**EQUAL PEOPLE MENCAP Company No. 02150599 Charity No. 298609**
**REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**
## **STATEMENT OF RECOMMENDED PRACTICE 2022-2023**
## **Contents**
1. Reference and administrative details of the Charity, its trustees and Advisors
2. Structure, Governance and Management
3. Objectives and Activities & Achievements and Performance
4. Financial Review
5. Plans for Future Period
**EQUAL PEOPLE MENCAP**
## **REPORT OF THE COUNCIL OF MANAGEMENT**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**
## 1.REFERENCE and ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS OF EQUAL PEOPLE mencap OUR TRUSTEES &
## ADVISORS
1.1 CHARITY Name: Equal People Mencap
Charity Registration number: 298609
Company Registration number: 02150599
Registered Office & Operational Address: 73 St Charles Square, London W10 6EJ
## **1.2 COUNCIL OF MANAGEMENT MEMBERSHIP**
Ms Melinda Gilbert - Chair* Ms Beverley Ebanks* Mrs Diana Martin* Dr Yvonne Clair Ndifor Ngechop - Treasurer* Dr Jonathan Wharram* Mr Nooran Solhekol Mr Robert Ebanks MsTracey Miles Mr Luke Skiff
## * = Trustee
## **1.3 Senior Management Team**
Ben Aiyenuro Finance Manager Yamou Faye-Bagla Floating Support/CQC Registered Manager Sonia Timlett Network Hope Project and Centre Manager Nicholas Walsh Chief Executive
## **1.4 Bankers**
Barclays Belgravia & Knightsbridge Business Centre PO Box 4578 London SW3 1 XD
## **1.5 Auditors**
Myrus Smith Chartered Accountants Norman House 8 Burnell Road Sutton Surrey SM1 4BW
## **1.6 Governing Document**
The organisation is a charitable company limited by guarantee, incorporated on 27[th] July 1987 and registered as a Charity on 23[rd] March 1988. The company was established under a memorandum of Association which established the objects and powers of the charitable company and is governed under its Articles of Association. In the event of the company being wound up Trustees are required to contribute an amount not exceeding £5. The report is prepared in accordance with the small company regime (Section 419(2) of the Companies Act.
## **1.7 Recruitment and Appointment of Management Committee**
The directors of the Company under the company’s Articles are known as members of the Council of Management; those directors of the Company marked with an asterisk above are also charity trustees. Under the requirements of the Memorandum and Articles of Association the members of the
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**EQUAL PEOPLE MENCAP**
## **REPORT OF THE COUNCIL OF MANAGEMENT**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**
Management Committee are elected to serve for a period of three years after which they must be reelected at the next Annual General Meeting. A General Meeting was held on April 13[th] 2010 in which an update of Equal People mencap Memorandum & Articles of Association was proposed and passed. This will allow a maximum of 9 years as a Trustee from November 2010.
All current Council of Management Members were elected within the past 3 years.
The charity supports people with learning disabilities and their families and carers and other vulnerable individuals and as such strives to ensure that the Council of Management reflects this. Equal People mencap seeks to ensure people with learning disabilities, parents and learning disability, social care and housing professionals (or those with related skills) are recruited to and present on the Council of Management.at March 31st, 2022, four people with learning disabilities and three relatives of an individual with learning disabilities were Council of Management members. Two Trustees have extensive managerial and leadership knowledge, experience and skills. One volunteer organisation experience, knowledge and skills. One Trustee has extensive experience in the media sector. One is a retired GP. One Trustee has many years experience in the finance sector.
Equal People mencap have a minimum of six Council of Management meetings a year in addition to the Annual General Meeting. These meetings are attended by:
- All Trustees (Council of Management members) not in receipt of a service from Equal People mencap
- Non-Trustee Council of Management Members. Individuals with a learning disability who are in receipt of a service from Equal People mencap)
- The Chief Executive
- The Finance Manager
- The Floating Support/CQC Registered Manager
- The Network Hope/Centre Manager
In addition, Equal People mencap seek to host at least two events a year open to members, carers, staff and professionals that combine social, discussion, wellbeing activities, awareness raising and information sharing functions (e.g. Barbecues, Wellbeing Festivals Amici Dance sessions, meditation)
The Council of Management will review all services and make decisions. The Finance Sub-Committee which meets separately, may recommend actions to the Council of Management.
The Finance Committee meets at least four times a year to review, and monitor financial performance, and oversee the direction of budget and financial planning. It is chaired by the Treasurer and attended by the Chair, Treasurer, Finance Manager and Chief Executive.
## **1.8 The Recruitment & Induction of Trustees.**
In line with (i) RS1 – Trustee Recruitment, and Induction (ii) CC3 The Essential Trustee: What You need to Know and (iii) The Charity Governance Code for larger charities and (iv) The Good Trustee Easy read Guides (NCVO) Equal People mencap strives to maintain an informed, active and committed Council of Management.
Council of Management members:
- Have knowledge of learning disability and family/carer issues
- Have financial experience, knowledge and skills
- Have good awareness of Trustee responsibilities
- Have good experience, knowledge and skills of housing, social care issues and monitoring
- Have good experience of running volunteer schemes.
- Have good experience of media and multi-media
- Have good understanding and commitment to Equal People mencap’s aims and ethos
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**EQUAL PEOPLE MENCAP**
## **REPORT OF THE COUNCIL OF MANAGEMENT**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**
- Have lived experience
- Have a learning disability. (Other members of the Council of Management support COM members with learning disabilities to more fully participate in the meetings).
We are aware of the need to continue to recruit more Council of Management members, particularly those with housing, health and social care backgrounds and younger parents and carers of people with learning disabilities, autism and/or complex needs and are taking steps to address this as part of our Business Continuity Plan and by reference to documents RS1, CC3 from the Charities Commission and the Charity Governance Code for larger charities (NCVO).
We are seeking Trustees with HR knowledge and experience.
All new Council of Management members are fully inducted as set down in Equal People mencap’s policies and procedures, including attending Adult Safeguarding and Child Protection training.
Any potential members will meet with a Council of Management member and with the Chief Executive and will be invited to attend a Council of Management meeting as a guest.
## **- 2. Organisational Structure & Decision Making**
Equal People mencap has a Council of Management of eight, three of whom are Trustees responsible for decisions made who meet every two months and are responsible for the strategic direction and policy of the charity. At present the Council of Management have a variety of backgrounds relevant to the work of the charity.
2.1 Council Of Management Decisions & Consultation
The Council of Management will approve decisions relating to:
- Service Development
- Staffing Recruitment for senior staff
- Policies and Procedures
The Trustees carry responsibility for the financial health of the Charity and for decisions relating to staff disciplinary matters.
The Trustees will work, in line with The Charity Commission’s guidance, to ensure the charity works to the public benefits through providing services that offer to our beneficiaries, families, carers and the public:
- Information, advice guidance and appropriate signposting
- Appropriate, professional, well-trained and properly monitored support
- A regular, safe, welcoming space: challenging isolation
- Services that encourage increased independence and awareness of safety, security and healthy living choices and opportunities
- Services that offer opportunities for individuals to improve their physical, emotional and mental well-being
- Physical and sports activities
- Support and social groups
Decisions & actions delegated to the Chief Executive, Network Hope/centre Manager, Finance Manager and Floating Support/CQC Registered Manager and Operational Team include:
-
-
-
- Budget development and management
- Business Plan development (including Fundraising), action & monitoring
- Policy & procedure development & monitoring
- Liaison and co-operative working with partner organisations and stakeholders
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**EQUAL PEOPLE MENCAP**
## **REPORT OF THE COUNCIL OF MANAGEMENT**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**
- Staff Management, supervision and Appraisal
Recruitment of senior management, roles and salaries are reviewed and benchmarked in line with National mencap, North West London mencap equivalents and other local charities.
**2.2 Relationship between Equal People mencap and related parties, other charities and Stakeholders.**
Equal People mencap has signed a ‘partnership agreement with National Mencap. This means that we are affiliated to National Mencap but receive no funding from them. We are an independent charity based within The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea but able to work across London, in particular in Westminster, Hammersmith and Fulham and Brent. Equal People mencap complies with Mencap Local Group quality, policy and procedure requirements and senior staff attend and contribute to local, regional and national Mencap meetings. Equal People mencap access National Mencap support in developing policies and procedures, training, DBS checks and campaigning. Equal People mencap are part of the North West London Mencap Consortium, a group of seven local Mencap charities who come together with a view to potentially share core services, make joint bids and run joint services.
