Sense Generic Word Template€¦ · Web viewConnecting differently. Sense Annual Review 2017....

Connecting differentlySense Annual Review 2017

Sense connects differentlySense is a national disability charity that supports people with complex communication

needs as to be understood, connected and valued.

We are here for every individual who has a combination of challenges – such as

deafblindness and/or learning difficulties – that make it difficult to communicate, interact

with the world around them and live independently.

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Sense began, and continues to support, people who are deafblind – and the specialist

skills we developed in this area now enable us to support people with a range of support

needs.

For over 60 years, we have developed an unrivalled depth of knowledge, skill and

expertise to unlock the barriers to communication. Everyday things like having a

conversation, enjoying friendships and living independently become possible with the

Sense approach.

What do we mean by complex communication needs? Complex communication needs is an umbrella term that Sense uses to reflect the wide

range of people we support.

Whilst we prefer not to use labels, sometimes they can help people to understand the

combination of challenges that Sense can help people with. These labels include:

Deafblind, dual sensory impairment or multi-sensory impairment.

Single sensory impairment with additional needs.

Complex needs, which may include sensory impairments, additional learning or

physical disabilities, or autism.

Sense services empower people to communicate and express themselves – be it through

speech or sign, touch or movement, gesture or sound, art or dance.


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A new journey

Communicating and being connected are basic human needs. Individuals need to be

‘listened’ to, respected and valued. At Sense we work in so many ways to support people

to be socially connected. Sometimes it’s about building confidence – perhaps using arts,

sports and common interests to bring people together – on other occasions it’s just taking

the time to be with someone. People are connected in many different ways, from a simple

touch to more complex ‘signing’ systems.

The people we work with are on a journey of discovery: a child gaining the confidence to

communicate or sign for the first time, a young adult discovering art, or an older person

joining a group and making friends. Everyone is different and Sense is constantly learning,

evolving and finding new ways to respond to these needs.

At Sense we have been on our own journey to find ways to better describe what we do. At

its most complex we might use particular skills and knowledge to support someone who

has sensory challenges – everything from using tactile sign language to creating fully

accessible services. But the heart of what we do is about supporting people to be

confident and connected.

It’s people who make Sense: our families, staff, trustees, supporters and friends. Together,

we are working towards a world where no one with complex communication needs is

isolated, left out, or unable to fulfil their potential.


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This Annual Review can only give you a glimpse of the wonderful Sense community and

the part that everyone plays in such a fantastic organisation. Thank you for helping us to

make the difference.

Gill Morbey

Chief Executive

A conversation through touch

At first Megan seems nervous when she and her family arrive at the sailing lake.

She has poor sight and just a little hearing so is easily startled by unfamiliar situations and

noises. But there’s a friendly warmth amongst the families and Sense staff who have

gathered for this regular family event, and she starts to relax. “Everyone’s lovely, helpful

and supportive,” says her mum Emma, “you just feel easier here.”


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It is very challenging for Megan to express herself, and she could easily become quite

isolated, so Sense has supported her family to help her to communicate. Today, Laura

from Sense takes Megan’s hands and they have a to-and-fro conversation with hands and

voice. “Megan” says Laura as she takes her hands and places them on Megan’s chest –

and Megan nods and pushes her hands back to Laura.

“Megan loves being around people and coming to these family events,” says her mum.

“She’s been swimming, horse riding and today we are all going sailing.”

Getting into the boat is a little alarming for Megan to begin with, but dad Richard and sister

Ellie help her to get comfortable in her life jacket. The wind fills the sails, the boat starts to

glide forward, and Megan breaks out in a broad smile. She’s off!

“Sense has been a lifeline” Richard, Megan’s mum.

Sense support for children

We are communication experts. We take the time to understand each child's way of

communicating, be it through speech, sign, symbols, objects of reference, gestures or

body language.

Our dedicated and highly skilled team make sure that each family gets the help and

support they need and deserve – and gives them the confidence to navigate the system.

2016/17 snapshot


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Sense Specialist Services for Children provided support to 1,233 children and their families – and we held 36 family days supporting 278 families.

