HOUSING FOR WOMEN
(A company limited by guarantee and having no share capital)
Annual Report and Financial Statements
Year ended
30 September 2024
Company Registration Number 00420651 Charity Registration Number 211351 Regulator of Social Housing Number L0970
Housing for Women (A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2024
CONTENTS
Page:
| 3 | Executive and Advisors |
|---|---|
| 4 | Strategic Report |
| 12 | Report of the Board of Directors |
| 20 | Report of the Independent Auditor |
| 24 | Statement of Comprehensive Income |
| 25 | Statement of Financial Position |
| 26 | Statement of Changes in Reserves |
| 27 | Statement of Cash Flows |
| 28 | Notes to the Financial Statements |
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HOUSING FOR WOMEN (A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
EXECUTIVE AND ADVISORS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Susan Kane (Chair)
Carli Harper-Penman (Vice-Chair)
Victoria Dingle Caroline Davies Elaine Marshall Troy Henshall Simon Basey Yvonne Akinmodun Helena Evans Somayya Yaqub
CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND COMPANY SECRETARY
Zaiba Qureshi
BANKERS
Lloyds TSB Bank Plc 39 Threadneedle Street London ECR2 8AU
REGISTERED OFFICE
Sixth Floor, Blue Star House 234-244 Stockwell Road London SW9 9SP
AUDITOR
Crowe U.K. LLP 55 Ludgate Hill London EC4M 7JW
INTERNAL AUDITOR
TIAA Ltd Artillery House Fort Fareham Newgate Lane Fareham PO14 1AH
SOLICITORS
Trowers & Hamlins 3 Bunhill Row London EC1Y 8YZ
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HOUSING FOR WOMEN (A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
STRATEGIC REPORT
The Board of Directors present their Strategic Report for Housing for Women (“Housing for Women”) for the year ended 30 September 2024.
PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES AND BUSINESS MODEL
The principal activity of Housing for Women is the provision of accommodation for women on low incomes and their dependants.
Business Model
Housing for Women is a not-for-profit public benefit entity. It is a company limited by guarantee and not having share capital, a registered provider of social housing and a registered charity.
Housing for Women is sole trustee of the charity The Mary Curzon Charity for Women Workers.
MISSION, STRATEGY, PRINCIPAL RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES
Mission
The mission of Housing for Women is to empower women through providing good homes and services and challenging inequalities they face.
Strategy
The year ended 30 September 2024 marks the second year of our Corporate Plan 2022-27. It was also the second year of our 3-year "Back to Basics" phase, the first of two phases in our strategic roadmap. Corporate Plan 2022-27: Our Corporate Plan is structured into two distinct phases:
1. Back to Basics (2022-2025):
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Customer Focus: We have prioritised understanding and meeting customer needs to provide our core services , with activities including greater presence on our estates, reengaging at grassroots level and upgrades to our housing management system to enable improved customer interactions and more efficient/effective service delivery.
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Growth of Support Services: We will pursue opportunities to expand our specialist supported housing services for women within the context of violence against women and girls.
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Operational Efficiency: Streamlining activities to ensure efficiency and effectiveness. This includes a stock portfolio review to determine where and how we can deliver services most effectively, technology upgrades and value for money incentives.
2. Good to Great (2025-2027):
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Service Excellence: Building on the solid foundation of the "Back to Basics" phase, we aim to elevate our service standards. We will also explore a "HfW Housing Plus” offer that provides added value to our residents and distinguishes us from other landlords.
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Further Growth: We will investigate the potential for expanding our services to serve a greater number of women across London.
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HOUSING FOR WOMEN (A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
STRATEGIC REPORT (CONTINUED)
- Market Leadership: This will involve continuous improvement initiatives and benchmarking against the upper quartile results of our peers.
Principal risks and uncertainties
The Strategic Risk Register is updated quarterly and kept under regular review by the Executive Team (ET), Audit and Risk Committee (ARC) and Board of Directors. All risks are managed with reference to the Risk Register where identified risks with mitigating actions to be achieved are allocated to key personnel to implement. High level risks are modelled in the 30-year business plan through stress testing using the Brixx financial and business planning tool and Housing for Women maintains insurance cover for matters such as indemnity protection for Officers and Directors and public liability insurance.
Key risks and mitigation currently identified included the following:
| Risk | Mitigation |
|---|---|
| Inability to effectively engage with our customers and/or deliver good quality services or manage customer expectations resulting in poor customer satisfaction and increased number of customer complaints upheld. |
•Customer First Strategy in place. •Self-assessment against Ombudsman Complaints Code completed and circulated to Board. •New Complaints and Compensation Policies in place and rolled out to all staff. •Board and ET Report on Complaints revised to include improved analysis and themes. •Customer Services Team now in place. •All staff to be trained in customer services. •Acuity Satisfaction surveys in place. •Customer Satisfaction improvement plan in place. •2nd year of outsourcing repairs to MCP. |
| Inability to deliver Childers regeneration project. | •Project Board in place. •Legal advisor and Barristers appointed. •Legal Claim made together with Insurers. •Quarterly reports to Board together with project risk register review. •Communications Plan in place. |
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HOUSING FOR WOMEN
(A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
STRATEGIC REPORT (CONTINUED)
| STRATEGIC REPORT (CONTINUED) | |
|---|---|
| Risk | Mitigation |
| Inability to effectively manage a cyber security attack/ breach |
•All devices and users are managed with Microsoft Intune and Azure •MFA enforced for all users •All users must use H4W device to access resources •Non-compliant devices are blocked from access •Admin accounts have PIM enforced, so access is on timed basis •Regular training and test simulations of Cyber attacks •MS defender active on all devices for antivirus •Updates and security patches enforced on all devices via MS Intune |
| Inability to secure sufficient funds to maintain liquidity |
• Treasury Consultant supporting applications to Funding bodies for short term funding • Long term funding / investment models being investigated • Close/ regular monitoring of cashflow in place. |
| Inability to achieve annual target for disposals | • Active Asset management strategy in place • Financial Plan reflects this and has mitigations in place • Prospects List for Disposal reviewed based on recent investment and projected valuations and market dampening. • All voids/major works to be reviewed as potential disposals • Disposal Polices and procedure developed and assumptions agreed with Board • Legal advice secured re decants and tenant rights - including fair rents. Complete stock condition survey / Building Safety action plan to understand investment needs • Additional disposals identified |
Emerging risks
We review emerging risks across the business and consider the triggers to bring these onto our Strategic Risk Register on a quarterly basis.
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HOUSING FOR WOMEN (A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
STRATEGIC REPORT (CONTINUED)
GOVERNANCE
Governance structure
The Board of Directors are all non-executive members working voluntarily for Housing for Women. The members are drawn from a wide variety of disciplines, to provide the balance of skills and specialisations necessary for the management of Housing for Women. The Board of Directors met formally seven times during the year.
Housing for Women currently has two committees:
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The Audit & Risk Committee has responsibility for overseeing risk management and internal controls
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The People and Customer Committee has responsibility for overseeing both the People and Customer strategies together with recommending to the Board of Directors the remuneration of the Chief Executive and senior staff. It is also responsible for Board recruitment and succession planning.
Whilst retaining its responsibilities for the overall strategy and policies of Housing for Women, the Board of Directors delegates day to day management to the Chief Executive and the Executive Team.
Code of Governance
Housing for Women has adopted the National Housing Federation’s 2020 Code of Governance and an annual review of compliance with that code for 2023/24 was approved in January 2025.
Compliance with Regulatory Standards
Housing for Women has assessed its compliance with the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) governance and viability regulatory standards (April 2015) and believes that it meets the standards identified by the RSH.
We have self-assessed against the new Consumer Standards and have an action plan in place to address and meet any gaps.
REVIEW OF BUSINESS
Financial Review
During an extremely busy year Housing for Women continued its work in securing a firm foundation for the future.
Housing for Women made a loss on ordinary activities before exceptional items and disposal of fixed assets of £2.48m for the year ended 30 September 2024 compared with a loss of £1.42m for the previous year. Key to this increased deficit was expenditure of £1m in respect of asset disposals that are forecast to be achieved in the forthcoming years, in accordance with the organisation’s approved business plan that was written off in accordance with accounting requirements.
Our gross income fell short of target due to a shortfall in unrestricted donations which was largely due to the longer than expected vacancy in the Head of Fundraising role during the year. Additionally, we
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HOUSING FOR WOMEN (A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
STRATEGIC REPORT (CONTINUED)
REVIEW OF BUSINESS (CONTINUED)
experienced a void loss of £292K (2023: £439k) across both Supported Housing and General Needs Housing due to both the scarcity of suitable nominations together with the need to hold several properties requiring decants and/or substantial repairs. We continue to explore the potential for income recovery on some of these from the original developer.
Arrears recovery continued to be an area of ongoing focus with improvement plans in place and the outsourcing of current tenant arrears to Touchstone to reduce debt. Over the year, we have observed a slight decrease in our arrears, primarily due to a reduction in the number of current tenants.
Our asset management spend continues to be significant, particularly in respect of compliance works. However, we have seen some cost reductions, partly due to engaging a new contractor last year and commissioning a lower volume of work compared to the previous year. This approach has helped us manage our expenses more effectively while maintaining our commitment to asset management.
Finally, we experienced an increase in our interest burden which was directly linked to the increase in variable rates seen across the banking sector. We secured a significant property disposal in December 2023 which improved both our reserves and liquidity by over £3m, enabling the organisation to navigate an uncertain economic environment.
