2024-03-31-accounts

COMPANY REGISTRATION NO: 02881664 CHARITY NO: 1031545

1

Who We Are and What We Do

The Thames Valley Partnership is a Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee. Trading as Hope After Harm we provide innovative and non-judgmental support for those impacted by the Criminal Justice System. We have spent the last 30 years committed to offering vital support for victims of crime, individuals involved in criminal activity, and families affected by crime. Our mission is to empower them to reclaim control of their lives and foster positive transformations. We understand the challenges of feeling trapped with limited options, and we stand by them, providing a voice and guiding them through every obstacle they face. Together, we can make a lasting impact on their lives.

2

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP

REPORT Of THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE AND

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[st] MARCH 2024

Contents

The Chair’s Report	page 4
Reference and Administrative Information	page 5
Report of the Management Committee	page 6 - 20
Independent Auditor’s Report	page 21 - 24
Statement of Financial Activities	page 25 - 26
Balance Sheet	page 27
Statement of Cash Flows	page 28
Notes forming part of the financial statements	page 29 -45

3

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – REPORT OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

The Chair’s Report

This year’s annual report highlights continue to evidence some astonishing achievements for the charity, in addition to ensuring that our programmes continue to provide vital services for victims, offenders and their families.

We held the second Thames Valley Criminal Justice Charity Awards in March 2024 which was an incredible way to end the year and to celebrate the very best of the region’s voluntary and community sectors in the Criminal Justice sector.

Our programmes have continued to deliver for all people impacted by crime, and we have been able to continue to offer an ‘open to all’ service, with no barriers to support.

Our seven areas of activity, continued to thrive, are highly valued by our clients and are worth listing here:

• Victims First Specialist Service

• Victims First Emotional Support Service

• Domestic Abuse Digital Services

• Early Interventions with Young People

• Restorative Justice

• Offender Mentoring

• Support for Families of Offenders

The Victim Services were subject to a re-tender exercise through the summer, and we are pleased to say that we were awarded the contract for Sexual Violence Support Services across the Thames Valley by the OPCC. Unfortunately, the adult emotional support equivalent service was awarded elsewhere but we have been able to focus on the delivery of the exciting new Sexual Violence service which will be innovative and offer new methods of support alongside more traditional ones.

As ever, securing ongoing funding for them all continues to be a major challenge, whether through grants, awards or winning contracts and so creating additional fund-raising and bid-writing capacity has been a clear priority, agreed by the Board. We look forward to seeing the fruits of this increased focus over the next year.

This year also saw us celebrating our 30[th] birthday as a registered charity and successfully rebranding as Hope After Harm. We updated our Articles of Association and are refreshing our board of trustees.

Finally, I would like to pay tribute to our volunteers, staff and trustees, who continue to put our clients at the heart of everything that we do. It’s what makes Hope After Harm so special. Also special thanks to all our supporters, funders and friends for continuing to enable us to provide excellent support for those impacted by the criminal justice system.

Naomi Karslake, Chair of the Board of Trustees Chair of Trustees

4

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – REPORT OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

Legal and Administrative Information

Registered Name

The Thames Valley Partnership

Charity Registration Company Registration 1031545 2881664

Registered Office and Operational Address

The Coach House, Manor Farm, Aston Sandford, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP17 8JB

Patrons

Lord Blair of Boughton Kt, QPM

Management Committee

Ms Naomi Karslake Mrs Joy Shakespeare Mr Christopher Ward Mr Henry Allmand Mr Rupert Coles Mr Colin Cross Mrs Dianne Bayfield Mrs Amanda Cooper Mr Philip Dart Mr Alan Holliday Ms Fola Komolafe Mrs Michelle Nichols Mrs Carolyn O’Sullivan

Chair Vice-Chair Treasurer

Resigned February 2024 Resigned April 2024 Resigned February 2024 Resigned February 2024 Resigned September 2023 Resigned April 2024 Resigned April 2024

Chief Executive Officer

Ms Thalia Jervis Ms Nicola Ross

Appointed May 2024 Resigned April 2024

Company Secretary

Mr Neil Owen

Website

www.hopeafterharm.org.uk

Bankers

Barclays Bank

Auditors

Azets, Westpoint, Lynch Wood, Peterborough Cambridgeshire, PE2 6FZ

5

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – REPORT OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

Report of the Management Committee

The Board of Trustees of The Thames Valley Partnership, who are also directors of The Thames Valley Partnership, for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, presents its report and financial statements for the year ended 31st March 2024 and confirm they comply with the Companies Act 2006 and the 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 FRS102.

Our Purpose and Objectives

• To promote good citizenship, champion community needs, deliver high quality services for those affected by crime, including victims and offenders; encourage greater public participation in the prevention and solution of crime and the support and assistance of those affected or at risk of being affected by crime.

• To promote, and actively engage in, cooperation, coordination, joint action and partnerships with organisations and bodies operating across the social justice sector together with private sector entities and the general public.

• To promote social inclusion by preventing people from becoming socially excluded, relieving the needs of those people who are socially excluded and assisting them to integrate into society.

• To promote, including in partnership with the police and other public sector bodies, the protection of people and property from, and the prevention of, criminal acts.

6

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – REPORT OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

The Focus of Our Work

Our Programmes 2023-24

We currently run a number of different programmes; focused on protecting victims and supporting offenders and their families. Our aim to is to provide support to all people who are impacted by the Justice System. We offer trauma informed restorative support for everyone who needs it.

Bright Sky is a free app and website providing support to people who may be victims of domestic abuse (or to friends or colleagues who are concerned). Bright Sky has been downloaded over 750,000 times and has been rolled out to 13 countries internationally. Our Bright Sky team work closely with international partners to ensure that victims of domestic abuse can access advice and support wherever they are. We would like to thank Vodafone Global for their continued support to the cause and to us as a charity. Rise 4 Change provides a comprehensive training programme on domestic abuse – trauma informed delivery encourages recognition of signs and symptoms and raises awareness to ensure that better interventions.