Our major statutory Stakeholder is the Bi-Borough (K&C and Westminster Social Services). We also have an increasing number of individuals, including children who, through their families (or Care Managers) are buying our support services directly. Support continued throughout the year for all those living independently and support continued to be adapted where appropriate to serve families as a whole, e.g. by doing food shops or medication collections.. Our Network Hope and activities service had a full programme of both in person and online activities and groups offered via Zoom,and WhatsApp. Between April 2022 and March 2023 we ran 575 supported activities, training sessions or events. The number of hours of Individual Budget funded support was above 50,000.
6 monthly monitoring reports are completed for the Bi Borough Social Services in relation to funds provided for core, resource centre drop-in and activities The Chief Executive and Operational Management team work closely with Social Care representatives throughout the year promoting and developing services.
We were successful in bidding to the National Lottery for a further three years of funding for the Network Hope Project. This began in September 202 and provided wellbeing support and activities to vulnerable individuals in North Kensington. This is a three-year Project. Six-monthly reports are submitted to the National Lottery.
Equal People mencap are registered to provide personal Care with the Care Quality Commission. The last inspection report was published in January 2019. An online inspection in November 2022 confirmed a ‘Good’ overall rating and ‘Good in all 5 areas assessed:
- Safe
- Effective
- Caring
- Responsive
- Well led
Equal People mencap staff also work closely with:
- Parents & Carers
- RBKC LD, Transition & Children’s Care Managers
- Westminster LD & Transition & Children’s Care Managers
- Hammersmith & Fulham Transition & Children’s Care Managers
- Bi Borough Commissioning Managers
- Bi Borough Transition Care Managers
- Bi Borough Mental Health Care Managers
- Primary Health Care Trust Managers & Staff
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**EQUAL PEOPLE MENCAP**
## **REPORT OF THE COUNCIL OF MANAGEMENT**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**
- Learning Disability Partnership Board
- National Mencap
- The North West London Consortium
- Hammersmith & Fulham mencap
- Certitude
- Pursuing independent Paths
- Integrity care
- The Advocacy Project
- SASH
- St Charles Wellbeing Centre
- Groundworks
- Balance
- Tri Borough LD Day Services
- Carers organisations in RBKC
- Pre-Amici Dance Theatre Company
- The Kensington & Chelsea Foundation
- The Westway Trust
- The Kensington & Chelsea Volunteer Bureau
- RBKC Leisure Centres
- RBKC Volunteer Bureau
- • 20:20
The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Borough have an agreement with The Borough of Westminster. This means that adult social care and learning disability services are commissioned and monitored by one team covering the two boroughs. Equal People Mencap will continue to work within this arrangement.
We also act as Managing agents for 3 Housing Associations
- Notting Hill Genesis Management agreement)
- Catalyst Housing (Management agreement)
- Octavia Housing (Management Agreement)
## **2.3 Risk Management**
Risks:
A risk register and consequent contingency and action plan is updated at least monthly and reviewed by Trustees at Finance sub-Committee and Trustee meetings.
- Financial through loss of service contracts, voids, fraud, insurance claims
- H&S/Maintenance: Infection control, fire etc
- Staff: maintaining, skills, experience, recruitment levels to match demand
- Governance: COM membership & level of experience
- **a.** Enhanced Disclosure & Barring criminal records checks are sought for all new employees and volunteers and for all current employees and volunteers (within DBS guidelines) at two-year intervals.
b. Safeguarding Adults and Child Protection policies, procedures and practice are included in the induction of all staff. These were updated in June 2022. All staff that work with service users attend Safeguarding Adults training as soon as possible. A variety of courses are attended with updates at least 2 yearly. Risk assessments are completed at least 6 monthly with all service users in relation to awareness of personal safety, abuse and harassment issues.
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**EQUAL PEOPLE MENCAP**
## **REPORT OF THE COUNCIL OF MANAGEMENT**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**
**c.** Staff Guidelines for supporting tenants with issues of sex and sexuality are in place.
**d.** Equal People mencap’s Policy & procedure document – Putting Philosophy into Practice (File available for inspection) was fully updated in June/July 2022. All staff inducted and trained in relation to these procedures.
**e.** Equal People’s Health & Safety Policy & Procedures (including for example, lone working, risk assessments) were updated in June/July 2022. Awareness, understanding and compliance with the policy forms part of staff induction and is checked through a questionnaire and discussion in team meetings periodically.
**f.** COVID-19. Equal People Mencap: (i) Updated our Infection control policy and procedures in March 2022 and September 2023 (ii) updated a COVID 19 risk assessment for our Centre, staff, members and community support, weekly. (iii) Developed a COVID 19 contingency and action plan –– updated monthly. (iv) adapted our Resource Centre in line with Covid-19 hygiene and safety procedures as they were modified throughout the year (v) ensured all our staff and members had access to protective equipment, gel, accessible information on staying safe, testing opportunities and locations and vaccination opportunities. Our Centre was available for use as a welfare space for staff and a base for on-call managers during the lockdown periods.
**g.** Building security is maintained through a 24-hour contracted alarm & response system.
**h.** Equal People mencap’s computer system was replaced in 2009, Firewalls, backup systems and anti-virus software is fully in place and updated quarterly. Quarterly on-site monitoring visits ensure all systems remain at optimum levels. EPM switched to a cloudbased storage system in March 2020. We have updated our database to the online Charitylog and staff rota/app system, to enable all staff to access information, make records etc.
**i.** In line with our Communication strategy our Instagram, YouTube and Facebook accounts and website are regularly updated to enable EPm and our members to share and their ideas, achievements, activities, thoughts, thoughts and with the local and wider community.
**j.** Advisory Groups, activity and individual support session feedback, and monthly manager feedback surveys and our accessible complaints procedures ensure that consultation with tenants and users continued.
**k.** Service Standards and Desired Outcomes ,i.e. person-centred individual aims and wishes alongside over-arching outcomes such as improved physical, mental and emotional wellbeing, opportunities for social inter-action and meaningful participation, opportunities to contribute to and influence life in the local community, improved economic well-being, community participation and contribution and access to employment are monitored annually with the aim of ensuring Equal People mencap’s ethos, values and mission statement are put into practice and constantly monitored.
**l.** We have worked hard to challenge digital exclusion for the vulnerable people we support. The pandemic meant that contact, information and support was even more reliant upon internet access. Equal People mencap have supported individuals to learn digital skills, access support and stay in contact. Our participation in Let’s Get Digital and NHS Charities DigitALL projects has enabled us to offer equipment, data and 1:1 and group digital training to our members.
m. The organisation maintains contingency funds sufficient to cover cessation of service. Funding was renewed for our Resource Centre/Core/Activities until March 2025 by RBKC/Bi Borough Social Services.
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**EQUAL PEOPLE MENCAP**
## **REPORT OF THE COUNCIL OF MANAGEMENT**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**
**n.** Equal People mencap continue to develop our Personal Budget funded Activity which covers training in life-skills, employment skills, health & well-being. Equal People mencap has maintained the number of individuals buying our support and now provides 1050 hours per week.
**o.** The activities service received a further year’s grant funding grant funding from the Kusuma Trust for this year and from the K&C Foundation (for April 2023-Mar2024).
**p.** Referrals to provide health related support, transition and complex needs support were maintained but adapted in line with individual need and the remaining COVID-19 restrictions, particularly with children. The Chief Executive, Network Hope/Centre Manager, Floating Support/CQC Registered Manager complete monitoring records to ensure service standards are maintained and obligations met and liaise regularly with RBKC/Bi Borough commissioners in relation to future needs, changes and issues.
**q.** Finance systems are in place, e.g. dual entry passwords, Council of Management signatures to cheques over £1,000, petty cash checks which ensure against fraud.
**r.** Equal People mencap’s lease was renewed in January 2019 for a period of 8 years (4-year break clause.
**s.** Team Meetings and training days held enable our staff team to look at feedback about our services from users and to plan together our move, our ethos, values and plans to meet the aims, wishes and dreams of our users and the responsibilities and expectations placed on us by our Funders. Meeting moved to online via Zoom when necessary.
