The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2024.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the financial statements and comply with the charity's governing document, the Companies Act 2006 and "Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)" (effective 1 January 2019).
To relieve the distress of survivors of all forms of sexual violence by providing counselling, advice and support to such survivors, their partners and their families and by raising awareness of sexual violence.
Vision
Uniting to confront sexual violence, abuse and harassment so that no one has to face the impact alone.
Mission
Delivering accessible, survivor-centred services across Sussex
Empowering our communities to stand up against sexual violence, abuse and harassment through education, training and campaigning
Demonstrating and advocating for intersectional feminist leadership
To achieve these aims we develop, provide and manage all of our services within a feminist analysis of sexual violence and an empowerment principle. We recognise that sexual violence disproportionately affects women and girls and is both a cause and consequence of inequality and discrimination. We are committed to challenging such discrimination and to delivering services which are run by women for women and women-only spaces form part of our service offer.
However, we recognise that sexual violence impacts on people of all genders in unique ways and work to provide our services accordingly. Trans-inclusive feminism is key to our values and central to our service. We consider the lack of services and funding for people of all genders is a feminist issue. We are actively part of the solution to this inequality through direct service delivery and partnerships.
Our work is underpinned by our core values:
We are compassionate
We hear, we listen and we believe survivors. We take care of ourselves so that we can support others. We set boundaries and we uphold them too, while always striving to understand the needs and perspectives of our communities.
We are empowering
We create space for all voices to be heard. We lift each other up and believe that we are all leaders. We understand the importance of communication and feel confident to challenge and to ask questions. We are transparent and take ownership of our decisions, even the difficult ones.
We are collaborative
We are stronger together, so we work with others to build valuable relationships. Many of us are survivors ourselves and survivor voices are woven into everything we do. We are constantly learning, understanding our own privileges and seek to dismantle bias and discrimination both within and outside our organisation.
We are brave
We seek out new ideas and speak up for our beliefs. With the courage to try new ways of doing things, we learn and unlearn as we go. Our feminist leadership empowers us to be creative and innovative, celebrating our successes and learning from our mistakes.
To support Survivors Network to uphold our mission and achieve our vision, the Trustees developed their strategic priorities for the five-year period 2023 - 2028:
We’ll achieve financial freedom through our creative approach to income generation
Justice and healing will be defined by survivors and we will be led by them in the co-creation of our services
We will ensure representation for all survivors of sexual abuse by creating solidarities with UK Rape Crisis centres that reflect our intersectional understanding of power and vulnerabilities
The trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the charity should undertake.
The trustees have considered how the planned activities will contribute to the overall aims and objectives they have set and how benefit is provided to the public:
Survivors’ Network provides independent services open to any professional and/or self-referral.
All services are open to all women, including trans women.
The Welcome Team, ISVA Service, Children & Young People’s Services, Helpline / Email and our training are open to people of any gender.
Survivors' Network is the Rape Crisis Support Service for Sussex.
The main activities include the provision of therapeutic and support services for survivors of rape and sexual violence of all ages and genders. These include:
Adult Therapeutic Support
• 1:1 Therapy
• Therapeutic group work
Psychoeducation and Peer Support
• Groupwork
Holistic Support including Art, Yoga, Homeopathy, Trauma sensitive mindfulness
• Groupwork
• 1:1 support
Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVA’s) supporting survivors going through the criminal justice process, supporting people who have experienced church-based abuse, supporting people who experience racism (PWER) and those who have multiple and complex needs (MCN)
Children and Young People’s specialist service
• CYP Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA)
• YP Counselling
• Outreach and Groupwork
Telephone helpline and email service
Training and Awareness raising
• Delivering training on a wide range of topics related to sexual violence to individuals, local businesses and educational establishments
• Raising awareness through targeted outreach, fundraising, communications and social media
We have continued to expand our outreach into communities across the three Sussex local authority areas and we have developed informal and formal partnerships with a range of agencies and organisations across the county.
Informally we act as a critical friend to Sussex Police, amplifying service user voices to effect tangible process change.
We offer our services through a range of methods: face to face support, online direct support, phone support and online resources. We have adopted a hybrid model of home / office working and we have two offices in Brighton and one in Eastbourne.
