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2023-03-31-accounts

An experience in learning, sharing, growing - individually and together

Trustees’ Annual Report

1[st] April 2022 - 31[st] March 2023

Please note, when CIS ’ters was founded in 1995, the name was chosen in 1994 and represents CIS (childhood incest survivors) and

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Contents
Section one: Reference and administrative details 3
Trustees 3
Section two: Structure, governance and management 4
Policies 4
Conflict of Interest 4
Risk management statement 5
Public benefit statement 5
Financial review 5
Additional reference and administrative information 6
Section three: Objectives and activities 6
Summary of the objects of the charity set out in our governing document 6
Summary of the main activities in relation to these objects 7/8
Section four: Achievements and performance 9
Maintaining existing services 9
Helpline 9
Annual Weekend (residential) workshop for members 10
Referrals/Signposting 10
Advocacy 10
Emotional resilience of workforce 10
Achievements 11
Hidden Harm podcasts 11
Peer support sessions 12
Toolkit development 12
Workforce 13
Section five: Consultancy and commissions 13
Section six: Acknowledgements 13
Section seven: Declaration 14

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Section one: Reference and administrative details

Charity Name CIS’ters –surviving rape and sexual
abuse duringchildhood
Registered charity number 1184857_(previously 1123125)_
Charity’s principal address CIS’_ters _
Po Box 119
Eastleigh
Hampshire
SO50 9ZF

Trustees

Trustee Name Office Dates Name
of
person
(or
body) entitled to appoint
trustee
Samantha
Richley		 Trustee/Chair 12/08/2019 -
present		 CIS’ters
Board of Trustees
Elsa Montgomery Trustee/Secretary 12/08/2019 -
present		 CIS’ters
Board of Trustees
Mary Bridgman Trustee/Treasurer 12/08/2019 -
present		 CIS’ters
Board of Trustees
Louise Bird Trustee 12/08/2019 -
present		 CIS’ters
Board of Trustees
Gillian Finch Trustee
Unpaid Manager
Founder		 12/08/2019 -
present		 CIS’ters
Board of Trustees
Eileen Gorrod Trustee 12/08/2019 -
present		 CIS’ters
Board of Trustees
Catherine
Handley		 Trustee 17/11/2020 -
present		 CIS’ters
Board of Trustees
Shelley Unwin Trustee 12/08/2019 -
present		 CIS’ters
Board of Trustees

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Section two: Structure, governance, and management

Type of governing document : Charitable Incorporated Organisation - Foundation

The charity migrated from original registration (1123125) to a CIO format and achieved registration on 12[th] August 2019 (1184857). Funds were transferred from the original registration on 31[st] March 2020, to the new CIO and 1123125 was formally closed on 19[th] January 2021.

It is important that when reviewing the Annual Report and Audited Accounts, that consideration is given to the achievements gained whilst previously registered (as 1123125) as they cover a substantial part of the history of our charity since originally set up and then initial registration.

Trustees are selected following skills gap analysis. They may be recommended by existing trustees, and selection is by unanimous vote of the Board of Trustees. Trustees are appointed on their abilities and skills. In appointing trustees CIS ’ters aims to ensure a majority of trustees are adult female survivors of childhood rape, sexual abuse or sexual exploitation and are therefore representative of those using the primary service. Where no such majority is possible the survivor trustees (i.e. those with lived experience) have a joint casting vote.

Policies

The policy framework, developed under the original registration, was adopted in January 2014 and distributed to the trustees and workers in the agency in April 2014. There is a rolling programme of review every three years. During the reporting period of 2022-23, the following policies have been reviewed and updated:

Conflict of Interest

Covid Gifts, Hospitality & Gratuities Redundancy Retirement Support Supervision & Appraisal Unsatisfactory Standard of Work Volunteer Grievance/Complaints Procedure

Conflict of Interest

A Conflict-of-Interest Register was initiated at the Trustee meeting on 23rd May 2018 and is now a formal part of each meeting. During the reported period, Trustees confirmed that they had no conflicts of interest.

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Risk management statement

The trustees take responsibility for management of risk within the charity. Major risks are reviewed by the Trustees at their regular meetings and control systems have been established to manage those risks. A designated trustee provides documented supervision sessions on a monthly basis with the manager during which risks (known and emerging) are subject to ongoing monitoring. Risk management extends to financial awareness.

The charity continued to deliver against priorities agreed with funders for key projects. We were successful in securing a new three-year grant from The Joseph Rank Trust.

Prior to covid pandemic we had been chosen by BIZPEDIA, a local business network, to raise funds for during 2020 – which proved not to be possible. During July 2022 they were able to honour their previous promise to raise funds – and they and we were staggered at their success.

On this basis trustees were satisfied that the charity had sufficient financial resources for the year. In common with the majority of small/medium size charities and particularly those, like ours, who focus on subjects that society would prefer to not so easily acknowledge – future and sustainable funding remains an issue that requires constant attention from within scarce workforce resources.

