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2022-04-01-accounts

Company registration number: 03091835 Charity registration number: 1049632

BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

(A company limited by guarantee) Annual Report and Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

BREBNERS

Chartered Accountants & Statutory Auditor 130 Shaftesbury Avenue

London W1D 5AR

BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

Contents

Trustees' Report 1 to 13
Independent Auditors' Report 14 to 17
Statement of Financial Activities 18 to 19
Balance Sheet 20
Statement of Cash Flows 21
Notes to the Financial Statements 22 to 40

BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

Trustees' Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

The trustees, who are directors for the purposes of company law, present the annual report together with the financial statements and auditors' report of the charitable company for the year ended 31 March 2022. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out on pages 18 and 19 and comply with the Companies Act and applicable law.

The Trustees' Report includes the Directors' Report as required by company law.

Charity Registration Number 1049632

Company Registration Number 03091835

The charity is incorporated in England and Wales.

Chairman David Askwith

Vice Chairman Helen Glasson

Chief Executive Officer Sharon Wright (appointed 01 July 2022)

Jacqueline Carr (resigned 31 December 2021)

The position of CEO was vacant from 04 January 2022 to 30 June 2022. Interim management support services were provided by Phil Jew Consultancy Limited.

Trustees

David Askwith

Helen Glasson

Louisa Martin, Treasurer John Bash (ceased 14 September 2022)

Mabel Sumner

Victor Rae-Reeves (ceased 27 January 2022)

Linda Lam Marie Whyte (ceased 7 December 2021) Robert Roscoe Mohammed Inham Hassen (appointed 22 February 2022) Frances Hutchinson (appointed 22 February 2022)

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BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

Trustees' Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

Secretary Sophia Johnson Registered Office 270-272 High Road London NW10 2EY Bankers National Westminster Bank Plc Park Royal Branch 1 Abbey Road London NW10 7RA Auditor Brebners Chartered Accountants & Statutory Auditor 130 Shaftesbury Avenue London W1D 5AR

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Trustees' Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

1. STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

1.1 Governing Document

Brent Citizens Advice Bureaux is a company limited by guarantee governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association dated December 2007. It is registered as a charity with the Charity Commission.

1.2 Appointment of Trustees

Until otherwise determined by the Bureau in General Meeting the number of Trustees shall not be neither less than nine nor more than twenty being either:

a) elected at the Annual General Meeting, and who shall hold office from the conclusion of that meeting b) nominated by a member organisation c) co-opted by the Trustee Board,

Provided that the total number of co-opted and nominated Trustees does not exceed one third of the total number of Trustees.

Each appointment of a co-opted or nominated Trustee shall be made at an ordinary meeting of the Trustee Board and shall take effect immediately unless the appointment is to fill a place which has not yet been vacated in which case the appointment shall run from the date when the post becomes vacant.

All elected Trustees shall retire from office at the third Annual General Meeting (AGM) following the AGM at which they were elected but may be re-elected.

All nominated or co-opted Trustees shall retire from office at the third AGM following the ordinary meeting of the Trustee Board at which they were appointed but may be re-appointed.

At the ordinary meeting of the Trustee Board immediately preceding the AGM, the Trustee Board shall (if applicable):

• review member organisations; and consider any application for representation on the Trustee Board from any member organisation;

• Any proposal from a Trustee to offer representation on the Trustee Board to any member organisation.

Any proposal from a Trustee to offer representation to a member organisation can be voted on. If this motion is passed by a majority of at least two-thirds of the Trustees present, the Trustee Board will decide how long the organisation can be represented for and invite it to nominate a representative.

As set out in the Articles of Association the Chair of the Board of Trustees is nominated and elected at the meeting immediately following the AGM. The Honorary Treasurer is similarly nominated and elected. The AGM is held each year in February. The Chair is permitted to serve for a total period of 6 years but is elected or re-elected at the AGM.

The Trustees seek to ensure that the needs of the community are appropriately reflected through the diversity of the body of Trustees.

To enhance the potential pool of the Trustees, the charity advertises vacancies and skills and experience required on the trustee board locally and nationally, seeking to identify people who would be interested in joining the board and using their experience to assist the charity. The charity also encourages former clients to join the board.

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BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

Trustees' Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

In an effort to maintain a broad skill mix, Trustees are requested to provide a list of their skills (and update it each year) and in the event of particular skills being lost due to retirements, individuals are approached to offer themselves for election to the Trustees.

1.3 Induction and Training of Trustees

New Trustees undergo an orientation period to brief them on their legal obligations under charity and company law, the content of the Memorandum and Articles of Association, the board and decision-making processes, the business plan and recent financial performance of the charity. Prior to joining the Board, they are invited to attend a board meeting and a sub-committee meeting. During the induction period they meet key employees and other Trustees if available. Trustees are also invited to attend an induction training event provided by Citizens Advice to inform them about the role of and relationship with the national organisation. Trustees are encouraged to attend appropriate external training events where these would facilitate the undertaking of their role. Trustees are also encouraged to attend occasional staff meetings to familiarise themselves with the issues concerning the day-to-day activities of the organisation.

1.4 Organisation

The Trustees administer the charity. The Board meets 5 times a year, this can be a remote meeting, and there are sub-committees covering Finance, Audit and External Engagement; and Personnel, Health and Safety and Premises, which meet a minimum of 4 times a year, again this can be remotely.

1.5 Arrangements for Setting Pay and Remuneration of Key Management Personnel

Trustees discuss pay and remuneration at the Personnel, Health and Safety and Premises subcommittee and make recommendations to the full Board. The benchmarks used are from the national Citizens Advice report on Local Citizens Advice Salary Data, the last of which was issued in 2020. This enables Citizens Advice Brent to set salaries that are comparable to other local Citizens Advice offices.

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BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

Trustees' Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

1.6 Risk Management

The Trustees pay due attention to risk management and review risks to the organisation at regular intervals. The Board has a risk management strategy which comprises:

• An quarterly review of the risks the charity may face;

• The implementation of procedures designed to minimise any potential impact on the charity should those risks materialise

The year ending 31st March 2022 has seen the fifth year of two major advice service contracts with the London Borough of Brent, which were originally let on a three year, plus one, plus one basis. The amount paid under the contract reduced by 5% each year and as this is the dominant funding stream it has had a major influence on our budget. An interim extension to this contract covering the period to December 2022 was secured, at which point CAB received notice from LB Brent of their intention to award the contract to CAB. Securing this contract with LB Brent is vital for CAB as it represents the organisation’s primary source of funding.

The continuation of austerity has meant that LB Brent and other organisations have continued to reduce funding for services provided by CAB. The effects of the Pandemic, Welfare Reform and the impact of the cost of living crisis and the impact of changes for EU Nationals means that at a time of reduced funding demand for assistance and advice continues to grow.

Although the Office has now been refurbished, various lockdowns and other restrictions have meant that it was not possible to fully utilise the premises in 2021-22. This service delivery model during the pandemic saw CAB switch to telephone advice as a primary channel as staff and volunteers worked and engagedfrom home. Despite the logistical challenges that the pandemic presented, CAB continued to provide an advice service to the residents of Brent.

