OpenCharities

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator.

2024-03-31-accounts

Annual Report

Family Lives 2; | family { Hives

Annual Report and Accounts

2023-24

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

1

Annual Report

Family Lives

Contents

Annual Report

Annual Report
Welcome from our Chair and Chief Executive 3
About Family Lives 4
Our vision, mission and values 5
Our achievements 6
Our fnances: summary 7
Our strategy 2022 to 2025 9
Our volunteers 10
How we support families
Helpline, livechat and email support 11
Online advice and support 12
Early years services 13
Children and teenagers 16
Family befriending 18
Family support 22
Mental and emotional health support 26
Diversity, equality and inclusion 29
Accounts
This year’s fnancial results 34
Legal and administrative information 37
Objectives and public beneft 37
Governance and management 38
Independent auditors’ report 41
Statement of fnancial activities 44
Balance sheet 45
Statement of cash fows 46
Notes forming part of the fnancial statements 47

2

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Annual Report

Family Lives

Welcome

From our Chair and Chief Executive

Our dedicated and extraordinary staff and volunteers have continued to support and empower families this year as they navigate life’s ever-changing landscape. From the ongoing squeeze of the cost of living crisis to the lingering effects of the pandemic, families are facing challenges that feel overwhelming. Our team has been there offering a helping hand and a listening ear.

As well as maintaining our vital services, this year we’ve expanded our reach into Swansea, Cardiff and Leicestershire with new services. We’re also expanding into Doncaster with early years support – growing our network of services to better serve families across the UK.

In Spring 2023 we released a powerful report called ‘Feeling Under Siege’ about the often silent issue of child to parent violence. It made a real difference, generating media coverage and raising awareness to help more families get the support they need.

We’re proud to have played a crucial role in supporting Ukrainian refugees settling in London, helping them address the trauma of their experiences; a huge credit to our highly committed Westminster team who stepped up with compassion and expertise.

This year marked the second of our strategic plan, where we focussed on four key areas: building stronger families; raising children’s potential; supporting families experiencing child to parent aggression and violence; and connecting families and communities.

While things might seem a bit “back to normal”, the pandemic and economic strains have left lasting impacts on families. As we plan for the future, our focus remains the same: empowering families to manage not just today’s challenges but to thrive in the face of whatever tomorrow may bring.

We’re excited to continue this journey with you. Together, we can make a real difference in the lives of families across the UK.

Neena Rupani, Chair and Jeremy Todd, Chief Executive

3

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Annual Report

Family Lives

About Family Lives

Our story began over 45 years ago, when a group of concerned parents came together to volunteer their time with the aim of ensuring that all parents and families had somewhere to turn before they reached crisis point. This continues to be our mission and we are extremely proud that we are still providing vital support to families today. We couldn’t do this without the unwavering generosity and compassion of our volunteers who know that the right support at the right time makes all the difference.

The past few years have been undeniably challenging for families with the pandemic layering economic and social anxieties on to families already facing everyday struggles. Through it all we’ve remained committed to supporting families, with whatever they’re going through.

We believe in the power of active support and understanding. That’s why we offer a comprehensive suite of resources, including our national helpline, online chat, email support, and a resource-rich website. For families in need of more intensive support, we provide a range of direct services across various locations in England and Wales.

Our range of programmes addresses a wide spectrum of challenges families face. From helping parents navigate teenage aggression and supporting couples in conflict to offering befriending services, mental health resources, parenting workshops, as well as our home learning programme ParentChild+, which aims to reduce the school readiness gap. The goal at our heart is that families gain from us the knowledge, tools, support and confidence to move on and thrive.

The expertise, generosity and compassion of our staff and volunteers is at the heart of everything we do, and we work together with them to support families through our range of services. We are, and have always been, a volunteer-led organisation – we simply could not do it without them alongside our staff. Many of our volunteers began their relationship with us as service users but have stayed to support others on their journey – a testament to the support they themselves received.

Our helpline, live chat and email services remain the cornerstone of our outreach, providing a vital lifeline for families across the UK. We know that many families also need more intensive, longer-term support which is why we offer befriending services to thousands of families in specific areas of England and Wales.

4

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Annual Report

Family Lives

Our values

----- Start of picture text -----
We value
Mission
being
We build better Vision Collaborative
family
Compassionate
lives together Families should have
access to active Trustworthy
support and
understanding
----- End of picture text -----

Our reach

We are proud to be available to everyone who needs us in all areas of the UK. However, we are particularly proud to reach those seldom heard in our communities who can also be the most vulnerable.

5

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Annual Report

Family Lives

Our achievements

with my child, helping him build confidence Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements and for the be year ending patient. 31 March 2024 99 6

Annual Report

Family Lives

Summary Our finances

Funding received 2024: £2,361.000

Source of income (£’000):

----- Start of picture text -----
1,600
1,450
1,400
1,200
1,000
800
662
600
400
186
200
63
0
Central Local Trusts and Others
Government Government Foundations
----- End of picture text -----

Funding received 2023: £2,341,000

Source of income (£’000):

----- Start of picture text -----
1,400
1,315
1,200
1,000
800
707
600
400
259
200
24 36
0
Central Local Trusts and National Lottery Others
Government Government Foundations Community Fund
----- End of picture text -----

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

7

Annual Report : Our finances

Family Lives

Summary of expenditure 2024: £2,405,000

What we spent the funding on (£’000):

----- Start of picture text -----
2,000
1,500
1,379
942
1,000
500
58 26
0
National services Face to Face Raising funds Professional
services development
----- End of picture text -----

Summary of expenditure 2023: £2,450,000

What we spent the funding on (£’000):

----- Start of picture text -----
2,000
1,498
1,500
896
1,000
500
55
1
0
National services Face to Face Raising funds Professional
services development
----- End of picture text -----

8

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Annual Report

Family Lives

Our Strategy 2022-25

Since our beginnings more than 45 years ago, Family Lives has supported families from the very first days of becoming a parent through the teenage years and beyond. We are proud to offer support across the age range so that families can turn to us whenever they need us.

To allow us to reach as many families as possible, and respond to increasing areas of need, we are focussing on four specific objectives:

Our strategic aims are to:

----- Start of picture text -----
1
----- End of picture text -----

Build Stronger Families

To ensure more families have access to a range of family support when and how they need it

2

Support Families Experiencing Child to Parent Aggression and Violence

To raise awareness of the increase in child to parent aggression and violence, and to support families experiencing this

3

4

Connect Families and Communities

To support families to feel part of their community and access local resources

Raising children’s potential

To support families in the early years to help more children be ready for school and have the same chances as their peers

9

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Annual Report

Family Lives

Our volunteers

Our volunteers play such an essential part in our work, now more than ever, to support families who need us. The range of volunteers who offer their time, energy and compassion include our Trustees, volunteer befrienders in the community and those answering calls on our helpline, ready to offer a listening ear to whatever issue the caller speaks about.

We are incredibly grateful for everything they do. We are proud to hold the Investing in Volunteers quality standard for good practice in volunteer management, which sits alongside our Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Volunteering Award.

Our volunteers are at the very centre of the services we provide to families, both in the community and through our helpline. Over the last year, our volunteers donated 16,190 hours of support through our helpline, online and face to face services.

We continue to develop strong links with colleges and universities near our helpline hubs to offer volunteer placements to students, particularly those studying counselling or social care. And we are also

proud that many of the parents we support decide Vows to become volunteers themselves for Family Lives.

All our volunteers receive substantial training before going on to support families. This is followed up with ongoing professional development and supervision. Our helpline volunteers undertake a 30-hour training programme to ensure they are equipped to become skilled and effective call takers. They support callers with a wide range of issues with care and respect.

We are also now training volunteers online to ensure we can provide access to those who do not live near one of our helpline call centres. Our volunteer befrienders also receive appropriate bespoke training for their role. Our volunteers report that they often benefit just as much as the people they support, going on to higher education or to find employment.

10

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Annual Report

Family Lives

How we support families

Helpline, livechat and email support

It has been yet another busy year for our national services. We have answered thousands of calls, chats and emails providing advice and support on parenting and family issues, as well as supporting a phone-in on ITV’s ‘This Morning’ programme.

22,724 helpline calls answered

We achieved this thanks to our staff and the contribution and commitment of our dedicated volunteers across the country who donated over 9,500 hours of their time answering helpline calls and live chats.

Parents and family members contact us at times when they are most in need of a listening ear to support and guide them, often in highly distressing situations with nowhere else to turn. Our staff and volunteers use a guided process to enable the parent or family member to explore the reasons for their own or their child’s difficulties and consider further actions they could take to improve their situation.

7,621 live chats answered

Calls to our helpline cover a wide range of family challenges, with separation, child contact, and teenage behaviour being the most frequent in the past year.

Who called our helpline this year

44% of our callers are mothers and 25% are fathers (Last year: 45% and 26% respectively)

50% are single parents (Last year: 52%) 21% have a disability (Last year: 18%)

household in come of below £15,59 9 per annum (meaning th ey are living below the po verty line) (Last year: 31 %)

17% of callers are from Black and Mi nority Ethnic backgrounds (Last year: 17%)

32% of callers are on a

Feedback questions asked at the end of calls show the following:

99% of callers were satisfied with the service they received (Last year: 98%)

96% said the y felt more confident to deal with their situatio n as a result of calling (Last year: 77%)

11

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Annual Report: How we support families

Family Lives

Online advice and support

Over the last year we have continued to add new advice to our website which already has hundreds of articles and videos for parents covering all ages and stages.

Our refreshed and updated online parenting course ‘Parents Together’ continues to be ever more popular, and we now have a suite of

six online parenting courses, covering topics from a new baby in the family, bringing up confident children, to sibling rivalry. We are also pleased to offer the new baby course in Arabic and Pashtu which are two of the languages spoken in the areas where we provide services.