Volunteers
Volunteers make an important contribution to SN's work; we would not be able to deliver our Groupwork, Helpline and Email support service without their dedicated commitment. All volunteers are DBS checked and receive training relevant to their role. During the 2023-24 year 18 volunteers (not counting the trustees) supported the work at Survivors’ Network.
The description under the headings "Achievements and performance" and "Financial review" meet the company law requirements for the trustees to present a strategic report.
Rising need for support
Increasing coverage in the media of sexual violence and abuse raises awareness within society and we are seeing increasing numbers of people seeking support from our services, accessing our training and resources, and an increase in the impact of vicarious trauma on staff and volunteers.
The cost-of-living crisis, the long term consequences of the pandemic and more than a decade of austerity, with its corresponding reduction in the number and range of services available has seen an increase both in the numbers of people needing our services and in the levels of need presented. Whilst rising numbers and complexity of need creates internal challenges, we continue to remain responsive.
We have significantly increased our reach with an improved social media presence, regular posts on a variety of platforms, a regular newsletter, a roll-out of our training packages, and improved connections into our community.
In 2023-24 we supported 2,042 clients, 1,652 identified as female, 168 identified as male, 11 identified as transgender female, 9 identified as transgender male and 48 identified as non-binary.
We supported 1540 adults, 203 young people aged 13-17 and 83 children aged 12 and under.
Referrals in 2023-2024
We received 1763 referrals, with 65% of all referrals being made by a professional, highlighting improved referral pathways and good working relationships with professionals.
Whilst some of our referrals were from people living in Brighton and Hove (40%) our referrals are increasingly coming from East and West Sussex, because of increased reach and services in these areas.
We receive referrals for clients of all ages. We recognised that we were under-represented in clients aged 50+ and have undertaken many activities to increase accessibility to this group, including a specific peer support group space.
Staff Wellbeing
We know that the work we do is important, and that it has a significant impact on us all.
This year has been particularly challenging, managing a long CEO absence and cost cutting measures. We recognise the impact of vicarious trauma and the necessity of staff wellness in the work we do.
We invested in a Champion’s Group who consulted with the team on priorities for organisational improvement. As a result of this work, we improved our response to the cost-of-living crisis.
We are undertaking a full review of our policies, and we are improving the workplace for our disabled colleagues. We know that we can only do our job well when we feel supported.
Organisation development
We recognise that with the rapid growth in recent years, it is essential to have a core staff team to ensure the smooth running of the organisation. Having a salaried Head of Finance has been an important development for the size and aspirations of the organisation.
Building on the work started around Intersectional Feminist Leadership (IFL) in 22/23, we have worked with a consultant to to explore how we can embed a sustainable model of IFL across the organisation.
Partnership working
We are delighted with our partnership working and we have successfully won a significant, multi-year partnership bid with Lifecentre, Mankind and Hersana to deliver sexual violence support services across Sussex.
SERVICES
Volunteer Led Services
Run 3 x weekly in-person Peer Support Groups (PSG)
Started a weekly in-person PSG for self-id women survivors aged 50 and over
Started a weekly in-person PSG for all women and gender diverse people
Run 2 x 8- week Trauma Sensitive Mindfulness Groups, in-person, plus 3 meet ups and one day retreat
Run 6-week self-care groups, 8 week It's My Journey groups
3 Workshops on Increasing Feelings of Safety and Wellbeing Tool kit
Supported the running of Creative groups and Trauma Sensitive Dance groups
We are always seeking to diversify our groupwork offer our clients and this year we started delivering in-person groups for self-identified women aged 50 and over. We also started a new in-person peer support group for self-identified women and gender diverse people.
We value our amazing volunteers so much. This year we trained 5 new groupwork and helpline volunteers (five-day induction training). Our volunteers offered a total of 1800 hours of volunteering which would have cost us around £36,000.
Volunteer satisfaction in 23/24 was high:
• 86% rated their overall experience of being a SN Volunteer as excellent.
• 100% said they felt part of the wider SN team.
• 100% said they felt valued and appreciated.
• 100% said they would recommend being a SN Volunteer
Adult Therapeutic Support
The adult therapy waiting list has been closed since November 2022 and will remain so for the duration of the current Trauma Pathway contract, expected to end in March 2025. The decision for the closure was supported by commissioners and other local service providers and came with a comprehensive restructure plan which prioritised triage and digital innovation as well as expanding the capacity of the service.
