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2023-03-31-annual-return

Ardmonagh Family & Community Group Ltd. Annual report: April 2022-March 2023

Table of Contents

CEO Statement ...................................................................................................................................... 2 Mission Statement ................................................................................................................................ 3 Our values ......................................................................................................................................... 3 Our Purpose .......................................................................................................................................... 3 Key Service Provision ............................................................................................................................ 4 1. Domiciliary Care ................................................................................................................................ 5 Delivery of Service ............................................................................................................................ 6 Staff Employed .................................................................................................................................. 6 2. Senior Services .................................................................................................................................. 6 i. Good Morning West Belfast (GMWB) ........................................................................................ 7 ii. Lunch club ................................................................................................................................. 7 iii. Befriending Service ................................................................................................................... 8 Staff Employed .................................................................................................................................. 9 3. Children’s Services ............................................................................................................................ 9 i. Family Time .................................................................................................................................... 9 ii. Family Support Service ................................................................................................................ 10 iii. Outreach support ....................................................................................................................... 10 Staff Employed ................................................................................................................................ 11 Strategy Plan ....................................................................................................................................... 11 Independent Review ....................................................................................................................... 12 Proposal on the way forward .............................................................................................................. 13 Accounts ............................................................................................................................................. 14 Stakeholders and Funders ................................................................................................................... 16

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CEO Statement

Ardcomm (Ardmonagh Family & Community Group Ltd) has a 30-year history of delivering community-based health and social care services to meet the needs of the most vulnerable within our society. It all started in 1993 when a group of residents from the Turf Lodge area in West Belfast set about to tackle the inequalities of the most vulnerable in its community. They knew back then that they had to firstly create an organisation that was designed to be caring, warm, professional and forward looking. They had a vision of an organisation in which incredibly talented and dedicated individuals are empowered to put their best foot forward into the care and support of its service users and the community in which we live, with the full support, skills and experience of that organisation.

Our aim is to continue that legacy and nurture innovative, intelligent, passionate and talented people to deliver much needed health and social care support services within the community. We must create an environment in which we maintain our aim of being the best at whatever we do and we consistently strive to protect and fulfil the rights of our staff and service users. I strive to support that vision, our mission, and values and the policies and procedures that guide us all on our journey to making Ardcomm great and an organisation we are all be proud of.

While this vision is an important source of inspiration, it is the skills, experience and energy our staff bring to the job that helps us to deliver our aims and moves us forward in delivering the best Health & Social Care to the community. Our staff are Public Sector Workers and are the front line in tackling the needs of the most vulnerable in society, sometimes not receiving the recognition and remuneration for their commitment and hard work that they may deserve. We stand firmly in support of our Public Sector Workers and their right to a fair pay and for investment into Health & Social Care to enable our staff to provide care to the most vulnerable.

We couldn’t do what we do without them.

ARDCOMM MANAGEMENT, STAFF AND SERVICE USERS CALL FOR A FAIR PAY FOR WORKERS AND INVESTMENT INTO SYSTEMS AND STRUCTURES THAT ARE THERE TO DELIVER FOR ALL

Mr Richard May CEO

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Mission Statement

To provide high quality care and support services to improve the health and wellbeing of people in the community. Our person-centered and compassionate approach ensures services are fit for purpose and that our service users receive the standards of care to which they are entitled. We also foster a safe and supportive environment for our staff that encourages open communication and ongoing learning so they can maximise their potential to be the best they can be.

Our values

Our Purpose

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Key Service Provision

To deliver our vision, we provide high quality support across a range of key services, which include;

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1. Domiciliary Care

Ardcomm Care is operational from October 2006. Since then, the tiny acorns of promoting enriched provision of care have grown into one of the most professional of services. We continually strive to develop the quality of services which is underpinned by the ethos of our human rights based approach with service user advocacy and its heart.

We work very closely with our stakeholders, for example, BHSCT, SEHSCT and RQIA, adhering to the necessary legislative and regulatory standards in the provision of care. As a registered domiciliary care agency, we strive to deliver excellence in care in our community.