Jaqueline Carr, CAB’s Chief Executive for many years, retired on 31st December 2021. This loss of key personnel represents a major risk to the organisation. An experienced consultant was engaged from January 2022 to steer the organisation through the LB Brent retendering process and to assist with recruiting a new CEO.

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BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

Trustees' Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

2. OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

In setting objectives and planning for activities, the Trustees have given due consideration to general guidance published by the Charity Commission relating to public benefit and in particular to its supplementary public benefit guidance.

2.1 General objectives

The principal objective of the charity is:

“The promotion of any charitable purposes for the benefit of the community in London by the advancement of education, the protection of health and the relief of poverty, sickness and distress”.

The charity has the general aim of contributing to the quality of life of the 335,300 residents (ONS estimate) of the borough of Brent through the provision of free, independent, impartial and confidential advice. Citizens Advice Brent (CAB) prides itself on being a dynamic, responsive organisation, providing high quality advice and information for the full benefit of Brent residents.

Our advice covers the spectrum of issues facing contemporary society. Our interventions frequently have a significant impact on our clients’ lives. For example, during this year of the pandemic we assisted many more clients with Welfare benefit, housing and debt related matters. The increased number of enquiries in these categories formed at least 69% of the overall enquiries that we dealt with throughout the year. Our aim always is to ensure our clients have a better understanding of their legal position and greater confidence to assert their rights appropriately in future. Fulfilling this aim has been tested to the full as national social, economic and political change has impacted on the borough. The Trustee Board acknowledges the inherent challenges, but to continue to provide a relevant service in the modern era, we must embrace change, adapt and be alert for fresh opportunities to sustain and develop the vital role we perform.

Due to the obvious need for advice and support on Universal Credit as a result of the pandemic, Citizens Advice managed to secure funding from the Department for Work and Pensions to enable local Citizens Advice offices throughout England and Wales to support claimants. The project is entitled Help to Claim. Prior to the closure of job centres during the pandemic, CAB provided advice at both Harlesden and Wembley Job Centres. During 2021-22 we helped claimants remotely by telephone and webchat. Brent will not be participating in the new contract from April 2022. The Help to Claim service is now provided for Brent residents by our sister organisation, Citizens Advice Hounslow and by telephone and webchat.

High levels of demand for our service continue, whether delivered remotely by telephone or electronically. It has not been possible to run a drop-in service for much of the last few years due to pandemic restrictions. There has consequently been increased demand on the telephone service and people requesting advice via email in particular.

One of our tasks is to aggregate anonymised information obtained from individual clients so that it can be used by national Citizens Advice to inform central government of the consequence of legislative, economic and social change for Brent residents in the various categories of advice that we offer, and we continue to do this and provide Citizens Advice with feedback on their research and campaign agenda.

The challenge to CAB is to maintain a high-quality service at a time of change and high demand and when the competition for and pressure on funding for the voluntary sector continues to increase. We greatly appreciate the recognition given to our work by the London Borough of Brent since CAB’s inception at its current location in 1981. Despite unparalleled pressure on its resources, the Council continues to support and encourage our work.

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Trustees' Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

Central to the work of the organisation is its educational role, both by enabling clients to exercise better control over their lives by easily accessing the information they need, and through the recruitment and training of a team of local volunteers. As a result of the skills acquired by our volunteers, under a rigorous, but supportive training programme led by our Training Officer, most volunteers who leave our service successfully obtain paid work in a range of different careers. CAB is proud to contribute to the local economy in this way. The recruitment and training of volunteers during the year was hampered by COVID restrictions.

2.2 Category of Enquiries and client base

As in previous years, the demand for advice in welfare benefits, debt, employment and housing was high and accounted 80% for all enquiries, down 7 percentage point on last year. Financial gains made for clients during the year were £6,415,793 - an increase of 31% on last year. The number of people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds presenting at CAB rose from 46% last year to 51 % of all clients. White British and ’white other’ clients represented 48% of all clients.

44% of our clients were disabled or had a long-term limiting health problem - up from 36% in 2020-21 and 41% in 2019-2020. 59% of our clients were women. The number of people aged 25 and over approaching CAB continued to be high, with 95% aged between 25 and 64. Those under 25 and over 65 represented 6% to 10% respectively of clients seen during this year.

Our shop-front premises on the Willesden High Road with a bus stop outside the door mean that we are a visible and accessible resource for our clients, 20% of whom live in local wards: Stonebridge, Harlesden, Willesden Green and Kilburn.

2.3 Business Plan

Our objectives for 2021/22 were:

1. Making it easier to get relevant advice in Brent

CAB want to make it easier to get relevant advice in Brent by providing an accessible and multi-channel service that meets as many community and client needs as possible and respond to changing needs. CAB will improve its telephone advice service as a priority.

When we see clients face-to-face we will provide our services in a pleasant, well-equipped and well-designed environment.

2. Being more influential

We will use the evidence provided by clients and users to be more influential, developing and contributing to research and campaign activity that leads to improvements in policy and practice and prevents problems and systemic failure. We will work in partnership with other agencies and organisations wherever possible and undertake research and campaign work to understand and prevent systemic failures.

3. Becoming a stronger and more sustainable service and organisation

CAB aims to become a stronger and more sustainable service and organisation and aims to be the first choice for funders and commissioners. We will increase our financial sustainability by diversifying our funding portfolio and look at more innovative ways of income generation.

4. Being an organisation staff and volunteers love to work for

CAB will create a culture that is friendly, collaborative and innovative and that adapts to the changing needs of our clients. Equality, diversity and inclusion will be fundamental to this culture.

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BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

Trustees' Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

3. ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE

Demand for advice and generalist services

The level of demand has continued to be high. CAB assisted over 12,000 people in 2021-22, with 19,000 issues. The headline figures cannot reflect, however, the complexity of some of the cases we resolved which were more challenging for the advice team because of changes to legislation underpinning the government’s attempts to tackle the pandemic, eg the introduction of the furlough scheme and restrictions on the recovery of debts and repossession of accommodation. CAB has had to train all paid staff and volunteers in these new major areas as well as the changes to other categories of our work. Our team has been instrumental in training advisers in other organisations.

Advice, Information and Guidance Service

We have two contracts with Brent Council to deliver advice services to people who live, work or study in the borough. The overall council funding of £497,257 (of which £88,000 was paid to partners) enabled us to help with 17,995 enquiries (an increase of 16% on last year). Experience has shown that investment in our advice services directly benefits the Council because our early intervention can avert costly expenditure on statutory services further down the line, as is demonstrated by the positive outcomes we obtain for local residents.

We are experts in welfare benefits and debt and are accredited with an AQS standard in general help with casework. This accreditation was renewed in May 2021.