For clients on the waiting list, we have successfully established a quarterly communication process which includes an update on waiting times, links to relevant resources, and options for direct feedback and queries to the service. This enables us to also prompt clients for the start of the therapeutic work and for them to consider what they may need to organise in their life to be able to access the service.
During the year, we conducted 85 initial assessments with individual clients.
105 clients started therapy.
21 clients accessed therapeutic online Self-Compassion Groups.
1,589 therapy sessions were delivered (online and in-person).
We continue to benefit from having a Senior Administrator for the Adult Therapeutic Service, which enabled us to improve internal and external processes.
We recruited 3 new therapists in December 2023, who started client work in January 2024, taking the therapeutic team up to 13 sessional therapists.
We have a 60/40 proportion of online and in-person therapeutic work.
Adult Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVA)
In the year 23-24, we received 217 referrals into the Adult ISVA team. 40 of those referrals were into the Specialist ISVA team. The team consists of an ISVA Team Manager, 2 Senior ISVAs managing 6 Criminal Justice ISVAs & 1 Senior ISVA managing 4 Specialist ISVAs We have also recently recruited a volunteer to support the team in contacting clients on our waiting lists.
This year, we recruited a male-identified ISVA offering specialist support to men. This is a joint offer with our partners at Mankind. The ISVA has been working on building up a caseload, delivering training internally and externally, and networking to ensure good partnership working.
We attend outreach clinics in Brighton & Hove & East Sussex with our People Who Experience Racism Worker & Multiple and Complex Needs Workers. We attend the Police-led ‘No Further Action’ (NFA) Panels advocating for survivors and checking on due diligence of cases where the police have judged that there was not enough evidence to proceed to a conviction. We also regularly meet with police and CPS colleagues in forums such as the RASSO meeting and Scrutiny Panels to provide updates on the service, and to offer feedback on how clients experience the criminal justice process. Recently funding was obtained from the PCC to establish a drop in for survivors to explore their reporting options; this will be co-run with Sussex Police.
In the past year our team have contributed to Operation Soteria, a national research and best practice project looking at police teams supporting survivors of sexual violence. We contributed to focus groups to share our expertise and to bring survivor voices to inform change on a systemic level.
Children and Young People’s Service (CYP)
In 2023 -24 we have directly worked with 518 children and young people. This number does not include the parents, social workers, police officers, staff in schools and colleges, and parents, carers and peers of clients who we also support. We recruited into the vacant CHISVA role. We have also reduced our waiting time for the ISVA services to two months.
This year, we were able to recruit into our Groupwork Facilitator role and running groups for survivors, trauma recovery groups and parents & carers groups across East Sussex and Brighton and Hove. We continue to deliver workshops on relationships, sex and consent in schools and colleges.
In 2024 we began to implement a new methodology for gathering feedback called Transformative Evaluation. This is a model which centres the survivor by asking them to tell us their own story, from their own perspective. This is to help us to gather soft outcomes and evidence impact of our service, and to help survivors recognise their own progress and resilience.
The Welcome Team (WT)
The Welcome Team is the front door to Survivors Network. With the exception of outreach referrals, all new clients referred into Survivors Network (either via professional or self referral) will come to the Welcome Team. Each new referral will be assessed for safeguarding at Duty stage (and then checked at the multi-agency police meetings as appropriate); once processed, they will then be assessed by a Welcome Worker.
This Initial Assessment offers signposting, safeguarding checks for identified risks like domestic abuse or stalking and referrals to other agencies for identified needs. The welcome workers also complete assessments for various services at Survivors’ Network like group work. The team currently consists of a Welcome Team Manager, Senior Welcome Worker & 4 full time Welcome Workers & 1 part-time Welcome Worker.
In 2023-24, we received 1,755 referrals for support, brief advice interventions and consultation. We completed full assessment support to 679 clients. We attend outreach clinics weekly at Solar Clinic – a Sexual Health Clinic at the Sussex County Hospital and a Young People’s Sexual Health Clinic in Brighton. Here the Welcome Team assess clients on an ad hoc basis. This service offers support to those who would not normally access Survivors Network, often hard to reach communities.