Family Matters supports families who are left behind following police arrests and warrants for child pornography offences. These families cannot access support from services as they are not formally defined as ‘victims’, which makes their journey even harder than it otherwise would be. We provide bespoke support from the crisis point forwards using skilled staff and helping them to navigate the process and the emotional impact. This has filled a major gap in support availability and is operating in two police forces. We would like to thank the National Lottery for their continued support and faith in us. We have now been able to offer this service in West Mercia and West Yorkshire police areas and thank them for their support in widening our reach.

New Leaf (adults) provides a volunteer-led mentoring service through-the-gate to rehabilitate offenders released from prison tackling practical/emotional difficulties and reducing reoffending. This is a subcontracted MOJ service as part of the Personal Well Being programme and supports around 100 men on release from custody. We work closely and in partnership with Catch 22 to support Social Inclusion. As an extension of this work, and in partnership with the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, the Probation Service and other charities we contribute personnel to RESTART which is a short-term pilot project that aims to provide services on a voluntary basis to those being released or in the community. This pilot has been able to bridge a number of gaps in statutory service provision and provide support to many more men, including the provision of mentoring and also providing access to a number of other services for support.

New Leaf Young People provides adult mentoring services for young people at risk of offending. We help around 70 young people a year and are funded by the National Lottery. The focus is on early intervention to try to avoid young people making poor decisions that will impact their long-term future. Volunteers provide one to one mentoring for as long as is needed. We work with statutory services as well as schools and others to generate referrals and ensure that interventions can take place as early as possible. Gloucestershire Mentoring Programme – we are one of a number of partners offering mentoring and support to girls and young women across Gloucestershire – a similar offer to the above. Working in partnerships with other similar organisations we have mentored and supported a number of young women and girls. Our involvement in this came to an end in December 2023.

Our Restorative Justice (RJ) service for victims and offenders aims to repair the harm caused by crime, improve victims’ health and experience of the criminal justice system and reduce offending. Services are available for all victims of crime and offenders can also access the service if appropriate. RJ operates in schools across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Slough and in Milton Keynes. Our services supported in excess of 200 individuals last year. The commissioned victims’ services came to an end on 31 March 2024.

7

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – REPORT OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

Victims First Emotional Support Service (VFESS) provides emotional support to victims of crime through short-term interventions to around 1500 victims per year. This contract comes to an end on 31 March 2024 and will be taken over by another provider.

Victims First Specialist Service (VFSS) provides emotional/crisis and longer-term complex support to victims of sexual violence, exploitation, modern slavery and those with complex needs. It supports over 1300 victims a year. At the end of March this contract will come to an end. The sexual violence victims will move to a new service provided by us. Others will move to another provider. Our ongoing expertise in Modern Day Slavery and Sexual Violence is recognised in the region and we will continue to be involved in supporting agencies.

We continue to offer training on a number of key areas of expertise – Domestic abuse, restorative justice, modern day slavery and trauma informed practices.

Our strength has continued to be in our relationships with our partners and our ability to work together. We particularly recognise the value of our stakeholders from the field of Criminal Justice (Prison, Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner, Youth Offending, and Probation) and also the wide range of voluntary and community sector organisations, Local Authority services and particularly our volunteers who work across our programmes and collectively help us achieve real and lasting results. We have contractual or grant funding relationships with the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) for the Thames Valley, the Ministry of Justice, Thames Valley Police, West Mercia Police, West Yorkshire Police, the National Lottery, Vodafone Foundation UK and Global, Catch 22, the Home Office, and various other trusts and foundations as identified in this report. The Charity also sits on a number of local strategic groups such as Local Criminal Justice Board sub groups reducing reoffending, and women’s cohort. We represent the sector at strategic meetings to reduce Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and the charity continues to provide independent chair to the Thames Valley Domestic Abuse Steering Group and to the Scrutiny Panels that examine cases and ensure learning is shared. Our RJ senior practitioners are accredited as is their training and a key part of the Restorative Justice Council and Restorative Justice International Network. Rise for Change (our Domestic Abuse awareness training) is being rolled out to businesses and local authorities across the UK. The charity organised and ran numerous learning events throughout 2023 to provide domestic abuse practitioners and strategy makers with knowledge and skills in a variety of areas. Our VFSS programme was operated in close partnership with two other charities who are specialists in sexual violence. Additionally, the organisation is represented on the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Restorative Justice and the CEO sits on the Advisory Board for the group.

How our activities deliver public benefit

In line with the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit our activities deliver public benefit both through direct delivery of services to victims and offenders and indirectly through our work with other partners and stakeholders.

Examples of direct benefits:

• RJ interventions – reduced harm to victims as well as help to reduce offending. In school interventions help to reduce exclusions and further offending behaviour as well as reducing the impact of the trauma on all involved. For RJ services both offenders and victims will seek to gain a better understanding of the impact of the crime which will help them to move forward.

8

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – REPORT OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

• New Leaf - effective resettlement and reduced re-offending, as well as working with partners to secure employment and housing and to build positive relationships.

• Family Matters – support for children and families of offenders and breaking the cycle of offending within families and ensuring that offenders can return to a more settled environment. Our work with families following police online child abuse warrants (POLIT) has helped families and women in an area where they are unable to access any other support. Recognising the adverse childhood impact of these arrests and providing the non-offending adults with the support they need to be able to continue to parent effectively. We have not only been able to offer this locally but have been able to expand our reach to West Mercia and West Yorkshire.

• Our training reaches practitioners and volunteers each year across the sector and throughout businesses who are seeking staff and managerial awareness.

• Our research and practice influences policy development locally and nationally.

• Victim services – direct support provided to many people who have been victims of a wide range of crimes including incredibly serious. Provision of emotional support, advocacy, advice and guidance for as long as is necessary to assist them to recover.

