Company registration number: 02480943
Charity registration number: 702756
Northumbria Coalition Against Crime
(A company limited by guarantee)
Annual Report and Financial Statements
for the Year Ended 31 May 2017
Northnmbria Coalition Against Crime
Contents
Reference and Administrative Details 1 to 2
Chair's statement
Trustees' Report
Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities
Independent Examiner's Report
Statement of Financial Activities
4 to 14
15
16 to 17
18 to 19
Balance Sheet 20
Notes to the Financial Statements 21 to 31
Nortbnmbria Coalition Against Crime
Reference and Administrative Details
Mrs E M Carey (resigned 1 February 2017)
Mr E M Wilkins, Treasurer
Miss K L Read (resigned 1 February 2017)
MR D L Harris
Mr P D P Angier, Chair
Dr H M Kay (resigned 15 January 2018)
Mr D Welsh
Miss J C Robson (resigned 1 February 2017)
Mr G A Parkes
Senior Management Team
Heather Armstrong, Head of Youth & Community Programme
Sarah Bird, Head of Business Crime
Principal Office
Whickham Police StationFmnt StreetWhickhamNewcastle Upon TyneNE16 4HE
Registered Office
Whickham Police StationFront StreetWhickhamNewcastle Upon TyneNE16 4HE
The Charity is incorporated in England and Wales.
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Northnmbria Coalition Against Crime
Reference and Administrative Details
Company Registration Number
02480943
Charity Registration Number
702756
Bankers
Co-operative BankNorfolk House84-86 Grey StreetNewcastle upon TyneNEI 6BZ
CafCashPO Box 289West MailingKentME19 4TA
Barclays Bank Pic38 Bridge StreetMorpethNo rthumberland
NE61 1NL
Independent Examiner
Lorna Copple76 Front StreetPrudhoeNorthumberlandNE42 5PU
Page 2
Northnmbria Coalition Against Crime
Chair's statement
The year covered by this report has been one both of real achievement and significant challenge.
As you will read later in this report the staff team delivered more than f300,000 of programme activity during theyear, making it the Coalition's busiest and most impactful year ever.
The Business Crime programme has expanded its geographical reach and now delivers services and intelligencefrom Berwick to York. Cuts in the budgets of local police forces has led to a change in their approach to tacklingand preventing retail crime. Our staff team has been working m consultation with representatives from the policeand from the retail sector to re-shape our service offering to support loss prevention and security staff at shop floorlevel, share intelligence effectively and in a timely fashion and to support retailers to prevent and tackle crime atsource.
The Youth and Communities programme has similarly been responding to the overall reduction in public services,including those which support young people at risk of offending. The Odysseus Mentoring programme, and itssister programme working with young people in Aycliffe Secure Centre, are very resource intensive. Our projectstaff take time to build a relationship with each young person on the programme, to understand their familycircumstances and to remain in close touch throughout their placement with one of our volunteer mentors.
The number of individuals we can support through this programme is limited - sadly far less than the potentialdemand. But the results are truly transformational. Young people, at a critical period in their lives and displayingworrying behavioural symptoms both at home and at school, who rediscover a sense of self-esteem and self-worth,re-engage with education and start to rebuild strained family relationships. The average cost to the charity of aplace on the Odysseus Mentoring programme is K2,700. The value to that young person, to their family and tosociety at large is incalculable.
The Coalition owes a debt of thanks both to our staff teams led by Sarah Bird (Business Crime) and HeatherArmstrong (Youth & Communities), and to the public-sector bodies, funds and foundations and businesses whosupport our work. Sustaining programme activity at the level achieved in the year under review is likely to be verychallenging, not least because our Reaching Communities Big Lottery Grant (Youth & Communities) will cometo an end in 2018.
The Board will continue to support the staff in working vigorously to raise the funds we need to meet the needswe know and understand. But we are also mindful that it is the quality and integrity of the Coalition's work whichdelivers impact, and we will resist any temptation to dilute quality when funds are stretched.
Finafly, I must thank Board colleagues and our dedicated team of volunteer mentors for their support of theCoalition's work. What we do together is not easy. What we achieve together makes our society measurably
er d safer.
Philip Angier - Ppir
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Northumbria Coalition Against Crime
Trustees' Report
The trustees present their annual report together with the financial statements of Northumbria Coalition AgainstCrime (the charitable company) for the year ended 31 May 2017. The directors confirm that the Annual reportand financial statements of the charitable company comply with the current statutory requirements, therequirements of the charitable company's governing document and the provisions of the Statement ofRecommended Practice (SORP) applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the FinancialReporting Standard for Smaller Entities.
Structure, governance and management
~ Constitution
The charitable company, which is limited by guarantee, was incorporated on 14 March 1990 and is also aregistered charity number 702756.
The charitable company is governed by its memorandum and articles of association.
The Northumbria Coalition Against Crime is a multi-agency partnership working to reduce crime and the fear ofcrime in Tyne & Wear and Northumberland. The North East Retail Crime Partnership (previously known asRetailers Against Crime North East) operates across the four Police force areas of Northumbria, Durham,Cleveland and North Yorkshire.
The partners include all sections of the community, including the voluntary sector, Police, Probation Service andthe Community Safety departments of local authorities. The Coalition's work is concentrated on some of the moredisadvantaged areas of the region and often brings those from more affluent areas into greater contact with thosewho have fewer advantages and opportunities.
~ Method of Appointment or Election of Directors
The directors of the charitable company are its trustees for the purpose of charity law and throughout this reportare collectively referred to as 'the directors'.
The selection of directors is based on an area of expertise needed to aid delivery of our programmes. Each directoracts as a Project Champion and offers support, guidance, advice and challenge to the project and staff workingwith it. The skill of each director compliments both each other and the make-up of the Board.
~ Policies Adopted for the Induction and Training of Directors
Potential or new Directors are invited to attend an afternoon or morning induction session at the Coalition'soffices, to obtain an overview of all the Coalition's work. They may elect to become a Project Champion for aproject which matches their own area of expertise and will undertake further meetings with managers and staffabout this project.
The Coalition provides each new Director with background information which includes information on all theCoalition projects, the Memorandum and Articles of Association, the last three Annual Reports and minutes ofthe last year's Board meetings. Directors are encouraged to take part in strategic planning meetings and to attendCoalition/NERCP (formerly RACNE) events, where they wifl meet members, staff and other Directors.
The Coalition holds a central file of information relating to Director's responsibilities.
The Coalition rotates presentations on each major project prior to the main business of each Board meeting, whereappropriate inviting young people who have taken part, thereby giving each Director an update on all elements ofthe Coalition's work.
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Northumbria Coalition Against Crime
Trustees' Report
~ Organisation Structure and Decision Making
The Board of Directors consists of up to 20 members, representing the public, private, voluntary, statutory andcommunity sectors. The Directors are selected so their expertise compliments not only the activities of theCoalition, but the expertise of the other Directors.
The Board meets qumterly, and where necessary, sub-committees are convened to cover finance and remunerationand various aspects of fund-raising and strategic review.
The North East Retail Crime Partnership (previously known as Retailers Against Crime North East) has its ownSteering Group which meets four times annually, plus a forum in October each year.
The Youth and Communities Programme has its own Steering Group which meets four times annually.
~ Risk Management
The Directors have a Risk Management Strategy which is reviewed annually, which examines:
The risks the charity might face (as a whole organisation, then for each individual project) and theirpotential impact; and
~ The establishment of systems and procedures to mitigate the risks identified.
Whilst the Risk Management Strategy is a lengthy document, identifying all potential risks, the Directors considerthe main risks to be;
Business Crime Group: Injudicious disclosure of data (breach of data protection). The NERCP (formerly RACNE)is governed by strict Codes of Practice and Data Protection Guidelines; monitored by the NERCP Steering Group.We have implemented procedures to minimise those risks; our members are subject to strict sanctions (over andabove any resulting criminal or civil liability) and have taken out Public Liability Insurance to cover thiseventuality; and
Youth and Community Programmes: Risk of member of staff/volunteer worker/the Coalition being sued bymentee/mentor/parent or guardian of mentee, should Child Protection and Data Protection policies and guidelinesbe breached. The Coalition has appointed a Child Protection Officer and has a Child Protection Policy which isupdated on an annual basis. The Coalition has taken out professional liability insurance of K5,000,000 to coverstaff and volunteers.