Business Development Team
Our Business Development Team brings together training, fundraising, communications, data monitoring / evaluation and service user involvement and sits at the heart of Survivors’ Network. The team consists of 6 members of staff: Head of Business Development, Fundraising Officer, Communications Officer, Training Officer, Data, Monitoring & Evaluation Officer and Service User Involvement Officer. The team also has 1 Outcomes & Feedback Volunteer. In 23-24 we generated £89,049 of which £69,242 was unrestricted.
Training:
• We delivered training to over 2,310 participants (2,248 in live sessions & 62 watching our pre-recorded webinars).
• We created new content, such as a package for journalists on “Sensitive Reporting of Sexual Offences” which has already been delivered to a national newspaper company, and a Consent Webinar for universities.
• We delivered training to 13 higher education establishments; with Brighton University adopting our Consent webinar for their students.
• Across all training, 95% of participants said the session was 'good' or 'excellent'.
• We spoke at four large-scale events, such as conferences.
Fundraising:
• We participated in the Big Give campaign and raised £20,268 to fund our Therapy Service.
• Over the course of the year, we received funding from the Pebble Trust, The Brook Trust, The Miss A Lacey Charitable Trust, the Blackmore Foundation, The Julia and Hans Rausing Foundation, Another Way Women’s Foundation and the Chalk Cliff Trust.
• 25% of our unrestricted income was raised in the local community by supporters hosting their own events or taking on challenges. This included runners in the Brighton and Hove Triathlon and Brighton Half Marathon as well as events such as bake sales, cabaret shows and pub quizzes.
• We ran a successful online auction with donations for local artists and businesses. We also ran successful campaigns throughout 16 days of activism against gender-based violence including a match take over and bucket shake at Lewes Football Club.
Communications:
In line with our communications strategy, we have produced survivor-centred social media, newsletter and website content, both regularly and part of evocative campaigns. Since April 2023 we have over 1,000 new followers on Instagram, and 219 new subscriptions to our mailing list. During the year 23-24, 67% of our website traffic came from our social media content.
Data:
We improved the quality of our data to drive our data-led approach and ensure we keep improving our services and delivered training to SN staff to ensure continued data integrity year on year. Our Data, Monitoring & Evaluation Officer plays a key role in quarterly and biannual reporting to key funders including the MoJ and LA.
Service User Involvement:
• We have reviewed our process for gathering outcomes and feedback from service users, achieving a 62% success rate in collecting end-of-service feedback from clients.
• We hold regular Survivors’ Network User Group (SNUG) meetings both online and in person to solicit essential feedback on daily operations.
• We have established the Lived Experience Advisory Panel (LEAP), which includes current and former service users guiding our organisation's strategic direction alongside senior management and trustees.
• We have launched the Women’s Lived Experience Network (WLEN), commissioned by the NHS, to capture insights from marginalised women and align healthcare initiatives with community needs.
• We have published the first issue of the Speak Out e-zine, providing a transformative platform for survivors of sexual violence to share stories, spark conversations, and advocate for societal change through diverse artwork and vital discussions.
Service User voice
We regularly ask our clients about the differences our services make to their lives. Clients reported an improvement in the following:
85% of clients have told us that they feel more informed and empowered to act because of the support:
- 88% felt more empowered to make decisions about their future
- 84% have a better understanding of what happened to them and how it affected them
- 72% said that they felt better able to recognise abusive relationships / behaviours
- 81% felt more able to access further support and resources
As a result of the support, 83% of clients said that they felt less alone and / or isolated.
- 93% of clients told us that they felt that the service that they received from us was effective.
- 94% said that they felt heard and believed
- 97% would recommend the service to someone else
- 99% said that the service listened to them and respected their opinion
- 98% said that staff gave them enough information when they needed it
- 74% of client said that they felt better able to engage with the criminal justice system.