Our Holidays and Short Breaks provide a lifeline for families of disabled children and young people. 100% of parents reported that their child’s 2016 Sense Holiday was the most significant break they got from caring that year.

Touching the grass at last

Martin hadn’t been outside for sixteen years before he came to Sense.

“He lived in a large nursing home where he just paced up and down, never going out” says

his mum, Jenny. “He wasn’t happy.”

His parents, social workers and staff from Sense worked closely together to find a better

situation for him and - after being carefully supported with this transition – he moved into a

new bungalow where he is supported by Sense staff 24/7.

Gradually Martin built up confidence in his new staff, and as he had more choice and

control over his everyday life became calmer and more relaxed. “It feels like home” he said

on one occasion.

He also started to get involved in daily tasks, such as making himself a drink, preparing

meals and trying crafts activities.


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Another huge milestone was that he went out into the garden, the first time he had been

outside in many years. His support workers gradually built up his trust, and after months of

encouragement he took his first steps into the garden. He seemed to be amazed, taking it

all in and touching the grass at his feet. It was the first of many visits.

“He’s completely different now,” says his mum. “He seems happy in his own space. Now

we are visiting Martin in his home.”

“It feels like home” Martin

Sense support for adults Sense believes passionately that each person with complex communication needs should

be able, as far as is possible, to choose the support and lifestyle that is right for them.

Our services enable individuals to live as independently as possible, to express

themselves, and to enjoy a meaningful and fulfilling life. We offer a range of flexible

supported housing, educational and leisure opportunities that are built around each

person’s needs and preferences.

2016/17 snapshot 98% of Sense services were rated by CQC as ‘Good’, with an increasing number of

services rated as having ‘Outstanding’ features – compared with an average of 56%

across the care sector.


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Over 200 people took part in the Sporting Sense project, enjoying a diverse range of

activities such as yoga, dance, rock climbing, swimming, rowing and sailing.

A year of amazing connections

Welcome to TouchBase PearsWe were delighted to welcome the first visitors to TouchBase Pears - our new fully

accessible, multi-purpose venue for the whole community in Selly Oak in the heart of

Birmingham.

The centre – which was created with the support of the Pears Foundation – offers a range

of day opportunities for people with complex communication needs, as well as public

facilties including a café, performance spaces, rooms for hire and Business Centre.


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Connecting differently through dance Sense sensory arts practice gives everyone, no matter how complex their communication

needs, the opportunity to be creative, grow in confidence and have fun.

To take our work to a new level, Sense collaborated with prestigious dance company

Studio Wayne McGregor in a series of dance workshops, where new ideas were

developed and explored. This led to the creation of a toolkit for making dance accessible

to disabled people with complex communication needs.

Memories to last a lifetimeHolidaymakers from England, Scotland, Denmark, Holland, Sweden, Norway and England

came together at the Calvert Trust Adventure Centre on Exmoor and took part in an

exciting outdoor adventure holiday for people who are deafblind.

Some of the activities, like abseiling down a cliff, would be challenging to anyone – let

alone someone with sensory impairments – and the building of trust and friendship was an

important and powerful part of this experience.

Good sportThanks to a grant of £425,000 from Sport England for 2016 - 2018, Sense has been

creating new opportunities for people with complex communication needs in London and

the Midlands – everything from climbing to yoga sessions, cycling to archery.


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As part of this project, Sense is sharing this knowledge and working in partnership with

professionals and organisations in the sports health and social care sectors.

Best buddiesVolunteers in Sense’s new buddying scheme in Tower Hamlet’s, London have been

offering their valuable time to nurturing the achievements of children and young people

with complex health needs. The volunteers support their buddies to try out all sorts of all of

new stimulating experiences – whist giving their carers a much-needed break.


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Eve gets her mojo back

Eve has had hearing problems since she was a little girl, but has always lived a busy life.

Then a stroke five years ago, which also left her blind in one eye and with a left-sided

weakness and she was poleaxed. “I lost my confidence and stopped going out,” she says.

“It gives you an awful lonely feeling.”

