The Board of Staying Put Group Trustees present its annual report and accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025.

The Directors of the charitable company (the charity) are its trustees for the purposes of charity law, and throughout this report are collectively referred to as the board of trustees. The board’s responsibilities include all the responsibilities of directors under the Companies Act and of trustees under the Charities Act.

The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the accounts, and comply with the charity's Memorandum and Articles of Association, 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 (FRS102)’ (as amended for accounting periods commencing from 1 January 2016).

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, FRS 102 "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland" 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)".

Objectives and activities

The charity's objectives are to preserve and protect the safety of individuals and their children experiencing domestic and sexual abuse across the Bradford district and wider. Staying Put provides direct provision of helpline and intake services, community services including independent domestic violence and sexual violence advocacy (IDVA/ISVA) provision, early intervention and prevention, specialist work with young people, recovery and confidence building, and packages of practical and emotional support, access to high quality crisis support, supported accommodation via our refuges, and dispersed housing in addition to ongoing practical and emotional support and in the provision of specific security measures.

Vision Statement

To lead the way in quality service provision to victims of domestic abuse and violence, to remove the barriers that prevent people from speaking out and seeking help.

Vision

To live in a world free from domestic abuse and violence, to be the change and inspire others to follow our example.

Mission

We listen to the voices of survivors, believe in them and act to protect them.

Values

We operate ethically, guided by our beliefs and moral compass with commitment:

Annual overview by Chairs - Paula Gardner and Ruth Houghton

The annual overview incorporates the group consisting of Staying Put which is the parent body and Solace Housing Association (“Solace”) which is its subsidiary. We are delighted to present the Trustee’s report for the year ending 31st March 2025. Staying Put provides a range of innovative services to people, overwhelmingly to women and children who are subjected to domestic abuse and sexual violence.

We are pleased to share our considerable impact, highlighting what we’ve experienced, learnt and influenced along the way. It celebrates the resilience of everyone across the Staying Put Group, the commitment of our dedicated Board, staff/volunteers, supporters and partners, and the profound courage of the survivors we are privileged to work with. Over the past year we have been responsive, collaborative and need-led, taking stock of our operational and strategic capabilities, whilst planning for our future.

Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is not inevitable, yet it remains one of the most pervasive human rights violations in the UK. The first national analysis of the scale of VAWG released by the National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC) estimated that 2 million women are victims of male violence every year (20% of all police recorded crime) and on average a woman is killed by a man in the UK every three days. The new government has committed to halve VAWG within a decade as part of its 'mission' to make streets safer, whilst the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of West Yorkshire have also made a commitment to keeping women and girls safe with their Safety of Women and Girls Strategy.

We at Staying Put believe a collective response is important, we need to work with male allies to tackle VAWG. We believe a whole society approach is necessary and needed.

We know people experiencing domestic abuse and sexual violence heal quicker from the trauma if they can continue living in their own home with the right support networks around them. Our service is committed to working to keep survivors safe and in their homes – hence, our name is Staying Put.

Through our feminist intersectional approach, we continue to support all survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence by always listening and keeping their views at the heart of service delivery, ensuring quality, consistency and effectiveness of services. We support people to know their rights are understood and are integrated into national / local policy and practice.

Domestic abuse and sexual violence are horrific and terrifying crimes that have no place in our society. At Staying Put, safeguarding is underpinned by shared values and belief where everyone understands the importance of safeguarding and agrees on the principals that underpin it. The Board and leadership continue to take our responsibility for safeguarding very seriously, as we have seen the lasting impact these crimes can have on survivors, their families, and our communities.

From April 2024 to March 2025, our inclusive services were open to offer support to all those whose lives were touched by violence and abuse. Despite the challenging environment, we succeeded to ‘Listen, Believe and Act’ to support and protect survivors.

We continue to work collaboratively with our partners Survive and Thrive, Hope and Light, West Yorkshire Pathfinder IDVA Service, West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Bradford Metropolitan Council, Bradford ICB and the VCSE and corporate sector. Our mission is to collaboratively work together to reduce duplication and to focus on early intervention and prevention, with the aim of tackling all forms of VAWG across West Yorkshire and wider.