• Bright Sky – since it was first launched in January 2018, over 150,000 people in the UK have opened the application on their phone and been able to access advice and support for themselves or someone else. The international roll-out is ongoing with 13 countries across the world using the app with downloads heading rapidly towards the one million target. Other countries continue to discuss their roll out strategies with the team.

Examples of indirect benefits:

• Through training and dissemination events, practitioners share knowledge and best practice. Of particular note the Modern Day Slavery training has helped agencies and organisations to properly understand the dangers of exploitation and slavery in a modern setting, the frequency of offences and how to help those that become trapped by it. Our presence at police warrants provides guidance and support to officers as well as potential victims and raises awareness. We attend community events to ensure sexual violence support is readily available and raise awareness and ensure community contacts in hard to hear groups are engaged with the services should they be needed.

• Our research and introduction of MyVoiceRJ will allow many victims to undergo and benefit from restorative justice without the offender being involved. This is ground breaking, will open the door for many otherwise unconnected victims, and will this year be evaluated and ideally rolled out in broader national circles. The evaluation report shows a benefit which could not be otherwise realised by these victims because the offender is not able or willing to be involved.

• The role of the charity in the Thames Valley wide Domestic Abuse Steering Group has enabled a number of network events for practitioners and strategic leads with the last being attended by over 300 people otherwise not reached. There have been 7 of these events held for the benefit of people across the Thames Valley and beyond.

• We have provided inputs at Universities and Colleges and worked together with psychology, criminology and Law students and helped with their understanding of the sector. As a direct result

9

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – REPORT OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

we also provide placements and internships for students as well as numerous volunteering opportunities.

Who used and benefitted from our services?

Our main stakeholders are practitioners from a range of organisations, agencies and professions.

We work with criminal justice agencies, including the police, prisons, schools, probation; Youth offending teams, local authorities, voluntary and community organisations from across the area and the private sector, as well as a wide range of service users that include victims and survivors of crime, families affected by the justice system, offenders on release from custody, and young people in need to mentoring and support.

We disseminate and share our work widely and work to ensure our programmes are mainstreamed and sustainable:

• Around 1500 victims have benefitted from our Emotional Support service

• About 1300 benefitted from our specialist victim support services

• 100 Restorative Justice interventions were delivered for victims, offenders and direct response into schools.

• 61 young people received one to one mentoring from an adult.

• 75 offenders were mentored on release from prisons.

• 200 families obtained one to one ongoing support following on line child abuse warrants.

10

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – REPORT OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

Overview of 2023/24

2023/24 continued to be a challenging year for the sector but we were able to sustain our financial and delivery position as we continued to deliver frontline victim services as well as maintaining our other programmes, some of which saw growth in terms of specific grants or training contracts to share our skills and expertise. This has enabled us to improve the support to our core funds and to sustain our central functions. Our main programmes deliver directly to vulnerable people and provide trauma informed restorative support and care where it is most needed. Our core team was expanded to support the growing workload at the beginning of the financial year.

The charity withstood the challenges of the previous few years incredibly well and staff and volunteers have adjusted well although like many organisations returning to face to face normality has been a challenge which has continued throughout the year with adaptations and alterations of working practices. A new more mixed and adapted approach to working has been adopted which is tailored to client need and allows for some telephone support alongside face-to-face support where needed or wanted. The hard work of the staff and volunteers has continued to make this possible and they should be applauded for their dedication and professionalism once again. The hybrid way of working is more environmentally friendly and provides better flexibility for our staff and volunteers.

Two contracts came to an end on 31 March 2024 and we undertook a huge tender exercise throughout the summer. Unfortunately, one of our services will go and we will retain the main Sexual Violence Service on behalf of the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley. This will reduce our income fairly significantly but we continue to search for gaps in service delivery and appropriate funding to help us to fill those gaps for the benefit of those that most need the services.

Highlights and achievements

Our victim services have gone from strength to strength, supporting around 3000 victims of crime – ranging from burglary through to rape and sexual assaults. Our staff are also modern-day slavery experts. Support is provided by dedicated and accredited caseworkers across the three counties of Thames Valley and includes dedicated outreach workers working with minority communities to help them to access support and encourage them to come forward to talk about their experiences. Our experience working with victims and our knowledge and skills within the Criminal Justice Sector have led to us training student police officers in victim care as well as inputting at universities to raise awareness of the sector for students aiming to work within the sector. We have hosted placements from Oxford Brookes University and from the HMPPS Unlocked Programme. As above, some of these support functions will not continue post April but we will be delivering the Thames Valley Sexual Violence Service from that time which will be a combination of one-to-one support, group sessions and peer support. The service will look and feel very different to the previous one and we anticipate being able to support a wide range of victim survivors across the Thames Valley in the future.

New Leaf - the services being provided by New Leaf include a through the gate collection and mentoring service. Our mentors are all volunteers. After the reunification of the probation service this service has continued to be delivered via a sub contract with Catch 22 who deliver other elements of personal wellbeing services to people being released from prison. We are very pleased to be able to continue to deliver this much needed service to these people as they reintegrate back into society. To ensure that the service is open to as many people as possible, we have also partnered with the RESTART programme which is supported by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and other charities to provide longer term support. The Catch22 contract has been extended to June 2025 and Restart extended to October 2024.

11

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – REPORT OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

The mentoring skills of the team and volunteers have also continued to be put to good use in the provision of mentoring for those young people that have been identified by statutory services as at risk of offending, providing a trusted adult figure to support and guide them. This scheme has been funded by the National Lottery since January 2022 and supported by Heart of Bucks, and continues to work closely with the police and others to provide this much needed support. The success of this project led to a successful grant to provide a similar service in partnership with the Gloucestershire Mentoring Programme for young women and girls in Gloucestershire. The charity worked alongside a number of other charities to ensure all ages and cohorts can be catered for and a mentor provided where needed. This came to an end in December 2023. Across the two programmes we have been able to support a number of young people and them to navigate decision making, increase their self confidence and make better life choices. Looking forward we aim to integrate our young people mentoring with Restorative Justice in schools to offer a more holistic service to young people.

