2023-03-31-annual-report

Abbeyfield & Wesley Annual Report 22/23

Abbeyfield & Wesley, Annual Report 22/23 1

Annual Report 22/23

The Board presents its report for 2022/23 – a year in which the association continued to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The principal activity of Abbeyfield & Wesley, a registered non-profit making Housing Association recognised by the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland as having charitable status, is the provision of a range of housing and support services for older people across Northern Ireland.

The Abbeyfield Ethos

The underlying focus of the Abbeyfield Ethos is to enable older people to continue to enjoy more meaningful social connections in their home life and local communities. People are independent yet together, and with this spirit of togetherness, the association aims to make Abbeyfield a friendly place and active part of the local area.

Abbeyfield Guiding Principles

• Older people have an important role to play amongst their families, friends and in the community;

• Overcoming loneliness and insecurity can make all the difference to an older person’s well-being and quality of life; and

• Local people have an essential part to play in helping older people in the community.

From the formation of the Abbeyfield movement in 1956, there has been a recognition that older people should maintain their social connections and close links with the local community in order to prevent and alleviate the loneliness that can come with later life and which can have such an impact on health and well-being.

Into Action

Working together, we will create homes which foster community and alleviate loneliness in later life.

We aim to provide a service which meets the highest possible performance standards whilst at the same time managing resources effectively and efficiently.

Abbeyfield & Wesley, Annual Report 22/23 2

Service Provision

Abbeyfield & Wesley provides a range of housing across Northern Ireland. We make time for our residents and aim to enhance their lives by bringing everyone together in homely, friendly accommodation that has links within their community.

Abbeyfield & Wesley is more than a home, it a neighbourhood, a community, a family .

----- Start of picture text -----
Ballycastle Ballymoney Wesley Court, Palmerston Care Tennent Street /
Ballymena Ballyholme Carrick / Home, Belfast Geoffrey Street,
Hamilton Rd Ward Ave
Fleming & Stutt, Belfast
Barnagh The Parade
Belfast /
Downpatrick Greenisland
Holywood Lurgan Bryans House,
Merville Portstewart New Mossley
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
Care Home
Abbeyfield
Supported Sheltered
Housing
- 24 Hour Care
- Specialist
Sheltered Housing Dementia
Support
- Stimulating
- Support of onsite
environment
staff and call staff
- Companionship
- Home made meals
- Family style living
- On Call Support
- Sense of Community
----- End of picture text -----

Abbeyfield & Wesley, Annual Report 22/23 3

The Board and Management Team

The Board of Management met on five occasions during 2022/23. The Finance Committee met on four occasions, the Property & Development Sub-Committee met on four occasions, and the Governance & Audit Sub-Committee met twice.

Members’ attendance at board meetings during the course of the year were as follows:

Board Members	Meetings Attended	Possible Attendance
Ms Eileen Stewart - Chair	5	5
Mr Malcolm Beattie	2	3 – appointed 12.9.22
Dr David Capper	4	5
Mr Ken Gordon	4	5
Mr Billy Graham	4	5
Mrs Celia Worthington	3	5
Mr Glenn Montgomery	3	5
Mr Andrew Shott	1	1 – resigned 12.9.22
Mrs Paula Sands	4	5
Mrs Margaret Bunting	1	1 – co-opted 12.3.22
Mr Kevin McParland	1	1 – co-opted 12.3.22
Mrs Heather Taylor	1	1 – co-opted 12.3.22
Dr Gillian Turner	1	1 – co-opted 12.3.22

Property Committee

Ms Eileen Stewart – Chair Mr Charles Ballantyne Miss Liz Currie Mr Billy Graham Mrs Margaret Bunting

Finance Committee

Mr Malcolm Beattie – Chair Mr David Lennox Mr Ken Gordon Mrs Paula Sands Mr Kevin McParland

Governance & Audit Committee

Ms Eileen Stewart – Chair Mr Glenn Montgomery Dr David Capper

----- Start of picture text -----
Eileen Stewart
----- End of picture text -----

Abbeyfield & Wesley, Annual Report 22/23 4

– Abbeyfield & Wesley Organisational Structure

Senior Management Team

Geraldine Gilpin, Chief Executive Brooke Cameron, HR Manager Sally Campton, Community Engagement Manager Helen Collins, Regional Housing & Support Manager Bev Surgenor, Property & Development Manager Pamela Peoples, Finance Manager Paul Johnston, Care Home Manager

----- Start of picture text -----
Geraldine Gilpin
----- End of picture text -----

Abbeyfield & Wesley, Annual Report 22/23 5

An Overview of 2022/23

The recovery from the impact of the Covid Pandemic has continued through 2022/23.

