Families in Care Registered Charity No. 1007596
Trustees' Report and Financial Statement for the year ended 31 March 2024
Legal and Administrative Information
Families in Care
Name: Charity no: 1007596 Structure: Unincorporated association governed by a constitution. Trustees: Kevin Mulgrew Victoria Malone Catherine Gibson Andrew Wraith Al Coates MBE Address: 1 Carliol Square Newcastle NE1 6UF Bankers: Cooperative Bank Balloon Street Manchester Independent Mark Thompson MAAT Examiner: 42 Lesbury Road Newcastle NE6 5LB
Trustees' Annual Report
Background
The trustees present their report and the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2024.
Structure, governance and management
Families in Care is constituted under a trust deed dated 12 November 1991 amended 3 July 2002 and is a registered charity no. 1007596.
Organisation
The trustees who have served during the year and since the year end are set out on the admin page. The appointment of trustees is governed by the constitution of the charity.
Objectives and activities
Objects of the Charity
The object of the charity is to relieve the stresses experienced by parents whose children have been taken into care or who are at risk of being taken into care.
In planning our activities for the year we keep in mind the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit at our trustee meetings.
Our activities continue to advise and offer emotional support to birth parents and other family members before and after care/adoption proceedings. The Charity's team of social workers and advisors work closely with families, who are often referred from local solicitors, local authority social workers and children's guardians.
Achievements and performance
Families in Care:
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Provide independent advocacy, emotional support and therapeutic help for birth parents before during and after Care/Adoption proceedings, acting as advocates at Child Protection Conferences and Court Hearings.
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Mediate between local authority social workers and birth parents, promoting positive working relationships in the interests of children in need.
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Ensure birth parents with learning disabilities are fairly represented helping them make informed decisions about their children.
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Provide practical help for birth parents experiencing poverty.
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Mental health work such as helping parents to cope with feelings of separation/loss, anxiety, depression, self harm and suicide.
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Help birth parents maintain contact with their children in foster/adoptive placements, e.g. life story work, birthday cards/letter writing.
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Provide weekly support groups including wellbeing and learning & development. Due to Covid we provided as many services as possible online.
Financial review
The statement of financial activities show a deficit for the year of £4,652. The trustees actively pursue other sources of funding and income and are confident that appropriate funding will continue for the next financial year.
Reserves Policy
The executive members aim to hold three months running costs in reserve, which it will build up when funds are available.
Risk Managment
The executive members have assessed the major risks to which the charity is exposed, and are satisfied that systems are
in place to mitigate exposure to major risks.
Trustees' responsibilities in relation to the financial statements
Charity Law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which comply with the regulations set out in the Charities Act 1993. The Trustees have elected to take advantage of the provisions that apply to small charities and have prepared a Receipts and Payments Account and Statement of Assets and Liabilities.
Signed: ………………………..Chair, on behalf of the Trustees, date: ……………..
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT
Report to the Families in Care trustees of
| On accounts for the year ended |
31 March 2024 Charity no 1077596 |
|---|---|
| Respective | The trustees of the organisation are responsible for the preparation of |
| responsibilities of | accounts; they consider that an audit is not required for this year under |
| trustees and | section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 and that an Independent |
| examiner | Examination is needed. |
| It is my responsibility to | |
| • examine the accounts (under section 145 of the 2011 Act), | |
| • follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the | |
| Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the Act), and |
- state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of My examination was carried out in accordance with General Directions independent given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review examiner’s of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the statement accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the accounts.
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Independent In the course of my examination, no matter has come to my attention: examiner's 1. which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in, any material statement respect, the trustees have not met the requirements to ensure that:
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proper accounting records are kept (in accordance with section 130 of
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the Act); and
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accounts are prepared which agree with the accounting records and
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comply with the accounting requirements of the Act; or
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to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed: Date: 31 July 2024 Name: Mark Thompson MAAT Address: 42 Lesbury Road Newcastle NE6 5LB
Families in Care
Receipts and payments account for the period 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024
| Notes Incoming Resources Donations Charitable Activities Other Activities Bank Interest Total Receipts Resourcs Expended Charitable Activities Cost of Generating Voluntary Income Total Payments Surplus for the period Balance at 1 April 2023 Balance at 31 March 2024 |
2024 2024 2024 2023 Unrestricted Restricted Total Total 6752 6752 5240 39000 52980 91980 88620 6420 6420 7600 0 0 |
|---|---|
| 52172 52980 105152 101460 |
|
| 57694 59460 117154 93640 0 0 |
|
| 57694 59460 117154 93640 |
|
| -5522 -6480 -12002 7820 -22303 29653 7350 -470 |
|
| -27825 23173 -4652 7350 |
Families in Care Balance Sheet at 31 March 2024
| notes | 2024 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current Assets | |||
| Debtors | 2000 | ||
| Cash at Bank | -4652 | 5350 | |
| Total Current Assets | -4652 | 7350 | |
| Liabilities | |||
| Net Assets at 31 March 2024 | -4652 | 7350 | |
| Represented by: | |||
| Restricted Funds | (4) | 23173 | 29653 |
| Unrestricted Funds | -27825 | -22303 | |
| Total | -4652 | 7350 | |
| The financial statements were approved by the following | members of the | ||
| Management Committee : | |||
| Signed …………….……………………… Position ………………………………….. | |||
| Signed …………….……………………… Position ………………………………….. | |||
| Date ………………………………………. |
Families in Care Notes to the accounts, 2024
1. Accounting Policies
- a The 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 the Financial 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
Families in Care meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note(s).
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b Grants received are accounted for on a received basis and credited to income.
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c Voluntary income is received by way of donations and gifts and is included in full in the Receipts and Payments Account when received.
2. Grants receivable Restricted:
| Tudor Trust (Training Post) | 28000 |
|---|---|
| Clothworkers Foundation | 6500 |
| Greggs Foundation | 18480 |
| Total Restricted Grants Received | 52980 |
| Unrestricted: | |
| Newcastle City Council | 20000 |
| Sir James Knott Trust | 5000 |
| Barbour Trust | 5000 |
| Joicey Trust | 3000 |
| RW Mann Trust | 3000 |
| The Hadrian Trust | 2000 |
| Joseph Strong Frazer Trust | 1000 |
| Total Unrestricted Grants Received | 39000 |
| Total Grants Received | 91980 |
3. Trustees, staff and related party transactions
The organisation employed 5 members of staff during the period of the accounts. No payments were made to trustees.
The total salary costs for the year were £95,408.
4 Fund Year End Balances
| Restricted Funds | Balance | Income | Expend | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr-23 | Mar-24 | |||
| Tudor Trust (Training Post) | 10182 | 25000 | 25000 | 10182 |
| Tudor Trust (Staff Wellbeing) | 371 | 2000 | 2000 | 371 |
| Tudor Trust (Parent Hardship & IT Development) | 300 | 1000 | 1000 | 300 |
| Clothworkers Foundation | 0 | 6500 | 6500 | 0 |
| Greggs Foundation | 12320 | 18480 | 18480 | 12320 |
| Allen Lane Foundation | 6480 | 6480 | 0 | |
| Total | 29653 | 52980 | 59460 | 23173 |