Annual Review 2011/12

of the total recorded violent crime reported to Devon and Cornwall police is domestic abuse.

Our services are good value for money with an estimate that every £1 spent on SAFE services represents a minimum saving of £3.20 to the public purse.

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SAFE provides a range of prevention and crisis support services to those affected by and experiencing domestic violence and abuse (dva), including risk assessments, safety planning and advocacy. We have two experienced and dedicated teams to support those we work with - both the Refuge and Outreach Teams have specialist workers who offer tailored support to those referred to our services.

Our welcoming Refuge offers safe accommodation to women, children and young people and access is available 24/7. This year 71 women and 62 children and young people escaping domestic violence and abuse were offered crisis accommodation there.

We have a help/crisis line offering free, confidential support for those that need it and we received over 2,000 calls this year. Our Outreach teams provide support in the community to those experiencing dva either currently or in the past. This year the number of women and men referred to our Outreach team reached 599 and a further 195 children and young people were referred to our specialist workers.

In addition we have a team of Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs) who work closely with the police and other agencies within the Public Protection Unit and together

support those who are identified as living in high risk situations and who are referred to MARAC (Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference). The team can offer a range of legal/non-legal options and explain the criminal and justice systems and provide relevant support. This year this team received 597 referrals and demand continues to grow.

We also run a unique and valuable course: Pattern Changing aimed at supporting and empowering women’s capacity to change the course of their lives. We also deliver successful dva awareness raising sessions in schools.

SAFE is proud of its collaborative partnerships with voluntary and statutory agencies and works with a wide range of other agencies. We are active partners in the Against Domestic Violence and Abuse Partnership and work in co-operation with our fellow domestic violence providers in South and North Devon to ensure Devon-wide consistent practice.

A recent Evaluation of Best Value provided strong independent evidence of our impressive levels of support and high proportion of service users experiencing positive outcomes. Our services are good value for money with an estimate that every £1 spent on SAFE services represents a minimum saving of £3.20 to the public purse.

Stop Abuse For Everyone (SAFE) works with all affected by and experiencing all forms of domestic violence and abuse (dva) in Exeter, East and Mid Devon. Our work is part of a multi-agency strategy. It is effective. It is independent.

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What we do

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All management posts and job titles were reviewed. SAFE is now led by a Chief Executive (CE) with Managers at the Refuge and Outreach teams with a new managerial post to lead the IDVA team and create a team of volunteers. This gives the CE a more strategic role with more time to securing funding while the Trustees focus on governance.

We have forged closer links with our 2 fellow specialist dva organisations in Devon by setting up a formal consortium to ensure shared aims, strategies and consistency of good practice.

We have further developed our funding strategy to both maintain and expand current levels of funding for all projects. We have been successful in diversifying funding streams with grants from Comic Relief, Children in Need and Lloyds TSB.

With an occupancy rate of 96% at the Refuge the demand for our services and pressure on the Outreach and IDVA teams remains high. All the workers continue to deliver the high quality services we at SAFE are so proud of. The findings of a Best Value Report provided strong independent evidence demonstrating that SAFE offers very high levels of support with the majority of

service users reporting positive outcomes. In addition the report emphasises that our services are good value for money with an estimate that every £1 spent on SAFE services represents a minimum saving of £3.20 to the public purse.

This year SAFE has moved forward strategically, strengthening governance and management as well as demonstrating the quality and value of our services. These changes will make the organisation more resilient and able to adapt to the increasingly threatening environment as we move towards uncertain times and continued anxiety over funding.

Domestic abuse makes up 24% of total recorded violent crime reported to Devon and Cornwall police. It is a crime that continues to be hidden and unacknowledged by the public.

With your support we can bring about public awareness and understanding of the high prevalence and social and financial cost of domestic violence and abuse and why our services are so important and valuable.

Look on our website for ways to support us: www.safe-services.org.uk

2011-2012 brought about significant changes that will influence the future direction and character of SAFE.

The year in review

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occupancy rate at the Refuge while the demand for our services and pressure on the Outreach and IDVA teams remains high.

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BOARD OF TRUSTEESCHIEF EXECUTIVE

Finance andAdministration Worker

REFUGE MANAGER Finance and Administration Worker

3 Full time Support Workers

1 Part time Housekeeper

1 Part time Children &Young People’s Support Worker

1 Part time Play Support Worker

3 Part time Evening/Night Workers

Pool of Relief Out of Hours Workers

OUTREACH MANAGER 15 Part time Outreach Workers

1 Full time Children’s & Young People’s Outreach Worker

2 part-time Young People’s Workers

1 Full Time Boys and Young Men Worker

1 Part time Intake Worker

Pattern Changing

Stop Abuse For Everyone

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BOARD OF TRUSTEESCHIEF EXECUTIVE

Finance andAdministration Worker

OUTREACH MANAGER 15 Part time Outreach Workers

1 Full time Children’s & Young People’s Outreach Worker

2 part-time Young People’s Workers

1 Full Time Boys and Young Men Worker

1 Part time Intake Worker

Pattern Changing

OUTREACH MANAGER 22 Full time MARAC Independent

Domestic Violence Advisors

1 Full time SDVC Independent Domestic Violence Advisor

1 Part time Women’s Safety Worker – Repair

Volunteers

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“The outreach worker was fabulous – very supportive and knew her stuff.”