Under our second contract with Brent Council, we work closely with Age UK Harrow, Hillingdon and Brent making referrals for people in need through either disability, or ill health, or who have care responsibilities and who need home visits. During the pandemic, Age UK have also been working largely remotely but have continued to provide a service. The second contract also requires us to form and develop an advice network, administer the Brent Advice Matters (BAM) website and administer a grant programme. Much of this work is subcontracted to Brent Council for Voluntary Service (BCVS). The BAM website is designed to improve access to local advice and to assist with self-help to those residents who are able to support themselves which has been even more important in the last year. Visits to the site this year increased by 25%.

Specialist services

Debt Free London

This is a pan-London debt advice service, funded by the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) with 23 participating organisations. Toynbee Hall is the project lead. CAB holds a contract to deliver debt advice in Brent. In 2021-22 our service assisted 658 people with debt problems. The contract has been extended until January 2023.

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BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

Trustees' Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

John Fisher Free Legal Advice Service

This project now in its 21st year, continues to be generously supported by Clyde & Co LLP. This international law firm has been funding a coordinator to service our Honorary Legal Advice (HLA) sessions since the project started in December 2001, and we are indebted to them for their continued support of the project. Our Virtual HLA Employment Advice Clinic continues to thrive, and clients are advised by lawyers from Clyde & Co via Skype. This model of delivery has proven to be essential during the pandemic and attempts are being made to recruit more volunteers to the service.

Help to Claim

This project has been funded the DWP since April 2019 and is designed to ensure that people who claim Universal Credit provide all the information required in order for them to receive their full entitlement first time and ensure that payment is based on accurate, up to date information. We will not be participating in the new service, from April 2022.

Windrush

CAB successfully supported several clients who have been affected by the government’s mishandling of their status in the UK. The project was funded by the Home Office and brokered by Citizens Advice. This has been a particularly challenging experience for both clients and the adviser working on the project as they relived the injustices of their experiences in order to make their claims.

Outreach services

Family Wellbeing Centres (FWCs)

Under our primary advice contract with Brent Council we deliver advice at the eight FWCs in the borough. Parents of children under the age of 5 who are registered with the Centres and need welfare advice are provided with appointments to see or speak to a CAB adviser. During much of 2021-22, pandemic restrictions means that the service was delivered by telephone, but from early 2022, in person appointments resumed at FWCs. We assisted 1,919 people with 2,919 issues at FWCs in 2021-22. The contract to deliver this outreach service has been extended until December 2022.

Brent Hubs

CAB commenced delivery of one advice session per week at two of the Brent Hubs in early 2022 - at the Civic Centre and Harlesden Library. Residents attending the hubs can been referred to our adviser on days when we are present.

Park Royal Centre for Mental Health

Pond Ward, Pine Ward and Shore Ward at Park Royal Mental Health Centre in Brent are adult inpatient wards providing a safe and therapeutic environment for people with acute mental health problems. CAB has been funded to provide an advice service for their inpatients since 2004 and work continues supporting them primarily with welfare benefits, housing and debt matters. A significant relationship with the Trust has built up over the years and we hope to extend this into the future. We assisted 175 people with 317 issues at PRCMH in 2021-22.

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BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

Trustees' Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

3.4 Collaborative work

Working with colleagues from local agencies is now an established part of our culture. There are inherent challenges, for example, some agencies specialise in certain services for a particular category of clients, but overall, we believe that by collaborating with other organisations we offer clients joined up services, and reduce the risk of failed referrals, delays and confusion for clients who may already be desperate for help.

3.5 Media and promotional work

CAB is an avid user of Twitter, enabling us to reach new and existing clients, community groups, voluntary organisations, councillors and MPs and the wider public. Our website enables residents with access to the internet to obtain information about policy and legislative changes of general importance, as well as those that may affect their entitlement to benefits. This aspect has been particularly useful during COVID restrictions.

We will continue to demonstrate to funders, opinion formers and policy makers the value of our work by presenting statistical outcomes that show the impact of our work.

3.6 Staff development and recruiting volunteers

Our staff team is our greatest resource, and their development is vital to maintain a quality service to clients. Staff enhance their skills by attending remotely training sessions, regular team briefings and supervision sessions during which they contribute to the process of reviewing performance and raising standards. The staff team regularly meet remotely to review their work, to discuss progress and to scrutinise practice to ensure consistency and efficiency in the delivery of advice.

Volunteers have a vital and increasingly important role in service delivery. The Trustee Board consists of volunteers who bring a range of skills and experience to the service. Their commitment and contribution is a great asset.

We would like to express our gratitude to Jaqueline Carr, our former Chief Executive who retired in December 2021 after 37 years’ service. She will remain a volunteer with CAB - Thank you, Jacqueline, for all your hard work, support and diligence over the past few decades.

We would also like to express particular thanks to Ashok Shah a volunteer for 34 years, latterly as Finance Officer, who retired in May 2022.

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BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

Trustees' Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

4 FINANCIAL REVIEW

4.1 Financial challenges

CAB continued to face financial challenges in 2021-22 as high levels of competition for scarce funds continued. Nevertheless, we secured new funding from Trussell Trust to deliver advice services at its Brent Foodbank and maintained funding for the Debt Free London (DFL) service and our two contracts with Brent Council for the whole of the year. Recommissioning of the DFL service and Brent Council contracts was expected to take place during the year but in the end was delayed and contracts were extended into the 2022-23 year. In December 2022 CAB received notice of LB Brent's intention to renew their contracts with CAB.

Unfortunately, in February 2022 we were informed that funding from Brent Council’s Housing Management Service for the provision of advice for tenants was to be withdrawn from July 2022. Funding of just over £26,000 was provided in 2021-22 and has been held since 2006.

4.2 Investment powers and policy

The Trustees have continued with investments in higher interest accounts. Under the Memorandum and Articles of Association the charity has the power to invest or deposit funds in any lawful manner whilst having regard to the suitability of investments and the need for diversification.

4.3 Reserves policy

The Trustees have examined the charity’s requirements and has established the level of reserves (that is those funds that are freely available) that the charity ought to have in light of the main risks to the organisation. The aim is to ensure that the organisation retains reserves equivalent to three months of operating expenditure to reflect the Trustees’ legal and fiduciary obligations on a going concern basis, for example payment of redundancies or other liabilities; or bridge the funding gaps between spending and receiving resources from funders. They are also held to cover possible emergencies, for example sustaining operations whilst income generating activities are under way, and to meet the working capital requirements of the organization to continue the work of the organization in the event of a significant reduction in funding.

The level of unrestricted reserves at 31st March 2022 were £524,199 (2021: £474,125), which means the organisation is meeting its aims of holding three months’ operating expenditure.

The Trustees continue to employ the fundraising strategy, concentrating on raising sums that require a marginal staff cost, which has resulted in bringing our reserves to the current level.

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BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

Trustees' Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

5. PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

CAB will continue the activities outlined above subject to satisfactory funding arrangements. The major concerns for the charity will be the continuing financial uncertainty, with Brent Council and Debt Free London contracts being retendered in 2022-23, competition from other agencies that may seek to undercut us by sacrificing quality for quantity, and the impact on our clients of the pandemic and cost of living crisis. Against a backdrop of financial cutbacks and significantly less money available to fund local voluntary groups from traditional sources CAB managed to sustain a reasonable income level this year. The Trustee Board commends this achievement. One of the difficulties affecting all voluntary sector agencies is that funding is typically short-term. This makes strategic planning a significant challenge, especially when demand continues to increase, as is the experience of CAB.