The Coalition continues working to improve its Business Continuity Management and Emergency PlanningProcedures.
Objectives and Activities
~ Policies and Objectives
In setting objectives and planning for activities, the Trustees have given due consideration to general guidancepublished by the charity commission relating to public benefit.
The primary objective of the charitable company is to reduce crime, fear of crime, anti-social and unacceptablebehaviour in Tyne & Wear and Northumberland.
The North East Retail Crime Partnership (formerly Retailers Against Crime North East) covers the three Policeforce areas of Durham, Northumbria and Cleveland and has a wider partnership working with partners and Policeforces across the UK.
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Northumbria Coalition Against Crime
Trustees' Report
~ Public Benefit
The Trustees confirm that they have complied with the requirements of section 4 of the Charities Act 2011 to havedue regard to the public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission for England and Wales.
Achievements and performance
~ Going Concern
After making appropriate enquiries, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charitable company has
adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. For this reason, they continueto adopt the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements. Further details regarding the adoption ofthe going concern basis can be found in the Accounting Policies.
~ Reserves Policy
The charitable company aims to match its income with ongoing projects in the period. However, it seeks to buildsufficient reserves to allow it to cover one year of indirect and support costs should new funding not be available.It is the aim of the directors and management to continue to build on reserves.
The Coalition continues to seek additional monies from Trust funds and other business organisations where theCoalition can provide services, such as those currently pmvided to NERCP members.
Review of Activities
Business Crime Department of NCAC
The business crime reduction department of NCAC is designed to work with businesses and agencies to identifythreats to safety and reduce financial losses by deterring and detecting crime. The main project of the department
is the North East Retail Crime Partnership which has been in operation since 1998.
North East Retail Crime Partnership (NERCP)
Introduction
The NERCP is a Not for Profit organisation managed by Northumbria Coalition Against Crime and provides a
highly efficient information sharing and support network for retail businesses and police. It provides a specialisedregional service aimed at preventing prolific, organised and travelling offenders targeting the North East businesscommunity, in a bid to protect profits and the safety of staff and customers.
The NERCP operates by using offender led intelligence, researching all criminal targets, identifying theirmotivation to committing crime (which may include drug and alcohol dependency), their associates and previouscriminal history. This enables the partnership to predict future patterns of offending and forewarn members ofassociated risks.
Emphasis is on prevention as the main remedy for retail crime and tailored initiatives and campaigns are run aimedat targeting trending issues and future criminality. This includes working in partnership to educate and deter youngpeople from crime, investing in their futures.
Who is involved?
The NERCP share information with over 2000 Retail Businesses in the region ranging from national retailers with
many outlets to small local shops with only a few members of staff. We rely on the information and intelligencewe receive from our local and regional members to build a quality and reliable crime prevention network.
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Northumbria Coalition Against Crime
Trustees' Report
The partnership works alongside and is supported by the 4 Police Forces in the region; Northumbria, Durham,Cleveland and North Yorkshire. We link in with police intelligence units to tackle force wide and cross bordercriminality and with neighbourhood policing teams to disrupt activity at a local leveL
It also supports all and manages many Local Crime Reduction Partnerships in the region overseeing theAssociation of Shopwatch Partnerships.
We also work with our sister Youth 8c Community Programme to ensure a holistic approach is taken when tacklingretail crime.
Our Priorities
The partnership concentrates on 3 specific areas, each with their own HUB:
Local Partnership HUB - Focusing on delivering both strategic and operational support to localschemes and retail members within.
Intelligence HUB —Idenrifying criminal activity on a local, regional and national basis and producingpackages to retailers and police for prevention, disruption and investigation.
Education HUB —Developing and delivering training, crime prevention initiatives and holisticapproaches to impmve knowledge and prevent crime.
The 3 Hubs are managed by the NERCP team with direction fmm a retail crime steering group. The model isdepicted below.
t Strategic direction and objectives
t Operational management (of below HUBS)
t Resource management
t Performance management
t Review & evaluate
t stakeholder relationships
t Key partner relationships
t Policy & legal
t Funding generation
t Budget management
t Human Resources
t Supplier liaison
t Marketing strategy
t Communications strategy
t Lobbying
4~ ~
t Strategic support
t Poflcy & legal
t cecal coordination'
t Intealgence sharing service
t Seat practice/One Stop Shop
t Assessment/Accreditation
'addivonal services apply. see local
Iliad el
t Incident coaatlon and recording
t Identification of local, travelling
and organlsed targets
t Identglcatlon of unknowns
t Data analysis and Identlflcatlon
of crime trends
t Inteslgence hrleflngs and alerts
t National Integlgence she hng
t Develop and deavery of
spe de a sad training
t Develop and delver of crime
prevention Initiatives
t Develop and promote
restorative approaches
t Support hogstlcapproaches
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Northumbria Coalition Against Crime
Trustees' Report
Review of Activities
The following is a summary of activities, achievements and future plans for the project.
Increase in Membership
The NERCP membership network has grown by 8% in the past 12 months. This demonstrates that in a time when
security budgets are being fiercely cut, the NERCP remain highly effective in the service delivered to retailersand the stores are relying more and more up on the partnership help prevent crime.
NERCP Local
The development of the 'NERCP Local' model saw the partnership begin to deliver local services to StocktonTown centre in the form of a part time co-ordinator and strategic management support. The partnership alsocoordinates Mddlesbrough, Redcar and Guisborough providing face to face contact and more effective crimeprevention services than was previously in place. This has reduced the amount of time police officers previouslytook putting together Shopwatch briefings and arranging meetings and other coordination tasks.
National Minimum Standards for Partnerships
The NERCP are currently represented on the National Parmership Working Group, supported by the NPCC leadon Business Crime, to create a National Minimum Standard for all partnerships operating in the UK. The aim ofthe standards is to ensure local and regional schemes are operating legally, effectively and offering police and
retailers support and information to tackle business crime.
Once the standards are rolled out, the NERCP will be in an excellent position to then assess schemes in the regionand help them to reach an outstanding level, resulting in national retailers becoming more confident with theservice the scheme provides their stores and therefore investing to create sustainability. something that is lackingin most local areas at present.
Crime Prevention Campaigns
Over the past 12 months the NERCP has delivered the following initiatives in response to emerging trends and
predicted seasonal threats:
Operation Copona —an initiative developed in response to the increase of Eastern European criminalactivity. Copona is designed to be a resource that can be used by the retail community to target hardenagainst these offences. The package includes training material for retailers and police describing differenttechniques they use and risks associated, along with live, ever changing intelligence targets.
'The New Fiver' —aimed at raising awareness around the new 85 note from the Bank ofEngland. Making~ retailers aware of the new security features, release date and support functions available around the
launch of the note.
Information on the new 81 coin, its security features and rollout timeline were distributed to the~ membership via the newsletter and supporting Royal Mint literature, Shopwatch presentations and Retail
Crime Awareness training sessions.
'Season Greetings' —The NERCP sent out 356 Christmas cards to prolific retail crime offenders whoreside in the region to warn them to stay out of stores particularly over the festive period as we as a
~ partnership with the police would be looking out for them. Results of the evaluation indicted that 81%of those who received a card were not detected as taking part in retail crime throughout December and
January.
'12 Days of Christmas' —a 12-day campaign ran to prepare retailers for the different types of offenders,~ MO's and other activity they should be prepared for in the run up to Christmas. This included daily email
alerts, website updates and social media updates.
Identltlcation of Unknown Offenders
From March 2016 —April 2017 the NERCP circulated images and information of 1840 unknown individuals who
required identification in connection to retail crime incidents. The NERCP network successfully identified 144offenders, a 14% increase on the previous year.
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Nortbumbria Coalition Against Crime
Trustees' Report
Retail Awareness Training
In the past 12 months the NERCP have trained a total of 917 retailers via individual training sessions and localShopwatch schemes. The training consisted of different methods used to remove stock from premises, differentoffender types and the threats each one poses, along with guidance about who is there to help and support retailerswhen dealing with those threats. Feedback from the sessions is always positive. with those who attend feelingbetter equipped to identify criminality.