Operational Review
Customer Service
We continued to strengthen our relationship with our customers through the year. A key element of this was completing the recruitment of our Housing team so that they had the resources to deliver an effective patch-based housing service, this include a specific Tenancy Sustainment Office, who will work with residents who are struggling to maintain their tenancy.
Our ‘Customer First’ strategy which set out our plan to place customers at the heart of what we do was well under way and our Customer Service Team were fully established. The trend results from our tenant satisfaction survey incorporating the RSH’s Tenant Satisfaction Measures also indicated improvements in some areas.
We launched our campaign to recruit a Customer Panel in latter part of the year and were pleased with the level of interest from customers. We plan to complete recruitment to this important forum by March next year and have engaged the panel in a dedicated workplan to help inform and drive service improvement.
Key deliverable outcomes that have been achieved over the past 12 months across the organisation’s frontline services are:
General Needs Services
During 2023/24 we were limited in housing as we were carrying out significant repairs to several properties and using many of our voids for temporary decants for existing tenants. At the year-end we had 821 women and their families housed in permanent affordable homes (2023:815).
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HOUSING FOR WOMEN (A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
STRATEGIC REPORT (CONTINUED)
REVIEW OF BUSINESS (CONTINUED)
Support Services
Housing for Women has continued to deliver a range of support services throughout the year including;
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Domestic Violence and Abuse services : Refuges and Floating Support (London Borough of Ealing and Royal Borough of Greenwich), Sanctuary scheme and telephone advice line (Greenwich).
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ReConnect+: Support and accommodation for single women with complex/multiple needs on their release from prison.
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SafeSpace: Crisis support for single women escaping trafficking and other forms of modern slavery.
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Housing Pathway support and capacity building work to support case workers and advocates in developing their skills and knowledge around housing legislation. This includes building partnerships with local authority housing services to support housing pathways for women in the Criminal Justice System seeking accommodation.
Funding of our Support Services
Housing for Women currently has reserves of £6.1m. Of this figure, charitable reserves available for support services total £0k (2023/24 £0k). Remaining reserves that have not been earmarked for specific use are solely for the operation of general needs housing as they have been generated from general needs activity. As such they cannot be used to cross-subsidise the supported housing projects that rely on income from local and central government and/or Trusts, Foundations and donations.
Our funding and donations secured through Trusts, Foundations, corporate and individual donations are therefore critical for the continued delivery of services. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our donors for their ongoing and generous support.
During 2023/24:
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89 (2023: 80) women stayed in our refuges.
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Our floating support service helped 178 (2023: 212) women and 12 men (2023: 7) in
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Greenwich. This service provides one-to-one emotional and practical support around matters like safety planning, housing, financial empowerment, contacting the police, and ensuring the safety of their children.
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We coordinated 151 (2023: 141) referrals for the Sanctuary Scheme in Greenwich which
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provides extra security to ensure women can live safely in their own homes.
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We handled 8,126 contacts, some of these were e-mails through our Domestic Abuse Advice
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Line (2023: 6,333 call), providing information and support to survivors and professionals across London. Our confidential advice line provides practical advice and emotional support to women suffering domestic abuse.
We continue to operate in line with the Women’s Aid National Quality Standards. Embodying principles of participation, transparent governance and needs-led service delivery, they set out the nature and standard of service provision necessary to enable women and children survivors of domestic violence to cope with and recover from their experiences of abuse.
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HOUSING FOR WOMEN (A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
STRATEGIC REPORT (CONTINUED) REVIEW OF BUSINESS (CONTINUED)
Childers Fire
In May 2020 we had a significant fire at our Childers Street scheme within a block managed by another housing association. Thankfully there was no loss of life or injuries, though significant damage to one block led to the safe decant of those affected.
Over the course of the year, the occupied Childers blocks (including those managed by others) continue to be fully alarmed, together with a Managed Service Waking Watch to support resident safety and provide additional reassurance.
Relevant surveys and enabling works continue to be carried out to support the future reoccupation and complex remediation programme and our assigned project team is working on the detailed design. As we work through the complexities of the programme, we periodically engage with and update stakeholders.
In respect of costs currently being incurred during this period we are engaging with both our insurers and the original developer for the buildings, to recover both these and related losses incurred to date. Whil st we currently remain uncertain regarding the liability for these costs, they have been classified as an Exceptional Item for the year
FUTURE PROSPECTS
In line with our growth objectives and to enhance our service capacity, we continue to explore new opportunities through mergers, acquisitions, and increased partnership collaboration. Furthermore, we have negotiated and received new funding facilities with Charity Bank and will pursue future financing through a combination of active asset management and maximising opportunities to extend our gearing.
During the year end period we were pleased to submit bids for extensions of or new funding for all our DVA and special project services, including organisational costs and specialist accommodation and support projects for women leaving prison. In the forthcoming months we hope to be again doubling our accommodation with our ReConnect+ project to a total of 20 bedspaces.
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
Key performance indicators are identified and explained within the Value for Money section of the Report of the Board of Directors.
Approved by the Board of Directors and signed on behalf of the Board by:
Susan Kane Chair
Date: 08.03.2025
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HOUSING FOR WOMEN (A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
REPORT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Board of Directors present their report and the financial statements for the year ended 30 September 2024.
Directors
The Directors of Housing for Women who served during the year are:
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Susan Kane (Chair)
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Carli Harper-Penman (Vice Chair)
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Simon Basey
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Yvonne Akinmodun
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Caroline Davies
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Troy Henshall
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Helena Evans (Appointed 9 October 2023)
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Somayya Yaqub (Appointed 9 October 2023)
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Victoria Dingle (Appointed 9 October 2023)
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Helena Louise Webb (Resigned 1 November 2023)
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Nicola Ewen (Resigned 5 February 2024)
Responsibilities of the Board of Directors
The Board of Directors is responsible for preparing the Annual Report and Financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations.
Company Law requires the Board of Directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the Board of Directors has elected to prepare the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable law), including FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland”. Under company law the Directors must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of Housing for Women and of the surplus or deficit of Housing for Women for that period.
In preparing these financial statements, the Board of Directors is required to:
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select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently.
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make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and
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prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that Housing for Women will continue in business.
The Board of Directors is responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain Housing for Women’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of Housing for Women and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006, the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 and the Accounting Direction for Private Registered Providers of Social Housing 2022. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of Housing for Women and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities
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HOUSING FOR WOMEN (A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
REPORT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS (CONTINUED)
The Board of Directors are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on Housing for Women’s website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.
Internal Controls
The Board of Directors is ultimately responsible for the system of internal control and for reviewing its effectiveness. However, such a system is designed to manage rather than eliminate the risk of failure to achieve business objectives and can only provide reasonable and not absolute assurance against material misstatement or loss.
The Board of Directors confirms there is an on-going process for identifying, evaluating, and managing the significant risks faced by Housing for Women, including the risk of fraud that has been in place for the year under review and up to the date of approval of the Annual Report and Financial Statements. This process is regularly reviewed by the Board. The Board of Directors has approved and regularly reviews its policy on fraud covering prevention, detection and reporting. The fraud register is reviewed annually.
The Board of Directors has reviewed the effectiveness of the system of internal control. In particular, the Board of Directors has reviewed and updated Housing for Women’s strategic risk map. The Board of Directors has received the Chief Executive’s report on the effectiveness of internal control which confirmed having reviewed the effectiveness of the system of internal control, including the sources of assurance agreed by the Board as being appropriate for that purpose, she was satisfied that adequate systems of internal control were substantially in place.
Management are responsible for the identification and evaluation of significant risks applicable to their areas of business together with the design and operation of suitable controls.
Key elements of the control framework include:
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Board approved Terms of Reference and delegated authorities for Audit & Risk Committee and People and Customer Committee,
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Defined management responsibilities for identification, control and management of significant risks,
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Strategic and business planning processes with detailed financial budgets and forecasts,
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Formal recruitment, retention and training policies for all staff,
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Full reporting to Board for all significant new initiatives and commitments,
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Regular reporting to Board of business objectives, targets and outcomes,
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Board approved ‘whistle blowing’ and fraud policies,
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Risk Assurance Framework in place. The Board review strategic risks and regular review by senior management of strategic and operational risk management including Health and Safety.
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HOUSING FOR WOMEN (A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
REPORT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS (CONTINUED)
During 2023/24 our internal auditors (TIAA) carried out 6 assurance audits – Childers Project, Rent Income Management (Mobilisation of outsourced service), Health and Safety, Tenant Satisfaction Measures, Finance – Payments and Payroll and Complaints and Lessons Learnt. TIAA is satisfied that, for the areas reviewed during the year, Housing for Women has reasonable and effective risk management, control and governance processes in place.
The Audit & Risk Committee have reviewed these reports and agreed the Executive Team’s (ET) action plan wherever improvements or issues of significance have been identified. A rolling review of actions completed is maintained and reported by our internal auditors and monitored quarterly by the Audit & Risk Committee.
The Board has reviewed the effectiveness of the Association’s internal controls and has not identified any significant matters leading to a breakdown in controls.
Value for Money Assessment
Background
We continue to develop our ability to measure the impact, efficiency, and effectiveness of the services we deliver to our residents and service users. As a small housing association, we have limited resources and operate in challenging locations across London where demand for our services exceeds supply.
