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2023-03-31-accounts

Annual report and accounts 2022/23

Caring Together Charity Charity Registration Number 1091522 Company Registration Number 4379948

Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23 3

Contents

Contents
Welcome to the 2022/23 Caring Together annual report 4
Who we are and what we do 6
Freddie’s story 7
Carer voice 8
How we make a difference 10
Reducing isolation and loneliness 12
Reducing health inequalities 14
Increasing resilience and ability to care for longer 16
Increasing choice and control 18
Supporting carers earlier 20
Our people 22
Your donations in action 23
Looking to the future 26
Susan’s story 27
Risk, compliance and governance 28
Financial review and results for the year 31
Statement of trustees’ responsibilities 38
Statement as to disclosure to our auditors 39
Independent auditor’s report to the members of Caring Together 40
Accounts 44
Our trustees 64
Our senior leadership team 65

4 Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23

Welcome to the 2022/23 Caring Together annual report

The environment we are working in has shifted extraordinarily in recent years with the needs of unpaid carers more acute than ever before. A lot has changed including the impact of Brexit, the coronavirus pandemic, unparalleled pressures on our health and social care system and the very real cost of living burdens.

At Caring Together we play an essential part in addressing this situation in our area, but we cannot do this alone. During the year we have been proactive in supporting national campaigns, raising awareness of the issues that unpaid carers face and delivered a range of services that really make a difference.

These have all hit unpaid carers of all ages hard.

In June 2022 we launched our ‘Carer’s speak out’ campaign, asking unpaid carers to share their experiences with us. They told us that caring is a source of constant stress and trauma, it’s tough and so tiring, relentless with some sharing that they felt like they were losing their own life as caring needs grow.

In January 2023 the data on health, disability and unpaid care from the 2021 Census was released. There are over 150,000 self-declared unpaid carers aged five years and over across Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and Norfolk. Over 45,000 are providing over 50 hours of unpaid care each week. This equates to an economic contribution of £4.8bn each year. The national figure is £162bn, roughly equivalent to annual NHS spending.

People who look after a family member or friend are critical to the health and social care system. This ‘system’ is in crisis, with examples of failure being reported on a daily basis as we speak to unpaid carers. The urgency of finding a solution to this crisis includes needing to ensure unpaid carers are recognised, valued and supported.

We were delighted to support the Carers UK campaign for carer’s leave. This is now legislation which entitles every working carer to five days of unpaid leave annually to help them with their caring role. We hope that employers will go one step further and make this paid leave as we do at Caring Together.

For the first time there is now a young carer indicator that schools have to include in their school census returns. This means that schools will need to find ways of identifying young carers who face increased pressures and often carry an immense amount of responsibility. Young carers will then be able to access the support they need earlier to help them balance their learning and their caring role. This is essential as we know young carers leave school with grades at least two levels lower than their peers.

We are delighted to have forged the Voluntary Sector Alliance with Care Network Cambridgeshire and Age UK Cambridgeshire and Peterborough to support the integrated care system in improving the coordination and effectiveness of hospital discharges.

Caring Together Charity

Company Registration Number 4379948

Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23 5

We are often told by unpaid carers that they continue to be left out of discharge decisions, or don’t feel supported when the person they care for arrives home, often without warning. This alliance, commissioned by the Integrated Care Board from April 2023, aims to deliver a wraparound holistic support service to ensure that patients are discharged safely and with the right support in place when they get home.

During the year we have completed phase one of our digital transformation plan adding a new human resources system to our portfolio. We have completed the final actions relating to our trustee board review, ensuring our governance is effective and robust. We have also started to measure our carbon footprint with a view to reporting on our progress from next year as to how we will become carbon neutral. We remain financially strong with a focus on income generation and cost control. We ended 2022/23 with a deficit as a result of expending restricted reserves as planned from income received in 2021/22. Unrestricted reserves have increased as a result of our financial performance.

However, there is still so much more to do. We have launched a new strategy with a new vision which we believe articulates the urgency of need for help for unpaid carers. ‘No carer in crisis, isolated or struggling alone’ becomes our new purpose with everything we do focussed on preventing unpaid carers from reaching this point and getting help and support sooner.

It has been another year of hearing from those who use our services, how amazing our team are. Often going above and beyond the call of duty to ensure unpaid carers are supported. Both our paid employees and growing number of volunteers are much admired and valued. We continue to be immensely grateful for all they do.

