Welcome from our Board Chair

Welcome to the 2014 edition of the Annual Review. As always, we remain committed to Kibble's original charitable purpose of working with young people at risk. Kibble continues to operate as a national provider with a strong local footprint. Today, the national specialist service provision runs in parallel with local projects that focus on young people at risk. Investment in evidence-led service development ensures Kibble can respond to need, whilst continuing to be a social innovation leader within its field. Income stream diversification runs alongside this, as we seek to ensure the strategic direction is strong and stable. The Board have reaffirmed the belief that the charity needs to be more than a public service contractor, centrally directed and only delivering to a narrow service specification. The requirement for needs-based innovation in the social sector remains important and Kibble is confident that it is well placed to meet its mission.

Gavin Norman Walker DL
Chairman

and Chief Executive

It's been another exciting year at Kibble and I'm pleased to offer an insight into our work and the progress we have made. What we do at Kibble is underpinned by our commitment to providing the right relationships and opportunities for young people, leading to positive youth development. As we prepare to operate within a new public procurement framework, we are mindful that we look after and support young people often characterised as 'high risk' or 'high dependency'.

My closing sentiment in last year's Annual Review was the expectation that the coming year would be one of continued development and making a difference in the lives of young people. We have achieved both of these outcomes, despite ongoing public sector austerity and an increase in the complex needs of the young people referred to us. We work hard at developing responsive personalised services, underpinned not only by relationships, but also by practice which is evidence-based or evidence-creating. Kibble's Outcome Framework has been embedded across the organisation, ensuring that measurement and evaluation meet rigorous standards, and this has been commended in favourable Inspection Reports.

Social progress depends on individuals and organisations continuing to adapt and improve. Our strong commitment to social innovation and the development of our uniquely integrated array of services enables us to continue to contribute to positive social change. Our approach is of international interest, but our primary concern is to ensure that we do 'what works'.

Kibble has been part of the social fabric of Paisley and Renfrewshire for 155 years, and we continue to invest in our three main pillars of 'people, places and programmes'. Over the past year we have continued to develop an increasingly diverse range of satellite services. These include community residential services for young people requiring specialist support and an adult placement service for care leavers.

We are also making a significant capital investment in our KibbleWorks service through the creation of 'The Experience' - a large youth training and employment centre operating as a social enterprise in the leisure and hospitality sector. This will make Kibble's wider work more visible and higher profile, and we are not complacent about the risks and challenges associated with this. However, we believe the return on investment will be both social and financial, demonstrated through the unparalleled range of vocational opportunities offered. Research on the life chances of young people at risk consistently highlights the need for work experience and transitional support into adulthood - these are key elements of KibbleWorks.

Good governance is a shared responsibility between trustees and senior staff. Kibble's Board is strongly committed to exemplary and effective governance, and constantly seeks to balance a strategic approach with scrutiny of operations. As Kibble's work expands so too has the remit and composition of the Board. Seven sub-committees meet regularly, with responsibilities for specific areas, reporting directly to the Board. The stability and longevity of both the Board and the Senior Management Team is unusual, but has been one of the key drivers of Kibble's success. In 2014 we began the first phase of a steady, planned succession of the Senior Management Team. This will ensure that during a period of ongoing transition, we retain the capability and capacity to continue providing high quality services.

Finally, it is with both sincerity and admiration that I record my thanks to everyone who contributes to the organisation's work, impact and ethos. At one time some people referred to Kibble as "the school for bad boys". That damaging depiction has long gone, and the many visitors we welcome each year frequently comment on the positive, vibrant community we are today. I look forward to another challenging year ahead, as we continue to work to our charitable mission with a focus on what matters and what works.

Graham Bell
Chief Executive