Public benefit statement

All trustees have complied with their duty to have due regard to guidance on public benefit when exercising their duties.

Financial review

Income received during the year 2022-23 was £92,784. The end of year balance for the prior financial year (2021/22) was £66,027. Expenditure for 2022-23 totalled £63,417 compared with £52,079 in the prior year. The main reason for the increase was increased delivery of services (notably the weekend workshop).

As of 31[st] March 2023, the balance carried forward into the next financial year i.e. 2023-24 was £95,395 which included restricted grants linked to ongoing projects (as grants periods did not strictly align with our financial years).

Our Reserves policy recognises the need to ensure cash reserves to:

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CIS ’ters Business Continuity Plan requires us to have 4-6 months close down reserves and we achieved this. The level of reserves is crucial to our charity in that new funding is unstable with good and not so good years – whilst expenditure remains reasonably static. Expenditure costs are subject to ongoing and robust review.

Additional reference and administrative information

Bank HSBC 3 Leigh Road,
Eastleigh
SO50 9YW
Auditor Fred Bendall 8 Tenby Drive,
Chandlers Ford,
SO53 4NL

Section three: Objectives and activities

Summary of the objects of the
charity set out in its governing
document		 The Trustees shall hold the trust fund and
its income upon trust to apply them for the
following objects (“the objects”):
a.to promote and protect the health of
female survivors aged over 18 who,
born as female, during childhood were
raped, sexually abused or sexually
exploited in particular but not limited to
those who were raped, sexually abused
or sexually exploited by a member of
their immediate or extended family;
empowering such survivors in their own
personal healing through the mutual
affirmation, acceptance, respect and
support of other survivors and, subject
to funding, to assist in the provision or
development of services for other
persons affected directly or indirectly by
rape, sexual abuse or sexual
exploitation as the trustees shall think
fit.
b.To promote and protect the health of

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Summary of the objects of the
charity set out in its governing
document (continued)		 female survivors aged over 18 who,
born as female, during childhood were
raped, sexually abused or sexually
exploited in particular but not limited to
those who were raped, sexually abused
or sexually exploited by a member of
their immediate or extended family;
empowering such survivors in their own
personal healing through the mutual
affirmation, acceptance, respect and
support of other survivors and, subject
to funding, to assist in the provision or
development of services for other
persons affected directly or indirectly by
rape, sexual abuse or sexual
exploitation as the trustees shall think
fit.
c.to advance the education of the public,
in particular those providing services, of
the impact on child victims/adult
survivors of childhood rape/sexual
abuse/exploitation and the associated
coping strategies used by some
victims; and to promote an improved
service response to the unmet needs of
such child victims/adult survivors, and
others affected directly or indirectly by
experiences of sexual crimes.
Summary of the main activities in
relation to these objects		 As our primary workforce are (in the main)
volunteers and those with lived experience
we continue to be affected by their
resilience as they move forward post
pandemic. This has had a limiting factor on
how services are being now delivered and
in some areas re-configured.
a. Production of our newsletter has
continued without being affected by the
pandemic. It was available to our 500+
Members (ie service users/clients) via
hard copy or email and to the public via
our website.

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b. Continued to provide a national helpline (answer phone and call back or email response), to offer support to adults who have been affected by such abuse, signposting where appropriate to other services/agencies. c. Social media was used to promote awareness raising with the general public, so that they better understand core issues including prevalence of such abuse. d. Continued to network with key professionals in other agencies (local and national), including the statutory sector, to highlight the unmet needs of child victims and adult survivors. e. Undertook fundraising activities to raise income needed to sustain the agency; recognising the impact that restrictions would have on those already accessing our charity; and those that might reach out to us. f. During this financial year we managed to increase the number of physical face to face meetings that were available, plus responded to phone and emails, and offered limited zoom calls. g. In May 2022 we were able to successfully deliver our annual weekend residential workshop.

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Section four: Achievements and performance

Maintaining existing services

Membership : As of 31[st] March 2023, we had 517 Members (a slight reduction on the 547 members as at 31/3/22). Of these 51% live within combined Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton local government areas. The remaining 49% of our Members live across England and Wales. The reduction is due to undertaking an administrative initiative to contact Members to ensure that their contact listings were up to date. The pandemic has had an impact, in that there were a number of individuals who we had either lost complete contact with, were now deceased, or confirmed that they no longer needed our support.

Helpline : (phone and email): We have ensured that there is a wealth of content on our website www.cisters.org.uk which enables and empowers victim/survivors to find a suitable pathway, that does not necessarily include making direct contact with us. We receive higher numbers of emails from new contacts than phone calls – as this appears easier for the initial contact being made by the individual ie any hour of any day.

We do still receive direct contact from individuals who meet the criteria for our core service, and are enquiring about Membership. In addition, we continue to receive calls from professionals/others who are seeking affirmation that they are providing help and support for their clients, in a way which is helpful rather than creating boundaries.