We have achieved and made significant progress against our strategic priorities for 2024/25. We are making good positive progress against our five-year strategic plan, which incorporates sustainability and growth. We will refresh our strategic plan in 2025/26.

As we look to the future, we know that we will need to continue to change and evolve to meet the increasing demands in a very uncertain economic climate affecting our most vulnerable communities. Despite the many challenges ahead, we begin 2025/26 in a stable financial position. We would like to say a huge thank you, not only to our exceptional and hard-working staff and volunteers for their dedication to providing outstanding services, but to our expert Board, funders and supporters whose understanding and unwavering support has been greatly appreciated during these uncertain times.

As we move forward, we face significant challenges, but we have a strong platform to work from, built on an outstanding track record of achievement, continuous learning, strong partnerships and above all always putting service users at the heart of every decision we take.

Benefit of Staying Put

The trustees and staff at Staying Put consider the public benefit core to service delivery. The achievements and performance for this year has been beneficial to survivors and their children residing within the Bradford district. We have supported our beneficiaries to work through a crisis period, to regain control of their lives and become active members of their local communities. Through strong partnership work, our beneficiaries are empowered to participate within society at all levels.

Our philosophy is to empower our beneficiaries. This ensures all beneficiaries accessing Staying Put for advocacy and support receive consistent and effective responses, which increases their safety.

We recognise that society is enriched by diversity, and this is actively and consciously valued within our Board, senior leadership team, staff team and service provision. The people who work for us and who access our services come from a wide variety of backgrounds and cultures and are representative of the communities we serve.

We have a proven record of accomplishment of reaching minoritised communities and central Eastern European communities. We are working proactively to engage underrepresented communities, including LGBT+ and people with disabilities. In essence, we actively promote and celebrate diversity and inclusive practice in all our work.

Strong and collaborative partnerships across the region:

Survive and Thrive - a partnership of three charities, Staying Put, Family Action and WomenCentre, have successfully worked together since 2019. In 2024 we were thrilled to be awarded the re-tender for our Survive and Thrive partnership, securing £1.8 million per annum for 5 years, with the potential for that to be extended by 2 further years. Our Survive and Thrive partnership is well established in delivering an integrated trauma-informed offer to individuals and families. We continue to see an increase in demand for all our services. From adults to children and young people seeking and/or requiring crisis and recovery support, this led to increased waiting lists and a strain on our services. Not being able to access services exacerbates the impact of trauma and increases personal safety and risk. We worked collaboratively to mitigate this risk by bringing in additional funding to help manage the increased demand. In our work, we continue to see the devastating impact domestic and sexual abuse has on survivors, their families, their friends and community, but we also see strength, courage, determination and staunch powerful resilience.

The Hope and Light partnership is between Bradford District and Craven Mind, Staying Put, African Caribbean Achievement Project, Connecting Roma C.I.C, European Drom, Girlington Centre, Roshni Ghar and Ihsaan. This partnership provides mental health support to the Black African, Black Caribbean, Central and Eastern European, and South Asian communities; recognising the diversity within and beyond these groups through a range of culturally responsive services. This service strengthens our core service for our survivors as there is a significant link between VAWG and poor mental health. Women who experience domestic abuse are twice as likely to experience depression and those who experience poor mental health are more vulnerable to domestic suicide.

In 2025/26 Staying Put will lead on the new Pilot for Family Court Independent Domestic Violence Adviser (IDVA) delivery model of the West Yorkshire Pathfinder IDVA Service, with our exceptional West Yorkshire partners Leeds Domestic Violence Service (LDVS) represented by Leeds Women’s Aid and Behind Closed Doors, Pennine Domestic Abuse Services, Wakefield Domestic Abuse Services and Women Centre. This programme aims to improve the court experience and outcomes for children and families involved in private law proceedings.

