HSH Herefordshire Night Shelter Hope Scott Hostel Annual Report and Accounts For the year ended 31 July 2024 Registered Charity Number 515025 Unaudited Herefordshire Night Shelter Hope Scott House 2023-2024 Unaudited Report and Accounts Contents Page Reference and administrative details Charity Information Chairman's Annual Report Independent Examiner's Report Statement of Assets & Liabilities 10 11-12 Receipt & Payments Notes to accounts 12-13 Herefordshire Night Shelter Hope Scott House 2023-2024 Reference and Administrative Details Charity name: Registered Charity Number. Registered office: Herefordshire Night Shelter 515025 Hope Scott House, Roman Road, Hereford, HR11LE The following have acted as Trustees (and Management Council Members) of the Charity during the year: From To Additional roles Mr Stuart Fox Mrs Barbara Hartland Mr David Halpern Mr Alex Cunliffe Mr Kevin Ebsworth Mr Gerald Ridley Mr lain Hayes 10th March 2022 1 August 2019 11th March 2022 1 August 2018 1 August 2019 21 October 2020 19 May 2021 Chair Vice-chair Member Member 13th October 2022 29. February 2023 Honorary Treasurer Secretary Member 2nd March 2023 Employees of the Charity.. Name Rol8 Mr Stuart Poole House Manager ort Worker Ms Alison Price art time: self-em Resident's Support Worker ort Worker Mrs Jo Child full time: em ed b Herefordshire Count Council Resident's Support Worker Bankers: Main account: Santander 20121 High Town Hereford HR12AB House account: Via Tesco top up Charge card Deposit account: CCLA Investment Management Limited Senator House 85 Queen Victoria Street London EC4V 4ET Independent Examlner: RJ Francis & Co Suites 1 & 2 Marshall Business Centre Faraday Road Hereford HR49NS Herefordshire Night Shelter Hope Scott House 2023-2024 Charity Infonnation The Charity is governed by a constitution adopted on the 16 September 1983, as amended on 29 November 1991, 28 March 1996 and 4 November 2014. The Trusteeslmanagement Council present their report and accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 July 2024. The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in the notes on pages 10- 13 to the accounts and comply with the charity's constitution, applicable law including the Charities Act 2011. Comparative figures in the accounts relate to the previous accounting year. No specific investment powers are included in the Constitution. The Charity is therefore governed by the general provisions of the Trustee Act 2000. The Charity holds money not immediately required for day-to-day management purposes with CCLA Investment Management Limited. The objects of the Charity are the care and treatment of persons in need who are homeless, or suffering from psychological or physical infirmity, or who by reason of adverse circumstances. ill health. or being a discharged offender, are in need of help in acquiring a settled way of life through the establishment of hostels and residential accommodation, and to educate these persons to develop their physical, mental and spiritual capacity that they may develop full maturity as responsible individuals and members of society, and that their life may be improved. To further these objects, the Charity runs a hostel for homeless persons who can directly access the accommodation. The Charity also takes referrals from outside agencies. There are currently five Trustees, which are reviewed and agreed at each AGM. During this accounting period, The Trustee Board comprised of The Chairman, vice Chair, Secretary, Honorary Treasurer plus 1 additional volunteer Trustee. There are currently no restrictions on the maximum number of Trustees. Trustee recruitmenvappointment has usually been by personal recommendation. Individuals who have a good standing and a clear understanding of the role, who are also happy to promote HSH within the wider community. A diverse approach is taken to recruit the right candidate. All Trustees l Management Council members are volunteers. All Trustees have regard to the Charity Commission guidance to public benefit htt s:/lwww. ov.ukl uidancel ublic-benefit-rules-for-charities) There have been no material changes in this policy since the last Report. The day-to-day management of the hostel is by a resident, full-time employee - the House Manager. Resident's support is provided by two dedicated Support Workers. The hostel has continued to maintain consistently high standards throughout the past year. Herefordshire Night Shelter Hope Scott House 2023-2024 Chairman's report to welcome both the Dean of Hereford Cathedral, the Very Reverend Sarah Brown, to HSH as well as the new vicar of Holmer Parish Church, Reverand Wayne Davies to HSH. Links between the Church and HSH have traditionally been strong, and the trustees are keen to see these links grow across all faith groups in Herefordshire. During this financial year, the challenges facing us at Hope Scott House have increased significantly. Our work and core focus at HSH remains on giving our residents a place to feel safe and settled as we support them in the move onto the next stage of their lives and towards independent living. This work involves considerable skill and dedication and is dependent on the teamwork of our core members of staff. We have also welcomed Tim Howson DL, the Deputy Lord Lieutenant for Herefordshire