Restorative Justice Panels
In October 2015 the NERCP worked with Durham Police to pilot a restorative justice panel aimed at offenderswho had previously been actively involved in retail crime. The NERCP provided selected retail volunteers to takepart in the sessions, whilst Durham police provided the offenders thmugh the CRC service. Feedback from bothsides was positive with the retailers and offenders all getting something worthwhile from the interaction. To date8 different retailers have been involved seeing a total of 22 offenders.
Targets IdentiTied
The NERCP collate, analyse and disseminate information on travelling offenders who travel locally, regionallyand nationally to commit crime. From 1st May 2016 to 30th April 2017, the partnership has identified andpmduced intelligence packages of 455 travelling organised offenders, a 4% increase on the previous year.
~ National targets - 110~ Regional targets —286
~ Locally displaced - 59
The graph below shows how many travelling targets the NERCP have identified on a month to month basis overa period of over 4 years. Since January 2014 the NERCP have increased circulations by 69%.This is the result ofpolice and retail membership giving us more resource which has enabled more research and analysis.
80
Travelling Targets Identified and Packages Circulated
70
60
50
40
30
~ 2014
~ 2015
Q 2016
u 2017
20
10
]an Feb Mar Apr Mav ]un ]ul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
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Northumbria Coalition Against Crime
Trustees' Report
Member's Evaluation
Each year the NERCP gives service end users the opportunity to feedback on the service they receive. The keyfindings fmm the 2016 evaluation are displayed below:
4) How useful does your store find
NERCP circulations?
5) What type of offender activity hasbeen the most detrimental to your
store in the north east?
~ venvnnl
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~ lwc lacnl Nf Oh whvf1
~ locelo ohfc ore de \
~ I'rddc hcdh doslncdolfenlen
0 ~ N dl nchnoohtnlon
6) What type of offenders impactsyour stock loss the most? 7)What is the most beneficial NERCP
service to your store?
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9) is NERCP membership value formoney?
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Northumbria Coalition Against Crime
Trustees' Report
A summary of the evaluation suggests retailers are happy with their service and still find the NERCP value formoney. Offender information and images still remain the most beneficial service and vital tool we provide. Localprolific offenders are having an increased impact on stores, consequently why the NERCP are extending theirlocal crime prevention service, and organised, travelling teams still pose a large risk to stock loss.
Future Developments
In the next 12 months the NERCP will continue to support members and attempt to extend the network to otherretailers and agencies as well as:
Work on a 5-year plan with a new strategic direction ensuring retail members and services we deliverare representative of the current issues faced by the retail community
Expand the local delivery of NERCP services to reach more retailers including small independents
Increasing confidence - Helping to ensure sustainable economic growth
Continuing to develop and deliver ongoing initiatives
Supporting in any future retail crime initiatives
Youth /k Community Department of NCAC
Youth and Community Manager's Report 2016/2017
Since 1997, the Youth and Community Programme has worked alongside practitioners, children, young peopleand families, to identify gaps in provision and support, then develop programmes to meet those needs. This wayof working encourages original ideas and practices which foster creative achievement in young people who mayotherwise suffer through lack of opportunity, lack of aspiration or self-belief. 20 years on and we continue to adaptto the ever-changing needs of young people and families in society today. This year is no different, we continueto work alongside other agencies and organisations to strengthen the support young people receive from us and asa direct result of this we have be inundated with referrals.
The Odysseus Mentoring Project (OMP)
OMp is an award-winning project that has been the flagship of the Youth and Community programmes for thelast 18 years; it is a well-established pmject and remains a completely unique form of support in the North East.We have continued to develop significantly since we received funding from the Big Lottery, 'ReachingCommunities programme' in November 2013 and the project continues to grow and adapt to the needs of youngpeople.
Over the past 12 month 39 children and young people have gained support (33 OMP, 6 OMP Plus) and we havealso supported numerous siblings and parents who have benefited from the involvement from OMP staff. We havealso trained 25 volunteers.
OMP Achievements and Children/Young People
20 Parents/guardians have been supported
Of the children/young people supported;
70% did not offend or re-offend
82% showed an increase in self-esteem/confidence
91% showed an improvement in Family relations
82% engaged in or maintained educational training or employment
(Data from OMP 33 children and young people supported)
The need for the support OMP provides bas never been more apparent, as previously mentioned we have beeninundated with referrals snd currently have a waiting list of 32 young people. We remain completely uniqueespecially in terms of longevity, current climates have seen other services drastically decrease the length of timethat they offer support.
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Nortbumbria Coalition Against Crime
Trustees' Report
In November 2016 we held a Young People Awards and celebration night. It is the first time we have ran an eventlike this and it was a huge success and the turnout was fantastic. 15 young people were awarded certificates fortheir achievements during the year and number of volunteers presented certificates for completing their training,The sense of pride fmm all who attended (parents, family and guardians, OMP staff, trustees and volunteers andfunders) the event was overwhelming. Below are a few of the photos taken on the night of the young people beingpresented with a certificate for 'Their Journey Travefied'.
Success Stories
Please refer to additional document.
Community Safety Awareness Day
Our Annual Community Safety Awareness Day took place on 30th July 2016, we estimated a footfall of 1000people however appmximately 4000 people attended making this our biggest event to date. Several of ourvolunteers and young people helped at the event which was invaluable and clear evidence of the increased levelsof confidence in our young people, as this event was entirely out of their comfort zone, but they embraced thesituation and engaged well with the public. We also received support for the event from young people and stafffmm the NCS programme ran by Groundwork North East, the Police Cadets as well as Northumbria Police who
gave us great feedback fmm the event as they had fantastic engagement fmm the public. From questionnairescompleted by young people and families following this engagement it was reported that 67% of people had
positively changed their perception of the police.
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Northumbria Coalition Against Crime
Trustees' Report
Developments over the past 12 months
' The Volunteer Coordinator (VC) has continued to be an essential role within the team.
The VC has built fantastic relationships with existing volunteers and has been able to focus solely on providingmonthly support either via the phone or face to face for Mentors who have benefited massively from having onepoint of contact. As a direct result of this the retention rate of volunteers has improved drastically alleviating a lotof pressure from OMp staff and has allowed the project to run more effectively and efficiently.
The VC has also been able to dedicate time to focus solely on our recruitment processes, making improvementswhere necessary, again this has been invaluable to the process running smoothly. She has aLso re-established linkswith local volunteer centres which again strengthens the support given to volunteers as working in partnershipwith Volunteer Centres has enabled us to offer our volunteers access to free training that they were otherwiseunaware of.
~ An external interim report is currently being carried out on the first 3 years of Reaching Communities,Big Lottery OMP project.
We secured further funding to continue working in partnership with Aycliffe Secure Centre deliveringOMP Plus to young people leaving custody.
With the support of an anonymous funder we were able to take OMP into the secure centre in April 20(5 wherethe reoffending rate of young people leaving custody was extremely high. Approximately 70% of young peoplereoffended once they had left Aycliffe Secure Centre (ASC) prior to our involvement. The support and mentoringrelationship starts when the young person is in custody enabling the relationship to be established prior to release.OMP staff liaises and work with relevant professionals, providing a holistic service, support and stabilitythroughout the extremely complex transition from custody to resettlement, when young people are at their mostvulnerable and there continues to be a vast lack of support. This level of support and the continuity of staff andmentors has proved to be massively beneficial to the young people we have supported and as a result we havecontinued to see a high percentage young people (approx. 80%) not go on to reoffend.
~In January 2017 an OMP Apprentice was employed. The role is split between OMP and OMP Plus.
Positive Steps - continues to provide counselling for mentees who are in need of additional positive mentalhealth support. The need for this additional support has been evident over the past 3 years but is even moreapparent now, due to the complexity of the issues the young people who are being referred into the projectare faced with.