- 78% said that the support had helped their understanding the legal system and procedures
- 75% said that the support had helped in feeling able to go through legal proceedings
We ask our service users what they think about the support they received, and this year they told us:
“I cannot overstate how the dignity, empathy and understanding I was treated with not only made a confusing and traumatic experience less so but my wonderful support worker helped me realise many things about myself which I have been able to take forward to improve my self-esteem and I can now see a brighter, more confident future” - Adult ISVA Client
“I want to get across that I felt so isolated and all the organisations I reached out to hadn't given any help at all, my friends and family weren't there for me. SN was the only help, it was so integral for my healing and feeling capable” - Adult ISVA Client
“I think she's benefited from just having anyone that would listen. For a child to not feel believed is extremely hard. Feeling believed is a form of empowerment that is so important for a child that has been abused. The psychological impact of years of not being believed is huge, and it is worse when it is family members that don't believe you - it can be worse than the abuse” - Children and Young People’s ISVA Mum
“It gave me a safe space to talk through how I felt and help me understand how and why these things were affecting me and how to get through them in a safe way for me” - Children and Young People’s Therapy client
''I felt safe, and this allowed me to be honest and open with my therapist. (…). SN is extremely valuable and I am grateful of the opportunity of support, it has changed my life and helped me heal parts of me that I never though could heal” - Therapy Client
I have seen specialists in the past, but they have never been able to help me. My counsellor was the specialist of specialists. (…). Now, if I am unsure, I can think about the conversations we had and it allows me to understand myself better. I am so grateful: she has saved my life(…). Also, thanks to counselling, I have managed to access support from other services. This is very helpful to help me move to safety. (…) - Therapy client
I have struggled with anxiety for such a long time and talking to [Welcome Worker] has made me feel much better. I shared the truth cards I wrote with [Welcome Worker] with my boyfriend has noticed that they are helping me/ he even now reminds me to use them when I feel anxious. I feel I am coping much better than I have been - Short Term Advocacy Sessions (STAS) client
A big thank you to everyone at the welcome team for being so responsive to referrals and so supportive to those people they refer in, she said is was lovely to know that the survivors they see are passed to such a caring and professional team! - Partner organisation
Survivors Network and Peer groups are a lifeline to those who have suffered sexual assault. The simple fact of having a space to go, where others may understand or listen. Even just to feel a sense of belonging and not alone in your trauma – Peer Support Group client
The year ended 31st March 2024 recorded a deficit of £63,971 (2023: surplus £24,345). Total unrestricted reserves now stand at £468,199 (2023: £532,170) and restricted reserves at £Nil (2023: £Nil).
Total income for the year ended 31st March 2024 amounted to £1,771,142 compared to £1,742,985 in the previous year, an increase of £28,157. A breakdown of grants received is shown in notes 3 and 4 to the accounts.
Total expenditure for the year ended 31st March 2024 amounted to £1,835,113 compared to £1,718,640 in the previous year, an increase of £116,473.
In line with SORP FRS (102), expenditure is analysed into two main categories; charitable activities and raising funds for the charity. In the year ended 31st March 2024 the majority of expenditure was on charitable activities, as it was in the previous year.
Survivors’ Network is committed to using its resources in pursuit of its charitable objectives. However, the trustees also place great importance on the long-term sustainability of the charity, particularly at a time when the availability of future funding sources is so uncertain. The reserves policy has been set accordingly.
Survivors’ Network seeks to maintain a level of reserves that will enable it to:
• meet ongoing liabilities as they fall due
• ensure that all service delivery commitments can be met and to protect the long-term future of the charity
• enable further investment in the development of the charity
• provide capacity to manage unexpected losses of income or increases in costs to ensure that services can be maintained
Taking all of the above into consideration, the trustees consider it prudent to maintain a level of free reserves that would cover between 3 and 6 months’ worth of expenditure. This would allow the trustees sufficient time to take appropriate action in the event that income fell below operational requirements.
At 31 March 2024 free reserves were £468,199, this is the total of unrestricted reserves less any amounts designated. This represents approximately 3 months’ worth of expenditure at current levels and is therefore within the target range.
In 2020 the Trustees made the decision that during the year 2020-2021 they would invest £120,000 of the reserves in business development and in recruiting a dedicated team to work on education, training, campaigning and income diversification. This project took longer to roll out than we had anticipated, and this, along with the immediate increase in income generation meant that we took the decision to roll over the income from our reserves into the year to 31st March 2024. In the year to March 2024 £46,603 was spent on the development of the BDT. The balance of the £120,000 designated reserves has been released back into general reserves.
The Trustees have conducted their own review of the major risks to which the charity is exposed and systems have been established to mitigate those risks. Internal risks are minimised by the implementation of procedures for authorisation of all transactions and events and to ensure consistent quality of delivery for all operational aspects of the charity. These procedures are reviewed periodically to ensure that they still meet the needs of the charity.
