2025-03-31-accounts - Caraline: Eating Disorders Counselling And Support Service

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Caraline Eating Disorder Counselling and Support Service Annual Report and Accounts 1[st] April 2024 – 31[st] March 2025

Registered Charity Number 1053897

Caraline Financial Statements Year Ended 31[st] March 2025

Contents	Page
Members of the board and professional advisor		2
Trustees Annual Report		3-12
Independent examiners report		13
Statement of financial activities		14
Balance Sheet		15
Notes to the Financial Statements		16-18

Financial Statements Year Ended 31[st] March 2025

The Board of Trustees

Wendy Whipp – Chair of the board

Brian Holmes - Treasurer

Sara Yearwood

Jessica Smith (Resigned)

Maria Antypa

Grace Ambrose (Resigned)

Natalie Lister

Dean Langton

John Jackson

Chief Executive Officer

Claire Jackson

Charity Address

Kline House

13 George Street West

Luton

LU1 2BJ

Independent Examiner

Streets S J Males Limited

Basepoint Business & Innovation Centre 110 Butterfield

Luton

LU2 8DL

Financial Statements

Year Ended 31[st] March 2025

The Caraline Board of Trustees has the pleasure of presenting its annual report and unaudited accounts for registered charity 1053897 for the year ended 31 March 2025.

Our Vision

Caraline envisions a world where eating disorder prevention is part of our education system and early intervention eating disorder therapies are accessible to all.

Our Mission

Founded in 1994, Caraline is committed to providing early evidenced-based intervention therapies to those living with eating disorders and their caregivers. Caraline will dispel myths associated with eating disorder recovery by the provision of psychoeducation.

Values

Integrity – We maintain the highest standards of professional and ethical behaviour. Our therapists approach individual therapy, group therapy and support groups with compassion, kindness and respect. All our therapy team receive regular and professional supervision, both in-house and externally.

Evidence-Based - Evidence-based practice includes the integration of the best available evidence, clinical expertise and client values. All therapy received at Caraline is approved by the NHS using the evidence-based practice principles

Respect- At every stage of our treatment process, all of Caraline’s clients, caregivers, and staff will be treated with respect and dignity.

Diversity – Caraline values equality and inclusion for all, irrespective of culture, religious beliefs, or sexual orientation. Client feedback is important to us when

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Financial Statements

Year Ended 31[st] March 2025

Chair Person’s Report

Chair Annual Report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025.

In 2025 Caraline has continued to provide a service to the community for those presenting with an eating disorder and those who support them, and will continue to provide care to those in need in the years to come.

The aim of the charity is to help those presenting with an eating disorder via therapeutic intervention and also to support those caring for someone with an eating disorder. To achieve this, the charity has provided one-to-one interventions, group work, carers support groups, and peer support groups. This service is provided to those in need regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identification, or disability.

The service previously worked with those aged 18 or over. However, in this financial year Caraline received £60k funding, over two years, from the Robert and Marjorie Steel Memorial Fund. The funding was to support children and young people living with eating disorders and provide education and awareness in schools.

This funding has enabled the charity to help those between 15 and 17, thus enabling a larger age range of people who can be supported by the charity. Seventeen young people have currently been supported by this additional funding. We have also continued our work in local schools, and were able to present to those aged 11-14, reaching approximately 700 students. We hope to continue with this important work.

This year we were joined by two new trustees Maneesha De Silva and Roger Whipp, they will add to the expertise of the current trustees. Jess Smith stepped down as a trustee due to work commitments. As trustees, we aim to support the charity's work and consider new avenues of financial support with a view to widening our reach in securing funding from other sources as well as the NHS. In addition our aim for the coming year is to also look at our social media to see how we can reach out to a wider community.

This year, we have once again welcomed trainee Clinical Psychologists from Hertfordshire University to a placement at Caraline. Their support has been valuable and we have been able to offer a good learning environment in which to gain knowledge about eating disorders and how to treat them. The arrival of the trainees was timely as our referral list had been closed for a brief period from October 2024 to January 2025. We were able to reopen the list with this additional support. We plan to continue providing placements in the next academic year.

We communicate on a regular basis with the CEO. Positive feedback continues to be received from service users and their carers. As trustees, we are proud of the achievements of all the Caraline staff and the important work that they provide.

