CHANGING LIVES · CHANGING LIVES CHANGING LIVES 4 2018 Year in Review WHERE WE WORK Delivering quality outcomes from Berwick to Wolverhampton. We are a national charity operating

Annual Report 2017-18

BUILDING FUTURES

CHANGING LIVES

YEAR IN REVIEWNEWS, INNOVATION AND PROGRESS IN 2018

2018 Year in Review 3

CHANGING LIVES CHANGING LIVES

2 2018 Year in Review

Welcome to Changing Lives’ 2018 Year in Review.

I’m delighted to introduce our highlights and tell you more about our plans for 2019. Changing Lives continues to be an organisation which provides progressive services, makes connections between complex issues and fosters a powerful culture of collaboration. This review demonstrates some of our achievements in the last 12 months.

We have continued to innovate. In 2018 we launched the Theory of Change, our model of how we support people to achieve lasting change. You can read more about this and how it influences the work we do, on page 10.

We have continued to connect. Through making sure hidden needs are addressed and gaps in services are responded to. Our Too Complex for Complex Needs research demonstrates this powerfully; how mainstream services can so often focus on the more visible issues like drug and alcohol addiction, missing the critical impact of underlying trauma.

We have continued to collaborate. Through our Modern Day Slavery work, our partnership with the May Day Trust and securing funding from the Government Equalities Office to help women who experience domestic abuse and other needs get back to work, we are always seeking opportunities.

I want to take this opportunity to thank the commissioners and funders who help us be at the forefront of life changing work.

I am especially proud of the results of our first gender pay gap report. We are one of the few organisations able to report no material gap – demonstrating our continued commitment to equality, fairness and inclusion.

People make Changing Lives. From the volunteers who provide over 30,000 hours of support, the staff who respond to a challenging environment with creativity, to the people who work with us on their own journey of change.

Whilst it is difficult to predict what 2019 will bring for the people and places we support, I want Changing Lives to continue playing a central role in the pursuit of social justice.I look forward to working with you all to make 2019 life changing.

WELCOME

Stephen Bell, OBE Chief Executive, Changing Lives

CONTENTS WELCOME 3

WHO WE ARE 4

OUR FOUR PILLARS 5

MILESTONES OF 2018 7

WHO WE WORK WITH 9

THEORY OF CHANGE 11

NEW SERVICES IN 2018 12

LOOKING AHEAD 14




WHERE WE WORK

Delivering quality outcomes from Berwick to Wolverhampton.

We are a national charity operating across the North East, Yorkshire, North West and the Midlands. We have over 500 members of staff and 320 volunteers helping 14,500 people each year to change their lives for the better.

By listening to challenges and seeking opportunities, we now deliver over 100 projects helping people in greatest need.

OUR PEOPLE

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion.

Below is a snapshot of the individuals who work at Changing Lives.

29% male, 71% female5.1% Black, Asian and minority ethnic48.8% aged 41-60

GENDER PAY GAP

Our gender pay gap demonstrate that we pay equally and fairly.

Women are paid on average slightly higher than men as our workforce is made up of a larger proportion of women and 64% of our senior team is made up of women.

OUR VOLUNTEERS

320 volunteers gave 30,427 hours to help change lives in 2018.

WHO WE ARE

SYSTEM CHANGEWe understand that everyone’s lives are complex and the way we experience the world is different. We know that existing approaches for services can be simplistic and rigid and use a ‘one size fits all’ model, which is not based on the reality of people’s lives. We are working hard to ensure that we develop all our services by listening to the voices of the people we work with, our staff and our partners.

THEORY OF CHANGE

Changing Lives’ Theory of Change – Being, Becoming, Belonging – is a three stage model of change which we use as a foundation to support people to transform their lives. People who come to us for support are affected by a wide range of interconnected social, psychological, physical and economic factors which have not only caused disadvantage in their lives but continue to prevent them from living healthier and more fulfilled lives.

Each of the stages are equally important to ensure sustained well being and transition towards a fulfilled, flourishing life.

Being - Feeling included and loved for who you are. Accepting people wherever they are at in their lives at any moment, getting to know people and their aspirations. Being consistent, reliable, honest and creating environments in which people feel safe.