**t.** E Equal People mencap fully abides by all Data Protection legislation and ensured our practice was in line with the General Data Protection Legislation (GDPR) from May 25th 2018. GDPTR policy and procedures, Privacy document and staff Privacy document updated June 2022. Data Protection Certificate renewed to December 2023.
## **3. Equal People mencap’s Objectives and Activities**
## **3.1 PUBLIC BENEFITS**
In line with RBKC and The Bi Borough Social Care, The Care Act 2014 and the personalisation agenda and in addition to the individual’s wishes, aims and person-centred plans Equal People mencap seeks to attain overarching outcomes for all our service users and their families and carers.
These are (i) Improved physical, mental and emotional wellbeing (ii) Improved social opportunities (challenging isolation and loneliness) (iii) Opportunities to access, participate in, contribute to and influence the local and wider community – including using digital equipment to stay connected to key, social and professional contacts, access information and participate. (iv) Economic WellBeing (v) Staying Safe. We aim to ensure all vulnerable individuals we support have the opportunity to access support and/or activities that improves their physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. We aim to ‘make ‘safeguarding personal’, giving individuals the information they need to identify abuse and report it.
Our Mission Statement, chosen by our members is:
## “Turning dreams into action at the pace of the individual.”
An easy read version of our ethos and values was created by our members supported by staff and is on our website and forms part of the induction, training and expected daily practice of all staff and volunteers. Renewed June 2022
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**EQUAL PEOPLE MENCAP**
## **REPORT OF THE COUNCIL OF MANAGEMENT**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**
We aim to be a user-led service for user-led lives.
Equal People mencap are committed to providing a high quality of service for people with learning disabilities and other vulnerable people reflecting their wishes aims and needs.
We aim to be a user led service that puts the emphasis on actively listening and offering a culture and ethos that supports people to move towards realising their dreams.
Personalising support services: We recognise people’s uniqueness and provide carefully tailor-made support to ensure each person can express her or himself, can make informed choices and take increasing responsibility in all areas of her/his life.
We support people to:
- have a voice about the service they want
- live independently in the community through our Floating Support, Community
- Support & Personal Care Services
- participate in, and/or run a full programme of supported activities, social and
- wellbeing groups at Equal People mencap’s Centre or out in the community through our Network Hope and activity Services, The daily Drop-In and/or 1:1 support through personal budgets to attend and participate in activities and events. • provide opportunities for paid employment and/or training opportunities through our cooking, gardening, baking and IT training groups. Baking Project’.- cooking and baking sessions and gardening returned to the Centre throughout the year following the easing of COVID restrictions..
- voice and develop person-centred plans setting down a route towards aims and
- wishes and buy support to achieve those aims.
- enable the local community to understand more about people with learning
- disabilities, autism and complex needs and the positive contribution people with disabilities can make to the community.
We provide:
- a person-centred ethos, philosophy, atmosphere and practice
- friendly, welcoming and well-trained staff and volunteers
- a CQC registered personal care, supported living community support and floating
- support service
- paid employment opportunities
- Accessible information about other support agencies and opportunities. Networking
- opportunities.
- an accessible, safe and welcoming environment at our Resource Centre. This has
- been adapted to be a safe space following the COVID-19 pandemic with regular cleaning, social distancing, PPE and gels and temperature checks. All staff have the required PPE and risk assessments are in place and updated at least monthly
- a variety of supported activities promoting physical and mental well-being including
- online groups, activities, accessible information and services.
- opportunities to learn new skills
- a vibrant and exciting range of social opportunities.
- support to live independently in the community
- support to access, participate in and influence community life – including digitally
- support with personal care and domiciliary tasks
- supported activities/trips for carers
## **3.2 HOW OUR ACTVITIES DELIVER PUBLIC BENEFITS**
## **3.2.1 Achievements & Performance**
Our member survey from April 2022 asked:
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## **EQUAL PEOPLE MENCAP**
## **REPORT OF THE COUNCIL OF MANAGEMENT**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**
- Do staff listen to you –97% said yes
- Do you know how to complain? 92% said yes
- Do you feel safe 93% said yes – Of the 7% said no, all cited community based fears, especially at night
- Have the activities helped you feel happier –100% said yes
- Have the activities helped you feel healthier –98% said yes
- Do staff treat you with dignity and respect? 95% said yes
- The total number of beneficiaries (members/carers) now using or consulting our service is 350. Equal People mencap is providing support to people from 30 different countries speaking 25 different languages
- Floating Support includes a 24-hour emergency out of hours on-call service staffed by the Floating Support Management Team. This ensures all service users and staff have both telephone and, where necessary, in-person support out of office hours
## **3.2.2 Quotes from members/carers April 2022 – Mar 2023**
## **General**
“ I love it here. I love what Equal People do.” I like to see my friends and have a good time”
## **IT Group.**
“ I got a certificate. I’m very proud.”
## **Barbecues**
“ I like coming to the barbecue. I feel secure there as during the Notting hill Carival I cannot go out as it is too dangerous.”
## **Brighton Daytrip**
“ I like the toy museum.” I liked the food.” “ I enjoyed it. It was like a holiday.”
“ I had a great time on the pier.”
## **Massage**
“ I like myself when I am in massage.”
## **Cooking**
“10 out of 10 for the lasagne
“I feel proud of my cooking.”
## **Cinema Club**
“It’s nice to be able to to do things with someone instead of going to the cinema on my own.” Mr R said “ “in the past when he’s been he has had to leave as he did not feel comfortable . I didn’t know how good the cinema is. I really enjoyed it.”
## **Gardening**
“ It’s good being outside in the fresh air.” “Yeh. I’m proud. We made a garden.”
“ Everything looks so much better . Now we are ready for more gardening.”
“ Plants need the soil to get their food and stay alive.”
“Being with plants makes us feel calm and relaxed. They’re good for our mental health.”
## **Music**
“That was a wicked disco.”
- “The music group makes me happy.”
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**EQUAL PEOPLE MENCAP**
## **REPORT OF THE COUNCIL OF MANAGEMENT**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**
## **Winter Ball.**
“I really enjoy the food.”
“Equal people are my family. I love this Christmas Ball.”
“ The Winter Ball is a mega party. I love it.”
## **Bingo**
“ I enjoyed that. That was a great game of bingo.
“ R is the bingo master!”
“Bingo was fun today. Good game.”
## **“Science Museum visit.**
“ I haven’t been to a museum in a long time. I loved it.”
“ Yeah. It was interesting. Museums are always really interesting. I like looking at all the stuff.”
## **Brighton Daytrip**
“ I really liked all the different trees and plants, they’re nice. All the different colours.”
“ It’s so relaxing looking at nature. I like the colours of the rocks with the water around them
## **Dance**
“I loved the Carnival songs and the new dancing movement.”
“ It’s so relaxing looking at nature. I like the colours of the rocks with the water around them.”
“ I’m pleased I was invited to go. I feel lucky. I really enjoyr
## **Dating Walks**
“ I just want to be like everyone else.”
“ I would be a good boyfriend and treat my girlfriend very well.”
“ I had a boyfriend a long time ago, but we broke up and I have not had the opportunity to meet anyone. If I could get support and help that would make me happy.
“It’s nice liking someone. It makes m6y stomach tingle.”
## **3.3. Service specific Aims and Objectives**
## **3.3.1 Resource Centre & Drop In Activities Service: Aims & Objectives**
Our Resource Centre is open as a Drop-In service, with staff providing advice, signposting to appropriate services and organisations and offering practical and emotional support to vulnerable adults and children, their families and carers and members of the public.
The Centre also provides a safe, secure space where members can meet and socialise with their friends, arrange and have meetings, have lunch, rest and relax or take part in a variety of supported activities. It is also a base for on-call managers and a welfare or emergency space for members who have to go out into the community.
This was jointly funded by RBKC Social Care, Kusuma Trust and individual donations.
- Users are able to influence and be involved in the running and development of activities, training and courses through individual feedback and the quarterly Activities Advisory Group. Ideas, decisions and complaints raised are shared with the Council of Management
- We advertise our activities, training and courses well in advance and in an accessible way (e.g easy read/pictorial) and via Instagram and Whatsapp.
- We provide Activities that are User led.
- We provide a full week programme of activities, including online social and activity groups, training and courses at least 40 weeks a year. We provide at least one ‘out of hours’ community activity each month.
- We provide accessible information that ‘makes Safeguarding Personal’ giving people the information they need to identify and report concerns or abuse themselves.
