Company regisli'alion nuiiiber.. N1031238 Cliarity regists?tion nuiiibei.: NIC106118 North Down & Ards Women's Aid (A company l(mited by guai'anlee) Annual Report and Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2023 M.B. McGrady & Co Chartered Accounlaiits & Registered Auditors Suite 2B Cadogan House 322 Lisburn Road Belfast BT9 6GH North Down & Ards Women's Aid Contents Reference and Adniinistrative Details Strategic Report 2to3 Trustees, Report 4t0 11 Statement of Ti'ustees, Responsibilities 12 Independent Audiloi's, Report 13to 17 Statement of Financial Activities 18to 19 Balance Sheet 20 Statement of Casl) Flows 21 Notes to the Financial Siatenienls 221034 North Down & Ards Women's Aid Reference and Administrative Details Trustees Jennifei. Gill Jenna LL¥wry Jennifer Susan Ferguson Claire Louise Best Mrs Natslie ICatl)ryn Swift (appoinled 6 February 2023) Mrs Victoria Crooks (appointed 7 Februaiy 2023) Ai'leen Elliott (appoiiit¢d 25 Septeniber 2023) Etrnna LA)uise Kelly (Resigned 23 June 2023) Lindsay kn)ne Adanis (Resigned 5 Julie 2023) Kailiryn Sts7wbi'idg¢ (appoiiited 5 Septembci. 2022 aiid Resi£i)ed 12 May 2023) Leona Solan-caimduff (Resigned 12 May 2023) Lisa Armsirong (Resigned 12 May 202.1) Cliief Eiecutiv¢ Offlcer Mrs Emalyii Turkin8lon Pi'incipal Office 18 Bin8liaiii Street Bangor BT20 5DW Registered Office 18 Binghani Street Bai)gor BT20 5DW Tlie chai'ity is incorporated in Nortl)eni Ireland. N1031238 Compaiiy RegistrAtion Number ChAJ'ity Registi'atiott Numbei. NIC106118 Baiikei Bank of Ireland 82A Main Siretl Bangor B T20 4AG Audltoi, M.B. McGrad)' & Co Chartered Accountants & Registeied Auditors Suite 2B Cadogan Housc 322 Li5biim Road Belfast BT9 6GH Page I North Down & Ards Women's Aid Strategie Report for the YeaR' Ended 31 Marcli 2023 Tlie Trustees have adopted the i)I￿VIsIOnS of Accounting aftid Rcportin8 by Charilies: Statenient of Recoiniiiended Piactice applicable to Cliarities prepartng their accounts in accordance witli tlie Finaiicial Reportillg Standard applicable iii tlie UK ai)d Republic of Irelaiid (FRS 102) (effective l January 2015). OveTr'view Nortli Down and Ards Woin¢i)'s Aid (NDAWA) Wds establislled in 1982 aiid is tlie lead agency suppoi'ling wonien, young people and children subjeeled to domestic aiid sexual violence/abuse. NDA WA is oiie of eigl)L local groups piDviding services lo Noith Dow), Holywood, Conlig, Newtownards, Ards Peninsul4 Dundonald, Coiiibci., Killinchy and Killyleagli. (Ards aiid North Down Borough Council area). NDAWA provides a wide range of diirct services including ei)Icrgcncy accoinmodation and crisi5 support, coiiiinunity-based supporl, iiidividually tsilored safety planning and suppoi't planning. court support. accoinpaniinent lo appointnients and preventioi) s¢rviccs. We have ali exteiisive support progi'anime foi. childyen and youi)g peoi)le coi)Iprising ail woi'ksliops. individual and group work sessions. 'fhis sei'vice is a Inultt-disciplinary agency approacl) working in partnership witli five otliei- partner organisations. Etlios Oui. sliong eilios is based upoii our working preinise offor ivoiiieii, willi ivoiiieii, bjy Ivoiiieii which is iiiherent in our sei'vice dLVLlopiiienl and delivery. Vlsioii Our vision foi, the 21 st century is Ili¢ elimiiiation of doinestic abuse. Col'e Aims * Provide teniporary refuge lo wonien and their childi'en suffering einolioiial, mental, physical or sexual abuse withiii their honie; Encourage tlie woniaii to takc control of her own future. Ivliether this involves retun)ing liome or beginning an independent life; • Recogiiise and care for the emolional needs of the cliildren involved. • Offer suppo1* and advice to any wotnen who asks for it, whether or not slie is living ii) a re￿ge, and lo offer supportive aftercai'e to won)en leaving the refuge. and Educatc and infom) the public. the media, the courts. social services aiid other agencies, always mindfvl of the fact that abused women are a dii'ect result of the general position of our society. Page 2 North Down & Ai'ds Women's Aid Strategic Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2023 Sti'xtegic Focus for 2022-2024 l. Developrnenl and delivery of quality services - We aini to provide a i'csponsive. suppoitive and innovative range of s¢rvi¢es io women and cliildi'en at risk of doinestic violence. 