Occupancy has slowly improved and by the end of the year the void targets had been met, although these are still lower than pre-covid targets.

Over the period of the Covid pandemic, cyclical redecoration and planned maintenance had been low priorities, with the focus on urgent repairs and statutory compliance. Support Staff put all their endeavours into providing residents with a safe and secure environment and consequently, the houses lost their “homely”, well cared for appearance.

The Property Asset Management Strategy was revised to take account of the planned maintenance programme being halted during the pandemic, the cycle of works becoming out of sync and priorities of what work was required having changed.

An action plan was implemented including redecoration, curtains, etc.

Abbeyfield & Wesley provides more than simply somewhere for older people to live. In both the housing and care accommodation, the aim is to create a sense of family, establishing close links with the local community and enabling residents to maintain the social connections which research has shown are so vital to health and well-being.

Community Engagement activity focuses on ways of promoting well-being through connections within houses and externally, enjoying entertainments in the company of others and finding ways for creative expression.

Through the year there were many opportunities for engagement and creating a sense of belonging for residents. Fundamental to well-being are good relationships based on interdependence and this continues even when people get older and require support and care. The Staff team, supported by the Management Board, have worked tirelessly to ensure this is in place.

Based on evidence gathered during 2022/23 in a number of our supported sheltered houses, the research project, “The Value and Practice of Relational Care with Older People”, carried out by the Open University, was launched in the House of Lords in May 2023. Abbeyfield & Wesley is one of the examples of good relational care noted in the report, and this has provided independent evidence that this style of housing creates community connection and a home like environment:

“…enables a sense of belonging, freedom to act and is also warm and accommodating for everyone who works in or visits the facility.”

Abbeyfield & Wesley, Annual Report 22/23 6

Governance

The Board is responsible for ensuring that the association is effectively and properly run. The Code of Good Governance which sets out the principles and practices of good governance for the Association was reviewed during the year. The revised code is based on an amalgamation of the 3[rd] edition of the Code of Good Governance adopted by the Developing Governance Group in Northern Ireland and endorsed by the Charity Commission for NI and the National Housing Federation revised code published in 2020.

Internal Control

• a. The effectiveness of the Association’s system of internal financial control is continually reviewed. The Board, along with senior management, ensure that detailed control and reporting procedures are in place.

Key elements of the control system:

• The Board has adopted a formal schedule of matters reserved for its approval ensuring it maintains responsibility for overall strategy, approval of all property transactions and other major capital expenditure projects.

• There is an organisational structure with clearly defined lines of responsibility and delegation of authority.

• Detailed budgets are prepared covering the Association’s operations, which are approved by the Board. Actual results are compared against budget and appropriate action identified and initiated.

• The Governance Sub-Committee review matters relating to internal control.

• b. The Governance & Audit Sub-Committee agreed a programme of work with the Internal Auditors during 2022/23 and audits were carried out on Governance Arrangements and Gas Safety.

• c. The independent auditors reported that in their opinion the financial statements give a true and fair view of the state of the Association’s affairs as at 31.03.23 and have been properly prepared in accordance with regulatory requirements.

Risk Management

The Board recognises that the operation of the Association will be subject to a range of risks and a Risk Management Policy and Procedure has been developed. This covers inherent and residual risks for the key strategic areas within the association and involves input from everyone in the Association. Procedures to control the impact of the risks are implemented and are reviewed and amended on a rolling basis.

Value For Money

Abbeyfield and Wesley aims to provide more than simply somewhere for older people to live. In our accommodation we aim to create a sense of family and close links with the local community, enabling our residents to maintain social connections which are so vital to health and well-being. In order to provide this added social value, as well as providing quality services and maintaining properties to a high standard, resources have to be managed as efficiently and effectively as possible. Everyone in the association is involved in this endeavour, and we also actively encourage input from external resources. The key themes in the Strategic Plan for 2023-24 reflect the aims of enhancing the lives of older people and providing social impact and value for money.

Abbeyfield & Wesley, Annual Report 22/23 7

Strategic Changes in the Coming Year

• The Association will continue to implement the post-covid recovery plan, concentrating on returning the occupancy levels to pre-pandemic levels and restructuring the planned maintenance programme which has been delayed.

• Mrs Geraldine Gilpin, Chief Executive, will be retiring later in 2023. In preparation for her retirement a recruitment exercise has been undertaken and, following a period of handover, Mr Patrick Thompson will be taking over as CEO.