The restorative schools work includes a highly successful fast response service to schools using restorative justice practices. Where a child committed an offence within the school setting and could otherwise have been criminalised and/or excluded, the team would respond to the school within 24 hours and bring all parties together for a swift and comprehensive resolution. This is currently live across Oxfordshire (funded by the local authority) and in Milton Keynes (funded by the MK Community Foundation and the Council) and thanks to Heart of Bucks – Buckinghamshire and to the Community Foundation of Berkshire, in Slough.

A need was identified and the Family Matters team started working closely with the local police and supporting partners and families following the arrest of their partner for crimes relating to online abuse. This was a big gap as the ‘victim-based funding’ did not recognise the partners and families as victims in their own right. The opportunity to take part in a fully evaluated pilot was accepted and around 160 families have so far been supported. A funding bid is pending for the future of this project. The evaluation has been produced and shows incredible impacts on both the families involved and on the police officers executing the warrants. The work is now continuing in West Mercia and West Yorkshire police areas as well as in Thames Valley, with future rollouts being discussed. This is the only one to one support programme of its kind in the country and we are keen to further expand the programme to ensure that everyone affected can access support.

Thames Valley Restorative Justice Service (TVRJS) continued to deliver RJ funded by the OPCC, and also where possible still taking referrals from prisons and offenders post the CRC contract ending in June 2021. The RJ team are highly experienced and professional practitioners (fully accredited through the Restorative Justice Council) and we continue to look for opportunities to offer our services outside of the established contracts. The contract for delivery has come to the end as of 31 March 2024 and we will be looking at how to take forward this support.

The hard work and dedication of the core team led to re-accreditation in Cyber Essentials, Cyber Essentials Plus and then IASME Gold – this ensures that our IT and data security is proven to be incredibly high. We recognise that our client data is incredibly sensitive and so have shown through these accreditations that we take this very seriously and will ensure that it is safeguarded. This is no mean feat for a small charity which has been very difficult to achieve and should be an indicator to funders and contractors of the professionalism of the charity.

12

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – REPORT OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

Financial Review

Funding

Funding for the year to 31st March 2024 was £2,092,410 (2023: £2,586,155) a decrease of 19%, as a result of the ending of elements of the TecSAFE Programme.

Our funding continues to come from a variety of sources through a mix of contracts and grants. For example: -

• A grant from the Vodafone Foundation, for the Bright Sky programme of £162,629 (2023: £180,475);

• Contract funding of £84,215 (2023: £71,484) from Catch 22 to run the New Leaf programme for adults in the Thames Valley;

• Thames Valley OPCC contracts for the VFSS and VFESS programmes and grants for the Restart and Outreach programmes, amounted to £1,410,706 (2023: £1,432,828);

• Grant funding of £199,887(2023: £161,253) was received from the Big Lottery, of which £134,887 (2023: £96,253) was for the Family Matters programme and £65,000 (2023: £65,000) for the New Leaf Young People Programme;

• A grant of £30,752 (2023: £51,890) from the CHK Foundation to support the New Leaf Gloucestershire Mentoring Programme.

Expenditure

Total Expenditure for the year was £2,116,941 (2023: £2,541,831) a decrease of 16%, which again reflects the ending of elements of the TecSAFE Programme

The fluctuations in funding and expenditure reflect the ongoing activity within our programmes.

Total Funds

We finished the year with total funds of £587,041 (2023: £611,572). Of this: -

• £330,285 (2023: £330,412) is the surplus from restricted programmes;

• £256,756 (2023: £281,160) is the surplus of undesignated funds.

Surplus funds from restricted programmes are carried forward to 2024/25 for the continuation of the same or similar programmes.

Our funding has historically relied on medium to long term restricted Grants and Contracts with little unrestricted income. Although we remain financially sound, we recognise the need to review our future funding mix to increase both our unrestricted income and our reserves.

Principal Funding Sources

We have four principal sources of funding: -

• Statutory partners, including the Police and Crime Commissioner Thames Valley;

• Charitable Trusts and Foundations;

• Other government or public bodies;

• Private sector organisations.

13

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – REPORT OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

We would like to thank all our funders and hope that they will continue to support us in 2024/25 and beyond.

Investment Policy

The Board of Trustees are empowered under the Articles of Association to deposit or invest funds in the same manner and subject to the same conditions as the trustees of a trust are permitted to do by the Trustee Act 2000;

Most of our funds are spent in the short term on our front-line services, so there are few funds for long term investment. In addition to our current account with Barclays Bank, the Trustees have operated a policy of keeping unrestricted funds in easy-access interest bearing bank accounts. These are currently held with the Oak North Bank, Santander and The Hampshire Trust Bank. The Trustees have resolved that deposits should not exceed the £85,000 guaranteed under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. There are no other investments owned by or benefitting the charity.

Reserves Policy

The Trustees believe that as the charity exits to deliver front line services for the achievement of our Purpose and Objectives, it is not appropriate to maintain a high level of unrestricted reserves.

The Trustees’ reserves policy aspires to maintain unrestricted reserves of £270k to cover any unexpected costs that could arise, as well as ongoing organisational costs and staff redundancy costs should there ever be a need to wind up the charity. The required level of unrestricted reserves is regularly monitored and reviewed by the Board of Trustees’ Finance and Staffing sub-committee.

During the year the Board of Trustees agreed to un-designate the Contingency Reserve and release the funds back to unrestricted.

Restricted reserves represent those funds received specifically to support our ongoing programmes.

At 31 March 2024, unrestricted reserves were £256,756 (2023: £281,160). Restricted Reserves were £330,285 (2023: £330,412).