Feedback from our website survey* shows:

Our website users also represent diverse demographics:

  - 96% would use the website again

94% were satisfied or very satisfied with the website

e 25% considered themselves to be a parent or carer of a child with a disability or additional needs

e 13% of website users said that English was not their first language

12

Annual Report: How we support families

Family Lives

Early years services

Improving children’s school readiness

We all want children to be ready to start school so that they can thrive and enjoy their education, as set out in our strategic aim to raise children’s potential. We are extremely proud to be able to support parents and their children in school readiness though the ParentChild+ programme in several areas across London – Westminster, Tower Hamlets and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC).

ParentChild+ is an early intervention programme for families with children aged 18 months to 4 years. It is designed to improve the homelearning environment so that children are more ready for school. Our early learning home visitors work with the parent and child together for 12 to 15 months through regular sessions.

We work alongside parents to demonstrate how to increase verbal and non-verbal interactions, develop positive behaviours and encourage early literacy skills. Parents learn how to become their child’s first teacher, leading to their child being better prepared for school which sets them up for a positive future. The programme helps to develop strong parent-child relationships, improve family collaboration, build on families’ strengths and provide a strong foundation for lifelong learning.

As well as helping with school readiness in Tower Hamlets, we have also supported parents on the programme to return to employment. Some parents enrolled on local courses and some became volunteers for the programme.

In Westminster and RBKC, we began delivering an updated ParentChild+ programme in July

“ There are changes. Has made improvements in terms of coping with noise level and having other children around him. Definitely uses more vocabulary and attempts to say the words by making the same sounds. Repetition really helps him, he tries to repeat the same words.

“

My child learned how to do eye contact. Listening to others and his behaviour has improved and he has stopped throwing things around. I have also learnt how to play with my child, helping him build confidence and be patient.

2023 after making a few changes to the delivery method. We introduced group sessions which take place in the local children’s centres with positive feedback from parents, alongside home visiting sessions with families. Following a reduction in funding, we also introduced home-made activities rather than supplying toys. This had the added benefit of giving parents low cost ideas of things they can do with their child. Examples include messy play and sensory activities, and walks to the library and local parks which children enjoy a lot.

We are very pleased that over the last year, 22 parents completed the ParentChild+ programme in Tower Hamlets. And 57 families were supported in RBKC and Westminster, exceeding our annual target of working with 50 families, and we currently have a 6-8 week waiting list. Due to high demand, we recruited two more home visitors and four volunteers to support with group sessions and potentially home visits in the future.

One of the challenges we faced this year was encouraging parents to fully commit to the programme after they first enrol. We addressed this by promoting the programme in children’s centres and by reaching out and speaking to parents about the benefit of this programme and how it will support them and their child. We also worked in partnership with the local health visiting team and the children’s centre play workers. This approach has worked well and attracted more families to enrol on the programme.

13

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Annual Report: How we support families

Family Lives

Parents Matter: Perinatal and

Antenatal Wellbeing Service

Our Parents Matter service in the London borough of Camden supports pregnant and new parents with children under two years old in addition to activities for families with older siblings. Our volunteer peer supporters, who speak several community languages, visit parents in their home, offering a listening ear to help ease the demands of parenting and support the couple relationship.

The main aims of the service are to improve mental health and wellbeing of new parents, reduce social isolation, and increase parents’ self-confidence. It also aims to support a positive relationship between parents and their baby.

“ I was feeling nervous before giving birth to baby. I was told about Family Lives’ services and contacted them. As a new mum I didn’t know what was available to me, I appreciate all the information given to me and support in accessing the sessions. I have been supported by my volunteer who helped me a lot. I have now made lots of parent mum friends and attend regularly to the sharing space sessions.

Over the year, the service provided 1:1 and group support for parents who require additional support during pregnancy and early parenthood, aiming to increase resilience and their ability to build and sustain positive relationships. We trained 39 peer supporters who delivered individual and group support within community settings. The service supported groups and awareness raising sessions which were run in response

Additionally, we have organised trips to the transport museum and the zoo to further enrich the experiences of the families.

During the year we ran an awareness-raising campaign for the service which was highly successful and exceeded its targets. As a result, the service was expanded to include antenatal services to support expectant parents plus support for families with multiple children and organised activities and trips.

This year: We supported 195 service users (111 engagement and 52 in group sessions and 71 in activities with siblings)

Last year: We supported 20 individuals and 181 families

14

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Annual Report

Family Lives

Supporting the local community

We were delighted to see how this project – as well as supporting individuals – realised one of our core aims of Connecting Families and Communities. We provided our programme in a variety of community languages, extending our reach to the most vulnerable who struggled to integrate in their local community for a variety of reasons. We gave practical, emotional, and educational support, including to fathers from different backgrounds who were often isolated and disengaged from the community. We recognised and celebrated the impact of our volunteers at Camden-wide events where they provided role models for further community action.

Westminster 0 to 5 Befriending

This is a long-standing service in Westminster supporting families with children aged 0-5 through befriending by volunteers from the local community. The amazing volunteers provide parents of pre-school children with emotional and practical support. The service encourages parents to interact positively with their child which helps to build a strong parentchild relationship. Befrienders also support parents by linking them with other services, providing advice, options and empowering them to navigate and access local services. We also ensure they know about the other Family Lives services available, such as our helpline and online advice on our website.

Individual and befriending support has been valuable in reducing isolation, increasing engagement with local services and community connections. Building on our success, we’ve recruited more volunteers from the local community. This focus on in-person meetings has fostered strong connections and positive relationships. Now, these volunteers are actively participating in new training and volunteering opportunities.

Some of the issues parents are faced with include isolation, managing children’s behaviour, family and relationship distress, and issues around special educational needs and disability (SEND). The project also supports families with immediate needs, including referrals to food banks, baby banks and support with material grants.

This year: 24 out of a target of 50 referrals received

Last year: 50 referrals received

15

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Annual Report: How we support families

----- Start of picture text -----
Family Lives
----- End of picture text -----

Children and Teenagers

Lewisham Parent Champions

Our parent volunteers in Lewisham offer support to families with children aged 10-25 with a range of challenges such as emotional health, well-being, and reducing violent behaviour. This is done through one-to-one sessions, group support, and workshops. By creating awareness and boosting confidence, we empower parents to effectively support their young people.

Our Parent Champions supported 76 families, and organised and hosted monthly coffee mornings and half-term events such as craft mornings. We also helped with the cost of living by giving families shopping vouchers.

It is important that the project works with other local organisations. After building up relationships and awareness of the project, we were able to work with many charities such as Forward UK, Barnardo’s, Future Men, Catch22 and Abianda who facilitated workshops for our Parent Champions. This helped them to understand the issues being faced by the young people in the borough. There are good working relationships between staff and volunteers, which makes it easier to collaborate and facilitate events. We have also engaged with a number of local schools by liaising with the relevant family support workers.

How we contribute to the local community

We are very pleased that our service helps volunteers to build their confidence and several went on to paid work after their volunteering experience with Family Lives.

This year: 76 referrals Last year: 148 referrals

Ealing Turnaround

The Ealing Turnaround project empowers families facing the stress and uncertainty of having a child in the Youth Justice System by providing emotional support, practical strategies, and resources to help them cope. Our dedicated Family Support Worker works closely with each family for three months, developing parenting skills and strategies to set boundaries and reduce risky behaviours which could lead to gang involvement or further offences.

The service has had significant successes in engaging families into the service, leading to improved family dynamics and positive outcomes for both the child and their family. Parents are equipped with strategies to effectively manage challenging behaviour and make positive changes to their parenting style. This has led to better relationships with their young person and helped to reduce conflict and increase trust within the home. By addressing underlying issues such as trauma, mental health or substance misuse, the service helped parents create a supportive and stable environment for their child.

The service also connected parents with other families facing similar challenges, fostering a sense of community and reducing feelings of stigma and isolation. This supportive network enables parents to share their experiences, advice and resources which promotes resilience and positive parenting practices.

16

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Annual Report: How we support families

Annual Report: How we support families Family Lives Westminster Parent Champions Our Parent Champion Service is an earl y intervention project aimed at curbing violence in London by strengthening families and communities. It supports parents with children between 10 and 16 years old who may be at risk of grooming or exploitation, are preparing for secondary school, have challenging behaviour or where parents need support navigating the education, criminal justice or social care systems. Parent Champions are trained volunteers who offer peer-to-peer support on an individual and group basis. They also signpost to relevant agencies and help facilitate activities and workshops to foster social connections, improve family relationships, and promote positive parenting skills. We seek to empower families with the knowledge and tools to understand and address potential challenges and risks faced by children and young people by providing spaces where parents can access information, wy opportunities to address concerns abo ut their children’s behaviour and safety, and provide a platform for mutual support. Parents have responded positively to both the morning for fathers and then continue to group sessions and individual support where build on this. the Champions use a more conversational Some of the volunteers are keen to support and informal structure. They have focussed local families within the Parent Champions on parenting and included information from Network beyond the current project’s the Violence Reduction Unit which has led to duration. We are exploring collaborating regular attendance and excellent engagement. with volunteers and partners like the Young Parents report feeling more confident and Westminster Foundation to develop a understanding how to keep their children safe training and delivery model that underpins and some have even subsequently expressed[a] long-term peer-led community support. interest in becoming volunteers themselves. Some of the challenges on this project have been volunteer recruitment and also engaging with fathers. But despite several innovative This year: We worked with 147 initiatives to attract fathers to the project, there parents

Some of the challenges on this project have been volunteer recruitment and also engaging with fathers. But despite several innovative initiatives to attract fathers to the project, there has been relatively low engagement. We are hoping to develop a relationship with a fathers’ group/organisation to be able to in the first instance deliver a one-off workshop / coffee

Last year: (Not applicable)

17

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Annual Report: How we support families i

Family Lives

parents who haven’t engaged with other services, while also supporting many parents who are waiting for referrals to the Child and Adult Mental Health Service. We also supported parents whose children display aggression as there are no other services for them to access. This year we received an increase in the number of referrals and saw a marked increase in the complexity of cases. As a result we supported a total of 191 families based on an original target of 120.