Dr. Wendy Whipp Chair of Trustees

Financial Statements Year Ended 31[st] March 2025

Chief Executive Officer Report

Service Overview

Caraline has continued to provide a comprehensive treatment and support package for those living with eating disorders and disordered eating within Luton and Bedfordshire. Depending on eating disorder presentation, clients are offered evidence-based and evidence-informed interventions within our treatment pathway. Service provision includes triage, assessments, individual psychotherapy, group psychotherapy, support groups and transition services. Due to service demand and capacity, we needed to make a difficult decision to close to new referrals Oct-Jan temporarily.

Key Service Statistics:

Referrals received : 220
Therapy sessions delivered: 1,319
Eating Behaviour Group sessions: 56
Support Calls: 165
Friends and Family groups and Peer Support groups: Held Monthly.

Service Enhancements:

Wait List Management System

To enhance service delivery and client safety, we introduced a waitlist management system for those waiting to receive treatment with us. The system was designed to offer up to three support calls to clients assessed as suitable for our service and awaiting individual or group intervention. The system had three key aims.

Regularly assessing clinical risk , through brief assessment on the support call with the client of changes in presentation, enabled us to prioritise clients for treatment or step-up to our partner service if appropriate.
Supporting Early Intervention - The support calls allowed us to actively engage the clients and start building the therapeutic relationship. Whilst providing psychoeducation and guided self-help.

3. Retain Client Engagement— It is well documented that there are high treatment dropout rates for those presenting with an eating disorder, including service-level barriers of thresholds, long wait times, ambivalence, and

treatment experience, among others. The support calls enabled clients to understand the psychological and physical risk factors while normalising their experience to reduce stigma and build motivation.

Feedback on Waitlist Management System

We reopened to referrals in January 2025 and are pleased to report that we currently have no waiting list. To assess the effectiveness of our waitlist management system, we gathered feedback from both clients and staff.

The responses were mixed. Some clients found the psychoeducational calls helpful, particularly in gaining a deeper understanding of their experiences. However, many reported difficulties with implementing regular eating during the wait period.

Based on this feedback, we have revised our approach. While we no longer encourage regular eating during the wait, we continue to offer psychoeducation to normalise clients’ experiences. Additionally, we provide general support calls to help maintain engagement and motivation, and to reduce the risk of dropout should a wait for treatment become necessary.

Robert and Marjorie Steel Memorial Fund

Following an application to the Steel Charity Trust for the Luton Matters award, Caraline was delighted that the Trustees recognised the importance and scale of our work in supporting those living with eating disorders and awarded Caraline £60k over two years from the Robert and Marjorie Steel Memorial Fund. The funding was to support children and young people living with eating disorders and provide education and awareness in schools.

The funding could not have been more timely. This year, severe funding cuts within our local NHS specialist CAMHS eating disorder service resulted in staff reductions. Therefore, acuity has increased, with children and families waiting longer to access services, given that demand does not match capacity. This is not unique to CAMHS but across the broader system that impacts Caraline. However, the grant received has enabled us to see fourteen children so far and offer treatment.

Upon receiving the first part of the grant funding, we advertised for a children's CBT therapist. Aware that the recruitment process can take some time, involving advertising, selection, and notice periods, we worked closely with the CAMHS Psychiatrist to identify suitable clients. Our therapist started in November, but we started meeting the young people and their carers before to offer timely assessments and start intervention.

A total of 17 service users are benefitting from this additional funding. All of these service users require individual therapy due to the nature and complexity of their eating disorder, whilst all of their carers are supported through our carers groups as well as family meetings with the therapist.

Eating Disorder Awareness Putteridge High School Luton.

In October 2024, to promote early intervention and prevention, we attended Putteridge High School in Luton, and presented to three-year groups aged 11-14, reaching approximately 700 students.

Clinical Outcomes of Clients Accessing Treatment at Caraline

We routinely collect quantitative and qualitative data to evaluate and improve our services. The use of validated psychometric measures, including the EDE-Q ( Fairburn & Beglin, 1994), PHQ-9 (Kroenke & Spitzer, 2002), GAD-7 (Spitzer et al., 2006) and the CIA (Bohn & Fairburn, 2008) are routinely administered pre-, mid- and post-treatment. Below is a sample by presentation evidencing reduction in eating disorder symptoms, and improved quality of life for some clients who finished treatment this year with us.

Figure 1 :EDE-Q Subscale Scores Across Treatment Stages, highlighting a clear reduction in scores from the beginning to end of therapy.

