Livability Annual Review 2013-2014

2013-2014This book tells you what Livability did in the last year

Welcome

Welcome from Caroline Armitage 2

Shaping up for the future 3

Growing stronger 4

Facing up to the challenge 6

Working towards independence 8

Inspiring community involvement 10

Appreciating people and teamwork 12

Money matters 14

Since taking on the role of Livability Chair in July 2013, I have enjoyed every moment spent steering this brave and caring organisation so that it can fulfil its commitment to supporting disabled and disadvantaged people in the UK and beyond. As the largest Christian Disability Charity, supporting over 1000 disabled people every day, we are dedicated to full inclusion and equality, driven by our strong Christian faith and heritage.

I am delighted that our charity has performed so well during 2013/14 in spite of a tough economic climate which has challenged the voluntary sector like never before.

Our continued growth is a real credit to all Livability staff, volunteers and supporters.

The highlights of my year are undoubtedly the many opportunities I have had to meet some of the disabled people we support, as I spent time in our services, and being able to get to know them better.

Seeing the real difference that we make to their lives is incredibly humbling and inspiring.

As the organisation continues to implement its five year strategy, I strongly believe we can look forward to even greater achievements in 2014/15 and I would like to thank Livability’s staff, volunteers and supporters for their dedication and generosity.

Contents

from Caroline Armitage

Caroline ArmitageChair of the Board of Trustees

2 Livability Annual Review 2013-2014

In the UK, there are 11 million people with a long-term illness, impairment or disability. For many, being disabled can mean living in poverty, being excluded from mainstream society and having a limited chance to lead a full, independent life.

We provide residential care homes, local support services, education, self-employment training and accessible holiday accommodation. We also campaign with disabled people to change society and we raise funds for new facilities. At the heart of all we do is our important partnership with the church to help communities become more welcoming and supportive.

2013/14 was an exciting time for us.

We were honoured to welcome our new president, The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Welby Archbishop of Canterbury. The Archbishop is committed to supporting us in tackling the unacceptable barriers disabled people face when trying to access education, training, housing, transport and care.

Our former president, Baroness Howarth, remains heavily involved with us through her new role as Senior Vice President.

We started 2013/14 with our brand new five-year plan for growth. We called it A Future in the Making.

This ambitious plan means we will be making changes to the way we work so that our charity can grow its ability to provide disabled people with top quality services that are good value for money.

Our objectives for the year were to:• deliver excellent service. • have efficient overheads.• implement effective decision making. • increase our income. • do what we say we will.

The progress we made in 2013/14 sets us on the way to achieving the objectives of our five year plan. In the following pages we take a look at the highlights of the year and what some of the people who use our services had to say.

for the future

Livability helps disabled and disadvantaged people have real choice and independence

Shapingup

For more detailed information about Livability’s objectives and finances, see our Annual Report and Accounts.

This is available on: www.livability.org.uk

3

Livability is a national charity so disabled people of all ages from all over the country come to us for support. Everything we do is aimed at helping those who use our services to grow their skills, their confidence and their ability to live as independently as possible.

Over a quarter of disabled people say that they do not frequently have choice and control over their daily lives

stro

nger

Our standards are high. To continue to offer top quality, cost effective services that are relevant in today’s world, we keep our working practices and our facilities up to date.

Growing


Supporting better livingWe are committed to providing people in our care homes and education centres with modern facilities that truly meet their needs. Our major building and refurbishing projects will have a crucial impact on the quality of life of our service users.

By the start of the 2013/14 school year we had completed the construction of the hydrotherapy pool at our Victoria Education Centre and Sports College. This state-of-the-art facility is being well used by the school’s pupils and other local disabled children. Regular sessions in the pool can help improve blood circulation, relieve pain and relax muscles – and students can have a lot of fun too.

Residents of our Ashley House care home in Bognor Regis will soon be on the move to a bigger and better property. At the beginning of 2014 we bought the nearby Russell Hotel, which was owned and run by Action for Blind People. This modern building already complies with the standards set by the Care Quality Commission, but we will be changing and improving some of the facilities so they suit our residents’ needs better.

The right connectionsThis year we developed our six new regional hubs: These hubs bring together the energies and activities from our smaller local units so we can share ideas and resources to deliver services that fit in with the needs of disabled people living in the area.

