**TOGETHER FOR MENTAL WELLBEING - ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 2021-22** 

**TOGETHER FOR MENTAL WELLBEING ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 2021-22** 

Together for Mental Wellbeing 52 Walnut Tree Walk London SE11 6DN Tel: 020 7780 7300 www.together-uk.org 

Charity Registration number: 211091 Company Registration number: 463505 



## **CONTENTS** 

|LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION|1|
|---|---|
|INTRODUCTION FROM THE CHAIR<br>|2 - 3|
|CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REPORT<br>|4 - 6|
|TRUSTEES’ REPORT (INCORPORATING STRATEGIC REPORT)|7 - 31|
|INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT|32 - 35|
|CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES|36|
|CONSOLIDATED AND CHARITY BALANCE SHEET|37|
|CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW STATEMENT|38|
|NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS<br>|39 - 57|



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## **LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION** 

**Charity name Together for Mental Wellbeing Registered name Together for Mental Wellbeing Charity registration number 211091 Company registration number 463505** 

**Registered office** 

52 Walnut Tree Walk, London, SE11 6DN Tel 020 7780 7300 Email contact-us@together-uk.org Website www.together-uk.org 

## **TRUSTEES INFORMATION** 

**Carol Cole John Banks Louise Bushby Angus Cameron Judy Clements JoAnne Cutting Deirdre Evans Vicky Johnson** (appointed 23/06/2022) **Ian Jones Sarah Morton Donald Mungall Kathie Pearce David Shakespeare Ben Thomas** 

Chair Honorary Treasurer 

## **OUTGOING TRUSTEES** 

**Lisa Goodwin** (resigned 8 April 2022) 

## **COMPANY SECRETARY - Linda Bryant** 

## **BOARD SECRETARY - Diane Swanton** 

## **SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM** 

**Linda Bryant** Chief Executive **Emma Edwards** Interim Director of Operations and Quality **David Graham** Director of Business Development (new role appointed 01.12.2021) **Ian Hill** Director of Finance and Resources (resigned 21.05.2021) **Adrien Laure** Director of Finance and Resources (appointed 18.10.2021) **Jo Winstanley** Interim Director of People and Organisational Development 

**AUDITORS -** BDO LLP, 55 Baker Street, London, W1U 7EU 

**BANKERS -** NatWest Group, 250 Bishopsgate, London, EC2M 4AA 

**SOLICITORS -** Trowers and Hamlins LLP, 3 Bunhill Row, London EC1Y 8YZ 

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## **INTRODUCTION FROM THE CHAIR** 

## **I am pleased to present our Annual Report and Accounts for 2021-22 which provide a full summary of the year’s activity.** 

The challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic continued into 2021-22, in the wake of new variants and continued restrictions for health and social care settings. I am pleased and proud to report that – in spite of these challenges – Together continued to deliver much-needed support to our service users and to work towards the achievement of our ambition for society: that everyone who experiences mental distress is valued, can live the life they choose and determine their own future. 

The continued impact of the pandemic on people experiencing mental distress cannot be overstated, particularly in the context of challenges in the health and social care environment. There has been a sharp increase in the complexity of the needs of service users in terms of a loss of social contact, risk to housing placements, delays in medical attention to physical needs, increased financial pressures, and increased vulnerability to misuse of drugs and alcohol. The pandemic is not yet over, and Covid-related staff absences continue to place pressure on a system which is already stretched due to recruitment challenges. 

One of Together’s values is continuous improvement, and in this spirit the Board asked that a ‘lessons learned’ exercise be carried out throughout the organisation, to garner views on what had worked well during the pandemic in terms of managing its impact, and what lessons could be learned to ensure that Together continues to emerge stronger and more well-equipped to weather future crises. The Board was pleased to review the outcomes of this exercise and recommended that a similar exercise be carried out with service users. 

As a Board, we have been focused on the importance of considering Together’s development and sustainability in the context of a challenging operating environment. Much of the discussions over the last year have centred on risks and opportunities, both internal and external, and how we can best respond to these. The decision was made to move the annual Board strategy day from February 2022 to instead take place in June 2022, to enable this event to go ahead in person. Such strategy days are hugely valuable in providing space for both Trustees and the Senior Leadership Team to reflect on the organisation’s strategic priorities and we intend to carve out more time for such discussions over the coming year. 

We have continued to embed strengthened governance processes, such as the horizon scanning report capturing risks and opportunities in the external environment, the Board dashboard which frames quarterly reviews of organisational performance, and the Board Assurance Framework which monitors risks to the delivery of strategic objectives. In the spirit of continuous improvement, processes such as these continue to be reviewed and enhanced to ensure that adequate assurance is provided so as to facilitate effective decision-making. 

None of what Together does would be possible without the dedicated resolve of our staff and volunteers, and I would like to thank each and every one of them. I am always impressed by the commitment demonstrated by our frontline staff to providing the best possible services for those who need us most, but never more so than I have been over the past two years with all of the difficulties that have been experienced. 

I wish to acknowledge the key role of the leadership provided by Linda Bryant, our CEO, and the Senior Leadership Team in ensuring that the organisation has stayed on track in delivering against our strategic objectives and clearly demonstrating Together’s values in all that they do. 

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all of our Trustees for their enthusiasm, energy and commitment to governing the organisation safely and effectively. 

In March 2022, Lisa Goodwin’s third term of office on the Board came to an end. Lisa was one of our Trustees with lived experience of mental distress and has devoted nine years to the work of Together, providing valuable insights, resilience and humour, and I wish to acknowledge her immense contribution. 

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As with each production of our annual report and accounts, our finance department has undertaken a huge amount of work for our audit (carried out by BDO LLP). On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank everyone involved, with particular thanks to Majid Rafiq, Head of Financial Accounting, for all his hard work. 

Dr. Carol Cole 

Chair of the Board of Trustees 

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## **CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REPORT** 

The impact of Covid-19 continued to characterise much of the nation’s life and our communities during 2021-22. We were faced with increasing dilemmas, professionally and personally, as choice and responsibility began to increasingly determine how we were all going to have to assimilate the virus as part of everyday life and in our workplaces. 

As Autumn and Winter approached we headed into the government’s ‘Plan B’ Covid-19 response and we updated organisational guidance to reinforce the requirement of mask wearing, working from home where possible and the importance of being vaccinated and getting the booster. We cancelled Christmas staff gatherings and closed our national office – again. 

The government’s mandatory requirement that all staff working in our CQC regulated settings were vaccinated was a challenge, not because colleagues did not want the vaccination but for many it felt as though social care was being ‘singled out’ without due consideration for the wider impact in other health settings. This was further underlined by the revocation of the requirement in the following months. 

It is not surprising that following the turbulence of the last two years we found ourselves facing even more extenuating recruitment and retention challenges in social care – staff whose resilience and determination to work alongside people experiencing mental distress has been outstanding and who are now faced with other uncertainties such as the cost of living rises. 

But we are an organisation committed to our values, including how we work together to achieve our ambitions: 

- We delivered **new services** including a crisis cafe in Reading, Breathing Space, providing essential out of hours support to people to help them to stay in the community and an advocacy service working with St Andrew’s in Nottinghamshire 

- We completed a development programme at our supported living service, Avalon, in Ashstead, Surrey, to deliver a loft conversion with facilities to support people on their move-on journey towards independence, a new resource centre, landscaping of the garden and a beautiful summer house funded by a generous donation 

- Our charitable work was recognised by unsolicited donations from Cara Delevingne, the actress and model and Amazon Smile 

And we continued to focus on our future, building on the firm foundation of our five year strategy, to reinforce our values and embedding our strategic priorities within our culture and progressing change programmes:- 

- Implementation of our **People Strategy** focusing on our Total Reward offer to staff, developing a number of staff inclusion groups determined by what matters most to our workforce, taking forward our commitment to mobilise the diversity of our workforce and importantly looking to strengthen the health and wellbeing of our staff through new initiatives 

- Development of a new **Accommodation Services Strategy** to strengthen our care and support offers to people living in our services and prioritising our efforts and resources to ensure we best meet their needs now, and in the future 

- A new **Service User Leadership Strategy** to achieve our ambitions to empower people in our services to lead their own care and support, enabling their collective voice to inform and influence and improve policy and practice for all 

We also reinforced our commitment to continually improving as an organisation by undertaking **two exercises to learn from our experiences of the pandemic** adapting the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) Future Change Framework. We asked both our workforce and the people who use our services to think about four domains of experience: 

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|**Restore**<br>things to return to doing from before the<br>pandemic.|**Retain**<br>things that have been implemented<br>during the pandemic, that are new and<br>that we would like to keep doing.|
|---|---|
|**Reinvent**<br>things that we want to change and do<br>differently|**Remove**<br>things to stop doing that were<br>implemented during the pandemic|



The feedback and thinking was both generous and thoughtful and it is testament to the creativity, flexibility and adaptability of our staff, volunteers and the people who use our services during this time that there has been a richness of reflection and observation. 

For our workforce there were common themes around restoring face-to-face meetings but keeping the flexibility of digital opportunity, maintaining the new ways of communication introduced during the pandemic and continuing a focus on staff wellbeing plans. 

It was clear from the feedback that our service users really valued the reintroduction of face to face support and social activities taking place within services and their local communities. But they also talked about having been given more choice through virtual offers of support and were keen to see this blended approach continue and develop for the future. 

We strive to do the very best we can for the people we work alongside but we can only achieve our ambitions for society - everyone who experiences mental distress is valued, can live the life they choose and can determine their own futures – by working in partnership with others. 

Over the last year we have been **advocating and influencing decision-makers** with respect to the necessary investment and focus on mental health social care if we are truly to make a difference in people’s lives. This has included: 

- **Department of Health & Social Care (DHSC)** – as a member of the Mental Health Social Care & Policy Oversight Group, we have been working with senior members of DHSC to produce a statement and leadership piece highlighting the distinct and vital contribution of mental health social care to local systems and better outcomes for individuals, the application of the Mental Health Investment Standard to the establishment of Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) and the associated footprint for the commissioning of care and support services. 

- **NHS Benchmarking Network (NBN ) – social care workforce in mental health services -** we have been prioritising contributing to a current benchmarking exercise to more accurately identify the specific issues and risks in the VCSE sector to inform a more integrated approach to mitigate workforce challenges across health and social care with the support of Health Education England and the NBN. 

- **Mental Health Alliance** – working with alliance members, we continued to highlight the need for the Mental Health Act reforms to be fully funded and legislated to ensure that people detained under the Act understand and can exercise their fundamental human rights. This included calling for the government’s unequivocal commitment to improving access to Independent Mental Health Advocates (IMHAs). 

- **Association of Mental Health Providers** – as a collective of VCSE mental health social care providers we worked together to respond to the government’s consultation on the White Paper ‘Integration and Innovation: working together to improve health and social care for all’. We looked to provide evidence and data of the important role the VCSE plays in the lives of people experiencing mental distress as well as successfully advocating for representation of mental health in the new regional structures of the ICBs. 

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Together cannot achieve its ambitions for the people we serve without the skills, compassion and kindness of a loyal workforce of staff and volunteers. I can never truly thank them enough and I will continue to do whatever I can to ensure the experience of working for the charity is rewarding, recognised and valued. 

Lt Bp Linda Bryant Chief Executive 

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## **TRUSTEES’ REPORT (INCORPORATING STRATEGIC REPORT)** 

**The Board of Trustees of Together for Mental Wellbeing presents its annual report and accounts for the year ended 31 March 2022. These comply with the Companies Act 2006 and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) applicable to Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with FRS 102.** 

## **CHARITABLE DETAILS AND OBJECTIVES** 

Together for Mental Wellbeing (‘Together’) is a national charity working alongside people with mental health issues on their journey to leading fulfilling and independent lives. It currently operates throughout England. 

Together was founded in 1879 and has been incorporated since 1949 as a company limited by guarantee. The organisation is registered in England under the company number 463505 and is also a registered charity with the number 211091 operating under the Companies Act 2006 and the Charities Act 2011. Revised Articles of Association, which were adopted in October 2018, govern it and the Trustees are also directors of the company. 

The charity's objectives are specific with the primary aim to promote and assist in the relief of persons suffering, or at risk of suffering from mental ill-health of any description or in need of rehabilitation as a result of such a condition. In particular the organisation seeks to achieve that through: 

- **The promotion of mental health and the provision of support to people in the maintenance and recovery of this -** Our strategy sets out our vision for delivering high quality mental health, wellbeing and support services which we do through delivering and developing our services in the areas of accommodation, criminal justice, advocacy and community support. 

- **The support of carers, families and friends of people who experience mental ill-health in their caring role and in maintaining their own mental health -** Our approach to supporting people experiencing mental distress, as outlined in our 5 year strategy, is that we work alongside them to develop their insights, skills and potential. This approach includes empowering people to make the best use of their informal support networks including carers, families and friends. 

- **The improvement of understanding of mental health and mental ill-health through engagement with and education of people who use mental health services primarily. This is also extended to the support network of those service users including carers, families and friends as well as mental health professionals and the wider public -** The guiding ethos of Together, which supports everything the charity does to deliver the organisational strategy, is the principle of Service User Leadership. By empowering people to take control of their lives and valuing their lived experience of mental distress the organisation aims to raise awareness of mental wellbeing through promotional methods like the company website, social media and in the press. 

- **The promotion of best practice and policies in sustaining mental health and alleviating mental ill-health locally, nationally and elsewhere** - The vision for the future stated by the organisation seeks to promote the voices of people who use their services to improve policy and practice in mental health support available to all. 

- **To promote research into mental health and mental ill-health with a focus on the value of lived experience** - The organisational strategy of Together aims to ensure the people they work alongside are supported and enabled to use their collective voice to inform and influence 

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policy in mental health support. The charity actively seeks opportunities to engage with research based on the experiences of people who use their services. 

In the section ‘Activities and Achievements’ we set out how we have specifically delivered on our charitable objects and strategy during the current year. 

## **GOVERNANCE STUCTURE AND MANAGEMENT** 

The Board of Trustees (‘the Board’) is responsible for the overall governance of Together, ensuring it is effectively and properly run, and is meeting its overall purposes as set out in its Articles of Association. The governance of the charity is aligned with good governance practice as set out in the Charity Governance Code. The Board meets at least four times each year, and sets objectives for itself in that first quarter. Four Board meetings were held during 2021-22. Two of these meetings were held virtually, due to the exceptional circumstances posed by the Covid-19 pandemic; two of the meetings were held using a hybrid approach of some attendees joining virtually and some attending in person. A separate Board strategy day, which had been scheduled for February 2022, was postponed to enable this event to proceed in person in June 2022. 

During 2021-22, the Board received regular reports from the CEO on the management of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the organisation, as well as updates on the plans to safely return to face-to-face working. A ‘lessons learned’ exercise was carried out throughout the organisation, to collate the lessons which had been learned from Covid-19; the final report was reviewed by the Board which welcomed the approach and recommended that a similar exercise be carried out with service users to gather their feedback. Throughout the year, quarterly organisational performance reports were reviewed by the Board based on a set of agreed key performance indicators to measure performance in particular areas. 

The Board has delegated consideration of specific issues to five sub-committees, who make recommendations for Board approval in accordance with the agreed terms of reference and matters reserved for the Board. Each sub-committee meets quarterly to report back with the exception of the Nominations, Remuneration and Governance (the ‘NRG’) Committee, which meets at least once a year with additional meetings scheduled as necessary. 

- The NRG Committee has responsibility for the recruitment and performance review of Together’s Board, approval of the remuneration of the CEO and SLT plus oversight of the arrangements to assess the performance of the CEO and SLT. In 2021-22, the NRG Committee met three times. Throughout the year, the Committee reviewed trustee recruitment plans, the membership of all Committees and planned development activities for the Board. 

- The Finance, Resources and Investment Committee (FRIC) has responsibility for ensuring that Together complies with the best current practice in its financial systems and controls, as well as in its management of resources and investments. Four FRIC meetings were held during 2021-22 and the Committee received updates on the impact of Covid-19 on Together’s financial position. Financial risks, including inflation increases and the re-tender of significant contracts, were reviewed and discussed by the Committee. The Committee also reviewed progress updates on the organisation’s property development priorities and the IT strategy. 