The Housing for Women Board and Executive Team aim to maximise the social value of the organisation by ensuring that its finance and resources are used effectively.
Approach
Housing for Women recognises that Value for Money (VfM) is a fundamental consideration and is committed to maximising VfM to ensure that the highest level of service is delivered to our customers. To maximise VfM, the needs of customers must be met by ‘doing the right thing, in the right place, at the right time and at the right price.’
The Board has agreed a strategic objective to ensure our systems and processes support service improvement, efficiency and compliance with funder and regulatory requirements. The aim is to deliver the aim is to deliver this strategic objective by continuing to improve our understanding of our costs, performance and quality of services by taking action to ensure that the right balance is achieved.
The strategy considers short, medium and long-term financial implications and is reviewed annually, with an action plan created and reviewed at Executive Team level for at least the year ahead.
As this is the second year of the current business plan, we are continuing to implement the revised strategy from the previous year in conjunction with the new Corporate Plan 2022-2027, which clearly defines the deliverables in the short, medium, and long term.
This has been done in conjunction with the future development of an ESG framework (environmental, social and governance) referring to a way of measuring our performance in respect of environmental and social impacts and risks, and the quality of governance.
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HOUSING FOR WOMEN (A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
REPORT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS (CONTINUED)
Taking account of Housing for Women’s current position and this strategic objective, the VfM objectives of Housing for Women are to:
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Direct resources to achieve the necessary balance between keeping our customers safe, delivering frontline services, maintaining existing assets and providing new homes/services
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Manage our services through optimised processes that deliver consistently good services to our customers
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Carry out option appraisals for our services and assets in order to optimise their economy, efficiency and effectiveness
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Work with high performing partners, contractors and suppliers, selected and retained to enhance the services we provide to our customers
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Generate the maximum social and financial return from our assets and other resources for the benefit of our customers
In this second year of our plan, we were challenged on many areas of our VfM strategy, driven to some extent by the environment in which we currently operate, namely:
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An increased use of resources in respect of property compliance, especially fire safety.
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Resources needed in respect of Childers remediation.
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The current challenges in the market re staff, especially specialist support staff and Head of Fundraising.
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The current challenges re customer satisfaction.
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Increased costs in a strong inflationary economic climate.
Measuring Value for Money
Our Assessment of VfM considers the following:
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Actively managing our assets
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Comparing performance with peers
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Procurement VfM achievements
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Social Return on Investment
Actively Managing our Assets
To actively manage our assets, we follow our Asset Management Strategy which together with a Disposals Policy enables us to adopt an efficient process of review via an options appraisal process for voids/ low performing assets to best assess the investment approach going forward. Additionally, using the data obtained through our 2021/ 22 comprehensive stock condition survey with an extended brief around decency, damp and mould and net zero carbon we have been able to target programmes of work to best utilise resources. We have a voids standard in place for both our supported housing and general needs tenants.
Performance comparison
During the year Housing for Women continued to benchmark through HouseMark (London Region) and the G320 London benchmarking club, refining data and taking action to address any areas where performance is not at the required level.
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HOUSING FOR WOMEN (A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
REPORT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS (CONTINUED)
| Indicator | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | Median BM 320 Benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regulatory metrics: (excluding exceptional costs of Childers) |
||||
| Reinvestment % | - | - | - | 2.3 |
| New supply delivered (social housing) % |
- | - | - | - |
| New supply delivered (non-social housing) % |
- | - | - | - |
| Gearing % | 25 | 31 | 32 | 37 |
| EBITDA MRI interest cover % | -309 | -186 | -221 | 182 |
| Headline social housing cost per unit £ |
11,141 | 11,997 | 13,109 | 4,880 |
| Operating margin (social housing lettings) % |
-5.8 | -18.2 | -26.4 | 19.3 |
| Operating margin (overall) % | -4.8 | -15.6 | -25.9 | 17 |
| Return on capital employed % | -0.51 | -1.90 | -3.47 | 1.87 |
| Local key cost and performance metrics: |
||||
| Financial and overheads | ||||
| Overhead as % turnover | 22.2 | 23.25 | 25.1 | 23.0 |
| Housing management | ||||
| Cost per property | 5,340 | 5,008 | 6,486 | 627 |
| Asset management | ||||
| Cost per property of major works/cyclical maintenance |
3,401 | 3,813 | 2,744 | 870 |
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HOUSING FOR WOMEN (A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
| Cost per property of responsive repairs and void works |
841 | 1,334 | 1,888 | 830 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Invest in our people | ||||
| Staff turnover | 32.8 | 14.3 | 15.2 | Not measured |
REPORT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS (CONTINUED)
Commentary on Performance
During 2023/24 we maintained our commitment to Customer Service and Service Improvement, with the primary objective of enhancing Value for Money by means of our extensive procurement program, which enhances efficiency and effectiveness for our customers.
The following summarises our performance across the metrics with external peers via the benchmark data and exclude the exceptional costs of Childers:
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Gearing %
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Over the last few years, our gearing ratio has seen a marginal increase, although lower than the sector median. This rise is primarily attributed to our strategic decision to reinvest in our property portfolio and ongoing remediation. By channelling funds into property improvements, we aim to enhance the quality and value of our assets.
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EBITDA MRI interest cover %
The recent decline in EBITDA MRI can be attributed to a combination of strategic investments and necessary expenditures. Firstly, substantial work was undertaken in the preparation of three large schemes for future sale. Unfortunately, the EBITDA MRI was adversely affected by the necessity of writing off the costs associated with these preparations, which amounted to approximately £984K. These costs were unable to be carried forward and realised at the point of sale. In addition, there has been substantial investment in compliance to adhere to legal and regulatory standards. This is essential for the preservation of the business's integrity and reputation; but does come with significant costs. Moreover, investments in maintaining, upgrading and preparing properties for sale have been essential to ensure they meet high standards and provide consumers with quality services. While these expenditures are necessary for long-term sustainability and customer satisfaction, they have contributed to the short-term decline in EBITDA MRI.
- Headline social housing cost per unit £13,109 per unit - Total business, £9,649 per unit - Total business excluding Supported Housing
The increase in the headline social housing cost per unit compared to previous years can be attributed to several key factors. Firstly, the costs associated with preparing properties for sale, including decant costs, have significantly contributed to the rise. In addition, high costs remain influenced by the ongoing challenge of sourcing support staff in our Supported Housing teams, a concern prevalent across the sector. Furthermore, the continuous regulatory changes across the sector as a consequence of Grenfell and the stricter decent homes standards related to damp and mould has impacted our property investment costs.
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HOUSING FOR WOMEN (A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
REPORT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS (CONTINUED)
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Operating margin (social housing lettings) %
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In context we continue to work within our Board’s historical policy to keep rents at affordable social levels which drives a lower operating margin for the organisation when compared with our peers. This year has seen increased cost challenges due to 2023/24 inflationary rises and cost of living crisis. We continue to invest significantly in resolving outstanding customer issues, alongside additional funding in our procurement efforts to establish improved customer satisfaction as part of Back To Basics phase of our new Corporate Plan.
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Operating margin (overall) %
Our Board are committed to the delivery of our much needed and, in many cases, lifesaving, but low margin support services. This has the effect of further diluting the operating margin detailed above. The Board recognises that our operating margin will remain under pressure as a result of the current economic uncertainty and budgetary constraints, which will encourage us to achieve more with less. Nevertheless, they remain committed to push forward operations in areas of strength whilst working within an agreed risk envelope. In addition the costs associated with preparing properties for sale, as previously mentioned, have also contributed to the decline to this ratio. These preparatory costs are necessary for facilitating property sales but do impact our short-term financial metrics.
- Return on capital employed %
The ROCE continues to reflect both the low margins, increased costs in year and gearing of the organisation.
- Overhead as % turnover
Our level of overhead as % turnover is in line with our peer benchmark.
- Housing management cost per property
£6,486/unit - Total business, £3,768/unit - Total business excluding Supported Housing
In 2023/24 we continue to invest heavily in our general needs housing management resource having reviewed our methods of customer service delivery to both drive up performance and improve efficiency and therefore VfM. This metric will continue to be more than our peers benchmark in the short term as we progress through the back-to-basics period of our new Corporate Plan.
- Asset management cost per property of major works/cyclical maintenance
£2,744/unit - Total business, £2,949/unit - Total business excluding Supported Housing
In 2023/24, we endeavoured to invest in our assets in accordance with the results of our most recent stock condition survey, which resulted in us maintaining our spending levels at a substantial margin above our peer group. However, we have observed a reduction in the cost per unit. Management has implemented a cost-effective strategy to preserve the quality of stock in response to the increasing costs.
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HOUSING FOR WOMEN (A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
REPORT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS (CONTINUED)
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Asset management cost per property of responsive repairs and void works £1,888/unit - Total business, £2,004/unit - Total business excluding Supported Housing We maintain in our efforts to address damp and mould through our program, which encompasses both reactive damp issues and planned works to enhance the living environment of our customers. Although we are beginning to realise the cost savings with our contractor implemented last year; we have regrettably seen an increase in costs as a result of the additional work required on properties planned for sale.
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Staff turnover
-
Having worked hard over the past few years to focus on the retention of our staff via various initiatives our levels of staff turnover (which include those on fixed term contracts), whilst still high, fell back to levels seen in 2016/17 and has been maintained. Driving this metric down, ensuring the retention of a high-quality experienced team will also enable a continued embedding of VfM within the culture of the organisation as we retain and grow organisational history and knowledge.