Family Befriending

Ealing Family Coaching

Our Family Coaching service for parents and carers works alongside and receives referrals from the Supportive Action for Families in Ealing (SAFE) team. Through Individual support or volunteer family mentoring, we provide 8 to 10 sessions of confidential 1:1 listening support for parents and carers who want to talk through challenges and get support to make changes. We do this by developing skills and implementing strategies around their family challenges. This includes addressing issues such as managing routines and behaviours; parenting children with SEND; overcoming isolation and barriers to socialising and dealing with child aggression and related behaviours. We also address couple conflict and co-parenting, school readiness and transitions to school.

This year: 191 families supported

Last year: 102 families supported

“

“ “

Alongside the individual support, we also delivered two parenting courses over the year that focussed on parents’ specific needs and challenges. We are pleased that additional offers of our ‘Raising Confident Children’ courses for parents of children with ASD/ADHD were commissioned by the local authority and are very popular. Each course was fully booked and had a waiting list.

The sessions were really ” informative. They equipped me with lots of useful resources. I got a better understanding of my child and of new strategies to support

my child’s behaviour. ”

We were also pleased to be able to work with

”

18

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

----- Start of picture text -----
Annual Report: How we support families Family Lives
----- End of picture text -----

Hounslow Energise Families

Our work with families in Hounslow aims to help families to be more active together through weekly 1:1 support of up to 1.5 hours for up to 4 months. This support takes place in person, over the phone or via video calls. Parents are given the opportunity to talk through issues that are affecting them and their family, giving them strategies to cope and help to find solutions.

We have encouraged parents to consider how they promote positive wellbeing for themselves and their children. For example, we advocate self-care strategies and support parents to better understand their child’s emotional needs.

The professionals in Hounslow who refer families to our services liked having a service which can dedicate weekly time to help families feel less isolated and help them access after school activities like dance, football and karate classes. Signposting is a significant part of the support we offer and is routinely provided to parents. This could be information about schools, specialist matters such as ASD, debt management, housing, foodbanks, immigration status or fun activities for the family to do during school holidays. This increases the impact on families as they are better informed and supported.

It is a joy to see parents start to appreciate the value of play and laughter to keep their family relationships intact. We help them plan and have special time doing fun things with their children despite the challenges they may also be going through with housing, immigration services or issues such as domestic violence.

Using an activities jar was a very popular strategy, particularly where families pick a weekend activity for the whole family such as bike riding, going to the lakes or on a creepy crawly bug hunt.

This year: 138 beneficiaries supported (27 family referrals)

Last year: We supported 44 families through 370 befriending sessions

19

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Annual Report: How we support families

Family Lives

Westminster Early Help

This year our service supported ten families with children aged 0-16 years old who have been ‘stepped down’ from local authority Early Help support, through volunteer home visits and outreach support across Westminster.

The service only accepts referrals from the local authority Early Help team and specifically for families who require step down support. This may include families who require ongoing support at a lower level of need after the Early Help case has closed or families who may benefit from joint work from both services.

For this service, successes include some families being able to integrate into the community by attending workshops and parents’ groups, particularly families who were very isolated and found it difficult to engage with the community and access support. There are also families that became more resilient and able to cope by themselves, by taking charge and attending appointments and asking for help when needed. It can be challenging to engage with families initially as often they are used to a very intensive level of support from the Early Help service. However, we explain the benefits of having a befriender and how they can help them through their journey and achieve their goals with someone by their side and having someone to check in with and offer a listening ear.

This project also helps to strengthen community connections, because we encourage the families to attend workshops and training at the children’s centre and online, where they can meet new people and learn from each other. We have even had some mums enquire about becoming a volunteer, when they are settled and in a better place.

This year: 10 families supported

Last year: 14 families supported through 152 befriending sessions

Case Study

We supported a mother and her twin boys. One of the twins has autism and their mother wanted to learn more about autism and how to better support her son. We signed her up for some relevant courses which she appreciated as it helped develop her understanding of autism. She also attended some parenting classes and we connected her with an Arabicspeaking colleague, who was able to support her to understand her son’s Education Health and Care (EHC) Plan. Her son also has some health challenges.

20

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

----- Start of picture text -----
Annual Report: How we support families Family Lives
----- End of picture text -----

Westminster 5-16 Befriending

The Befriending Service supports vulnerable and marginalized families with children aged 5-16 years in the London Borough of Westminster. Parents receive 1-1 support, delivered in the home or in community venues, for up to six months. We match parents with a trained befriender who provides support for between 1 and 4 hours a week.

The families referred to the service usually have a variety of needs including emotional, financial, housing, parental boundaries or stress. We are able to assess their main support needs and match them with an appropriate befriender. Family Lives works collaboratively with other agencies in the area to maximise the network of support and links in with other services when needed.

Families often require support with parenting routines and boundaries. But they also need help with overcrowded or inadequate housing, rent arrears, debt, threat of eviction as well as mental health issues, adolescent behaviour and problems at school. These challenges have increased over recent months and years with financial

insecurity and an increasing demand on social and caring services.

The lack of social housing in London Boroughs has been significant and often affects the mental health and wellbeing of families. Many referrals to this service highlight housing issues, and we work collaboratively with specialist organisations to provide advice and support. We have also seen a rise in households who have an adult or child who is affected by depression or poor mental health. This has resulted in an increase in liaison with specialist services such as Child and Adolescent Mental Health, and more time in Team Around Family meetings to help meet the families’ needs and keep them safe.

This year: 23 families referred

Last year: 20 families referred

21

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Annual Report: How we support families

Family Lives

Family Support

Supporting Families Living in Recovery

The overall goal of this service is to reduce the impact of addiction on family members, both emotionally and practically and help them navigate the challenges of living with someone who is a recovering addict. By offering parenting and emotional support and resources that promote healing and recovery, we can help strengthen family relationships so family members can maintain a healthy and nurturing environment for their children.

Families participating in the service have reported feeling more empowered and equipped to deal with the challenges of addiction. Through the support and resources provided, families report that they have gained confidence in their ability to navigate recovery and positively impact their own lives and the lives of their family. Individuals and family members have been willing to engage in the service as the project has worked towards reducing stigma associated with addiction, and helped to change perceptions to create a more supportive environment for families in recovery.

A significant challenge we faced this year was the departure of our trusted Family Support Worker. With over four years on the project, she had built a strong rapport with clients who valued her expertise and professionalism. However, a highlight in addressing this challenge was in the successful appointment of one of our established Family Support Workers who the families have come to embrace.

This year: We supported over 60 families through group and individual sessions.

Last year: We supported 32 parents individually and ran 59 workshops/ groups

Westminster Outreach Service

The Outreach team supports families with children aged 0-5 years old, living in the London borough of Westminster. The core aim of the service is to provide early access to support for families, acting as a gateway and first port of call for families with a new baby, isolated families, families with financial, emotional, and social challenges.

We work with families who are experiencing a range of different issues, offering support with the following: material grants and financial support, childcare and nurseries, parenting issues, relationship or domestic violence, housing, employment, isolation and depression and many other issues.

We assist families to navigate and access the relevant statutory and voluntary services. We also support families who speak English as a second language and help them to connect with their local Family Hubs and understand what services are available to them, such as childcare offers, health, and stay and play drop-ins. We aim to break barriers to support and reduce isolation.

We provide support and information through home visits and Family Hub appointments. We listen to families and help to identify their needs and what options may be available, whether this is assistance with immediate needs, such as food bank referrals and material grants, or help with childcare or housing applications.

This year: We worked with 251 families/outreach cases

Last year: 1,934 adults and children reached individually and ran 59 workshops/groups

Through our targeted outreach work, many families who were previously unaware of the two-year-old entitlement to childcare were able to successfully apply for and access a place for their child. We have also continued to support families for whom language is a barrier to accessing the necessary services and have recruited new outreach workers who speak Arabic and Bengali.

22

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

----- Start of picture text -----
Annual Report: How we support families Family Lives
----- End of picture text -----

Whole Family Relationship Support

Our Whole Family Relationship Support Service in Leicestershire provides families with comprehensive help and guidance that builds stronger relationships and provides strategies to overcome difficulties and challenges together. We are receiving lots of referrals relating to school avoidance, challenging behaviour, children with diagnosed and suspected ADHD, as well as other SEN needs.

The need for this service is demonstrated by the fact that we received more than 37 referrals from families and professionals within six months of project start up. In response to need we have started two parents’ groups covering wellbeing support for parents and supporting young people with anxiety.

We have also established strong links with the Education Partnership Network and are planning to deliver parenting workshops in various schools across the borough. We have held successful coffee mornings in schools which were well received and resulted in several referrals.

As this service is new and due to the high rate of referrals, we are working hard to recruit more volunteers which will help to avoid long waiting lists. We already have four volunteers who are trained and matched up with families.

“

I want to tell everybody about your service. I have been screaming out for help and nobody has been there. You are the only service that has helped me and there is no other service like yours out there. ”

This year: 37 referrals

Last year: Not applicable

Since starting the service we have also established a partnership with Leicestershire Family Hubs and now deliver programmes from there.

23

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Annual Report: How we support families

Family Lives

Supporting Refugee Families

In a short period of time we were able to set up this service to assess sponsors and refugees from Ukraine on behalf of the Westminster and Royal Borough of Kensington and Chealsea Councils to ensure they fulfil their obligations set by

We were able to work on a backlog for the Council whilst also assessing new arrivals. We were asked to support this new service by the two boroughs after our successful work with Afghan refugees placed at hotels.

This service requires us to quickly adapt to changing needs and the requirements set out by the Government. We had to scale up quickly and source staff to support the increasing demand for the service, and recruited a coordinator to manage the project.

Since May 2022, we have carried out 541 checks (either host assessment, property check and/or welfare check).

Holiday Activities and Food

The Holiday, Activities and Food programme in Westminster is for families with a 4 to 11-year-old child and their siblings. It aims to deliver high-quality holiday activities and family learning opportunities for families who are on a low income and in receipt of free school meals.