- The Audit and Risk Committee (ARC) provides assurance to the Board that there is an effective system of governance, risk management and control across the organisation’s activities. Four ARC meetings took place during 2021-22. Throughout the year, the Committee oversaw the organisation’s risk management and reporting, reviewed internal and external audit reports, and monitored health and safety compliance. The Committee also received updates on the impact of Covid-19 on Together as part of the review of organisational risks, and discussed areas such as the re-opening of services/offices, staff wellbeing, and IT security. 

- The Quality and Safety Committee is responsible for overseeing all aspects of Together’s clinical governance, quality and safety assurance and improvement activity; it is also responsible for providing assurance to the Board that appropriate quality and safety systems, policies and processes are in place to promote services that are high-quality and safe. In 2021-22, the Quality and Safety Committee met four times. Throughout the year, the Committee discussed the effects 

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of the Covid-19 pandemic on service users and on the organisation. The Committee also reviewed reports on the work with services users with increasingly complex mental distress, and quarterly reports and analysis on trends, themes and learning from complaints, incidents, and CQC compliance. 

- The Workforce Committee provides assurance to the Board that all elements of workforce performance, including strategy, policies, procedures and workforce planning, are fit for purpose and support the overarching strategic direction of the organisation. Four Workforce Committee meetings were held during 2021-22 and for the duration of the year the Committee received regular updates on the impact of Covid-19 on staff, the procedures which have been put in place to manage safety requirements in working environments, and the return to face-to-face working to support collaboration, cohesiveness and connectedness amongst staff. The Committee also reviewed regular progress updates on the organisation’s People plan. 

The terms of reference for each sub-committee were reviewed, and updates were approved by the Board in March 2022. The Board also reviewed and approved the Board’s terms of reference, and matters reserved to the Board, in March 2022. 

The Trustees delegate the day-to-day management of the organisation to the Chief Executive, with a Scheme of Delegation in place, which is subject to annual review and approval by the Board (last reviewed and approved by the Board in June 2022). The Chief Executive reports directly to the Chair of the Board of Trustees, and is supported by a group of directors who constitute the Senior Leadership Team: 

- Chief Executive 

- Director of Operations and Quality 

- Director of Finance and Resources 

- Director of Business Development 

- Director of People & Organisational Development 

## **STATEMENT OF PUBLIC BENEFIT** 

The Trustees confirm that they have complied with the duty in section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission in determining the activities undertaken by the charity. 

## **RISK MANAGEMENT** 

The Board and Senior Leadership Team identify and review how Together is managing its risks in the pursuit of its strategic objectives. Oversight of the organisation’s risk management system is within the remit of the Audit and Risk Committee (ARC). 

ARC review quarterly the Board Assurance Framework (BAF) and the Corporate Risk Register (CRR), in order to ensure that the Board receives appropriate assurance pertaining to risks to the delivery of the charity’s strategic objectives. The Board reviews the BAF bi-annually, with the CRR coming to the Board once a year. 

The BAF was developed during 2019-20 and the strategic risks will be reviewed again in 2022-23 to ensure that the identified risks are relevant to the organisation strategy. 

The BAF is comprised of nine strategic risks: 

1. Failure to deliver safe, quality assured and regulatory compliant services 

2. Failure to sufficiently diversify income portfolio and achieve cost optimisation, so as to operate sustainably and ensure financial viability 

3. Failure to ensure the efficacy and effectiveness of our corporate support services 

4. Failure to anticipate and respond to workforce requirements for an appropriately staffed, engaged and motivated workforce 

5. Failure to successfully identify and manage key external and internal stakeholder relationships 

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6. Failure to maintain and enhance organisational brand and reputation by not operating according to stated values and commitment to Service User Leadership 

7. Failure to maintain and comply with robust charity governance arrangements in line with Charity Commission guidance and other regulatory requirements 

8. Failure to scan the horizon, anticipate and future-proof so that the charity’s purpose remains relevant 

9. Failure to respond to the impact of a national or global catastrophe which affects the delivery of services and the functioning of the organisation 

The BAF provides the Board with a clear view of the charity’s strategic risks, including the management and mitigation of these risks, with consideration of the integrity of Service User Leadership also being assessed for each risk. 

The CRR comprises of risks primarily related to impact on service delivery and quality scoring 12 and above. In 2021-22 the CRR comprised of 7 risks related to: 

- Recruitment and retention 

- E-learning data accuracy and compliance 

- Poor performance of accommodation services 

- Contract maturation 

- Inability to provide safe and quality assured service at Green Lane 

In 2021-22 four internal audits completed by KPMG took place on Occupancy Management, Safeguarding, Learning and Development and Financial controls. The final audit reports have been shared with ARC with recommendations and actions being implemented. 

The internal audit plan for 2022-2023 has been reviewed and agreed by ARC; the plan sets out timings and scopes for future audits to be conducted. The plan is reviewed annually. 

## **APPOINTMENT AND RECRUITMENT OF TRUSTEES** 

The number of Trustees on Together’s Board cannot be fewer than three or more than 18. The Board aims to retain an appropriate balance of skills, experience and backgrounds, given the diverse nature of the organisation’s work. Trustees are initially appointed to a term of office of three years’ duration, and may be reappointed by the Board for two subsequent three-year terms. 

Lisa Goodwin’s third term of office came to an end in March 2022. 

In February 2022, a recruitment campaign was launched to enable the appointment of a new trustee with lived experience of mental distress, so as to strengthen the voice of lived experience on the Board. As a result of the recruitment campaign, a successful appointment was recommended to the Board and Vicky Johnson was formally appointed to the Board on 23 June 2022. 

A full induction is provided for all new Trustees, including meetings with senior staff, service visits, and access to formal documents relating to the governance of Together, along with relevant Charity Commission publications and other charity governance guidance. New Trustees are also directed to mandatory formal training courses on safeguarding, and equality and diversity. The induction process is kept under regular review. Trustees are updated on current good practice, formal guidance and training opportunities through regular mailings. 

- Further details about our Trustees and their expertise can be found on the website at www.together uk.org/Trustees. 

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## **Committee Membership as of 31 March 2022:** 

|**Workforce**|**Finance,**<br>**Resources &**<br>**Investment**|**Audit & Risk**|**Nominations,**<br>**Remuneration &**<br>**Governance**|
|---|---|---|---|
|David Shakespeare<br>(Committee Chair)|John Banks<br>(Committee Chair)|Deirdre Evans<br>(Committee Chair)|Carol Cole<br>(Committee Chair)|
|Louise Bushby|Angus Cameron|Judy Clements|Louise Bushby|
|Carol Cole_(Ex_<br>_officio)_|Carol Cole_(Ex_<br>_officio)_|Ian Jones|Judy Clements|
|Donald Mungall|Ian Jones|Donald Mungall|David Shakespeare|
||Kathie Pearce|||
|||||



## **Attendance by Trustees at meetings of the Board and its sub-committees, 2021-22** 

The table below sets out the attendance of Trustees at meetings of the Board and its sub-committees during 2021-22[1] : 

|**Trustee**|**Board**<br>**(4**<br>**meetings)**|**Quality &**<br>**Safety**<br>**(4**<br>**meetings)**|**Finance,**<br>**Resources &**<br>**Investment**<br>**(4 meetings)**|**Audit &**<br>**Risk**<br>**(4**<br>**meetings)**|**Nominations,**<br>**Remuneration**<br>**& Governance**<br>**(3 meetings)**|**Workforce**<br>**(4 meetings)**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Carol Cole|4|1|1||3||
|John Banks|3||4||||
|Louise Bushby|3||||3|3|
|Angus<br>Cameron|4|4|3||||
|JudyClements|4|||4|1(1)||
|Jo Cutting|3|3|||||
|Deirdre Evans|4|||4|||
|Lisa Goodwin|2|3||||3|
|Ian Jones|3||4|3|||
|Sarah Morton|2|2 (3)|||||
|Donald<br>Mungall|4|||4||4|
|Kathie Pearce|3|1 (1)|4||||
|David<br>Shakespeare|4||||3|4|
|Ben Thomas|4|4|||||



> 1 This does not include reference to where Trustees may have observed meetings of other sub-committees, of which they do not hold membership. Where a Trustee was only a sub-committee member for part of the year, the number of meetings that they could have attended is shown in brackets. 

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## **EMPLOYEES AND VOLUNTEERS** 

Together has over 439 employees across England. 

Together is indebted to its network of over 110 volunteers, whose support continues to be so valuable to the success of our organisation and to the difference made to the lives of people experiencing mental distress. 

## **Investors in People** 

Together is a long standing Investors in People (IIP) employer, having been accredited for over 10 years. IIP have created a performance framework, which has been refined over three decades and used to accredit over 50,000 organisations. This framework enables us to measure our performance in leading and supporting our staff and creating sustainable success, in order to achieve our ambition. Through regular assessment and three-yearly accreditation, we identify those areas where Together is performing well and those where we can improve, so that we can be confident in our employment offer and management strategies. 

In response to our last IIP assessment feedback and in line with our organisation strategy, and values, we continue to adapt our plans and activities to ensure we are on track to achieve our next accreditation at the end of 2022. Faced with a challenging external environment over the past few years, Together has built upon the positive feedback received from our last assessment, notably: our strong culture of continuous improvement, sharing good practice within teams, and that our managers are highly supportive and care about people’s wellbeing. We understand that for our service users to feel assured that we can provide the vital services they deserve, we must build upon our success and the Investors in People framework enables us to continue to do so. 

## **EMPLOYEE INVOLVEMENT** 

Regular meetings are held with employees so that they are involved in and consulted on matters of concern, and can contribute to the running of the organisation. Together operates a Workforce Reps Council (WRC) where union and non-union staff representatives meet with management to discuss matters relating to staff working terms and conditions and on issues that will positively support employment within Together. Together has a **Statement on Equality and Diversity** on the website, which outlines the approach to involvement in the workforce. 

The re-formatted WRC is part of a new people strategy at Together in which the organisation has made a commitment to the workforce to help them to represent their views and ensure those are communicated to the Senior Leadership Team. The aim is to make Together the best workplace it can be and to ensure any issues or innovations are responded to at a senior level. The WRC is made up of 8 people including an officer of UNISON. Only UNISON has the right to negotiate on such issues as salary, hours of working, and general terms and conditions. Together has signed a recognition agreement with UNISON. 

Together has employed a People Inclusion Manager to develop our work around Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. Nine inclusion groups have been set up which gives our workforce the opportunity to talk about their experiences within the workplace, what is working well to support them and what changes could be considered to make their working environment more inclusive. These issues are reviewed and discussed at the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group meeting. 

Together surveys our workforce on a six-monthly basis so we can learn what is working well within the organisation and what we our workforce would like us to improve. The results of these surveys are shared with our workforce and our Board of Trustees. 

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## **COVID-19 AND THE IMPACT ON WORKFORCE AND VOLUNTEERS** 

Between 1st April 2021 to 31st March 2022, 88 incidents relating to Covid-19 involving service users were recorded (during the same period 9138 people were supported). Incidents are categorised as a service user self-isolating, having suspected symptoms or having confirmed symptoms. 

Sadly, four service users died as a result of contracting Covid-19 during this year. These deaths involved service users who were being supported through our Community Advocacy services and who were resident in care homes provided by other organisations. 

In the same period, 136 incidents involving staff and volunteers were recorded involving self-isolation, having suspected or confirmed symptoms out of a total number of around 600. 

All services remained operational and sufficient staff were available to run safe services at all times. 

The health and wellbeing of the workforce and service users has been the priority for contingency planning. This has involved taking a risk-based approach to decision-making including risk management planning for all service users, additional health and wellbeing assessments for staff and volunteers, an additional support phone-line and working from home assessments for requisite staff. 

All services have been working to business continuity plans during this time which have factored national restrictions and legislation. 

## **SECTION 172 STATEMENT** 

## **WORKING WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS** 

Companies are required to include a statement of how directors have had regard to wider stakeholder needs when performing their duties in accordance with matters in section 171 (1) (a) – (f) of the Companies Act 2006. The duty of the trustee under this subsection of the Acts is to act in the way he or she consider, in good faith, would be most likely to achieve its charitable purposes and in doing so have regard (among other matters) to: 

- a. The likely consequences of any decision in the long term 

- b. The interests of the company's employees 

- c. The need to foster the company's business relationships with suppliers, customers and others 

- d. The impact of the company's operations on the community and the environment 

- e. The desirability of the company maintaining a reputation for high standards of business conduct 

- f. The need to act fairly as between members of the company 

We fully acknowledge that in order to fulfil the purpose and vision for the charity and to meet our strategic ambitions for society we need to collaborate and engage effectively with a wide variety of stakeholders. We are cognisant of the fact that the decisions we make as a charity need to be transparent and have due consideration for the potential effects and impacts on stakeholders in the short, medium and long-term. 

The Board considers the following to be the key decisions and considerations it has made during 2021-22: 

|**Significant event /**<br>**consideration / decision**|**s172 matter**<br>**affected**|**Action and impact**|
|---|---|---|
|**The Board discussed and**<br>**reflected on its risk**<br>**appetite in four key**<br>**strategic areas: service**<br>**delivery, financial, brand**<br>**& reputation, and**<br>**governance. **|Service users, staff<br>and volunteers,<br>funders,<br>commissioners ,<br>partnering<br>organisations|The Board held a discussion on its risk<br>appetite in four key strategic areas, in order<br>to consider the amount and type of risk that<br>the Board is prepared to pursue, retain or<br>take in pursuit of its strategic objectives.<br>Consideration of risk appetite has continued<br>to be a feature of Board discussions,|



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|||particularly through the review of strategic<br>risks via the Board Assurance Framework.|
|---|---|---|
|**The Board reviewed and**<br>**endorsed the**<br>**accommodation services**<br>**strategy, which set out**<br>**considerations with**<br>**respect to the future of**<br>**Together’s**<br>**accommodation-related**<br>**support services.**|Service users, staff<br>and volunteers,<br>funders,<br>commissioners ,<br>partnering<br>organisations|An accommodation services strategy was<br>presented to the Board, for review and<br>discussion, focusing on the future direction<br>of Together’s registered accommodation and<br>supported housing services.<br>The Board endorsed the direction and<br>approach outlined in the accommodation<br>services strategy. This strategy will guide the<br>approach to be taken to Together’s future<br>accommodation-related support, which is<br>driven by what service users want and need.|
|**The Board approved**<br>**capital investment for the**<br>**implementation of a new**<br>**e-learning system.**|Service users, staff,<br>volunteers|The Board approved capital investment to<br>implement a new e-learning system for staff<br>and volunteers, so as to enhance access to<br>training resources and to strengthen<br>assurance on mandatory training<br>compliance.|
|**The Board reviewed and**<br>**approved updated**<br>**policies on business**<br>**continuity, reserves,**<br>**investment,**<br>**whistleblowing, service**<br>**closure, and support for**<br>**Trustees.**|Service users, staff<br>and volunteers,<br>funders,<br>commissioners ,<br>partnering<br>organisations|The Board assessed the policies which fall<br>under its remit for review and approval;<br>several of these policies were reviewed and<br>refreshed during 2021-22.<br>This provides assurance to the Board on<br>how these areas are being managed, and<br>also provides assurance to external<br>stakeholders on the safety and integrity of<br>Together’s operations.|



## **ENGAGING WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS** 

Whilst Trustees have a duty to ensure decisions have due consideration for the impact on beneficiaries in the widest sense, the day-to-day management of Together’s stakeholders is delegated to the executive and wider staff team. That is led by an interest / influence matrix is used to map and determine approaches to effective engagement by the charity. 

At Together, we consider stakeholders as internal or external, but we also bear in mind that in legal terms, stakeholders can be thought of in three categories. Firstly, there are constitutional stakeholders, meaning Trustees of the Board with powers to amend the charity’s constitution, to change its name, to wind it up and to appoint and remove individuals to the board. There are also contractual stakeholders as individuals and organisations, such as staff, funders and service users with a formal relationship with the Together. Finally, there are third party stakeholders, which is everyone else affected by Together including neighbours or the wider local community. 