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## **EQUAL PEOPLE MENCAP**
## **REPORT OF THE COUNCIL OF MANAGEMENT**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**
- We seek to make our activities accessible to **all** service users. Where we cannot provide the support we will provide users or their carers/advocates with information/ contact details of who may be able to help them.
- We provide up a variety of up to date and well-maintained equipment to support the activities.
- We offer and support a variety of activities in the local and wider community.
- We actively seek out partnership working opportunities with other organisations and bodies.
- Activities offer users the chance to participate, enjoy or learn as they wish. Some activities will focus on encouraging and enabling service users to move towards employment.
- Records will be kept of each user’s needs, wishes, participation and outcomes in partnership with the user to enable the user to demonstrate skills learnt to others.
Many of the activities are supported and facilitated by Equal People mencap’s 25 dedicated volunteers. The volunteers give their time and expertise to enable our members to try new things, find expression through music and dance, keep fit and access and participate in community life.
## **3.3.2. Achievements & Performance**
Many of the activities moved online and were open to all, including the Network Hope membership, meaning combined groups and a consistent membership over the year. People began online then came to the groups when they restarted in the Centre or the community. Several groups became hybrid.
**The IT Group** . Online and in person 1:1 and group training. Our IT café proved popular enabling users to develop their computer skills and research and access information about community events, interests. Free tablets and data provided. and campaign plus learning how to do emails and access social networks such as Facebook, Instagram and Whats App safely. We offered free tablets and data to members. Members regularly contributed items for our Instagram page.
**The Music Group –** a weekly themed and immensely popular music quiz with lots of records from the 50s to the present.
**The Zumba group. –** Keeping fit and having fun together to a Latin beat.
**Relaxation & Massage – Online & in person** Run by a trained tutor: a weekly session of accessible relaxation and massage exercises.
**Yoga –** Online & in person – 3 sessions a week group enabling and teaching relaxation techniques for members, staff and the public.
**The Music Group – Earls Court** weekly dance and movement group for people with complex needs co run with Pre-Amici
The **Making Food Work & Baking Groups –** enabled 30+ individuals to learn and work on all aspects of catering from growing food and, preparing, cooking and serving a variety of healthy meals and cakes
## **Gardening Group – ran year round.**
Supported by an experienced gardening tutor members were able to grow herbs and vegetables for the Making Food Work Project in our planters at Equal People and two allotments. Members built teamwork skills, health and safety and took great pride in successfully growing all the plants. The group won an award in RBKC’s community gardens competition.
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**EQUAL PEOPLE MENCAP**
## **REPORT OF THE COUNCIL OF MANAGEMENT**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**
## **Social and Bingo Sessions –** weekly
**Current Affairs Group** - Members exploring and sharing their thoughts and views about life in the community and current local, national and international news
**Arts & Craft sessions–** variety of crafts e.g. sewing, pottery, - equipment sent to all participants
**Dance sessions** – variety of dance styles – e.g
## **3.4. Network Hope Project**
## **3.4.1 Aims and Objectives**
A three-year renewed in September 2022 set up to support vulnerable individuals in North Kensington.
The Project had three over-arching outcome targets:
- People with a learning disability report feeling less socially isolated and have processed the impact of the Grenfell Tower disaster resulting in improved health and well-being.
- Families and carers have learned to cope better with feelings about the Grenfell Tower disaster and have established new neighbourhood networks and partnerships that enable communities to support each other.
- Volunteer champions have gained new skills, knowledge and understanding resulting in improved confidence self-esteem and motivation.
The Network Hope Project, staffed by a Manager, two part time activities staff, and IT tutor, session tutors and volunteers provides a variety of in-person and online activities and support sessions promoting an individual’s physical, mental and emotional well-being. The Project supports workshops and networking sessions supporting vulnerable individuals and all those affected by the Grenfell Tower disaster.
- Members were able to better influence and be involved in the running and development of activities, training and courses through individual feedback.
- We advertised our activities, training and courses well in advance and in an accessible way (e.g easy read/pictorial).
- We provided Activities and training that is member led.
- We provided a full week programme of activities, including online social and activity groups, training and courses 44 weeks during the year.
- We provided at least one ‘out of hours’ community activity each month.
- We planned and held an outdoor Wellbeing Festival in the local community.
- We provided accessible information to help make Safeguarding Personal’, ran safeguarding workshops with the Advocacy project and relationship workshops with SASH giving people the information they needed to identify, and report concerns or abuse themselves.
- We tried to make our activities accessible to **all** service users. Where we could not provide the support, we offered users or their carers/advocates information/ contact details of people who may be able to help them. And helped them make contact.
- We renewed equipment used to support the activities.
- We offered and supported a variety of activities in the local and wider community.
- We worked in partnership with other organisations and bodies.
- Our Activities offered members the chance to participate, enjoy or learn as they wish. Some activities focussed on encouraging and enabling members to move towards employment.
- Records were made and updated of each member’s needs, wishes, participation and outcomes in partnership with the user to enable the user to demonstrate skills learnt to others.
12
**EQUAL PEOPLE MENCAP**
## **REPORT OF THE COUNCIL OF MANAGEMENT**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**
## **3.4.2 Achievements and Performance**
Over the course of the first year of the Project we have built up network connections for ourselves as an organisation and for our members, run a variety of well-being activities, facilitated or attended regular workshops and organised trips to lots of events and nights out. The activities have been accessed by 150 individuals plus their families and carers and 25 new volunteers have joined our service.
Activities and workshops moved online or became hybrid and were often combined with our activities
Health Activities and Events:
- Feeling Good Festival. Designed and run by members and staff on Little scrubs.
- SASH (Relationship and Safe Sex and Gender & Identity Workshops) online workshops looking at relationships, boundaries and the impact of COVID-19
- • Oral health workshop
- Diabetes Footcare workshop
Yoga (Community & online)
- Zumba
- Dancing
- Gardening - allotment
Social Connection
- Weekly social group
- Weekly Bingo
- Lets get digital IT 1:1 and group training, free tablets and data
- Clubbing
- Dating walks
- Elizabeth Line review
Events/Trips
- Two barbecues
- Winter Ball
- Brighton Trips
- Science Museum
- Jubilee Party
- Nourish Hub
## **3.5 Floating Support Aims & Objectives**
**The Floating Support Service** – providing housing related and community support and care to people with learning disabilities, autism and complex needs within RBKC, Westminster and Hammersmith & Fulham wherever they live up to the limits Self-Directed Support i.e. Direct Payment & Personal Budget) contracts.
- Equal People mencap’s /Personal Care service is provided as part of both services at the direction of the service user and in line with their needs.
A Floating Support/CQC Registered Manager oversees The Floating Support & Homecare services supported by a Team Leader two senior support workers
13
**EQUAL PEOPLE MENCAP**
## **REPORT OF THE COUNCIL OF MANAGEMENT**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**
Equal People mencap’s Floating Support/Homecare service aims to provide person-centred housing related support and, where appropriate, care to each individual. We aim to encourage choice, independence and meaningful participation in the community. Support will be personal to and directed by the service user and/or their family/carer/advocate/Care Manager where it is a child.
The Floating Support Service supports 85+ adults and children funded through Personal Budgets who are living independently in the community but require between 1hr per week and 24-hours per day independent living, personal care or community support to maintain their tenancy, participate in community life, stay safe and secure and develop and act on their individual person-centred plans. Included in the support for all is access to an out of hours emergency on-call Manager (One of the Floating Support Management team). The on-call manager will provide information and support, deal with maintenance issues, medical emergencies or staffing issues and liaise with other professionals, Care Managers, police, paramedics, maintenance teams etc and will ensure on-site staff or manager support is provided if required.
The Floating Support/CQC Registered Manager meets with The Disability Social Work Team Leader to discuss, tenant issues, voids and new referrals.
The Floating Support Service is funded by individuals purchasing their support, often using personal budgets that are based on social care assessments. BBC Children in Need had funded part of the Floating Support service for 3 years from June 2019 and Equal people Mencap were successful in bidding for a further year’s funding. This covers 10 hrs of the Team Leader and 32 hours of support work each week in order to provide community group activities for children with complex needs.
## **3.5. 1 A detailed list of the specific Floating Support service standard aims and objectives is**
## **below:**
- Service users will be able to influence and be involved in the running and development of activities through individual feedback and the quarterly FS Advisory Groups. Ideas, decisions and complaints raised will be passed on to the Council Of Management. In October each year the CEO, with support from service users completes an easyread review of all incidents, accidents and complaints in the year, our actions and learning. This informs future practice.