Secretary & Registered Office Solicitor Geraldine Gilpin DWF (Northern Ireland) LLP Abbeyfield & Wesley 42 Queen Street 2 Wesley Court Belfast Carrickfergus BT1 6HL BT38 8HS Registered Auditor Internal Auditor ASM (B) Ltd Wylie Bisset LLP 20 Rosemary Street 168 Bath Street Belfast Glasgow BT1 1QD G2 4TP

Bankers

Danske Bank Ltd 77 Main Street Bangor BT20 5AP

• Registered with The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland Registration Number: NIC106288

• Registered as Industrial & Provident Society in Northern Ireland – IP244

• Registered with DfC – No. 46

Abbeyfield & Wesley, Annual Report 22/23 8

Financial Position and Performance

a) Financial Position

The recovery for the Association from the Coronavirus pandemic was slower than anticipated during the financial year. Void levels remained significantly higher than budgeted and increased staff pressures resulted in agency costs being higher than budgeted. However, improvements in occupancy were noted in the last quarter and houses were beginning to return to pre-covid style.

The Association returned an overall surplus of £73,696 this year, a decrease of £43,256 on the surplus in 2021/22 of £116,952. The operating surplus on social housing activities was £57,400 compared to a deficit of £418,095 in 2021/22.

The Board aims to keep rents and charges affordable for all, however, with the annual increases in minimum wage payments (and resulting implications for differential payment levels), as well as pension contributions, increases in costs, particularly in relation to food, utilities and maintenance, combined with a lack of a meaningful increase in Supporting People funding and Residential Care Home tariff, this continues to be increasingly challenging. At the start of the year, charges for housing were increased by 5.8% for Supported Sheltered and 4% for Sheltered, charges for support were increased by 5.8%.

The Financial Position remains strong with net current assets of £1,572,838 and total reserves of £6,766,551.

Statement of Comprehensive Income

	Year Ended 31st March 2023	2023			2022
					£
	Turnover	4,398,307			4,548,839
	Operating Costs	(4,296,487)			(4,465,167)
	Operating Surplus (Deficit)		101,820				83,672
	Other Income Receivable
	Interest and Investment Income		18,509				13,879
	Unrealised deficit on revaluation of properties held for resale		(65,000)				-
	Fair value adjustment on investments		(22,020)				19,401
	Gain on disposal of property held for resale			40,387			-
	Surplus for the Year			73,696		116,952

Abbeyfield & Wesley, Annual Report 22/23 9

Statement of Financial Position

	At 31st March 2023	2023				2022
	Fixed Assets
	Housing Properties	15,186,046				15,366,143
	Other Tangible Assets				140,328				130,636
	Investments				286,155				308,175
		15,612,529				15,804,954
	Current Assets
	Debtors				373,409				709,875
	Cash and Bank Balances				415,469				433,313
	Investments				852,975				850,190
	Properties held for sale				435,000				106,856
				2,076,853				2,100,234
	Current Liabilities
	Creditors			(504,015)				(590,696)
	Net Current Assets		1,572,838				1,509,538
	Creditors Due After More Than One Year	(10,418,816)				(10,621,637)
	Total Assets Less Current Liabilities		6,766,551				6,692,855
	Financed By
	Share Capital			8				8
	Capital Reserves			42				42
	Revenue Reserves			6,766,501				6,692,805
			6,766,551				6,692,855

Abbeyfield & Wesley, Annual Report 22/23 10

a) Rents & Arrears

Total Arrears 27,533 X 100 = 0.67% Total Income Receivable 4,101,165

b) Maintenance of Properties

	Budget £	Actual Expenditure £	Budget Spent %
Response Repairs	173,000	144,157	83%
Cyclical Maintenance	194,973	171,418	88%
Planned	262,610	136,761	52%
Total Maintenance Expenditure	630,583	452,336	72%

This represents a reinvestment on existing housing properties of

- Works to existing properties £452,336 x 100 = 3%

Housing Assets - £15,186,046

Five disability adaptions were completed during the year at a cost of £4,000

c) Complaints

There were 13 complaints during the year and all were resolved.

d) Staff

Admin/Front Line Manager 13

Care Staff 44

Housing & Support Staff 77

Total 134

Abbeyfield & Wesley, Annual Report 22/23 11

Further Information

For further information on the activities in 22/23:

• Website: https://www.abbeyfieldandwesley.org.uk/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abbeyfieldwesley/

• Newsletters

• Resident Survey

• Social Impact & Value For Money Statement

• Report and Accounts

Abbeyfield & Wesley Ltd, 2 Wesley Court,

Carrickfergus, BT38 8HS

Tel: [phone] Email: [e-mail] Website: abbeyfieldandwesley.org.uk

Abbeyfield & Wesley, Annual Report 22/23 12