It was at this dark time in her life that she started to receive support from two Sense

Communicator Guides, Tina and Angela, who visit her on different days each week.

At first Eve was very anxious so they built up her confidence gradually, supporting her to

take small steps – like walking downstairs, then going out for a trip into town.

Five years on and Eve’s quality of life has improved enormously. When Tina arrives now,

Eve is waiting downstairs with her wheelchair and bag over her arm. “Come on, where are

we going?” she says.

Living with poor sight and hearing will always be challenging for Eve – as it is for any older

person – but she has got her old self back. “Without Sense, I don’t think I’d be here,” she

says. “I know that sounds silly, but I don’t think I would have got through it the way I did

without this help.”


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“Come on, where are we going?” Eve

Sense support for older peopleAs people get older, hearing and sight often deteriorate, and some people can become

very cut-off. Hearing what people are saying, looking after yourself and staying in touch

with friends – all these things can become increasingly hard.

Sense Communicator Guides help people to keep, or extend, their independence and

build confidence. They offer guiding, communication support and practical help – for

example, by helping someone to visit the doctors.

2016/17 snapshot Approximately 390,000 people in the UK have significant hearing and sight

impairments. Many will be older people and their numbers will grow significantly in the

future.

We made new links with Age UK branches across the country, leading to the

development of dance and gentle exercise classes for older people with sensory

impairments in Birmingham, Nottingham and Derby.


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Making a noise

Molly describes herself as “a cautious person”, which makes her determination to make the world a better place all the more impressive.

She was born severely deaf, wears hearing aids, and has an eye condition called retinitis

pigmentosa which means that her field of vision is very narrow.

“You are more likely to have confidence issues if you have a disability,” she thinks, “and

dealing with social situations and noisy busy environments can be very difficult for me.”

After leaving school she went to university ogy and took the brave decision to live in halls.

“My first year in university was really really difficult for me,” she says. “It was a massive

step but I’m so glad I did it. It gave me a huge feeling of satisfaction.”

She also played a key role in Sense’s campaigning work – including helping to develop an

employment toolkit for diabled people, and speaking to an audience of MPs at the House

of Commons at the launch of Sense’s campaign against loneliness.


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“I would never have had the confidence to do that two years ago,” she says. “It was so

satisfying to do this work, knowing that it would make a difference to somebody.”

“It was a massive step but I’m so glad I did it.” Molly

Sense campaignsSense campaigns for a better deal for people with complex communication needs,

focusing on the issues which our members tell us matter to them. Together we push for

the rights, services and choices that people need to live ordinary, independent lives – and

be connected and part of society.

2016/17 snapshot Sense was a key partner in the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness, leading a sector-

wide campaign about disabled people’s experiences of isolation. Activities included a

‘loneliness lobby’ in parliament and a hard-hitting report which received significant

media coverage. This lead to the government appointing a new ministerial lead to

tackle loneliness in January 2018.

Following the launch of our ‘Equal Access to Healthcare’ report, Sense co-produced

the Accessible Information Standard with NHS England. This sets out what health and

social care services must do to meet the information and communication needs of

people with complex communication needs.


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Thanks to our amazing supportersSense is hugely grateful to the individuals and organisations that choose to support us. Their generosity, loyalty and innovation never fail to astound. By taking on physical challenges, hosting special events and making regular donations our supporters allow us to continue to offer vital support services to people with complex communication needs and their families.

This year you have helped us to raise a magnificent £11.1m – which not only allows us to run our current services, but also develop much-needed services in the future.

Going for goldThe London Marathon is the biggest fundraising event in Sense’s calendar and this year

our fantastic runners raised over £800,000.

With cheering points to keep our runners motivated along the route and a post-race

reception where they could celebrate with friends and family it is a day the runners will

never forget.

One of our runners, Nick Edwards, proposed to his girlfriend, Sally, just after finishing the

race – and she said yes!

Special friendsThe Geoff and Fiona Squire Foundation has been supporting our holidays and short

breaks programme for 15 years. Their wonderful commitment has enabled hundreds of


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young people and adults to have fun, try new experiences and grow in confidence – as

well as giving their families a much-needed break.