Our service users include children with complex needs, adults with physical and emotional disabilities and personal and social care needs. We also deliver care to the elderly which ranges from emotional support, befriending services, and intimate personal and palliative care needs. We understand and respect the needs of our service users, applying rigorous individualised care plans to suit their specific needs, 365 days a year from the hours of 07:00 – 22:00.

We continue to work closely with our stakeholders, aiming to pick up more service user packages. In today’s climate we acknowledge domiciliary Care is a competitive market, but our ethos ensures that the community are receiving the highest standard of care. The quality of the care we deliver is the most important thing to us. Our service users are not just a number on a page with an economical value, they are people within OUR community and the quality of care they receive is our top priority.

In relation to the future, our aims are focused on care in the community for all. While we will continue to develop and improve on our existing services, working in partnership with our stakeholders, we plan to deliver many health and wellbeing clinics, here at our centre. This vision for the future will provide much needed services within the community, not just for our service user and staff but for all.

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Delivery of Service

159 Service users received care from Ardcomm for the year 2022/2023.

This included 5 children and 154 Adults.

This included 5 children and 154 Adults.
SERVICE PROVIDED HOURS CAPTURED
Quarter 1 10288.50
Quarter 2 12262.50
Quarter 3 12107.75
Quarter 4 13166.50
Average monthly hours provided 3985.43
TOTALno. of service hours provided
foryear ending22/23		 47825.25

*care hours delivered are not specific to health care trusts, we do undertake some private packages*

Staff Employed

Approximately 80 staff were employed within the care team from March 2022 to April 2023.

2. Senior Services

Neighbours Helping Neighbours, this has always been the overarching ethos of this essential and valued service. Designed to safeguard the provision of the Good Morning service to the most vulnerable and isolated members of our community. As we come to the end of our second decade providing this essential and acclaimed service, we are striving to improve even further on the services we offer.

Our overall aim is to reduce anxiety, fear, and isolation to the vulnerable members in our community. Enabling our senior members to maintain independence within their own homes we provide a range of support services. We aim to prevent a decline in feelings of isolation and loneliness by facilitating a daily contact point and activity days held within the centre.

We promote and provide opportunities for advocacy and active citizenship and enhanced health and well-being, by enabling service users to re-engage with their community. Promotion of social inclusion and integration for our senior citizens assists them to engage with the wider community, especially in the Post Covid-19 era, when a lot of people, particularly the elderly, became more isolated and fearfull of the world outside their front door.

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i. Good Morning West Belfast (GMWB)

Month No. of Active Service
Users
April 2022 427
May 2022 433
June 2022 433
July 2022 443
August 2022 446
September 2022 448
October 2022 454
November 2022 471
December 2022 476
January 2023 476
February 2023 478
March 2023 479

GMWB facilitates a daily call to all our members who have been referred or selfrefer to the scheme.

Our senior members receive a daily call Monday to Friday, or on specified days of their choosing. We talk briefly about their day and plans for the week ahead. We can also advise them on any concerns they may have.

Staff are trained to adequately direct and sign post the members to a point of contact where they can avail of professional help to address the issues of concern that they are facing.

However, over the past year it became clear that the cost of living crisis was having a major impact on our elderly service users. So much so that we decided to facilitate a lunch club to provide our service users with a place where they could engage in much needed social interaction to strengthen their social connections.

Total number of service users receiving GMWB calls year 22/23

ii. Lunch club

The lunch club, as noted above, originated from us identifying the needs of our service users. It was initially a pilot scheme which we planned to run over the winter period of 2022/23. However, the club was so successful and addressed a great need within our community that we decided to continue with this much needed service.

Our members now refer to themselves as “ THE YOUNG AT HEART CLUB”.

The service commenced in November 2022 with an average attendance of between 20 people per day as recorded as of end of March 2023.

Our club runs Monday to Friday were we

provide a hot nutritionally balanced meal for our service users. For some, this may be the only hot meal they receive that day. In addition to a hot meal they enjoy daily social activities, which in most cases the members oversee themselves.