¹ShopWise
¹ShopWise is a is an initiative that was developed 3 years ago by Northumbria Coalition Against Crime (NCAC)incorporating the North East Retail Crime Partnership and Youth and Community programmes. It a preventativeproject, delivering interactive workshops in primary schools to children in years 5 and 6, the aim is to raiseawareness of retail crime and engage children and young people in discussion and dialogue on shop theft.
Feedback from young offenders shows that children and young people see retail theft as a victimless crime andthey have little understanding of the consequences for themselves or the retailer. Most children/young people whoengage in retail crime start by behaving antisocially or by shoplifting small items but the potential for theirbehaviour to escalate and for larger gangs to influence and take advantage is significant.
To date ¹Shop Wise has fulfilled its aims to step in before this happens giving children/young people a betterunderstanding of the consequences of shop theft; to safeguard both the retailers and the children/young peoplecreating a safer shopping environment for all. To enable this to have more impact, the sessions are delivered bythe ¹ShopWise Facilitator and a Retailer, who volunteers their time and has been given specific training. 3 newRetailers have been recruited and trained to assist in the delivery of the sessions with our ¹Shop-Wise facilitator.
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Northumbria Coalition Against Crime
Trustees' Report
Between September 2016 and June 2017:
50 sessions were delivered in primary schools in Cleveland- In partnership with Cleveland PCC.
12 Sessions were delivered in primary schools in Northumbria —In partnership with Northumbria PCC.
The feedback from the schools has been very positive and they were all in agreement that the session is extremelyeffective and relevant.
Future Plans
Continue to strengthen the Reaching Communities (Big Lottery) Work
Sustain current work and the team
Gain funding for further staff and project developments
Gain further funding to continue positive Steps project
Continue to develop OMP to meet need and demands
Continue to deliver SShop-Wise sessions and gain further funding to deliver more sessions in other areas
Many thanks again to all the funders and supporters who have enabled our invaluable work to continualIncluding; Big Lottery 'Reaching Communities'
rjI I PP dbyk fr cy iy/~lb. ': .,"2d ig I i bhlfby:
Mr P P AngierCII
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Northumbria Coalition Against Crime
Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities
The trustees (who are also the directors of Northumbria Coalition Against Crime for the purposes of companylaw) are responsible for preparing the and the financial statements in accordance with the United KingdomAccounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice) and applicable law andregulations.
Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under company law thetrustees must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view ofthe state of affairs of the charitable company and of its incoming resources and application of resources, includingits income and expenditure, for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:
select suitable accounting policies and 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 departuresdisclosed and explained in the financial statements; and
prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that thecharitable company will continue in business.
The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the.charitable company's transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of thecharitable company 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 charitable company and hence for taking reasonablesteps for the prevention and detection o nd other irregularities.
pprove the trustees of the Charit and signed on its behalf by:Zf I . 'Kit P
Mr P D P AngierChairman
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Northumbria Coalition Against Crime
Independent Examiner's Report to the trustees of Northumbria Coalition AgainstCrime
I report on the accounts of the Charity for the year ended 31 May 2017 which are set out on pages 19 to 31.Your attention is drawn to the fact that the Charity has prepared the Financial Statements in accordance withAccounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial ReportingStandard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) in preference to the Accounting and Reportingby Charities: Statemeut of Recommended Practice issued on I April 2005 which is referred to in the extantregulations but has since been withdrawn.
We understand that this has been done in order for the accounts to provide a true and fair view in accordance withthe Generally Accepted Accounting Practice effective for reporting periods beginning on or after I January 2015.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examinerThe trustees (who are also the directors of the company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for thepreparation of the accounts. The trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2)of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed. The charity's grossincome exceeded $250,000 and I am qualified to undertake the examination by being a qualified member ofACCA.Having satisfied myself that the charity is not subject to audit under company law and is eligible for independentexamination, it is my responsibility to:
examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act;
to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and
to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of independent examiner's reportMy examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. Anexamination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the Charity and a comparison of the accountspresented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accountsand seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do notprovide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether theaccounts present a 'true and fair view' and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
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Northumbria Coalition Against Crime
Independent Examiner's Report to the trustees of Northumbria Coalition AgainstCrime
Independent examiner's statementIn connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
(I) which gives me a reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:
~ to keep accounting records in accordance with section 386 of the Companies Act 2006; and
~ to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records, comply with the accounting requirements ofsection 396 of the Companies Act 2006 and with the methods and principles of the Statement of RecommendedPractice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities
have not been met; or
(2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accountsto be reached.
Lorna Copple
76 Front StreetPrudhoeNorthumberlandNE42 SPU
Page 17
Northumbria Coalition Against Crime
Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 May 2017(Inciuding Income and Expenditure Account and Statement of Total Recognised Gains
and Losses)
Unrestrictedfunds
NoteRestricted funds
g
Total2017
Income and Endowments from:Donations and legacies
Charitable activides
Investment income
Total Income
Expenditure on:Raising funds
Charitable activities
8,097
5,079
549
13,725
(678)
13,658)
197,470
97,070
294,540
(2,947)
296,566
205,567
102,149
549
308 265
(3,625)
310224
Total Expenditure
Net expenditure
Net movement in funds
ReconciTiation of funds
Total funds brought forward
Total funds carried forward 17
(14,336
611
(611)
(299,513)
(4 973)
(4,973)
313 849)
5 584
(5,584)
375 169,683 170,058
986 174,656 175 642
Page 18
Northumbria Coalition Against Crime
Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 May 2017(Including Income and Expenditure Account and Statement of Total Recognised Gains
and Losses)
Unrestrictedfunds Restricted funds
Note
Total2016
Income and Endowments from:Donations and legacies
Charitable activities
Investment income
Total Income
Expenditure on:Raising funds
Charitable activities
8,783
13,736
59
22,578
(6,274)
(16 070)
243,095
105,071
380
348,545
(1,386)304,514
251,878
118,807
439
371 123
(7,660)
320,584
Total Expenditure
Net income
Net movement in funds
Reconciliation of funds
Total funds brought forward
Total funds carried forward 17
(22 344) 305,900 (328 244
234 42,645 42,879
752
986
132,011
174,656
132 763
175,642
234 42,645 42 879
All of the Charity's activities derive from continuing operations during the above two periods.
The funds breakdown for 2016 is shown in note 17.
Page 19
Northumbria Coalition Against Crime
(Registration number: 02480943)Balance Sheet as at 31 May 2017
Fixed assets
Tangible assets
Current assets
2017Note
1,714
2016g
4,086
Debtors
Cash at bank and in hand
12 48,638
216,441
55,267
226 940
Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year
Net current assets
Net assets
Funds of the Charity:
Restricted funds
Unrestricted funds
Total unrestricted funds
Total funds
13
17
265,079
96 735)
282,207
(110651
168 344 171 556
170,058 175,642
375 986
170,058 175,642
169,683 174,656
For the financial year ending 31 May 2017 the Charity was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 ofthe Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
Directors' responsibilities:
~ The members have not required the Charity to obtain an audit of its accounts for the year in question inaccordance with section 476; and
The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Act with respectto accounting records and the preparation of accounts.
These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the smallcompanies regime.
g.Z. I'-. I. z, ~al statements on pages 19 to 31 were approved by the trustees and authorised for issue on ......... ..........their behalf by:and g
Mr D P AngierChairman
Page 20
Northnmbria Coalition Against Crime
Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 May 2017
I Accounting policies
Summary of signiTicant accounting policies and key accounting estimatesThe principal accounting policies applied in the preparation of these financial statements are set out below. Thesepolicies have been consistently applied to all the years presented, unless otherwise stated.
Statement of complianceThe financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities:Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with theFinancial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2015)- (Charities SORP (FRS 102)), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland(FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006.
Basis of preparationNorthumbria Coalition Against Crime meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets andliabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevantaccounting policy notes.
Going concernThe charitable company remains reliant on the financial support of funders. While funders have informallyindicated their intention to continue supporting the activities of the charitable company, no contractualarrangements are in place. This state of affairs is similar to previous years. On the assumption of continuedfinancial support from funders, the Directors have approved the financial statements on a going concern basis.
Exemption from preparing a cash flow statementThe Charity opted to early adopt Bulletin 1 published on 2 February 2016 and have therefore not included a cashflow statement in these financial statements.