Solace Housing Association (SHA) submitted the detailed stage 2 application and in the last year worked through the final stages of this process and expect to receive an outcome from the Social Housing Regulator in June 2025. Once it meets the stage 2 requirements of the Regulator, it will grow its property portfolio for people subjected to domestic abuse and sexual violence

These partnerships enable us to put the voice of survivors at the heart of what we do. Our trauma informed care aims to avoid re-traumatising individuals experiencing domestic abuse and sexual violence by prioritising safety, trust, collaboration and empowerment. It means understanding cultural factors whilst enabling people and creating an environment where people are supportive and understanding of this.

Achievement and performance

Staying Put is committed to achieving excellence in service delivery. We work to the Quality Assurance Framework and have achieved reaccreditation of Women’s Aid National Quality Standards, reinforcing our commitment to delivering high quality services. Beneficiaries’ feedback informs our service delivery. They inform us that our support has positively influenced their wellbeing, being able to navigate into our emergency accommodation or staying put and not having to uproot and move from their home. They further inform us continuity of residence, having knowledge of the local area as well as maintaining regular contact with family and friends all contribute positively to assisting them to rebuild their lives.

National and local government changes, and cuts to resources both financial and human, mean that there is little to go around. And whilst Staying Put has weathered many a storm - the pressure to survive continues to be overwhelming; this is a true test of our strategic relevance, partnerships, quality of service and reach to those who need to break free from violence and abuse. With strong leadership in place, our organisation has continued to work with survivors, employees, students and external stakeholders. Similarly, we have taken an internal and external look at ourselves, and we have positively utilised skills from the business world to help us prepare for the future.

Staying Put continues to grow and develop. As Staying Put continues to grow, it is vital that it is effectively led and managed at all levels of the organisation. This means that every level of the management needs to operate consistently and confidently in carrying out their roles to support the achievement of the organisational Vision, Mission, and Values.

This means investing in targeted management development training to support each new member of the wider management team. The training assists the management team to adopt a consistent approach to leading, managing and supporting their team's productivity and performance.

We succeeded in our primary aim of listening, believing and acting in safeguarding our beneficiaries through the provision of innovative services aiming to keep survivors and their children safe.

The number of domestic abuse related incidents reported to West Yorkshire Police continues to increase. We are working with all partners to support safe spaces. If anyone is experiencing domestic abuse, you can visit a ‘safe space’ where someone can provide you with information and support. Click here for more information and to find your nearest Safe Space- https://uksaysnomore.org/safespaces/

The figures for sexual violence in Yorkshire remain higher than the average for England and Wales, with the national rate of assaults on men and women at 63.4 per 100,000 people compared to 66.3 in Yorkshire. For rape, the national rate is 63.1 per 100,000, in Yorkshire it is 72.6.

We supported the following in our Staying Put services: Please see data below

We continue to participate in the advancement of Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARAC) with the primary aim to protect those at risk of domestic homicide. The One Front Door Service Manager supports with chairing MARAC. Additionally, we are supporting several Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) and have representation on the DHR Standing Panel.

In collaboration with West Yorkshire Police and other partners, we have created a co-ordinated response to those affected by domestic abuse and sexual violence. We hold daily risk assessment meetings (DRAM) with the police to support appropriate risk management of high-risk victims.

This daily discussion of high-risk cases has enabled earlier intervention from the IDVAs, leading to better engagement and more timely support to effectively manage and reduce risk. Furthermore, it led to better accountability between the key agencies, improved and enhanced knowledge and skillsets across and between organisations and teams, as well as the streamlining of clear communication processes.

An additional benefit of this system is a reduction in the amount of time spent in MARAC meetings; where even though cases are flagged as high risk, full discussion is limited to those cases where engagement is patchy at best, non- existent at worst and where a wider multi-agency approach is necessary in order to help safeguard high-risk victims.