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Activities have included Bingo, arts and crafts, crocheting, line dancing, Irish Language and cookery classes, educational and information sessions and day trips. We engage with various partner organisations and other charitable groups who have the required knowledge, skills and expertise to deliver these informative and fun filled activities.

We also provide essential educational and safety information for our members with sessions from NIFRS on home safety, the PSNI on crime prevention and how to avoid unwanted callers and advice on how to prevent intruders entering your home, healthy eating and wellbeing advice. Day trips, for example, to the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum at Cultra, and other activities are used to take service users a trip down memory lane which encourages social interaction in the form of reminiscing about the ‘good old days’. There are also seasonal activities, dinners and tea parties which they really enjoy and look forward to.

The social engagement activities promote inclusion and reduce isolation by providing our service users the opportunity to meet new and old friends. In this group situation they may grow in confidence and are better able to support each other when times are hard.

December 2022: Visit from the then Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill

iii. Befriending Service

This service was started to support individuals experiencing social exclusion and isolation. We aimed to promote community participation with the enrolment of volunteers, building support networks for the most vulnerable in our community.

This was aimed at individuals who for whatever reason, may not have the support of friends and family that so many of us take for granted.

Unfortunately, due to the Pandemic of Covid-19 we had to cease a most needed service. However, we plan to come back to this in the near future and are looking at ways to develop a volunteering scheme to incorporate this most needed service back into our community.

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Staff Employed

We have a core team of 6 support staff and 1 Team Leader who are employed to oversee the work of the Senior Services department.

3. Children’s Services

i. Family Time

Within the Family Time Service we work closely with our main stakeholder, the BHSCT to deliver a much-needed service to Looked After Children throughout Northern Ireland. During 2022-2023 period the service supported over 400 children and their families, whether this be parents, siblings or extended family who are significant others in the children’s lives.

We actively promote a child's right to maintain family relationships and connections, while also making sure this is safe and positive for the children involved. To achieve this, we provide a safe and comfortable environment with supportive and well-trained staff to manage the complexities that may arise.

Our services are offered in-house and throughout the community depending on the family’s needs and resources. Our staff support and guide parents should any challenges arise and plan alongside them to make the experience better for the family involved. The service also supports families that are referred through both public and private channels. This involves maintaining relationships while parents go through the court process to achieve an outcome for the children involved. Support is facilitated over a period of weeks, supplying legal teams with updates and recommendations around the parent relationship, quality of contact and the engagements supervised throughout. Outcomes achieved throughout this period are focused on the parents finding an appropriate solution to maintain relationships for the children.

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A breakdown of Family Time services delivery April 2022- March 2023

Family Time
(BHSCT)		 Family Time
(Public)		 Children
Supported
(Avg)		 Adults
Supported
(Avg)
Quarter 1 5,055.25 26 333 188
Quarter 2 5,001.5 30 333 193
Quarter 3 5379.75 15 351 215
Quarter 4 5,974 7 371 226

ii. Family Support Service

This service offers emotional and practical supports to families throughout Belfast who may have a child with ADHD, ASD or who may be experiencing other difficulties and challenges, for example, financial and housing issues. Supports include sharing vital information on techniques and strategies and signposting to other agencies. Mentoring and advocacy is available to support children and parents on a one-to-one basis, using the Outcome Star process which monitors outcomes and achievements. We work very closely with the BHSCT, exceeding our contract of 684 hours throughout the year. This is done in collaboration with the various Family Support Hub coordinators to target specific areas of need.

A breakdown of Family Support services delivery April 2022- March 2023

Hours delivered Families Support Home Visits
Quarter 1 321 22 Families
supported
throughout the year.		 101
Quarter 2 306 105
Quarter 3 72 25

iii. Outreach support

This team support children on a one-to-one basis, guiding them through difficult transitions they are experiencing and giving them a consistent supportive adult to communicate to with their needs and wishes. Throughout this time we promote meaningful interactions, focused on the child's needs, wishes and rights, while ensuring this is consistently communicated with all the adults involved in their care.