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Annual Weekend (Residential) Workshop for Members : In May 2022 we were able to successfully deliver our annual weekend residential workshop. This has been a regular event since 1999, though in 2020 and 2021 was postponed due to the global pandemic.

Due to the continued health risks during May 2022 and the acknowledged vulnerability (health) of our lived experience workforce, we undertook additional safeguards to ensure that they, and our equally vulnerable delegates (who had travelled some distance to attend the event) were protected. The event was well received and provided a much needed emotional boost to all those who took part, and to the charity as a whole.

Referrals/Signposting : In recognition of the fact that CIS ’ters might be part of a survivor/members journey, we have ensured that there is comprehensive information on our website which can be used by survivors and others to find additional services such as counselling.

Within CIS ’ters, when responding to emails and phone calls we continue to highlight the existence of additional services so that individuals have the widest choices open to them.

Advocacy : Increasingly we are finding that many of our members, whether they live in Hampshire or elsewhere, require advocacy or empowerment in addition to emotional support.

Currently this is an under resourced area and will need sustainable funding if we were to promote it as a service. We are currently undertaking the task on a case by case basis, which is very much dependent on how time/people resources allow.

Emotional Resilience of Workforce : The supervisor appointed in 2020 continues to provide support for our workforce, in addition to that provided by both our Manager and Senior Administrative Support Officer.

The majority of our workforce are members (i.e. survivors with lived experience of sexual abuse during childhood within a familial environment). They are carefully monitored to ensure that they are sufficiently resilient individuals, in order to undertake their respective roles.

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Achievements

Hidden Harm Podcasts : A further 4 were recorded during the year 2022-23. A complete list of episodes as at 31[st] March 2023 is shown below:

12 - Isolation Through the Eyes of Survivors

13 - Learning Something New

14 - Through the Eyes of a Midwife'

15 - Self Neglect/Self Harm

16 - Everyone’s Invited

17 - Domestic Abuse

18 - When an Abuser Dies

19 - Interview with Fay Maxted

20 - Reflections on the Past Few Months

21 - Counselling & Therapy

22 - Mind Your Language

23 - Trauma & Physical Health

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24 - Abusers Can Be Female

25 - Institutional CSA Cover-Ups

26 - ISVA's (Independent Sexual Advisor Service)

27 - You Think I'm Alright. You Are Wrong

28 – ACE's - Adverse Childhood Experiences

29 -The Window of Tolerance

30 – The Importance of NHS England to Victims/Survivors of Sexual Assault & Abuse

31 Using Self Help Materials

32 The Sensitivity of Raising Awareness of Sexual Abuse & Sexual Violence

33 A Heartfelt Thank You to Bizpedia

The podcast channel can be found via our website: The 'Hidden Harm' Podcasts | CIS'ters (cisters.org.uk). Further editions are to be recorded during the next and future financial years, with topics being added at the suggestion of Members and of emerging issues.

Peer Support Group Sessions : The weekday booked telephone support sessions continued and the Saturday support session was replaced with physical meetings, as this was what was being sought from Members who contacted us at that time.

Toolkit development : This had been a new initiative and reflected that Members who lived remotely to our physical base in Hampshire, needed something more practical to use as a self-help guide, or toolkit. As at the end of March 2023, five of the anticipated 12 modules had been created in outline, and appropriate content is being developed. Our intention is to pilot the product as we develop it, with 5-6 individual members (of varying abilities). We can then capture their feedback which will be used to build into individual modules, as they continue to be mapped out and content created. Once fully assessed and operational we will be able to use it as a bespoke physical resource for our whole national membership.

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Workforce : Our pre-pandemic workforce has been adversely affected by covid in that the majority of our volunteers had underlying physical and emotional health conditions (in common with other victim/survivors of sexual abuse during childhood). Care has been taken, and continues to be taken, to slowly rebuild the team and monitor the resilience of existing team members. Victim/survivors who become Members of CIS ’ ters continue to give feedback that: they find the greatest value in their contact with us, is that those they communicate with, within our frontline teams, are also victim/survivors. Thus, we continue to see merit in choosing a workforce with lived experience, despite the additional work that this requires to choose and maintain resilience individuals.

Section Five: Consultancy/Commissions

Section Six: Acknowledgements

We wish to give thanks to the following for their exceptional help and support during 2022-2023 which has continued to be a difficult year for so many charities and their service users:

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Trustees, on behalf of all of those who access our small charity, wish it to be known that we are hugely grateful to all those who donated directly or raised funds through sponsored events.

The total sum donated during 2022-23 was £36,731 of which £31,741 was the exceptional and unexpected amount raised by Bizpedia in July 2022. In the prior year all new income received by the charity was £9,351 of which £8,782 was from donations.

Section Seven: Declaration

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above:

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees (as at this date):

Signatures
Full Names Samantha Richley
In Role as Chair,Trustees		 Gillian Finch
In Role as a Trustee
Date 2ndOctober 2023 2ndOctober 2023

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