594|491|611| |**Mar**|52|69|28|107|106|165|546|598|742|649| |**April**|46|38|18|85|182|256|548|643|678|719| |**May**|44|61|44|111|267|116|406|788|511|494| |**June**|77|35|53|129|205|161|593|673|504|667| |**July**|56|33|40|132|98|108|570|644|692|826| |**Aug**|23|22|45|112|45|104|615|711|558|490| |**Sept **|46|21|58|125|117|170|826|658|589|637| |**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|5886| ## **Challenges:** - Referrals continue to increase in complexity - Maintaining focus on what we do well, in the desire and pressure to meet increasing numbers, and diversity of needs presented to us for support - Continuing to manage client expectations appropriately - Systematic failure of external services – Police, Housing, Children’s Services, Courts (family & criminal), Mental Health services - Increased waiting lists for outward referrals specifically for counselling - Funding to support core costs, given increased overheads due to change of landlord and cost of living increases - Strategic long term planning and development in rapidly changing environment with limited budget 4 ## **Outcomes:** ## **Collaborative working** - WoW – Women of Wythenshawe Project lead for DV - Police - Presentation at John Moores University for Professional Policing Course - Police - Developing working relationship with Safeguarding team and local community officer - Wythenshawe Community Housing Group (WCHG) – Providing training, nurturing collaborative relationship with Safeguarding & Living Well Teams - WCHG – Providing Wi-fi and re-cycled mobile handsets for office support - Children’s Services - Reviewing and setting appropriate boundaries for support - Early Help, Health Visitor and Community Mental Health Teams - Visits from staff and relationship building leading to collaborative working - Increased multi-disciplinary team working across caseload - Commercial Organisations - Networking relationship built with BW3 (Business Working with Wythenshawe), Chiesi, WCHG, Texere, MAG (Manchester Airport Group), John Lewis, Waitrose, Rotary Clubs, resulting in awareness-raising presentations, staff support, funding, donations and volunteering time - Presentation and Training at local schools for staff and volunteers - Food Bank – Providing emergency food bags and mobile phone sim cards for our service users - Thriving Families – Direct liaison with this intervention service helps families in our care ## **Systems** - Ongoing review and updating of Policies - Ongoing review, training and increased integration of Case Management System - Ongoing Strengthening Team through training and teambuilding to handle increasingly more complex caseload more efficiently and effectively - Incorporating DASH completion through Oasis to reduce time spent - Online DV training portal being developed for local services to access ## **In-house services provided** - Two Freedom Programme courses delivered each week - One Freedom Forever course delivered each week - Coffee Morning once a week - Arts & Crafts once a week - One–to–one appointments ## **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. 5 ## **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. - Feeling confident about the court process - Successful acquisition of non-molestation orders - Successful legal outcomes - Successful court outcomes with abusers held accountable - Care Order reduced to Supervision Order - Successful outcomes when supporting women in disputes - Positive Parenting Assessments - Child Protections Plans stepped down to Child in Need Plans - Children returned to the care of their mothers - Mothers supported as children are adopted and fostered long term - Referrals and introductions to further support - Helping parents process current and historic abuse - their own childhood ACES - Speaking out in Freedom group work - Seeing the positive impact of the courses - Providing support to leave abusive relationships - Celebrating graduations from our courses - Increasing emotional control, eg. responding not reacting - Supporting family to return to UK safely - Supporting into emergency accommodation - Supporting to move home ## **Provision for:** - Ring doorbells, plug in timers & rape alarms - In-house food bank - Food bank vouchers issued - Emergency accommodation, moving costs and transport needs - Emergency carpets and beds - Provision of birthday cards/gifts for our clients and their families throughout their journey with Safespots - Children’s birthday cards and gifts - Provision at Christmas and other seasonal celebrations with gifts 6 ## **Case Study 1** ## Year of birth: 1970 B arrived originally at the centre in tears. At this point in time, B was still with her partner who was extremely emotionally abusive towards her. The pair met at Alcoholics Anonymous and had continued their relationship thereon. Even at the beginning of their partnership, the perpetrator had given B a black eye. However, since then, the abuse had begun to escalate, resulting in B’s interest in attending the Freedom Programme. Each week, B would arrive to engage with the Freedom Programme and afterwards have a 1:1 session with Safespots support worker. This commenced in order to process what she had heard, as B evidently recognised the factors and traits of ‘The Dominator’ from each of the sessions within her own partner. The pieces clearly started falling into place as B would continuously underline aspects of the Freedom Programme booklet throughout the sessions. Around April, B began to feel more positive within herself and how to handle her partner within their relationship. Despite this, her partner continued to act in a disrespectful manner – such as getting inordinately drunk at Easter. This continued within the pattern of leaving their home to get inebriated prior to coming back and behaving abusively – including being unresponsive to B and bashing loudly round the house. B came into the centre on the 30[th] of May relaying his conduct. She also shared that he had pinned her down upon their bed recently and stated that if she wanted him to leave, she would have to call the police. The following day, the 31[st] of May, B arrived at the centre and had decided that she wanted him out of her life. Safespots helped B to report the perpetrator to the police. The police responded through coming into the centre to have a conversation