We have participated in various operational, strategic meetings and forums primarily to advocate and keep the voice of survivors at the heart of everything we do. We have delivered a variety of training to professionals and the local community to raise the profile of domestic and sexual abuse. Across the year we ran 21 sessions with 686 participants from primary and secondary care, social care and the police benefitting from the training.

The above are significant achievements in our effort to engage diverse groups of practitioners, the community and people experiencing domestic and sexual abuse.

We have effectively managed staff, through the direct provision of support, supervision, annual appraisals and professional development opportunities at all levels.

Our retention rate has improved and stabilised over this year and is at 77%, our target is 80%.

Employee survey results were positive again this year with 94% feeling supported in their professional development, 83% feeling supported by their line manager, 83% feeling they receive praise and recognition, 83% feeling a sense of psychological wellbeing at Staying Put, 79% feeling valued as an employee, 75% feeling that we care about their wellbeing and 74% feeling supported in their professional development.

Our key services

One Front Door helpline

Staying Put operates a dedicated freephone helpline called the One Front Door, providing help and advice to anybody who uses it, whether that’s a survivor of past abuse, those currently experiencing domestic and/or sexual abuse, their friends or family. This ensures they receive the right support at the right time.

Our trained domestic abuse support workers who run the confidential One Front Door helpline offer:

• A freephone number accessible to all: 0808 2800 999;

• A webchat service through our website www.stayingput.org.uk

• Advice and support Monday to Friday between 9.30am and 4.30pm;

• A streamlined allocation process ensuring smooth transition from initial assessment to the appropriate internal or external services;

• Access to initial specialist telephone support and pathways to counselling for those subjected to domestic abuse and sexual abuse.

• Onward referral and signposting

DA Car

We continue to work in partnership with West Yorkshire Police to provide a joint response to domestic abuse incidents. The DA car operates 7 days a week through a daytime service Monday to Friday supporting the DRAM and MARAC processes and from 5pm – midnight at the weekend where the IDVA/plain clothed police officer attend ‘live’ incidents to ensure appropriate safeguarding, safety planning and access to further support.

Community Hub

IDVA service

Our IDVA service offers short-term interventions working with individuals to assess and manage risk through robust safety planning. Staying Put’s IDVA service supports survivors of all forms of gender-based violence, including those at highest risk of serious harm or homicide. Independent advocates give a voice to those who feel voiceless, enabling victims of domestic and sexual abuse to pursue justice and put the building blocks in place to begin a new life, free from fear.

Independent advocates also play a crucial role in the community. They provide essential training to key agencies such as social care, health professionals, the police and the Crown Prosecution Service, which greatly improves the way they respond to cases of domestic and sexual abuse.

Outreach service

This service provides tailored support to anyone coming into our service who is medium or standard risk, or who requires ongoing support following successful IDVA intervention where the risk is managed. Individual support plans are developed with clients through short, medium and long-term goals to help them take back control and move on from domestic abuse. We also have a specialist Young Persons’ Domestic Abuse Advocate who works solely with 16 – 25-year-olds in education.

ISVA service

Our Independent Sexual Violence Advocates (ISVAs) provide support to anyone whose case is going through the criminal justice system. They can help victims through the court process and explain what is likely to happen when a report is made to the police. The ISVA can also provide support to victims who do not wish to make a report. In these circumstances they can advise on sexual health concerns, provide emotional support and refer to other services such as counsellors.

The ISVA can support anyone over the age of 16 who has been the victim of sexual violence – regardless of when the incident occurred. They have excellent links with the SARC (Sexual Assault Referral Centre) and can explain their role in helping victims.

Health IDVA service

For the last three years we have had specially trained IDVAs based at Bradford Royal Infirmary and Airedale Hospital. Their role was to ensure patients who have experienced domestic abuse and/or sexual violence are safe, to offer support, to talk to them about the services we offer and if appropriate refer them to the service for further support once discharged.