Becoming - Starting the journey of recovery and building emotional resilience, acknowledging trauma and helping to understand intense emotions. Understanding what is needed for long term recovery.

Belonging – Finding your own place within a community which will support your recovery journey, developing social networks within your chosen community and finding meaning in life.

TRAUMA

POVERTY

POOR HEALTH

LOW LEVELS OF

SOCIAL CAPITAL

LACK OF HOPE,

ASPIRATION, AND SELF-EFFICACY

SOCIAL CONNECTION

AND BELONGING

SAFETY AND

SECURITY

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

DIGNITY AND

SELF-WORTH

HOPE AND ASPIRATION

SELF-RELIANCE

AND AUTONOMY

BEING BECOMING BELONGING

INTERCONNECTED PROBLEMS THREE-STAGE JOURNEY FLOURISHING PEOPLE

THEORY OF CHANGE




Our projects provide safe, secure living environments. We also offer outreach and drop in services, help with practical issues and provide strength-based support.

We have 56 accommodation projects across the North East and the city of York, making 579 beds available each night to people who would otherwise be homeless. During 2018, we supported 2,203 people with stable accommodation.

Across the North East and Yorkshire, we are on hand to help people take their first steps towards recovery. We focus on abstinence based delivery to help people live lives free of substances.

We have 8 drug and alcohol projects across the North East and North Yorkshire. During the year, we have supported a total of 1,944 people through these services.

We provide gender specific services focusing on including domestic abuse, sexual exploitation support for women in the Criminal Justice System.

We have an in-depth understanding of trauma and a focus on recovery, resilience and community integration. With our 25 projects across the country we have helped 8,782 people during the year.

We have dedicated employment teams to help people to identify their career goals and empower them to take control of their future.

Our 5 employment services across the country help people access training, education,education, volunteering and work. Throughout the year, we have helped a total of 1,310 individuals work towards sustained and fulfilling employment.

We work across four key pillars to tackle both the causes and symptoms of social disadvantage.

Whilst we began with services for people experiencing homelessness, we quickly came to understand homelessness as a symptom, and not a cause, of other problems such as poor mental health and substance misuse.

We began to tailor services to work with people before they reach a point of crisis such as homeless and worked on preventative interventions and longer term recovery.

As a result, we offer a wide range of specialist services. These are designed to engage with people who face multiple disadvantage in society and as a consequence experience complex needs.

Our services fall into four broad operational areas of housing and homelessness, employment, women and children and addiction. We work holistically, putting people, their needs and aspirations at the heart of everything we do.

OUR FOUR PILLARSHOUSING & HOMELESSNESS - EMPLOYMENT - WOMEN & CHILDREN - DRUGS AND ALCOHOL




MILESTONES OF 2018

DONCASTER WOMEN’S CENTRE LAUNCHES PEER RESEARCHSouth Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner provides funding to research the needs and experiences of people with experience of selling sex in Doncaster and the surrounding areas.

JAN

FEB

BEAST FROM THE EAST STRETCHES SERVICESAs the UK experienced a spell of severe winter weather, our accommodation services mobilise extra emergency beds.

MARCH

APRIL

HOMELESS VETERANS SERVICE NORTHUMBERLAND MOBILISESThe service ‘for veterans, by veterans’ goes on to support 93 individuals with a multitude of previously unmet needs, including PTSD.

MAY

JUNE

CTI LAUNCHESFulfilling Lives Newcastle Gateshead launches the Critical Time Intervention Model (CTI), a practice that mobilises support for people with highly complex needs during periods of transition.

SHORTLISTED FOR UK HOUSING AWARDS 2018Changing Lives is nominated for an ‘Outstanding approach to meeting specialist housing need’ for our Ridley Villas service.

MAYDAY TRUST PERSONAL TRANSITIONS SERVICE (PTS) TURNS ONESince its inception in 2017, the PTS has helped 38 people move from supported accommodation to independent living. It has also helped 111 people into education, training or employment. The service celebrates turning one by winning The Homeless Link ‘Excellence in Supporting People’ Award.

AUG

OCT

TOO COMPLEX FOR COMPLEX NEEDS?We publish our evaluation funded by Virgin Money Foundation reviewing interventions to support women who experience domestic violence who have multiple and complex needs.