- Tenants will be supported to maintain their tenancy and move towards increased selfresponsibility and independence at their own pace.
- Children and young service users: Equal People Mencap staff will support them to access and participate in the community, individually and in groups, to attend school or college and manage their daily routines in partnership with their parents and carers.
- Support & support times will be dictated by user choice. Service users will be given a weekly individual timetable confirming these times, presented in a format accessible to them, by the Friday of the preceding week. Changes to the timetable will only be made by EPm if due to emergencies or unexpected staff absence and users will be informed within 1 hour of a change being made.
- Service users will have a named link worker but will have met and agreed support from all staff within their support team.
- Service users will be supported to develop and take the lead in a person-centred plan in the style, manner and format of their choice. This plan will set out the person’s dreams, aims and aspirations and how s/he will be supported to achieve them. The plan will be monitored at least quarterly.
- All service users will have a Support Plan Risk Assessment (SRA) that is updated at least annually and is familiar to all Floating Support and On-Call staff. The SRA will set out how the individual wishes to be supported in all areas of her/his life; it will be written with and signed by the person and will include any areas where s/he and Equal People mencap staff may disagree over support needed.
14
**EQUAL PEOPLE MENCAP**
## **REPORT OF THE COUNCIL OF MANAGEMENT**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**
- Risk assessments will be viewed as a way of enabling an individual to achieve a wished for outcome and will be monitored and updated, in partnership with the person and appropriate professionals at least 6 monthly.
- Staff will undertake and update regular training: e.g. safeguarding, positive behavioural support, risk assessments, health and safety, first aid, epilepsy, medication administration, the Mental Capacity act, learning disability and autism awareness and manual handling.
- Staff will keep records in partnership with service users. The records will be:
- up to date
- confidential within the Service
-
- monitored monthly by Line Managers
- Service users will be supported to take & be in control of their own lives, thus:
- Service users will be supported and encouraged to participate in and influence their local community.
- Service users will be fully consulted about where they want to live and who they want to live with
- Service users will be fully involved in staff recruitment and choice of who supports them in their daily lives.
- Service users will be supported to make their space their own.
- Maintenance: Staff, with Service users will:
- complete an Environmental Risk assessment (/CH/121e/42 St) every 6 months and ensure all necessary actions completed within 1 month
- undertake fortnightly health & safety checks /42/121e)
- undertake monthly health & safety checks (FS 1 bed)
-
- ensure fire risk assessments are in place and up to date, fire alarm checks (weekly) and fire drills (quarterly/when new staff/tenants) are carried out at /CH and quarterly for both FS)
- complete a monitoring physical stands check 6 monthly on each property with the Service users & ensure all necessary actions are completed within 1 month
- report & record all needed repairs & follow up to ensure repair completed in line with Housing Association guidelines.
- • Monitor our response quarterly.
## **3.5.2 Achievements & Performance:**
- Rent Arrears as at 31//03/2023 are £7181.75 (HB received in April)
- Housing Void levels:
NHHT Nth Ken (12 units) 0% Stoneleigh St (3 units) 0% Church House: (2 units) 0% Thus full occupancy throughout the year.
Equal People mencap are registered with the Care Quality Commission to provide personal care. Registration number 1-309018343. Our last inspection report from January 2019 gave very positive feedback. An online inspection in November 2022 referred to positive feedback from service users, carers and professionals and confirmed EPM ‘s ratings as “Good” for all 5 monitored areas:
- Safe
- Effective
- Caring
- Responsive
- • Well-Led
15
## **EQUAL PEOPLE MENCAP**
## **REPORT OF THE COUNCIL OF MANAGEMENT**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**
The Floating support/CQC registered Manager Y Faye-Bagla spoke regularly with the CQC officer responsible for W10 based care services to update them on our practice in each of the above areas and completed Capacity Trackers monthly. A provider Information form (PIR) was completed and submitted in November 2022 as required
Floating Support staff received and completed extensive training in risk assessments, safeguarding adults, safeguarding children, person-centred planning, the mental capacity act, epilepsy, manual handling, working with children and health and safety – care Skills training modules.
## **4. Financial Review**
Against a continuing backdrop of limited resources and insecurities over funding along with a successful review and reduction of bad debts, it has been necessary to continue to invest funds in sustaining the Floating Support service alongside the expanded Activities services. Equal People mencap generated a loss of £93,444 this year.
Our fundraising consultants, Competitive Solutions raised £355,223 to cover services during this year and beyond at a cost of £26,640.
## **4.1. Risk Factors**
The Trustees keep the funding under constant review. While the core function receives adequate support from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, direct services apart from housing, are funded from other sources. Management seeks alternative sources of funds for direct services.
Equal People mencap receives grant funding from the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea (RBKC) and from various Charitable Trusts, and contract income from RBKC and other local authorities. RBKC/Bi Borough Social care have awarded Equal People Mencap £80,000 towards funding in 2022-2023 and this has been renewed for 2 years (2023-2024 and 2024-2025).
Equal People mencap recieved a a further 3 years funding from the National Lottery (from Sept 2022) and 1 year’s further funding from Children in Need.
## **Fundraising Expenditure**
Equal People mencap have spent £24,683 in 2022-2023 as a percentage of the Finance Manager, Centre and Activities Manager & CEO roles are assigned to the fundraising task.
## **4.2 Investment policy**
The charity aims to balance grant funding and income with expenditure during each financial year. It does not aim to accumulate funds beyond those necessary to secure its continued operation.
## **4.3 Reserves policy**
The General fund reserve may be called upon by the Trustees to meet an overall deficit and may be supplemented by an overall surplus. As far as possible it will be left intact, in order to hold sufficient funds to cover three months operations in the event of the charity ceasing to operate. Budgeted expenditure for 2023-2024 is £1,732,070 and so the target for the general reserve is £433,018. At present reserves are at £97,039.
## **4.4 Asset cover for funds**
Notes 14 and 15 sets out the analysis of the assets attributable to the various funds and a description of the trusts. These assets are sufficient to meet the charity’s obligations on a fund-by-fund basis.
16
**EQUAL PEOPLE MENCAP**
## **REPORT OF THE COUNCIL OF MANAGEMENT**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**
## **5. Plans for Future Period**
The consequent changing needs of our members and service users means that delivery across all of our services will continue to need to adapt throughout the year. Equal People Mencap will:
- Act upon our regularly updated COVID-19 risk assessments, contingency action plan and Infection Control policy.
- Ensure all members, staff and volunteers are safe and we have sufficient PPE, cleaning and social distancing regimes in place.
- Signpost and ensure support for testing, treatment etc is available to all staff, volunteers, members and carers. Ensure staff have all the information and access to vaccinations required and that EPM abide by legislation and CQC requirements re vaccination status when supporting individuals in Care Homes.
- Run a regular, varied weekly programme of activities online, in person and hybrid. We will support members to access and participate in a wide range of community events and run healthy living, safety and security and relationship and identity workshops.
- Floating Support services will continue for all members. EPM will explore a variety of recruitment streams in order to build staffing levels.
- EPm will liaise with statutory and trust funders to ensure our funding levels are maintained at a healthy level. Additional funding will be sought to cover additional expense and lost income.
- EPM will work with our HR contracted partner (Worknest) to ensure we provide appropriate support and guidance to all our staff.
Activities offered will be those highlighted and requested by our service users and will be funded through personal budgets and such grant, trust and statutory funding that can be secured to run activities and the drop-in service.
We will ensure our Activities and training programmes funded by The Bi-Borough, Kusuma Trust, Childen In Need and next year by the K&C Foundation are maintained as part of the programme of life-skills and well-being training. Monitoring, reviews and surveys will be used to encourage continued and/or alternative funding beyond contract end.
We will seek funding further for our Core services e.g. from Garfield Weston..
We will apply for further funding for our Network Hope Project to further build up local network links working together to support vulnerable individuals in North Kensington, including those affected by the Grenfell Fire. We aim to build up a team of volunteer led support groups alongside community activities running in a variety of North Kensington locations. This in turn will introduce more people to Equal People mencap’s other services.
Equal People mencap will review our core services and seek Trust funding for these and maintaining our database.