The Hospital IDVAs also offered to support staff within the hospital to stay in work where domestic abuse and/or sexual violence was present within their own relationship. In addition, we have a maternity IDVA as part of an early intervention initiative to support pregnant women, or those who have recently given birth. A large role for the HIDVA team has been the offer of specific domestic abuse training and awareness sessions to all hospital staff and teams. Sadly, moving forward to 2025/26 we are now only funded for the maternity IDVA post. However, we will continue to work closely with health colleagues in Bradford hospitals.

In October 2023 we supported a pilot scheme within the Five Parks Primary Care Network for South Asian and Roma Traveller communities by introducing GP IDVAs for 12 months. Due to the huge success of this work the Five Parks Primary Care Network agreed to extend the funding for a further 12 months and to extend the GP IDVA service to all registered patients.

Accommodation service

We provide four women only refuges and dispersed units of accommodation accessible to all. Our dispersed accommodation is trans and male inclusive.

The refuges provide safe accommodation for women and children escaping domestic abuse. The addresses are confidential, and no men are allowed in the building unsupervised.

A refuge is much more than a safe roof over a woman or child’s head. Our specialist staff provide residents with the building blocks they need to begin a new life, free from fear. They help women and children to overcome the impacts of violence and abuse and offer a huge range of practical and emotional support. This might include support around housing, education, accessing benefits, employment, or immigration, or it might mean helping a woman to achieve better health and wellbeing.

Early intervention and prevention service

Early intervention means identifying and providing effective early support to people who are at risk.

Staying Put’s aim is to promote a culture of change and reduce inter-generational cycles of poor outcomes, to prevent and reduce repeat victimisation, to improve mental wellbeing, increase education and employment opportunities and to ensure community integration. The Early Intervention and Prevention team has a systemic, evidence-based trauma-informed approach to recovery from domestic abuse and sexual violence for all family members. The key elements to supporting successful recovery and providing practical help include:

•    Early intervention and prevention work

•    Attending to safety

•    Recognising personal strengths

•    Building up new and personal support networks

Male victim service

Men experiencing domestic and sexual abuse should not suffer in silence. We are working hard to promote our services in the community and to urge men to come forward and seek support. We offer community support, telephone support, practical assistance, general support and help in preventing unnecessary homelessness.

LGBT support

We continue to work with LGBT+ specific organisations and groups around Bradford to try and encourage LGBT+ people to seek professional and peer support.

Sanctuary Scheme

Our Sanctuary Scheme provides home security measures, including lock changes, ring doorbells and panic alarms which can help support individuals and their children to feel safe at home. This initiative enables and empowers people experiencing domestic abuse to continue living safely in their home.

Key priorities identified for 2025/26

1.    Refresh our Strategic Plan, maintaining focus on Early Intervention and Preventative work along with     supporting the Government’s vision to half Violence Against Women and Girls by 2035

2.    Mobilise the Survive and Thrive contract and West Yorkshire Pathfinder IDVA Service followed by a period     of consolidation

3.    Strengthen sustainability through growing our pool of financial supporters and corporate donors

4.    Achieve full registration for SHA with the Social Housing Regulator and start to build housing stock

5.    Maintain strong partnerships, locally, regionally and nationally

Board appointment, induction and training

The Board appoints through an open, transparent and inclusive recruitment and selection process. Trustees must be over 18 years old and meet the skills and knowledge as specified in the role description. They must be committed to acting collectively and effectively serving the interests of the charity by giving strategic direction, determining and upholding our mission, vision and values.

On appointment of trustees, they are issued with:

• Strategic plans

• Organisational goal report

• Group Governance handbook

• Group risk register

• Annual impact report

• Articles of Association and Memorandum of Association

• Minutes of the previous board meeting/s.