The Audit & Risk Committee undertakes a biannual review of the organisation’s stakeholder plan, noting the importance and relevance of the plan to achieving the organisation’s strategic aims. 

In the following table, we set out a summary of the engagement approaches we have taken in the last year in response to the issues presented by our identified stakeholder groups. 

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|**Stakeholder group**<br>**and why they are**<br>**important to our**<br>**success**|**Their issues**|**How we engage**|**Where to find further**<br>**information in this**<br>**report showing**<br>**impact of the**<br>**engagement**|
|---|---|---|---|
|**Users of our**<br>**services and their**<br>**families and friends**|Services that keep<br>them safe and<br>support their health<br>and wellbeing<br>Empowered to lead<br>their own care and<br>support<br>Supported to<br>develop their<br>insights, skills and<br>potential to lead<br>more independent<br>lives|Feedback in our<br>services<br>Working alongside<br>service users to<br>develop their own<br>support and care<br>plans<br>Facilitating service<br>users to tell their<br>stories and what<br>matters to them<br>through a range of<br>different mediums,<br>including on the<br>Together website<br>and social media|Together Strategy<br>2019-24 - Page 19<br>Activities and<br>achievements - Page<br>22|
|**Our employees who**<br>**are skilled,**<br>**experienced and**<br>**competent and**<br>**experiencing high**<br>**levels of job**<br>**satisfaction are key**<br>**to delivering the best**<br>**outcomes for service**<br>**user**|Opportunities for<br>professional<br>development and<br>career progression<br>Fair and<br>transparent pay<br>and reward<br>structures<br>Opportunities for<br>colleagues to work<br>together across<br>services, to share<br>learning and good<br>practice<br>Empowered and<br>enabled to inform<br>and influence<br>planning at an<br>organisation level|We have been<br>engaging more<br>closely with our<br>workforce over the<br>year not only in<br>terms of additional<br>support, supervision<br>and guidance due to<br>the ongoing impact<br>of the pandemic but<br>by introducing<br>quarterly employee<br>surveys. The first<br>one introduced in<br>the Autumn of 2021<br>Engagement is also<br>undertaken through<br>regular All Staff<br>emails, video<br>updates from the<br>CEO, ‘Ask SLT’<br>Town Hall events,<br>visits to services by<br>members of the SLT<br>and Trustees, and a<br>quarterly<br>organisation bulletin<br>A Workforce Reps<br>Council (WRC)<br>operates where<br>union and non-union<br>staff representatives<br>meet with<br>management to<br>discuss matters<br>relating to staff<br>working terms and<br>conditions and on|Chief Executive’s<br>Report – Page 4<br>Employees and<br>Volunteers – Page 12|



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|||issues that will<br>positively support<br>employment within<br>Together. There has<br>been a focus over<br>the last year to<br>ensure its aims and<br>objectives are<br>promoted with all<br>staff.<br>Ongoing<br>engagement with the<br>Investors in People<br>Accreditation<br>process and<br>implementation of<br>the associated<br>action plan||
|---|---|---|---|
|**Our volunteers who**<br>**help us to achieve**<br>**our vision for**<br>**Together through**<br>**their generous**<br>**contributions of**<br>**time, expertise and**<br>**knowledge**|Opportunities to<br>support people<br>from a lived<br>experience<br>perspective<br>Ability to inform and<br>influence the<br>organisation<br>Confident that they<br>will receive the right<br>level of support,<br>supervision and<br>training from the<br>organisation|Recruitment of new<br>members to our<br>National Service<br>User Steering Group<br>(NSG), a group of<br>volunteers with lived<br>experience of mental<br>distress, meet<br>regularly to support<br>developments within<br>the organisation<br>Development of new<br>governance and<br>assurance<br>arrangements<br>including<br>strengthening the<br>induction of<br>volunteers and the<br>support and<br>supervision offered.|Chief Executive’s<br>Report<br>Workforce – Page 4<br>Service User<br>Leadership – Page 23|
|**Our funders and**<br>**commissioners who**<br>**enable us to meet**<br>**our vision purpose**<br>**as an organisation**|We deliver our<br>services to our<br>contractual<br>promises<br>We have robust<br>governance and<br>assurance<br>We provide high-<br>quality and safe<br>care<br>We demonstrate a<br>capacity to be<br>flexible and<br>adaptable in the<br>way we deliver our<br>services|We provide good<br>quality quantitative<br>and qualitative data<br>that supports<br>contract monitoring<br>We are continuously<br>learning from<br>incidents and events<br>to improve our<br>services<br>We maintain regular<br>contact with all our<br>commissioners and<br>funders, using<br>informal and formal<br>for a, to agree<br>expectations and to<br>ensure consistency<br>of support to service<br>users|Introduction from the<br>Chair – Page 2<br>Chief Executive’s<br>Report – Page 4<br>Governance Structure<br>and Management –<br>Page 8<br>Activities and<br>achievements - Page<br>22|



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|**Provider**<br>**organisations we**<br>**collaborate with and**<br>**rely on to deliver our**<br>**services**|Working to agreed<br>contract<br>requirements and<br>payment terms<br>Shared<br>commitment to<br>partnership working<br>to keep our service<br>users healthy and<br>safe|We have a clearly<br>articulated<br>organisational<br>strategy<br>We undertake due<br>diligence to ensure<br>that we are<br>collaborating with<br>organisations who<br>share our values,<br>ethos and standards|Together Strategy<br>2019-24 - Page 19<br>Activities and<br>achievements - Page<br>22|
|---|---|---|---|
|**Local communities**<br>**and wider society**<br>**that enable us to**<br>**fulfil our strategic**<br>**ambitions**|Everyone who<br>experiences mental<br>distress is valued<br>Everyone can live<br>the life they choose<br>Everyone can<br>determine their own<br>future|Working in<br>collaboration with<br>organisations and<br>agencies across the<br>health and social<br>care sector to<br>influence policy and<br>strategic decision-<br>making at a local<br>and national level<br>Using our<br>communication<br>channels to promote<br>the voice of service<br>users and the issues<br>that are important to<br>them|Chief Executive’s<br>Report – Page 4<br>Together Strategy<br>2019-24 - Page 19<br>Activities and<br>achievements - Page<br>22|



## **GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND ENERGY CONSUMPTION** 

|||**Reporting Year 2020-21**|**Reporting Year 2021-22**|
|---|---|---|---|
|**Energy**<br>**Consumption**|**kWh**<br>**kWh**<br>**km**<br>**km**|Gas<br>2,068,233<br>Electricity<br>500,045<br>Transport fuel<br>102,089<br>Rail<br>83,332<br>**Total**<br>**2,753,699**|Gas<br>1,530,098<br>Electricity<br>515,817<br>Transport fuel<br>149,907<br>Rail<br>147,400<br>**Total**<br>**2,343,222**|
|**Emissions**<br>**(tCO2e)**|**(tco2e)**|Gas<br>380.24<br>Electricity<br>129.26<br>Transport fuel<br>28.16<br>Rail<br>3.08<br>**Total**<br>**540.74**|Gas<br>280.25<br>Electricity<br>109.52<br>Transport fuel<br>59.00<br>Rail<br>8.20<br>**Total**<br>**456.97**|



The following steps have been taken in the past year to improve Together’s energy efficiency and reduce emissions: 

- We have consulted external advice on assessing our current emissions and reducing greenhouse gases through energy efficiency, renewable energy and circularity, making investments and using innovation to drive the organisation forward, aiding us to create the optimum blend of connected strategies based on our organisational scope and needs. 

- All major works added to Estates planning are designed to reduce overheating and improve ventilation and other decarbonisation methods 

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- We have appointed a Sustainability Manager to enact the following: 

   - Devise and oversee the implementation of sustainability strategies for the organisation 

   - Complete sustainability plans for the organisation, consulting external advice and engaging with key stakeholders 

   - Conduct site assessments and produce reports on findings 

   - Initiate renewable energy assessments 

   - Advise on the latest low or zero-carbon technologies, working to a date for achieving Net-Zero 

In addition to these, we continue to maintain the following initiatives to inform practices for staff members: 

- Staff should use phone or video conferencing for meetings, wherever possible, if travel would be required to meet in person 

- When travel is required for face to face meetings, staff should use public transport wherever possible 

- 

   - Employees should look to combine meetings into one trip, to reduce the need for multiple trips 

- Local training sessions will be organised wherever possible to reduce the need for staff to travel 

- 

- Efforts to decrease energy consumption encouraged across all projects 

Since the Covid-19 ‘lockdown’ and related restrictions resulting in the requirement for Together staff to work in different ways, we have adapted our ways of working in many ways that promote sustainability and have adopted these practices into our business continuity. This includes more regular use of video and audio conferencing and other IT platforms for remote communication and connectivity, such as the addition of ‘Town Hall’ meetings for the organisation. We have maintained the provision of online training courses which were previously delivered ‘face to face’ and digitalised processes such as post and invoicing for the organisation, reducing paper consumption within the organisation by around 65%. The last year has seen implantation of changes benefitting the organisation’s emissions in 2022-23 and beyond. 

## **Intensity ratio:** 

The intensity ratio remains unchanged from the previous year. During 2021-22 the average number of employees, including part time workers were 439. Therefore, the carbon emissions was 1.104 tCOe per employee during 2020-2021 (compared to 1.101 tCOe per employee during 2020-2021). 

The number of service users reached during 2021-22 were 9446 (compared to 9240 during 2020-21) Therefore the carbon emission is 0.048 tCOe per service user (compared to 0.059 tCOe per service user during 2020-21). 

## **Methodology:** 

Methodology used in the report is based on HM Government Environmental Reporting Guidelines, 2020. All emission factors are taken from HM Government conversion factors 2020: condensed set. 

Consumption data from gas and electricity was taken from validated and verified utility suppliers’ invoices. Consumption data from Transport fuel and Rail usage data was taken from Together’s internal software. 

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## **GOING CONCERN NOTE** 

The Covid-19 pandemic has not gone away; however its disruption on services is more predictable and manageable. Instead, the focus is now on inflationary pressures for both staff and non-staff elements. For non-staff costs, Together operates a lean cost base with the pressure experienced in IT equipment (reliant on imports) and building construction. Both those categories of spend have a high degree of discretion and are manageable. For 2022-23, Together is assessing its contracts financially with varying cost assumptions to pressures and potential exit times should income stay flat over the duration of the contract. Covid-19 had a significant impact on Together and in particular its ability to operate face-to-face with our service users and our staff are working remotely. However, at this point in time, the Trustees have identified no material uncertainties that may cast significant doubt about the ability of the charity to continue as a going concern and therefore these accounts have been prepared on a going concern basis. 

The Charity’s income is primarily generated from the supply of contracted services which are predominantly fixed and multi-year, therefore we are not forecasting a fall in income during 2022-23. However, rising inflation will have an impact on our expenditure and we will seek to mitigate the risks through our budgetary management and forecasting procedures in order to control costs and secure efficiencies within the year as well as having discussions with all of our commissioners to advocate for and seek to secure uplifts on income. We will also robustly assess the viability of tendering for new services through our bid management and scrutiny processes against the impact of rising costs, particularly for contracts of a longer duration where there are no annual uplifts to income identified in the contract. Meanwhile, expenditures have remained largely consistent with additional costs arising from the adaptation of our charitable activities and the acquisition of PPE being offset by reduction in travel and other related costs. As at the balance sheet date, Together held cash and investments totalling £10,032k and had no loans outstanding. The directors have considered the impact of Covid-19 on the future liquidity of the Group, including by reviewing a full 5 year income forecast, a 5 year cash flow projection and considering the observed impacts of Covid-19 on the liquid position since the balance sheet date. Based on these reviews, the directors consider that the Together Group of Companies represent a going concern. 

These assumptions form the basis of the Group and Charity’s forecasted cash flow for the next twelve months, which the senior management team monitor on a monthly basis. This forecast, combined with an assessment of the future reserves position, forms the basis of our assessment of going concern. It has been stress tested using reverse stress testing and in doing so, we have particularly considered the impact of a global economic recession that results in austerity measures and the Charity’s income being reduced over and above our key risk assumptions (set out in the Financial Review). 

Based on these forecasts, we believe that the going concern basis of accounting remains appropriate for our accounts. We have also considered whether there is any material uncertainty that may cast significant doubt over the use of that basis for a period of at least 12 months from the date of approval of the financial statements and we do not believe that this is the case. 

## **TOGETHER STRATEGY 2019-24** 

Together was founded 141 years ago by Henry Hawkins. Born in 1825, the Reverend Hawkins worked for over 40 years as a Chaplain in asylums, supporting the emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing of patients. Driven by his belief in the common humanity of all people, he worked tirelessly to improve the lives of people in asylums. He introduced new ideas and inspired like-minded people to volunteer to connect patients with their families, communities and the wider world. 

In 1879, through his foresight and perseverance, the Reverend Hawkins founded our charity with the aim of breaking the cycle of recovery and re-admission. He looked to support people who seemed well, left the asylum and then were re-admitted because of a lack of support or purpose in life. He did that by offering people practical and emotional support to prevent them becoming unwell again. Through the founding principles of the charity, Reverend Hawkins challenged societal thinking. He proved that with the right practical and emotional support, people could lead fulfilling lives without prejudice and without being defined by their mental distress. 

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## **DEVELOPING OUR LEGACY** 

We are deeply proud of what Henry Hawkins achieved and his unique legacy continues to drive and influence our beliefs and aspirations for the future. Our 2019-24 strategy has represented the next stage in the life cycle of Together. This is why it was important at the start of the development of this strategy, that we identified ‘legacy’ strengths. They are the areas that we are proud of and are important to us, which we wanted to take into the future. These include: 

- Service User Leadership through involvement 

- A focus on what people can do, rather than what people can’t do 

- Expertise of working alongside people who experience complex mental distress and multiple disadvantage, who are often excluded from help and support 

- A vision that holds true to and is inspired by our long history that is still relevant today, one that also evolves and embraces change in response to the modern-day 

- Our deeply committed and engaged workforce of staff and volunteers who embody our values and vision 

## **OUR STRATEGY MAP** 

Our 2019-24 strategy map is shown below and was developed from the top down as we defined our ambition, purpose and vision. When reading the map it is designed to be read from the bottom up, starting at the foundation with the drivers of our behaviours and attitudes, our values. 

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## **OUR VISION FOR TOGETHER** 

A recognised charity leader in its field delivering high quality mental health and support services, empowering service users to lead their own care and support and enabling their collective voice to inform and influence. 

## **OUR PURPOSE** 

To work alongside people with mental distress to develop their insights, skills and potential and to promote their voices to improve policy and practice for all. 

## **OUR AMBITION FOR SOCIETY** 

Everyone who experiences mental distress is valued, can live the life they choose and determine their own future. 

## **OUR VALUES** 

As part of developing this new strategy, we reviewed and refreshed our organisational values. We have a value statement and a set of five values that are the behaviours which guide the way we work. Our value statement is below: 

**“We work together to facilitate choice through involvement, by doing what we say, never giving up on people, and looking to constantly improve how we work.”** 

Together’s values are as follows: 

## **COLLABORATION: ACHIEVING TOGETHER** 

- We work with communities, advocating and increasing awareness of the interests that matter most to service users. 

- We utilise the knowledge, skills and experience of everybody to achieve the best outcomes. 

- We create meaningful internal and external connections to ensure everyone can access the support they require. 

- We actively raise awareness of mental wellbeing and the benefits of Service User Leadership, supporting people to participate in local society. 

## **CHOICE: THROUGH INVOLVEMENT** 

- We champion knowledge gained through lived experience and embrace the positive impact this brings on creating options and supporting choice. 

- We work with compassion, respect and creativity to encourage people to solve problems and find solutions. 

- We listen and empathise to understand the issues that matter to people, in order to support their choices and aspirations. 

- We are responsive and empowering, focusing on what can be achieved. 

## **INTEGRITY: DOING WHAT WE SAY** 

- We create trusting relationships and environments by considering the whole person, individual situations and not over-promising. 