14

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – REPORT OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

Structure, Governance and Management

Governing Document

The Thames Valley Partnership, a charitable company limited by guarantee, as defined by the Companies Act 2006, was incorporated on 17[th] December 1993 and registered as a charity on 14[th] January 1994. The charitable company was established under a Memorandum of Association which details the objects and powers of the charitable company and is governed under its Articles of Association which were amended by special resolution on the 6[th] December 2023 by the Members of the Board of Trustees. In the event of the charitable company being wound up each Trustee is required to contribute an amount not exceeding £10.

The Management Committee

The Members of Board of Trustees must reflect the broad spread of interests and organisations from across the criminal justice sector as well as including individuals providing particular skills and expertise in order to further our objectives.

The Members of the Board of Trustees may, by simple majority, appoint Trustees at Board Meetings or by written resolution. Trustees are obliged to retire three years after each appointment. They can offer themselves for re-appointment should that be their wish. The Board must consist of not fewer than 6 and no more than 15 persons.

Trustee Induction and Training

Newly appointed Trustees are provided with a Trustee Induction pack. This gives access to relevant governance documentation, the Articles of Association, the latest Annual Report and Financial Statements, as well as information regarding useful sources of general guidance and support for Trustees from, for example, the Charity Commission.

All new Trustees are invited to attend an induction day, a chance to meet members of the team informally at our offices, in order to find out more about the work and about the issues facing the team on a day-today basis. In addition, as with existing Trustees, new Trustees are invited to specify training or skill needs which they feel they may require. All Trustees are invited to attend and participate in our events and those organised by our partner agencies and other crime reduction organisations.

Organisational Structure

The Board of Trustees is currently comprised of six full members who meet quarterly to consider the strategic and operational activities of the charity. They are responsible for strategic direction, approval of the business plan and annual budget and for the policies to deliver these. The Board of Trustees have two standing sub-committees with approved terms of reference. The Finance and Staffing sub-Committee and the Fundraising sub-Committee meet quarterly and subsequently report back to the Board.

Each Board member is encouraged to work closely with a specific programme or work function to provide expertise, guidance and support and to feed back their experience to the Board.

The Board of Trustees is supported by the Finance Manager who is appointed as Company Secretary and who takes responsibility for governance administration.

A scheme of delegation is in place such that the day-to-day responsibility for the management of the charity, the provision of services and the support functions, rests with the Chief Executive Officer. The Chief

15

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – REPORT OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

Executive Officer is responsible for ensuring that the work in the business plan is delivered, that the key targets are met and that the finances are appropriately managed. The Chief Executive Officer is supported by the Finance Manager, the Business Development Manager, the IT Manager, the HR and Office Manager, the individual Programme Managers and their teams.

Staff Remuneration

Staff pay is reviewed annually in February by the Finance and Staffing sub-Committee. The Committee is responsible for proposing the remuneration and terms and conditions of employment for all staff. The proposals are recommended to the Board for final approval.

Staff are paid in relation to their particular skills, experience, qualifications, performance and contribution, together with the benchmarking of similar roles within the market where possible.

The Trustees are not remunerated for their services.

Volunteers

The work of our volunteers is held in the highest regard by the Trustees. Their dedication, expertise and compassion is crucial to the support we can offer our clients.

Their range of ages and skills brings a great mix to the organisation and some invaluable life experiences.

Our volunteers provide mentoring for those leaving prison, helping them to resettle back into society, to navigate available services and to avoid social exclusion. Our mentors for young people at risk of offending, provide strong adult role models, often with a professional background, to help them to get back on track.

We also have volunteers who help victims of crime, providing emotional support, helping them get their life back to normal and to manage the consequences of crime. Our restorative justice programmes span prisons, victim work and reducing reoffending in society as well as schools and other settings. Our highly skilled RJ Practitioners are assisted by a cohort of volunteers who have undergone extensive training, many of whom are now qualified to practice solo. Our new victim focused contract has many more opportunities for specialist work by volunteers alongside colleagues.

Our aim is to deliver our services using more volunteers and to broaden our cohort operating across programmes. The successful recruitment of a volunteer coordinator has ensured that our volunteers maintain a strong identity within the charity.

Related Parties

Members of our team sit on a variety of local and national groups including: -

• Local Criminal Justice Board for the Thames Valley sub groups re victims and reoffending

• Aylesbury Vale Hate Crime Awareness Group

• Rape & Serious Sexual Assault Awareness Group

• Modern Slavery & Exploitation Strategic Groups: Slough, Bracknell, Reading, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire

• Thames Valley Exploitation & Modern Slavery Strategic Group

• Community Safety Partnership Board, Reading

• Anti-Slavery Networks – Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire

• Oxford City Sex Workers Intervention Panel

• Crown Court Partnership meetings

16

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – REPORT OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

• SARC Partnership Board

• Rape & Serious Sexual Assault Partnership Meeting (RASSA)

• BAMER Partnership Group

• South Central NPS Suppliers forum

• Members of EDAC

• RASO Partnership Meeting

• Thames Valley Victims & Witnesses forum

• Providers of CPD accredited Rise for Change training

• Members of the Strategic VAWG Thames Valley board and various sub committees

• Members of the Home Office VAWG steering group

• Wokingham DA group

• We are members of the Employers Initiative on Domestic Abuse

• Chair of the Thames Valley Domestic Abuse Steering Group and the Chair of the scrutiny panels

• MARACs - Cherwell & West Oxfordshire, Oxford City, South & Vale, West Berkshire, Slough, Reading, Windsor & Maidenhead, Wokingham and Bracknell

• We are accredited as a Restorative Justice provider with the Restorative Justice Council (RJC)

• We have an Advanced Restorative Practitioners registration with the RJC

• We are a Registered Training Provider with the RJC.