They also have a formal two-day induction, which includes the following:

• History of Staying Put group and Introduction to staff and current services

• Information on adopting a feminist ethos/approach

• People & Good Governance

• Roles and responsibilities of a Trustee, Chair and collectively as a team

• Legal duties and managing risk

• Boardroom decision making, board culture

• Planning, Reflecting and learning

Training provided in the last two years has focused on looking at the roles and responsibilities of Trustees and ensuring a consistent view of Board Members’ roles and responsibilities in relation to good and effective governance. Trustees also participate in regular organisational events to set the vision and direction of the organisation as well as contribute to the creation, and review of, the strategic plan. None of the Trustees has any beneficial interest in the charity. The Trustees are members of the charity and guarantee to contribute £1 in the event of a winding up. The Board of Trustees oversees the policies/procedures for the organisation, along with the development of the strategic plan. The Board works closely with the Chief Executive Officer to implement the delivery of the strategic plan. The Trustees having assessed the major risks, regularly review the risk register to which the charity is exposed and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate any exposure to major risks.

The Board is appointed by the Trustees, and Trustees serve until their term comes to an end, at which point they may put themselves forward for reappointment. New Trustees are appointed through the open market; however, some new members may be known to current Trustees and who are professionals with relevant experience of working at a senior level in the provision or management of, corporate services or services which relate to domestic and sexual abuse. The Board is focused on ensuring Trustees portray diverse and inclusive representation that reflect the population we serve.

The Charity is a company limited by guarantee and was incorporated on 11 May 2004 and registered as a charity on 21 September 2006.

The Trustees of Staying Put, who are also the directors for the purpose of company law, who served during the year, were:

Trustees are required to act in the best interest of Staying Put and its subsidiary companies for the benefit of its beneficiaries. The Board of Trustees is responsible for the management of Staying Put and its subsidiaries and delegates the day-to-day responsibility to the Chief Executive Officer.

The Chief Executive Officer is supported by the leadership team.

The Board retain the following duties to:

•    Ensure Staying Put fulfils its charitable objectives

•    Set the overall strategic direction

•    Once Solace Housing Association gains Registered Social Housing status it will ensure it works within     housing regulations and meets its social enterprise objectives

•    Promote Staying Put’s values

•    Monitor the performance of the Chief Executive Officer and her leadership team, holding them to account     for the exercise of their delegated responsibilities and delivery against set performance targets

•    Ensure independent judgement, care and due diligence at all times

In fulfilling these duties, the Board ensures:

•    It maximises Staying Put’s impact and effectiveness

•     Identifies and manages risks, which doesn’t deter the charity from harnessing opportunities

•    Ensures prudent use of all funds

•    Listens and responds to the changing demands placed on the charity

•    Ensures Staying Put acts fairly, responsibly, ethically, openly and transparently

Annual General Meeting

Staying Put holds an annual general meeting (AGM). Prior to the AGM, the accounts are sent to the Board for approval and made available to all members. In August 2024 we held a successful AGM, celebrating our achievements for the year and discussed our plans for the forthcoming year.

Staying Put has continued to work with its key stakeholders tracking the rising inflation and public spending decisions affecting survivors and their children affected by domestic abuse and sexual violence.

Charity

The charity's income for the year amounted £3,373,688 (2024: £3,038,155) and total resources expended of £3,219,999 (2024: £3,108,223), being a net surplus on movement of funds of £153,689 (2024: deficit £70,065).

The trustees aim to have between three and six months running costs in the charity's reserves, with 3 months costs being £805,000.

The total reserves at the year end are £1,415,881 (2024: £1,262,195). Unrestricted reserves at the year end total £1,338,440 (2024: £1,151,494), including designated funds of £274,744 (2024: £274,744), and restricted funds are £77,441 (2024: £110,698).

Group

The group's income for the year amounted £3,385,083 (2024: £3,038,155) and total resources expended of £3,229,846 (2024: £3,110,815), being a net surplus on movement of funds of £155,237 (2024: £72,660).

The trustees aim to have between three and six months running costs in the charity's reserves, with 3 months costs being £807,443.

The total reserves at the year end are £1,559,709 (2024: £1,404,474). Unrestricted reserves at the year end total £1,482,271 (2024: £1,293,776), including designated funds of £274,744 (2024: £274,744), and restricted funds are £77,441 (2024: £110,698).

The trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the Charity should undertake.

The trustees have assessed the major risks to which the Charity is exposed and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to the major risks.