The next year will see the recommissioning of several contracts currently held by CAB and priority will be given to making a successful bid.

The Trustees are committed to supporting a quality service for our clients, one that reflects a wide range of need in the local community.

The value placed on the contribution of CAB by service users is demonstrated in the high level of satisfaction recorded in our regular surveys of their views.

Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities

The trustees (who are also the directors of Brent Citizens Advice Bureaux for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the trustees' report and the financial statements in accordance with the United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice) and applicable law and regulations.

Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the trustees have elected to prepare the financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable law). Under company law the trustees must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure, for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:

The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the charitable company's transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

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BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

Trustees' Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

Disclosure of information to auditor

Each trustee has taken steps that they ought to have taken as a trustee in order to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the charity's auditor is aware of that information. The trustees confirm that there is no relevant information that they know of and of which they know the auditor is unaware.

Reappointment of auditor

Brebners will be proposed for re-appointment in accordance with Section 485 of the Companies Act 2006.

Small companies provision statement

This report has been prepared in accordance with the special provisions relating to companies subject to the small companies regime within Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006.

The annual report was approved by the trustees of the charity on .................... and signed on its behalf by:

......................................... David Askwith Chairman and Trustee

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BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

Independent Auditor's Report to the Members of Brent Citizens Advice Bureaux

Opinion

We have audited the revised financial statements of Brent Citizens Advice Bureaux (the 'charity') for the year ended 31 March 2022, which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, Balance Sheet, Statement of Cash Flows, and Notes to the Financial Statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is United Kingdom Accounting Standards, comprising Charities SORP - FRS 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and applicable law (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

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 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 the provisions available for small entities, in the circumstances set out in note to the financial statements, 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 original financial statements were authorised for issue.

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 trustees are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the annual report, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.

In connection with our audit of the financial statements, 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 audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other information. 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.

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BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

Independent Auditor's Report to the Members of Brent Citizens Advice Bureaux

We have nothing to report in this regard.

Opinion on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

In the light of our knowledge and understanding of the charity and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the Trustees' Report.

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters where the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

Responsibilities of trustees

As explained more fully in the Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities (set out on page 12), the trustees 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 charity or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

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BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

Independent Auditor's Report to the Members of Brent Citizens Advice Bureaux

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

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.

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below:

Based on our understanding of the Charity and the sector in which it operates, we determined that the principal risks of non-compliance with laws and regulations related to the reporting framework (FRS 102, Companies Act 2006 and the Charities SORP 2019), health and safety legislation and data protection legislation. These risks were communicated to our audit team and we remained alert to any indications of non-compliance throughout our audit.

We understood how the Charity is complying with relevant legislation by making enquiries of management and conducting a review of board minutes. We also considered the results of our audit procedures and to what extent these corroborate this understanding and assessed the susceptibility of the Charity's financial statements to material misstatement. This included consideration of how fraud might occur and evaluation of management's incentives and opportunities for fraudulent manipulation of the financial statements.

We designed our audit procedures to identify any non-compliance with laws and regulations. Such procedures included, but were not limited to, inspection of any regulatory or legal correspondence; inspection of grant documentation and the conditions contained therein; challenging assumptions and judgements made by management; identifying and testing journal entries with a focus on large or unusual transactions as determined based on our understanding of the business; and identifying and assessing the effectiveness of controls in place to prevent and detect fraud.

Based on our understanding of the Charity and the sector in which it operates, we determined that the principal risks of non-compliance with laws and regulations related to the reporting framework (FRS 102, Companies Act 2006 and the Charities SORP 2019), health and safety legislation and data protection legislation. These risks were communicated to our audit team and we remained alert to any indications of non-compliance throughout our audit.

We understood how the Charity is complying with relevant legislation by making enquiries of management and conducting a review of board minutes. We also considered the results of our audit procedures and to what extent these corroborate this understanding and assessed the susceptibility of the Charity's financial statements to material misstatement. This included consideration of how fraud might occur and evaluation of management's incentives and opportunities for fraudulent manipulation of the financial statements.

We designed our audit procedures to identify any non-compliance with laws and regulations. Such procedures included, but were not limited to, inspection of any regulatory or legal correspondence; inspection of grant documentation and the conditions contained therein; challenging assumptions and judgements made by management; identifying and testing journal entries with a focus on large or unusual transactions as determined based on our understanding of the business; and identifying and assessing the effectiveness of controls in place to prevent and detect fraud.

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

Page 16

BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

Independent Auditor's Report to the Members of Brent Citizens Advice Bureaux

As part of an audit in accordance with ISAs (UK), we exercise professional judgement and maintain professional scepticism throughout the audit. We also:

We communicate with those charged with governance regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit and significant audit findings, including any significant deficiencies in internal control that we identify during our audit.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the charitable company's trustees, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. 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 charitable company and its trustees as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

...................................... Darren Bond (Senior Statutory Auditor) For and on behalf of Brebners, Statutory Auditor

130 Shaftesbury Avenue London W1D 5AR

Date:.............................

Page 17

BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 March 2022 (Including Income and Expenditure Account and Statement of Total Recognised Gains and Losses)

Year ended 31 March 2022 Note
Income and Endowments from:
Local Authority Grant
3
Grants & Contracts
4
Donations
5
Investment income
6
Other income
Total income
Expenditure on:
Charitable activities
Total expenditure
Net income/(expenditure)
Net movement in funds
Reconciliation of funds
Total funds brought forward
Total funds carried forward
19		 Unrestricted
funds
£
497,257
-
999
3,535
21,920
523,711
(473,637)
(473,637)
50,074
50,074
413,393
463,467		 Designated
Funds
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
60,732
60,732		 Restricted
funds
£
-
605,778
-
-
-
605,778
(674,844)
(674,844)
(69,066)
(69,066)
207,884
138,818		 Total
2022
£
497,257
605,778
999
3,535
21,920
1,129,489
(1,148,481)
(1,148,481)
(18,992)
(18,992)
682,009
663,017

The notes on pages 22 to 40 form an integral part of these financial statements. Page 18

BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 March 2022 (Including Income and Expenditure Account and Statement of Total Recognised Gains and Losses)

Comparative Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 March 2021

Year ended 31 March 2021
Note
Unrestricted
funds
£
Income and Endowments from:
Local Authority Grant
3
502,255
Grants & Contracts
4
-
Donations
5
502
Investment income
6
1,340
Other income
18,540
Total income
522,637
Expenditure on:
Charitable activities
(437,792)
Total expenditure
(437,792)
Net income/(expenditure)
84,845
Net movement in funds
84,845
Reconciliation of funds
Total funds brought forward
328,548
Total funds carried forward
19
413,393		 Designated
Funds
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
60,732
60,732		 Restricted
funds
£
-
713,905
-
-
-
713,905
(717,583)
(717,583)
(3,678)
(3,678)
211,562
207,884		 Total
2021
£
502,255
713,905
502
1,340
18,540
1,236,542
(1,155,375)
(1,155,375)
81,167
81,167
600,842
682,009

All of the charity's activities derive from continuing operations during the above two periods. The funds breakdown for 2021 is shown in note 19.