The wider aim is to address the issue of food poverty and the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on parents, carers, and others in a parenting role. The service aims to support families to encourage healthy eating over the school holidays and understanding more about health and nutrition, and being active during the school holidays. We also support family learning, positive family engagement and peer socialisation, and offer advice on keeping safe and building confidence.

Parents and carers have expressed how happy they have been and how helpful the activities have been and the benefits they and their children have experienced.

attending several exciting activities over the holidays such as trips to the RAF museum, Tower Bridge, Kew Gardens, London Zoo, the Cartoon Museum, the floating classroom and the London Science Museum. It was lovely to see the families making new friends and engaging with their children during the summer trips. During the colder months families have still been able to benefit from lively, indoor sessions with lots of creative and fun activities, including a magician.

“

This is a great opportunity for my children and myself. They had a good time with new friends.

This year: we supported 202 children and adults

Last year: 75 families attending

24

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Annual Report

Hertfordshire Parenting Groups

We were commissioned directly by Herts County Council to provide a service under their Reducing Parental Conflict programme. The service supports couples or separated parents experiencing conflict, and who have children with diagnosed or undiagnosed SEND and wish to co-parent more consistently and positively. The service provides parents with support and strategies to improve their parenting skills via online parenting groups and workshops. We have received more than 200 referrals from Herts parents this year and were commissioned to deliver 22 x 6-week groups and 5 workshops.

This year: 22 parenting groups delivered and 5 workshops

----- Start of picture text -----
Family Lives
----- End of picture text -----

“

I can’t thank you enough. It was so refreshing and seeing things from different perspectives makes me less angry and frustrated. I have learned that my children’s behaviour reflects their struggles and I can use more empathetic approach. Shouting never resolves anything.

Last year: 15 parenting groups delivered and 7 workshops

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024 Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

25

Annual Report: How we support families

Family Lives

Mental and emotional health support

City of London Wellbeing Service

This service in the City of London provides support to families and their children going through emotional and mental health challenges. It offers an individual support service where we meet with parents face to face to provide a listening ear and a safe space for them to offload. We work through each challenge, offer strategies, and monitor and modify these where necessary to make a positive difference in the lives of families. We work in partnership with the local authority Early Help team, The Aldgate School, and the Family Centre to refer or signpost parents to specialists or further support such as speech and language therapy and CAMHS.

We help parents come to terms with their child’s diagnosis, how and where to access support to cope with their child. This has an impact on the family as a whole. Emerging needs for parents this year have centred on coping with children with SEND, parent isolation and inconsistent co-parenting styles within families. On occasion we have worked with both parents to achieve some consistency.

This year we have carried out outreach work across the City of London borough working extensively in the Barbican library to raise awareness of the project and offering support to families through lighttouch conversations. We regularly attend Multi-Agency Practitioners Forums which includes representatives from Social Care, Early Help, Education and Early Years, and Children’s Centre Services.

We also help parents to understand their children’s emotional needs during a

This year: 72 sessions; 3 workshops delivered to 29 attendees

Last year: 24 families supported

relationship breakdown, and how best to support children to reduce the impact on their emotional, mental, and general wellbeing. We work with parents to understand the importance of working with other school professionals to ensure their child returns to school, which will lessen the stress on the family.

To support isolated parents we have delivered a number of well attended workshops on Internet Safety and Understanding Children’s Behaviour. These enabled parents to meet others in similar situations and access peer support.

Cardiff and Vale

Our new service in Cardiff and Vale provides parents with peer support to help them develop strategies to improve their parenting skills and understanding of their children’s mental health needs. We provide individual support sessions, an online parenting group and coffee morning drop-in sessions. These focus on supporting parents who have not had a formal diagnosis for their children’s mental health needs and parents who have professional involvement for their children but lack support for themselves or their wider family. They also support parents who lack understanding of mental health or emotional wellbeing, and need advice and signposting.

The service has been set up this year and has had a successful start. In the first six months of delivery we made connections with local authority health and wellbeing services, as well as schools and local Hubs (libraries and public-facing council services).

We have also made a connection with a local youth mental health charity, which has given us a space to run a weekly drop-in and is a valuable contact for further referrals.

We are very pleased to have had significant volunteer interest, leading to the recruitment of four peer mentors and several ongoing applications. There has also been interest from parents, leading to two independent support clients and a further 10 who have engaged with the service.

26

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Annual Report: How we support families

Family Lives

Barnsley

Our service in Barnsley works with adults aged 18 years and over who are experiencing emotional wellbeing and physical health problems, who are isolated, lonely, lack confidence and/or experience a sense of being out of control or who feel powerless over their situation. They often feel disconnected from their community and unable to live the life they want.

We support people with finding their strengths and solutions and provide a listening ear. We understand and facilitate the development of positive peer relationships which increases their confidence, self-esteem, and ability to develop coping strategies to support themselves. This in turn helps them to achieve better mental health, live life independently, achieve their aspirations, forge meaningful connections and purpose, and ultimately live their life well.

Over the last year we have received 241 requests for support, and this continues to grow along with an increase in selfreferrals, which is evidence that after 18 months of delivering the service, we are well established within the community and professional organisations. We are pleased that the service has secured funding for another year. We are also pleased that three former service users were recruited into our volunteering programme.

It has been challenging to manage the demand and influx of referrals within a small team while recruiting and engaging volunteers amidst an economic climate where people have needed to find paid employment. But we responded creatively, managing the demand for the service by creating other opportunities for people to connect and access support.

We have encouraged volunteers with a step-in and step-up informal process that enables people to ‘have a go’ and build up their confidence before making a full commitment. We have accessed local training to support this such as MIND’s ‘Conversations in the Community’ which

supports volunteers

speaking with people in Drop-Ins about their mental health challenges.

Our ‘Care to Chat’ calls enable people to share their experiences, identify their strengths and any support they may find helpful. Our online private group is a safe place where people can access information and connect with one another and our Drop-In sessions are an informal, relaxed, safe space where people can connect, enjoy activities, chat about concerns, and seek light touch support. These are available whether people are on the waiting list, are being supported or have already been supported by the service.

This year: 241 individuals have been referred

Last year: 165 individuals supported through 205 1:1 sessions (October 2022-March 2023)

27

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Annual Report: How we support families

Family Lives

Supporting Professionals

Family Lives provide individual and group supervision on a regular basis to a number of external practitioners working in family support in schools and family centre settings in Hertfordshire and London boroughs. Recent evaluations show the value of the service to the recipients in both their professional and personal life. All supervisees say that supervision allows them space to reflect and that they feel listened to and supported. They are learning new methods of coping with stress and how to look after themselves. As a result of supervision they are able to recognise their strengths and they feel more confident in their work.

City of London Supervision Service

We provided professional supervision to staff within Aldgate School, Aldgate Family Centre and City of London Early Help Team who are working directly with families accessing the City of London Children’s Centre Services.

Our role is to provide clinical supervision in a safe and confidential space through individual and group sessions. 22 staff received individual supervision and 17 group supervisions.

We provided 57 individual sessions, exceeding the original target of 54, as well as 11 groups sessions.

Training Professionals in Swansea

Family Lives was commissioned by Swansea Council to deliver five Working with Parents professional training courses between October 2023 – March 2024. These courses focussed on equipping their professionals with the necessary tools, skills and techniques to effectively deliver parenting programmes and enhance practitioners’ abilities to engage with parents to facilitate, promote positive parenting techniques, increase understanding of group dynamics and address the unique challenges faced by families.

Each course was delivered by two experienced Family Lives Trainers and facilitators who incorporated different learning techniques which included interactive discussions, presentations, role-play, self-reflection exercises and practical exercises. Participants were actively encouraged to actively engage in learning and apply the skills to real life scenarios.

We delivered training to five cohorts of more than 70 professionals between enhancing their skills and knowledge to better meet the needs of local families. 76 participants were split into 5 groups with each group receiving 5 days of training split over a 3-week period.

28

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Annual Report

Family Lives

Diversity, equality and inclusion

Family Lives’ vision is to ensure that all families have access to active support and understanding. We recognise that many of the families we support experience inequality and exclusion. We aim to strengthen diversity, equality and inclusion among our staff and volunteers to support our work with families facing many different inequalities. We strive to be an employer that is inclusive and values the diversity of all our staff and volunteers, and embeds diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) into our culture, policies, behaviour, processes and systems.

Staff and volunteer diversity data is provided for current staff and volunteers as of 22/04/2024. Percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number (except for those that had under 1%).

29

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Annual Report: Diversity, equality and inclusion

Family Lives

----- Start of picture text -----
Gender
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0
Male Female Transgender Prefer to Prefer not to say Unknown
self-describe
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
Age
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0
16-19 20-25 26-30 31-35 36-40 41-45 46-50 51-55 56-60 61-65 66-70 Over 70 Unknown Prefer
not to say
----- End of picture text -----

Staff (%)

----- Start of picture text -----
Volunteer (%)
----- End of picture text -----

30

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Annual Report: Diversity, equality and inclusion

Family Lives

----- Start of picture text -----
Disability
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0
Yes No Unknown
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
Sexuality
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0
Heterosexual Gay man Gay woman / Bisexual Prefer to Prefer not to say
lesbian self-describe or not known
Staff (%) Volunteer (%)
----- End of picture text -----

31

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Annual Report: Diversity, equality and inclusion

Family Lives

Ethnic origin

----- Start of picture text -----
Unknown
Any other ethnic group
Arab
Any other Black, African or Caribbean background
Black, African, Caribbean or Black British: Caribbean
Black, African, Caribbean or Black British: African
British or British Asian: Any other Asian background
Asian or Asian British:Bangladeshi
Asian or Asian British:Chinese
Asian or Asian British: Pakistani
Asian or Asian British: Indian
Any other Mixed or Multiple ethnic background
White and Asian
Mixed: White and Black Caribbean
Any other white background
Irish
English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish or British
0 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
50% Religion
40%
30%
20%
10%
0
No religion Christian Buddhist Hindu Jewish Muslim Sikh Any other Unknown
----- End of picture text -----

Staff (%) Volunteer (%)

32

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Annual Report: Diversity, equality and inclusion

Family Lives

Senior Leadership Team

----- Start of picture text -----
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0
White All other ethnic groups
combined
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
100% Leadership group
80%
60%
40%
20%
0
White: English, Welsh, Scottish, Asian or Asian British: Indian
Northern Irish or British
Asian or Asian British: any other Asian
Black, African, Carribean or Black British: background
African
Any other Black, African or Carribean
White: any other white background
background
Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi Other ethnic group: Arab
Black, African, Carribean or Black British: Mixed: White and Black Carribean
Carribean
----- End of picture text -----

33

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Family Lives

Accounts

This Year’s Financial Results

Summary

During the year, the charity raised £2,361k (2023: £2,341k) and spent £2,405k (2023: £2,450). After allocation of the appropriate expenditure in the year against restricted funds and transfers, a surplus of £16k (2023: deficit of £14k) was added to free reserves in line with the charity’s policy.