In 2022-2023 RBKC, Westminster & Hammersmith & Fulham Care Managers have continued to ask Equal People mencap to provide support for adults and children with more complex needs, health needs, mental health issues and autism and we will seek to increase our volume of work, experience and training in this field throughout 2023-24 in line with our staffing capacity, assessment of costs (e.g. travel) and sustainability. We will explore all possible ways of recruiting more staff. All staff will participate in updated safeguarding adults, child protection and MCA/DOLS training.
Equal People mencap have secured a further year’s funding from Children in Need to further develop or support for disabled children, including participating together in community sporting activities and events. We are working with local agencies to provide further accessible, sensory and specialist equipment to support work with children and adults with complex needs.
17
**EQUAL PEOPLE MENCAP**
## **REPORT OF THE COUNCIL OF MANAGEMENT**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**
Equal People mencap are CQC registered (rated as good in all 5 areas monitored: safe; effective; caring; responsive; well-led) to provide personal care and are actively seeking to work with all vulnerable individuals in need of support (through personal budgets). Meetings with children’s, transition, health, learning disability and mental health professionals to advertise our services have taken place and will continue. Further publicising of our services to individuals and carers will be prioritised. We will review our children’s support and complex needs services to ensure the support is sustainable and contributes sufficiently to core and administrative costs..
Services provided will need to enable EPm to build up our reserves.
The Floating Support service aims to continue developing the individualised person-centred seeking to ensure the service users are as in control of their lives and their support as possible.
Equal People mencap will actively pursue Personal Budget contracts, ensuring the high standard of our service is communicated to all potential users. Hourly rates will be competitive whilst adequately covering all associated core costs. All staff will be paid at least the London Living wage.
Equal People mencap staff will continue to work towards outcomes based on user feedback and wishes, recording information accurately and appropriately and making this available to Funders, service users and their families and carers and our Trustees.
Equal People mencap will undertake regular equal opportunities and diversity monitoring to ensure appropriate representation and support and will have and monitor our Equal Opportunities Action Plan to ensure all findings are followed up.
## **5.1 General Plans**
Equal People mencap staff will continue to work towards outcomes based on user feedback and wishes and improved physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. We will record information accurately and appropriately and make this available to Funders, service users and carers. Full staff meetings will focus on organisational development, communication, staff ideas and initiatives, safeguarding, positive behavioural support strategies, dignity in care building on teamwork and initiatives developed in team meetings.
Equal People mencap will monitor and review our services through external monitoring. All support sessions will be written up and, along with monthly service user feedback forms, be monitored by managers. The complaints procedure will be publicised regularly and all complaints responded to promptly and used to help to improve our service.
All Equal People Mencap policies and procedures (Putting Philosophy into Practice, Housing Management & Health & Safety will be updated annually and shared with staff and Trustees for review.
Equal People mencap’s contract of support sets out;
- The standard and type of service everyone can expect
- The rules for using the Resource Centre and Equal People mencap Services (updated by members)
- A code of Conduct
Equal People’s website will be regularly updated with news of current events and services available. This will aid both referrals and fundraising opportunities.
Equal People mencap will actively explore partnership working with National mencap and other organisations. This will enable joint tendering, fundraising and campaigning.
18
## **EQUAL PEOPLE MENCAP**
## **REPORT OF THE COUNCIL OF MANAGEMENT**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**
We work in partnership and/or as part of an individual’s ‘network of support’ with the Advocacy Project, RBKC Social Services, Westminster Social Services, Healthwatch K&C, The Westway Trust, Competitive Solutions, Worknest, Notting Hill Genesis, Octavia Housing, Catalyst Housing, Open Age National mencap and the North West London Mencap Consortium.
**Auditors** Myrus Smith Chartered Accountants were re-appointed as the charitable company’s auditors during the year.
Ms Melinda Gilbert
Chairman **DATE…………………**
19
## **INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT**
## **TO THE MEMBERS OF EQUAL PEOPLE MENCAP**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**
## **Opinion**
We have audited the financial statements of Equal People Mencap (the ‘charitable company’) for the year ended 31 March 2023 which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, the Balance Sheet, the Cash Flow Statement and notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
In our opinion the financial statements:
- give a true and fair view of the state of the charitable company’s affairs as at 31 March 2023, and of its 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; and
- have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.
## **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**
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the ISAs (UK) require us to report to you where:
- the trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is not appropriate; or
- the trustees have not disclosed in the financial statements any identified material uncertainties that may cast significant doubt about the charitable company’s ability to continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting for a period of at least twelve months from the date when the financial statements are authorised for issue.
## **Other information**
The trustees are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the trustees’ 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, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.
In connection with our audit of the financial statements, 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
20
## **INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT**
## **TO THE MEMBERS OF EQUAL PEOPLE MENCAP**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**
/..Cont’d
## **Other information** /…Cont’d
required to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other information. 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 the audit:
- the information given in the trustees’ report (incorporating the directors’ report) for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and
- the directors’ report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
## **Matters on which we are required to report by exception**
In the light of our knowledge and understanding of the charitable company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the directors’ report.
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:
- adequate accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or
- the 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; or
- the trustees were not entitled to prepare the financial statements in accordance with the small companies’ regime and take advantage of the small companies’ exemptions in preparing the directors’ report and from the requirement to prepare a strategic report.
## **Responsibilities of trustees**
As explained more fully in the trustees’ responsibilities statement, the trustees (who are also the directors of the charitable company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charitable company’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the 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
21
## **INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT**
## **TO THE MEMBERS OF EQUAL PEOPLE MENCAP**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**
## /..Cont’d
## **Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements /…Cont’d**
or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.
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 specific procedures for this engagement and the extent to which these are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below:
- Enquiry of management and those charged with governance about actual and potential litigation or claims and the identification of non-compliance with laws and regulations.
- Reviewing minutes of meetings of those charged with governance.
- Reviewing financial statement disclosures and testing to supporting documentation to assess compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
- Auditing the risk of management override of controls, including testing journal entries and other adjustments for appropriateness; and assessing whether the judgements made in making accounting estimates are indicative of a potential bias.
- Performing analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected relationships that may indicate risks of material misstatement due to fraud.
- Professional scepticism in course of the audit and with audit sampling in material audit areas.
Because of the inherent limitations of an audit, there is a risk that we will not detect all irregularities, including those leading to a material misstatement in the financial statements or non-compliance with regulation. This risk increases the more that compliance with a law or regulation is removed from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, as we will be less likely to become aware of instances of non-compliance. The risk is also greater regarding irregularities occurring due to fraud rather than error, as fraud involves intentional concealment, forgery, collusion, omission or misrepresentation.
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.
Kevin Fisher BA FCA CTA (Senior Statutory Auditor) For and on behalf of Myrus Smith Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditor Norman House 8 Burnell Road Sutton, Surrey SM1 4BW
2023
22
## **EQUAL PEOPLE MENCAP**
## **STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (Incorporating Income and Expenditure Account)**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**
|||Unrestricted|Restricted|Total|Total|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||Notes|Funds|Funds|2023|2022|
|||£|£|£|£|
|**Income from:**||||||
|Donations and grants|2|16,336|-|16,336|2,547|
|Charitable activities|3|1,392,309|123,855|1,516,164|1,624,963|
|Investments|4|189|-|189|10|
|||`───────`|`──────`|`───────`|`───────`|
|**Total**||1,408,834|123,855|1,532,689|1,627,520|
|||`───────`|`──────`|`───────`|`───────`|
|**Expenditure on:**||||||
|Raising funds|5|53,698|-|53,698|43,463|
|Charitable activities|6|1,445,077|123,855|1,568,932|1,610,769|
|||`───────`|`──────`|`───────`|`───────`|
|**Total**||1,498,775|123,855|1,622,630|1,654,232|
|||`───────`|`──────`|`───────`|`───────`|
|**Net income/(expenditure)**|8|(89,941)|-|(89,941)|(26,712)|
|Transfers between funds||-|-|-|-|
|||`──────`|`──────`|`──────`|`──────`|
|**Net movement in funds**||(89,941)|-|(89,941)|(26,7212)|
|**Reconciliation of funds:**||||||
|Total funds brought forward||189,896|-|189,896|-|
|||`──────`|`──────`|`──────`|`──────`|
|**Total funds carried forward**||£99,955|£Nil|£99,955|£189,896|
|||`══════`|`══════`|`══════`|`══════`|
The Statement of Financial Activities includes all recognised gains and losses.