who took a tour of the facility in October 2023 and a number of other guests from the local authority and around the county. For most of this reporting period Hope Scott House was at full capacity with our 11 rooms and two self- contained residential pods fully occupied. Our residents, situations are often complex, and this can bring considerable pressures to bear on the team providing management and support on a daily basis. As in previous years. the generous donations made by individuals and organizations are vital to the ongoing operations at HSH. Their contributions are essential in turning around the lives and the whole Committee would once again like to thank them for their support. Jo Child, our full-time support worker who joined the team in 2022, reduced her hours to part time in 2023 and left us later that year, Alison Price, our part-time support worker continued in her role and has done an excellent job in supporting the diverse needs of our residents. Stuart Poole has done an excellent job as House Manager often going above and beyond what was required of him, During the year, he made us aware of his plans to retire later in 2024. The Friends of Hope Scott House group goes from strength to strength. The highlight of their annual calendar was an evening with Sunny Ormonde, the actor who plays Lillian Archer in the Radio 4 programme, The Archers. She regaled a packed Lyde Court with tales from the programme and her extensive theatrical career. The trustees would like to thank Mary and her brilliant team for all that they do for HSH. Our relationship with Herefordshire Council officers remains very strong. We are very grateful for their support and guidance across a whole range of issues and HSH remains an integral part of This year has also finally seen the departure Herefordshire Council's Homelessness pathway, of our long-serving Treasurer, Kevin Project Brave. Ebsworth, who was also deservedly awarded an MBE in the King's Birthday Honor's List in June 2024. A look back at last year's annual report will see the announcement of Kevin's retirement from HSH then but he very kindly delayed his departure until February 2024 to help me with some important negotiations, more of which below. Again, I would personally like to thank Kevin not only for his dedication to HSH but also for his support and guidance over the last few years. Project Brave is a multi-agency response to homelessness and rough sleeping in Herefordshire. As part of project brave a range of strategic and voluntary agency's work in partnership placing individuals at the center of their work to address homelessness and rough sleeping. HSH'S role is to provide accommodation and support to enable our residents to move on to independent living, with a feeling of positive self-worth and dignity. Over the last ￿e1ve months. we have been pleased During the start of this financial year, it Herefordshire Night Shelter Hope Scott House 2023-2024 became clear to the trustees that our established model of operations was not sustainable. The complex and diverse demands of a growing number of residents was putting too much pressure on our staff and when our full-time support worker left, we struggled to find an experienced replacement putting further pressure on the remaining team. As a result, the trustees resolved to find a way forward that meant we could be true to our charitable objectives, maintain the facility at HSH in its current or ideally improved fom and continue to be an integral part of Herefordshire Council's plans. As a result, we began negotiations initially with colleagues and Herefordshire Council and then with another Charity introduced to us by colleagues at the Council. Those discussions are ongoing, but we are confident that we have some important news about the future of HSH in the next financial year. As part of these discussions, we were required to obtain a House of Multiple Occupation (HMO) licence from Herefordshire Council; our status had made us exempt prior to this. Council officers from the Environmental Health team were hugely supportive throughout the application process and the licence was achieved. There were however a number of significant improvements and upgrades required to the fabric of HSH, the costs of these improvements are reflected in our unusually large outgoings in 2023124. The work on the Committee continues as we try to support a facility that has evolved into a larger and more complex operation than ever before. As I mentioned at the start of this Chairmans, report, this brings challenges for us as a group, but we are hopeful of finding a sustainable solution which will provide a way forward for HSH in the years to come. Stuart Fox July 2024 Herefordshire Night Shelter Hope Scott House 2023-2024 Independent Examinerfs Report I report on the accounts of Herefordshire Night Shelter forthe year ended 31 July 2024, which are set out on pages 10t0 13. Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner The charity's trustees and members of the Management Council are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity's trustees and members of the Management Council consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to.. examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011Act; 2. to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145 (5)(b) of the 2011 Act., and 3. to state whether particular matters have come to my attention. Basis of ind8pendent examiner's report My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a "true and fair view" and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below. Independent examiner's statement In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention.. 1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements: 1. to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act. and 2. to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act have not been met or 2) to which. in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Signed: A A Houston ON BEHALF OF RJ FRANCIS & CO Chartered Accountants Suites 1 & 2 Marshal Business Centre Faraday Road Hereford HR4 gNS 4th March 2025 Herefordshire Night Shelter Hope Scott House 2023-2024 Statement of Assets and Liabilities Liabilities General Fund Restricted Fund 2024 2023 Fund b￿d. 681,425 6,266 687,691 659,706 Surplusl(loss) for the year (20,310) (11) (20,321) 27,985 Fund ￿d. Represented by.. Current Account - Santander 23,731 1,048 24779 52,136 Oeposit Account- CCLA 142,584 142,584 135,418 House Manager Account 137 HSH Property Value 500,000 500,000 500,000 Potential LA Grant Liability (150,0001 (150,000) (175,000) Taking Liability into Consideration 516,322 1,048 517,370 512.691 New annex (East Wing) - LA Grant liability agreement.. £250k (reducing at straight-line 100/0 (£25k) pa over 10 years) starting October 2019 These accounts were approved by the Trustees and Council of the Management of the Charity on TBA, and signed on their behalf by: Mr. Stuart Fox HSH Chairman Date 18th March 2025 Gerald Ridley Honorary Treasurer Date 18th March 2025 Herefordshire Night Shelter Hope Scott House 2023-2024 IA 2024 2023 2024 2023 Housing Benefit Room Rate to bank Interest Donations Key Deposits 105,479 117,246 House Manager Relief House Manager Support Worker Water Council Tax lfiat} Electricity 19,345 24,635 21,740 780 7,133 7,437 6,809 4,807 37,300 159 1,924 12,745 882 7884 1402 13 17,440 20,027 18,924 720 1,860 10,054 6,700 4,405 6,694 159 1,424 7,816 893 4,819 1,544 47 7166 23,969 3,924 11,225 16 Insurance Repairslmaintenance TV License Housekeeping New Items Phone, Blband & Website Misc. Acct I Payroll Services Office Expenses Refurbishment (old annex) New Build Items Mobile SIM Costs Tesco Club Card HB Refund Surplusl(Loss) 180 1,554 195 (20,310) 136,614 221 28,664 132,411 136,614 132,411 Herefordshire Night Shelter Hope Scott House 2023-2024 AA 2024 2023 2024 2023 Grants Build cost Hostinger- Web hosting Domain Transfer Surplusl(Loss) 895 11 158 169 169 1075 169 1075 Recei ts&Pa ments Restricted Fund - Garden Pro'ect l Resldent La to 2024 2023 2024 2023 Grant IEFBulmerl Grant (Morrisons) Grant IB&Q) 490 1,000 1,000 Laptop Garden furniture Gardening equipment Gardening items Surplusl(Loss) 490 500 449 824 227 2,490 2,490 Notes: These accounts are on a receipts and payments basis There are no trusts The accounts comply with the appropriate legal requirements. That is, that gross recorded income from all sources did not exceed £250,000 and the charity is not a company incorporated under the Companies Act. The above Receipts and Payments details and the associated Balance Sheet are extracted from the from the cash book and records of Herefordshire Night Shelter, and are certified to be correct and that the assets are as stated. 10 Herefordshire Night Shelter Hope Scott House 2023-2024 Reserves Policy Unrestricted funds are held for routine use in accordance with the charity's objects. The charity has experienced serious financial difficulties in the past and now aims to retain free reserves sufficient to provide adequate working capital to fund the core activities for at least 18 months. The charity's assets are available and adequate to fulfil these obligations. Total reserves at the balance sheet date were £142,584 in the CCLA deposit account with the immediate access to £23,731 giving a total of £166,315 With total projected future annual overheads of around £20,000, this provides around 83 months protection. Future potential impacts on the reserves policy: Although HSH is looking to change its operational model in the future. it is prudent financial management to ensure that current and future liabilities are contained and managed. There is a desire on the part of the Trustees and Herefordshire Council to expand the number of rooms available at HSH and there will be capital costs associated with such a move. The Trustees will continue to seek donations from private benefactors who have supported the charity generously in the past- however, it is likely that there will be some direct expenditure from the charity on these developments. In addition, Hope Scott House itself is an old building and requires ongoing maintenance. In this last 12 months alone, we have had to replace most of the fire doors, upgrade the plumbing and kitchen and carry out routine repairs to the roof. Should more major structural repairs be required (e.g. a replacement roof on the main building) then significant sums would be required. The Charity proposes therefore to retain our reserves at their current levels for the immediate future.