The free reserves of the charity, after allowing for fixed assets of £1k (2023: £1k) and designated funds of £0 (2023: £0), stand at £949k (2023: £933k). These funds represent free reserves available to the charity, which can be used for any purpose within its charitable objectives.

Unrestricted funds

The charity raised £1,401k (2023: £1,423k) of general or unrestricted income. Expenditure of £1,410k (2023: £1,437k) was set against this income and after transferring £25k from restricted funds, surplus for the year was £16k (2023: deficit of £14k). The general reserves carried forward were £950k (2023: £934k).

Restricted funds

A total of £960k (2023: £918k) of restricted income was received in the year and a balance of £110k (2023: £205k) brought forward from the previous year. Expenditure of £995k (2023: £1,013k) was set against this income and transfer of £25k to unrestricted funds, leaving a balance of £50k (2023: £110k) to carry forward to fund restricted activities next year.

Sources of income

£662k (2023: £707k) was received from Central Government sources, £1,450k (2023: £1,315k) was from Local Authority sources, £186k (2023: £259k) was from Trusts and Foundations, £0k (2023: £24k) was from National Lottery Community Fund and £63k (2023: £36k) from individuals, schools and corporate bodies.

Expenditure on Face-to-Face services reduced to £1,379k (2023: £1,498k). This was due to Westminster and RBKC funded ParentChild+ project concluding in the first quarter of the year.

Expenditure on Professional Development increased to £26k (2023: £1k) due to a new professional training delivered in Swansea during the year.

Investment in fundraising increased to £58k (2023: £55k) due to an increase in fundraising activities.

Reserves Policy

The Board of Trustees has agreed a reserves policy whereby the unrestricted funds not committed or invested in tangible fixed assets, (‘the free reserves’), held by the charity should provide sufficient funds for an orderly wind down of the charity, if necessary, at some future date. At 31 March 2024, this equates to £560k, leaving a buffer of £389k out of total free reserve of £949k. However, there is no current intention to wind up the charity.

The Trustees are mindful of the potential need to use the charity’s unrestricted reserve as a buffer against the volatile funding environment.

Going concern

The trustees have assessed the Charity’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from the date of approval of these financial statements.

The Trustees believe that the forecasted financial performance and level of unrestricted reserve together with measures taken to date will enable the charity to continue as a going concern.

Details of reserve are set out on note 24.

Expenditure

Expenditure on National Services increased to £942k (2023: £896k) due to expansion of LiveChat and Email services.

34

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Accounts: This Year’s Financial Results

Family Lives

Investment Policy

In today’s uncertain climate, volatile equity markets and a recognition that the current reserves are not long term in nature, the Board of Trustees has decided to take a cautious approach to the investment of its liquid funds. Accordingly, these funds have been invested in a high interest COIF Deposit Fund account.

The pooled assets of the Deposit Fund are placed on short-term money market deposits in accordance with a careful management policy. The Fund can make deposits only to rigorously selected financial institutions approved by the Fund’s trustees. For each counterparty, there are agreed individual deposit limits. This ensures that the Fund’s assets are diversified across a range of institutions: the credit status of these is monitored daily.

Fundraising Policy

We always strive for best practice in fundraising to ensure our donors feel safe, valued and well supported – adhering to the Fundraising Regulator and other professional fundraising bodies.

We never buy or sell people’s personal information. We respect people’s wishes about how they want us to communicate with them, and we are confident that Family Lives data practices are compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation.

Most of Family Lives’ income derives from statutory and Trusts funding with small donations coming from various sources. We undertake very little public fundraising activities and do not use professional fundraisers or commercial participators.

Our fundraising materials and approaches must be emotionally engaging and persuasive, but we seek to avoid causing distress and must protect the vulnerable.

We will approach donors with types of fundraising materials they might reasonably expect to receive and at a frequency judged to be in line with their behaviour.

We will not accept a donation if we believe it is unlawful to accept it or if accepting it is to

the detriment of the charity’s achievement of its purpose. For example, we would not accept a donation if it could lead to other donors withdrawing support, a loss of volunteers or a future difficulty securing staff. In doing so, we will consider relevant Charity Commission guidance. The final decision on refusing a donation is taken by the Chief Executive.

We have never ‘cold mailed’ or ‘cold called’ the public to raise funds. We do not employ external companies to carry out fundraising on our behalf. We meet the regulations and codes set by the Fundraising Regulator and monitor any complaints received by the charity about fundraising. During the year, there was no non-compliance of these regulations and codes and we received no complaints, (2022-23, nil).

Donors, funders and fundraisers

The Trustees would like to thank all trusts, organisations, schools and individuals who generously supported the work of Family Lives. With their contributions, we have been able to make a real difference to children and families across the UK at a time when they needed us most. Principal funders are listed below.

Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council Brilliant Parents BT Group plc Burghley Charitable Trust Cardiff and The Vale City of London Dance Yard Deckers Europe Limited Deloitte - CAST Department for Education Doncaster Council Dorothy Callender Freestone Esmee Fairbairn Foundation Greater London Authority Hertfordshire County Council Hyde Park Place Estate Charity John Armitage Charitable Trust Leicestershire County Council London Borough of Camden London Borough of Ealing London Borough of Hounslow London Borough of Tower Hamlets London Borough of Lewisham

35

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Accounts: This Year’s Financial Results

Family Lives

National Lottery Community Fund North Hertfordshire College OneYMCA Welwyn Garden City Southfields School St. Giles-in-the-Fields Stevenage Homeless Young Parents Strand Parishes Trust SW Yorkshire Partnership NHS FT Swansea Council The Brook Trust The Cathedral Abbey Church of St Alban The Living Room The Monday Charitable Trust The Rayne Foundation The Royal Borough of Kensington of Chelsea Welwyn Garden City Schools Partnership Westminster Almshouses Foundation Westminster City Council Young Westminster Foundation

36

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Accounts: This Year’s Financial Results

Family Lives

Legal and administrative information

Status

Family Lives is a registered company limited by guarantee; company number 3817762. It is also a registered charity, charity number 1077722, registered in England and Wales.

The charity was established under a Memorandum of Association, which established the objects and powers of the charitable company and is governed under its Articles of Association. These will be treated as if they are in the new form of a single set of Articles as specified under the Companies Act 2006.

Trustee Board

The members of the Board during the year were:

N Rupani Chair A de Waal resigned 19/03/2024 S Bayliss Vice Chair W Jones Treasurer, reappointed 02/11/2023 S Hayman reappointed 02/11/2023 A Holt resigned 02/02/2024 K Summers re-appointed 04/11/2022 S Land E Harries F Davies

Sub-Committees:

Policy & Finance Sub-Committee:

W Jones, S Bayliss, N Rupani

People & Culture Sub-Committee:

K Summers, S Bayliss, N Rupani, W Jones, S Hayman

President:

Deidre Sanders

Chief Executive and Company Secretary:

J Todd

Registered Office

The Annex, Salisbury Square, Hatfield, Herts, AL9 5AD

Auditors

Price Bailey LLP, Causeway House, 1 Dane Street, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts, CM23 3BT

Solicitors

Farrer and Co, 66 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London WC2A 3LH

Objectives

The objectives of the Company are:

  1. To promote, protect and preserve the good health, both mental and physical, of family members and families.

  2. To advance public education in, and promote research into the psychological, legal, medical and other experiences of family members and families and to disseminate the useful results of such research.

  3. To help relieve poverty among family members and families, in particular by the provision of an advice and information service for those unable to access such resources.

includes parents, children and others forming part of the wider or extended family, including grandparents and step relatives.

We have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit when reviewing our aims and objectives and in planning our future activities. In particular, the Trustees consider how planned activities will contribute to the aims and objectives they have set.

Achievements and benefits to families, parents, children and other services users which cover public benefit are detailed on pages 11 to 28.

For the purpose of the above, ‘family members’

37

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Accounts: This Year’s Financial Results

Family Lives

Governance and Management

Board of Trustees

Members of the Trustee Board, who are directors for the purpose of Company Law and Trustees for the purpose of Charity Law, who served during the year and up to the date of this report, are set out on page 37. Members of the charitable company guarantee to contribute an amount not exceeding £10 to the assets of the charitable company in the event of winding up. The total number of such guarantees at 31 March 2024 was eight (2023: seven).

The Board is responsible and accountable for Family Lives’ policies and activities to the Charity Commission, to Funders and Stakeholders, and for compliance with Charitable and Company Law. It is responsible for the financial and strategic affairs of the charity, for the Annual Budget and the Annual Report and Accounts. The Chief Executive is accountable to the Board of Trustees and presents an Accountability Report against the organisations agreed strategic objectives.

The Board is committed to diversity across the organisation in all areas of its activities. The organisation is continuing to monitor our service reach and workforce so as to move forward continuously on our diversity targets. We publish diversity data within this annual report.

Over the year, the Board has continued to review and consider term lengths and contributions for officer roles, Board discussion has been informed by guidance from Family Lives’ auditors, as well as the Charity Governance Code, to help ensure that the Board’s approach to decision-making on officer and trustee terms and contributions is appropriately rigorous and reflective.