NOV

HELPING WOMEN RECOVER FROM DRUGS AND ALCOHOL MOBILISEDInfluenced by Stephanie Covington’s trauma informed practice, our recovery programme designed by women, for women, launches in Northumberland.

JULY

FUNDING TO HELP FINANCIAL INCLUSION AWARDEDCity of York Council awards funding to maximise financial inclusion support across the city. We offer tailored support for people struggling to manage their money and help them to develop life skills needed in the employment market.

STREET ZERO PARTNERSHIPChanging Lives collaborates with the Street Zero strategy. The initiative aims to eradicate homeless in Newcastle by 2022 in collaboration with Newcastle City Council, Crisis and Newcastle Homeless Commission.

SEPT

600 PEOPLE IN WORKSince our dedicated Employment Service launched in 2010, we’ve helped hundreds of people gain employment. December sees our 600th person secure work.

DEC

A LEADING VOICE IN THE ALCOHOL RECOVERY SECTORAlong with 30 organisations, we are part of The Alcohol Charter that calls for a pioneering new drug and alcohol strategy.




9% Employment Services

19% Housing & Homelessness

58% Women & Children’s Services

13% Drug & Alcohol Services

We work with people who experience the greatest barriers to accessing mainstream services.

We respond to people’s individual needs as well as local communities.

WHO WE WORK WITH

68% Female

32% Male

8% Other

83% White

9% Black, Asian and minority ethnic

BREAKDOWN OF SERVICES ACCESSED IN 2018

The organisation promotes involvement. 88% of staff feel empowered to take decisions and 84% of stakeholders rate the charity as being ‘excellent or very good’ at working collaboratively.

Authenticity is key. 90% of people we support trust we will deliver the support promised and 91% of staff believe in the aims of the charity. 85% of stakeholders believe Changing Lives is trustworthy.

Ultimately, we help change lives. 84% of people who use our services rate their support as ‘excellent or very good’ and 91% of staff feel like they are making a difference. 85% of stakeholders rate us ‘excellent or very good’ for making a positive difference to people.

OUR FEEDBACK

Our 2018 360° feedback from staff, stakeholders and the people we support measures experience and satisfaction across the organisation.

PEOPLE USING OUR SERVICES RATING SUPPORT RECEIVED

61%Excellent

24% Very Good

10%Good

4% Fair1% Poor

The results identify that Changing Lives is sincere. 98% of people we support feel that staff treat them with dignity and respect, 92% are confident that staff always act in their best interest and 88% state they have control over their choices.

“Without the service I would have died. I was suicidal and Changing Lives saved my life.”A woman we supported within our Women & Children’s Services

“There has not been one single issue that I have not been helped with”A man who used our Employment Services

“The leadership at Changing Lives are the backbone of a professional dedicated well trained team who care and the service provided is just excellent and they should be proud”CEO of a charity




NEW SERVICES IN 2018For Changing Lives, our work needs to reflect the needs of people in local communities. We reach out to some of the most hidden and vulnerable groups to understand what is needed most. We strive to create new services where there are gaps and over the past year we have developed a number of new projects. The examples below give a flavour of these.

MODERN DAY SLAVERY

Using funding from Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner we run a specialist service to support victims of modern day slavery. We help people to recognise their situation as slavery and provide therapeutic, strength-based support to help build self-esteem and reduce repeat victimisation. We also offer support during prosecutions.

ROUGH SLEEPING

The rise in the numbers of people rough sleeping has been high on the political agenda this year. Our outreach work in Newcastle, Sunderland, South Tyneside and Durham continues to engage people on the streets and help them find their own path into supported or independent living. During 2017 - 2018 the number of rough sleepers in York reduced by two thirds. We are proud that our partnership in York had a positive impact on this reduction.

RETURNER’S FUND

Women face unique barriers to work as a result of gender inequalities, they make up nearly 90% of people who are out of paid work due to caring commitments. We support women who have been in employment and taken a career break for caring responsibilities and those who have been unemployed for at least 12 months and prevented from returning due to multiple and complex needs. We aim to improve skills and confidence to support progression into future employment.

RELEASE TRANSITION

We are now able to do more for women who are being released from custody to ensure a successful transition into the community. Working with Durham Tees Valley Community Rehabilitation Company, we deliver support using approaches which are trauma-informed, non-judgemental and strength based.