Looking Forward
With the long term absence of our CEO this has been a challenging year for all at Survivors Network. We are excited about further developing and embedding a model and practice of sustainable intersectional feminist leadership. We will be working alongside specialists in this area and ensuring we have a representative steering group to guide this important development. We recognise that to continue to provide high quality accessible services for survivors and a supportive workplace for staff and volunteers this work is essential.
We are excited about developing Survivors’ Network further to ensure we continue to provide high-quality services for survivors and a supportive workplace for your staff and volunteers.
We continue to look at who is missing from our data and adapt our services to welcome under-represented groups into our services, such as older people, people who experience racism and people with disabilities.
We know that as service providers, we can only effectively serve our communities by listening, and we are listening to survivors and our communities.
We are also committed to diversifying our income to ensure that we are able to continue to provide high quality services and to support our community to unite to confront sexual violence, abuse and harassment so that no one has to face the impacts alone.
Legal Challenge
In 2022, Survivors’ Network received legal papers in relation to action being taken against us in the Brighton County Court by one of our clients. The client alleges that by recognising trans women as women and welcoming them into our women-only spaces this has led to breaches of the Equality Act 2010.
We wholeheartedly disagree with these allegations and we will be vigorously defending them. We are being represented on a pro bono basis by a City of London law firm, Reed Smith, and two barristers, Antony White QC and Robin White.
The Survivors’ Network Limited is a charitable company limited by guarantee, registered in England & Wales (company number 07780363); it was incorporated on 20th September 2011 and registered as a charity on 1st December 2011 (charity number 1144878). The organisation was formerly known as Survivors Network (Sussex), an unincorporated charity (charity number 1000961) which was set up in 1990 and which transferred its net assets to the newly constituted company on 1st July 2012.
The Survivors’ Network Limited was established under a Memorandum of Association, which describes the objects and powers of the charitable company; it is governed under its Articles of Association. Under those Articles, new Trustees are elected or co-opted by the Trustees on to the Board.
The trustees, who are also the directors for the purpose of company law, and who served during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were:
Trustee positions are advertised via a wide range of channels including: social media; Community Works (the voluntary sector membership organisation for Brighton and Hove and West Sussex); partner agencies across Sussex; organisations supporting equalities groups; trustee networks. When appropriate the trustees will advertise for trustees with specific skills or expertise. An induction programme is provided for all new trustees.
None of the trustees has any beneficial interest in the company. All of the trustees are members of the company and guarantee to contribute £1 in the event of a winding up.
The Board of Trustees governs The Survivors’ Network Limited and meets at least 4 times a year to discuss and review strategy, planning, development and financial matters. Trustees have two away sessions each year to focus specifically on Governance and Strategy respectively. Day-to-day management of the organisation is delegated to the CEO. Each trustee is appointed for a term of three years, and trustees can stand for no more than two full terms.
Pay policy for senior staff
The pay of the CEO is reviewed annually by the Nominations and Remuneration Committee. Staff pay structures are reviewed by the full board. Frameworks for pay review include: the current cost of living crisis, the need to incentivise staff; remuneration trends in the sector and any statutory or legal requirements.
In accordance with the company's articles, a resolution proposing that West & Berry Limited be reappointed as auditor of the company will be put at a General Meeting.
The trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
The trustees, who are also the directors of The Survivors' Network for the purpose of company law, are responsible for preparing the Trustees' Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Company Law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that year.
In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:
- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
- observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
- make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and
- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.
The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Opinion
We have audited the financial statements of The Survivors' Network (the ‘charity’) for the year ended 31 March 2024 which comprise the statement of financial activities, the balance sheet, the statement of cash flows and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
In our opinion, the financial statements:
Basis for opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charity in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.
Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.
Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.
Other information
The other information comprises the information included in the annual report other than the financial statements and our auditor's report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.
We have nothing to report in this regard.
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 require us to report to you if, in our opinion:
the information given in the financial statements is inconsistent in any material respect with the trustees' report; or
sufficient accounting records have not been kept; or
the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records; or
we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.