Figure 2 : All three presentations demonstrate a consistent reduction in CIA scores from Triage to the end of therapy, reflecting improved daily functioning and a decrease in psychosocial impairment.

Figure 3: PHQ-9 – Decrease in depression symptoms across treatment. GAD-7 - Decrease in anxiety symptoms across treatment.

PHQ-9 (Depression) – measures severity of depression symptoms. Scores decrease significantly from triage to end of therapy across all three presentations. For Anorexia, 17 to 6 indicates a shift from moderately severe depression to minimal symptoms.

GAD-7 (Anxiety) – measures the severity of generalised anxiety. Scores also decrease consistently across therapy. Bulimia drops from 14 to 4, showing a reduction from moderate anxiety to minimal.

Client Testimonials

To complement our clinical outcome data, we are pleased to share a sample of anonymised testimonials from clients who accessed treatment this reporting year

“Please keep doing what you are doing. For a long time I feared that I would never be free of my eating disorder but your amazing service has been life changing, thank you.”

“I am really pleased with how the treatment went as I really feel that I have made progress in recovering from my eating disorder and know what I need to do if I feel

like I could relapse. The most helpful things were the focus on regular eating and also challenging the thoughts and beliefs I have due to the eating disorder.”

“My experience with Caraline has been life changing. Before I started, I was very ill with a poor quality of life. The evidence in what happened when I did the tasks each week was incredible.”

“I loved every moment of my sessions, I wouldn’t change a single thing. Every session was amazing.”

“I really appreciated having a non-judgmental, open, and friendly space where I could share freely without feeling restricted or worried about what I said. Everything I learned throughout the course was genuinely helpful. It was especially reassuring to hear that recovery isn’t a straight path—that setbacks and relapses are part of the process, and that I shouldn’t feel ashamed when they happen.”

Partnership Working

Caraline strongly believes that working in partnership with other organisations is essential to delivering effective care, combining knowledge, resources, and compassion to create a more responsive and inclusive service provision.

NHS Partners

We continue to work closely with our NHS Adult and CAMHS eating disorder services with our stepped care and transition pathway. This joint initiative ensures a “no wrong door” approach, preventing individuals from falling through service gaps. Weekly joint meetings between teams enable shared planning and smoother transitions. For those not meeting NHS thresholds, we bridge the gap by providing early intervention, improving outcomes, and reducing further demand on our statutory partners.

This year, we also introduced a shared Assistant Psychologist model between Caraline and NHS Adult Community Eating Disorder Team (CEDS). This innovative arrangement strengthens and enhances clinical collaboration, providing a richer learning environment for emerging professionals while strengthening continuity of care.

Working Together Group Led by Experts by Experience

Experts by experience lead the working together group by sharing their experience across Caraline and our NHS adult CEDS. The group is an excellent example of coproduction. An example is the production of the language guidance document when approaching someone you suspect is struggling with eating difficulties. Developed to help professionals and carers communicate more sensitively and effectively with individuals experiencing eating disorders. Drawing directly from lived experience, it has been incorporated into training professionals and carers. Training is coproduced and co-delivered with our experts.

Regional Eating Disorder Charity Alliance Network ( REDCAN)

Caraline remains a committed member of the Regional Eating Disorders Charity Alliance and Network (REDCAN), a strategic partnership of nine regional charities dedicated to improving outcomes for individuals affected by eating disorders. This year, REDCAN has advanced a high-support, high-standard model of collaboration, fostering consistency and excellence across services. Regular CEO meetings offer a vital space for peer support and strategic alignment, while monthly clinical lead forums facilitate the sharing of best practices and continuous learning. Through REDCAN, Caraline strengthens its voice, enhances service quality, and contributes to a unified effort to transform eating disorder care across the UK.

Conclusion

As I reflect on the achievements and challenges of the past year, it is clear that Caraline’s impact is the result of a collective effort. From the delivery of evidencebased therapies to innovative partnerships and community outreach, every success has been made possible by the unwavering dedication of our staff, Trustees, volunteers, and funders. Their commitment, compassion, and belief in our mission have enabled us to continue providing essential, life-changing support to individuals and families affected by eating disorders. Thank you.

Claire Jackson

CEO & Founder Member

July 2025.