The staff support children in the areas identified throughout the referral and assessment process, bringing a focus and purpose to the engagement. The aim is that throughout this process the children will develop essential life skills and improved relationships with adults and significant others in their life to achieve sustainable and positive outcomes.

A breakdown of Outreach services delivery April 2022- March 2023

Hours Delivered
Quarter 1 114
Quarter 2 125
Quarter 3 153
Quarter 4 436.5

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Staff Employed

Throughout the children and family service we have up to 30 employees. We employ qualified social workers, youth workers, childcare workers and health and social care practitioners. All are highly trained and motivated to support children and families throughout Northern Ireland.

Our team is focused on personal and professional development, with a range of training being sourced to promote and enhance staff ability and focus. Some training specific to working with children includes;

As well as the above, there were other mandatory sessions rolled out across our online training and staff management system.

Strategy Plan

During this past year we aimed to focus on change, i.e., transformation processes, structural change and plans for growth. We made some operational decisions and plans that included a growth plan for the domiciliary care services and continued to invest in the opening of a children’s residential home. It became clear that as an organisation we may not have had a full understanding of the complexity of governance and compliance required for the services that we were attempting to develop. We therefore undertook a programme of internal reflection activities and reached a number of positive outcomes to the priorities which we had initially set out in our aims.

These included:

The Board of Directors signed off on the strategic direction of the organisation with a 4-year strategy, which laid out the strategic priorities, aims and objectives to include;

1. Build a strong, sustainable organisation

Objective 1: Eradicate dependency throughout the organisation. Objective 2: Improve Financial Management & Financial Position. Objective 3: Develop a stronger Board. Objective 4: Build financial reserves.

Objective 5: Prepare the organisation for procurement process.

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2. Deliver Quality Services

Objective 1: Understand the needs of our users.

Objective 2: Inspire a strong and committed staff team. Objective 3: Establish Effective Partnerships.

3. Improve Visibility of Organisation

Objective 1: Share our Mission Statement.

Objective 2: Engage and influence Key Stakeholders. Objective 3: Develop effective internal and external communication.

There is a lot of evidence that shows that we achieved many of our objectives and that our strategic priorities were moving forward. The organisational change had begun and there was a growing confidence amongst the Board members and staff that we were breaking new ground in terms of the services that we were delivering. However, external factors had a massive impact upon us as they did for all organisations and individuals.

Independent Review

In 2021, Brendan Smith, an independent consultant with expertise in evaluation, strategic planning, facilitation, and organisation review was invited to conduct a review of the organisation, its strategy and the issues that it faced. Brendan carried out extensive consultation with Board members, the Senior Management team and external stakeholders. It was from this review that we identified our future priority areas to begin work on in 2022, which were,

  1. Board Development

  2. Services Development

  3. Marketing

  4. Remuneration

  5. Succession Planning

The Board was kept informed and fully supportive of this review process and it agreed that additional external support was sourced to help us with the development of our identified priorities. Thus, Nuala McKeagney, a second independent consultant, was commissioned to work alongside the CEO (Mr Richard May) and together they devised an implementation plan and a timeline for its conclusion, which again was presented to and endorsed by the Board.

This resulted in the advancements noted below.

1. Board Development: new Board members were interviewed and recruited and the organisational structure was changed with the introduction of expert advisory groups and sub-groups.

2. Services Development: an individual business plan was developed for each service, with one outcome being the decision to close Daycare provision.

3. Marketing: a Marketing report and plan to develop the ‘brand’ commenced and is currently being implemented.

4. Remuneration: a ‘Benchmarking Salaries’ report was compiled with the help of Willis H.R. and a structured approach to remuneration has been aligned throughout the organisation with one or two exceptions.

5. Succession Planning : This was led by Nuala, the independent consultant, who conducted a number of meetings with the Chairperson and included a consultation with

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the Board at the Hillgrove Hotel on Saturday 5th November 2022. A major outcome, alongside others, was the decision taken that we would restructure. This involved the removal of the Deputy CEO position and the introduction of a new position, a Director of Governance and Compliance.