A big thank you to The Leeds Building Society Charitable Foundation who chose Sense as

their Charity of the Year and gave us a grant so that our Resource Centre in Rotherham

could buy much-needed sensory and specialist equipment for the people who use the

centre.

In South East Wales, 64 young people with complex communications needs have been

supported to develop valuable life skills, grow in independence and plan for their futures,

thanks to support from the Wales Big Lottery Fund.

Joanne BrodieIn 2014 my son Beau was born deafblind. This obviously came as a huge shock to us as a

family, but we were lucky to have some fantastic support from various different sources,

one being Sense.

I wanted to give something back so I decided I would run the London Marathon.

Luckily, my amazing best friend, Nicola, volunteered to run it with me. Although we live

hundreds of miles apart and trained separately, we motivated each other via phone and

social media. It was amazing to come together on that day to take on our biggest

challenge!


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It wasn’t easy, but crossing that finish line together was a feeling I can’t explain. I’m so

proud and happy to have raised an amazing amount of money for Sense.

My husband Noel had watched me go from only being able to run up the road to running a

marathon! This has inspired him to take on the challenge himself in 2018, running again

for Sense. This time, however, I will enjoy being a spectator!

“Crossing that finish line together was a feeling I can’t explain” Joanne

A fantastic commitment 27,397 generous donors supported Sense with a regular gift via their bank, mobile

phone or payroll

439 brave runners raised over £800,000 in the London Marathon

132 kind people remembered Sense with a Gift in their Will

Sense Trading makes it happenThe members of the public who donate and buy things from Sense Trading – and the staff

and volunteers who work so hard to make our shops a success – play a vital role in raising

funds for Sense’s services.


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It’s been another tough year on the high street, but despite these challenges we have

introduced many positive improvements. In a dynamic year we:

Opened three new shops, with a particular emphasis on the north of England, and now

have 102 shops across England and Wales.

Raised £12,000 in a prize draw for a book of Star Wars autographs which was

generously donated by supporter Neil Ellis.

Strongly supported Sense’s awareness raising activities – such as the Campaign

Against Loneliness.

“Our staff and volunteers work so hard to make our shops a success”

Our financesSense, like many organisations in our sector, continues to face challenging times. Demand

for the support and services we offer continues to rise, but costs have increased and the

resources we can access are diminishing. However, in line with the drive for innovation

demonstrated by our founders more than 60 years ago, our positive and collaborative

approach across our diverse range of activities has enabled us to continue to grow, and,

despite the challenges that faced us, 2016/17 was a success. We reached more people

than ever and increased engagement with our stakeholders in a number of ways.

The total income for England, Wales and Northern Ireland was £64.2m – an increase of

£2.8m over 2015/16. Fees and statutory grants, our main source of income, increased

marginally despite ongoing constraints on our funders. Our fundraised income increased

by £1.5m, without a corresponding increase in costs, reflecting the passion and

commitment of our supporters and fundraisers. Legacy income was a substantial

contribution at £2.3m; we very much appreciate those who remembered us in their wills.

Income from our shops increased from £9.7m to £10m in 2016/17 despite tough retail

trading conditions - and we plan to expand the number of our shops modestly in 2017/18.


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Increased income meant that we were able to provide more services and spent £46.4m

(2016: £44.8m) delivering core services, our innovative Sense Arts, Sport and Wellbeing

programme, Sense Specialist Services and Sense Holidays and Short Breaks, that our

service users appreciate greatly.

Overall costs were constrained to £62.9m, an increase of £1.9m on 2015/16; our reserves

remain solid to support future activity and growth.