Procurement VfM Achievements
Our procurement strategy sets out how services and goods are to be procured to achieve value for money. It also encourages the use of quotes and tenders as the basis for ensuring best value in all procurement of goods and services. Having invested significantly in both time and resource to bring best value through our contractors in previous years, we were able to reduce this activity in 2023/24. Looking forward to 2024/25 we continue to procure with a focus on our asset management. These include water hygiene services, gas maintenance and planned electrical works.
Social return on investment
During the year 2023/24 volunteers contributed 1,418 hours (2022/23 1,633) hours of their time. This figure doesn’t include the valuable time contributed by our Board of Directors in their Board and subcommittee meetings, and the work they do with our staff and any outreach too. Using the London Living wage the monetary value of this social impact is £18,647 (2022/23 £26,847). The primary contributors of these hours were our University Placement Students from Greenwich and Brunel Universities, who were engaged in our refuges located in Acton/Ealing and Greenwich. We maintain our collaboration with these universities and our prior partnership with London Metropolitan University, while exploring new opportunities with Kingston University.
Restated metrics
Housing for Women is of the opinion that excluding £862K of the previously mentioned £986K sale preparation write offs from the KPI metrics provides a clearer representation of the company's continuous operational performance. This adjustment enables users of statutory accounts to more effectively evaluate the underlying profitability and efficiency of the business, as the cost is not typical of the regular course of business. By focusing on core activities, stakeholders can make more informed decisions and gain a more accurate understanding of the company's financial health and trends. As above we have excluded the exceptional costs of Childers
18
b
HOUSING FOR WOMEN (A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
REPORT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS (CONTINUED)
| Indicator | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | Median BM 320 Benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regulatory metrics:(excluding exceptional costs of Childers) |
||||
| EBITDA MRI interest cover % | -309 | -186 | -148 | 182 |
| Headline social housing cost per unit £ |
11,141 | 11,997 | 12,179 | 4,880 |
| Operating margin (social housing lettings) % |
-5.8 | -18.2 | -17.3 | 19.3 |
| Operating margin (overall) % | -4.8 | -15.6 | -16.9 | 17 |
| Return on capital employed % | -0.51 | -1.90 | -2.24 | 1.87 |
| Local key cost and performance metrics: |
||||
| Financial and overheads | ||||
| Overhead as % turnover | 22.2 | 23.25 | 25.1 | 23.0 |
| Housing management | ||||
| Cost per property | 5,340 | 5,008 | 5,887 | 627 |
| Asset management | ||||
| Cost per property of major works/cyclical maintenance |
3,401 | 3,813 | 2,851 | 870 |
| Cost per property of responsive repairs and void works |
841 | 1,334 | 1,450 | 830 |
19
b
HOUSING FOR WOMEN (A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
REPORT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS (CONTINUED)
Going Concern
In respect of going concern the Board considers at present the key area of concern surrounds the cost of remediation works to Childers Street to the extent these are not covered by insurance or other claims and the timing of related cashflows. We have assessed the financial impact in the context of the current financial plan, including any impact on existing loan covenants and concluded the covenants will remain unaffected. Housing for Women has adequate long term debt facilities in place, as explained in note 27 and regularly reviews the medium-term cash flow. Furthermore, Housing for Women has recently obtained further additional loan facilities post year-end, which will significantly improve the net current liability position. Additionally, considering this and other economic and operational demands, the Board has assessed further funding strategies, and property disposals, together with regular extensive stress testing of the financial plan. Property disposals are scheduled for the upcoming months. The anticipated disposals are projected to generate substantial cash inflows, further strengthening our balance sheet, eliminating the net current liability and providing the necessary funds to support our operational and strategic initiatives. The Board is satisfied that it has adequate resources to continue in operation for the foreseeable future. Additionally, the planned activities and loan receipt following year-end will address the net current liability, therefore we consider it appropriate to continue adopting the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements.
Disclosure of information to the Auditor
In the case of each person who was a Director at the time this report was approved:
- so far as that Director was aware there was no relevant audit information of which Housing for Women’s auditor was unaware; and that Director had taken all steps that the director ought to have taken as a Director to make himself or herself aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that Housing for Women’s auditor was aware of that information.
This information is given and should be interpreted in accordance with the provisions of s418 of the Companies Act 2006.
Auditor
The approval of our Statutory Accounts and the re-appointment of our External Auditors, Crowe UK LLP, will therefore be proposed at our Board meeting on 08 March 2025.
Approved by the Board of Directors and signed on behalf of the Board by:
Susan Kane Chair Date: 08.03.2025 Company Registration Number 00420651
20
b
HOUSING FOR WOMEN
(A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
Independent Auditor’s Report to the Members of Housing for Women
Opinion
We have audited the financial statements of Housing for Women (the “Charitable Company”) for the year ended 30 September 2024 which comprise the Statement of Comprehensive Income, the Statement of Changes in Reserves, the Statement of Financial Position, the Statement of Cash Flows and notes to the financial statements, including 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).
In our opinion, the financial statements:
-
give a true and fair view of the state of the charitable company’s affairs as at 30 September 2024 and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure for the year then ended;
-
have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice;
-
have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006, the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 and the Accounting Direction for Private Registered Providers of Social Housing from April 2022.
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 are independent of the 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. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
Conclusions relating to going concern
In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the Board's 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 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 Board with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.
Other information
The Board is responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. The other information comprises the information included in the annual report, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.
21
b
HOUSING FOR WOMEN
(A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
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 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.
Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006
In our opinion based on the work undertaken in the course of our audit
-
the information given in the Annual 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 have been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
Matters on which we are required to report by exception
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:
-
the charitable company has not kept adequate accounting records; or
-
the 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 the Board
As explained more fully in the Board’s responsibilities statement set out on pages 11-13 the Board is 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 Board determines 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 Board is responsible for assessing the 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 Board either intends to liquidate the 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
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.
b
22
HOUSING FOR WOMEN
(A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
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 obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory frameworks within which the Charitable Company operates, focusing on those laws and regulations that have a direct effect on the determination of material amounts and disclosures in the financial statements such as the Companies Act 2006, the Charities Act 2011, the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 and other laws and regulations applicable to a registered social housing provider in England. We also considered the risks of non-compliance with the other requirements imposed by the Regulator of Social Housing and we considered the extent to which non-compliance might have a material effect on the financial statements.
We identified the greatest risk of material impact on the financial statements from irregularities, including fraud, to be within the timing of recognition of grant income and the override of controls by management. Our audit procedures to respond to these risks included enquiries of management about their own identification and assessment of the risks of irregularities, sample testing on the posting of journals, analytical review and substantive testing of income, reviewing accounting estimates for biases, reviewing regulatory correspondence with relevant regulators and reading minutes of meetings of those charged with governance.
Owing to the inherent limitations of an audit, there is an unavoidable risk that we may not have detected some material misstatements in the financial statements, even though we have properly planned and performed our audit in accordance with auditing standards. We are not responsible for preventing non-compliance and cannot be expected to detect non-compliance with all laws and regulations.
These inherent limitations are particularly significant in the case of misstatement resulting from fraud as this may involve sophisticated schemes designed to avoid detection, including deliberate failure to record transactions, collusion or the provision of intentional misrepresentations.
A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: 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.