Proposal on the way forward

The rationale for the recruitment of a Director of Governance and Compliance was that, whilst the organisation was well received throughout the statutory bodies for the services delivered, there was a belief that we were failing to break through to a higher level within the sector. We were witnessing this in relation to trying to set up and gaining approval to operate a children’s residential home, and more specifically within Care where we were being met with more and more adverse incidents as we became bigger in terms of our reach in service delivery.

We immediately set about advertising the post and hoped that employing a Director of Governance and Compliance would ensure the organisation was fulfilling statutory and legal responsibility in relation to our contracts and service users, and that effective organisational structures, management and administrative procedures and controls are in place for the efficient operation across all our services. Moreover, that this person could assist the organisation in the development of a new strategic vision and direction for the next 5 years that would inform and lead our transformational change and plans for growth.

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Accounts Ardmona Limited h Famil And Commulli Grou Detailed Statcment of Financial Activities for the Year F4n(led 31 Marcb 2023 31.3.23 31.3.22 INCOME AND ENDOWMEKrs Donations and legacies Donation51Fundraising 300 Other trading activities BII&SCT- Daycare BH&SCT- Family Support BH&SCT- Contact BH&SCT- Domicilary Care Private - Domicilary Care Private Contact Transport Fees Child¢are Fees BHSCT Adolescent Support Insurance Claim 9,944 58,645 4,562 480,959 9,502 428 2.550 108,111 6,811 6.720 28,157 6,244 865,239 4,643 1.790 906,073 688.232 Charitable activities Grants 898,898 930,641 Other income CJRS Grant DFPF Training Grant 1,542 500 2,042 Total incoming resources 1.805,271 1,620,915 EXPENDITURE Charitable aclivities Equipmenl Hire Travel and Subsistence Training On sit¢ Catering Costs Materials Purchased Equipment- Small Value Contact - Project Costs Activities Costs Carried forward 2,867 104,214 34,129 618 724 6.441 8.020 45,163 202,176 6,117 54.257 34,083 6,301 3.281 8,643 5,821 22.776 141,279 14

Ardmona Limited h Famil And Communi Grnu Detailed StAtement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 Marcb 2023 31.3.23 31.3.22 Charitable octivities Brought forward Consultancy Fees Software Subscriptions Repairs & Renewals Unifomls Premises Expenses Membership & Subscriptions Staff Redundancy Rent Gifts and Donations Property Depreciation Plant & Machinery Depreciation Equipment Depreciation 202.176 20.434 1,403 6,425 4,157 2,914 6.192 13.068 26,000 4.200 19,172 141,279 47.261 6,660 20,829 926 4,252 2.741 18,624 34,772 5.550 19,172 840 ,434 316.141 304.340 Support cosls Managemenl Wages Social security PeTtsions Rates and water Insurance Light and heat Telephone Postage and stationery Advertising Refreshrnents Legal & Professional Fees 1.497.497 74,800 23,555 .245 12.528 21,817 21.904 ,961 4.343 1.224,697 61.166 19,935 1,883 10.216 23,396 22,328 2.112 4.407 917 6,588 2,660 .662,310 1.377,645 Finance Bank charges 2.087 2.335 Governance costs Auditors, remuneratio-. Auditors, remuneration for non audit work ?,000 3.640 ?,000 3.500 5.640 5.500 Total resources expended ,986,178 1.689,820 Net expenditure (180,907) (68,905) This page does not forn) part of the statutory financial statements 15

Stakeholders and Funders

We acknowledge that we do operate alone and are grateful for the continued contributions, financial and otherwise, from the many stakeholders we work with. Their consistent support shows that they truly value the work we do that makes such a meaningful difference in the lives of those we serve.

Our stakeholders during the year 2022-2023 includes:

Belfast Health & Social Care Trust

South Eastern Trust

NI Housing Executive

Department for Communities

Belfast City Council

Big Lottery

Community Foundation NI

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