- We are fair, reliable, open-minded, and punctual and agree realistic expectations, which we are trusted to deliver. 

- We ensure that we always say what we mean. 

- We communicate with consistency and clarity. 

- We are committed to making decisions transparently 

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## **RESILIENCE: NEVER GIVING UP ON PEOPLE** 

- We care passionately about empowering people to use their knowledge and experiences to lead their journeys to better wellbeing. 

- We use flexible and innovative approaches to achieve goals. 

- We are brave and resolute when facing challenges. 

- We don’t let people’s future be defined by their past. 

- We are passionate about everyone’s access to better wellbeing and hold the hope for a better future. 

## **CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT: LEARNING AND EVOLVING** 

- We are curious and deeply inquisitive about people and our work. 

- We consider the whole-person and recognise that genuine interest in each person enables us to support people with their aspirations. 

- We create a safe environment for people to be who they want to be. 

- We are conscious of our actions, decisions, and their impact. 

- We actively seek and learn from feedback and make changes to deliver the best we can. 

The core principle that runs through the organisation is our approach to involving, informing and influencing our work through people who use our services 

By delivering our services in accordance with our values, we will aim to achieve our vision for Together. This will fulfil the reason we exist as an organisation and contribute, in partnership with others, to our ambition for society. Core to that is involving people who use our services – the ‘golden thread’ that runs through all that we do. 

We know that people experiencing mental distress are at risk of not getting the support they need from wider services, not being empowered to be in control of that support and not having a voice in service and system design. We have gained many insights about what is important to our own service users, staff, volunteers, and Trustees. During the next five years, success will mean that we have: 

- Ensured that the people we work alongside consistently lead the way, not just in their own support, but at every level of the organisation. 

- Been active in informing policy and practice, within Together and externally, through the voices of people who use our services. 

- Delivered high-quality, safe services that reach more service users who have unmet needs as a result of experiencing mental distress and complex lives. 

## **ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS** 

The activities provided by Together during the year reflect our aims and ongoing commitment to offer practical support to people in varied circumstances across a range of locations. Access to our services is determined by need and by the choice of individuals. The benefits of our activities are that people experiencing mental distress are supported to achieve greater wellbeing and independence. In addition, many people go on to support others within Together or in their community. 

## **IMPACT OF COVID-19 AND ASSOCIATED VIRUS CONTROL MEASURES ON SERVICE ACTIVITIES** 

We have now reset our services and we are moving to a BAU position in most areas of delivery. Our CQC services continue to test and work within CQC IPC guidelines. We will continue to adhere to the guidance in place for adult social care settings and take a responsible, risk based approach to Covid-19. The last year proved challenging for services due to the level of infections, particularly among our workforce, presenting staffing shortages and service disruption which our managers and teams managed really well. 

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## **OPERATIONAL OVERVIEW** 

Over the last year we have seen heroic efforts from our service managers and teams in delivering critical frontline services through the constantly evolving pandemic and recruitment crisis; this has been particularly the case for our accommodation services. Not only have we been able to continue to deliver high quality services safely, we have also grown and increased our reach to a higher number of people suffering from mental distress and hardship caused by the cost of living crisis. 2021-22 saw the successful opening of our first Crisis café in Reading; thanks to the management of the service the implementation was a great success and our crisis provision and work with primary care networks continues to grow and develop. 

## **SERVICE USER LEADERSHIP** 

Throughout this year, we have continued to ensure that Service User Leadership is at the heart of all we do across Together by ensuring that the people who use our services lead their care and support at all levels of the organisation. 

Since publishing our newly developed definitions of Service User Leadership and lived experience of mental distress in 2019, the Service User Leadership Team has this year developed and launched a brand new strategy map alongside our National Steering Group. The objectives outlined in our map will support the organisation to understand what we will achieve as we collectively navigate this journey ahead. 

The National Steering Group continued to work alongside us to provide a lived experience perspective on strategic decisions and discussions. A key piece of work that is currently underway, which will launch in May 2022, is a new set of Service User Leadership principles that will underpin any service user led activity across the organisation moving forwards. The aim of this piece of work is to build on the existing knowledge and skills of our workforce when translating Service User Leadership into practice. Therefore, during the next financial year we will also be developing a Service User Leadership framework, underpinned by our new principles, to support us to bring our strategy to life by ensuring that there is a consistent approach to authentic Service User Leadership that is embedded at all levels of the organisation. 

In addition, throughout this year our internal Grant Scheme has continued to provide funding support for service user led projects throughout the organisation. The Grant Scheme Committee includes four members with lived experience of mental distress. This year we have approved eight applications with £5,429 allocated to support projects that included a sports club, gardening, an event for world mental health day and a music group. 

## **PEER SUPPORT** 

Peer Support has continued to be an integral part of service delivery this year with 355 people receiving peer support from our volunteer peer supporters and peer support workers. Our dedicated volunteers donated 3500 hours of their time to use their skills and expertise alongside drawing upon their lived experience of mental distress to connect with and support others. 

The Peer Support Development & Expansion Project was an in depth piece of work to thoroughly review peer support across the organisation, delivered between January and March 2022 following a design and project planning period throughout November and December 2021. This project gave every person involved in peer support the opportunity to share their thoughts on what is working well, current challenges and how we can improve, develop and expand peer support moving forward in order to meet our ambition; that every person using our services is able to access peer support. A comprehensive report with 

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recommendations was produced and will support the organisation to navigate its peer support journey in a continuously changing and evolving external landscape. Peer support activities across Together included: 

- **Peer Support 4 day Training -** services continued to use the on-line training resources created by the SUL team and offer on-line or a blended learning approach with 14 courses being delivered to recruit volunteer peer supporters. Learnings from trauma informed care and anti-racism practice will be embedded into all future PS training. 

- **Self-Management Groups -** continued to be delivered across the organisation with seven groups taking place to support people to set up self-led groups. 

- **Peer Support Staff Training -** continued to be offered on-line and was delivered in April and November with review to be undertaken in the next financial year. 

- **A new peer support intranet page –** for all staff was developed along with an updated and reviewed resources page for those staff directly involved in PS delivery. 

- **A pilot strategy and planning day -** was delivered along with **PSC recruitment support** for our RECONNECT service. 

- **As part of Global Peer Support Day -** videos from Peer Supporters across our services were produced to showcase the benefits of peer support. 

Connecting and collaborating activities undertaken by the peer support team included: 

- The team continued to support the monthly Mind Peer Support Forums being part of the planning team and co-facilitation of the on-line monthly sessions. 

- The yearly Peerfest event unfortunately didn’t happen this year, however we are part of the planning team for Peerfest 22-23. 

- Peer Support presentation delivered to Westminster University psychology under-graduates. 

- Connected with Scottish Recovery Network, Peer Support Canada and NHS England to look at Peer Support & the pandemic 

- Facilitated the Lived Experience through coaching & mentoring with National Voices 

- Attended Lived Experience Co-production Race & Restrictive Practices. 

There has been internal collaboration with Peer Support Practice Lead and Peer Support Involvement Worker being part of the Together inclusion groups as well as part of the advisory groups on flexible working/workplace wellbeing. 

## **SUPPORT AND SERVICES** 

Over the past year we have helped around 9446 people with mental health needs each month across England. 

## **ACCOMMODATION SERVICES** 

In 2021-22 Together’s residential and accommodation services worked very hard to support people to come out of Covid-19 safely and reinstate their community connections. 

There were no deaths from Covid-19 in our staff or in people we supported. We are very proud of the work that our frontline staff did in keeping everyone safe; including continuing to work face to face with people during high community infection rates and managing the increased universal procedures in infection prevention and control and the changes in the need for staff to be compulsory vaccinated. 

Our focus over the year was still in keeping people safe, and ensuring a safe move in or out of our accommodation services, and keeping the wellbeing for people being supported our priority when many community activities were reopening and restarting. 

250 people can use our accommodation services. At the end of 2021-22 we had 12 CQC residential care homes, and 9 supported accommodation services. We employ 240 staff and volunteers and were 89% occupied. 

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In 2021-22, 73% of people stayed between 2 and 5 years in our CQC residential homes while 75% of people stayed for under 5 years in our supported accommodation services. 

All of our services follow Together’s Accommodation Pathway in offering staged recovery focused support. Over 60% of placements ended due to successful move on to more suitable accommodation. The remainder of our placements ending were due to a return to hospital or the need for different support. 

## **COMMUNITY SUPPORT** 

There has been a lot of change and development within our community support services. We said goodbye to our Tamworth, Lichfield and East Staffordshire Your Way service. The commissioners decided that the services within the area would be incorporated into the local trust and the team transferred over to the trust at the end of March 2022. 

In other areas, we continue to grow, develop and innovate and Southwark Wellbeing Hub was awarded £315k to deliver a one year pilot outreach service in partnership with the local primary care network. That aligns with the NHS long term plan and will support parity of access and improved physical health outcomes to those accessing services. 

Our Norfolk Integrated Housing and Support Service was successful in securing a one year rehab pilot that will be delivered in partnership with specialist services. The trust will be delivering holistic support to people with complex psychosis and dual diagnosis and this followed the incredible reputation our Norwich Intensive team have earned in the work they do with people living in extremely complex circumstances which includes homelessness, drug and alcohol dependency and acute risk. 

The Narrowing The Gap Tender was released for Berkshire West and we wait in anticipation for the result as well as for our bid for the South London and Maudsley crisis café in Southwark. 

Our community support services now offer more choice and a menu of options, taking forward the lessons learnt from the pandemic. Where people prefer face to face support, they can continue to receive this as well as virtual support, groups and activity options. Many of our services continued to deliver vital support to people on the frontline, throughout the pandemic. 

## **NORFOLK INTEGRATED HOUSING AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT SERVICE (NIHCSS)** 

NIHCSS has come out of the pandemic a stronger, more resilient service. However the challenge has left staff feeling exhausted. The main challenge has been adapting service delivery models, whilst covering staff absence due to vacancies, sickness and the need for staff to isolate. Together’s flexible approach to delivering support during the pandemic, consistent presence on the ground and continued successful delivery of the NIHCSS contract has further improved relationships with statutory services and secondary mental health services. 

Together’s reputation and presence in Norfolk continues to improve and develop. The interim Head of Development is Chair of the Mental Health Providers Forum; she also sits on the Board for the VCSE Assembly and is the VCSE SRO lead within the ICS Community Transformation Steering Group. There have been opportunities for organic growth, developed through the current services good reputation and the strong relationships formed with health and social care commissioners. 

We received an extension to CCG funding to deliver an outreach service to patients across Norfolk with a serious mental illness (SMI). Working closely with primary care to support these patients to attend their annual physical health checks (PHC). The PHC take up rate has increased in Norfolk from 28% to 38%, which is ahead of the National average of 17%. The increase has been attributed to the additional support for practices from Together. 

The success of the SMI PHC project has led to a request from the CCG for Together to lead on a service supporting smoking cessation amongst the SMI population in Norfolk, a population where it is evidenced they need more help for a longer period. This early adapter pilot will see 4.5 Wellbeing Coaches colocating in GP practices, working alongside practice staff and social prescribers, offering practical support 

25 



to attend meetings and stay on plan. 

Together have also been selected to provide Senior Recovery Workers and Peer Support Workers to support service users in Norwich with complex treatment resistant psychosis. They will work within a multidisciplinary team at Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT). This project is a one year pilot, following the recommendations from the ICS Community Transformation Plan, although it is expected to continue beyond the pilot and expand to cover the county. 

Following the decision of Norfolk and Waveney Mind to exit the NIHCSS contract, the TUPE transfer of 50 Mind Recovery Workers across to Together has gone extremely well. Our commissioners and remaining partner St Martins expressed their gratitude for the seamless way this was managed and staff report being happy with the change. 

## **REPRESENTING RIGHTS THROUGH ADVOCACY** 

## **COMMUNITY ADVOCACY** 

There have been some challenges over the last year for community advocacy including managing Covid restrictions in the context of delivering services in care homes, supported living and private home settings. Hybrid working practices have continued to be utilised, including promotion of Together’s Flexible Working Policy. In addition, partnership working with public sector services has created complexities in being able to deliver services to service users within agreed timeframes and an increase in the need for advocates to observe the correct use of legislation on behalf of individual service users. 

In terms of opportunities, referrals have increased as staff raised awareness of the legal requirements within their Borough for Advocacy Representation and Rochdale and Wakefield Advocacy Hub services were successful in securing the contract for a further 12 months. 

## **SECURE ADVOCACY** 

In a similar way to the community advocacy provision, the secure services continued to deal with many Covid related issues affecting service users. Those featured fluctuating or increased restrictions including general movement across hospitals, cancellation of activities or restriction of or cancellation of external visits both by family and from professionals such as solicitors. 

Due to a changes in process, over the year there was a marked increase in contact with and support or representation of patients in Long Term Segregation and closer working relationships with NHSE Commissioners. 

In terms of successes during the year, Together secured a new contract with St Andrews Healthcare providing statutory and non-statutory advocacy into their medium secure, low secure, CAMHS and stepdown services across Northampton, Essex, Birmingham, Nottingham and Derby. 

Unfortunately, we were not successful in retaining the advocacy contract with Merseycare which went out to tender mid-2021 and saw the staff team TUPE to a new local provider in October. 

## **CRIMINAL JUSTICE** 

For Together’s criminal justice services all existing contracts were retained or extended during the year and we also received additional financial support from the Covid relief fund that allowed us to deliver an additional Gangs Specialist role as part of the London service. We were also delighted to secure a new contract in partnership with East London NHS Foundation Trust and Right and Equalities in Newham (REIN) with the service starting in January 2022 focusing on Youth to Adulthood support. 

Service developments have particularly focused on ensuring that we have the right skills and expertise to support our criminal justice team to deliver what can be extremely challenging and complex support to service users. This has included the development of a new Clinical Lead role to strengthen the clinical oversight of safe practice and to inform the development of clinical policies and procedures. 

26 



We also continued to work closely with the NHSE (Health and Justice) commissioner with respect to changes of service specification of our second largest contract in the organisation. The new arrangements clearly reflected the value the commissioner places on the work of Together with the introduction of new posts focused on the busiest crown courts in London. 

## **IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON TOGETHER’S WIDER NETWORKS AND THE EFFECTS ON THE CHARITY’S OPERATIONS** 

We have continued to engage with our wider networks through the use of online platforms, on a more frequent basis and with a wider range of stakeholders and organisations. This has been due to an imperative to collaborate, particularly with other VCSE providers, in order to enable mutual support, share good practice and intelligence. This has impacted positively on our operations as we have been able to apply the learning and service improvements of other organisations to our own functioning. 

Together is a member of the Association of Mental Health Providers (AMHP) and the CEO is a member of the Association’s Board. Throughout the year, Together’s CEO has co-chaired a working group of members focusing specifically on business and service continuity. The aim is to understand the challenges and opportunities and to share resources and identify actions that will support the actions of the Association and other member organisations. This also included contingency planning to respond to the inevitable seasonal pressures over the autumn and winter months. 

The CEO is also a member of the Social Care for Mental Health and Wellbeing Policy & Oversight Group, which was formed to implement the recommendations made by the Department of Health & Social Care’s COVID-19 Support Taskforce and the Mental Health & Wellbeing Advisory Group which completed its review in the summer of 2020. The group considered the context of and the priority action required for stability and continuity in the social care sector, in order to respond to the mental health and wellbeing needs of people and communities, to ensure that services can continue to navigate and deal with the effects of Covid-19. 

In November 2021, we effected the government’s mandatory requirement that all staff working in a CQC registered setting had been vaccinated. Only four staff declined to adhere to the requirement and left the organisation or were transferred to a non-CQC registered service. Contingency planning had started following the government indicating that the requirement would be expanded to include staff working to deliver CQC regulated activity. The government did not proceed with the legislation and all mandatory requirements were also revoked. 

At a service level, we have seen some improvements for our service users in terms of support from statutory services, which over the previous year had declined due to the impact of the pandemic. We continued to be able to operate all of our services with the necessary infection control measures in place. 