All recognised gains and losses are included in the Statement of Financial Activities.

The notes on pages 22 to 40 form an integral part of these financial statements. Page 19

BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

(Registration number: 03091835) Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2022

Note
Fixed assets
Tangible assets
13
Current assets
Debtors
14
Cash at bank and in hand
15
Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year
16
Net current assets
Total assets less current liabilities
Provisions
17
Net assets
Funds of the charity:
Restricted income funds
Restricted funds
Unrestricted income funds
Unrestricted funds
Designated Funds
Total unrestricted funds
Total funds
19		 2022
£
181,046
269,818
594,780
864,598
(182,562)
682,036
863,082
(200,065)
663,017
138,818
463,467
60,732
524,199
663,017		 2021
£
271,892
216,477
573,090
789,567
(167,667)
621,900
893,792
(211,783)
682,009
207,884
413,393
60,732
474,125
682,009

The Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to small companies according to Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006.

The financial statements on pages 18 to 40 were approved by the trustees, and authorised for issue on .................... and signed on their behalf by:

......................................... David Askwith Chairman and trustee

The notes on pages 22 to 40 form an integral part of these financial statements. Page 20

BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

Statement of Cash Flows for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

Note
Cash flows from operating activities
Net cash (expenditure)/income
Adjustments to cash flows from non-cash items
Depreciation
7
Investment income
6
Working capital adjustments
Increase in debtors
14
Increase/(decrease) in creditors
16
Charged/credited to SOFA
Net cash flows from operating activities
Cash flows from investing activities
Interest receivable and similar income
6
Purchase of tangible fixed assets
13
Net cash flows from investing activities
Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents at 1 April
Cash and cash equivalents at 31 March		 2022
£
(18,992)
92,825
(3,535)
70,298
(53,341)
14,895
(11,718)
20,134
3,535
(1,979)
1,556
21,690
573,090
594,780		 2021
£
81,167
94,727
(1,340)
174,554
(111,569)
(53,747)
38,311
47,549
1,340
(225,631)
(224,291)
(176,742)
749,832
573,090

All of the cash flows are derived from continuing operations during the above two periods.

The notes on pages 22 to 40 form an integral part of these financial statements. Page 21

Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

1 CHARITY STATUS

The charity is a company limited by guarantee, incorporated in England and Wales, and consequently does not have share capital. Each of the trustees is liable to contribute an amount not exceeding £1 towards the assets of the charity in the event of liquidation.

The charity's registration number is 1049632 and its company registration number is 03091835. The address of its registered office is: 270-272 High Road London NW10 2EY

2 ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Summary of significant accounting policies and key accounting estimates

The principal accounting policies applied in the preparation of these financial statements are set out below. These policies have been consistently applied to all the years presented, unless otherwise stated.

Statement of compliance

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 2019) - (Charities SORP (FRS 102)), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102). They also comply with the Companies Act 2006 and Charities Act 2011.

Basis of preparation

Brent Citizens Advice Bureaux 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 notes. The charity has adapted the Companies Act formats to reflect the special nature of the charity's activities.

The financial statements are presented in sterling which is the functional currency of the charity. Amounts within the financial statements are rounded to the nearest £1.

Going concern

The charity is dependent on the continued support of funders. The trustees believe that the charity will contine to receive support and accordingly consider that it is appropriate to prepare financial statements on a going concern basis. If funding was cut the trustees believe that the charity's activities, and consequently costs, could be reduced accordingly, and with the current level of unrestricted funds they believe that the charity could continue in operation at a lower level of activity for the foreseeable future. The financial statements do not include the adjustments that would result if the charity was unable to continue as a going concern.

In preparing the accounts, the trustees have therefore adopted the going concern basis.

Page 22

BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

Income

Donations and legacies income received by way of donations and grants is recognised when the charity is legally entitled to the income, certain of receipt and the amount can be quantified with sufficient reliability. Income is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the items of income have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.

Income is deferred only when the charity has to fulfil conditions or the income relates to future periods.

Investment income arises from interest bearing bank accounts and is recognised on a receivable basis.

Funds

Unrestricted funds comprise accumulated surpluses and deficits on general funds which are available for use at the discretion of the trustees, in furtherance of the general charitable objectives.

Restricted funds are subject to specific restricted conditions imposed by the donors.

Investment income

All the investment income arises from an interest-bearing deposit account.

Expenditure

All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all costs related to the category. Expenditure is recognised where there is a legal or constructive obligation to make payments to third parties, it is probable that the settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. All expenditure is categorised as expenditure on charitable activities includes governance costs and support costs. Governance costs include those incurred in the governance of the charity and its assets and are primarily associated with constitutional and statutory requirements.

Charitable activities

Charitable expenditure comprises those costs incurred by the charity in the delivery of its activities and services for its beneficiaries. It includes both costs that can be allocated directly to such activities and those costs of an indirect nature necessary to support them.

Depreciation and amortisation

Depreciation is provided on tangible fixed assets, other than assets under construction, so as to write off the cost or valuation, less any estimated residual value, over their expected useful economic life as follows:

Asset class

IT & Communication Equipment Leasehold Improvements

Depreciation method and rate 25% per annum straight line 25% per annum straight line

Page 23

BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

Debtors

Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due. Accrued income and tax recoverable is included at the best estimate of the amounts receivable at the balance sheet date.

Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due.

Cash and cash equivalents

Cash at bank and cash in hand includes cash and short term highly liquid investments with a short maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition or opening of the deposit or similar account.

Creditors

Creditors are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.

Provisions

Provisions are recognised when the charity has an obligation at the reporting date as a result of a past event, it is probable that the charity will be required to settle that obligation and a reliable estimate can be made of the amount of the obligation.

Operating lease agreements

Rentals payable under operating leases are charged against income on a straight line basis over the lease term.

Pensions

Members of staff who joined prior to 31 October 2000 were eligible to join the Charity's defined benefit managed by the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux after the completion of a qualifying period of service. The scheme is a multi-employer pension scheme and it is not possible to identify the assets and liabilities of the scheme which are attributable to Brent Citizens Advice Bureaux. In accordance with FRS 102 therefore, the scheme is accounted for as a defined contribution scheme. Contributions to the scheme are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities as they become payable in accordance with the rules of the scheme.

Financial instruments

The Charity only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value with the exception of bank loans which are subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method. Fixed assets other than freehold land are recorded at depreciated historical cost and all other assets and liabilities are recorded at cost which is their fair value.