Page 21
Northnmbria Coalition Against Crime
Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 May 2017
Transition to FRS 102In preparing the accounts, the trustees have considered whether in applying the accounting policies required byFRS 102 and the Charities SORP FRS 102 a restatement of comparative items was required.At the date of transition in applying the requirement to recognise liabilities arising from employee benefits, aliability was recognised for employee entitlement to paid annual leave. The initial liability recognised at the dateof transition was for the holiday entitlement carried forward and for the entitlement arising in the year which wasdue but not taken. No other restatements were required. In accordance with the requirements of FRS 102 areconciliation of opening balances is provided.
Reconciliation of charity funds and balances
Fund balances as previously stated
Holiday entitlement accrued but not taken
31 May 2016K
178,749~3.107
175,642
Income and endowments
All income is recognised once the Charity has entitlement to the income, it is probable that the income will bereceived and the amount of the income receivable can be measured reliably.
Donations and legacies
Donations are recognised when the Charity has been notified in writing of both the amount and settlement date.In the event that a donation is subject to conditions that require a level of performance by the Charity before theCharity is entitled to the funds, the income is deferred and not recognised until either those conditions are fullymet, or the fulfilment of those conditions is wholly within the control of the Charity and it is probable that theseconditions will be fulfilled in the reporting period.
Grants receivable
Grants are recognised when the charity has an entitlement to the funds and any conditions linked to the grantshave been met. Where performance conditions are attached to the grant and are yet to be met, the income isrecognised as a liability and included on the balance sheet as deferred income to be released.
Deferred income
Deferred income represents amounts received for future periods and is released to incoming resources in the periodfor which, it has been received. Such income is only deferred when:
—The donor specifies that the grant or donation must only be used in future accounting periods; or- The donor has imposed conditions which must be met before the Charity has unconditional entitlement.- The delivery of the services falls in to a subsequent accounting period.
Donated services and facilities
Where services or facilities are provided to the Charity as a donation that would normally be purchased from our
suppliers, this benefit is included in the financial statements at it's fair value unless it's fair value cannot be reliablymeasured, then at the cost to the donor or the resale value of goods that are to be sold.
Page 22
Northnmhria Coalition Against Crime
Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 May 2t117
Investment income
Dividends are recognised once the dividend has been declared and notification has been received of the dividenddlle.
Char@able activities
Income from charitable activities includes income recognised as earned (as the related goods or services areprovided) under contract.
ExpenditureAll expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to that expenditure, it is probablesettlement is required and the amount can be measured reliably. All costs are allocated to the applicableexpenditure heading that aggregate similar costs to that category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed toparticular headings they have been allocated on a basis consistent with the use of resources, with central staff costsallocated on the basis of time spent, and depreciation charges allocated on the portion of the asset's use. Othersupport costs are allocated based on the spread of staff costs.
These are costs incurred in attracting voluntary income, the management of investments and those incurred intrading activities that raise funds.
Charitable acdvicies
Charitable expenditure comprises those costs incurred by the Charity in the delivery of its activities and servicesfor its beneficiaries. It includes both costs that can be allocated directly to such activities and those costs of anindirect nature necessary to support them.
Support costsSupport costs include central functions and have been allocated to activity cost categories on a basis consistentwith the use of resources, for example, allocating property costs by floor areas, or per capita, staff costs by thetime spent and other costs by their usage.
Governance costsThese include the costs attributable to the Charity's compliance with constitutional and statutory requirements,including audit, strategic management and Trustee's meetings and reimbursed expenses.
TaxationThe Charity is considered to pass the tests set out in Paragraph I Schedule 6 of the Finance Act 2010 and thereforeit meets the definition of a charitable company for UK corporation tax purposes. Accordingly, the Charity ispotentially exempt from taxation in respect of income or capital gains received within categories covered byChapter 3 Part 11 of the Corporation Tax Act 2010 or Section 256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992,to the extent that such income or gains are applied exclusively to charitable purposes.
Tangible fixed assetsIndividual fixed assets costing 2200.00 or more are initially recorded at cost, less any subsequent accumulateddepreciation and subsequent accumulated impairment losses.
Page 23
Northnmbria Coalition Against Crime
Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 May 2017
Depreciation and amor tisationDepreciation is provided on tangible fixed assets so as to write off the cost or valuation, less any estimated residual
value, over their expected useful economic life as follows:
Asset dassComputer equipment
Depreciation method and rate33.3% straight line basis
Trade debtorsTrade debtors are amounts due from customers for merchandise sold or services performed in the ordinary courseof business.
Trade debtors are recognised initially at the transaction price. They are subsequently measured at amortised costusing the effective interest method, less provision for impairment. A provision for the impairment of trade debtorsis established when there is objective evidence that the Charity will not be able to collect all amounts due accordingto the original terms of the receivables.
Cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents comprise cash on hand and call deposits, and other short-term highly liquid investmentsthat are readily convertible to a known amount of cash and are subject to an insignificant risk of change in value,
Trade creditorsTrade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course ofbusiness from suppliers. Accounts payable are classified as current liabilities if the Charity does not have an
unconditional right, at the end of the reporting period, to defer settlement of the creditor for at least twelve months
after the reporting date. If there is an unconditional right to defer settlement for at least twelve months after thereporting date, they are presented as non-current liabilities.
Trade creditors are recognised initially at the transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost usingthe effective interest method.
Fund structureGeneral funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the directors in furtherance ofthe general objectives of the charitable company and which have not been designated for other purposes.
Restricted funds are funds which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors orwhich have been raised by the charitable company for particular purposes. The costs of raising and administeringsuch funds are charged against the specific fund. The aim and purpose of each restricted fund is set out in thenotes to the financial statements.
Page 24
Northnmbria Coalition Against Crime
Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 May 2017
2 Income from donations and legacies
Unrestrictedfunds
General Restricted fundsg
Total2017
g
Total2016
gDonations snd legacies;
Donations from companies, trusts andsimilar proceeds
Grants, including capital grants;
Government grants
Other grants
Donated services and facilities
97
8 000
11,608
28,235
141,627
16,000
11,705
28,235
141,627
24 000
8,130
15,500
204,248
24,000
Other grants include the following:8,097 197 470 205 567 251 878
Big Lottery Fund Reaching Communities gran(
Big Lottery Fund grant
78,752 77,208
9,922
78,752 87,130
3 Income from charitable activities
Unrestrictedfunds
General Restricted fundsg
Total2017
Total2016
gBusiness Crime:
NERCP membership fees
Flat rate VAT benefit
Other income
Professional indemnity insurancescheme
Shared revenue scheme
Youth and CommunityProgrammest
Mentortng income
General:
Coalition membership fees
DBS administration fees
Other income
Event income
2,900
2,095
87,048
5,126
35
1,936
2,700
225
87,048
5,126
35
89,364
7,272
1,936
2,7001,420
3,165
225
2,900 3,025
2,095 2,89984
11,4125,079 97 070 102,149 118 807
Page 25
Northumbria Coalition Against Crime
Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 May 2017
4 Investment income
Interest receivable and similar income;
Interest receivable on bank deposits
Unrestrictedfunds
General
549
Total2017
549
Total2016
f.