In accordance with the company's articles, a resolution proposing that BK Plus Audit Limited be reappointed as auditor of the company will be put at a General Meeting.

Each of the trustees has confirmed that there is no information of which they are aware which is relevant to the audit, but of which the auditor is unaware. They have further confirmed that they have taken appropriate steps to identify such relevant information and to establish that the auditor is aware of such information.

The trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.

The trustees, who are also the directors of STAYING PUT 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;

- state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; 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 STAYING PUT (the ‘charity’) for the year ended 31 March 2025 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:

give a true and fair view of the state of the charitable company's affairs as at 31 March 2025 and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure, for the year then ended;

have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

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, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, 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.

Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of our audit:

the information given in the trustees' report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared, which includes the directors' report prepared for the purposes of company law, is consistent with the financial statements; and

the directors' report included within the trustees' report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the charity and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the directors' report included within the trustees' report.

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

adequate accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or

the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or

certain disclosures of trustees' remuneration specified by law are not made; or

we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit; or

the trustees were not entitled to prepare the financial statements in accordance with the small companies regime and take advantage of the small companies' exemptions in preparing the trustees' report and from the requirement to prepare a strategic report.

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.

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.

The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, is detailed below.

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.

Other matters

Our approach to identifying and assessing the risks of material misstatement in respect of irregularities, including fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations, was as follows:

• The engagement partner ensured that the engagement team collectively had the appropriate competence, capabilities and skills to identify or recognise non-compliance with applicable laws and regulations;

• We identified the laws and regulations applicable to the company through discussions with directors and other management, and from our commercial knowledge and experience of the industry sector;

• We focused on specific laws and regulations which we considered may have a direct material effect on the financial statements or the operations of the company, including the Companies Act 2006, taxation legislation and data protection, anti-bribery, employment, environmental and health and safety legislation;

• We assessed the extent of compliance with the laws and regulations identified above through making enquiries of management and inspecting legal correspondence; and

• Ensured laws and regulations were communicated within the audit team regularly and the team remained alert to instances of non-compliance throughout the audit.

We assessed the susceptibility of the company’s financial statements to material misstatement, including obtaining an understanding of how fraud might occur, by:

• Making enquiries of management as to where they considered there was a susceptibility to fraud, their knowledge of actual, suspected and alleged fraud;

• Considering the internal controls in place to mitigate risks of fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations; and

• Understanding the design of the company’s remuneration policies.

To address the risk of fraud through management bias and override of controls, we;

• Performed analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected relationships;

• Tested journal entries to identify unusual transactions

• Assessed whether judgements and assumptions made in determining the accounting estimates set out in note 2 were indicative of potential bias; and

• Investigated the rationale behind significant or unusual transactions.

In response to the risks of irregularities and non-compliance with laws and regulations, we designed procedures which included, but were not limited to:

• Agreeing financial statement disclosures to underlying supporting documentation;

• Reading the minutes of meetings of those charged with governance;

• Enquiring of management as to actual and potential litigation and claims; and

• Reviewing correspondence with HMRC, relevant regulators and the company’s legal advisors.

There are inherent limitations in our audit procedures described above. The more removed that laws and regulations are from the financial transactions, the less likely it is that we would become aware of non-compliance. Auditing standards also limit the audit procedures required to identify non-compliance with laws and regulations to enquiry of the directors and other management and the inspection of regulatory and legal correspondence, if any.

Material misstatements that arise due to fraud can be harder to detect than those that arise from error as they may involve deliberate concealment or collusion.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the charitable company’s members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charitable 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 charitable company and the charitable company’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.

Staying Put is a company limited by guarantee and was incorporated on 11 May 2004 and registered as a charity on 21 September 2006.

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity's governing document, the Companies Act 2006, FRS 102 "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland" 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)". 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, [modified to include the revaluation of freehold properties and to include investment properties and certain financial instruments at fair value]. 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.

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.

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.