We also created a service user group for each hub. Members of these groups keep an eye on what we are doing to make sure we keep our services up to scratch. They also suggest other things we could do to help disabled people. The groups are run by our Service User Involvement team and help us provide the right kind of practical support and leisure services for people who need them.

Steve was in the army and a brain injury left him disabled. Lifestyle Choices South West found him a support worker who shared his interests.

“I love taking photos of the local wildlife with my support worker Joe”

Keith is celebrating 20 years working at Inglestone Garden Centre.

“Lifestyle Choices East Anglia supported me in getting my job. I love gardening. I love working here. It is my dream job. Customers come to see me for gardening advice or just for a chat”

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Facingup tothe

chal

leng

eEach disabled person who Livability works with has their own hopes, ambitions and dreams. Through our services we help them overcome the challenges their disability brings so they can get around the barriers that prevent them doing the things they want to do.

More than 200 children and young people attended our education centres and 600 people were assisted by our Lifestyle Choices services. Icanho, our brain injury rehabilitation unit, helped 130 people with brain injury or stroke to relearn many everyday tasks and start rebuilding their lives.

83% of disabled people acquire their disability during their lifetime

Livability Annual Review 2013-20146

A stroke left George feeling isolated. With support from Lifestyle Choices he now goes bowling every week and is on the bowling committee. He said:

“I am getting out and about more now and gaining confidence in talking to people. If you want to get better and see the world again, just grab the opportunity with both hands and go for it”

A sporting chanceWe are proud to support disabled people in leading more active lives.

Livability’s Bedford Lifestyle Choices started a new 5-a-side football activity group for people with disabilities. Former England striker Dion Dublin signed footballs to be used by the group and added personal messages of support.

Victoria Education Centre held its annual Wheelchair Grand Prix that saw participants race around a specially created track. Students and their families, as well as staff and volunteers enjoyed a great day of good-hearted, outdoor competition.

A sense of achievementRobert is a student at Nash College in Kent. Learning about gardening boosted his confidence and his skills. He loves planting and weeding and was proud to see his freesia bulbs grow. Now all students can enjoy the bright colours and perfume of the flowers.

Residents at Brackley designed and decorated a brand new training flat which they will use to learn new and important life skills for the future.

At Nash College, students with physical and communication difficulties tried out Tobii Eyegaze, a technology that makes it possible for computers to know exactly where users are looking on the screen. The young people were able to use computers to communicate their needs – and have fun playing computer games! The college now has three eyegaze units on site for the benefit of the students.

Leo is keen on sailing. He is very proud of winning gold, silver and bronze Sailability medals.

“My ambition is to sail alone and enter competitions one day”

Starting over/Learning to live againThis year, specialists at Icanho, our brain injury rehabilitation service, completed a project aimed at training hospital staff to manage the emotional and psychological needs of stroke patients who are about to be discharged.

Our Lifestyle Choices services can complement medical support received.

Victoria Education Centre set up their own radio station, VIBE. Student Harry is a DJ. He said:

“Sometimes it’s hard to think of what to say. It is great to co-present so you can bounce ideas off each other. It feels really good to know that lots of people are listening”

Our service users told us that having a job was the key to independent living. We run a range of schemes to give disabled and disadvantaged people a better chance of finding employment.

Livability Enterprise Agency offers disabled people who want to work for themselves training and guidance on self-employment. Our Let Me Work campaign encourages employers to be more willing to recruit disabled people. In Nepal, we ran a pilot employment programme for people with spinal cord injury.

independence

Working

towards

Almost 50% of disabled people are in employment compared to 74% of non-disabled people


It’s the businessWe are proud to be the chosen self-employment training provider for North London.

Since its launch in 2011, our Enterprise Agency has helped more than 250 people start their own business. Our success in this area was a key factor in us winning a £1.2 million contract with the Department for Work and Pensions under the New Enterprise Allowance Programme (NEA). We will now be able to help an additional 1,700 disabled and disadvantaged people become self-employed. Current figures show that of those new businesses started on the programme, 95% are still trading after 6 months of inception.