All income and expenditure derives from continuing activities.
The notes form part of these financial statements.
23
## **EQUAL PEOPLE MENCAP** (Company No: 02150599) **BALANCE SHEET**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**
||||2023|||2022|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||Notes|£||£|£|£|
|FIXED ASSETS|||||||
|Tangible assets|11|||2,916||5,535|
|CURRENT ASSETS|||||||
|Debtors|12|116,597|||167,765||
|Cash at bank and in hand||215,778|||153,921||
|||`──────`|||`──────`||
|||332,375|||321,686||
|CREDITORS: Amounts falling due|||||||
|within one year|13|235,336|||137,325||
|||`──────`|||`──────`||
|NET CURRENT ASSETS||||97,039||184,361|
|||||`──────`||`──────`|
|TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT|||||||
|LIABILITIES|15|||£99,955||£189,896|
|||||`══════`||`══════`|
|INCOME FUNDS|||||||
|Restricted funds|14|||-||-|
|Unrestricted funds|14|||99,955||189,896|
|||||`──────`||`──────`|
|TOTAL FUNDS||||£99,955||£189,896|
|||||`══════`||`══════`|
These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
The financial statements were approved by the Board on 2023
Ms. M. Gilbert Dr. J. Wharram Chair Trustee
The notes form part of these financial statements
24
## **EQUAL PEOPLE MENCAP**
## **CASH FLOW STATEMENT**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**
||2023|2022|
|---|---|---|
||£|£|
|**Cash flows from operating activities**|||
|Net movement in funds per statement of financial activities|(89,941)|(26,712)|
|Adjustments for:|||
|Depreciation charges|5,139|9,336|
|(Increase)/decrease in debtors|51,168|(92,421)|
|Increase/(decrease) in creditors|98,011|(51,104)|
||`──────`|`──────`|
|**_Net cash provided by/(used in) operating activities_**|**64,377**|**(160,901)**|
||`──────`|`──────`|
|**Cash flows from investing activities**|||
|Purchase of tangible fixed assets|(2,520)|(3,706)|
||`─────`|`─────`|
|**_Net cash provided by/(used in) investing activities_**|**2,520**|**(3,706)**|
||`─────`|`─────`|
|**Change in cash and cash equivalents in the year**|**61,857**|**(164,607)**|
|Cash and cash equivalents brought forward|153,921|318,528|
||`──────`|`──────`|
|**Cash and cash equivalents carried forward**|**£215,778**|**£153,921**|
||`══════`|`══════`|
|**Analysis of cash and cash equivalents**|2023|2022|
|Cash at bank and in hand|£215,778|£153,921|
||`══════`|`══════`|
25
**EQUAL PEOPLE MENCAP**
## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**
## **1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES**
## **Basis of accounting**
The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland issued in October 2019, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102), the Charities Act 2011, the Companies Act 2006 and UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice.
The financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis under the historical cost convention. The financial statements are presented in sterling which is the functional currency of the charity.
The significant accounting policies applied in the preparation of these financial statements are set out below. These policies have been consistently applied to all years presented unless otherwise stated.
## **Income recognition**
Items of income are recognised in the financial statements when all of the following criteria are met:
- The charity has entitlement to the funds;
- any performance conditions have been met or are fully within the control of the charity;
- there is sufficient certainty that receipt of the income is considered probable; and
- the amount can be measured reliably.
The charity received government support through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) which is accounted for on the accrual basis and is included under Income for Charitable Activities (Note 3)
## **Expenditure recognition**
Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to make payment to a third party, it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount can be measured reliably.
Expenditure on charitable activities includes those costs of a direct nature which can be allocated to a specific activity. It also includes indirect costs, including governance costs that do not relate to a specific activity but are necessary to support those activities. Support costs are apportioned to each activity on the basis of staff time.
## **Fund accounting**
Unrestricted general funds are freely available for use in furtherance of the objects of the charity and which have not been designated for specific purposes.
Designated funds are unrestricted funds set aside by the trustees for particular purposes.
Restricted funds are funds which can only be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by the donor or which have been raised for a particular purpose.
## **Tangible fixed assets and depreciation**
Tangible fixed assets costing more than £500 are capitalised. Depreciation is provided so as to write off the cost of each asset, less estimated residual value over its estimated useful life at the following annual rates:
Fixtures, fittings and equipment
33% straight line
26
## **EQUAL PEOPLE MENCAP**
## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**
/contd…
## 1. **ACCOUNTING POLICIES** /contd…
## **Leases**
Operating lease rentals are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities on a straight line basis over the period of the lease.
## **Pensions**
The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions payable under the scheme are charged the Statement of Financial Activities in the year to which they relate.
## **Debtors and Creditors**
Debtors and creditors with no stated interest rate and receivable or payable within one year are recorded at transaction price. Any losses arising from impairments are recognised in expenditure.
|||Unrestricted|Restricted|Total|Total|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**2.**|**DONATIONS AND GRANTS**|Funds|Funds|2023|2022|
|||£|£|£|£|
||Donations|16,336|-|16,336|2,547|
|||`════`|`═════`|`═════`|`════`|
||All of the £2,547 recognised in 2022,|related to unrestricted funds.||||
|**3.**|**INCOME FROM CHARITABLE**|Unrestricted|Restricted|Total|Total|
||**ACTIVITIES**|Funds|Funds|2023|2022|
|||£|£|£|£|
||Grants and contacts|||||
||Royal Borough ofKensingtonand|||||
||Chelsea|84,915|-|84,915|159,224|
||Kensington and Chelsea|||||
||Foundation|-|-|-|18,500|
||Children in Need|-|50,457|50,457|39,889|
||Big Lottery Fund|-|53,878|53,878|133,935|
||Baily Thomas Charitable Fund|-|-|-|20,000|
||Kusuma Trust|24,802|-|24,802|20,000|
||Let’s get Digital BGC|12,861|-|12,861|3,848|
||Healthwatch Central West|-|-|-|500|
||Supporting People 06/07 Underspend|-|-|-|17,214|
||HMRC CJRS Grant|-|-|-|6,384|
||Open Age (DigitAll)|-|13,520|13,520||
||Earls Court Partnership|-|6,000|6,000||
||Housing and care charges|||||
||Housing rents|163,617|-|163,617|156,826|
||Care and support fees|1,079,521|-|1,079,521|1,047,225|
||Other charitable activities|||||
||Social activities|26,593|-|26,593|1,418|
|||`───────`|`──────`|`───────`|`───────`|
|||£1,392,309|£123,855|£1,516,164|£1,624,963|
|||`═══════`|`══════`|`═══════`|`═══════`|
Of the £1,624,963 recognised in 2022, £1,383,631 related to unrestricted funds and £241,332 to restricted funds.
## **4.**
|**INVESTMENT INCOME**|Unrestricted|Restricted|Total|Total|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||Funds|Funds|2023|2022|
|Bank interest|189|-|£189|£10|
||`══`|`══`|`══`|`══`|
All of the £10 recognised in 2023 related to unrestricted funds.
27
## **EQUAL PEOPLE MENCAP**
## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**
/contd…
## **5. COST OF RAISING FUNDS**
||||
|---|---|---|
|**COST OF RAISING FUNDS**|2023|2022|
||£|£|
|Staff costs|11,360|3,346|
|Consultancy fees|37,488|28,055|
|Other fundraising costs|4,850|12,062|
||`─────`|`─────`|
||£53,698|£43,463|
||`═════`|`═════`|
All of the £43,463 recognised in 2022 was charged to unrestricted funds.