with B, aided by Safespots support worker due to the language communication barrier. Following this, the police attended B’s home and changed her locks, installed a ring doorbell and removed the perpetrator’s possessions from the property. This, combined with providing the perpetrator with a warning, has meant that B has not had contact with him since. Quote from B: ‘You have saved my life; I would not be around if it was not for you (Safespots)’ 7 **Case Study 2** Year of birth: 1960 L left her husband after 20 years of marriage, taking nearly nothing in terms of possessions with her. Her perpetrator’s behaviour was coercive, with him treating her as his slave – calling her his own ‘secretary’, prioritising alcohol over her wellbeing and expressing supportive views for paedophilia. Moreover, her husband knew of her desire to have children, yet waited until he knew it was too late for her to do so. Further, his actions were also physically abusive, demonstrated with him locking her within the house. Following the separation, L relocated to Wythenshawe, where she felt much safer but was extremely lonely. After seeing advertising for Safespots, she decided to attend numerous coffee mornings here for company and decided to engage in the Freedom Programme. During the Freedom Programme sessions, L would often get triggered and have to leave the room. She was particularly affected by the dominator personality of the ‘Bad Father’ stating that this was ‘not for her’. Despite this, L continued to enjoy coming in for group work sessions for the sense of community. However, following leaving her marriage, L began to suffer from both PTSD, Fibromyalgia and Alopecia – acting as a barrier on numerous occasions to coming into the centre. This and her fear of accidentally seeing her husband in public – meant that she cancelled numerous 1:1 appointments due to this stress. Instead, Safespots arranged telephone appointments in order to continue providing her with the necessary support. Ultimately, when L gradually improved mentally and physically – she entered the centre and said that returning ‘felt like coming home.’ L had finished the Freedom Programme but was having problems with her family over in America, including illness and death, therefore Safespots continued providing emotional support. L has found that Safespots and involvement within the Freedom programme has helped her life drastically, to the point where she now volunteers at the centre on Fridays to help improve other women’s lives in the same way. Further, due to donations received recently, Safespots were able to arrange delivery of a kitchen dresser and other homeware products to L’s home. Quote from L: ‘Coming back to Safespots felt like coming home.’ ## **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 8 years** 8 CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND ANO WALES •rMhaw• Saf0• Ory•nl•#tlon C￿￿4b19 Inco Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the perfod from To Section A Receipts and payments Unrestricted funds Restrfcted funds Endowment fund8 Total lunds L¥t year to th• n•arn￿ É tolh• D4rn8t£ toth) n•v••tt ts th• Marn•t£ toth• n••rn•t£ A1 RKo1 Lollery Fundin WCHG CHEISI John DC￿alKin9 33,400 12.280 33,480 112WJ 31,368 31,M6 Sub total(Gross income for AR) 70.106 114flJ6 A2 Ass•t and InTM•tmeirt •al••. tablè). Sub total 78.106 36.500 114606 Salary I C(Mtrart￿ rtsts Sewan Ddw Tr81nin Renl Rates And InwronrA> Offictr SUKV Marke Famity Supwi 8.561 57,882 2,792 66,443 2.7#2 S,028 410 0,029 410 5.029 Sub total 18.9 70.7JQ 96,717 A4 Awt and Inv¢stm¢nt purchas8s,188• table) Sub total Tot•lpaymgnts 18.987 76.730 95,717 N•t of roce1￿￿{PayMents) AS Transfers between fund• A6 Cash funds last yg4r end Cash funds thls year end 58,119 40.230 18,889 33,782 92.901 41,630 75,412 94.301 CCXX R1 *XOLffit8 ISSI 2211212025 Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Unr8Stdct8d funds tt+r*ar8•t£ Restrlctod funds Endowment funds VeEaiis to 81 Cash funds s2.￿1 Total cash funds 92,901 Unrnstrlct4d funds RMtrl¢tsd funds to n•arn•t£ End¢>wm•nt funds Dotalls wh￿h Cyttvnt v•lu• or Dètal Fund th *hl¢h Details Co•t loptbw 84 AsBet8 r•talned for the charlty's own u Fund tO7*ldth Arnourrtduv TrdL* Detalls 85 Llabllltle• Sv1r￿ by on• tytsy) trust￿ on haff of all the tru518è5 S&natswe Print Namg Data of oval Mrn Polricill Ha*l(ins Mrs D•nis* Pollard 2 IQ c25 z2.12.25 CCXX P2 acuunts ISSI 22112r2025 CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examIne￿S report on the accounts Section A Independent Exarninerfs Report Report to the trusteesl members of Wythenshawe Safespots Chartsbk Incorporated Organisation On accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025 Charity no (if any) 1183646 Set out on pages 1and2 I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charty Ilhe Trust") for the year ended 31 Responsibilities and As the charty truslees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparatton basis of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of Ihe Chartties Act 2011 {Yhe Acr) I rewrt in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under seclion 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the appluble Directions given by the Charty Commission under seclion 14515)(b} of the A￿. I have eompleled my examination. I confinn thal no material matters have come to my attention (other than that disclosed below ") in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in. any material respect: accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or the accounts do not &cord wlth the alxounting records Independent examinerfs statement I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examinat￿￿n to which attention should be drawn in order to enab￿ 8 proper understanding of the accounts lo be reached. Please delele Ihe wonls in the brackets rfthey do not apply. Signed: Narne= Richard Craig Be￿ield ACA Relevant professional qualification(s) or body (if any)= Charteted Accountant (ICAEW) Address: Belfiekl & Co Ltd, 15 Medlock Road. Wwdhouses Failsworth, Manchester, M35 9UA IER October 2018 Section B Disclosure Onty complete rfthe examiner needs to highlight matters of concern {see CC32. Independent examination of charty accounts." di￿lOnS and guidance for examinersl- Give here brief details of any items thatthe exarniner wishes to disclose. IER October 2018