Livability Entrepreneur of the Year, 2013Rezene, who is deaf, came to the UK as a refugee. For the first three years here he was prohibited from working or claiming benefits so he studied and gained qualifications in English and British Sign Language (BSL).By attending a course at Livability Enterprise, he also learned how to go about starting his own business. Rezene has now set up a BSL teaching school and provides Deaf Awareness training and consulting services to large organisations.

Let Me Work successFirst to sign up to our innovative LET ME WORK week, which ran as part of our campaign to get disabled people into work, was Olympus KeyMed. The firm gave wheelchair-user Chris the chance to experience working in customer service, administration, catering and marketing roles.Both parties were extremely pleased with the outcomes of the week. Chris learned how a big company works and added a few new skills to his CV. In fact, he performed so well that Olympus KeyMed offered him a job – which he accepted.

Pilot employment project in NepalAt the start of 2014 we launched a programme to help patients of Nepal’s Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Centre (SIRC) become financially independent when they return to their communities.

The project, which is being run in collaboration with our partner, SIRC, aims to support 80 disabled people. Sadle Traders, a company that produces and sells handicrafts and jewellery, will provide training and market the goods produced through their established international export channels.

The project will also assist those unable to start up their own business to find employment within a year.

We will be monitoring the outcomes of this project with a view to introducing similar programmes in other parts of Nepal.

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involvement

mmun ty

We run fundraising events and appeals for money to finance new facilities and technologies that make it a little easier for disabled people to live as independently as possible. These funds also support our Community Engagement team which works with some of the poorest and most disadvantaged groups across England.

Social exclusion and stigma are real issues for many disabled people. We believe that individuals, not just government, are responsible for challenging the status quo and we should all strive to become more inclusive.

nspiringc

90% of disabled people believe there is a prejudice against them because of their disability


Tackling national issuesThis year, we have been training church leaders to deliver our Happiness Course. We developed the course in response to reports of feelings of hopelessness, anxiety, and isolation within communities; issues that churches and health professionals agree are on the rise.

As the population ages, more citizens are trying to cope with dementia. To help support those in need, we joined the Dementia Action Alliance and launched our own Dementia Friendly Churches programme. Through this we aim to equip churches to become more inclusive, welcoming places for people with dementia and the family and friends who care for them.

Local fundraising funKnitters in Norwich covered an 8 foot pergola frame with more than 10,000 precisely knitted flowers and greenery. This unique piece of art went on display at The Forum in Norwich at Easter 2014. The talented craft workers previously knitted a Christmas tree which attracted over £10,000 in donations.

Northampton Dance School, Step by Step, raised £5,400 for Livability through its annual Strictly Come Dancing style competition. Professionals from the dance school had just six weeks to teach 18 couples dances such as the Samba and Tango. Participants trained hard and the audience enjoyed their spectacular glittering performances.

Residents at Dolphin Court have been getting out and about in comfort and style after fundraising efforts earned more than £40,000 to buy a minibus. Special thanks go to the Dolphin Court Friends Group and Olympus KeyMed.

Olympus KeyMed chose Livability as their charity of the year. Staff have organised a range of fun activities to raise money, including a fabulous masquerade ball that made £5,000.

“Those taking part have described the course as fun, challenging, fascinating and life-changing. They have also benefited significantly both personally and in their relationships with others”Ryan Ahern, pastor of Staplehurst Free Church in Kent and a Happiness Course leader

Our second Easter Rabbit Run event was very successful. More than £3,200 was pledged before the race started. One participant even trained in her rabbit suit – an activity that raised awareness of Livability’s cause as well as a few eyebrows!

Opening doorsWe are pleased to see high street stores, businesses and public service organisations stepping up their support for disabled people. Our Open Doors Award scheme recognises outfits that provide outstanding customer service and facilities.

Recipients of the Award include branches of Natwest, Holiday Inn, Body Shop, HMV, John Lewis, Poole Hospital and many independent cafes and restaurants.

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We are very proud of what we do. As a provider of services, our 1,500 staff and volunteers in every part of our organisation are hugely important to us. We rely on them – and their commitment – to work effectively and efficiently to deliver the highest quality of service to those who come to us for support.

We are also grateful to our supporters who organise and take part in our fundraising events; high profile people and celebrities who lend their time to promote our cause; and to the organisations that donate time, expertise and money to help us move towards our vision.