Caraline Eating Disorders Counselling and Support Services

Independent examiners report to the trustees of Caraline Eating Disorders Counselling and Support Services

I report on the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31st March 2025, which are set out on pages 14 to 18.

Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

The trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed. The charity’s gross income exceeded £25,000 and I am qualified to undertake the examination by being a qualified member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).

Having satisfied myself that the charity is not subject to audit under charity law and is eligible for independent examination, it is my responsibility to:

examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act
to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act
to state whether particular matters have come to my attention

Basis of independent examiner’s report

My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair view’ and the report is limited to those matters set out in the next statement.

Independent examiner’s statement

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:

(1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:

to keep accounting records in accordance with section 386 of the Companies Act 2006 and

• to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records, comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the Companies Act 2006 and with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities (FRS102SORP)

have not been met or

(2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached

Name: Streets S J Males Limited Date: 15/09/2025 Basepoint Business & Innovation Centre 110 Butterfield Luton LU2 8DL

Relevant professional qualification or body: ICAEW

Caraline Eating Disorders Counselling and Support Services Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31 March 2025

Incoming Resources BLMK ICB Service Level Agreement Donations Grants Bank Interest Other Income Total Income Resources expended Wages and salaries Pensions Employer's NI Subcontractor costs Staff training and welfare Travel and subsistence Rates and Utilities Bank Fees Cleaning Premises Maintenance Postage, Freight & Courier Light and Heating General Expenses Insurance Printing & Stationery IT Software and Consumables Subscriptions Telephone & Internet Depreciation Accountancy fees Advertising and PR Other legal and professional Total Expenses Surplus/(Deficit) of Income over Expenditure Fund balance b/f Surplus/(Deficit) of Income over Expenditure Transfer between funds Fund balance c/f	Unrestricted funds £ - 8,696 - - 8,799 17,495 - - - - - - - 276 916 162 - - - 1,094 895 3,020 311 261 - 7,442 - 1,113 16,215 1,280 166,546 1,280 - 167,826	Restricted funds £ 305,320 - 30,000 - - 335,320 284,457 7,274 23,434 37,155 642 - 286 - 2,600 514 - 1,366 - 1,259 1,074 8,450 914 1,308 1,682 - - 4,214 376,629 (41,309) 160,906 (41,309) - 119,597	2025 Total funds £ 305,320 8,696 30,000 - 8,799 352,815 284,457 7,274 23,434 37,155 642 - 286 276 3,516 676 - 1,366 - 2,353 1,969 11,470 1,225 1,569 1,682 7,442 - 5,327 392,844 (40,029) 327,452 (40,029) - 287,423	2024 Prior year funds £ 468,504 5,203 10,760 440 2,365
				487,272
				271,053 6,951 22,156 16,443 2,452 595 946 62 2,155 1,313 10 2,523 8 4,116 1,509 9,794 449 2,443 2,478 5,942 35 6,466

				359,899

				127,373
				200,079 127,373 -
				327,452

Caraline Eating Disorders Counselling and Support Services Registered number: 1053897 Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2025

Registered number: Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2025		1053897
				2025	2024
		Unrestricted	Restricted
	Notes	funds	funds	Total	Total
		£	£	£	£
Fixed assets
Tangible assets	3	109,170	-	109,170	109,992
Current assets
Debtors	4	12,536	292,816	305,352	137,345
Cash at bank and in hand		74,979	119,597	194,576	93,503
		87,515	412,413	499,928	230,848
Creditors: amounts falling
due within one year	5	(28,859)	(292,816)	(321,675)	(13,388)
Net current assets		58,656	119,597	178,253	217,460
Net assets		167,826	119,597	287,423	327,452
Funds of the Charity
Restricted funds		-	119,597	119,597	160,906
Unrestricted funds		167,826	-	167,826	166,546
Total Funds		167,826	119,597	287,423	327,452
Signed:
		Wendy Whipp		29/09/2025
Signature		Print Name:	Date of approval	Date of approval

Caraline Eating Disorders Counselling and Support Services Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025

1 Accounting policies

Basis of preparation

The accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) issued on 16 July 2014, and with the Charities Act 2011.

There have been no changes of accounting policy, changes to accounting estimates or material prior year errors.

Recognition of income

Income is included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SoFA) when

the charity becomes entitled to the resources;
it is more likely than not that the trustees will receive the resources; and
the monetary value can be measured with sufficient reliability.