Page 24

BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

3 LOCAL AUTHORITY GRANT

London Borough of Brent:
General Advice grant
Brent Advice Partnership
Total Local Authority Grants Received
Less Payments To Partners
Net Grant		 Unrestricted
funds
Total
2022
£
325,783
171,474
497,257
(88,000)
409,257		 Total
2021
£
330,780
171,475
502,255
(97,090)
405,165

4 GRANTS & CONTRACTS

Clyde & Co
Brent Housing Management (Partnership)
Children's Centres
Park Royal Centre for Mental Health
Capitalise
Winter Warmth Project
Universal Support
NCIL
European Union Settlement Scheme
Total Restricted Grants & Contracts
Total Grants & Contracts		 Restricted
funds
Total
2022
£
30,642
26,217
114,817
23,000
70,791
600
301,535
-
16,266
605,778
605,778		 Total
2021
£
27,492
26,217
128,283
23,000
81,054
400
279,146
135,626
12,687
713,905
713,905

5 DONATIONS

Anonymous Donations Unrestricted
funds
Total
2022
£
999
999		 Total
2021
£
502
502

Page 25

BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

6 INVESTMENT INCOME

Interest receivable and similar income;
Interest receivable on bank deposits
NET INCOME/EXPENDITURE
This is stated after charging:
Audit of the financial statements
Depreciation of tangible fixed assets
Operating lease payments		 Unrestricted
funds
Total
2022
£
3,535
2022
£
7,200
92,825
28,600
128,625		 Total
2021
£
1,340
2021
£
7,200
89,649
23,578
120,427

7 NET INCOME/EXPENDITURE

8 TRUSTEES REMUNERATION AND EXPENSES

No trustees, nor any persons connected with them, have received any remuneration from the charity during the year.

No trustees have received any reimbursed expenses from the charity during the year.

Page 26

Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

9 STAFF COSTS

The aggregate payroll costs were as follows:

Staff costs during the year were:
Wages and salaries
Social security costs
Pension costs		 2022
£
732,332
67,663
30,047
830,042		 2021
£
708,060
65,536
58,651
832,247

The monthly average number of persons (including senior management / leadership team) employed by the charity during the year expressed as full time equivalents was as follows:

General Bureau Services
Projects
Support		 2022
No
10
9
8
27		 2021
No
5
18
6
29

No employee earned in excess of £60,000 during the year (2021: no employee).

The charity considers its key management personnel to comprise of one person, the Chief Executive. During the year this position was held by two individuals, with no overlap in periods of service. The total aggregate employment benefit for this role was £55,596 (2021: £53,570).

10 AUDITORS' REMUNERATION

Audit of the financial statements
11 TAXATION		 2022
£
7,200		 2021
£
7,200

The charity is a registered charity and as such is entitled to certain tax exemptions on income and surpluses on trading activities carried on in furtherance of the charity's primary objectives, if these profits and surpluses are applied solely for charitable purposes.

Page 27

BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

12 ANALYSIS OF EXPENDITURE
Current year
General Bureau Services
Projects
Totals
Prior year
General Bureau Services
Projects
Totals
Support cost analysis
Staff travel cost
Printing, postage and stationery
Telephone and fax
Computer expenses
Office sundries
Insurance
Rent and rates
Light and heat
Water
Premises and equipment maintenance
Cleaning
Training cost
Reference material
Membership fees
Payroll charges
Bank charges
Depreciation
Total support costs		 Staff Costs
£
278,124
551,918
830,042
Staff Costs
£
320,159
512,088		 Direct Costs
£
145,860
73,154
219,014
Direct Costs
£
108,257
126,727		 Governance &
Suppport
Costs
£
2022
Total
£
53,512
477,496
45,913
670,985
99,425
1,148,481
Governance &
Suppport
Costs
£
2021
Total
£
9,376
437,792
78,768
717,583		 Governance &
Suppport
Costs
£
2022
Total
£
53,512
477,496
45,913
670,985
99,425
1,148,481
Governance &
Suppport
Costs
£
2021
Total
£
9,376
437,792
78,768
717,583		 Governance &
Suppport
Costs
£
2022
Total
£
53,512
477,496
45,913
670,985
99,425
1,148,481
Governance &
Suppport
Costs
£
2021
Total
£
9,376
437,792
78,768
717,583
832,247 234,984 88,144 1,155,375
2022
£
7,013
2,367
6,560
5,268
6,860
5,874
28,600
5,930
2,792
3,729
272
95
2,141
7,851
3,202
495
3,176
92,225		 2021
£
3,162
1,591
9,777
7,483
628
4,597
23,578
4,946
300
7,043
843
283
2,367
5,753
3,100
415
5,078
80,944

Page 28

BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

Support cost analysis
Total support costs brought forward
Governance
Audit
Total support and governance costs		 2021
92,225
7,200
99,425		 2020
80,944
7,200
88,144

13 TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS

TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS
IT &
Communications
£
Cost
At 1 April 2021
82,560
Additions
1,979
At 31 March 2022
84,539
Depreciation
At 1 April 2021
79,614
Charge for the year
3,176
At 31 March 2022
82,790
Net book value
At 31 March 2022
1,749
At 31 March 2021
2,946		 Leasehold
Improvements
£
358,595
-
358,595
89,649
89,649
179,298
179,297
268,946		 Total
£
441,155
1,979
443,134
169,263
92,825
262,088
181,046
271,892

Page 29

BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

14 DEBTORS

14 DEBTORS
Prepayments and accrued income
Funds received as agent
Funds paid as agent
Balances held
15 CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Cash at bank
16 CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR
Other taxation and social security
Other creditors
Accruals
Deferred income
Deferred income at 1 April 2021
Amounts released from previous periods
Deferred income at year end		 2022
£
269,818
2022
£
88,000
(88,000)		 2021
£
216,477
2021
£
97,090
(97,090)
- -
2022
£
594,780
2022
£
23,697
18,625
140,240
182,562
2022
£
-
-
-		 2021
£
573,090
2021
£
27,240
5,319
135,108
167,667
2021
£
(13,466)
13,466
-

Page 30

BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

17 PROVISIONS

PROVISIONS
At 1 April 2021
Charged to the statement of recognised gains and
losses
At 31 March 2022		 Pension
contributions
provision
£
123,783
(11,718)
112,065		 Dilapidation
provision
£
88,000
-
88,000		 Total
£
211,783
(11,718)
200,065

18 ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BETWEEN FUNDS

Tangible fixed assets
Net current assets
Provisions
Total net assets
Tangible fixed assets
Net current assets
Provisions
Total net assets		 Unrestricted funds
General
£
Designated
£
87,603
-
575,929
60,732
(200,065)
-
463,467
60,732
Unrestricted funds
General
£
Designated
£
131,727
-
493,449
60,732
(211,783)
-
413,393
60,732		 Restricted
funds
£
93,444
45,374
-
138,818
Restricted
funds
£
140,165
67,719
-
207,884		 Total funds at
31 March
2022
£
181,047
682,035
(200,065)
663,017
Total funds at
31 March
2021
£
271,892
621,900
(211,783)
682,009