Julia Poulter Senior Statutory Auditor Crowe U.K. LLP
Statutory Auditor London UK Date: 13.03.25
23
b
HOUSING FOR WOMEN (A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2024
| Note TURNOVER 4 Operating expenditure 4 |
2024 £ 9,571,071 (12,055,799) |
2023 £ 9,048,954 (10,464,413) |
|---|---|---|
| OPERATING DEFICIT 4 Exceptional item - uninsured losses |
(2,484,728) (1,171,521) |
(1,415,459) (1,528,015) |
| Surplus on revaluation of investment properties Surplus on sale of fixed assets Bank interest receivable Interest and other financing costs 7 DEFICIT FOR THE YEAR 8 |
- 3,324,981 82,028 (1,275,122) (1,524,362) |
- - 123,980 (1,237,797) |
| (4,057,291) |
The financial statements were approved and authorised for issue by the Board of Directors on 8 March 2025 and were signed on its behalf by:
SUSAN KANE
Chair
CARLI HARPER-PENMAN ZAIBA QURESHI Vice-chair Company Secretary
24
b
HOUSING FOR WOMEN
(A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION AS AT 30 SEPTEMBER 2024
| TATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION S AT 30 SEPTEMBER 2024 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Note Fixed assets Property, plant & equipment 9 Investment Properties Investments Current assets Trade and other debtors 12 Cash and cash equivalents 13 Creditors - amounts falling due within one year 14 Net current Liabilities/Assets Total assets less current liabilities Less: Creditors - amounts falling due after more than one year 15 Total net assets Capital and reserves Revenue reserves Endowment funds 18 |
2024 £ 70,598,743 1,250,000 5,550 71,854,293 1,419,123 1,563,962 2,983,085 (3,159,985) (176,900) 71,677,393 (65,052,051) 6,625,342 6,138,965 486,377 6,625,342 |
2023 £ 70,984,944 1,250,000 5,127 |
|
| 72,240,072 2,415,145 2,983,053 |
|||
| 5,398,198 (2,955,874) |
|||
| 2,442,324 | |||
| 74,682,396 (66,532,692) |
|||
| 8,149,704 | |||
| 7,663,328 486,377 |
|||
| 8,149,704 |
The financial statements were approved and authorised for issue by the Board of Directors on 8 March 2025 and were signed on its behalf by:
SUSAN KANE CARLI HARPER-PENMAN ZAIBA QURESHI Chair Vice-chair Company Secretary
Company Registration Number 00420651 Charity Registration Number 211351
25
b
HOUSING FOR WOMEN (A company limited by guarantee haling no share capitsl) Registrar of Social Housing Number L0970
HOUSING FOR WOMEN
(A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN RESERVES FOR YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2024
| Note At the beginning of the year Surplus from Statement of Comprehensive Income for the year At the end of the year At the beginning of the year Surplus from Statement of Comprehensive Income for the year At the end of the year |
Revenue Reserve £ 7,663,327 (1,524,362) |
2024 Endowment Reserve £ 486,377 - |
Total £ 8,149,704 (1,524,362) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6,138,965 | 486,377 | 6,625,342 | |
| Revenue Reserve £ 11,720,617 (4,057,289) |
2023 Endowment Reserve £ 486,377 - |
Total £ 12,206,994 (4,057,289) |
|
| 7,663,327 | 486,377 | 8,149,704 |
27
b
HOUSING FOR WOMEN
(A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2024
| Note Net cash generated from operating activities 24 Cash flow from Investing Activities Purchase of housing properties Interest received Proceeds from Sale of Property Purchase of other property, plant & equipment Net cash used in investing activities Cash flow from Financing activities Repayment of borrowings Grant funding New borrowing Loan agreement fees Interest paid Net cash used in financing activities Net change in cash and cash equivalents Cash and cash equivalents at: Beginning of the year End of the year 13 |
2024 £ (751,186) 82,028 3,324,981 (158,906) |
£ (2,583,236) 2,496,917 |
2023 £ (1,447,294) 123,980 - - |
£ (4,360,107) (1,323,314) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| - - (57,651) - (1,275,122) |
- - (57,647) - (1,237,797) |
|||
| (1,332,773) | (1,295,444) | |||
| (1,419,092) | (6,978,864) | |||
| 2,983,054 | 9,961,918 | |||
| 1,563,962 | 2,983,054 |
28
b
HOUSING FOR WOMEN (A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
1. General information
Housing for Women, a company limited by guarantee having no share capital is incorporated in England under the Companies Act 2006, registered number 00420651, and is registered with the Regulator of Social Housing as a Private Registered Provider of Social Housing (Registered number L0970) and is a registered charity (Registered Number 211351). Housing for Women’s principal activities are stated in the Strategic Report on page 4.
The registered office is Sixth Floor, Blue Star House, 234-244 Stockwell Road, London SW9 9SP.
2. Principal accounting policies
The following accounting policies have been applied consistently in dealing with items which are considered material in relation to the financial statements.
2.1 Basis of accounting
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with applicable accounting standards including FRS 102, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland, and the Statement of Recommended Practice for registered social housing providers, Housing SORP 2014.
In accordance with FRS 102 (3.3A), Housing for Women is a public benefit entity that has applied the “PBE” prefixed paragraphs.
The financial statements comply with the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 and the Accounting Direction for Private Registered Providers of Social Housing 2022 (“the Direction”).
The accounts are prepared on the historical cost basis of accounting and are presented in sterling (£).
Housing for Women took the exemption within FRS 102 to not restate business combinations entered into before the date of transition.
2.2 Going Concern
In respect of going concern the Board considers at present the key area of concern surrounds the cost of remediation works to Childers Street to the extent these are not covered by insurance or other claims and the timing of related cashflows. We have assessed the financial impact in the context of the current financial plan, including any impact on existing loan covenants and concluded the covenants will remain unaffected. Housing for Women has adequate long term debt facilities in place, as explained in note 27 and regularly reviews the medium-term cash flow. Furthermore, Housing for Women has recently obtained further additional loan facilities post yearend, which will significantly improve the net current liability position. Additionally, considering this and other economic and operational demands, the Board has assessed further funding strategies, and property disposals, together with regular extensive stress testing of the financial plan. Property disposals are scheduled for the upcoming months. The anticipated disposals are projected to generate substantial cash inflows, further strengthening our balance sheet, eliminating the net current liability and providing the necessary funds to support our operational and strategic initiatives. The Board is satisfied that it has adequate resources to continue in operation for the foreseeable future.
29
b
HOUSING FOR WOMEN (A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
- Principal accounting policies (continued)
Additionally, the planned activities and loan receipt following year-end will address the net current liability, therefore we consider it appropriate to continue adopting the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements.
2.3 Turnover and revenue recognition
Turnover comprises rental and service charge income, fees and grants receivable and other income.
Rental and service charge income is recognised in the period to which it relates, net of rent and service charge losses from voids. Rental income is recognised from the point when properties under development reach practical completion or otherwise become available for letting, net of any voids.
Housing for Women provide fixed service charges that remain constant during the period, irrespective of the level of service usage, and any under-recovery is not reclaimed nor is any over-recovery returned.
Revenue grants are accounted for once Housing for Women is legally entitled to the grant. Revenue grants are recognised in the Statement of Comprehensive Income when the performance-related conditions are satisfied
Government capital grants received are initially deferred and then credited to turnover in the Statement of Comprehensive Income on a straight line basis over the expected life of the asset which they have funded under the accrual model of accounting.
2.4 Short term employee benefits
Short term employee benefits, including holiday pay, are accrued as services are rendered. Contributions to defined contribution pension schemes are charged to the Statement of Comprehensive Income as they become payable in accordance with the rules of the scheme. Differences between contributions payable in the year and those actually paid are shown as either accruals or prepayments in the Statement of Financial Position.
2.5 Taxation
Housing for Women is not VAT registered since a large proportion of Housing for Women’s income, including its rents, is exempt for VAT purposes whilst the majority of its expenditure is subject to VAT that cannot be reclaimed, expenditure is shown inclusive of irrecoverable VAT.
Housing for Women has charitable status and therefore is not subject to Corporation Tax on surpluses derived from charitable activities, provided that the surpluses are applied to the charitable objects of Housing for Women.
2.6 Interest payable
Interest is capitalised on borrowings to finance the development of qualifying assets to the extent that it accrues in respect of the period of development if it represents:
- interest on borrowings specifically financing the development programme after deduction of related grants received in advance; or
30
b
HOUSING FOR WOMEN (A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
-
Principal accounting policies (continued)
-
a fair amount of interest on borrowings of Housing for Women as a whole after deduction of Social Housing Grant received in advance to the extent that they can be deemed to be financing the development programme.
Other interest payable is charged to the Statement of Comprehensive Income in the year.
2.7 Property, plant & equipment - Housing properties
Housing properties are properties held for the provision of social housing or to otherwise provide social benefit. Housing properties are principally properties available for rent and are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and impairment losses.
Cost includes the cost of acquiring land and buildings, development costs and interest charges incurred during the development period.
Where an asset comprises components with materially different useful economic lives, those assets are separately identified and depreciated over those individual lives. The identification of such components is a matter of judgement and may have a material impact on the depreciation charge. The components selected are those which reflect how the major repairs to the property are managed. No depreciation is provided on freehold land.
Housing for Women depreciates the major components of its housing properties at the following annual rates:
| Components identified within housing properties: | |
|---|---|
| Roof and Structure | 100 years |
| Windows and External doors | 30 years |
| Kitchens | 20 years |
| Bathrooms | 30 years |
| Heating | 15 years |
| Mechanical and electrical | 40 years |
| Lifts | 25 years |
Subsequent expenditure which relates to either the replacement of previously capitalised components or the enhancement of such components which results in incremental future benefit is capitalised and the carrying amount of any replaced component or part component is derecognised.
The residual values of fixed assets, their useful lives, and their depreciation rates are reviewed at each reporting date and where there is an indication of a significant change since the previous reporting date, they are adjusted prospectively.
31
b
HOUSING FOR WOMEN (A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
2. Principal accounting policies (continued)
2.8 Property, plant and equipment - Other
Other property, plant and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation.
Depreciation is provided evenly on the cost of other property, plant and equipment to write them down to their estimated residual values over their expected useful lives. No depreciation is provided on freehold land. All assets with a value of less than £250 are treated as small equipment and written off in year.
The principal annual rates used for other assets are:
| Leased Office buildings | Over the life of lease |
|---|---|
| Office equipment and furniture | 25% |
| Property equipment and furniture | 33.3% |
Gains or losses arising on the disposal of other property, plant and equipment are determined as the difference between the disposal proceeds and the carrying amount of the assets and are recognised as part of the surplus/deficit for the year.
2.9 Investment properties
Investment properties are properties rented at market rent. They are stated at market value. The valuation is based on a valuation by an independent valuer who holds a recognised and relevant professional qualification and has recent experience in the location and class of investment property being valued. We are not aware of any restrictions on the realisability of investment property or the remittance of income and proceeds of disposal. There are no contractual obligations to purchase, construct or develop investment property or for repairs, maintenance or enhancements.
2.10 Impairment
Assets other than those measured at fair value, are assessed for indications of impairment at each reporting date. If there is objective evidence of impairment, an impairment loss is recognised in the Statement of Comprehensive Income as described below.