439
5 Expenditure on raising funds
Unrestrictedfunds
Fuudraising costs
Wages and salaries
Support costs allocated 968 968
TotalGeneral Restricted funds 2017
Note
678 1,979 2,657
Total2016
375
1,620
5 665
678 2,947 3,625 7,660
6 Expenditure on charitable activities
Business Crime
Youth and Community Programmes
Shopwise Scheme
General
Activityundertaken Activity support
directly costsf, 8
80,450 30,101
153,813 21,717
13,150
10,993
Total2017
111,551
175,530
13,150
10,993
Total2016
109,209
183.404
7,840
14,869
250,070 63,779 313,849 315,322
Page 26
Northumbria Coalition Against Crime
Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 May 2017
Employment costsTravel and administration costsEmployment costsRent and administrationexpensesOffice supplies and equipmentCost of trustee meetingsTravel expensesProfessional fees andadministration costsBad debt expenseDepreciation
BusinessCrime
76,9813,4692,544
8,0008,374
10,01025
1,148
Youth andCommunityProgrammes8
118,72835,0855,593
8,0002,065
4,95710
1,092
ShopwiseScheme
11,8001,350
UnrestrictedfundsGeneral
2,569
8,000
225190
(123)
132
Total2017
Total2016
24,00010,439
225190
24,00013,257
14,84435
2,372
13,812
2,492
207,509 207, 19539,904 47,83510,706 9,838
110,551 175,530 13,150 10,993 310,224 318,429
7 Support costs
Employment costsRent and administration expensesOffice supplies and equipmentCost of trustee meetingsTravel expensesPmfessional fees andadministration costsBad debt expenseDepreciation
BusinessCrime
2,5448,0008,374
10,01025
1,148
Youth andCommunityProgrammes
5.5938,0002,065
4.95710
1,092
225190
968 (123)
132
Voluntary Unrestrictedincome funds
General
2,5698,000
Total2017
Total2016
15,81235
2,372
21,240
2 492
810,706 9,83824,000 24,00010,439 13,257
225 391190
30 101 21,717 968 10 993 63,779 71 218
Page 27
Northnmbria Coalition Against Crime
Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 May 2017
8 Trustees remuneration and expenses
No trustees, nor any persons connected with them, have received any remuneration fmm the charity during the
year (2016 - fÃil).
No trustees have received any reimbursed expenses or any other benefits &om the charity during the year (2016-gNIL).
9 Staff costs
The aggregate payroll costs were as follows:
2017 2016g
Staff costs during the year were:
Wages and salaries
Social security costs
Pension costs
Other staff costs
213,366
2,057
1,742
208,257
9,543
643
20
217,165 218,463
The monthly average number of persons (including senior management team) employed by the Charity during the
year expressed as full-time equivalents was as follows:
2017 2016No No
Employees 13 12
No employee received emoluments of more that f60,000 during the year.
The employee benefits for key management personnel were 655,794.
10 Taxation
The Charity is a registered charity and is therefore exempt fmm taxation.
Page 28
Northnmbria Coalition Against Crime
Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31May 2017
11 Tangible Gxed assets
Cost
At 1 June 2016
Computerequipment Total
g
15.485 15 485
At 31 May 2017
Depreciation
At 1 June 2016
Charge for the year
At 31 May 2017
Net book value
At 31 May 2017
At 31 May 2016
15 485
11,3992 372
13,771
1,714
4 086
15,485
11,399
2,372
13,771
1,714
4 086
12 Debtors
Trade debtors
Prepayments
Accrued income
Other debtors
2017
37,660
9,444
1,143
391
48,638
2016
21,505
10,573
22,688
504
55,267
13 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
Trade creditors
Other taxation and social security
Other creditors
Accruals
Deferred income
2017
11,838
14,216
20,780
30
49 871
96,735
2016
14,214
10,570
21,227
485
65 070110,651
Deferred income at 1 June 2016Resources deferred in the period
Amounts released from previous periods
Deferred income at 31 May 2017
2017
65,070
49,871~M, 070
49,871
Page 29
Northnmbria Coalition Against Crime
Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 May 2017
14 Pension and other schemes
Defined contribution pension schemeThe charity operates a dedned contribution pension scheme. The pension cost charge for the periodrepresents contributions payable by the charity to the scheme and amounted to Z1,742 (2016 —6643).Contributions totalling 6557 (2016 - f757) were payable to the scheme at the end of the period and are includedin creditors.
15 Funds held as Agents
Middlesbrough Retail Crime PartnershipFunds held at 01/06/2016Membership incomeAdministration expensesFunds held at 31/05/2017
89,1734,650
~64347,389
Key FundFunds held at 01/06/2016 and 31/05/2017 118
16 Charity status
The Charity is a Charity limited by guarantee and consequently does not have share capitaL Each of the trusteesis liable to contribute an amount not exceeding fl towards the assets of the Charity in the event of liquidation.
17 Funds
Unrestricted funds
Balance at 1 Incoming Resources Balance at 31lune 2016 resources expended Transfers May 2017
8 8 8
Vnrestrtcted general funds
Coalition 986 13,725 (14,336) 375
Restricted funds
North East Retail CrimePartnership
Odysseus Mentoring Programme
Shopwise Scheme
64,337
105,152
5, 167
124,480 (107,798)
160,960 (178,565)
9,100 13,150
(2,000)
2,000
79,019
87,547
3 117
Total restricted funds
Total funds
174,656 294,540 299,513
175,642 308,265 313,849
169 683
170 058
Page 30
Northnmbria Coalition Against Crime
Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 May 2017
North East Retail Crime Partnership (NERCP):
Intelligence led targeting professional, prolific, persistent teams of retail thieves who target the North East.Included within this fund are two further projects, CR:IISp: Criminal Reporting Integrated Information SharingPlatform and Association of Shopwatch Partnerships North East (ASP-NE). The former is a database systemwhich revolutionizes the speed of intelligence gathering and dissemination for NERCP members. The latter isessentially a forum bringing retailers and police together to share intelligence and prosecute teams of retailcriminals targeting the North East.
Odysseus Mentoring Programme:
The project funds one-to-one mentoring support to vulnerable young people who are at risk of offending orreoffending. The Odysseus Mentoring Project was set up in December 1998 and pmvides the opportunity forpositive relationships to develop between a young person at risk of offending and an adult who is willing tochallenge, guide and educate them.
Shopwise Scheme:
¹Shop-Wise is an initiative aimed at engaging children and young people on the subject of safe shopping andretail crime.
Transfers
During the year the North East Retail Crime Partnership transferred f2,000 to the Shopwise Scheme.
18 Analysis of net assets between funds
Tangible fixed assets
Current assets
Current liabilities
Total net assets
Unrestrictedfunds
General funds Restricted funds Total fundsg
101 1,613 1,7143,651 261,428 265,079
3,377 93,358 96,735
375 169 683 170,058
Page 31
Northumbria Coalition Against Crime
SUCCESS STOREYS
Darren was referred into the project because there were concerns abouthis behaviour which had led to his exclusion from school. He was fightingwith his peers and being aggressive with his teachers. Darren was happyto engage with the project but was, however, unaware of howdestructive his behaviour was. He blamed other people rather thantaking responsibility himself. Although Darren presented as a confidentyoung person he was, in fact, very vulnerable and his behaviour,including, putting his self in risky situations, was a way of seekingattention from others.
Darren engaged well with the project and once matched with hismentor he started making positive changes. He was happy to open up
about why he behaved the way he did. He identified that he had a problem with hisanger so he and his mentor joined the local library and looked at books to help him cope.
His behaviour improved massively and with the coping strategies that he'd taught himself from the books he'd takenfrom the library he was able to manage stressful situations better and he learnt to control his anger before it spiralledout of control. He was placed in a pupil referral unit where they were so happy with his progress both academicallyand behaviourally that he was able to go back into mainstream school.
The progress Darren has made is amazing and very inspiring. He took the support and guidance that was offered tohim and used it the best he could to make more appropriate decisions. Not only has his confidence and self-esteemincreased, so has his aspiration and self-worth. He realised that with hard work and determination he can achievewhatever he sets out to do.
Darren's achievements were recognised at NCAC's AGM in September 2014 when he was presented with acertificate by the Deputy Mayor of Gateshead. His mother attended and was so proud of him. No one could havebeen more proud than Darren though.
At the age of 10, jamie was referred to OMP from a Family InterventionTeam (FIT) due to his offending behaviour which had escalated from lowlevel anti-social behaviour to shop theft in a short space of time. Whenwe first started working with the family, )amie's mum told us how hereally struggled to control his anger and would often lash out physicallytowards her and his younger sister. The Children and Adolescent MentalHealth Service (CAMHS) were also assessing jamie's mental health.
At this time, jamie had very little interest in school. His attendancewas poor and his behaviour could be disruptive. Although he livedwith both parents, )ernie's dad had been very absent from the familydue to alcohol and drug addictions.