As explained more fully in the statement of trustees' responsibilities, the trustees, who are also the directors of the charity for the purpose of company law, are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
We have been appointed as auditor under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 and report in accordance with the Act and relevant regulations made or having effect thereunder.
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.
Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, is detailed below.
The objectives of our audit are to identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements due to fraud or error; to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence regarding the assessed risks of material misstatement due to fraud or error; and to respond appropriately to those risks. In identifying and assessing risks of material misstatement in respect of irregularities, including fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations, our procedures included the following:
We obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory frameworks applicable to the charitable company and the sector in which it operates. We determined that the following laws and regulations were most significant: the Charities SORP (FRS 102), Companies Act 2006, Data Protection Act, safeguarding legislation and UK employment laws.
We obtained an understanding of how the charitable company is complying with the legal and regulatory frameworks by making inquiries to management.
We assessed the susceptibility of the charitable company’s financial statements to material misstatement, including how fraud might occur.
Audit procedures performed by the engagement team included:
identifying and assessing the design effectiveness of controls management has in place to prevent and detect fraud;
understanding how those charged with governance considered and addressed the potential for override of controls or other inappropriate influence over the financial reporting process;
made enquiries with management, including consideration of known or suspected instances of fraud or non-compliance;
assessing the extent of compliance with the relevant laws and regulations.
challenging assumptions and judgments made by management in its significant accounting estimates;
identifying and testing journal entries, in particular any journal entries posted with unusual account combinations;
performed analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected relationships; and
investigated the rationale behind significant or unusual transactions.
Owing to the inherent limitations of an audit, there is an unavoidable risk that material misstatements in the financial statements may not be detected, even though the audit is properly planned and performed in accordance with the ISAs (UK). For instance, the further removed non-compliance is from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, the less likely the auditor is to become aware of it or to recognise non-compliance.
A further description of our responsibilities is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: https://www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor's report.
Use of our report
This report is made solely to the company’s members, as a body, in accordance with section 391 of the Companies Act 2014. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the company’s members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor's report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the company and the company’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
West & Berry Limited is eligible for appointment as auditor of the charity by virtue of its eligibility for appointment as auditor of a company under section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006.
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
The notes on pages 19 to 35 form part of these financial statements.
The notes on pages 19 to 35 form part of these financial statements.
The notes on pages 19 to 35 form part of these financial statements.
The Survivors' Network is a charitable company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is 6a Pavilion Buildings, Brighton, BN1 1EE.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 2006, FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” (“FRS 102”) and the Charities SORP "Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)" (effective 1 January 2019). The charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.
At the time of approving the financial statements, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of their charitable objectives.
Designated funds are unrestricted funds that have been set aside at the discretion of the Trustees for a specific purpose.
Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors or grantors as to how they may be used. The purposes and uses of the restricted funds are set out in the notes to the financial statements.
Cash donations are recognised on receipt. Other donations are recognised once the charity has been notified of the donation, unless performance conditions require deferral of the amount. Income tax recoverable in relation to donations received under Gift Aid or deeds of covenant is recognised at the time of the donation.
Income from government grants and other grants is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the grants have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.
Income from contracts is recognised on an earned basis in the year in which the conditions for receipt are met.
Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to transfer economic benefit to a third party, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement, and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.
Expenditure is classified by activity. The costs of each activity are made up of the total of direct costs and shared costs, including support costs involved in undertaking each activity. Direct costs attributable to a single activity are allocated directly to that activity. Shared costs which contribute to more than one activity and support costs which are not attributable to a single activity are apportioned between those activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources. Central staff costs are allocated on the basis of time spent, and depreciation charges are allocated on the portion of the asset’s use.
Expenditure on raising funds includes the costs of fundraising activities and events, as well as the costs for seeking donations.
Tangible fixed assets are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost or valuation, net of depreciation and any impairment losses.
Depreciation is recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases:
The charity operates a de minimis policy whereby only items costing £1,000 and above are capitalised.
Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.
The charity has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instruments Issues’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.
Financial instruments are recognised in the charity's balance sheet when the charity becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.
Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.
Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.
Basic financial liabilities, including creditors and bank loans are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.
Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.
Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of operations from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
Financial liabilities are derecognised when the charity’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.
The cost of any unused holiday entitlement is recognised in the period in which the employee’s services are received.