We couldn’t do what we do without the incredible generosity of our supporters and funders. Thank you so much for everything you have contributed to our work this year. We simply couldn’t do what we need to do without it.

Miriam Martin Chief executive

Stuart Evans Chair of trustees

Caring Together Charity

Company Registration Number 4379948

6 Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23

Who we are and what we do

We are a charity supporting unpaid carers of all ages across Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and Norfolk.

What is an unpaid carer?

An unpaid carer is anyone, including children and adults, who looks after a family member, partner or friend who needs help because of their illness, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction, and would struggle to cope without their support.

In the 2021 census 150,015 individuals identified themselves as unpaid carers in the areas we work with over 45,000 of them caring for more than 50 hours per week.

We celebrated our 40th anniversary in 2022. Over this past 40 years we have dedicated ourselves to doing all we can to ensure unpaid carers can access the care and support they have needed to make their caring role easier.

Whilst we are proud of all we have achieved, being an unpaid carer remains extremely challenging so we are:

Providing practical support for carers to make their caring role more manageable and less stressful.

Raising awareness of the issues unpaid carers face and campaigning locally.

Fundraising so we can provide ongoing support to unpaid carers of all ages, and help more people.

A Network Partner of Carers Trust and a member of Carers UK. Our homecare services are currently rated ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and our fundraising activities are regulated by the Fundraising Regulator.

Employing around 130 members of staff, with 70 of those being members of our homecare team. This equates to 111 full-time equivalents.

Supported by over 60 volunteers who carry out a variety of important roles.

Caring Together Charity

Company Registration Number 4379948

Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23 7

Freddie’s story

Although Freddie is just 13 years old, he is a carer for his mum, Emma, and his four younger sisters.

Emma is disabled due to Functional Neurological Disorder. She uses a wheelchair and is in chronic pain much of the time. Her condition also causes sudden weakness in her limbs which means that trying to cook can be very dangerous. She could easily lose her grip on a full kettle or hot pan.

Although Freddie’s dad would love to do more at home, he has to work long hours as a security guard to try to make ends meet. When Emma became ill she was forced to give up work.

If Freddie’s dad wasn’t working the family would be plunged into poverty.

You just need to know how grateful we are and that it does really help. My children look forward to the groups and activities and it’s the highlight of their week. They look forward to it and they ask when the next one’s on. I just want you all to know how much I appreciate it. It puts tears in my eyes because I know you’re there looking out for my children.

Freddie bears a heavy burden of responsibility on his young shoulders.

He always makes sure there is an evening meal prepared for his sisters – Jasmine, aged 11, Amy, nine and twins Maisie and Megan aged eight. Freddie also makes breakfast for his sisters and makes their sandwiches for lunchtime. He tidies the kitchen after he’s finished cooking and has even been asking his cookery teacher at school about food hygiene so he can make sure he prepares food safely.

Children like Freddie can’t come home and watch TV, play computer games, meet their friends or even do their homework. There are family members who need them.

Caring Together Charity

Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23

8

Carer voice

For the needs of unpaid carers to be understood and taken into account it is essential the voices of carers are heard.

We worked to give carers opportunities to speak out and have their say on issues that affect them – at times these were where the needs or impacts on carers might not otherwise be recognised.

Carers speak out

During Carers Week in June 2022, we launched our Carers speak out webpage which gave unpaid carers an opportunity to tell us and others about the issues which affect them. The comments we received showed how many carers are at breaking point.

Ahead of Carers Rights Day in November 2022, we published a report highlighting the stark challenges faced by unpaid carers of all ages.

The report made recommendations as to what needs to happen at both a local and national level to improve carers’ lives.

It was shared with local MPs, Government ministers, local authorities and others.

While in theory carers do have a number of rights, these are often not the reality of what they experience.

We called for urgent action to be taken both locally and nationally to address the key challenges carers face.

The report highlighted four key messages that came through very clearly from carers:

  1. Caring continues to have a hugely detrimental impact on the health, wellbeing and lives of unpaid carers of all ages.

  2. Carers feel that they are not recognised, nor is the vital role that they play in supporting the person/people they care for.

  3. Carers need there to be better communication from and with professionals supporting the person they care for.

  4. Carers and the people they care for are not getting the support that they desperately need.

Our Carers speak out webpage remains open, giving carers and former carers a place to talk about the difficulties they face (or faced in the past) and say what needs to change.

Carer council

Our Carer council meets quarterly to make an essential contribution to the work of Caring Together.