Due to the ongoing CAMHS assessment and Jamie's violent and aggressive behaviour within the home it wasdecided that Jamie would be supported by a Project Worker rather than a volunteer mentor. During this time themain focus for us was to explore Jamie's offending behaviour, his attitude towards rules and his understanding of theconsequences associated with his behaviour. Our priority was to build his confidence and support him to control his
emotions. Jamie and his Project Worker spent a lot of time exploring the area Jamie lived in and trying newactivities. Working closely with the Family Intervention Team (FIT) and Jamie's school we also spent time discussingthe relationships Jamie had with his family members. At the same time, the FIT were also working closely withJamie's Dad to get him the support he needed to overcome his addictions.
Jamie has now been involved with the project for just over three years year and, within this time, he has enjoyed andbenefited from the support of his Project Worker and, more latterly, three different mentors. We have seen his
offending behaviour reduce as his confidence has improved. OMP has also supported Jamie's mum to get thesupport she needed to deal with her anxiety and panic attacks. Jamie's dad has worked really hard to overcome his
addictions and as a direct result has developed a much more positive relationship with his children, often spendingone-to-one time with Jamie taking him to the local park to go fishing and play football.
Jamie's assessment from CAMHS came back with no concerns about his mental wellbeing. With no underlyingmental health concern, OMP has continued working closely with the FIT to support Jamie to manage his frustrations
and emotions. Jamie and his family have benefited from a long term relationship with OMP, working with otheragencies, and this arrangement is likely to continue in the foreseeable future. Recently we have found out that Jamiehas trouble sleeping through the night and is very lucky to get a full night's uninterrupted sleep. We have suggestedto Mum it would beneficial to discuss this with the doctor as Jamie may be suffering from a sleeping disorder. He is
scheduled to see a doctor to discuss this very soon. We are very proud of Jamie and his family, taking things one stepat a time and slowly understanding and problems which will lead to positive changes in behaviour and relationships.
Peter was referred to OMP from the charity Catch 22 following involvement with the Youth Offending Team. He was
engaging with Catch 22 on a voluntary basis but he did not always turn up for appointments and was often under theinfluence of drugs and was therefore unable to complete his paperwork. When we picked up the referral from Catch22 in August 2014, a Project Worker worked closely with the Referral Worker to fully understand Peter's situation andprovide a smooth transition to OMP.
Peter lives with his mum, younger sister and stepfather, his father is serving a prison sentence. Other agencies hadraised concerns about the sister's welfare and safety as she was witness to aggressive and violent outbursts from Peter.Peter's relationship with his mum and stepfather is difficult; issues around discipline have led to numerous
relationship breakdowns with mum and stepdad separating on several occasions. Peter appeared to have a verycontrolling influence on the entire family.
Peter has had police involvement for a number of years. He has escaped formal charges but has been cautioned forcarrying weapons, drug offences and violence. His anti-social behaviour effects the whole family and the widercommunity and the police regularly visit the family home (at least three times a week). This has included raiding thehome in response to suspicions that Peter was holding weapons in his bedroom. The family have been threatenedwith eviction many times. His parents were particularly concerned about his use of drugs (including cannabis, legal
highs and A class substances) and associated night time 'disappearances' to meet drug dealers.
It was clear that Peter's complex behaviour and attitudes were damaging his family and others as well as himself.
When we first met him, Peter was not at school but had a placement based within the library for three mornings aweek which he rarely attended. One of the first things the Project Worker was able to do was to rearrange this
placement to start a little later and, with this small change, Peter began to attend.
The project Worker spoke to peter about his drug use. We found that peter was struggling with ADHD and the way it
makes him feel; he had found that cannabis would help him to sleep through the night and control his thoughts. Peterdisclosed that he had made numerous suicide attempts and would often self-harm by punching himself in the headand cutting his arms. We have encouraged him to access his ADHD clinics (which he had stopped attending) and toget help from drug support services. With support from these professionals, his drug use has reduced considerably.
Peter was matched with a volunteer mentor who meets him for 3 hours every Saturday. Together, Peter and his mentorspend a lot of time playing pool, football and at the marine facility where they can use the gym and the climbingwall. Peter has started to engage with other facilities where he feels welcome and supported. He has also started a fulltime voluntary placement with Stepney Bank Stables which he is really enjoying and demonstrating greatcommitment to. The feedback from the owners at the stables is very positive.
Peter has a lot of challenges to overcome but he is making positive steps towards this, including taking responsibilityfor his attendance and timekeeping which is enabling to access a wide range of support.
When lemma was referred to us she was second term in custody at a YouthOffending Unit. She was very aggressive both verbally and physically; 95% of heroffences were violent. She was very socially awkward and this came across asaggressive behaviour with claims that she did not like people and would not speakto anybody that she didn't know. Before our involvement Jemma had not been infull-time education for a number of years; she claimed there were too manypeople at school for her to handle. As a result Jemma had not completed anyGCSEs and, at the age of 17, had no qualifications. lt took several weeks to build
a relationship with Jemma as she was very reluctant to engage with her projectworker. It took even longer to encourage Jemma to be matched with a mentor.
Despite a rocky start, Jemma has had an extremely beneficial and fulfilling relationship with her OMP mentor. Onnumerous occasions she has been taken out of her comfort zone and here we have seen her really flourish. She isnow confident enough to start a conversation with a complete stranger and her manners have developedconsiderably.
Jemma's mentor told us: When I first started meeting lemma she was hostile and really uninterestedin me. .. I havementored /emma for almost 18 months now and the progress she has made is fantastic. Initially wejust went for foodand tried to visit somewhere new each week. I started to realise that she had led such a sheltered life in terms ofvisiting places and taking part in things. I suggested we tried new things to see if she would like them. That didn't godown to well but we went anyway. We' ve visited St Mary's Lighthouse and climbed to the top. Here we found theseals basking on the rocks below us. We were both equally excited about this so when we reached the bottom wespoke to the Seal Monitor. Actually, /emma did most of the talking, asking how many there were and how long theystay for etc. This, coming fi'om a girl who, on so many occasions, said she hated people and wouldn't talk to peopleshe didn't like!
"We have been for a walk around Northumberlandia where she told me all about the quarry on the other side. Thebest day I've ever had was our trip to the farm. I never told her where we were going until we arrived (very risky!).When we pulled up she said she hated animals andif one tried to attack her she'd "punch it all over". We got bagsof foodjustin case she changed her mind and she did. It turns out she didn't hate animals she wasin fact scared ofthem. She'd never been to a farm before and didn't know what happened. She fell in love with a cheeky parrot; Ithink the naughty words It said helped but she read all the information about it and talked about it for weeks. Shebottle-fed lambs and hand-fed the sheep, pony's etc. She walked around with a genuine smile that day and tookineverything. For someone who is so streetwise she was sheltered from a lot we take for granted.
"I feel I've got a great relationship with lemma and we' ve had an amazing time together. I've learntj ust as muchfrom her as she has from me. She's a lot more confident than she used to be and she is polite to people. She is a lotmore understanding ofpeople and their situationsinstead of calling them names and assuming things. The differencein 18 months has been fantastic. She is definitely willing to try new things. She puts herself down and doubts herown abilities but I think that comes from hearing it from other people for so long. "
Jemma was released from the secure unit in November 2014 and has remained out of custody since then. She hasalso not reoffended for the past 15 months. in 2015, she and her mentor were chosen by OMP to represent theproject at an Award Ceremony and to collect the High Sheriff's award on our behalf. She has now reached the end ofher first mentoring relationship and has asked to be matched with a new mentor as she would like support to look atcollege courses to gain some qualifications in youth work.
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Tommy was referred to OMP in November 2014 because of his behaviour in
school which had led to his exclusion and concerns in the community.
Tommy's Project Worker quickly identified that when he was angry, hesometimes blacked out and couldn't remember what he had done. He was
becoming increasingly fearful and frightened of how far he would go in this
situation. His anger outbursts were out of control and becoming morefrequent which had led to his mum threatening to remove him from thefamily home in order to protect his siblings.
Tommy had no contact with his dad and his relationship with his mum was
very fragile. The Project Worker identified that mum needed parenting
support and she worked with both Tommy and his mum to improve their
relationship and give them tools which would help them to communicatemore effectively and spend more positive time together.