2. Tlie pi'ovision of fit for puiyose facilities - We aim to develop fit for purpose facilities that seivice oui. needs and Ilie necds of woinen and children. Stj'xtegie objectives StAf(- Ei)suie tliat tlie riglit staff, who liave ilie right skills are in the right places at the riglil times. Systems To liave a fit foi. purpose eonimunication and n)8na8ement and financial inforii)ation systeiiis to in)prove coniiectioii willi clients and key stakeholder5. Sti'ucture - l o liave fit for purpose stsffing strncture 10 5UPPOrt tlie delivery of tl)is strategic plan and associated biisiness pi'iorilies, FinAnce - To bc able to sei'vi¢e wl)al we waiil to do withiii this plan with the financial resources tllat we Iiave aiid those that we geneiate (hiDugh oui. own eiideavoui's. The stiulegic repoit was approved by the Iiiistees of the cliarity on 19 Decejiiber 2023 and signed on its behalf by.. Jennifer Gill Tiwstee Page 3 North Down & Ards Women's Aid Trustees, Report 'riie tru51ees, wlio are direclot3 for the puiposes of coiiipany law, present the annual Irport togetliei. witli ihe financÉal statements 2nd auditors, report of the charitable company for the year ended 31 March 2023. Sigiiificant Activities Cui'i'ellt Context li) tlie tivelve inont]is fiDni l April 2022 to 31 March 2023 there were 32,875 reported domestic abuse incidents across Noill)ern Ireland. Witliin Ilie saine twelve niontlis tlie nuinber of reported dolnestic abuse crimes reaclied 22.343. Thei'e were 17 don)cstic abiise incidenls and 12 domestl¢ abuse cl'imes per 1.000 population. 6 of the I I policiilg districts showed d decrease in Ihe iiiiiiibei. of doi)ieslic abuse iiicideiils while 8 policing disti'icts sl)owed an increase in tlie i)unib¢i' of doines¢i¢ abuse criiyies. In 2022123, Ards and Noitli Down policing district I'ccorded 2,259 doiiicslic abuse incidents and 1,456 doinestic abiise criines. Tlie above figures deinonsti'ate Il)e need foi. NDA WA'S ¢ontiiiiiing servi¢¢s provisioii within tl)e Ards Noi'tli Down Borough Coiincil ar¢a. Tl)¢ focus of NDAWA'S woi'k during 2022123 followiiig tl)e Strategic Focus 2022-2024 has beei).. l. Seivice Provision 2. Policy and Cai)Ipaigning 3. Partnei'sliip Working In 2022123, NDA W A had ali increase iii staff wl)ich included a new CLO. a Young Woinen's Worker, Gioup Facil italoi., and an Oldei. Wonien's Woi'ker. By Il)e end of Marcli 2023, we l)ad a staff leair of 16, this was an increase from a teaiii of l O in the18St financial year. Sei'vice Pj'ovision Refuge accominodAtion Occupancy dui'ing 2022123 h&8 remained in high demai)d. 40 woinci) ai)d 8 children Itquii'ed rethge acconimodation in Ili¢ Nortli t)own and Ards a￿a. NDAWA and Choice Irelai)d Housing Assoeialiort are continuiiig to work closely to identify a new location for a new refuge ihat will nieet Il)e dem8nds for Refuge sei'vices. Under considei'ation are a number of niodels of ￿lS[S aecoiiiniodalioii. All women residing in Refuge wei'e supported during their stays willi accon)piminient. advocacy. Court suppoit. individually tailoi'ed suppoit plans and safety plaiis, aiid resettlenient support. NDA WA and Choice Ireland Hoiising Association are continuing to work closely to identify a new location for a iiew refiigc that will meet tlie demands for Refuge services. Under consideration al'e a nuinbei. of models or ci'isis accoinmodation. All wottien residing in Refuge were supported duriiig their stays wid) accompaiiiinenl, advocacy, Court suppoi'l, individually tailored support plans and safety plans, and resettlement support. Floating Support This servi¢e provides support to women affected by domestic abuse residiiig in tlie coiiimunity. Dui'ing 2022123 NDAW A ieceived 518 Irferrals lor Ilie Floating Suppo11 