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 gain or loss arising on the disposal of an asset is determined as the difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying value of the asset, and is recognised in the statement of financial activities.

At each reporting end date, the charity reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss (if any).

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.

Support and governance costs are allocated in full to the only charitable activity.

Governance costs include payments to the auditors of £13,200 (2024: £12,000) for audit fees for the group.

Support costs include payments to the auditor of £Nil (2024: £4,482) in relation to payroll support.

None of the trustees (or any persons connected with them) received any remuneration during the year, but a total of £87 travelling expenses (2024 £3).

The average monthly number of employees during the year was:

The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme. The pension cost for the year amounted to £41,015 (£2024 - £36,548)

The remuneration of key management personnel was as follows:

The average monthly number of employees during the year was:

The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme. The pension cost for the year amounted to £41,015 (£2024 - £36,548)

The remuneration of key management personnel was as follows:

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:

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 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.

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.

The Sharma fund is provided to support women with no recourse to public funds.

The Edith Murphy Foundation fund is to provide IT equipment for clients in our refuges or dispersed accommodation.

The Noel Buxton Trust fund is to furnish sensory spaces in our refuges.

Donations for clients are to provide direct support to clients.

The Welfare fund is to provide support for women in financial difficulty.

The MoJ Local Victims service grant (via the West Yorkshire Combined Authority) supports staff salaries and core costs.

The Evan Cornish Foundation fund is to provide fitness classes for clients.

Better Start Bradford funds a Hospital Independent Domestic Violence Advocate (IDVA).

The Mayor's Safer Communities fund is for delivery of domestic abuse and sexual violence information and awareness sessions.

The Refuge Refurbishment fund is to improve the quality of our refuge accommodation for clients.

The BBC Children In Need fund covers the salary cost of a children’s worker in our refuges.

The Accommodation Move-On fund consists of donations from individuals specifically to support clients moving on from our temporary accommodation to a home of their own.

The Bradford Council New Burdens funding supports staff salaries for specific roles which enable us to broaden our support offer to clients.

The 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust fund is to set-up a choir for survivors of domestic abuse.

The Land Aid fund is to support young clients aged 16-25 in moving on to new accommodation.

The Souter Charitable Trust fund, the Shears Foundation fund and the Hays Travel Foundation fund are all for children’s activities.

The Women's Aid Emergency fund provides support to clients through either the flee fund or the future fund.

The Glasspool Charitable Trust provides flexible grants and personalised support for our clients.

The Access Foundation funds the salary cost of our IT Tutor based in our refuges.

The Mental Wellbeing Grant from Bradford Council is for gardening projects in our refuges.

The Highway One Trust provides funding for administration costs.

The Five Parks Primary Care Network funds staff salaries for IDVAs working in local GP surgeries.

Airedale NHS Foundation Trust funds the salary cost of an IDVA based at Airedale Hospital.

The Greggs Foundation funds client events in our refuges.

The Access to work grant DWP is to support staff costs in providing assistance for service users to find work.

The NHS Winter Pressure fund is to deliver a wellbeing network programme.

The Finnis Scott Foundation fund is to provide outdoor and garden equipment at our refuges.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund Safety of Women & Girls fund is to provide energy efficient improvements in our refuges and dispersed accommodation.

The CNet fund is for gardening projects in our refuges.

The Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse fund supports staff salaries for IDVAs working in local GP surgeries.

The Bradford Community Fund is for summer BBQs and other events for families in our refuges.

The Harnessing the Power of Communities fund provides support to clients from the gypsy and Roma traveller community.  

The Community Safety Fund is for target hardening measures for our clients.

The Hobson Charity provides food vouchers for our clients.

The James Tudor Foundation contributed towards staff salaries for IDVAs working in local GP surgeries.

The Combatting Alcohol & Drug Partnership funding from Bradford Council provided staff training.

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.

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:

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:

There were no disclosable related party transactions during the year (2024 - none).

Details of the charity's subsidiaries at 31 March 2025 are as follows:

The charity had no material debt during the year.