|**6.**|**EXPENDITURE ON CHARITABLE**|Residential|Social|Total|Total|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**ACTIVITIES**|and Care|Activities|2023|2022|
|||£|£|£|£|
||**Cost directly allocated to activities**|||||
||Staff costs|989,013|-|989,013|1,028,076|
||Recruitment and training|16,266|-|16,266|11,317|
||Volunteer expenses||565|565|-|
||Staff travel and subsistence|6,800||6,800|7,157|
||Housing maintenance and utilities|29,035||29,035|35,795|
||Social activities||7,563|7,563|4,995|
||Welfare|738|-|738|-|
||**Support costs allocated to activities**|||||
||Staff costs|107,192|157,868|265,060|265,060|
||Premises costs|105,645|61,341|166,986|153,005|
||Communications|27,861|5,307|33,168|26,857|
||Legal and professional|6,909|-|6,909|6,376|
||Consultancy|-|-|-|18,797|
||Licences and insurance|16,645|3,151|19,796|21,798|
||Depreciation|-|5,139|5,139|9,336|
||Bank charges|318|61|379|551|
||Governance costs (Note 7)|11,713|2,231|13,944|13,636|
||Other costs|-|7,571|7,571|8,013|
|||`───────`|`──────`|`───────`|`───────`|
||Total 2023|£1,318,135|£250,797|£1,568,932|£1,610,769|
|||`═══════`|`══════`|`═══════`|`═══════`|
||Total 2022|£1,358,022|£252,747|£1,610,769||
|||`═══════`|`══════`|`═══════`||
Of the £1,610,769 recognised in 2022, £1,369,437 was charged to unrestricted funds and £241,332 was charged to restricted funds.
|**7.**|**GOVERNANCE COSTS**|2023|2022|
|---|---|---|---|
|||£|£|
||Staff costs|8,315|8,263|
||Auditor’s remuneration|4,512|4,440|
||AGM, publications and subscriptions|1,117|933|
|||`─────`|`─────`|
|||£13,944|£13,636|
|||`═════`|`═════`|
28
## **EQUAL PEOPLE MENCAP**
## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**
contd…
|**8.**|**NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)**|2023|2022|
|---|---|---|---|
||Net income/(expenditure) is stated after charging:|||
||Audit fees
– audit services|£3,750|£3,700|
||– non-audit services|£762|£740|
||Depreciation|£5,139|£9,336|
||Pension costs (defined contributions schemes)|£46,675|£49,792|
||Operating lease rentals|£39,799|£39,799|
|||`═════`|`═════`|
|**9.**|**EMPLOYEES AND STAFF COSTS**|2023|2022|
|||Number|Number|
||**Number of employees**|||
||The average monthly number of employees during the year was:|67|72|
|||`═══`|`══`|
|||£|£|
||**Staff Costs**|||
||Wages and salaries|1,032,831|1,113,895|
||Social security costs|95,512|96,694|
||Agency staff|111,941|46,792|
||Pension costs|46,675|49,792|
|||`───────`|`───────`|
|||£1,286,959|£1,307,173|
|||`═══════`|`═══════`|
There were no employees whose employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs) were £60,000 or more.
No remuneration was paid to trustees (2022: £Nil) and no trustees (2022: none) received any reimbursement of expenses.
Total employee benefits received by key management amounted to £55,433 (2022: £55,085).
Under FRS102, employee benefits include gross salary, employer’s national insurance and employer pension costs.
## **10. TAXATION**
As the company is a registered charity it is not subject to Corporation Tax.
29
## **EQUAL PEOPLE MENCAP**
## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023** /contd…
## **11. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS**
|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**11.**|**TANGIBLE FIXED ASSE**|**TS**||||Fixtures, fittings||
|||||||and equipment||
||**Cost**||||||£|
||At 1 April 2022|||||64,418||
||Additions||||||2,520|
||Disposals||||||-|
|||||||`─────`||
||At 31 March 2023|||||66,938||
|||||||`──────`||
||**Depreciation**|||||||
||At 1 April 2022|||||58,883||
||Charge for the year||||||5,139|
||Eliminated in disposals||||||-|
|||||||`─────`||
||At 31 March 2023|||||64,022||
|||||||`─────`||
||**Net book value**|||||||
||At 31 March 2023||||||2,916|
|||||||`═════`||
||At 31 March 2022|||||£5,535||
|||||||`═════`||
|**12.**|**DEBTORS**|||||2023|2022|
|||||||£|£|
||Trade debtors|||||89,688|
145,030|
||Other debtors and prepayments|||||26,909|
22,735|
|||||||`──────`|
`──────`|
|||||||£116,597|
£167,765|
|||||||`══════`|
`══════`|
|**13.**|**CREDITORS:**Amounts falling due within|||one year||2023|2022|
|||||||£|£|
||Social security and other|taxes||||28,423|
26,541|
||Other creditors and accruals|||||206,913|
110,784|
|||||||`──────`|
`──────`|
|||||||£235,336|
£137,325|
|||||||`══════`|
`══════`|
|**14.**|**MOVEMENT IN FUNDS**|Balance at||||Transfers|
Balance at|
|||1|April|||between|31 March|
|||2022||Income|Expenditure|funds|2023|
||**Restricted funds**||£|£|£|£|£|
||Network Hope Project||-|67,398|67,398|-|
-|
||Activities||-|56,457|56,457|-|
-|
|||`──────`||`──────`|`──────`|`──────`|
`──────`|
||||--|123,855|123,855|-|
-|
|||`──────`||`──────`|`──────`|`──────`|
`──────`|
||**Unrestricted funds**|||||||
|||`──────`||`───────`|`───────`|`──────`|
`──────`|
||General funds|189,896||1,408,834|1,498,775|-|
99,955|
|||`──────`||`───────`|`───────`|`──────`|
`──────`|
|||`──────`||`────────`|`────────`|`──────`|
`──────`|
||**Total funds**|£189,896||£1,532,689|£1,622,630|£Nil|
£99,955|
|||`══════`||`════════`|`════════`|`══════`|
`══════`|
The purpose of each fund is set out in the Report of the Council of Management.
30
## **EQUAL PEOPLE MENCAP**
## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**
/contd…
## **14. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS** /contd…
Comparative information for the net movement in funds in the previous accounting year is as follows:
|||Balance at|||Transfers|Balance at|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||1 April|||between|31 March|
|||2021|Income|Expenditure|funds|2022|
||**Restricted funds**|£|£|£|£|£|
||Network Hope Project|-|133,935|133,935|-|-|
||CJRS Grant|-|6,384|6,384|-|-|
||Activities|-|101,013|101,013|-|-|
|||`──────`|`──────`|`──────`|`──────`|`──────`|
|||-|241,332|241,332|-|-|
|||`──────`|`──────`|`──────`|`──────`|`──────`|
||**Unrestricted funds**||||||
|||`──────`|`───────`|`───────`|`──────`|`──────`|
||General funds|216,608|1,386,188|1,412,900|-|189,896|
|||`──────`|`───────`|`───────`|`──────`|`──────`|
|||`──────`|`────────`|`────────`|`──────`|`──────`|
||**Total funds**|£216,608|£1,627,520|£1,654,232|-|£189,896|
|||`══════`|`════════`|`════════`|`══════`|`══════`|
|**15.**|**ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BETWEEN**||**FUNDS**|Unrestricted|Restricted|Total|
|||||funds|funds|funds|
|||||£|£|£|
||Tangible fixed assets|||2,916|-|2,916|
||Current assets|||332,375|-|332,375|
||Current liabilities|||(235,336)|-|(235,336)|
|||||`──────`|`──────`|`──────`|
||As at 31 March 2023|||£99,955|£Nil|£99,955|
|||||`══════`|`══════`|`══════`|
Comparative information for the analysis of net assets between funds for the previous accounting year is as follows:
||Unrestricted|Restricted|Total|
|---|---|---|---|
||funds|funds|funds|
||£|£|£|
|Tangible fixed assets|5,535|-|5,535|
|Current assets|321,686|-|321,686|
|Current liabilities|(137,325)|-|(137,325)|
||`──────`|`──────`|`──────`|
|As at 31 March 2022|£189,896|£Nil|£189,896|
||`══════`|`══════`|`══════`|
31
## **EQUAL PEOPLE MENCAP**
## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**
/contd…
## **16. LEASES**
The total future minimum lease payments due under non-cancellable operating leases are as follows:
||2023|2022|
|---|---|---|
||£|£|
|Within one year|29,719|31,478|
|Between one and five years|1,319|1,759|
||`─────`|`──────`|
||£31,038|£33,237|
||`═════`|`══════`|
## **17. GENERAL INFORMATION**
Equal People mencap is a registered charity and also a private company, limited by guarantee, incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales. The registered office and place of business is given in the Reference and Administrative Details on page 1.
A description of the charity’s operations and principal activities is given in the Report of the Council of Management.
## **18. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS**
There were no transactions with related parties, other than those reported in Note 9.
## **19. CONTINGENT ASSETS**
Total grant funding awarded as at 31 March 2023 but not yet recognised as income due to the recognition criteria not being met amounts to £328,131.
32