• The All-Party Parliamentary Group Advisory Board for Restorative Justice

• Thames Valley Strategic Violence Against Women and Girls group

• Bright Sky Global Advisory Board

• TecSafe National Advisory Board

• Training provider for student police officers on victim impact and the charity sector

• Working in partnership with Bucks New University, Oxford Brookes, the Open University and the University of Northampton

Risk Management

The Board of Trustees has conducted a review of the major risks to which the charity is exposed and has developed a risk register to monitor those risks. The risk register is reviewed quarterly by the Finance and Staffing sub-Committee and the results fed back to the Board of Trustees for consideration as a separate standing agenda item. Areas covered include governance, finance, business continuity, operational and reputational risks and cyber security. The Chief Executive Officer ensures that robust policies, procedures and systems are in place to mitigate the risks and to manage any potential impact on the charity.

Key risks include:

Loss of support from major funders - mitigated by ensuring that funding comes from a diverse range of sources to balance the risk and by maintaining good communication with funders to ensure that the work undertaken meets their expectations. Evaluation strategies have been built into the business planning process in order to provide feedback to core funders. .

Loss of Control of Special Category Personal data – policy ensures that Special Category Data is kept within specialist case management databases only, which are managed by external suppliers with appropriate security accreditations. Programme Managers are responsible for creating and regularly reviewing Data Protection Impact Assessments to identify, manage and minimise the data protection risks of each programme. Criminal Justice Secure Mail is used across the organisation.

IT and cyber security risks – mitigated by the recently achieved IASME Gold and Cyber Essentials Plus accreditations, the contracting of a Data Protection Officer, regular staff, volunteer and Trustee training on

17

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – REPORT OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

data security, cyber security, malicious emails and the GDPR. Managed devices are issued to those that access data bases and two factor authentication is being rolled out.

Safeguarding. Failure to keep clients safe - mitigated by a retained focus on safeguarding risks including training for new staff and volunteers, refresher training for existing staff and volunteers and for ensuring all policies and reporting procedures are current and understood. Regular Board Agenda Item.

Illness or pandemic affecting staff resilience or ability to operate normally – mitigated by having a Business Continuity Plan in place which includes how to deal with staff or volunteer shortages, management of premises and ability to work remotely at the same time as ensuring continuity of delivered services.

Programmes inadequately resourced or managed. Objectives not being met. Failure to deliver on time and/or to an acceptable quality for funders – mitigated by ensuring all outcomes are clearly established and agreed at the outset with funders. Appropriate project management and reporting structures are put in place. Programme Managers are held accountable for their own programmes and activities, and together with the CEO ensure objectives are met, risk registers maintained, adequate resources are allocated and workload regularly reviewed. Key reporting milestones are identified, regular reports are provided and meetings are held with funders to consider performance against objectives.

Fundraising

The Chief Executive Officer and the Business Development/Fundraising Manager routinely engage in bid writing and in making contact with charitable trusts and foundations and other organisations in order to raise funds. We do not use third-party professional fundraisers.

Safeguarding

The welfare of vulnerable individuals is at the heart of what we do. Our approach is that everyone has the right to be protected from all types of harm and abuse. Our safeguarding policies and processes are there to ensure that we respond to any concerns appropriately. All our staff and frontline volunteers are safeguarding trained. Safeguarding is a standard part our reporting to each Board Meeting. We believe that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.

There haven’t been any incidents during the year that would require us to provide a report to the Charity Commission.

Modern Slavery Statement

Although Thames Valley Partnership doesn’t meet the criteria for the publishing of a Statement under the Modern Slavery Act 2015, we believe that producing a Statement on a voluntary basis shows our commitment to playing our part in reducing the horrendous crimes of modern slavery and human trafficking.

Thames Valley Partnership has a zero-tolerance approach to modern slavery. We are committed to acting ethically and with integrity in all our business dealings and relationships and to implementing and enforcing effective systems and controls to ensure modern slavery is not taking place anywhere in our organisation.

18

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – REPORT OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

The prevention, detection and reporting of modern slavery is the responsibility of all those working for us or on our behalf in any capacity, including Employees, Trustees, Volunteers, Contractors, Associates, thirdparty representatives and business partners.

Individuals are encouraged to raise concerns about any issue or suspicion of modern slavery in any parts of our Charity at the earliest possible stage without fear of reprisal or victimisation.

Our recruitment processes are transparent and reviewed regularly. This includes robust procedures in place for the vetting of new employees. We have a programme of mandatory training that all employees and members must complete. Our policies make clear to employees the actions and behaviours expected of them when representing us.

We expect the same high standards from our external consultants, suppliers and other business partners.

We take our responsibilities to safeguard the welfare of children and vulnerable adults very seriously. We look to protect them from harm, and develop, put in place and track our policies and procedures. There is a clear pathway for all modern slavery referrals into Adult Social Care and all referrals into Children's Social Care. We report information on referrals to the charity’s CEO and to the Management Committee.

Plans for Future periods

The charity was able to move ahead and rebrand in December 2023, at the same time as celebrating our 30[th] birthday. This has allowed us to raise our profile across, not just the three counties of the Thames Valley, but beyond. Recognising that some of our work is national and even international, we are keen not to constrain our thinking and activity. Our overarching aims and objectives will remain the same and the principle of our organisation is to continue to work within criminal justice and provide help and support to people at risk of social exclusion or who are otherwise vulnerable. The decision was taken to continue to be registered as Thames Valley Partnership but trading as Hope After Harm . There was a lot of positive publicity surrounding both the name change and the birthday celebrations.

We have grown very quickly in terms of service delivery, but the core team had not grown and our funds are predominately restricted. Our aim is to change that and allow for more flexibility to diversify and grow, whilst having the ability to support that growth via a larger central team. The first step has been to appoint a full-time fundraiser. That desire to diversify has been approved by the Board of Trustees who have provided some opportunities to explore development areas such as training provision and approaches to other geographic areas.

Our funding strategy is to continue to try to diversify the sources of income whilst also ensuring we manage a high standard of delivery against the contracts that we have. A funding diversification strategy had previously been approved by the Board and fundraising goals have now been updated to reflect the targets and to ensure funding is more diverse and is continuing to meet our aims.