The OMP Project Worker liaised with the school to keep them up to date and provided a supporting letter for anapplication to Strengthening Families. She helped Tommy to access counselling both through school and through ourOMP Positive Steps project (Awards for AII).
We have seen Tommy's relationships improve and he is now also engaging better at school. The Child & Family
Support Service are supporting the family and providing counselling for Tommy while he is on the waiting list forother support. Tommy has a positive relationship with his OMP mentor who he meets every fortnight. One of theirfavourite activities is building models together. Recently, Tommy he took his model making home to work on with
help from his mum. Seeing Tommy and his mum spending more one to one time at home and achieving thingstogether is a really positive outcome.
Jessica was referred to OMP in June 2015 from Wear Kids when she was justeight years old. It was clear that there were huge concerns about her safety andwellbeing in the community as she was getting involved with older children andshe had no concept of risks. The older children were exploiting Jessica's age/sizeand asking her to do things such as climb into open windows and abandonedbuildings. At the same time, Jessica's behaviour at home was becomingchallenging and even violent at times. She would sometimes leave home byclimbing out of a window and had been found up to 4 miles away. On theseoccasions, her parents had now choice but to report her missing to the police.
Jessica confided in her mum that a 14 year old boy had touched her
inappropriately and she knew that this was wrong. After this she became verywithdrawn and started staying in the house more and more but she felt veryisolated as her character is very different to her siblings. Wear Kids supportedJessica from aged 7 and they referred her to OMP aged 8 when they had
exhausted all the options for support that they could provide.
When we started working with her, Jessica was still spending a lot of time at home, watching television and taking her
anger out on her parents and sisters. Her understanding of risk was very poor and so her Project Worker worked onthis whilst out in the community. Together they tried a range of activities and established that Jessica is verycompetitive and enjoys all sports, her favourite being bowling. Jessica's project Worker talked to her about theimportance of talking and sharing feelings in order to help your own emotional wellbeing.
At school Jessica was very disengaged. Her teacher had stopped giving her homework as it was never completed.Once Jessica had support from OMP she began to take on jobs at school which helped her confidence as she felt shewas being helpful. Her parents were encouraged to continue this in the famrly home.
After almost six months of project Worker support, lessica was matched with a volunteer mentor. The project Workersupported this process initially and attended meetings to help build a bond between lessica and her mentor. Aslessica's trust in her mentor grew, they were able to meet independently and their activities included meals out,exploring parks and going swimming. They often walked from home which helped jessica develop some road safetyskills and understand her responsibilities when out walking around the city.
The incident with the teenage boy was reported to police but there wasn't enough evidence to pursue a charge andthe case was closed in March 201 6. lessica's confidence grew in leaps and bounds after receiving this news. Herattitude in the family home improved hugely and she started to confide in her parents more. She started making morefriends at school and began to enjoy after school 'playdates' at friends' houses or the local swimming pool. Shebecame a much happier little girl who was enjoying age-appropriate play and relationships.
During a review with lessica, she said that she really enjoyed time with her mentor but she felt that she had morethings to do with her friends. This marked the beginning of the end of lessica's mentoring relationship: she was readyto move on. lessica was awarded a Gold Award at school for 100% good attitude, bringing numeracy homework inon time and doing extra work in numeracy and mathematics. Nobody was more proud than her parents who hadbegun to think Jessica could never achieve this kind of positive recognition. Since then, lessica has demonstratedmuch improved behaviour and responsible decision-making, including proudly telling her Project Worker than shehad told her friends she wouldn't play 'knocky doors' because she didn't want to get into trouble.
This is such a turn around for a little girl whose life was definitely heading in the wrong direction before OMP gotinvolved. Previously she thought she had friends in older children who were simply exploiting her; now she has gotfriends her own age and she is making appropriate decisions for herself.
Nathan was referred to OMP from Sunderland Youth Offending Service in
2013. He had very low confidence and was very isolated. A recent criminaloffence meant that he had moved school and had lost contact with old friends.He was finding it very difficult to make friends in his new school. He felt likehe did not fit in and he wasn't achieving the grades he was capable of.
When not at school, Nathan would spend most of his time at home on hiscomputer. His relationship with the family was fragile. He had very limitedexperiences and had never been out of Sunderland due to his family' sfinancial circumstances.
Nathan has been supported by two different mentors and, over this two-year .period, Nathan's confidence has grown significantly.
Nathan was entering his last year of secondary school when he first came to OMP so the initial focus wason completing his GCSE's and exploring options for higher education. He spent sessions in the library with hismentor researching college courses and apprenticeships. After completing a work placement in a local garage,Nathan decided he would like to do a mechanics course at college. He applied for the course and attended an openevent by himself. He was then invited for an interview and offered a place on the course to start September 2014.
His second mentor supported him to adapt to the change at college. At the start of this relationship, the mentor saidit was difficult to maintain eye contact for long periods of time but they enjoyed going to the theatre and cafes wherehis mentor would encourage Nathan to speak to staff and order for them both. Towards the end of this secondrelationship, there was a little dip in confidence as some students at college found out about his previous offenceand Nathan was embarrassed about it. Nathan left the college after this but managed to find himself another collegewhere he could continue to Level 2 Mechanics Apprentice. This was an amazing achievement for Nathan as hemanaged to turn around a potentially damaging situation for himself.
At the end of the relationship with OMP Nathan was showing some incredibly independent behaviour, to the extentthat he no longer needed help with activities such as writing a CV or attending appointments. Nathan recognised hisincreased self-confidence and this also had a positive impact on his relationship with both his mum and hisstepfather.
The fact that Nathan was going out and doing things for himself inspired his mum to get back into work followinglong-term sickness. This provided a little more disposable income which enabled mum to treat Nathan now and
again and, as a result, they are spending more time together.
Nathan has achieved two awards for his achievements at our annual AGM over 2 consecutive years. He has
developed into a mature and responsible young man. His self-belief is inspiring and has enabled him to try newthings and, more importantly, achieve his goals.
Alex was referred to OMP because of his risky behaviour in thecommunity. He had begun running away from home and he wouldsometimes target younger children in the neighbourhood and displaycontrolling behaviour. He also started to dress in female clothing whichwas thought was a way of fighting for his parents' attention in a largefamily where he felt that his siblings, and his younger sister in particular,were treated differently to him. There were concerns about his
relationships with adults and his chatty and friendly personality meant hewas easy to take advantage of. He would frequently accept gifts orapproach strangers for food.
Alex was living in temporary foster care, returning to the family home atweekends.
Alex was matched with his first OMP mentor in February 2015. At this time he was struggling with theinconsistency in his life - he said he hated not knowing what was happening when he woke up and sometimes it
made his head feel like it was going to explode. Alex's social worker had recently changed and he was on the vergeof being permanently excluded from school. Contact with his family was inconsistent and appointments werefrequently cancelled or changed. His life was extremely chaotic but his regular meetings with his mentor and OMPprovided some much needed consistency.
Alex desperately wanted answers about his future - not knowing who he was going to live with was very confusingfor him. He acknowledged that this was having a negative impact on his behaviour. He felt confused about his
feelings for his family, his foster home and the different options being discussed for his future. Being able to sharethis with his mentor was very positive for Alex.
Alex lived in three temporary foster placements before finally being placed in a potential permanent home,continuing to see his dad once a month. Throughout this time, the mentoring relationship remained consistent and
supportive. Alex's behaviour massively improved as his life became more stable and he is now at school full-time
again.
Alex was matched with his second mentor in April 2017 to support him through the court process which will
hopefully officially cement him into his long-term foster placement. Alex is also in the very early process ofattending meetings for gender transition as it has become apparent that this plays a major part in Alex's identity.
Alex's story demonstrates how a positive role model can be a hugely stabilising influence for a young person who is
experiencing multiple challenges. Whilst he has had numerous support workers, social workers and primary caregivers in the last two years, his OMP project worker and mentors have provided consistency. It's been nice to seehow more settled and content Alex is becoming every day, especially given his freedom with identity. He has grownhis to shoulder length and taken up new hobbies including dancing and drama.
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Odysseus Mentoring Project is delivered byNorthumbria Coalition Against Crime
Registered charity in England and Wales number 702756