2016/17

Sense and HSL onlyIncome Expenditure

£m £mFundraising & legacies 11.1 4.3 Sense Trading 10.0 9.8

Sense Midlands 9.6 8.9 Sense East 11.7 11.6 Sense South 10.9 11.5 Sense North 5.7 5.9 Sense Northern Ireland 1.6 1.7 Sense Wales 0.6 1.1 Sense Adult Specialist Services - 1.3 Sense Education and development 1.9 1.8 Sense Arts and Wellbeing 0.3 0.4 Sense Holidays and Volunteering 0.1 0.6 Sense Children's Specialist Services 0.3 1.6

Campaigning, publicity - 1.9 & awarenessQuality and development - 0.5 Other income 0.4

Total 64.2 62.9


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The Sense GroupThe Sense Group is made up of a number of separate organisations:

Sense

Sense Scotland

Sense International.

Each part is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee, with its own Board

and Memorandum and Articles. Each organisation runs its own activities for supporting

and promoting the interests of children and adults who are deafblind or have multi-sensory

impairments and associated disabilities. Sense Scotland operates in Scotland, and Sense

International supports and develops programmes in Bangladesh, India, Kenya, Peru,

Romania, Tanzania and Uganda.

Major supportersArts Council England (Grants for the Arts)

Audrey Earle Charitable Trust

Austin & Hope Pilkington Trust

Awareness Fund

BBC Children in Need

Big Lottery Fund: Northern Ireland (Reaching Out:

Supporting Families)

Big Lottery Fund: Wales (Bright New Futures)


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Cameron Homes

Cecil Duckworth CBE

Chasetown Civil Engineering

Chris and Sue Benson

Department of Health

Fanny Rapaport Charitable Settlement

Fowler Smith and Jones Trust

G J W Turner Trust

Garner Homes Investments Ltd

Harman Professional

Henlow Golf Club

Joseph Strong Frazer Trust

Lady Blakenham’s Charity Trust

Leeds Building Society

Leeds Building Society Charitable Foundation

National Foundation for Youth Music

NEC Display Solutions

Paul Jackson

Payne Gallwey 1989 Charitable Trust


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Pennycuick Collins

Peter Storrs Trust

Richard Radcliffe Charitable Trust

Roger Eaton

Smith Charitable Trust

Sport England

The Albert Hunt Trust

The Ballinger Charitable Trust

The Band Trust

The Bartle Family Charitable Trust

The Beatrice Laing Trust

The Blair Foundation

The Boltini Trust

The Boparan Charitable Trust

The Boshier-Hinton Foundation

The City Bridge Trust

The Connie & Albert Taylor Charitable Trust

The Constance Travis Charitable Trust

The David Gibbons Foundation


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The Edward & Dorothy Cadbury Trust

The Esmee Fairbairn Foundation

The Florence Shute Millennium TrustThe Friarsgate Trust

The Fulmer Charitable Trust

The Geoff and Fiona Squire Foundation

The GMC Trust

The Grand Charity of Freemasons

The Hadley Trust

The Jane Hodge Foundation

The John Pinto Foundation

The Lockwood Charitable Foundation

The Mary Robertson Trust

The Open Gate Trust

The P F Charitable Trust

The Patrick and Helen Frost Foundation

The Pears Foundation

The Princess Anne’s Charities Trust

The Ratcliff Foundation

The Regional Growth Fund


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The Robert Hall Foundation

The Roxburgh Trust

The Sir John Eastwood Foundation

The Spear Charitable Trust

The Tanner Trust

The Thomas Farr Charity

The Thomas J Horne Memorial Trust

The Thompson Family Charitable Trust

The Welsh Government

Thrifty Car and Van Rental

Waynflete Charitable Trust

Williams Family Foundation

About SenseSense is a national disability charity that supports people with complex communication

needs to be understood, connected and valued. We are here for every person who faces

communication barriers in a world that relies on being able to see and hear well to be

connected. Our flexible and personalised services empower people to communicate

and express themselves – be it through speech or sign, touch or movement, gesture


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or sound, art or dance. Together, we connect differently and campaign passionately

for the right to lead connected and fulfilled lives.

If you, or someone you know, require this information in a different format,

please contact Sense Information and Advice – contact details below.

Sense

101 Pentonville Road

London, N1 9LG

Tel: 0300 330 9256 (voice)

Text: 0300 330 9256

Fax: 0300 330 9251

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.sense.org.uk

Patron: HRH The Princess Royal

Registered charity number 289868


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