Page 31

BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

19 FUNDS
Current year
Unrestricted funds
General
General fund
Designated
Repairs reserve
Total unrestricted funds
Restricted funds
Children's Centres
Capitalise
Universal Support
Brent Housing Management
Clyde & Co
Park Royal Centre for Mental
Health
NCIL
European Union Settlement
Scheme
Trussell Trust
London & Quadrant
WDP
Winter Warmth Project
Catalyst Housing Brent
Catalyst Housing - Ealing
Brent Welfare Reform Project
BAS4IL
WPWP
VSIF
Veolia
Other
Genesis Community Housing
BDIG
Total restricted funds
Total funds		 Balance at 1
April 2021
£
413,393
60,732
474,125
6,001
20
3,137
1,101
(1,653)
6,728
140,165
-
-
(968)
968
5,595
8,687
167
2,354
145
1,128
524
5,402
17,862
8,545
1,976
207,884
682,009		 Incoming
resources
£
523,711
-
523,711
114,817
70,791
301,535
26,217
30,642
23,000
-
16,266
21,910
-
-
600
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
605,778
1,129,489		 Resources
expended
£
(473,637)
-
(473,637)
(135,343)
(71,196)
(304,672)
(27,318)
(27,017)
(23,000)
(46,722)
(16,266)
(21,910)
-
-
(1,400)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
(674,844)
(1,148,481)		 Balance at 31
March 2022
£
463,467
60,732
524,199
(14,525)
(385)
-
-
1,972
6,728
93,443
-
-
(968)
968
4,795
8,687
167
2,354
145
1,128
524
5,402
17,862
8,545
1,976
138,818
663,017

Page 32

BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

Prior year
Unrestricted funds
General
General fund
Designated
Repairs reserve
Total unrestricted funds
Restricted
Children's Centres
Capitalise
Universal Support
Brent Housing Management
Clyde & Co
Park Royal Centre for Mental
Health
NCIL
European Union Settlement
Scheme
London & Quadrant
WDP
Winter Warmth Project
Catalyst Housing Brent
Catalyst Housing - Ealing
Brent Welfare Reform Project
BAS4IL
WPWP
VSIF
Veolia
Other
Genesis Community Housing
BDIG
Total restricted funds
Total funds		 Balance at 1
April 2020
£
328,548
60,732
389,280
5,712
6,476
2,286
1,713
(1,268)
8,215
136,345
-
(968)
968
5,293
8,687
167
2,354
145
1,128
524
5,402
17,862
8,545
1,976
211,562
600,842		 Incoming
resources
£
522,637
-
522,637
128,283
81,054
279,146
26,217
27,492
23,000
135,626
12,687
-
-
400
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
713,905
1,236,542		 Resources
expended
£
(437,792)
-
(437,792)
(127,994)
(87,510)
(278,295)
(26,829)
(27,877)
(24,487)
(131,806)
(12,687)
-
-
(98)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
(717,583)
(1,155,375)		 Balance at 31
March 2021
£
413,393
60,732
474,125
6,001
20
3,137
1,101
(1,653)
6,728
140,165
-
(968)
968
5,595
8,687
167
2,354
145
1,128
524
5,402
17,862
8,545
1,976
207,884
682,009

Page 33

BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

Name of fund

Children's Centres

Capitalise

Universal Support

Brent Housing Partnership

Clyde & Co

Park Royal Centre for Mental Health

Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy

European Union Settlement Scheme

Trussell Trust

Personal Budget Service

London & Quadrant (L&Q)

Westminster Drug Project (WDP)

Winter Warmth

Catalyst Housing Brent

Catalyst Housing Ealing

Brent Welfare Reform Project

BAS4IL

Description, nature and purpose of the fund

Generalist advice to parents with children aged 5 and under in the London Borough of Brent.

The provision of specialist debt advice to Brent residents.

Help to Claim project supports Universal claimants, up to the date of their first payment, to receive their full entitlement to this benefit.

The provision of money and debt advice to Brent Council tenants and leaseholders.

The provision of free honorary legal advice with the support of Clyde & Co International Law Firm.

Welfare benefits and money advice to inpatients of Park Royal Centre for Mental Health.

Refurbishment of the Brent Citizens Advice Bureau office which is included within fixed assets where the expenditure is considered capital in nature.

Assistance for vulnerable EU nationals in the Borough of Brent in supporting applications for leave to remain under the EU Settlement Scheme.

Provision of financial advice to help address the root causes of food poverty.

Provision of support with personal budget to Universal Credit claimants.

Provision of money advice to L&Q tenants under their Pound Advice Project.

Provision of welfare benefits, employment and housing advice to clients of Westminster Drug Project.

Provision of financial suppport to those experiencing fuel poverty through donations made by patrons of the Tricycle Theatre and others.

The provision of money advice to Catalyst Housing tenants and leaseholders living in Brent.

The provision of money advice to Catalyst Housing tenants and leaseholders living in Ealing.

The provision of welfare benefits and debt advice to Brent residents directly affected by changes to the welfare benefits system.

The provision of debt and employment advice to people aged 18-64 referred to the office by Age UK Brent in order to promote and maximise the independence of Brent's older and disabled people through high quality accessible advice and guidance.

Page 34

BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

Name of fund

WPWP

Description, nature and purpose of the fund

The provision of legal and welfare benefits advice to residents of the St Raphael's Estate, in addition to supporting them to manage their personal finances successfullly, as well as providing advice and to upskilling those living in Brent who are directly affected by the rolllout of Universal Credit.

Funding to improve the employability of local Voluntary Sector Initiative Fund (VSIF) unemployed residents through volunteering. Funding to allow local residents to clear domestic Veolia water debts (ended in December 2012). The provision of money and debt advice to Genesis Genesis Community Housing Community Housing tenants and leaseholders (ended March 2013). Funding to deliver advice to disabled people and Brent Disability Interim Gateway (BDIG) people with long-term limiting health problems.

The designated unrestricted fund "Repairs Reserve" relates to funds set aside to cover repairs and dilapidations commitments.

Page 35

Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

20 PENSION AND OTHER SCHEMES

Defined benefit pension schemes

Citizens Advice ('the Principal Employer') operates a defined benefit scheme ('the Plan') in the UK which provides both pensions in retirement and death benefits to members. Pension benefits are related to the members' final salaries at retirement and their length of service at the date they retired or left pensionable service. The Plan closed to future accrual on 31 March 2008. The Plan also contains some money purchase AVCs and protected rights funds, which are not included in these disclosures.

In accordance with the schedule of contributions in force over the 2022/23 accounting year, the contributions to the Plan for the year ending 31 March 2023 are expected to be £2,579,000, which includes £2,279,000 towards the deficit and £300,000 as an allowance for administration expenses and all scheme levies. The 31 March 2022 valuation is currently underway and a new schedule of contributions will be put in place at its completion.

The Plan is a registered scheme under UK legislation. The Plan is subject to the scheme funding requirements outlined in UK legislation. The Plan is governed by the Plan's Trust Deed and Rules dated 4 April 2011. The Trustee is responsible for the operation and the governance of the Plan, including making decisions regarding the Plan's funding investment strategy (although they are required to consult the Principal Employer).