An ongoing review of the Board’s current make-up and contribution to the organisation has continued to identify a valuable mix of expertise and background, alongside active engagement and strong commitment from serving Trustees. However, the Trustees also continue to be committed to refreshing and replenishing the Board, specifically through

the recruitment of three new Trustees between May and June 2024.

The Board has been chaired by Neena Rupani since March 2023. Neena is an economist by profession and works in Regulatory Policy for BT.

The Board of Trustees regretfully accepted Anastasia de Waal and Amanda Holt’s decision to stand down after many years of significant service to the charity. The Trustees would like to acknowledge and thank Anastasia and Amanda for their expertise and dedication during their tenure.

Board Recruitment

One third of Trustees are required to retire annually and there is no limit to the number of times a Trustee may be re-appointed. Appointment to the Board continues to be via an open and formal recruitment process. Appointments made during the year are ratified at the Charity’s AGM.

Board Induction and Training

An Induction Programme is in place for new Trustees. Any training needs may be identified for both new and established Trustees via the trustee appraisal and review processes.

Board Meetings

The Trustees meet as a full Board six times a year including for Annual General Meeting. The Trustees hold an Annual Away Day which includes the Senior Leadership Team.

Board Sub-Committees

The Policy & Finance sub-committee and People and Culture sub-committee, which replaced the Staffing sub-committee, make recommendations to the Board for approval. In addition, there is a Risk of Harm Advisory Group which meets four times a year and has Trustee representation. There is also Media Advisory Group that has Trustee representation.

38

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Accounts: This Year’s Financial Results

Family Lives

Remuneration

Pay and remuneration of Key Management Personnel (with the exception of the Chief Executive) is undertaken as an independent process by the Head of HR and a member of the SLT. The process assesses current roles and activities against the existing job description and we have a ‘marking system’ for any additional responsibility. Once the independent process occurs HR send a letter to the employee informing them of any outcome.

The Board’s People and Culture SubCommittee annually discusses remuneration adjustments to account for the cost of living for all staff, including the Chief Executive. This is a non-obligatory process and does not guarantee an award. The Chair of the Remuneration Sub-Committee subsequently reports back to the Board with a recommendation.

Senior Leadership Team

The Senior Leadership Team (SLT) meets eleven times a year and addresses crossorganisational issues. The Directors hold principal responsibility for the budget and key strategic decisions. All Senior Managers work across the whole organisation and are accountable to the Board of Trustees via the Chief Executive.

Trustees’ Responsibilities Statement

The Trustees (who are also directors of Family Lives for the purposes of Company Law) are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

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 the incoming resources and application

of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the directors are required to:

The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that 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.

In so far as the Trustees are aware:

39

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Accounts: This Year’s Financial Results

Family Lives

Risk management

Trustees reviewed the risks to which the charity could be exposed in 2024-25 and are satisfied that the charity has taken all reasonable steps to minimise risk, and that it has policies and procedures in place to manage risk effectively in all areas of the charity’s work. The key risks

Principal risks Steps to mitigate risks
Financial Solvency Ensure sufficient reserves to cover orderly wind down.
Quarterly review of management accounts and forecasts.
Plans in place for continued diversification of funding.
Ongoing liaison with current and potential funders.
Failure to meet quality Accreditation for frontline staff.
standards The Helpline Association Quality standard qualification
maintained.
Risk of Harm Policy procedures implemented.
All frontline staff and volunteers DBS checked.
Complaints procedure in place.
£10million Public Liability Insurance in place.
£5million Professional Liability Insurance in place
Cyber security Up to date cyber security products in place that can be auto
deployed via third party software.
Data stored with third party’s Cloud Service, daily back up of
data and Data Centres are ISO:27001 certified.
The third party is Cyber Essentials + certified.
Multi-factor authentication.
Website hosted via third party, on UK servers.
Organisational risk Robust Human Resources policies & procedures in place.
Robust Financial Management policies & procedures in place.
IT infrastructure disaster recovery plan in place.
Media policy in place.
Periodic review of public benefit.

In preparing this report, the Trustees have taken advantage of the small companies exemptions provided by section 415A of the Companies Act 2016.

Approved by the Board of Trustees on 16 July 2024 and signed on its behalf by:

Neena Rupani

N Rupani (Aug 5, 2024, 10:18am) Neena Rupani (Chair)

Warwick Jones (Jul 31, 2024, 5:10pm) Warwick Jones (Treasurer)

40

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Family Lives

Accounts

INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF FAMILY LIVES

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of Family Lives (the ‘charitable company’) for the year ended 31 March 2024 which comprises the Statement of Financial Activities, the balance sheet, the statement of cashflow and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

In our opinion the financial statements:

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 charitable company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to

provide a basis for our opinion.

Conclusions relating to going concern

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

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

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

Other information

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

otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

41

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Accounts: Independent auditors’ report

Family Lives

Opinion on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the charitable company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the directors’ report.

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

Responsibilities of trustees

As explained more fully in the trustees’ responsibilities statement, the trustees (who are also the directors of the charitable company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charitable company’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor responsibilities for the audit of the

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:

42

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Accounts: Independent auditors’ report

Family Lives

we enquired of management regarding laws and regulations applicable to the charity, actual and potential litigation and claims, and any known instances of noncompliance;

we reviewed the minutes of Trustee meetings;

we performed audit work over the risk of management override and controls, such as reviewing journal entries and reviewing investment valuation;

we evaluated the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates and related disclosures made by the trustees; and

reviewed our work throughout the audit file for evidence of non-compliance with laws and regulations.

Because of the inherent limitations of an audit, there is a risk that we will not detect all irregularities, including those leading to a material misstatement in the financial statements or non-compliance with regulation. This risk increases the more that compliance with a law or regulation is removed from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, as we will be less likely to become aware of instances of non-compliance. The risk is also greater regarding irregularities occurring due to fraud rather than error, as fraud involves intentional concealment, forgery, collusion, omission or misrepresentation.

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 the charitable company’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Suzanne Goldsmith FCA (Senior Statutory Auditor)

For and on behalf of Price Bailey LLP, Statutory Auditor Causeway House 1 Dane Street Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, CM23 3BT

Date: 5 August 2024

A further description of our responsibilities is available on the FRC’s website at: https:// www.frc.org.uk/auditors/audit-assurance/ auditor-s-responsibilities-for-the-audit-of-thefi/description-of-the-auditor%E2%80%99sresponsibilities-for This description forms part of our auditor’s report.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the charitable company’s members, 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 charitable company’s members those

43

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Family Lives

Accounts

Statement of Financial Activities (incorporating Income and Expenditure Account) for the year ended 31 March 2024

note
Income and endowments:
Income from:
Donations and legacies
2
Charitable activities
3
Other trading activities
4
Investment income
5
Total income
Expenditure on:
Raising funds
6
Charitable activities:
National services
7
Face to Face services
8
Professional development
9
Total expenditure
Net expenditure
Transfers between funds
Funds at 1 April 2023
23/25
23/25
Funds at 31 March 2024
23/25		 Unrestricted
funds
£’000
33
1,337
-
31
1,401
58
496
830
26
1,410
(9)
25
934
950		 Restricted
funds
£’000
960
-
-
-
960
-
446
549
-
995
(35)
(25)
110
50		 2024
Total
£’000
993
1,337
-
31
2,361
58
942
1,379
26
2,405
(44)
-
1,044
1,000		 2023
Total
£’000
947
1,380
3
11
2,341
55
896
1,498
1
2,450
(109)
-
1,153
1,044

The notes on pages 47 to 60 form part of these financial statements

The statement of financial activities include all gains and losses recognised during the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.

44

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Family Lives

Accounts

Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2024

note 2024 2023
Fixed assets £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Tangible assets 17 1 1
Current assets
Debtors 18 291 196
Cash on deposit 600 600
Cash at bank and in hand 469 550
Creditors: 1,360 1,346
Amounts falling due within one year 19 (361) (297)
Net current assets 999 1,049
Total assets less current liabilities 1,000 1,050
Creditors: amounts falling due after
one year
Provision for liabilities 20 - (6)
Total net assets 1,000 1,044
Unrestricted funds 23 950 934
Restricted funds 25 50 110
Total funds 1,000 1,044

The financial statements have 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 notes on pages 47 to 60 form part of these financial statements.

The financial statements were approved by members of the Board on 16 July 2024 and signed on its behalf by:

Neena Rupani N Rupani (Aug 5, 2024, 10:18am) Neena Rupani (Chair)

Warwick Jones (Jul 31, 2024, 5:10pm) Warwick Jones (Treasurer)

Company Registration Number: 03817762

45

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Annual Report

Family Lives

Statement of cash flows for the year ended 31 March 2024

Reconciliation of net expenditure to net
cash fow from operating activities
Net expenditure as per the statement of
fnancial activities
Depreciation charges
Bank interest
(Increase)/decrease in debtors
(Decrease)/increase in creditors
Net cash used in operating activities
Cash fows from investing activities:
Bank interest
Purchase of property, plant and equipment
Net cash provided by investing activities
Change in cash in the reporting period
Cash at the beginning of the reporting
period
Cash at the end of the reporting period
Analysis of cash:
Cash at bank and in hand
Cash at COIF deposit
Total cash		 2024
£’000
(44)
1
(31)
(95)
58		 2024
£’000
(111)
30		 2023
£’000
(109)
2
(11)
(2)
(67)		 2023
£’000
(187)
11
(176)
1,326
1,150
31
(1)		 11
-
(81)
1,150
1,069
1 April
2023
£’000
550
600		 Cash
fows
£’000
(81)
-		 31 Mar
2024
£’000
469
600
1,069
1,150 (81)

The notes on pages 47 to 60 form part of these financial statements.

46

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Family Lives

Accounts

1 Accounting policies

Family Lives is a charitable company limited by guarantee and is registered in England and Wales.

The registered office is The Annex, Salisbury Square, Hatfield, Herts, AL9 5AD.

Basis of preparation of financial statements

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) and the Companies Act 2006.

The Charity meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note(s).