Non-financial assets
Non-financial assets comprise housing properties and other property, plant and equipment. A non-financial asset is impaired where there is objective evidence that, as a result of one or more events after initial recognition, the estimated recoverable amount of the asset has been reduced. The recoverable amount of a non-financial asset is the higher of its fair value less costs to sell and its value in use.
32
b
HOUSING FOR WOMEN (A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
2. Principal accounting policies (continued)
2.10 Impairment (continued)
For the purposes of impairment assessments, housing properties are grouped together into schemes, each scheme typically comprising one or more buildings in an immediate locality, and each building consisting of one or more accommodation units. Schemes are typically developed or acquired as one block of units.
Value in use (VIU) for housing schemes, which are able to be let in the current condition and which are fulfilling the social purpose for which they were acquired is referred to as Value in use Service Potential (VIU-SP) and this can be measured using the ‘depreciated replacement cost (DRC) valuation basis. The DRC basis considers either the cost of purchasing an equivalent property on the open market (based on the sale prices for similar properties in or near the same location), or from another registered provider (where there is considered to be an active market), or the rebuilding cost of structures and components based on current building costs, using either current building contracts or market data (being primarily construction indices) applied to the relevant building size and type.
For other schemes, value in use is defined as the net present value of the future cash flows generated from the scheme before interest cost.
Financial assets
Financial assets comprise investments, trade and other debtors.
For financial assets carried at amortised cost, the amount of impairment is the difference between the asset’s carrying amount and the present value of estimated future cash flows, discounted at the financial asset’s original effective interest rate.
For financial assets carried at cost less impairment, the impairment loss is the difference between the asset’s carrying amount and the best estimate of the amount that would be received for the asset if it were to be sold at the reporting date.
Where indicators exist for a decrease in impairment loss, the prior impairment loss is tested to determine reversal. An impairment loss is reversed on an individual impaired asset to the extent that the revised recoverable value does not lead to a revised carrying amount higher than the carrying value had no impairment been recognised.
2.11 Financial instruments
Financial assets and liabilities comprise investments, trade and other debtors, cash and cash equivalents, trade and other payables, accruals and loan balances.
Financial assets and financial liabilities are recognised when Housing for Women becomes party to the contractual provisions of the financial instrument.
All financial assets and financial liabilities are initially measured at transaction price (including transaction costs), except for those financial assets classified as at fair value through the Statement of Comprehensive Income, which are initially measured at fair value, unless the arrangement constitutes a financial transaction. If an arrangement constitutes a financial transaction, the financial
33
b
HOUSING FOR WOMEN (A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
2. Principal accounting policies (continued)
2.11 Financial instruments (continued)
asset or financial liability is measured at the present value of future payments discounted at a market rate of interest for a similar debt instrument. A financing transaction may take place in connection with the sale of goods or services, for example, if payment is deferred beyond normal business terms or is financed at a rate of interest that is not a market rate.
Financial assets and liabilities are only offset in the Statement of Financial Position when, and only when there exists a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and Housing for Women intends either to settle on a net basis, or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.
Debt instruments that are classified as payable or receivable within one year on initial recognition are measured at the undiscounted amount of the cash or other consideration expected to be paid or received, net of impairment.
Debt instruments which meet the conditions of Section 11.9 of FRS 102 are subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method. The effective interest rate is the rate that exactly discounts estimated future cash flows through the expected life of the financial asset or liability, or, where appropriate, a shorter period, to the net carrying amount on initial recognition.
Other financial instruments and investments in equity instruments are recognised at fair value with any gains or losses being reported in surplus or deficit for the year.
Financial assets are only derecognised when and only when: the contractual rights to the cash flows from the financial asset expire or are settled; Housing for Women transfers to another party substantially all the risk and rewards of ownership of the financial asset; or Housing for Women, despite having retained some, but not all, significant risks and rewards of ownership, has transferred control of the asset to another party.
Financial liabilities are derecognised only when the obligation specified in the contract is discharged, cancelled, or expires.
Cash and cash equivalents are classified as basic financial instruments and comprise cash in hand and at bank, short-term bank deposits and bank overdrafts which are an integral part of Housing for Women’s cash management. Cash equivalents are highly liquid investments that are readily convertible to known amounts of cash without significant risk of change in value.
2.12 Grants
Government grants
Government grants include grants receivable from the Homes England, local authorities, and other government organisations. Government grants received for housing properties are treated as deferred income and recognised in turnover (amortised) over the estimated useful life of the housing property structure, under the accrual model. Government grant received specifically for components is amortised over the life of the component to which it relates.
34
b
HOUSING FOR WOMEN (A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
2. Principal accounting policies (continued)
2.12 Grants (continued)
Grants relating to revenue are recognised in the Statement of Comprehensive Income over the same period as the expenditure to which they relate, once reasonable assurance has been gained that Housing for Women will comply with the conditions and that the funds will be received. Grants due from government organisations or received in advance are included as current liabilities.
Government grants released on the sale of the property may be repayable but are normally available to be recycled and are credited to a recycled grants fund and are included in the Statement of Financial Position in creditors. If there is no requirement to recycle or repay the grant on disposal of the asset, any unamortised grant remaining within creditors is released and recognised as income in the Statement of Comprehensive Income.
Other grants
Grants received from non-government sources are recognised using the performance model. A grant which does not impose specific future performance conditions is recognised as revenue when the grant proceeds are received. A grant that imposes specific future performance related conditions on Housing for Women is only recognised when these conditions are met. A grant received before the revenue recognition criteria are satisfied is shown as a liability in the Statement of Financial Position.
Recycling of capital grants
Where the Social Housing Grant is recycled, the grant is credited to the fund which appears as a creditor until used for further development. Where the recycled grant is known to be repayable, it is shown as creditors within one year.
2.13 Leases
Housing for Women elected to determine whether an arrangement existing at the date of transition to FRS 102 contains a lease on the basis of facts and circumstances existing at that date rather than when the arrangement was entered into.
Leases are classified as finance leases where the terms of the lease transfer substantially all the risks and the rewards of ownership of the leased asset. All other leases are classified as operating leases.
Rental payable or receivable under operating leases is charged or credited to Statement of Comprehensive Income on a straight line basis over the lease term. Lease incentives are similarly spread on a straight line basis over the term of the lease.
2.14 Provision for liabilities
Provisions are recognised when Housing for Women has a present obligation as a result of a past event, and it is probable that Housing for Women is required to settle the obligation, and a reliable estimate can be made of the amount of the obligation.
35
b
HOUSING FOR WOMEN
(A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
2. Principal accounting policies (continued)
The amount recognised as a provision is the best estimate of the consideration required to settle the present obligation, at the end of the reporting period, taking into account the risks and uncertainties surrounding the obligation.
Housing for Women recognises a provision to cover the annual leave accrued by employees as a result of service rendered in the current period, and which employees are entitled to carry forward and use within the next twelve months. The provision is measured at the cost of salary, national insurance and pension contributions payable for the period of absence.
2.15 Reserves
Reserves comprise the revenue reserve balance, endowment funds and restricted funds.
Revenue reserves relate to the cumulative surpluses less amounts transferred to restricted reserves.
Housing for Women annually calculates amounts necessary for future maintenance and major works to its properties; funds to replace service chargeable items and amounts to ensure supported housing projects can continue to be financed during periods where no funding is in place. These amounts are recorded separately for management purposes. They are not differentiated from the unrestricted reserve balance for these statements but are disclosed for information purposes only.
Endowment funds are not available for general use at Housing for Women’s discretion. The capital and income of such funds can only be expended in accordance with the trust deed or other governing instrument.
3. Judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty
The preparation of financial statement requires the use of judgements, estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported for assets and liabilities as at the reporting date and the amounts reported for income and expenses for the year. These estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an on-going basis.
Critical judgements in applying Housing for Women’s accounting policies
The following are the critical judgements, apart from those involving estimations (which are dealt with separately below), that the Board of Directors has made in the process of applying Housing for Women’s accounting policies and that have the most significant effect on the amounts recognised in the financial statements.
Identification of housing property components
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. The components selected are those which reflect how the major repairs to the property are managed.
Categorisation of housing properties as investment properties or property, plant and equipment
Class of properties within the category of housing properties that are held to earn commercial rentals or for capital appreciation or both are accounted for as investment properties unless
36
b
HOUSING FOR WOMEN (A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
3 Judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty (continued)
immaterial to the financial statements. Properties rented to provide social housing and properties used for the production or supply of goods and services or for administrative purposes are classified as property, plant and equipment.
Impairment
For impairment purposes, as explained in the accounting policies, housing properties are grouped into cash generating units (CGU), being the smallest identifiable group of assets that generates cash inflows that are largely independent of the cash inflows from other assets or groups of assets. Judgement is required in establishing the appropriate level of asset grouping. The CGU level was determined to be at individual property level for completed properties and scheme level for properties in the course of construction.
The assessment of whether an asset is held for its service potential is also a matter of judgement and in making that judgement the Board of Directors considers the current use of the asset and the expected future use of the asset. If the asset is unable to be let in its current condition or is not being used for a social purpose, either now or in the foreseeable future, it is assessed as not being held for its service potential.
In calculating an asset’s depreciated replacement cost judgement is required on how best to calculate the recoverable amount for assets held for their service potential and whether there is an active market for the property. The Board of Directors is of the opinion that there is no active market at present.