## **LOOKING FORWARD** 

The coming year is characterised by ever more change, challenge and opportunity. We will be working in a new government reform agenda following the Health and Care Act 2022 receiving Royal Assent in April 2022. It provides a new legislative framework to facilitate greater collaboration within the NHS and between the NHS, local government and other partners, and to support the recovery from the pandemic. We will need to navigate the new Integrated Care Systems, influence of the Integrated Care Boards and ensure our voice and participation in VCSE alliances. 

I am confident in the role that Together will play in improving the lives of people experiencing mental distress. I am delighted to have the support of a Senior Leadership Team with new colleagues and a new role of Director of Business Development. I look forward to the next twelve months of working as a team with our Board of Trustees, with colleagues across the organisation and our trusted partners to advance our strategic ambitions. 

27 



## **PLANS FOR THE FUTURE** 

Together continues to take steps to consider the likely impact of the virus control measures and potential duration of those on the future aims and activities of the charity. Government guidance and advice is kept under review by the Senior Leadership Team as we remain mindful of our duty of care towards our workforce and service users. We continue to take risk-based decisions with respect to any changes in guidance. 

Through feedback from Together’s Workforce Reps Council, we know that staff have responded positively to the organisation’s approach to managing the impact of Covid on our operations and the wider organisation. Within that feedback they have cited the regular communication from senior managers and feeling that they are supported in the necessary decision-making required to keep service users and the workforce healthy and safe. Staff have also reported feeling that their health and wellbeing has been proactively supported by the organisation and wellbeing plan introduced in response to the pandemic have remained in place. 

We now face the additional challenges of the prospect of a recession, continuing rise in inflation and interest rates and increases in cost of living for our workforce and service users. We are also cognisant of the impact on public sector funding coupled with the ongoing pressures, as a result of the pandemic, on health and social care services both in terms of existing and new demands for people requiring care and support. 

There are a number of actions that the organisation will be taking to address the immediate and medium term consequences including robust cost control through our budget forecasting for all operational and central support services, contract monitoring reviews with commissioners to negotiate the potential for uplifts on contracts to offset unforeseen additional expenditure and differentiating the risk of the impact for different types of services through strategic analysis by the executive and Board of Trustees. On a national policy level, and through membership of a number of networks, including those comprising of DHSC, NHSE and local authority officials, the CEO is working with other VCSE health and social care providers to advocate for the urgent need of commissioners and central government departments to review both their in-year funding of services and address the future requirements of explicit inflationary uplifts on contracts to support providers to offset both rising costs and secure the ability to award annual pay rises for the workforce. 

## **FINANCIAL REVIEW** 

This financial year result improved as compared to the previous financial year: there was a surplus of £549k before gains on investments (2021 net surplus of £312k), and after recognising gains on investments and actuarial gains on the defined benefit pension scheme, the net movement in funds was a surplus of £1,458k (2021 surplus of £648k). 

On unrestricted funds, the charity made an operational surplus for the year, before gains/losses on nonoperating items, of £565k (2020/21 gain of £327k). Adjusting for the movement on investments and properties, this produced a gain of £610k (2020/21 gain of £663k). The movement on the pension scheme is detailed in note 16 to the accounts. 

On restricted funds brought forward of £1,853k there was a deficit of £17k (2020/21 deficit £15k), resulting in a balance of £1,836k. 

This year’s deficit on restricted funds arises from the expenditure related to income, which was accounted for in the previous years, under the charities SORP, being higher than the income on services in the year. 

## **FUNDRAISING** 

Section 162a of the Charities Act 2011 requires charities to make a statement regarding fundraising activities. Although Together does not undertake widespread fundraising from the general public, the legislation defines fundraising as ‘soliciting or otherwise procuring money or other property for charitable 

28 



purposes’. Such amounts receivable are presented in Together’s accounts as ‘voluntary income’ and include legacies. The day-to-day management of all income generation is delegated to the Senior Leadership Team who are accountable to the Trustees. 

The majority of Together’s income is from public sector funding and we currently do not have an organisational strategy for fundraising. However, the charity is registered with the Fundraising Regulator, which is clearly identified on the organisation’s home page of the website. The charity adheres to the code of the Code of Fundraising Practice which sets the standard that apply to fundraising carried out by all charitable institutions and their party fundraisers in the UK. Together has received no complaints in relation to fundraising activities. 

During 2020-21, we were selected by the White Cube Gallery to be a recipient of a donation following the sale of limited artwork by Antony Gormley through the gallery. The initiative was specifically in response to Mental Health Awareness Week and the impact of Covid-19. The organisation received further £38k during 2021-22 and it is likely that the funds will be used to support the digital expansion of our peer support offer and to reintroduce an annual lecture series to promote mental wellbeing for all. 

## **RESERVES** 

## **FINANCIAL RESERVES POLICY** 

Unrestricted reserves provide some protection to the Charity and its work by allowing time to adjust to changing financial circumstances. The Board of Trustees, via its Finance, Resources and Investment Committee (FRIC), reviews, on an annual basis, the level of unrestricted reserves by considering the risks associated with various income streams, expenditure plans and Balance Sheet items. This enables an estimate to be made of the level of reserves that are sufficient: 

- to allow time for re-organisation in the event of a downturn of income or asset values; and 

- to protect ongoing work programmes. 

The minimum level is estimated at 3 months of the unrestricted expenditure budget. Consequently, Trustees have decided that the appropriate, prudent level of reserves is in the range 3 to 6 months of the unrestricted expenditure budget. 

## **UNRESTRICTED RESERVES** 

The Trustees have approved a policy for the organisation of having unrestricted reserves of between 3 and 6 months of unrestricted expenditure. Current levels are 4.4 months of unrestricted expenditure (2020/21: 3.9 months). Unrestricted Reserves are composed of General Reserves and Designated Reserves. Trustees are content with this level of reserves because out of £17.3m of unrestricted reserves, £6.5m are free reserves that are used to further the charities objectives. Our unrestricted reserves have not been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

## **GENERAL RESERVES (UNRESTRICTED)** 

At 31 March 2022, general reserves amounted to £6,484k (2020/21: £6,117k). 

## **DESIGNATED FUNDS (UNRESTRICTED)** 

Designated funds £9,990k (2020/21: £9,747k) are those unrestricted funds that are annually approved by Trustees for particular purposes. The breakdown of current designated funds is outlined in note 14. 

## **RESTRICTED FUNDS** 

These funds amounting to £1,836k (2020/21: £1,853k) can only be used for the purposes for which they were given. They represent unspent monies received from donors subject to conditions specified by them, or because the funds were collected in a public appeal to raise money for a particular purpose. Detailed analysis of the various restricted funds is set out in note 15. 

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## **INVESTMENTS POWERS AND PERFORMANCE** 

The Trustees, under the powers conferred to them by the Articles of Association, appointed Sarasin in 2019, and gave them discretionary investment powers. The investments aim to provide sufficient income for today’s beneficiaries while preserving the real capital value for future generations. As a measure of performance, the long-term return target has been set at UK inflation (CPI) +4% over a 5-year rolling basis. This performance is formally reviewed annually by the Finance, Resources and Investment Committee and Sarasin. 

The Trustees’ aims in investing funds continue to be to: 

- act as a reserve to protect core activities in the event of unforeseen income shortfalls ; 

- support longer term identifiable projects ; AND 

- generate income to support core services not funded . 

Total investments at 31 March 2022 amounted to £2,273k, an increase of £97k (2020/21: increase of £391k). For the quarter ending 30 June 2022, the value of total investments had decreased by (5.7%) compared to a decrease for the benchmark by (6.6%) due to weak economic data, high inflation and concerns over looming interest rates rises compounded by ongoing war in Ukraine. Interest and dividend income in the year amounted to £58k before the deduction of investment manager’s fees (2020/21: £64k). 

## **SUBSIDIARY COMPANY** 

Together also has a wholly owned subsidiary company, Together for Mental Wellbeing Support Services Limited. This company was established on 30 March 2019. Together Support Services Limited contracts with commissioners for mental health services and then sub-contracts the execution of these agreements back to Together for Mental Wellbeing under an inter-company agreement between the two. 

## **PENSIONS** 

The Together defined benefit pension scheme was closed to new accruals on 30 September 2011. The charity now offers a defined contribution pension scheme to all staff (see note 16). 

Although the final salary scheme is now closed for future accruals, it remains a risk for the charity, even though it is currently showing a surplus. The result as valued by FRS 102 is included in note 16 to the accounts. 

The accounts as presented reflect accounting standard FRS 102. 

This pension scheme is a UK-based defined benefit scheme, providing benefits at retirement. The net present value (surplus) of the pension scheme at 31 March 2022 is £865k (2021: £nil). 

## **FINANCIAL CONTROL AND MONITORING** 

The Finance, Investment and Resources Committee and the Audit and Risk Committee monitor and review all aspects of financial performance, financial management reporting, and internal financial control, including, in particular, the preparation and monitoring of revenue and capital expenditure, and quarterly managements accounts. They also deal with such other matters as may be specifically delegated to them. 

## **FINANCIAL POSITION** 

The Trustees consider that there are sufficient reserves held at the year-end to avoid an unacceptable level of disruption to the organisation in the event of a downturn in future income, and that there is a reasonable expectation that Together has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. For this reason, the Trustees continue to adopt the going-concern basis in preparing the accounts. 

30 



## **TRUSTEES’ RESPONSIBILITIES** 

The Trustees are responsible for preparing the annual report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations. 

Company law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law, the Trustees have elected to prepare the financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable law). Under company law, the Trustees must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Charitable Company and of the group and of the income and expenditure including the net income and expenditure of the group for the year. 

In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to: 

- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently; 

- observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP; 

- make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent; 

- state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; AND 

- prepare the financial statements on the going-concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in business. 

The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the charitable company’s transactions, and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company, and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and of the group and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. 

So far as each of the Trustees is aware at the time the report is approved: 

- there is no relevant audit information of which the charitable company's auditors are unaware; and 

- the Trustees have taken all steps that they ought to have taken to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the auditors are aware of that information. 

Dr. Carol Cole Chair of the Board of Trustees September 2022 

31 



## **INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF TOGETHER FOR MENTAL WELLBEING** 

## **Opinion on the financial statements** 

In our opinion, the financial statements: 

- give a true and fair view of the state of the Group’s and of the Parent Charitable Company’s affairs as at 31 March 2022 and of the Group’s incoming resources and application of resources for the year then ended; 

- have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and 

- have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006. 

We have audited the financial statements of Together for Mental Wellbeing (“the Parent Charitable Company”) and its subsidiary (“the Group”) for the year ended 31 March 2022 which comprise the consolidated statement of financial activities, the consolidated and charity balance sheets, the consolidated cash flow statement and notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 _The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland_ (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). 

## **Basis for opinion** 

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. 

## _Independence_ 

We remain independent of the Group and the Parent Charitable Company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. 

## **Conclusions related to going concern** 

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the Trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate. 

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the Group and the Parent Charitable Company's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue. 

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the Trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report. 

## **Other information** 

The Trustees are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the Annual Report, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. Our 

32 



opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact. 

We have nothing to report in this regard. 

## **Other Companies Act 2006 reporting** 

In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit: 

- the information given in the Trustees’ Report, which includes the Directors’ Report and the Strategic report prepared for the purposes of Company Law, for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and 

- the Strategic report and the Directors’ Report, which are included in the Trustees’ Report, have been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements. 

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the Group and the Parent Charitable Company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatement in the Strategic report or the Trustees’ report. 

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion: 

- adequate accounting records have not been kept by the Parent Charitable Company, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or 

- the Parent Charitable Company financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or 

- certain disclosures of Directors’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or 

- 

- we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit. 

## **Responsibilities of Trustees** 

As explained more fully in the Trustees’ responsibilities statement, the Trustees (who are also the directors of the charitable company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the Trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. 

In preparing the financial statements, the Trustees are responsible for assessing the Group’s and the Parent Charitable Company’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the Trustees either intend to liquidate the Group or the Parent Charitable Company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so. 

## **Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements** 

We have been appointed as auditor under the Companies Act 2006 and report in accordance with the Act and relevant regulations made or having effect thereunder. 

33 



Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements. 

## _Extent to which the audit was capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud_ 

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below: 

- We inquired of management, and the Audit and Risk Committee, including obtaining and reviewing supporting documentation, concerning the group’s policies and procedures relating to: 

   - identifying, evaluating and complying with laws and regulations and whether they were aware of any instances of non-compliance; 

   - detecting and responding to the risks of fraud and whether they have knowledge of any actual, suspected or alleged fraud; and 

   - the internal controls established to mitigate risks related to fraud or non-compliance with laws and regulations. 

- We obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory frameworks that are applicable to the Group. These include, but are not limited to, compliance with the Companies Act 2006, and UK GAAP. 

- In addition, the Charity is subject to many other laws and regulations where the consequences of noncompliance could have a material effect on amounts or disclosures in the financial statements, for instance through the imposition of fines or litigation. We identified the following areas as those most likely to have such an effect: employment law and data protection. 

- We evaluated management’s incentives and opportunities for fraudulent manipulation of the financial statements (including the risk of override of controls), and determined that the principal risks were related to posting inappropriate journal entries to manipulate financial results and management bias in accounting estimates. 

## _Audit response to risks identified_ 

- We reviewed the financial statement disclosures and tested to supporting documentation to assess compliance with relevant laws and regulations discussed above; 

- We made enquiries of the Audit and Risk Committee and management; 

- Reviewed the incident log submitted to the Audit and Risk Committee which includes instances of fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations; 

- We performed analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected relationships that may indicate risks of material misstatement due to fraud; 

- We read minutes of meetings of those charged with governance, and reviewed correspondence with HMRC and serious incident reports filed with the Charity Regulators; and 

- In addressing the risk of fraud through management override of controls, we tested the appropriateness of journal entries and other adjustments; assessed whether the judgements made in making accounting estimates are indicative of a potential bias; and evaluated the business rationale of any significant transactions that are unusual or outside the normal course of business. 

- We challenged assumptions made by management in their significant accounting estimates in particular in relation to the assumptions related to the useful economic lives of tangible fixed assets, entitlement to income from provision of contractual services and the appropriateness of assumptions applied in determining pension scheme obligations. 

Our audit procedures were designed to respond to risks of material misstatement in the financial statements, recognising that the risk of not detecting a material misstatement due to fraud is higher than the risk of not detecting one resulting from error, as fraud may involve deliberate concealment by, for example, forgery, misrepresentations or through collusion. There are inherent limitations in the audit procedures performed and the further removed non-compliance with laws and regulations is from the events and transactions 

34 



reflected in the financial statements, the less likely we are to become aware of it. 

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located at the Financial Reporting Council’s (“FRC’s”) website at: 

https://www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report. 

## **Use of our report** 

This report is made solely to the Charitable Company’s members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the Charitable Company’s members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the Charitable Company and the Charitable Company’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed. 

## |[afcounee] DocuSigned by:[Chow] 

Laurence Elliott (Senior Statutory Auditor) For and on behalf of BDO LLP, Statutory Auditor Office Location, UK 

- 21 October 2022 

BDO LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales (with registered number OC305127). 

35 



## **CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES** 

(Incorporating Income and Expenditure Account) for the year ended 31 March 2022 

|||**Unrestricted**||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Notes**|**&**<br>**Designated**|**Restricted**<br>**Funds**|**2022**|**2021**|
|||**Funds**||||
|||**2022**|**2022**|**Total**|**Total**|
|||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
|**Income from:**||||||
|Donations and legacies|8|102,332|8,058|110,390|175,263|
|Charitable activities|9|18,741,081|12,498|18,753,579|19,722,686|
|Investments||57,503|-|57,503|64,433|
|Other||44,773|-|44,773|18,028|
|**Total Income**||**18,945,689**|**20,556**|**18,966,245**|**19,980,410**|
|**Expenditure on:**||||||
|Raising Funds|3|32,726|-|32,726|41,693|
|Charitable Activities|2|18,347,632|37,306|18,384,938|19,626,802|
|**Total Expenditure**||**18,380,358**|**37,306**|**18,417,664**|**19,668,495**|
|**Net (Expenditure)/Income prior to net gains**||||||
|**on investments**||**565,331**|**(16,750)**|**548,581**|**311,915**|
|Net gains on investments|11|44,263|-|44,263|336,094|
|**Net income/(expenditure)**||**609,594**|**(16,750)**|**592,844**|**648,009**|
|**Other Recognised Gains**||||||
|Actuarial Gains on Defined Benefit||||||
|Pension Scheme|16|865,000|-|865,000|-|
|Net Movement in Funds||**1,474,594**|**(16,750)**|**1,457,844**|**648,009**|
|Reconciliation of Funds||||||
|Total funds bought forward||15,864,786|1,853,112|17,717,898|17,069,889|
|**Total funds carried forward**||**17,339,380**|**1,836,362**|**19,175,742**|**17,717,898**|



Comparatives on fund by fund basis have been restated are shown in note 21. 