In 2022/23 the council helped us shape the engagement and communications for Carers speak out with the council chair, Steve Acklam writing the foreword.

Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23 9

The council helped us create our new strategy and vision, contributed to our digital development work, fundraising activities, consultations and surveys and the relaunch of our Caring magazine.

Voices at local and national level

We worked to make carers aware of opportunities to speak out on issues at local and national level.

We let carers know about this and how they could write to their MP to ask them to support this call.

We also facilitated carers speaking to the media throughout the year as we raised awareness of a range of issues affecting carers.

10 Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23

How we make a difference

WE WORK TO PREVENT CARERS REACHING CRISIS POINT, BEING ISOLATED OR STRUGGLING ALONE THROUGH THE FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES

HOW WE DO THIS

Providing breaks from caring

Planning ahead, and responding to emergency situations

Carer learning, and equipping carers with skills and knowledge

Caring Together Charity

Company Registration Number 4379948

Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23 11

Information and advice

Someone to talk to

Using carer voice to raise awareness and influence the work of others

Caring Together Charity

Company Registration Number 4379948

Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23

12

Our impact - How we are...

reducing isolation and loneliness

Isolation and loneliness are significant issues for unpaid carers of all ages. Our support in giving people someone to talk to and be with are essential.

For many unpaid carers their first contact with us has a huge significance. Until that moment, many have been isolated and struggling alone. Having someone to talk to, and opportunities to meet us and other carers at hubs, groups, trips and activities can address that sense of isolation and loneliness.

It’s been so good to be around others who understand – there’s this sense of not having to put a front on and pretend everything is fine, or having to explain myself as a carer. Just being able to relax and be myself.

There were 27,000 calls to our Cambridgeshire and Norfolk advice services and 816 online chat sessions.

Our support reflects that isolation and loneliness affects all ages of unpaid carer. More than a quarter of carers (29%*) have said they ‘often’ or ‘always’ feel lonely and 33% of young carers or young adult carers ’always‘ or ’usually‘ feel lonely.**

Young carers can enjoy groups and trips with friends who have a shared experience of caring. And adult carers’ activities give them social time and a break from their caring role. We reopened our Ely hub, a new hub in Peterborough and now have specific activities for parent carers. As well as these face-to-face activities and online groups and sessions, phone conversations are also available to unpaid carers. They know they are not isolated or struggling alone.

*State of Caring, Carers UK, 2022

**It’s harder than anyone understands, Carers Trust 2022

Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23 13

What we did

805

There were 805 attendances at our adult carer hub sessions.

369

There were 369 attendances at our young carer trips and workshops.

The difference we made

I really feel a weight has been lifted.

Feeling less alone, and knowing where to access the right help for my situation has made a huge difference to me.

Thank you so much.

100% of adult carers agreed that they went away feeling more positive after carers trips.

100% of young carers said spending time at our workshops and trips helped them build new friendships.

Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23

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Our impact - How we are...

reducing health inequalities

Unpaid carers often have their own physical and mental health affected by their caring role. Our support is essential to unpaid carers with more reaching crisis point than ever before.

If you are caring for someone it can be harder to look after your own physical and mental health, or you may not view it as a priority.

Research in 2022 showed a fifth of unpaid carers said their physical health was bad or very bad (21%) and 30% said their mental health was bad or very bad*.

We support unpaid carers who are emotionally or physically overwhelmed by giving them a break from their caring role. We also provide homecare to enable carers to attend their own medical appointments.

Our counselling service has provided people with support that has been absolutely vital in what, for some, have been the darkest times of their life.

The needs of unpaid carers, as well as those they care for, need more recognition and support throughout the health and social care system.

This year saw us working hard to provide the right support for those who are struggling.

*State of Caring, Carers UK, 2022

My Caring Together counsellor was the only person who listened to me.

She was amazing. She guided me through the hardest and darkest days of my life, and I can’t thank her enough.

Without my counsellor I don’t think I would still be here.

Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23 15

I can say in all honesty that had it not been for you I would not be alive now. I had decided that I could not cope anymore and did not want to carry on with life.

The time, understanding and problem solving you gave me has made a really big difference in how I now deal with life’s problems.

What we did

215

289

We provided 215 unpaid carers with counselling support.

We supported 289 carers to get help when their physical or mental health was at crisis point.

The difference we made

91% of young carers said they felt happier and more relaxed following our craft sessions.