“You have changed my life for the better.”Outreach service users

“Victims in domestic violence prosecutions often withdraw, or do not attend court, often due to intimidation and fear ..... offenders who previously may have felt that they could get away with it if they could keep the victim away from the court...... victims supported by IDVAs ..... have improved our support for those victims and our rates of bringing those offenders to justice”.Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer QC 23/07/2012 www,cps.gov.uk

“I do not know if my family and I would have survived this without you. You have been my rock and lifeline and I will always be truly grateful for that.”IDVA service users

“It made my relationship with my mum better and helped me deal with things that happen.”

“Helping me with school and self esteem.”

“He is much calmer now and is making sense of difficult situations.”children and a mother supported by specialist workers

We are making an impact and this has been achieved against a background of significant reductions in budget. We are reaching vulnerable adults, children and young people including those at risk of serious harm. Excellent safety and well being outcomes are being achieved for victims of domestic violence and abuse and their families.

Our Outreach services

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Our objectives for the coming year• To further develop a 5 year Funding Strategy to maintain levels of income for all core services from diverse sources and to explore additional sources of funding for other projects.• To update the Business PlanTo review Financial Procedures Guide and change to Financial Regulations• To increase awareness of SAFE services through internal (materials & website) and external use of media coverage• To establish a volunteer service and support for them • To proactively promote relationships, attend events and raise awareness with local businesses and organisations to raise funds• To meet and inform local politicians to raise awareness about domestic violence and abuse and our work

• To ensure a wide range of skills and diversity at Board level through the appointment of new Trustees• To begin to explore ways of working in some circumstances with a whole family approach• To further develop and expand the Friends of SAFE, particularly in relation to organising events and fund raising activities• To work in partnership with other agencies to develop more move-on options from the Refuge• To continue work to implement more robust systems to counteract computer systems failure and loss of data• To establish a shared resource bank

Reserves PolicyA note about our total funds: Stop Abuse For Everyone operates a Reserves Policy whereby funds are set aside to meet any unforeseen financial challenges that might arise in the following year. Funds at 31 March 2012 were £561,000 (2011: £477,000), but much of this (£369,000) is restricted income for specifically funded on-going programmes of activity. Remaining unrestricted funds of £192,000 include a business continuity contingency to underwrite

day to day cash flow and general operating expenses, and which would meet three months of activity. This unrestricted reserve would enable the Board to formulate corrective action if faced with unforeseen financial pressures. The Board has additionally introduced a series of measures to diversify its income support and achieve stable long-term funding. This strategy is designed to protect future SAFE activities and is now part of an annual year review of operations, within SAFE’s five-year Business Plan.

Statement of Financial Activities (incorporating the income and expenditure account)For the year ended 31 March 2012

Unrestricted Restricted 2012 2011 funds funds Total TotalIncoming resourcesIncoming resources from generating funds:Voluntary income 6,949 - 6,949 4,966Investment income 2,202 - 2,202 2,992Incoming resources from charitable activities 21,166 736,336 757,502 830,248

Total incoming resources 30,317 736,336 766,653 838,206

Resources expendedCharitable activities 1127 668,919 670,046 753,226Governance costs 12,717 - 12,717 11,800

Total resources expended 13,844 668,919 682,763 765,026

Net income before transfers 16,473 67,417 83,890 73,180 Gross transfer between funds 8,280 (8,280) - -Net incoming before other recognised gains and losses 24,753 59,137 83,890 73,180Gains (losses) on investment assets (234) - (234) (158)Net movement in funds 24,519 59,137 83,656 73,022

Reconciliation of fundsTotal funds brought forward 167,546 309,807 477,353 404,331

Total funds carried forward 192,065 368,944 561,009 477,353

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Stop Abuse For Everyone(A company limited by guarantee)

Balance sheet as at 31 March 2012

Fixed assets 2012 2011

Tangible assets 68,340 74,602Investments 480 714 68,820 75,316Current assetsDebtors 453 998Cash at bank and in hand 518,600 439,316 519,053 440,314

Creditors: amounts fallingdue within one year (26,864) (38,277)Net current assets 492,189 402,037Net assets 561,009 477,353

Funds Restricted funds in surplus 368,944 309,807Unrestricted income funds 192,065 167,546

Total charity funds 561,009 477,353

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These summarised financial statements are not full accounts, but a summary of the information relating to both the Statement of Financial Activities and the Balance Sheet.

The statutory accounts have been audited and were given an unqualified opinion with no concerns being raised. The full audited statutory accounts and trustees’ report are available on request from: J. Collier PO Box 121 Exeter EX4 2XN

The full audited statutory accounts and trustees’ report were approved by the Board on 26th September 2012 and signed on its behalf by J. Collier Trustee. They have been submitted to the Charity Commission.

The summarised financial statements are consistent with the full annual statutory accounts.

Thompson Jenner, 1 Colleton Crescent,Chartered Accountants, Exeter & Registered Auditors Devon EX2 4DG

A non-profit making charity limited by guaranteeRegistered charity number 291415

Company number 01837296

PO Box 121 Exeter EX4 2XNBusiness Line: 01392 667145

Email: info@safe-services.org.uk

We would like to express our grateful thanks to Devon and Cornwall HousingAssociation for their support and to our main funders -

Community Based Support (formerly Devon Supporting People) andADVA (Against Domestic Violence and Abuse Partnership).We are also grateful for the significant contributions made

by Comic Relief, Children in Need and Lloyds TSB.Various supporters throughout the year have given donations of money,

which we use for the benefit of our service users.Donations of gifts, clothes, food and toiletries have also been

most welcome and appreciated.

We would be very grateful for future sponsorship of this report.

Design: Krage Design

www.safe-services.org.ukFollow us on twitter: @SAFEservices

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