All income and expenditure is derived from continuing activities. The charity has no other recognised gains and losses other than the results for the above financial years. 

The notes on pages 39 to 57 form part of these financial statements. 

36 



## **CONSOLIDATED AND CHARITY BALANCE SHEET** 

## as at 31 March 2022 

|as at 31 March 2022||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Notes**|**2022**|**2022**|**2021**|**2021**|
|||**Group**|**Charity**|**Group**|**Charity**|
|||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
|**Fixed Assets:**||||||
|Tangible Assets|10|11,411,276|11,424,558|11,173,701|11,186,983|
|Investment in Trading Subsidiary||-|100|-|-|
|Investments|11|2,273,335|2,273,335|2,176,034|2,176,034|
|||13,684,611|13,697,993|13,349,735|13,363,017|
|**Current Assets:**||||||
|Debtors|12|1,859,679|1,382,670|1,514,947|971,019|
|Cash at Bank and in Hand||7,759,142|6,776,692|6,848,084|6,600,886|
|||9,618,821|8,159,362|8,363,031|7,571,905|
|**Creditors**: Amount falling due within one year|13|(4,992,690)|(3,729,074)|(3,994,868)|(3,340,466)|
|**Net current assets**||4,626,131|4,430,288|4,368,163|4,231,439|
|**Creditors:**Amount falling due after more than||||||
|one year||||||
|**Net Asset excluding pension assets**||18,310,742|18,128,281|17,717,898|17,594,456|
|Defined benefit pension scheme asset|16|865,000|865,000|-|-|
|**Net assets**||19,175,742|18,993,281|17,717,898|17,594,456|
|**FUNDS**||||||
|**Unrestricted Funds**||||||
|Designated|14|9,990,028|10,003,310|9,747,296|9,760,578|
|General|14|6,484,352|6,288,609|6,117,490|5,980,766|
|Pension Reserve|16|865,000|865,000|-|-|
|Unrestricted Income Funds||17,339,380|17,156,919|15,864,786|15,741,344|
|Restricted Funds|15|1,836,362|1,836,362|1,853,112|1,853,112|
|**Total Charity Funds**||**19,175,742**|**18,993,281**|**17,717,898**|**17,594,456**|



The net movement in funds for the year of the parent charity was a surplus of £1,415,575 (2021: Surplus of £528,527) 

Approved by the Board on 22 September 2022 and signed on their behalf on 19 October 2022 by: 

## Conor COle: 

Dr. Carol Cole (Chair)                                                John Banks (Treasurer) 

The notes on pages 39 to 57 form part of these financial statements. 

Charity registration number 211091. Company registration number 463505 

37 



## **CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW STATEMENT** 

## for the year ended 31 March 2022 

|**Notes**<br>**Cash flows from operating activities:**<br>**Net cash generated by operating activities**<br>**A**<br>**Cash flows from investing activities:**<br>Dividends, interest and rents from investments<br>Purchase of property, plant and equipment<br>Purchase of investments<br>Proceeds from sale of investments<br>Change in investment cash<br>**Net cash used in investing activities**<br>**Change in cash in the reporting period**<br>**Cash at the beginning of the reporting period**<br>**Cash at the end of the reporting period**<br>**Note A: Reconciliation of net income to net cash flow**<br>**from operating activities**<br>**Net income for the reporting period (as per the**<br>**Statement of Financial Activities)**<br>**Adjustments for:**<br>Depreciation charges<br>(Gains) on investments<br>Dividends, interest and rents from investments<br>(Increase)/decrease in debtors<br>Increase in creditors<br>**Net cash generated by operating activities**|**2022**<br>**2021**<br>**Group**<br>**Group**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**1,501,661**<br>**2,287,270**<br>57,503<br>64,433<br>(595,068)<br>(177,202)<br>(139,296)<br>(61,359)<br>100,468<br>468<br>(14,210)<br>6,112|
|---|---|
||**(590,603)**<br>**(167,548)**|
||**911,058**<br>**2,119,722**<br>**6,848,084**<br>**4,728,362**|
||**7,759,142**<br>**6,848,084**|
||**592,844**<br>**648,009**<br>357,493<br>480,773<br>(44,263)<br>(336,094)<br>(57,503)<br>(64,433)<br>(344,732)<br>185,549<br>997,822<br>1,373,466|
||**1,501,661**<br>**2,287,270**|



## **(i) Analysis of changes in Net funds** 

|**Cash and cash equivalents**<br>Cash<br>Overdraft<br>**Total**|**At 1 April**<br>**2021**<br>**Cash flows**<br>**Other non**<br>**cash**<br>**changes**<br>**At 31**<br>**March 2022**<br>£<br>£<br>£<br>£<br>**6,848,084**<br>911,058<br>-<br>**7,759,142**<br>**-**<br>-<br>-<br>**-**<br>**6,848,084**<br>911,058<br>-<br>**7,759,142**|
|---|---|



38 



## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS** for the year ended 31 March 2022 

## **1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES** 

## **a) Basis of Preparation** 

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) - (Charities SORP (FRS 102)), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006. The financial statements are presented in Pounds Sterling rounded to the nearest pound. 

## **b) Income** 

All income resources are shown net of VAT. Income is recognised once Together has entitlement to it, it is probable that income will be received and the monetary value of the income can be measured with sufficient accuracy. Income from the supply of services is recognised with the delivery of the contracted service. Income received in advance is deferred until the services have been provided. A grant that is subject to performance-related conditions received in advance of delivering the services is accounted for as a liability and shown on the balance sheet as a deferred income, Deferred income is released to income in the reporting period in which the performance-related or other conditions that limit recognition are met. Legacy income is recognised when the criteria of probability, measurement and entitlement are met. 

## **c) Expenditure** 

Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and is recognised when there is a legal or constructive obligation committing Together to the expenditure. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to a particular heading in the Statement of Financial Activities they are allocated based on the % of direct cost generated by each area. 

Costs associated with raising funds consists of costs incurred by Together in encouraging organisations and individuals to make voluntary contributions or to organise a fundraising event (see note 3). Charitable activities includes the costs incurred by Together in the provision of mental health services, residential homes, supported housing, advocacy services, criminal justice services, and community support (see note 2). 

## **d) Other Employee Benefits** 

Termination benefits are accounted for on an accrual basis and in line with FRS 102. In line with FRS 102, an accrual has been made for holiday pay accrued but not taken at the year end. 

## **e) Fixed Assets** 

Tangible fixed assets costing more than £1,000 are capitalised, included at cost and written off over their useful lives on a straight line basis. 

The useful lives are estimated to be: 

## **Depreciation of Housing Properties** 

Freehold land or assets under construction are not depreciated _._ 

The charity separately identifies the major components of its housing properties and charges depreciation so as to write-down the cost of each component to its estimated residual value, on a straight line basis over the shorter of the length of the lease or the 

## following years : 

|following years:||
|---|---|
|Structure<br>|100 years|
|Kitchens<br>|20 years|
|Bathrooms<br>|15 years|
|Lifts<br>|20 years|
|Doors<br>|20 years|
|Windows<br>|30 years|
|Electrical works<br>|35 years|
|Boilers/heating systems<br>|20 years|
|Flat Roofs<br>|25 years|
|Pitched Roof<br>|80 years|
|Flooring<br>|20 years|
|**Other tangible fixed assets**||
|Fixtures and Fittings<br>|10 years|
|Computer Infrastructure, Office Equipment and||
|Software<br>|3 years|



On adoption of FRS102 at the transition date of 1 April 2014, Together took advantage of the FRS exemption which enabled revaluation of certain properties to deemed cost. 

## **f) Investments** 

Investments are included in the Balance Sheet at market value at 31 March. All gains and losses are shown in the Statement of Financial Activities. 

. 

## **g) Operating Leases** 

Operating lease rentals are charged to the income and expenditure account on a straight line basis over the period of the lease. 

39 



## **h) Pension Costs** 

Pension costs for the group personal pension scheme, a defined contribution scheme, are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities as they fall due. Together has also contributed to a defined benefit scheme, which was closed to new accruals on 30 September 2011. The assets and liabilities  in the scheme are reported in these financial statements as required by FRS102. The difference between the fair value of the assets held and the scheme’s liabilities are measured on an actuarial basis using the projected unit method. The net pension asset or liability is presented separately from other net assets on the statement of financial position. A net asset is recognised only to the extent that it is recoverable by the association through reduced contributions or through refunds from the scheme. 

The current service cost and costs from settlements and curtailments are charged against operating surplus. Past service costs are recognised in the current reporting period. Interest is calculated on the net defined benefit liability. Remeasurements are reported in other comprehensive income. 

## **i) Structure of Funds** 

General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity and which have not been designated for other purposes. 

Designated funds comprise unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the Trustees for particular purposes. The aim and use of each designated fund is set out in notes to the financial statements. 

Restricted funds are funds which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors which have been raised by the company for particular purposes. The cost of raising and administering such funds are charged against the specific fund. The aim and use of each restricted fund is set out in the notes to the financial statements. 

Investment income, gains and losses are allocated to the appropriate fund. 

## **j) Consolidation** 

Together owns 100% of the share capital of Together for Mental Wellbeing Support Services Limited. Group accounts are prepared incorporating the subsidiary and are consolidated on line by line basis. 

## **k) Going concern** 

Whilst the COVID-19 pandemic has not gone away, its disruption on the services is more predictable and manageable.  Instead, the focus is now inflationary pressures for both staff and non-staff elements.  For non-staff costs, Together for Mental Wellbeing operates a lean cost base with the pressure experienced in IT equipment (reliant on imports) and building construction.  Both those categories of spend have a high degree of discretion and are manageable.  For 2022-23, Together is assessing its contracts financially with varying cost assumptions to pressures and potential exit times should income stay flat over the duration of the contract.  At this point in time, the Trustees have identified no material uncertainties that may cast significant doubt about the ability of the charity to continue as a going concern and therefore these accounts have been prepared on a going concern basis. 

The Charity’s income is primarily generated from the supply of contracted services which are predominantly fixed and multi-year, therefore we are not forecasting a fall in income during **2022/2023** . Meanwhile, expenditures have remained largely consistent with additional costs arising from the adaptation of our charitable activities and the acquisition of PPE being offset by reduction in travel and other related costs. As at the balance sheet date, Together held cash and investments totalling **£10,032k** and had no loans outstanding. The directors have considered the impact of COVID-19 on the future liquidity of the Group, including by reviewing a full 5 year income forecast, a 5 year cash flow projection and considering the observed impacts of COVID-19 on the liquid position since the balance sheet date. Based on these reviews, the directors consider that the Together Group of Companies represent a going concern. 

These assumptions form the basis of the Group and Charity’s forecasted cash flow for the next twelve months, which the senior management team monitor on a monthly basis. This forecast, combined with an assessment of the future reserves position, forms the basis of our assessment of going concern. It has been stress tested using reverse stress testing and in doing so, we have particularly considered the impact of a global economic recession that results in austerity measures and the Charity’s income being reduced over and above our key risk assumptions (set out in the Financial Review). 

Based on these forecasts, we believe that the going concern basis of accounting remains appropriate for our accounts. We have also considered whether there is any material uncertainty that may cast significant doubt over the use of that basis for a period of at least 12 months from the date of approval of the financial statements and we do not believe that this is the case. 

## **l) Cash at bank and in hand** 

Cash at bank and cash in hand includes cash and short-term highly liquid investments with a short maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition or opening of the deposit or similar account. 

## **m) Financial instruments** 

The charity only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments, including trade and other debtors and creditors and the bank loan, are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value. 

## **n) Creditors and provisions** 

Creditors and provisions are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. 

## **o) Foreign currency translation** 

The charity’s functional and presentation currency is pound sterling. There were no foreign currency transactions translated at the balance sheet date. 

## **p) Company Information** 

Together for Mental Wellbeing is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales (Registration number: 

40 



## 463505). 

The registered office is 52 Walnut Tree Walk, London, SE11 6DN. 

## **q) Critical accounting judgements and estimates** 

In preparing these financial statements, management has made following judgements, estimates and assumptions that affect the application of the charities accounting policies and the reported assets, liabilities, income and expenditure and the disclosures made in the financial statements. 

Housing property depreciation is calculated on a component by component basis. The identification of such components is a matter of judgement and may have a material impact on the depreciation charge. Components are identified based on depreciation note (1e). 

Depreciation of assets is calculated based on the cost and the estimated useful lives of the assets. The expected useful lives for housing property components is estimated based on the expected replacement frequency used for asset management purposes. 

Income from the provision of services is recognised as and when the services are provided. In most cases, the services are provided in accordance with the funding agreement, but in a minority of cases, estimates are necessary as to the extent to which income may be repayable where the services haven't been fully provided and there is a likelihood of retrospective demand from the funder that a proportion of the income to be refunded. Estimates are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates. 

Management's estimate of the defined benefit obligation is based on a number of critical underlying assumptions such as standard rates of inflation, mortality, discount rate and anticipation of future salary increases. Variation in these assumptions may significantly impact the defined benefit obligation amount and the annual defined benefit expenses (as analysed in Note 16). 

Management’s decision to continue with Going concern basis of accounting is based on contract revenue which has remained consistent and likely to remain relatively flat due to nature of contracts which are multi-year and fixed. There are increase in costs in some areas which is offset by reduction in some other areas. 

## **2. CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES Provision of mental health services** 

|Residential Homes<br>Supported Housing<br>Advocacy Services<br>Criminal Justice Services<br>Community Support & Day Services<br>Service User Involvement|**Direct**<br>**Costs**<br>**£**<br>**Support**<br>**Costs**<br>**£**<br>**2022**<br>**Total**<br>**£**<br>5,509,787<br>1,118,105<br>6,627,892<br>1,766,841<br>358,537<br>2,125,378<br>1,390,083<br>282,241<br>1,672,324<br>2,140,159<br>434,216<br>2,574,375<br>4,353,353<br>883,320<br>5,236,673<br>123,174<br>25,122<br>148,296|
|---|---|
||**15,283,397**<br>**3,101,541  18,384,938**|



Total direct costs includes £37,306 of restricted funds. 

## **2. CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES (2021) Provision of mental health services** 

|**2. CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES (2021)**<br>**Provision of mental health services**||
|---|---|
|Residential Homes<br>Supported Housing<br>Advocacy Services<br>Criminal Justice Services<br>Community Support & Day Services<br>Service User Involvement|**Direct**<br>**Costs**<br>**£**<br>**Support**<br>**Costs**<br>**£**<br>**2021**<br>**Total**<br>**£**<br>5,382,647<br>1,185,147<br>6,567,794<br>3,001,927<br>660,934<br>3,662,861<br>1,224,842<br>269,899<br>1,494,741<br>1,998,732<br>440,269<br>2,439,001<br>4,353,334<br>958,460<br>5,311,794<br>123,337<br>27,274<br>150,611|
||**16,084,819**<br>**3,541,983  19,626,802**|



Total direct costs includes £98,092 of restricted funds. 