A full actuarial valuation of the Plan was carried out as at 31 March 2022 by a qualified independent actuary, based upon membership data as at 31 March 2019, allowing for assumed membership movements over the period from this date, and any material membership movements significantly different from those assumed (e.g. transfers out).

The most recent formal actuarial valuation of the Plan was as at 31 March 2019 and revealed a funding deficit of £68,501,000. In the recovery plan agreed following the valuation, the Principal Employer and other participating employers agreed to pay deficit reduction contributions of £2,279,000 per annum with the view to eliminating the deficit by 31 March 2037. The 31 March 2022 valuation is currently underway.

The liabilities of the Plan are based on the current value of expected benefit payment cashflows to members of the Plan over the next 60 or more years. The average duration of the liabilities is approximately 15 years.

The Plan is exposed to actuarial risks such as market (investment) risk, interest rate risk, inflation risk, currency risk and longevity risk.

Page 36

Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

The major assumptions used by the actuary were (in nominal terms) as follows:

As at 31 As at 31
March March
2022 2021
% %
Discount rate 3.25 2.80
Inflation (RPI) 2.80 2.10
Revaluation of deferred pensions in excess of GMP 3.25 2.80
Pension in payment increases of:
- -
Discount rate 3 3
- CPI or 5% p.a. if less 3.25 2.80
- CPI inflation since retirement or 5% p.a. compound if less 2.70 2.50
- CPI or 3% p.a. if less 2.70 2.50
Commutation of pension for cash at retirement (% of HMRC maximum) 75.00 75.00

Assumed life expectancies on retirement at age 65 are:

Assumed life expectancies on retirement at age 65 are:
As at 31 As at 31
March March
2022 2021
Years Years
Current UK pensioners at retirement age - male 21 21
Current UK pensioners at retirement age - female 24 24
Future UK pensioners at retirement age - male 23 23
Future UK pensioners at retirement age - female 26 26

Page 37

BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

The assets in the Plan were:

Multi asset funds
Structured Equity
Cash
Fair Value of Plan assets		 Value at 31
March
2022
£
68,955,000
27,488,000
5,771,000
102,214,000		 Value at 31
March
2021
£
72,995,000
24,849,000
1,509,000
99,353,000

The actual return on assets over the period was:

The actual return on assets over the period was:
As at 31
March
2022
£
Return on scheme assets
5,301,000
Reconciliation of scheme assets and liabilities to assets and liabilities recognised
2022
£
Present value of defined benefit obligation
(148,768,000)
Fair value of scheme assets
102,214,000
Defined benefit pension scheme deficit
(46,554,000)		 As at 31
March
2021
£
14,282,000
2021
£
(161,415,000)
99,353,000
(62,062,000)

Reconciliation of opening and closing balances of the present value of the defined benefit obligation

Present value at start of year
Current service cost
Interest cost
Actuarial gains and losses
Benefits paid
Present value at end of year		 2022
£
161,415,000
771,000
3,346,000
(11,745,000)
(5,019,000)
148,768,000

Page 38

BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

Reconciliation of opening and closing balances of the fair value of Plan assets

Fair value at start of year
Interest income
Return on plan assets, excluding amounts included in interest income/(expense)
Employer contributions
Benefits paid
Fair value at end of year		 2022
£
99,353,000
2,061,000
3,240,000
2,579,000
(5,019,000)
102,214,000

The pension scheme has not invested in any of the charity's own financial instruments or in properties or other assets used by the charity.

The amounts recognised in profit or loss

Service cost - including current and past service costs and liabilities
Service cost - administrative cost
Net interest on the net defined benefit liability
Total expense		 As at 31
March
2022
£
-
771,000
1,285,000		 As at 31 March
2021
£
-
652,000
1,270,000
2,056,000 1,922,000

Remeasurement of the net defined benefit liability (asset) to be shown in OCI

As at 31
March
2022
£
Actuarial (gains)/losses on the liabilities
(11,745,000)
Return on assets, excluding interest income
(3,240,000)
Changes in the effect of the asset ceiling excluding interest income
-
Total remeasurement of the net defined benefit liability (asset) to be
shown in OCI
(14,985,000)		 As at 31 March
2021
£
21,568,000
(12,230,000)
-
9,338,000

Page 39

Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

21 FINANCIAL COMMITMENTS

Total future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases are as follows:

Land and buildings
Within one year
Between one and five years
After five years		 2022
£
28,600
114,400
206,782
349,782		 2021
£
28,600
114,400
235,382
378,382

The total amount recognised as an expense relating to operating leases during the year was £28,600 (2021: £28,600).

22 LIABILITY OF MEMBERS

The Charitable Company is limited by guarantee and has no share capital. In the event of the Charity being wound up, the liability in respect of the guarantee is limited to to £1 per member of the Charity during the time they are a member, or one year thereafter, as stated in the Memorandum and Articles of Association. There is no one controlling party.

23 RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

There were no related party transactions in the year.

Page 40

Management Information for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

The following pages do not form part of the financial statements.

Page 41

BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

Detailed Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

Income and Endowments from:
Local Authority Grant
Grants & Contracts
Donations
Investment income
Other income
Total income
Expenditure on:
Charitable activities (analysed below)
Total expenditure
Net (expenditure)/income
Net movement in funds
Reconciliation of funds
Total funds brought forward
Total funds carried forward		 Total
2022
£
497,257
605,778
999
3,535
21,920
1,129,489
(1,148,481)
(1,148,481)
(18,992)
(18,992)
682,009
663,017		 Total
2021
£
502,255
713,905
502
1,340
18,540
1,236,542
(1,155,375)
(1,155,375)
81,167
81,167
600,842
682,009

This page does not form part of the statutory financial statements. Page 42

BRENT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX

Detailed Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 March 2022

Income
Local Authority Grant
Donations
Grants & Contracts
Investment income
Expenditure
Staff costs
Agency Staff
Staff Travel Cost
Printing, Postage and Stationery
Telephone and fax
Computer expenses
Office Sundries
Insurance
Operating lease payments
Light and Heat
Water
Premises and Equipment Maintenance
Reference material
Advertising
Auditors' remuneration
Payroll Charges
Legal fees
Bank Charges
Depreciation, amortisation and other similar costs
Partner Payments
Premises Refurbishment		 Total
2022
£
497,257
999
605,778
3,535
1,107,569
(830,042)
(107)
(7,013)
(2,368)
(6,560)
(5,268)
(6,860)
(5,874)
(28,600)
(5,929)
(2,792)
(4,002)
(10,086)
(1,800)
(7,200)
(3,202)
(28,958)
(495)
(92,825)
(88,000)
(10,500)
(1,148,481)		 Total
2021
£
502,255
502
713,905
1,340
1,218,002
(832,247)
(325)
(3,283)
(1,591)
(9,777)
(7,483)
(628)
(4,597)
(23,578)
(4,946)
(301)
(7,886)
(8,404)
-
(7,200)
(3,100)
(3,511)
(414)
(94,727)
(97,091)
(44,286)
(1,155,375)

This page does not form part of the statutory financial statements. Page 43