We will continue to bid for a number of grants and contracts in 2024 hoping to continue our first-class work with victims of crime, our Family Matters work and to continue our offender work with adults, as well as our work with young people – looking to expand what we do geographically as well as to diversify our services.

April 2024 also sees the departure of our current CEO after almost 5 years and a new CEO will join the team shortly after. We will continue to review and update our structure and programme strategy to ensure we are delivering the best services in the best possible way.

19

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – REPORT OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

Responsibilities of the Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees (who are also both the trust’s members and Directors of The Thames Valley Partnership for purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Report of the Management Committee and the financial statements, in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice.

Company Law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including income and expenditure, of the company for that year.

In preparing those financial statements, the Trustees are required to: -

• select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

• observe the methods and principles in the Charity SORP (FRS102);

• make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and

• state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;

• prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in business.

The Board of Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and to 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 reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The Trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charitable company’s website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

Auditor

Azets Audit Services have indicated their willingness to continue in office for another financial year.

Statement as to the disclosure of information to Auditors

So far as the Trustees are aware, there is no relevant information of which the charitable company’s auditors are unaware and each Trustee has taken all the steps that they ought to have taken as a Trustee in order to make them aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the charitable company’s auditors are aware of that information.

Approval

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 2006 and the Charities SORP (FRS102). Approved by the Board of Trustees on 14[th] November 2024 and signed on their behalf by

………………………………………………………………..

Naomi Karslake, Chair of the Board of Trustees

20

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2024

Independent Auditor’s Report

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of The Thames Valley Partnership (the ‘charity’) for the year ended 31 March 2024 which comprise the statement of financial activities, the balance sheet, the statement of cash flows and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

In our opinion, the financial statements:

give a true and fair view of the state of the charitable company's affairs as at 31 March 2024 and of its incoming resources and application of resources, for the year then ended;

have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice;

and

have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charity in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Conclusions relating to going concern

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

We draw your attention to note 1.2 of the financial statements which indicates that the trustees have reviewed the funding requirements of the charity for 12 months from the date of signing these accounts and are comfortable with current funding and reserves.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

Other information

The other information comprises the information included in the annual report other than the financial statements and our auditor's report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit, or otherwise appears

21

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2024

to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the

financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact. We have nothing to report in this regard.

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 require us to report to you if, in our opinion:

• the information given in the financial statements is inconsistent in any material respect with the trustees’ report; or

• sufficient accounting records have not been kept; or

• the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records; or

• we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.

Responsibilities of trustees

As explained more fully in the statement of trustees' responsibilities, the trustees, who are also the directors of the charity for the purpose of company law, are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

We have been appointed as auditor under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 and report in accordance with the Act and relevant regulations made or having effect thereunder.

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

A further description of our responsibilities is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: https:// www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor's report.

22

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2024

Extent to which the audit was considered capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above and on the Financial Reporting Council’s website, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud.

We obtain and update our understanding of the entity, its activities, its control environment, and likely future developments, including in relation to the legal and regulatory framework applicable and how the entity is complying with that framework. Based on this understanding, we identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error, design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. This includes consideration of the risk of acts by the entity that were contrary to applicable laws and regulations, including fraud.

In response to the risk of irregularities and non-compliance with laws and regulations, including fraud, we designed procedures which included:

• Enquiry of management and those charged with governance around actual and potential litigation and claims as well as actual, suspected and alleged fraud;

• Reviewing minutes of meetings of those charged with governance;

• Assessing the extent of compliance with the laws and regulations considered to have a direct material effect on the financial statements or the operations of the entity through enquiry and inspection;

• Reviewing financial statement disclosures and testing to supporting documentation to assess compliance with applicable laws and regulations;

• Performing audit work over the risk of management bias and override of controls, including testing of journal entries and other adjustments for appropriateness, evaluating the business rationale of significant transactions outside the normal course of business and reviewing accounting estimates for indicators of potential bias.

Because of the inherent limitations of an audit, there is a risk that we will not detect all irregularities, including those leading to a material misstatement in the financial statements or non-compliance with regulation. This risk increases the more that compliance with a law or regulation is removed from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, as we will be less likely to become aware of instances of non-compliance. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the charity’s trustees, as a body, in accordance with part 4 of the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charity's trustees those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor's report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charity and the charity’s trustees as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

23

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2024

Tracey Richardson BSc (Hons) FCA (Senior Statutory Auditor) for and on behalf of Azets Audit Services

Chartered Accountants

Statutory Auditor

2 December 2024

Westpoint Lynch Wood Peterborough Cambridgeshire United Kingdom PE2 6FZ

Azets Audit Services is eligible for appointment as auditor of the charity by virtue of its eligibility for appointment as auditor of a company under section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006.

24

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2024

Statement of Financial Activities

Including Income and Expenditure Account

25

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2024

26

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2024

Balance Sheet

27

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2024

Statement of Cash Flows

		£		£		£		£
		£	2024	£		£	2023	£
	Notes	£			£		£		£
Cashflowsfromoperatingactivities
Cash (absorbed by)/generated	23						25,385
Notes from operations	Notes		(70,512)
Investingactivities Purchase oftangible fixed assets	23	-		(70,512)		(2,977) (2,977)
Investment income received		12,113				3,025 3,025
		-
Netcashgeneratedfrom investingactivities		12,113	12,113					46	48
Netcashusedinfinancingactivities				12,113 -				-	-
Net(decrease)/increase incashand cashequivalents			(96,~~399)~~		-		25,433 25,433
Cashand cashequivalents atbeginning ofyear			(58,399) 791,814				766,381 766.334 ~~;~~
Cashandcashequivalentsatendofyear			791,814 733,415				791	791,814 814
				733,415

28

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2024

Notes to the Financial Statements

1 Accounting policies

Charity information

The Thames Valley Partnership is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is The Coach House, Manor Farm, Aston Sandford, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP17 8JB, United Kingdom.