41 



## **Allocation of Support Cost** 

The Support Costs includes the Operational Office Costs, Finance and central support, Human Resources, Governance and the Chief Executive Office. The basis of cost allocation used is the % direct cost generated by each charitable activity. 

|**Direct**<br>**Costs**<br>Residential<br>Homes<br>36.05%<br>Supported<br>Housing<br>11.56%<br>Advocacy<br>Services<br>9.10%<br>Criminal<br>Justice<br>Services<br>14.00%<br>Community<br>Support & Day<br>services<br>28.48%<br>Service User<br>Involvement<br>0.81%|**Operational**<br>**Support**<br>**CEO**<br>**HR**<br>**Finance &**<br>**Central**<br>**Support**<br>**Governance**<br>**costs**<br>**2022**<br>**Total**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>284,572<br>73,160<br>288,945<br>427,974<br>43,454<br>**1,118,105**<br>91,252<br>23,460<br>92,655<br>137,236<br>13,934<br>**358,537**<br>71,834<br>18,467<br>72,938<br>108,033<br>10,969<br>**282,241**<br>110,513<br>28,412<br>112,212<br>166,203<br>16,876<br>**434,216**<br>224,816<br>57,798<br>228,271<br>338,105<br>34,330<br>**883,320**<br>6,394<br>1,644<br>6,492<br>9,616<br>976<br>**25,122**|
|---|---|
||**789,381**<br>**202,941**<br>**801,513**<br>**1,187,167**<br>**120,539**<br>**3,101,541**|



## **Allocation of Support Cost (2021)** 

|**Direct**<br>**Costs**<br>Residential<br>Homes<br>33.46%<br>Supported<br>Housing<br>18.66%<br>Advocacy<br>Services<br>7.62%<br>Criminal Justice<br>Services<br>12.43%<br>Community<br>Support & Day<br>services<br>27.06%<br>Service User<br>Involvement<br>0.77%|**Operational**<br>**Support**<br>**CEO**<br>**HR**<br>**Finance &**<br>**Central**<br>**Support**<br>**Governance**<br>**costs**<br>**2021**<br>**Total**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>289,290<br>71,640<br>275,165<br>490,971<br>58,081<br>**1,185,147**<br>161,332<br>39,952<br>153,454<br>273,805<br>32,391<br>**660,934**<br>65,881<br>16,315<br>62,665<br>111,811<br>13,227<br>**269,899**<br>107,468<br>26,613<br>102,221<br>182,390<br>21,577<br>**440,269**<br>233,956<br>57,937<br>222,533<br>397,062<br>46,972<br>**958,460**<br>6,657<br>1,649<br>6,332<br>11,299<br>1,337<br>**27,274**<br>**864,584**<br>**214,106**<br>**822,370**<br>**1,467,338**<br>**173,585**<br>**3,541,983**|
|---|---|



42 



## **3. RAISING FUNDS** 

|Fundraising<br>Publicity<br>Investment Management costs|**2022**<br>**2021**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>2,673<br>3,850<br>27,696<br>35,051<br>2,357<br>2,792|
|---|---|
||**32,726**<br>**41,693**|



## **4. GOVERNANCE COSTS** 

Governance costs included in note 2 above are as follows: 

|External Audit<br>Trustees meeting costs<br>Legal & Professional services<br>Staff cost<br>Room Hire and office expenses<br>Trustee recruitment|**2022**<br>**2021**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>30,720<br>32,414<br>1,720<br>99<br>51,483<br>103,878<br>35,903<br>34,954<br>215<br>2,148<br>498<br>92|
|---|---|
||**120,539**<br>**173,585**|



## **5. MOVEMENTS IN FUNDS FOR THE YEAR** 

||**2022**|**2021**|
|---|---|---|
|This is stated after charging:|**£**|**£**|
|Land & building|128,970|131,466|
|Others|17,877|18,032|
|Auditors remuneration|30,720|32,414|
|Depreciation|357,493|480,773|



43 



## **6. STAFF COSTS** 

|**Group and charity:**<br>Wages and salaries<br>Social security costs<br>Pension costs<br>Redundancy & settlement costs|**2022**<br>**2021**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>10,986,281<br>11,389,686<br>1,031,453<br>1,056,123<br>510,578<br>520,869<br>28,093<br>30,800|
|---|---|
||**12,556,405**<br>**12,997,478**|



|Number of employee within salary range:|**2022**|**2021**|
|---|---|---|
|£100,001-£110,000|1|1|
|£90,001-£100,000|0|1|
|£80,001-£90,000|0|1|
|£70,001-£80,000|2|3|
|£60,001-£70,000|3|3|



The average number of employees, including part time workers, analysed by function, was: 

|**Group and charity:**<br>Mental health services<br>Management and administration of<br>the charity<br>Governance|**2022**<br>**2021**<br>370<br>423<br>68<br>67<br>1<br>1|
|---|---|
||**439**<br>**491**|



The total cost of the key management personnel - defined as the Senior Leadership Team which includes Chief Executive, Chief Operating Officer, Director of Resources, Director of People and Organisational Development and Director of Business Development - was £474,526. (2021: £366,432). 

44 



## **7. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS** 

Three Trustees were reimbursed travelling expenses during the year amounting to £367 (2021: £71). 

No remuneration was paid this year to any Trustee. (2021: £nil). 

There are no other transactions or balances which require disclosure within the financial statements. 

## **8. DONATIONS AND LEGACIES** 

|Legacies<br>Other Subscriptions & Donations|**2022**<br>**2022**<br>**2022**<br>**2021**<br>**2021**<br>**2021**<br>**Unrestricted**<br>**Restricted**<br>**Total**<br>**Unrestricted**<br>**Restricted**<br>**Total**<br>**Income**<br>**Income**<br>**Income**<br>**Income**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>23,812<br>-<br>23,812<br>23,338<br>-<br>23,338<br>78,520<br>8,058<br>86,578<br>147,525<br>4,400<br>151,925|
|---|---|
||**102,332**<br>**8,058**<br>**110,390**<br>**170,863**<br>**4,400**<br>**175,263**|



## **9. CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES** 

|Local Auth, Health Auth & NHS trust<br>Charges for accommodation and services<br>Supporting People<br>Spot/Outreach Income<br>Probation Services<br>North Yorkshire Police<br>Project service grants|**2022**<br>**2022**<br>**2022**<br>**2021**<br>**2021**<br>**2021**<br>**Unrestricted**<br>**Restricted**<br>**Total**<br>**Unrestricted**<br>**Restricted**<br>**Total**<br>**Income**<br>**Income**<br>**Income**<br>**Income**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>11,048,905<br>-11,048,905<br>12,081,545<br>-12,081,545<br>7,142,532<br>-<br>7,142,532<br>7,164,437<br>-<br>7,164,437<br>348,352<br>-<br>348,352<br>291,669<br>-<br>291,669<br>65,117<br>-<br>65,117<br>68,940<br>-<br>68,940<br>136,175<br>-<br>136,175<br>37,679<br>-<br>37,679<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>70,746<br>70,746<br>-<br>12,498<br>12,498<br>-<br>7,670<br>7,670|
|---|---|
||**18,741,081**<br>**12,498**<br>**18,753,579**<br>**19,644,270**<br>**78,416**<br>**19,722,686**|



45 



## **10. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS (GROUP)** 

|**Cost:**<br>At 1 April 2021<br>Additions<br>Disposals<br>At 31 March 2022<br>**Depreciation:**<br>At 1 April 2021<br>Charge for the year<br>Disposals<br>At 31 March 2022<br>**Net book value at 31 March 2022**<br>**Net book value at 31 March 2021**|**Freehold**<br>**Furniture**<br>**Land and**<br>**And**<br>**Buildings**<br>**Equipment**<br>**Total**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>12,000,802<br>1,168,228<br>13,169,030<br>495,754<br>99,314<br>595,068<br>-<br>-<br>-|
|---|---|
||**12,496,556 **<br>**1,267,542**<br>**13,764,098**|
||1,179,437<br>815,892<br>1,995,329<br>178,007<br>179,486<br>357,493<br>-<br>-<br>-|
||**1,357,444**<br>**995,378**<br>**2,352,822**|
|||
||**11,139,112**<br>**272,164 **<br>**11,411,276**|
|||
||**10,821,365**<br>**352,336**<br>**11,173,701**|



## **10. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS (CHARITY)** 

|**Cost:**<br>At 1 April 2021<br>Additions<br>Disposals<br>At 31 March 2022<br>**Depreciation:**<br>At 1 April 2021<br>Charge for the year<br>Disposals<br>At 31 March 2022<br>**Net book value at 31 March 2022**<br>**Net book value at 31 March 2021**||**Freehold**<br>**Furniture**<br>**Land and**<br>**And**<br>**Buildings**<br>**Equipment**<br>**Total**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>12,014,084<br>1,168,228<br>13,182,312<br>495,754<br>99,314<br>595,068<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>**12,509,838**<br>**1,267,542**<br>**13,777,380 **<br>1,179,437<br>815,892<br>1,995,329<br>178,007<br>179,486<br>357,493<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>**1,357,444**<br>**995,378**<br>**2,352,822**|
|---|---|---|
||||
||||
||||
||||
|||**11,152,394**<br>**272,164             11,424,558**|
||||
|||**10,834,647**<br>**352,336**<br>**11,186,983**|



46 



## **11. INVESTMENTS (GROUP AND CHARITY)** 

|**Listed investments, at market value**<br>At 1 April<br>Additions<br>Disposal proceeds<br>Net investments gains<br>**Total Investments**<br>Cash holdings<br>**At 31 March**<br>**Historical cost at 31 March**|**2022**<br>**2021**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>2,175,546<br>1,778,561<br>139,296<br>61,359<br>(100,468)<br>(468)<br>44,263<br>336,094|
|---|---|
||**2,258,637**<br>**2,175,546**<br>14,698<br>488|
||**2,273,335**<br>**2,176,034**|
||**2,115,758**<br>**2,062,409**|



Investments are held in the Sarasin Endowment Funds Class A INC, Sterling Investment account and Royal Dutch Shell B shares. 

## **12. DEBTORS** 

|Trade debtors<br>Prepayments and accrued income|**2022**<br>**2022**<br>**2021**<br>**2021**<br>**GROUP**<br>**CHARITY**<br>**GROUP**<br>**CHARITY**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>1,477,951<br>1,000,942<br>1,037,989<br>508,565<br>381,728<br>381,728<br>476,958<br>462,454|
|---|---|
||**1,859,679**<br>**1,382,670**<br>**1,514,947**<br>**971,019**|



47 



## **13. CREDITORS – AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR** 

||**2022**|**2022**|**2021**|**2021**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||**GROUP**|**CHARITY**|**GROUP**|**CHARITY**|
||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
|Accruals|858,064|843,264|905,483|893,083|
|Trade creditors|763,228|757,365|931,665|918,663|
|Owed to trading subsidiary|-|281,668|-|134,585|
|Other creditors|1069,394|216,147|649,470|210,201|
|Taxation and Social security|240,944|240,944|282,623|282,623|
|Deferred Income|2,061,060|1,389,686|1,225,627|901,311|
||**4,992,690**|**3,729,074**|**3,994,868**|**3,340,466**|



|Deferred income reconciliation (GROUP)<br>Deferred income reconciliation<br>Opening balance as at 1 April<br>Add income deferred as at 31 March<br>Less deferred income released during the year<br>Closing balance as at 31 March<br>Deferred income reconciliation (CHARITY)<br>Deferred income reconciliation<br>Opening balance as at 1 April<br>Add income deferred as at 31 March<br>Less deferred income released during the year<br>Closing balance as at 31 March||2022<br>2021<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>1,225,627<br>479,588<br>1,486,847<br>936,669<br>2,712,474<br>1,416,257<br>(651,414)<br>(190,630)<br>2,061,060<br>1,225,627<br>2022<br>2021<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>901,311<br>479,588<br>826,623<br>612,353|
|---|---|---|
||||
||||
||||
|||1,727,934<br>1,091,941<br> (338,248)<br> (190,630)|
|||1,389,686<br>901,311|



48 



## **14a.UNRESTRICTED FUNDS – GROUP** 

|Project Designated funds<br>Fixed asset reserve<br>Pension Potential liability<br>**Total Designated funds**<br>General Fund<br>Pension Reserve|**1 April**<br>**Income**<br>**31 March**<br>**2021**<br> **Revaluations**<br>**Transfers**<br>**Expenditure**<br>**2022**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£                             £**<br>**£**<br>268,665<br>37,935<br>-<br>-<br>(53,808)<br>252,792<br>8,479,094<br>-<br>-<br>275,528<br>-<br>8,754,622<br>999,537<br>-<br>-<br>(16,923)<br>-<br>982,614|
|---|---|
||**9,747,296**<br>**37,935**<br>**-**<br>**258,605**<br>**(53,808)**<br>**9,990,028**<br>6,117,490<br>18,907,754<br>44,263<br>(258,605)<br>(<br>)<br>(18,326,550)<br>6,484,352<br>-<br>-<br>865,000<br>-<br>-<br>865,000|
||**15,864,786**<br>**18,945,689**<br>**909,263**<br>**-**<br>**(18,380,358) 17,339,380**|



Transfers of £258,605 represent movement in NBV of Tangible fixed assets less depreciation costs of assets held under restricted income. 

## **14a.UNRESTRICTED FUNDS – GROUP (2021)** 

|Project Designated funds<br>Fixed asset reserve<br>Pension Potential Liability<br>**Total Designated funds**<br>General Fund|**1 April**<br>**Income**<br>**31 March**<br>**2020**<br> **Revaluations**<br>**Transfers**<br>**Expenditure**<br>**2021**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£                             £**<br>**£**<br>161,279<br>130,000<br>-<br>-<br>(22,614)<br>268,665<br>8,744,738<br>-<br>-<br>(265,644)<br>-<br>8,479,094<br>1,016,434<br><br>-<br>-<br>(16,897)<br>-<br>999,537|
|---|---|
||~~1 016~~<br>**9,922,451**<br>**130,000**<br>**-**<br>**(282,541)**<br>**(22,614)**<br>**9,747,296**<br>5,279,050<br>19,767,594<br>336,094<br>282,541<br><br> <br>(19,547,789)<br>6,117,490|
||~~(3~~<br>~~6 26 )~~<br>**15,201,501**<br>**19,897,594**<br>**336,094**<br>**-**<br>**(19,570,403) 15,864,786**|



Transfers of £282,541 represent movement in NBV of Tangible fixed assets less depreciation costs of assets held under restricted income. 

## **14b. UNRESTRICTED FUNDS – CHARITY** 

|Project Designated funds<br>Fixed asset reserve<br>Potential Pension liability<br>**Total Designated funds**<br>General Fund<br>Pension Reserve|**1 April**<br>**Income**<br>**31 March**<br>**2021**<br> **Revaluations**<br>**Transfers**<br>**Expenditure**<br>**2022**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£                             £**<br>**£**<br>268,665<br>37,935<br>-<br>-<br>(53,808)<br>252,792<br>8,492,376<br>-<br>-<br>275,528<br>-<br>8,767,904<br>999,537<br>-<br>-<br>(16,923)<br>-<br>982,614|
|---|---|
||**9,760,578**<br>**37,935**<br>**-**<br>**258,605**<br>**(53,808) 10,003,310**<br>5,980,766<br>8,624,202<br>44,263<br>(258,605)<br>(<br>)<br>(8,102,017)<br>6,288,609<br>-<br>-<br>865,000<br>-<br>-<br>865,000|
||**15,741,344**<br>**8,662,137**<br>**909,263**<br>**-**<br>**(8,155,825) 17,156,919**|



Transfers of £258,605 represent movement in NBV of Tangible fixed assets less depreciation costs of assets held under restricted income. 

## **14b. UNRESTRICTED FUNDS – CHARITY (2021)** 

|Project Designated funds<br>Fixed asset reserve<br>Pension Potential Liability<br>**Total Designated funds**<br>General Fund|**1 April**<br>**Income**<br>**31 March**<br>**2020**<br> **Revaluations**<br>**Transfers**<br>**Expenditure**<br>**2021**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£                             £**<br>**£**<br>161,279<br>130,000<br>-<br>-<br>(22,614)<br>268,665<br>8,758,020<br>-<br>-<br>(265,644)<br>-<br>8,492,376<br>1,016,434<br>-<br>-<br>(16,897)<br>-<br>999,537|
|---|---|
||**9,935,733**<br>**130,000**<br>**-**<br>**(282,541)**<br>**(22,614)**<br>**9,760,578**<br>5,277,084<br>11,882,540<br>336,094<br>282,541<br><br><br>(11,797,493)<br>5,980,766|
||~~(~~<br>~~)~~<br>**15,212,817**<br>**12,012,540**<br>**336,094**<br>**-**<br>**(11,820,107) 15,741,344**|



49 



Transfers of £282,541 represent movement in NBV of Tangible fixed assets less depreciation costs of assets held under restricted income. 