The Presentation currency used is British Pounds Sterling.

Going concern

The Trustees review forecasts thoroughly including projects delivery costs, the Charity’s operations and cashflow and they do not consider that there are material uncertainties regarding the Charity’s ability to continue as a going concern. Accordingly, the Trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements.

Tax status

The Charity is considered to pass the tests set out in Paragraph 1 Schedule 6 of the Finance Act 2010 and therefore it meets the definition of a charitable company for UK corporation tax purposes. Accordingly, the Charity is potentially exempt from taxation in respect of income or capital gains received within categories covered by Chapter 3 Part 11 of the Corporation Tax Act 2010 or Section 256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992, to the extent that such income or gains are applied

exclusively to charitable purposes.

Income

Income is recognised in the period in which the charity is entitled to receipt and the amount can be measured with reasonable certainty.

Grants are included in the Statement of Financial Activities when the entitlement to the grant is probable. Grants made for specific purposes are classified as restricted income.

Income is deferred only when the charity has to fulfil conditions before becoming entitled to it or where the donor or funder has specified that the income is to be expended in a future accounting period.

Donations

Donations organised directly by the charity are included gross together with related fundraising expenditure. Donations organised by external parties are shown on the basis of the amounts received.

Donations in kind such as services or facilities provided free of charges are recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities on the basis of the value of the gift to the charity which is the amount the charity would have been willing to pay to obtain services or facilities on the open market. Equivalent amount of expenditure is recognised in the period of receipt of the donations. Volunteers’ donated services have not been included in the Statement of Financial Activities.

Expenditure

Expenditure is 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. All expenditure is allocated to the particular activity where the cost relates directly to that activity.

Irrecoverable VAT is included within expenditure items to which they relate.

47

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Family Lives

Accounts

Accounting policies (continued)

Allocation of support costs

The costs of staff employed directly in connection with particular projects are allocated directly to the projects concerned together with all directly incurred expenditure.

Support costs are apportioned to projects on the basis of gross expenditure of that project.

Management and admin costs relate to the Management Team’s time spent on the overall management, development and direction of the organisation.

Operating lease agreements

Rentals applicable to operating leases where substantially all of the benefits and risks of ownership remain with the lessor are charged against income and expenditure as incurred.

Depreciation

Fixed assets costing less than £1,000 are written off in full in the year of purchase. Other fixed assets are depreciated in equal instalments so as to write off their costs over their estimated useful lives as follows:

and short term highly liquid investments with a short term maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition or opening of the deposit or similar account.

Debtors

Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due. Accrued income and tax recoverable are included at the best estimate of the amount receivable at the balance sheet date.

Creditors and provisions

Creditors and provisions are recognised when there is a present obligation at Balance Sheet date as a result of past event resulting in the transfer of economic benefit to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably.

Creditors and provisions are recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.

Fund Accounting

Office fittings Shorter of 7 years and remaining period of lease Office furniture 5 years Office equipment 4 years & software

Pensions

The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme for employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the charity.

The annual contributions payable are charged to the statement of financial activities. The charity also makes contributions into individual’s own personal pension arrangements.

Redundancy policy

Employees at Family Lives who are being made redundant are entitled to receive a statutory redundancy payment provided that they have two or more years’ continuous service.

Cash at bank and in hand

General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of the general activities of the charity and which have not been designated for any other purpose.

Designated funds comprise unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the Trustees for particular purposes.

Restricted funds are funds which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors or which have been raised by the charity for particular purposes.

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 and measured at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value with the exception of:

Cash at bank and cash in hand includes cash

48

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Family Lives

Accounts

Accounting policies (continued)

Critical accounting estimates and areas of judgement

Estimates and judgements are continually evaluated and are based on historical experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances.

Critical accounting estimates and assumptions:

The Trustees make estimates and assumptions concerning the future. The resulting accounting estimates and assumptions will, by definition, seldom equal the related actual results. There are no estimates and assumptions that have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the next financial year.

2a Donations and grants (current year)

Donations and grants (current year)
General donations
Restricted grants:
National services
Face to Face Services
Total		 Unrestricted
funds
£’000
33
-
-		 Restricted
funds
£’000
-
364
596		 2024
Total
£’000
33
364
596
33 960 993

Funding from Central Government was £331k (2023: £nil) and Local Government £464k (2023: £665k). Funding conditions attached to the income have been met and objectives as set out on funding agreements have been achieved.

Funding from Central Government was for Helpline, LiveChat and email services. Funding from Local Government was for ParentChild+ Early Intervention, Ukraine Families Welfare service, GLA’s Violence Reduction project, Antenatal service and Active Families project.

49

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Family Lives

Accounts

2b Donations and grants (prior year)

General donations
Restricted grants:
National services
Face to Face Services
Total		 Unrestricted
funds
£’000
29
-
-		 Restricted
funds
£’000
-
69
849		 2023
Total
£’000
29
69
849
29 918 947

Funding from Central Government was £nil (2022: £nil) and Local Government £665k (2022: £260k). Funding conditions attached to the income have been met and objectives as set out on funding agreements have been achieved.

Funding from Local Governments were for ParentChild+ project, Ukraine Families Welfare service, Barnsley Crisis funding and Greater London Authority’s Violence reduction projects.

The charity is indebted to its volunteers for the time spent providing services to the charity. Based on 16,190 hours spent (2023: 18,880 hours, restated), this equates to £285,965 (2023: £317,582, restated). The Financial statements do not include donated volunteers’ hours and dedicated time of Trustees of the charity.

During the year, the charity benefited from the use of BT Group plc premises for various Trustees meetings. These gifts have not been recognised in the accounts as they cannot be measured reliably.

3 Income from charitable activities

Income from charitable activities
Helpline services
Face to Face services
Professional Development
Total		 2024 Total 2023 Total
£’000
662
717
1
£’000
331
948
58
1,337 1,380

Income from charitable activities was unrestricted. Amount received from Central government was £331k (2023: £706k) and Local Government £986k (£2023: £650k). Funding conditions attached to the income have been met and objectives as set out within funding agreements have been achieved.

4 Other trading activities

Sales of wristbands
Total		 2024 Total 2023 Total
£’000
1
£’000
-
- 1

Income from other trading activities was unrestricted.

50

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Family Lives

Accounts

5 Investment income

5
Investment income
Bank interest receivable
Total
Investment income was unrestricted.		 2024 Total 2023 Total
£’000
11
£’000
31
31 11

6 Cost of raising funds

Staff costs
Events and fundraising
Support cost (Note 10)
Total		 2024 Total 2024 Total
£’000
42
3
10
£’000
44
4
10
58 55

Cost of raising funds in 2024 and 2023 were unrestricted.

7a National Services expenditure (current year)

National Services expenditure (current year) year)
Unrestricted
funds
£’000
Direct costs
397
Support costs (Note 10a)
99
Total
496
National Services expenditure (prior year)
Unrestricted
funds
£’000
Direct costs
557
Support costs (Note 10b)
131
Total
688		 Unrestricted
funds
£’000
397
99		 Restricted
funds
£’000
377
69		 2024
Total
£’000
774
168
496 446 942
Restricted
funds
£’000
182
26
2023
Total
£’000
739
157
688 208 896

7b National Services expenditure (prior year)

8a Face to face services expenditure (current year)

Direct costs
Support costs (Note 10a)
Total		 Unrestricted
funds
£’000
667
163		 Restricted
funds
£’000
467
82		 2024
Total
£’000
1,134
245
830 549 1,379

51

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Family Lives

Accounts

8b Face to face services expenditure (prior year)

Direct costs
Support costs (Note 10b)
Total		 Unrestricted
funds
£’000
529
164		 Restricted
funds
£’000
708
97		 2023
Total
£’000
1,237
261
693 805 1,498

9 Professional Development expenditure

Professional Development expenditure
Direct costs
Support costs (Note 10)
Total		 2024 2023
Unrestricted
funds
£’000
1
-
Unrestricted
funds
£’000
21
5
26 1

10a Analysis of support costs (current year)

Management &
admin
Human Resources
Finance
Information
Technology
Governance (Note 12)
Depreciation
Premises, offce and
other costs
Total		 Raising
Funds
Helpline
services
£’000
£’000
3
47
1
27
2
31
2
33
1
21
-
-
1
9
Face to
Face
services
Professional
Development
£’000
£’000
69
1
40
1
44
1
47
1

31
1

1
-
13
-		 2024
Total
£’000
120
69
78
83
54
1
23
10
168		 245
5		 428

52

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Family Lives

Accounts

10b Analysis of support costs (prior year)

Raising
Funds
Helpline
services
Face to
Face
services
Professional
Development
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
Management & admin
3
42
70
-
Human Resources
2
26
43
-
Finance
2
28
47
-
Information Technology
2
35
59
-
Governance (Note 12)
1
19
32
-
Depreciation
-
1
1
-
Premises, offce and
other costs
-
6
9
-
Total
10
157
261
-		 2023
Total
£’000
115
71
77
96
52
2
15
428

The costs of staff employed directly in connection with particular projects are allocated directly to the projects concerned together with all directly incurred expenditure.

Support costs are apportioned to projects on the basis of gross expenditure of that project. Management and admin costs relate to Management Team’s time spent on the overall management, development and direction of the organisation.

11 Net income for the year

Net income for the year
This is stated after charging:
Depreciation
Operating leases for land and buildings
Audit fee		 2024 2023
£’000
2
39
17
£’000
1
59
18

12 Governance costs

Governance costs are made up of:
Staff salaries
Audit fee
Insurance and professional fees
Other costs		 2024 2023
£’000
21
17
13
1
£’000
22
18
13
1
54 52

53

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Family Lives

Accounts

13 Staff costs and numbers

Staff costs were as follows:
Salaries
Social security costs
Pension contributions
Redundancy payments
The number of employees employed by the charity
whose emoluments exceeded £60,000 were:
£80,001 - £90,000
Average weekly number of employees during the year,
calculated based on full time equivalents:
Charitable activities
Governance
Average number of staff employed during the year:		 2024 2023
£’000
1,814
146
72
33
£’000
1,765
127
69
32
1,993 2,065
No
1
No
1
No
60
1
No
54
1
55 61
106 110

Total employee benefits received by key management personnel, including pension and employer’s national insurance contributions were £201k (2023: £197k). Key management personnel include Chief Executive, Director of National Services and Director of Communications.