Estimation uncertainty
Bad debt provision
The rent and service charge receivable balance recorded in Housing for Women’s Statement of Financial Position comprise a relatively large number of small balances. A full line by line review of debtors is carried out at the end of each month. Whilst every attempt is made to ensure that the bad debt provisions are as accurate as possible, there remains a risk that the provisions do not match the level of debts which ultimately prove to be uncollectible. The carrying amount of rent and service charges is disclosed in Note 12.
Useful lives of depreciable assets
The Board of Directors reviews its estimate of the useful lives of depreciable assets at each reporting date based on the expected utility of the assets. Uncertainties in these estimates relate to ‘technological obsolescence’ with regard to IT equipment/software and any changes to decent homes standard requiring frequent replacement of components. The accumulated depreciation as at 30 September 2024 is disclosed in Note 9.
Housing property impairments
The recoverable amount for impairment testing is based on either fair value less costs to complete and sell, present value of future cash flows or, for assets held for their service potential, depreciated replacement cost. In each case estimate is required.
37
b
HOUSING FOR WOMEN
(A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
3. Judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty (continued)
The fair value less costs to complete and sell is based upon the existing use value – social housing for general needs housing properties. Estimation is required of the future cash flows expected to be derived from the properties and an appropriate discount rate.
The cost of purchasing an equivalent property on the open market is estimated based on the sale prices for similar properties in or near the same location.
The rebuilding cost of structures and components is based on the current build costs, based on either current building contracts or market data (being primarily construction indices) applied to the relevant building size and type.
The accumulated impairment provision at 30 September 2024 was £nil (2022/23: £nil).
38
b
HOUSING FOR WOMEN (A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
4 Particulars of turnover, operating expenditure and operating surplus
| Turnover £ Social housing lettings (Note 4b) 9,534,685 Other social housing activities Other charitable income 21,094 Other 15,292 9,571,071 Surplus on sale of fixed assets 3,324,981 Exceptional item - uninsured losses - 12,896,052 |
Turnover £ Social housing lettings (Note 4b) 9,534,685 Other social housing activities Other charitable income 21,094 Other 15,292 9,571,071 Surplus on sale of fixed assets 3,324,981 Exceptional item - uninsured losses - 12,896,052 |
2024 Operating expenditure £ 12,055,799 - - |
Operating surplus/ (deficit) £ (2,521,114) 21,094 15,292 (2,484,728) 3,324,981 (1,171,521) (331,268) |
Turnover £ 8,855,815 179,939 13,200 |
2023 Operating expenditure £ 10,464,414 (1) - |
Operating surplus/ (deficit) £ (1,608,599) 179,938 13,200 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9,571,071 | 12,055,799 | 9,048,954 | 10,464,413 | (1,415,461) | ||
| 3,324,981 - |
- 1,171,521 |
- - |
- 1,528,015 |
- (1,528,015) |
||
| 12,896,052 | 13,227,320 | 9,048,954 | 11,992,428 | (2,943,476) |
b
39
HOUSING FOR WOMEN (A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
4 (b) Particulars of turnover and operating expenditure from social housing lettings
| Income Rents receivable net of identifiable service charges Service charges receivable Revenue grants Amortised government grants Other income Turnover from social housing lettings Operating expenditure Service charges costs Management Routine maintenance Planned maintenance Major repairs Bad debts Rent payable Depreciation charge Loss on disposal of components Insured costs Other costs Operating expenditure on social housing lettings Operating surplus/deficit on social housing lettings before exceptional items Exceptional item – uninsured losses Operating surplus/deficit on social housing lettings Rent losses from voids (included in Rents receivable net of identifiable service charges) |
General Needs £ 5,474,417 858,781 - 496,155 2,539 |
2024 Refuges Other Supported Housing £ £ 371,763 27,704 409,195 41,025 1,349,879 498,077 - - 5,150 - |
2024 Refuges Other Supported Housing £ £ 371,763 27,704 409,195 41,025 1,349,879 498,077 - - 5,150 - |
Total £ 5,873,884 1,309,001 1,847,956 496,155 7,689 9,534,685 1,415,706 5,779,336 1,682,433 1,758,620 - 42,819 315,016 830,293 230,495 - 1,081 12,055,799 (2,521,114) (1,171,521) (3,692,635) (291,594) |
2023 Total £ 5,465,379 1,368,222 1,519,061 497,785 5,368 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6,831,892 | 2,135,987 | 566,806 | 8,855,815 | ||
| 1,102,366 3,711,111 1,661,388 1,758,620 - 45,992 84,283 830,293 230,495 - 1,081 |
256,019 1,652,148 21,045 - - (5,364) 205,759 - - - - |
57,321 416,076 - - - 2,191 24,974 - - - - |
1,157,022 4,527,632 1,206,335 1,999,543 - 65,540 440,928 937,599 128,934 0 881 |
||
| 9,425,629 | 2,129,607 | 500,562 | 10,464,414 | ||
| (2,593,737) (1,171,521) |
6,380 - |
66,243 | (1,608,599) (1,528,015) |
||
| (3,765,258) | 6,380 | 66,243 | (3,136,614) | ||
| (237,504) | (46,264) | (7,826) | (439,237) |
40
b
HOUSING FOR WOMEN (A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
5 Key management personnel
Key management are those persons having authority and responsibility for planning, controlling and directing the activities of Housing for Women.
For the purpose of this note, the key management personnel are defined as the Board of Directors and the members of the Executive team – the Chief Executive Officer, the Director of Finance and Resources, the Director of Customer and the Director of Asset Management.
None of the Board of Directors or members received any emoluments. There were no related transactions requiring disclosure.
| Remuneration payable to key management personnel (including benefits in kind) Employers pension contributions Employers national insurance The highest paid Executive: Remuneration (excluding pension contributions) Pension contributions |
2024 £ 794,450 59,515 92,621 946,586 125,438 13,162 138,600 |
2023 £ 676,043 47,893 80,150 |
|---|---|---|
| 804,086 122,688 12,783 |
||
| 135,471 |
The remuneration and pension contributions relate to the Chief Executive.
The Chief executive participates as an ordinary member of the group of defined contribution pension plan and received a pension contribution of 10.5% of pensionable salary.
6 Employee information
Employee information
| The average number of full-time equivalent of Housing for Women (based on a standard working week of 35 hours): Housing and support staff Administration staff Maintenance staff |
2024 40 20 8 68 |
2023 38 17 9 |
|---|---|---|
| 64 |
HOUSING FOR WOMEN (A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
6. Employee information (continued)
Staff costs for the above employees:
| Wages and salaries Social security costs Other pension costs |
2024 2,882,498 305,673 175,353 3,363,524 |
2023 2,562,602 257,856 142,076 |
|---|---|---|
| 2,962,534 |
Included within wages and salaries are redundancy/compensation costs of £24,543 (2023: £5,816).
Salary banding for all employees earning over £60,000, including salaries, bonuses and pension contributions paid by employer.
| More than £60,000 but not more than £70,000 More than £70,000 but not more than £80,000 More than £80,000 but not more than £90,000 More than £90,000 but not more than £100,000 More than £100,00 but not more than £110,000 More than £110,00 but not more than £120,000 More than £120,00 but not more than £130,000 More than £130,00 but not more than £140,000 |
2024 2023 Number Number 5 2 1 1 1 - - 1 - 1 1 - 1 1 - 9 6 |
|---|---|
7 Interest and financing costs
| Interest payable on bank loans | 2024 £ 1,275,122 1,275,122 |
2023 £ 1,237,797 |
|---|---|---|
| 1,237,797 |
41
b
HOUSING FOR WOMEN
(A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
8 Deficit in current year
| Is stated after charging: Depreciation of housing properties Depreciation of other tangible fixed assets Amortisation of government grants Operating lease payments Land & Buildings Auditors remuneration (excluding VAT): In their capacity as auditors In respect of other services Property, plant and equipment Housing Properties £ Cost At 1 October 2023 86,715,450 Additions 751,186 Transfer to Investment Properties - Disposals (491,251) At 30 September 2024 86,975,385 Depreciation At 1 October 2023 15,757,069 Charge for year 1,010,861 Transfer to Investment Properties - Disposals (260,756) At 30 September 2024 16,507,174 Net book value At 30 September 2024 70,468,211 At 30 September 2023 70,958,381 |
Is stated after charging: Depreciation of housing properties Depreciation of other tangible fixed assets Amortisation of government grants Operating lease payments Land & Buildings Auditors remuneration (excluding VAT): In their capacity as auditors In respect of other services Property, plant and equipment Housing Properties £ Cost At 1 October 2023 86,715,450 Additions 751,186 Transfer to Investment Properties - Disposals (491,251) At 30 September 2024 86,975,385 Depreciation At 1 October 2023 15,757,069 Charge for year 1,010,861 Transfer to Investment Properties - Disposals (260,756) At 30 September 2024 16,507,174 Net book value At 30 September 2024 70,468,211 At 30 September 2023 70,958,381 |
Property equipment, fixtures and commercial premises £ 77,368 - - - |
2024 £ 1,010,861 51,515 (496,155) 168,716 26,350 5,850 Leasehold Office premises £ 136,010 - - - |
2023 £ 980,344 47,931 (497,785) 168,716 25,100 2,550 Office equipment and furniture Total £ £ 394,994 87,323,822 158,906 910,092 - - (142,817) (634,068) |
2023 £ 980,344 47,931 (497,785) 168,716 25,100 2,550 Office equipment and furniture Total £ £ 394,994 87,323,822 158,906 910,092 - - (142,817) (634,068) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 86,975,385 | 77,368 | 136,010 | 411,083 | 87,599,846 | ||
| 15,757,069 1,010,861 - (260,756) |
77,368 - - - |
132,588 3,422 - - |
371,853 51,515 - (142,817) |
16,338,878 1,065,798 - (403,573) |
||
| 16,507,174 | 77,368 | 136,010 | 280,551 | 17,001,103 | ||
| 70,468,211 | - | - | 130,532 | 70,598,743 | ||
| 70,958,381 | - | 3,422 | 23,141 | 70,984,944 |
9 Property, plant and equipment
b
42
HOUSING FOR WOMEN (A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Included within the housing properties balances is £nil of capitalised interest (2023: £Nil).