Project Designated funds are specific amounts set aside at 4 projects for future repairs programmes. In addition to this we also received further £38k of Anthony Gormley funding which was designated at the year end. 

Fixed Asset Reserve represents the total net book value of unrestricted assets held by the charity. 

Pension Potential liability: this fund has been set aside to cover any potential liability arising in the pension scheme. 

## **15.RESTRICTED FUNDS - GROUP and CHARITY** 

|Green Lane Grant<br>Hopewell House<br>Snowdon<br>Project Services Grants:<br>Bromley Trust<br>Lankelly Chase Foundation<br>North Yorkshire Police<br>NHS Commissioning Board<br>CAF America - Butler Family fund<br>Mayor of Winchester|**Balance at**<br>**Movements**<br>**Expenditure**<br>**Balance at**<br>**1 April**<br>**in**<br>**31 March**<br>**2021**<br>**income**<br>**2022**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>544,740<br>-<br>(6,085)<br>538,655<br>668,220<br>-<br>(8,630)<br>659,590<br>482,110<br>-<br>(6,315)<br>475,795<br>37,361<br>20,556<br>(16,276)<br>41,641<br>6,244<br>-<br>-<br>6,244<br>547<br>-<br>-<br>547<br>22,785<br>-<br>-<br>22,785<br>82,992<br>-<br>-<br>82,992<br>1,652<br>-<br>-<br>1,652<br>6,461<br>-<br>-<br>6,461|
|---|---|
||**1,853,112**<br>**20,556**<br> **(37,306)**<br>**1,836,362**|



Green Lane, Hopewell House, Snowdon properties; these funds match the contingent liability for the repayment of grants used to purchase property (see note 19). 

Project Service Grants: Various donations for the provision of client services. 

## **15.RESTRICTED FUNDS - GROUP and CHARITY** 

## **(2021)** 

|**()**<br>Green Lane Grant<br>Hopewell House<br>Snowdon<br>Project Services Grants:<br>Bromley Trust<br>Lankelly Chase Foundation<br>North Yorkshire Police<br>NHS Commissioning Board<br>CAF America - Butler Family fund<br>Mayor of Winchester|**Balance at**<br>**Movements**<br>**Expenditure**<br>**Balance at**<br>**1 April**<br>**in**<br>**31 March**<br>**2020**<br>**income**<br>**2021**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>550,825<br>-<br>(6,085)<br>544,740<br>676,850<br>-<br>(8,630)<br>668,220<br>488,425<br>-<br>(6,315)<br>482,110<br>33,991<br>12,070<br>(8,700)<br>37,361<br>6,244<br>-<br>-<br>6,244<br>10,195<br>-<br>(9,648)<br>547<br>10,753<br>70,746<br>(58,714)<br>22,785<br>82,992<br>-<br>-<br>82,992<br>1,652<br>-<br>-<br>1,652<br>6,461<br>-<br>-<br>6,461|
|---|---|
||**1,868,388**<br>**82,816**<br> **(98,092)**<br>**1,853,112**|



**Green lane, Hopewell House, Snowdon properties:** these funds match the contingent liability for the repayment of grants used to purchase property (see note 19). 

**Project Services Grants:** Various donations for the provision of client services. 

50 



## **16. PENSION SCHEME** 

On 1[st] October 2011, Together introduced a group personal pension scheme available to all staff. Contributions are charged to expenditure in the accounting period in which they are payable. Contributions in the period were £510,578 (2021 £520,869). 

Prior to 1[st] October 2011, the organisation contributed to a UK-based defined benefit scheme, called The Together: Working for Wellbeing Pension scheme. The administration of the Scheme was transferred From First Actuarial LLP to TPT on the 9[th] February 2021. The scheme was closed to new accruals on 30[th] September 2011. 

The defined benefit scheme (now closed) provides benefits at retirement based on final pensionable pay for its deferred members. The scheme is funded by the assets being held by Trustees of the scheme separately from the assets of the organisation. 

The latest triannual valuation of the scheme was carried out in 2017 and showed the market value of the scheme’s assets to be £14,921,000 being sufficient to cover 112% of the benefits accrued to members. 

A valuation was not carried out at September 2020 due to the bulk transfer of the scheme. Projected unit method is adopted to calculate the Scheme liabilities at 31 March 2022, by rolling forward the preliminary results of the triennial actuarial valuation as at 30 September 2021. 

The benefit structure has not changed since the valuation, but the organisation reached a decision to cease funding for discretionary pension increases. 

## **Scheme assets and liabilities recognised in the balance sheet** 

The fair value of the scheme's assets, which are not intended to be realised in the short-term and may be subject to significant change, and the present value of the scheme's liabilities, which are derived from the cash flow projections over long periods and are thus inherently uncertain, were: 

|Equity<br>Bonds<br>Property<br>DGFs<br>Cash<br>LDI Pooled Funds<br>**Present value of plan assets**<br>**Present value of scheme liability**<br>**Irrecoverable surplus**<br>**Net present value of scheme assets/(liabilities)**|**2022**<br>**Value**<br>**£000**<br>1,179<br>6,733<br>1,196<br> 2,707<br>218<br>3,083<br>15,116<br> (14,251)<br> -<br> 865|**2021**<br>**Value**<br>**£000**<br>2,470<br>8,355<br>-<br> 865<br>629<br>3,107|
|---|---|---|
|||15,426<br>(15,390)<br>(36)|
|||-|



51 



## **Amounts recognised in net income** 

|Actuarial gains/(losses) on defined benefit obligation<br>Actuarial (losses) on liabilities<br>Actuarial return on scheme assets less interest income<br>Limit on recognition of assets less interest<br> <br>**Amounts recognised in net income**<br>**Amount credited to net income**<br>Administration expenses<br>Gain on settlements<br>Net interest<br>Amount recognised in net income||**2022**<br>**2021**<br>**£000**<br>**£000**<br>1,186<br>(1,495)<br>(258)<br>-<br>(92)<br>1,202<br>(829)<br>356|
|---|---|---|
|||**7**<br>**63**|
|||**2022**<br>**2021**<br>**£000**<br>**£000**<br>(109)<br>(207)<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-|
|||**(109)**<br>**(207)**|



## **Changes in present value of the defined benefit obligation are as follows:** 

|Opening defined benefit obligations<br>Interest on obligations<br>Actuarial (gains)/losses<br>Settlements<br>Benefits paid<br>Closing defined benefit obligation<br>**Changes in fair value plan assets are as follows:**<br>Opening fair value of plan assets<br>Interest income<br>Actual return on scheme assets less interest income<br>Contributions<br>Administration expenses<br>Benefits paid<br>Closing fair value of plan assets||**2022**<br>**2021**<br>**£000**<br>**£000**<br>15,390<br>14,629<br>318<br>324<br>(928)<br>1,495<br>-<br>-<br>(529)<br>(1,058)|
|---|---|---|
|||**14,251**<br>**15,390**|
|||**2022**<br>**2021**<br>**£000**<br>**£000**<br>15,426<br>15,013<br>318<br>332<br>(92)<br>1,202<br>102<br>144<br>(109)<br>(207)<br>(529)<br>(1,058)|
|||**15,116**<br>**15,426**|



The Organisation expects to contribute £102,000 to this defined benefit pension plan in the year to 31 March 2023 to cover its administration cost. 

52 



## **Movements in scheme's surplus in the year** 

|Surplus at the start of the year<br>Contributions<br>Administration Expenses<br>Gain on Settlements<br>Other movements<br>Actuarial gain|**2022**<br>**2021**<br>**£000**<br>**£000**<br>-<br>-<br>102<br>144<br>(109)<br>(207)<br>-<br>-<br>7<br>-<br>865<br>63|
|---|---|
||**865**<br>**-**|



## **The major categories of plan assets as a percentage of total plan assets are as follows:** 

|Equity<br>Bonds<br>Property<br>DGFs<br>LDI Pooled Funds<br>Cash<br>**Total**|**2022**<br>**2022**<br>**proportion at**<br>**£000**<br>**31-Mar-22**<br>1,179<br>8%<br>6,733<br>45%<br>1,196<br>8%<br>2,707<br>18%<br>3,083<br>20%<br>218<br>1%<br>**15,116**|**2021**<br>**2021**<br>**proportion at**<br>**£000**<br>**31-Mar-21**<br>2,470<br>16%<br>8,355<br>54%<br>-<br>0%<br>865<br>6%<br>3,107<br>20%<br>629<br>4%<br>**15,426**|
|---|---|---|



## **Actuarial assumptions used** 

A qualified independent actuary has updated the results of the last actuarial valuation of the scheme (as at 31 March 2017) to 31 March 2020; the major assumptions used by the actuary were as follows: 

||**2022**|**2021**|
|---|---|---|
||**%**|**%**|
|Discount rate|2.78|2.1|
|Retail price inflation|3.61|3.3|
|Consumer Price inflation|3.17|2.8|
|Salary increase rate|3.40|3.3|
|Pension increase (at limited price indexation)|||
|**- LPI maximum 5%**|3.05|2.75|
|**- LPI minimum 2.5%**|2.09|1.95|
|Deferred pension revaluation|3.10|3.00|



53 



## **Mortality Assumption** 

Mortality follows the standard table known as S2PA with mortality improvements in line with the CMI 2019 [1.25%] model. The mortality assumption for the previous year follows the standard table known as S2PA with mortality improvements in line with the CMI 2018 [1.25%] model. 

The life expectancy used as a basis for our mortality assumption following FRS 102 recommendations is: - assuming retirement at age 60, life expectancy in years are as follows: 

|||**Restated**|
|---|---|---|
||**at 31 March**|**at 31 March**|
||**2022**|**2021**|
|For a male aged 65 now|21.7|21.7|
|At 65 for a male member aged 45 now|23.3|23.0|
|For a female aged 65 now|24.1|23.7|
|At 65 for a female member aged 45 now|25.6|25.2|



## **17. OBLIGATIONS UNDER OPERATING LEASES (GROUP)** 

Total commitments over the life of operating leases are as follows: 

|Operating leases which expire;<br>Within one year<br>In two to five years<br>Over five years|**Land &**<br>**Others            Land &         Others**<br>**buildings**<br>**buildings**<br>**2022**<br>**2022              2021              2021**<br>**£**<br>**£                    £                     £**<br>64,110<br>16,650<br>97,986<br>14,204<br>60,677<br>1,227<br>107,717<br>11,798<br>56,241 -<br>66,466<br>-<br>**181,028**<br>**17,877**<br>**272,169**<br>**26,002**|
|---|---|



54 



## **18. SUBSIDIARY COMPANIES** 

## **Together for Mental Wellbeing Support Services Limited** 

The wholly owned trading subsidiary was incorporated in the United Kingdom in 2019 (Registered number 11915148). Together Support Services Limited contracts with commissioners for mental health services and then sub-contracts the execution of these agreements back to Together for Mental Wellbeing under an inter-company agreement between the two. Together owns all the issued share capital of 100 ordinary shares. Summary of the trading results is shown below: 

## **Profit and loss account Year ended 31 March 2022** 

|**TURNOVER**<br>Cost of Sales<br>**GROSS PROFIT**<br>Administrative expenses<br>**PROFIT ON ORDINARY ACTIVITIES**<br>**BEFORE TAXATION**<br>TAXATION<br>**PROFIT ON ORDINARY ACTIVITIES**<br>**AFTER TAXATION**<br>**PROFIT BROUGHT FORWARD**<br>**PAYMENT TO PARENT CHARITY UNDER**<br>**GIFT AID SCHEME**<br>**RETAINED PROFIT CARRIED FORWARD**|**2022**<br>**2021**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>10,420,276<br>7,887,010<br>(10,211,870)<br>(7,743,065)|
|---|---|
||208,406<br>143,945<br>12,663<br>7,221|
||195,743<br>136,724<br>-<br>-|
||195,743<br>136,724<br>136,724<br>1,956<br>(136,724)<br>(1,956)|
||195,743<br>136,724|



55 



## **The assets and liabilities of the subsidiary were** 

|**CURRENT ASSETS**<br>Debtors<br>Cash at bank<br>**CREDITORS: amount falling due within**<br>**one year**<br>**NET CURRENT ASSETS**<br>**SHARE CAPITAL & RESERVES**<br>Share Capital<br>Profit & loss account<br>**RETAINED EARNINGS**|**2022**<br>**2021**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>758,677<br>678,513<br>982,450<br>247,198|
|---|---|
||1,741,127<br>925,711<br>(1,545,284)<br>(788,987)|
||**195,843**<br>**136,724**|
||100<br>-<br>195,743<br>136,724|
||**195,843**<br>**136,724**|



## **19. CONTINGENT LIABILITY** 

Surrey CCG provided 3 properties valued at a total of £2,300,000 for the set-up of services at Green Lane, Hopewell House and Snowdon. The properties will be surrendered if Together ceases to use them for the purpose for which they were donated. All these properties are included under fixed assets and restricted income. 

There is a charge over 31 York Road, Sutton, Surrey SM2 6HL to provide cover for any potential deficit in the pension scheme. 

## **20. ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BETWEEN FUNDS (GROUP)** 

|Fixed assets<br>Cash at bank and in hand<br>Other net current liabilities<br>Pension asset|**General**<br>**fund**<br>**Designated**<br>**funds**<br>**Restricted**<br>**funds**<br>**Pension**<br>**reserve**<br>**Total**<br>**funds**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>2,273,335<br>9,737,236<br>1,674,040<br>-<br>13,684,611<br>7,344,028<br>252,792<br>162,322<br>-<br>7,759,142<br>(3,133,011)<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>(3,133,011)<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>865,000             865,000|
|---|---|
||**6,484,352**<br>**9,990,028**<br>**1,836,362**<br>**865,000 19,175,742**|



56 



## **20. ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BETWEEN FUNDS (2021)** 

|Fixed assets<br>Cash at bank and in hand<br>Other net current liabilities<br>Pension asset|**General**<br>**fund**<br>**Designated**<br>**funds**<br>**Restricted**<br>**funds**<br>**Pension**<br>**reserve**<br>**Total**<br>**funds**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>2,176,034<br>9,478,631<br>1,695,070<br>-<br>13,349,735<br>6,376,698<br>268,665<br>158,042<br>-<br>6,803,405<br>(2,435,242)<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>(2,435,242)<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-|
|---|---|
||**6,117,490**<br>**9,747,296**<br>**1,853,112**<br>**-**<br>**17,717,898**|



## **21. COMPARATIVE CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (2021)** 

|**Income from:**<br>Donations and legacies<br>Charitable activities<br>Investments<br>Other<br>**Total Income**<br>**Expenditure on:**<br>Raising Funds<br>Charitable Activities<br>**Total Expenditure**<br>**Net Income/(Expenditure) prior to net gains on**<br>**investments**<br>Net gains on investments<br>**Net expenditure**|**2021**<br>**Unrestricted  &**<br>**Designated**<br>**Funds**<br>**2021**<br>**Restricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**2021 Total**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>172,819<br>4,400<br>177,219<br>11,757,260<br>78,416<br>11,835,676<br>64,433<br>-<br>64,433<br>18,028<br>-<br>18,028|
|---|---|
||**12,012,540**<br>**82,816**<br>**12,095,356**|
||41,693<br>-<br>41,693<br>11,778,414<br>98,092<br>11,876,506|
||**11,820,107**<br>**98,092**<br>**11,918,199**|
||**192,433**<br>**(15,276)**<br>**177,157**<br>336,094<br>**-**<br>336,094|
||**528,527**<br>**(15,276)**<br>**513,251**|



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