No Trustee received any payment during the year (2023: £nil).

14 Board of Trustees expenses

Trustees’ expenses relate to travel expenses reimbursed for attendance at Board of Trustees meetings. There have been no expenses reimbursed during the year (2023: one Trustee, £476).

15 Related party transactions

There were no related party transactions that require disclosure (2023, none).

54

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Family Lives

Accounts

16 Pensions

The charity has a group personal pension scheme to which employees are automatically enrolled; staff may then opt out. In accordance with the scheme the charity contributed 4% of gross salary as determined by a matched contribution of the individual employee. For staff enrolled prior to 1st April 2013 Family Lives’ contribution is 6.5% of gross salary.

Total pension contributions for the year amounted to £69,081 (2023: £72,446)

Pension payment outstanding at year end was £14,184 (2023: £13,164).

17 Tangible Assets

Cost
At 1 April 2023
Additions
At 31 March 2024
Depreciation
At 1 April 2023
Charge for the year
At 31 March 2024
Net book value
At 31 March 2024
Net book value
At 31 March 2023		 Furniture &
equipment
£’000
29
1
30
28
1
29
1
1

55

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Family Lives

Accounts

18 Debtors

Debtors
Debts receivable within one year
Trade debtors
Prepayments and accrued income
Rent deposit
Other debtors		 2024 2023
£’000
42
119
1
1
£’000
161
129
1
-
291 196

19 Creditors

Trade Creditors
Accruals
Deferred income (Note 22)
Taxation (inc VAT) and Social Security
Other creditors		 2024 2023
£’000
40
55
102
87
13
£’000
44
81
135
87
14
361 297

Other creditors represents pension contributions outstanding at 31 March 2024.

20 Provision for liabilities

Dilapidation provision At 1 Apr 2023
Provision for
the year
Provision
released
At 31 Mar
2024
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
6
-
(6)
-
6
-
(6)
-

The provision related to the charity’s head office in Hatfield. In March 2024, we moved to a new office without needing to use the provision, which was released in the accounts.

56

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Family Lives

Accounts

21 Movements in deferred income

Movements in deferred income
Balance at the beginning of the year
Resources deferred during the year
Amount released from previous year
Balance at the end of the year		 2024 2023
£’000
144
102
(144)
£’000
102
135
(102)
135 102

Deferred income represents income received in advance in the year ending 31st March 2024 that relates to next financial year to fund Face to Face services.

22 Obligations under operating leases

2024
£’000
Operating leases expiring within 1 year
13
Operating leases expiring within 2 to 5 years
46
Total operation leases
59
The above leases relate to:
Land and buildings
59
Photocopiers
-
59
23a Analysis of net assets between funds (current year)
Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
funds
£’000
£’000
Fixed assets
1
-
Current assets
1,285
75
Current liabilities
(361)
-
Long term liabilities (note 20)
-
-
Transfer between funds
25
(25)
Total net assets
950
50		 2024
£’000
Operating leases expiring within 1 year
13
Operating leases expiring within 2 to 5 years
46
Total operation leases
59
The above leases relate to:
Land and buildings
59
Photocopiers
-
59
23a Analysis of net assets between funds (current year)
Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
funds
£’000
£’000
Fixed assets
1
-
Current assets
1,285
75
Current liabilities
(361)
-
Long term liabilities (note 20)
-
-
Transfer between funds
25
(25)
Total net assets
950
50		 2024 2023
£’000
42
2
£’000
13
46
59 44
43
1
44


2024
Total

£’000

1

1,360

(361)

-

-
950
50		 1,000

57

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Family Lives

Accounts

23b Analysis of net assets between funds (prior year)

Fixed assets
Current assets
Current liabilities
Long term liabilities (note 20)
Total net assets		 Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
funds
2023
Total
£’000
£’000
£’000
1
-
1
1,236
110
1,346
(297)
-
(297)
(6)
-
(6)
934
110
1,044

24a Movements in unrestricted funds (current year)

Unrestricted funds
General unrestricted funds
Total unrestricted funds		 At 1 Apr
2023
Income
Expenditure
Net Trfs
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
934
1,401
(1,410)
25		 At 31 Mar
2024
£’000
950
934
1,401
(1,410)
25		 950

24b Movements in unrestricted funds (prior year)

At 1 Apr
2022
Income
Expenditure
Net Trfs
£’000
£’000
£’000
£’000
Unrestricted funds
General unrestricted funds
948
1,423
(1,437)
-
Total unrestricted funds
948
1,423
(1,437)
-		 At 31 Mar
2023
£’000
934
934

58

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Family Lives

Accounts

25a Movements in restricted funds (current year)

Funder name
Purpose
National services
DfE
Helpline/LiveChat
The Monday Charitable Trust
Helpline/LiveChat
John Armitage Charitable Trust
Helpline/LiveChat
National Lottery Community
Fund
Digital Development
sub-total
Face to face services
WCC & RBKC SIB
Early Years intervention
St Giles & George
Befriending service
GLA Westminster
Parent Champion
Service
Esmee Fairbairn Foundation
Early Years intervention
The Brook Trust
Early Years intervention
Fidelity UK Foundation
Family support/Change
manager
The Monday Charitable Trust
Family support/Change
manager
London Borough of Camden
Antenatal support
Young West Foundation
Brighter Future
Young West Foundation
Holiday Activities
WCC & RBKC ParentChild+
Early Years intervention
Westminster & RBKC
Ukraine Families
Welfare Checks
London Borough of Hounslow
Active Families project
Westminter Almshouses
Young Carers support
Ealing Youth Justice Service
Whole Family Support
Various small grants
sub-total
Total		 At 1 Apr
2023
Income
Expenditure
Net
Trfs
£’000
£’000
£’000
-
331
331
-
33
33
37
-
37
45
--
45
At 31 Mar
2024
£’000
-
-
-
-
82
364
446
-		 -
(82)
177
65
(25)
2
7
8
1
61
61
-
64
50
18
33
37

6
-
6

55
17
43
-
56
21
-
20
20
-
13
10
-
44
110
5
65
70
-
24
24
4
7
7
7
4
5
12
4
12
5
1
1
14
14
-
29
35
-
3
(66)
-
-
4
6
4
28
596
549
(25)		 50
110
960
995
(25)		 50

In March 2019, we started a multi-year project, ParentChild+, in Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea, whose primary objective is to narrow the gap in school readiness for disadvantaged children. The project concluded successfully in July 2023 and generated a surplus of £25k after meeting all funding conditions. According to the grant agreement, the surplus was subsequently transferred to general reserve.

As of 31st March 2024, the remaining balance was £5k and this will be used to cover the project’s evaluation costs over the next two years.

In July 2024, we launched a similar project in collaboration with Westminster Council and the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea. The project’s deficit for the year was £66,000 (2023: deficit £0), resulting from timing differences between costs incurred and milestones reached to trigger income recognition. We forecast that all milestones will be achieved in the coming year, which will eliminate the deficit altogether.

59

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Family Lives

Accounts

25b Movements in restricted funds (prior year)

Funder name
Purpose
At 1 Apr
2022
Income
Expenditure
£’000
£’000
£’000
National services
National Lottery Community Fund
Digital Development
144
24
123
The Monday Charitable Trust
Helpline/LiveChat
33
33
John Armitage Charitable Trust
Helpline/LiveChat
44
45
52
sub-total
221
69
208
Face to face services
The Dulverton Trust
Early Years intervention
2
2
Sport England
Active Families Project
5
5
The Rayne Foundation
Young Carers support
7
7
National Lottery Community Fund
Family Learning & Support
8
8
National Lottery Community Fund
Afghan Families project
11
11
Westminster, RBKC SIB
Early Years intervention
(178)
468
372
St Giles & St George
Befriending Service
7
6
11
GLA Westminster
Parent Champion Service
-
28
27
Esmee Fairbairn Foundation
Early Years intervention
24
66
90
City of Westminster Foundatiion
Parenting Support services
5
5
The Brook Trust
Early Years intervention
11
33
26
Fidelity UK Foundation
Family Support.Change
manager
41
35
The Monday Charitable Trust
Family Support.Change
manager
29
50
24
Westminster & RBKC
Ukraine Families Welfare
Checks
-
82
77
Barnsley Metropolitan Borough
Council
Support through crisis
30
30
London Borough of Hounslow
Active Families project
-
25
25
City of Westminster
Covid Vaccine Uptake
13
13
Westminster Almshouses
Young Carers support
7
3
Ealing Youth Justice Service
Whole Family Support
8
1
Various small grants
12
33
33
sub-total
(16)
849
805
Total
205
918
1,013		 At 31 Mar
2023
£’000
45
-
37
82
-
-
-
-
-
(82)
2
1
-
-
18
6
55
5
-
-
-
4
7
12
28
110

26 Agency arrangements

The Charity receives funds from the Department for Education in relation to the Helpline service and acts as an agent in the distribution of part of these funds to a third party. In the accounting period ending 31 March 2024, the Charity distributed funds of £228,012 (2023 - £228,012) to Gingerbread which is not included in either income or expenditure. No administration charges were taken in relation to administering this transaction. The amount held by the Charity as an agent at the year end is £19,001 (2023 - £nil) and is held in trade creditors.

60

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024

Annual Report

Family Lives

We build better family lives together

Tel: 020 7553 3080 www.familylives.org.uk Helpline: 0808 800 2222

Family Lives The Annex York House Salisbury Square Hatfield AL9 5AD

Charity Number 1077722 Company Number 3817762 Registered in England and Wales

All images used in this publication are illustrations and are intended to be representative only. They do not portray any specific individual or service user.

Copyright © Family Lives 2024

61

Family Lives Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2024