Housing properties book value, net of depreciation comprises:
| Freehold land and buildings Long leasehold land and buildings Short leasehold land and buildings |
2024 £ 64,716,881 5,233,009 518,322 70,468,211 |
2023 £ 65,135,955 5,306,683 515,745 |
|---|---|---|
| 70,958,382 |
10 Investment properties
| At 1 October 2023 Transfer from property, plant and equipment Net gain on revaluation At 30 September 2024 11 Investments As at 1 October 2023 Fair value adjustment Market value at 30 September 2024 12 Debtors Amounts receivable within one year Arrears of rent and service charges Less: provision for bad and doubtful debts Prepayments and accrued income Other debtors |
2024 £ 785,278 (467,079) 318,199 651,514 449,410 1,419,123 |
£ 1,250,000 - 1,250,000 £ 5,127 423 |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,550 | ||||
| 2023 £ 815,209 (400,053) |
||||
| 415,156 1,109,971 890,018 |
||||
| 2,415,145 |
43
b
HOUSING FOR WOMEN (A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
| 13 Cash and cash equivalents Cash held on current account or in hand The Charities Official Investment Deposit Fund 14 Creditors – amounts falling due within one year Note Amounts falling due within one year: Loan instalments repayable within 12 months 16 Deferred government grant income 17 Trade creditors Rent and service charges received in advance Other creditors Taxation and Social security Accruals and deferred income 15 Creditors - amounts falling due after more than one year Note Housing loans 16 Deferred government grant income 17 Other deferred grant income |
2024 £ 1,321,491 242,471 1,563,962 2024 £ 899,903 496,155 350,292 646,748 6,625 66,985 693,277 3,159,985 2024 £ 28,731,544 35,120,507 1,200,000 65,052,051 |
2023 £ 2,752,619 230,434 2,983,053 2023 £ 853,335 497,785 97,475 608,060 13,574 74,883 810,762 |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,955,874 | ||||
| 2023 £ 29,631,449 35,701,243 1,200,000 66,532,692 |
||||
44
b
HOUSING FOR WOMEN (A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
16 Housing loan debt analysis
Housing loans are secured by specific charges on Housing for Women’s housing properties and are repayable at varying rates of interest between 0.6% and 10.8%, in instalments due as follows:
| Due within one year Due after more than one year: One to two years Two to five years Five or more years 17 Deferred government grant income Grant received At 1 October Grant received during the year Grant repayment during the year At 30 September Grant amortised At 1 October Amortised to income in the year At 30 September Carrying amount Amounts to be released within one year Amounts to be released in more than one year |
2024 £ 899,903 953,200 2,947,734 24,830,610 28,731,544 29,631,447 2024 £ 49,724,243 - (86,211) |
2023 £ 853,335 899,905 2,872,966 25,858,578 29,631,449 30,484,784 2023 £ 49,724,243 - - |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 49,638,032 13,525,218 496,155 14,021,373 496,155 35,120,507 35,616,662 |
49,724,243 | ||
| 13,027,433 497,785 |
|||
| 13,525,218 | |||
| 497,785 35,701,243 |
|||
| 36,199,028 |
45
b
HOUSING FOR WOMEN (A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
| Government grant previously amortised to income Government grant included in deferred income Total government grant received |
2024 £ 14,517,525 35,120,507 49,638,032 |
2023 £ 13,525,213 36,199,027 |
|---|---|---|
| 49,724,240 |
In addition to the deferred grants, Housing for Women has acquired properties which had grant funding of £8.74m awarded to other registered providers of social housing.
18 Permanent endowment funds
The reserves of Housing for Women include the following endowment funds of which Housing for Women is the trustee:
| Mary Curzon Charity | Balance 1 October 2023 £ 486,377 486,377 |
Investment income transfers from Revenue reserve £ - - |
Balance 30 September 2024 £ 486,377 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 486,377 |
The Mary Curzon Charity for Women Workers (MCC) is administered under the banner title "Housing for Women". The assets and liabilities of the Mary Curzon Charity were consolidated in the accounts of Housing for Women in the year to 30 September 1998. The Mary Curzon Charity does not own or manage any property.
46
b
HOUSING FOR WOMEN (A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
19 Analysis of net asset balances between funds
Fund balances at 30 September are represented by:
| 2024 Unrestricted Endowment Total £ £ £ Property, plant and equipment 70,598,743 70,598,743 Investment property 1,250,000 1,250,000 Investments 5,550 5,550 Current assets 2,496,708 486,377 2,983,085 Current liabilities (3,159,989) (3,159,989) Creditors - amounts falling due after more than one year (65,052,051) (65,052,051) 6,138,961 486,377 6,625,338 |
2023 Unrestricted Endowment Total £ £ £ 70,984,944 70,984,944 1,250,000 1,250,000 5,127 - 5,127 4,911,821 486,377 5,398,198 (2,955,874) - (2,955,874) (66,532,692) - (66,532,692) 7,663,327 486,377 8,149,704 |
|---|---|
20 Revenue Reserves
Revenue reserves include amounts earmarked for future anticipated major works (Major Work funds) to Housing for Women owned properties; service chargeable items replacement (replacement funds) and funding for non-externally funded periods in supported housing projects (charitable funds). As at 30 September 2024 the amounts earmarked are;
| Charitable Major Works Replacement |
£ - 5,604,065 534,900 |
|---|---|
| 6,138,965 |
Reserves that have not been earmarked for specific use are solely for the operation of general needs housing as they have been generated from general needs activity. As such they cannot be used to cross-subsidise the supported housing projects that rely on income from Trusts, foundations, donations and/or local and central government funding. For further details please refer to the Strategic report page 9.
47
b
HOUSING FOR WOMEN (A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
21 Leasing commitments
The total future lease commitments under non-cancellable leases are as follows:
| Within one year Between two and five years After five years |
2024 Property £ 134,256 185,518 195,088 514,862 |
2023 Property £ 135,932 286,736 228,126 |
|---|---|---|
| 650,794 |
22 Related party transactions
The members of the Board and the Senior Management Team are considered related parties as defined by FRS 102. Housing for Women retains a register of members’ interests. Transactions requiring disclosure are shown in note 5.
23 Social housing units
Accommodation owned and in management.
| General needs housing Supported housing |
2024 No 829 62 891 |
2023 No 839 65 |
|---|---|---|
| 904 |
Of the above 839 units are owned by Housing for Women.
48
b
HOUSING FOR WOMEN
(A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
24 Notes to the statement of cash flows
| Note Operating surplus for the year Exceptional item - uninsured losses Adjustments for non-cash items Depreciation of tangible fixed assets 9 Amortisation of grants 8 Loss on disposal of components and other fixed assets Non-cash accruals/prepayments Movement in working capital (Decrease)/increase in debtors (Increase)/decrease in creditors Net cash generated from operating activities 25 Exceptional Item Uninsured Losses |
2024 £ (2,484,728) (1,171,521) 662,225 (1,422,994) 633,645 379,045 494,696 326,397 (2,583,236) 2024 £ 1,171,521 |
2023 £ (1,415,459) (1,528,015) 812,028 (1,293,474) 344,636 (1,381,287) (137,699) 239,163 |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| (4,360,107)) | |||
| 2023 £ |
|||
| 1,528,015 |
These losses relate to the uninsured costs incurred at Childers Street. Whilst we are currently uncertain as to where the liability for these costs lies, they have been written off as an Exceptional Item in the year. It should however be noted that a contingent asset may be confirmed in a future year.
49
b
HOUSING FOR WOMEN (A company limited by guarantee having no share capital)
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
26 Financial instruments
The carrying values of Housing for Women’s financial assets and liabilities are summaries by category below:
| summaries by category below: | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 |
|
| £ | ||
| Financial assets | ||
| Measured at undiscounted amounts receivable | ||
| Cash and cash equivalents | 1,563,962 | 2,983,053 |
| Gross debtors | 785,278 | 815,209 |
| Other debtors | 449,410 | 536,949 |
| Measured at fair value through profit and loss | ||
| Investments | 5,550 | 5,127 |
| Financial liabilities | ||
| Measured at amortised cost | ||
| Loans repayable | 29,631,447 | 30,484,784 |
| Measured at undiscounted amounts payable | ||
| Trade and other creditors | 356,917 | 111,049 |
| Housing for Women’s income, expense, gains and losses in | respect of the | financial |
| instruments are summarised below: | ||
| 2024 | 2023 | |
| £ | £ | |
| Fair value gains and losses on investments | 422 | 545 |
| Interest income and expense | ||
| Total interest income for financial assets at amortised cost | 82,028 | 123,980 |
| Total interest expense for financial liabilities at amortised cost |
1,275,122 | 1,237,797 |
50
b