services, this was an increase of 5.50/0 from the last financial year. 2022123 has still proved a challenging year for the Floating Support selwiee. due to die in¢irased numbei. of I'efei'rals and recruitment oiily slarting lo be resolved towards tlie ei)d of 202212J. Tliere wei'e 227 PSNI I'eferrals to NDAWA in 2022123. making Iliis the highest referral soui'ce, with self-referrals being Ilie second higl)est at 222. Page 4 North Down & Ards Women's Aid Trustees, Report Young Mlornen's Pi'ojeet 'rhe aim of tlie Yoiiiig Women's Worker was to meet the needs of an Increase in referi'als to Nortli Down & Ai'ds Woniet]'s Aid (NDAWA) of youii. o women in tlie cottiinuiiity, aged 18-30 years old. Since Ilie Yoiiiig Women's Worker slart¢d in Noveinber 2022 to March 2023 she lias worked with 33 woinen. Tl)e Young Won)en's Worker identified the need within NDAWA to increase our online pirsence on social Imedia cliannels. Froin January 2023, slie has increased tlie reacli on Il)e NDAWA Facebook page, visils to Il)e Facebook page ii)creased aiid tl)ere was a gi'owtli in followers, ei)gageni¢iit. Tiiei'e was also ali iiicrease on Instagi'am followei's. Oldei. Women's Worker Tlieir was an identified need foi. an Oldei. Woineii's Woi'ker within Noith Down & Ards Women'8 Aid. Tlie part liiiie Older Wonicn's Worker started in Nov¢mber 2022 and has worked with 15 woimen witliiii the 2022123 yeai., with ali age raiige froni 60 to 85 yeais old. Jouriiey to F?'eedom (J2r) The J2F SLlPPOIt gi'ollp is a nJajoi- componenl of NDA WA'S wrapaiDund seivices and is &vailable lo women both in Refiige and Floating Siippoi'l. Tlie aim of Ilie Jouimey to Freedoni gix)up is to pi'ovide a safe and siipportive groiip pi'o¢¢ss lo eiiable woinei) to explorc tlieir experiences of doineslic abuse and lo einpowei. Iliet to Inove 011. In 11)c yeai. 2022123, 23 woinen wei'e I'efei'rcd lo the Joui'ney lo Freedom group, 16 regislei'ed and 13 woiiien coinpleted both groups. Ove1711. Ive delivei'ed 36 sessions to Ihe Bai)Eor and Newtownai'ds group. Woinen attending Ilie Joui'ney to fi'eedoiii group have bcnefited fro111 specialist suppoi'l provided by the gioup facililalors around Ilie dynaniies of doii)eslic abuse. Ilie inipacl Iliis has l)ad on Ilieiii, ai)d ￿buildI1]g Il)eii' lives. Evaluation feedback froin women wlio attended and ￿Mpleted the sessions: 'That l am not alone, tlial Iliere are other women going througli siniilar and worse than Inyself. It's good to talk to others for perspective ai)d it's better to edu¢at¢ myself on warning signs wld the niany diffei'eiit types of abuse., 'That l ain strong, I can be asseiiive, that I will suit Inyself and suii my girl's needs. I will figlit for wliat is best., Following on from tlie Journey to Freedom (J2F) gi'oiip, we offered women who l)ad completed J2F lo attend a 6-Iveek peisoiial developineiit group fi'oin Febrnary-fvlarch 2023. Tliis groiip included sessions oi) Il)ou8])ts, feelings & beliaviours, Iinwritten rules in society, self-care aiyd strategies for woinen to help iiiove on. 8 woniei) were able lo attend this gmup. Secui'ity Project (fuiided by the Homeless Pi'evention Fund) In partnership ivorkiiig willi Radius Connect 24, we were able to provide woinen witli a silent alarm whicli if activated, will &utomati¢ally ¢onlact the PSNI and will record all noise. Iiom November 2022 to Mai'cli 2023, 14 women wei'e identified as Iiigh I'isk to domestic abuse and I'¢fei'red lo Radius Connect 24 to liave tlie silent alarin installed in their home. By helping these women stay in their honies safely, it helped reduce Ilieir level of fear in their own Iioinc, less likely lo become isolated. wliich can happen if they inust leave their hoine and suppoi't network. Helping fii)ancially with their security also cotitribuled to puttin£ less pressui'e on oui. alieady stretched homeless acconimodation providers. Feedback fi'om woineii w]10 received Radius Connect 24: "Radius 24 were so lielpfiil fitting my alarm and panic button in my lious& The man showed ine liow it woi'l