Termination benefits are recognised immediately as an expense when the charity is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.
Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due.
In the application of the charity’s accounting policies, the trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.
Client services
Freelance counselling
Interpreting costs
Supervision
Staff training and welfare
Volunteer and therapist training
Room hire
Professional costs
Office and computer equipment
Printing, postage and stationery
Telephone and internet costs
Subscriptions
Travel and subsistence
Sundry expenses
Advertising and marketing
Client services
Freelance counselling
Interpreting costs
Supervision
Staff training and welfare
Volunteer and therapist training
Room hire
Professional costs
Office and computer equipment
Printing, postage and stationery
Telephone and internet costs
Subscriptions
Travel and subsistence
Sundry expenses
Advertising and marketing
Support costs are allocated on a proportion basis of direct costs for each activity.
None of the trustees (or any persons connected with them) received any remuneration or benefits from the charity during the year.
None of the trustees received any reimbursed expenses from the charity during the year.
The average monthly number of employees during the year was:
Remuneration of higher paid employees does not include employer's national insurance and employer pension costs.
Contributions totalling £1,321 in the prior year, 2023, were made to defined contribution pension schemes on behalf of employees whose emoluments exceed £60,000.
The remuneration of key management personnel was as follows:
The charity considers that key management personnel comprises the Board of Trustees and the CEO.
The charity is exempt from taxation on its activities because all its income is applied for charitable purposes.
Deferred income is included in the financial statements as follows:
EMDR funding £1,000
NHS funding £10,000
National Lottery Community Fund £27,548
National Lottery cost of living uplift £11,144
Amounts deferred last year and released into income this year are as follows:
NHS additional funding £24,005
National Lottery Community Fund £28,216
Children In Need £33,333
Ministry of Justice £53,760
The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the charity in an independently administered fund.
The restricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants held on trust subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used.
Purpose of restricted funds:
Sussex EMDR Group - this is for resources for the therapists, memberships and attending the EMDR conference and training
PCC DVSA - commission for the provision of a range of sexual violence support services
Another Way Women - to support group and holistic work
Chalk Cliff Trust - to support group and holistic work
Lawson Trust - to support group and holistic work
Sussex Community Foundation - for the provision of groupwork
Small grants and donations - to support services for survivors of sexual violence and abuse
Ministry of Justice Rape Support Fund - for the provision of services to survivors of sexual violence
Sussex PCC - the delivery of a variety of support services for survivors of sexual violence and abuse
The Diocese of Chichester - the provision of an advocacy service for those who have experienced sexual violence or abuse within the context of the Diocese of Chichester
National Lottery Community Fund - the provision of a specialist service for young people
NHS Additional funding - to support the management of the adult counselling waiting list
Mankind - for the provision of an ISVA to support male-identifying survivors
Pebble Trust - for the provision of Therapeutic services
The Brook Trust - for the provision of Therapeutic services
Children In Need - for the provision of a specialist service for young people
The unrestricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants which are not subject to specific conditions by donors and grantors as to how they may be used. These include designated funds which have been set aside out of unrestricted funds by the trustees for specific purposes.
Purpose of designated funds:
Business Development fund - in 2020 the trustees made the decision that during the year 2020-21 they would invest £120,000 of reserves in business development and recruiting a dedicated team to work on education, training, campaigning and income diversification. This project took longer to roll out than we had anticipated, and this along with the immediate increase in income generation meant that we took the decision to roll over the income from our reserves into the year to 31st March 2024.
During this year £46,602 was spent by the business development team. A decision was taken at the end of the year to transfer the remaining balance of £73,398 back to unrestricted reserves as it is forecast that the team will break even in the coming year.
At the reporting end date the charity had outstanding commitments for future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases, which fall due as follows:
In April 2022, The Survivors' Network became aware via social media of a legal action being taken against the charity for alleged breach of the Equality Act for welcoming trans women into our women only services. The charity has since received details of the claim and is very grateful to have been offered and accepted pro bono legal support from the law firm, Reed Smith LLP. The charity has notified the Charities Commission of the claim.
This is a non-adjusting event.
During the year fee income totalling £1,125 (2023: £2,020) was received from an organisation called Social Finance, the director of which is also a trustee of the charity.
The transactions were conducted at arms length.
The charity had no material debt during the year.