SEX WORK / SEXUAL EXPLOITATION

We continue to lead on services supporting women who experience selling sex or sex exploitation around the country. One of our innovative projects on Merseyside had a life-changing impact after just three months of operation. Merseyside Police were the first UK Police Force to deem crimes against sex workers as a hate crime.

YORK FOCUS

We were able to expand on the valuable work already happening in York. With grants from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, we continued to improve policy and services for people with multiple needs. Further funding from City of York Council to help increase financial inclusion in the city means we are able to provide one-to-one support for individuals struggling to manage their money. We can also help them into employment through access to further education and training.




LOOKING AHEADA GROWING CONCERN

We know that this year will present challenges for the people we work with and the communities we support.

Changing Lives will continue to deliver high quality flexible services to people experiencing disadvantage. But crucially we want to provide an increasingly effective platform for the voices of those who often go unheard.

We will do this by focusing on impact and implementing effective processes to demonstrate the effects of our interventions for people, services and the organisational as a whole. This will include providing outcomes which are meaningful, consistent - and most importantly deliver lasting change.

As always, we will embrace complexity. The systems our staff and clients work and live in are intricate and it’s only through attempting to take ‘whole system’ approaches, which take a holistic view of people’s experiences that the interconnections and interdependencies between issues can be understood.

We will continue to build a strong learning culture within Changing Lives which creates trusted relationships with the people who use our services, stakeholders and our staff.

Our top priority for 2019 will be increasing our voice – making sure we are in the best position to amplify the experiences and insights of the people we work with and for. This will include contributing to a wide range of debates at national, regional and local levels. The voluntary sector has a vital role to play in bringing divided communities together, and we want to play a central role in this work – guided by the voices of people so often at the margins.

Building on 2018 we will continue to innovate, connect and collaborate, offering creative solutions to complex challenges. These responses will grow from understanding the strengths and needs of each person we support, and working together with their communities.

This will include the launch of the first ever co-produced drug and alcohol treatment system in York, as well as being at the forefront of system change work with our Fulfilling Lives programme.

None of this will be possible without our partners. Whatever challenges 2019 and beyond may pose, we are confident that there is no problem that cannot be solved through effective collaboration.

We look forward to working with you to Change Lives in the year ahead.

CTI was first introduced in 1990s in New York, and is now an empirically proven model. It is based on nine month time frame, with an initial three months of intensive support to develop emotional resilience and community links. This is followed by three months when the new techniques and support networks can be tested and the last three months when ‘care’ is handed over to other support services and community provision.

YOUNG PEOPLE

Youth homelessness is far more than not having a bed for the night. There are usually complex needs involved which affect the young person, their families and wider social networks. We recognise the importance of tailored support which is why we began working with Durham County Council and Children’s Services Durham to provide a seven bedroom supported residency. Available for those experiencing or at risk of homelessness, young people are encouraged to develop in other areas of their lives with guidance on how to secure training, employment and education.

In addition, many care leavers are often placed outside of the area they’re used to and struggle to cope without a support network. Together with Durham County Council, we have developed a service for those who were not in employment, education or training by providing housing and strength based coaching in the community.

FULFILLING LIVES

Fulfilling Lives is a Big Lottery Funded programme, which continues to improve the system for people experiencing severe and multiple disadvantage. Fulfilling Lives Newcastle Gateshead launched a new delivery model in April 2018 which includes workforce development, increasing multi-agency involvement in system change and the pilot of Critical Time Interventions (CTI).

Changing Lives is the operating name of The Cyrenians, registered charity number 500 640, and registered company number 995799, in England.

www.changing-lives.org.uk/ChangingLivesCharity@ChangingLives__

CENTRAL OFFICE

Unit D13 Marquis Court | Tenth Avenue West | Team Valley | Gateshead | NE11 0RU

T: 0191 273 8891 E: [email protected]

BUILDING FUTURES

CHANGING LIVES

We regularly develop new programmes based on the ideas and views of the people we work with, as well as input from specialist partners.

If you are interested in further collaboration to deliver innovative services, get in touch.

[email protected]

CHANGING LIVES · CHANGING LIVES CHANGING LIVES 4 2018 Year in Review WHERE WE WORK Delivering quality outcomes from Berwick to Wolverhampton. We are a national charity operating

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