Grants and donations are only included in the SoFA when the general income recognition criteria are met.

In the case of performance related grants, income must only be recognised to the extent that the charity has provided the specified goods or services as entitlement to the grant only occurs when the performance related conditions are met (5.16 FRS 102 SORP).

Offsetting

There has been no offsetting of assets and liabilities, or income and expenses, unless required or permitted by the FRS 102 SORP or FRS 102.

Support costs

The charity has incurred expenditure on support costs.

Volunteer help

The value of any voluntary help received is not included in the accounts but is described in the trustees’ annual report.

Liability recognition

Liabilities are recognised where it is more likely than not that there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to pay out resources and the amount of the obligation can be measured with reasonable certainty.

Governance and support costs

Support costs have been allocated between governance costs and other support. Governance costs comprise all costs involving public accountability of the charity and its compliance with regulation and good practice.

Support costs include central functions and have been allocated to activity cost categories on a basis consistent with the use of resources, eg allocating property costs by floor areas, or per capita, staff costs by the time spent and other costs by their usage.

Tangible fixed assets

Tangible fixed assets are measured at cost less accumulative depreciation and any accumulative impairment losses. Depreciation is provided on all tangible fixed assets, other than freehold land, at rates calculated to write off the cost, less estimated residual value, of each asset evenly over its expected useful life, as follows:

Office Equipment over 2 years

Caraline Eating Disorders Counselling and Support Services Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025

Debtors

Debtors (including trade debtors, prepayments and loans receivable) are measured on initial recognition at settlement amount after any trade discounts or amount advanced by the charity. Subsequently, they are measured at the cash or other consideration expected to be received.

Pensions

Contributions to defined contribution plans are expensed in the period to which they relate.

2 Employee costs Salaries and wages Social security costs Pension costs (defined contribution scheme)	2025 284,457 23,434 7,274 315,165	2024 271,053 22,156 6,951
		300,160

1 (2024 - 2) employees received employee benefits for the reporting period of more than £60,000.

Charitable activities Overheads Average number of persons employed by the charity	2025 Number 7 2 9	2024 Number 7 2
		9

During the year 1 Trustee (2024 - 1) received payment for services to the charity as authorised in the charity trust deed.

Wendy Whipp received £13,000 (2023 - £12,000) for supervision services provided to the charity.

3 Tangible fixed assets

Tangible fixed assets
Cost At 1 April 2024 At 31 March 2025 Depreciation At 1 April 2024 At 31 March 2025 Net book value At 31 March 2025 At 31 March 2024 Freehold land and buildings: Historical cost Cumulative depreciation based on historical cost	Land and buildings £ 107,101 107,101 - - 107,101 107,101	Office Equipment £ 23,869 24,729 20,978 22,660 2,069 2,891 2025 £ 107,101 - 107,101	Total £ 130,970
			131,830
			20,978
			22,660
			109,170
			109,992
			2024 £ 107,101 -
			107,101

Kline House, Luton was purchased in 1997 from a National Lottery grant and is held at historical cost.

In August 2021, the National Lottery Community Fund confirmed they no longer hold a financial interest in the property.

Caraline Eating Disorders Counselling and Support Services Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025

4 Debtors Trade debtors Other debtors 5 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year Trade creditors Taxation and social security costs Other creditors	2025 £ 303,516 1,836 305,352 2025 £ 1,751 7,120 312,804 321,675	2024 £ 137,345 -
		137,345
		2024 £ 390 11,235 1,763
		13,388

6 Independent Examiner's fee

In 2025 £1,260 (2024 - £1,260) was paid to Streets Chartered Accountants for examination of the charity's accounts.

7 Reserves policy

Caraline's policy is to hold 3 months of expenditure in cash reserves.

If the balance falls below this amount the trustees will be informed and monitor the balance weekly until it returns to this level.

In 2025 this amount was £98,000.

8 Movement in funds General Funds BLMK ICB and Grant Funding Total Funds Net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows Unrestricted funds General Funds Restricted funds BLMK ICB and Grant Funding Total Funds	At 31/3/23 Net movement in funds £ £ 166,546 1,280 160,906 (41,309) 327,452 (40,029) Incoming Outgoing resources resources £ £ 17,495 (16,215) 335,320 (376,629) 352,815 (392,844)	At 31/3/24 £ 167,826 119,597
		287,423
		Movement in funds £ 1,280 (41,309)
		(40,029)