1.1 Accounting convention

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity's governing document, the Companies Act 2006, FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” (“FRS 102”) and the Charities SORP "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 2019). The charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.

The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity. Monetary

amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.

1.2 Going concern

At the time of approving the financial statements, the trustees have reviewed the funding requirements of the charity for 12 months from the date of signing these accounts and are comfortable with current funding and reserves to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.

1.3 Charitable funds

Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of their charitable objectives.

Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used. The purposes and uses of the restricted funds are set out in the notes to the financial statements.

Endowment funds are subject to specific conditions by donors that the capital must be maintained by the charity.

1.4 Income

Income is recognised when the charity is legally entitled to it after any performance conditions have been met, the amounts can be measured reliably, and it is probable that income will be received.

Cash donations are recognised on receipt. Other donations are recognised once the charity has been notified of the donation, unless performance conditions require deferral of the amount. Income tax recoverable in relation to donations received under Gift Aid or deeds of covenant is recognised at the time of the donation.

Legacies are recognised on receipt or otherwise if the charity has been notified of an impending distribution, the amount is known, and receipt is expected. If the amount is not known, the legacy is treated as a contingent asset.

29

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2024

1.5 Expenditure

Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to transfer economic benefit to a third party, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement, and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.

Expenditure is classified by activity. The costs of each activity are made up of the total of direct costs and shared costs, including support costs involved in undertaking each activity. Direct costs attributable to a single activity are allocated directly to that activity. Shared costs which contribute to more than one activity and support costs which are not attributable to a single activity are apportioned between those activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources. Central staff costs are allocated on the basis of time spent, and depreciation charges are allocated on the portion of the asset’s use.

Irrecoverable VAT is charged as an expense against the activity for which the expenditure arose.

1.6 Tangible fixed assets

Tangible fixed assets are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost or valuation, net of depreciation and any impairment losses.

Depreciation is recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases

Equipment 4 years

The gain or loss arising on the disposal of an asset is determined as the difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying value of the asset, and is recognised in the statement of financial activities.

1.7 Fixed asset investments

Fixed asset investments are initially measured at transaction price excluding transaction costs, and are subsequently measured at fair value at each reporting date. Changes in fair value are recognised in net income/(expenditure) for the year. Transaction costs are expensed as incurred.

1.8 Impairment of fixed assets

At each reporting end date, the charity reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss (if any).

1.9 Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other shortterm liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.

1.10 Financial instruments

The charity has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instruments Issues’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.

Financial instruments are recognised in the charity's balance sheet when the charity becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.

Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.

30

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2024

Basic financial assets

Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.

Basic financial liabilities

Basic financial liabilities, including creditors and bank loans are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.

Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.

Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of operations from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.

Derecognition of financial liabilities

Financial liabilities are derecognised when the charity’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.

1.11 Employee benefits

The cost of any unused holiday entitlement is recognised in the period in which the employee’s services are received.

Termination benefits are recognised immediately as an expense when the charity is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.

2 Critical accounting estimates and judgements

In the application of the charity’s accounting policies, the trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.

31

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2024

32

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2024

33

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2024

34

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2024

35

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2024

36

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2024

10 Taxation

The charity is exempt from tax on income and gains falling within section 505 of the Taxes Act 1988 or section 252 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 to the extent that these are applied to its charitable objects.

11 Tangible fixed assets

----- Start of picture text -----
||||| |---|---|---|---| |Depreciation charged|in|the|year| |Carrying amount|

----- End of picture text -----

37

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2024

38

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2024

39

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2024

(continued)

16 Retirement benefit schemes

Defined contribution schemes

NEST

The Board of Trustees agreed in June 2017 to close the Oxfordshire Pension Fund scheme to new members because the level of employer contributions was no longer affordable. A new scheme was required to fulfil auto-enrolment obligations and the Board agreed on October 2017 to offer new staff the government approved NEST scheme. Employer contributions are currently 4%. At 31 March 2024 there were 43 (2023 - 49) participating employees.

40

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2024

Balance at 1 April 2023

41

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2024

42

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2024

43

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2024

20 Financial commitments, guarantees and contingent liabilities

At 31 March 2024, Thames Valley Partnership had 2 (2023 - 4) employees remaining within the Oxfordshire County Council Pension Fund (LGPS), a defined benefit occupational pension scheme. A recent review identified a contingent liability at the point at which the final remaining employee were to leave the scheme. If this situation were ever to materialise, the Scheme Actuary would carry out a cessation valuation to determine the pension liabilities of current and former employees at the termination date. To establish what this might mean for the charity in practice, the Trustees requested an estimated cessation valuation based on an exit date of 30 April 2023 which showed a funding level of 101% on a low risk exit basis.

Given that Thames Valley Partnership's share of the Pool's funding position was estimated to be in surplus at 31 March 2022, and the cessation valuation of the 30 April 2023 was in surplus, with no immediate likelihood of all remaining employees leaving the scheme, no provision has been made in the accounts.

21 Operating lease commitments

At the reporting end date, the charity had outstanding commitments for future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases, which fall due as follows:

Within one year Between two and five years	2024 £ 10,021 1,391 11,412 2023 £ 9,851 - 9,851

22 Related party transactions

Remuneration of key management personnel The remuneration of key management personnel is as follows.

Aggregate compensation	2024 £ 107,004 2023 £ 117,824

Transactions with related parties

During the year the charity entered the following transactions with related parties :

Mr Henry Allmand, a Trustee of the charity, is also CEO of Heart of Bucks which granted £10,000 (2023 - £10,258) to the charity during the year. Mr Henry Allmand confirmed that he has no influence over the Committee who decide on who wins bids and/or how they distribute funds .

44

THE THAMES VALLEY PARTNERSHIP – YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2024

45