Appreciating

and teamwork

Our vision is of a transformed society where disabled and disadvantaged people can live life to the full

people

Dave WebberChief Executive, Livability

Quality matters We are committed to continuously improving our services. This year we introduced a Quality and Practice Development team to make sure we are providing consistently good services which are safe, caring, effective, responsive and well led. The team will be monitoring performance in all of our units and using service user feedback to keep our services at a high standard.

“Livability is blessed with dedicated staff and volunteers and with faithful supporters. Together we can look forward to seeing the organisation thrive as we further implement our ambitious and bold five year strategy”


Connect with usYou can interact with us, and learn more about what we do, online and through social media.

Growing into the futureAs we move forward into 2014/15, we will continue working together as one team to progress further with our five-year plan, A Future in the Making, and grow our services.

Key activities for 2015 include:

• driving efficiency and reducing costs without affecting the quality of our services.

• exploring and taking advantage of opportunities for growth.

• introducing a system to measure, analyse and report on the social impact of our charity.

• implementing our new fundraising strategy.

• building on the success of our Enterprise Agency.

• listening to and acting on feedback from beneficiaries and their families and carers.

• developing our campaigning activities.

Communicating excellenceOur annual HRH The Princess Royal staff awards scheme again celebrated the unwavering dedication and commitment of our staff. Princess Anne presented each of the six winners with a trophy and certificate at a special event in November.

Gail Horner received the Lifetime Achievement award. She began her career with Livability as a volunteer over 22 years ago and is now our most experienced person working with the many Voice Output Communication Aids available. She trains staff at Nash College in different aspects of communication and signing and is passionate about helping students reach their full potential.

Communicating with society in a straightforward way is crucial to gathering support.

The video we produced to support our ‘Let Me Work’ campaign won an International Visual Communications Association (IVCA) Clarions Gold Award in the Best Third Sector Campaign category. The video features two wheelchair-users talking about the barriers they came across when looking for a job. You can view the video on our website.

Nigel, a resident at our Wall Street home, took steps to get disabled people’s voices heard in the right places. Jesse Norman MP accepted Nigel’s invitation to spend time at Wall Street listening to residents, their families and staff talk about how funding cuts are affecting disabled people’s quality of life. He encouraged them to put their concerns in writing so that he could offer them further support.

livability.org.uk

facebook.com/livabilityUK

twitter.com/LivabilityUK

youtube.com/user/LivabilityUK

linkedin.com/company/livability---choices-for-disabled-people

livability.org.uk/our-blog

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The Trustees confirm that the financial information above is taken from the full set of financial statements, comprising the Trustees’ report and accounts, which were approved on 23 July 2014. This summarised financial information may not contain sufficient information to allow a full understanding of the financial affairs of Livability. For further information, the Annual Report and Accounts should be consulted and can be accessed on our website (www.livability.org.uk) or by contacting the Company Secretary. A copy of this document, upon which the Auditor has reported without qualification, has been delivered to the Charity Commission and Companies House.

mattersAs a charity, we need to make sure that we use the funds available to us wisely and that we focus our resources on supporting the disabled and disadvantaged people who are our primary concern.


£41.0m We spent £41.0 million last year.

Where our money is spent

Residential and Community services

Education services

Fundraising

Community Engagement and linked churches

Governance

Trusts and other charitable purposes

£20.0m

£18.7m

£1.1m

£0.5m

£0.4m

£0.3m

Where our money came fromWe were given £40.8 million last year to run our services.

46%49%2%

£40.8m

1%

1%

1%

Residential and Community services

Education services

Fundraising

Other sources

Community Engagement and linked churches

Investment income

£18.8m

£16.9m

£4.5m

£0.4m

£0.1m

£0.1m

11%

46%

41%

1% 0.5%

0.5%

15

Central office: Livability, 50 Scrutton Street, London EC2A 4XQ

Phone: 020 7452 2000 Email: [email protected]

www.livability.org.uk

Patron: HRH The Princess Royal

Charity registration no. 1116530 Company registration no. 5967087

Livability is the new face of John Grooms and the Shaftesbury Society

Documents

Livability Annual Review 2013-2014