All the carers we provided with counselling rated the support they received as ‘Very good’ or ‘Good’.

16 Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23

Our impact - How we are...

increasing resilience and ability to care for longer

Caring for someone can be physically, mentally, emotionally, practically and financially demanding. It can feel impossible to take a break. Unpaid carers need the support we provide.

Whether becoming a carer happens to someone suddenly, or the care needs of the person they are looking after grow over time, being an unpaid carer can be draining.

We provide advice and information over the phone and in person, including at our hubs and groups. Carer learning opportunities give carers more skills to look after the person they care for, understand more about the support available to them, and know how to take care of themselves while also being a carer.

More than three-quarters (77%) of unpaid carers say the rising cost of living is one of the main challenges they will face over the coming year*. We have given advice on finance, given bursaries, for example to help unpaid carers purchase the things they need such as equipment and technology, and are able to make referrals to other sources of support.

Hubs, day clubs, groups and trips provide breaks from their caring role that otherwise can be very difficult to take. And a break from caring increases the ability of an unpaid carer to cope and carry on looking after someone. Our CQC regulated homecare helps to take the pressure off unpaid carers while providing support for the person they care for.

*State of Caring, Carers UK, 2022

The amount of help for carers is something we didn’t expect.

Thank you for explaining attendance allowance and how to apply.

This is a real game changer; we can now afford additional care for our mother.

Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23 17

What we did

£17,854

1,199

We provided £17,854 in We provided homecare grants and bursaries to to 1,199 people. purchase much needed equipment and breaks.

The difference we made

Thank you for everything you, and all at Caring Together have done for, not just Mum, but me as well. It’s been lovely having someone either at the end of the phone, or an email away, to chat to, get advice from, and discuss any issues that arose.

100% of the carers we provided with counselling feel better supported in their caring role.

100% of people said the homecare service they are receiving is improving their quality of life.

Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23

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Our impact - How we are...

increasing choice and control

Looking after a loved one can change your life – in one moment or over time. We work to give unpaid carers more choice and control.

Our services and connecting unpaid carers with other support available to them, give them more choices and control of their lives.

Research has shown 41% of carers hadn’t taken a break from their caring role in the last year*. Carers being unable to take a break from caring can result in tiredness and, in some cases, exhaustion and burn-out.

We provided breaks through our groups, hubs, trips, day clubs, and provision of homecare. It may be time away from the person they care for or supported time with the person they care for.

We offer sessions to help young and young adult carers build skills and understand their opportunities in employment and education. And, as well as advice on finances, we have been able to provide financial support to carers to pay for goods or services they have needed.

Having a What If? emergency plan in place means a carer knows even if something happens to them, the person they look after will get the support they need.

Each issue of our magazine was sent to more than 4,000 people, and more than 2,300 people were sent our email newsletter, keeping them up to date on available services and support.

*State of Caring, Carers UK, 2022

I am blown away by the level of support this service provides.

Knowing that someone is there at the end of the phone to speak to when things get all too much is invaluable.

Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23 19

What we did

1,140

1,140 emergency plans registered to give carers peace of mind to know the person they look after is supported in an emergency.

74

The 74 carer learning sessions we delivered saw 736 attendances.

The difference we made

There is help if you know where to look for it and I didn’t.

Sometimes I felt so alone but now I feel more secure knowing there is help and advice available.

Our carer learning survey saw 100% of carers say they now have more information that will help them in their caring role.

89% of young carers who attended workshops said they had learned simple skills to use at home independently.

20 Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23

Our impact - How we are...

supporting carers earlier

Many people looking after a family member or friend are not recognised as a carer and, therefore, are not getting support they need. Identifying and supporting unpaid carers early is better for them and the person they care for.

More than three in five of us will become a carer, and this could happen at any time. It has been found that 51% of carers took over a year to recognise their caring role, with over a third (36%) taking over three years to recognise themselves as a carer*.

Our Carer Friendly Tick Award recognises organisations who have good approaches in place to identify and support carers. It has categories for education, health, community and employers. We give support and guidance to those working towards their award.

We deliver other awareness raising sessions and work to increase understanding of the roles and needs of unpaid carers. It is essential more people – particularly those involved in decisions around the policies and delivery of services that affect carers - are aware of what being a carer can be like, and how support can make the difference between crisis and a carer being able to cope.

For Carers Rights Day 2022 we produced a report based on what carers told us through our carers speak out website and are shared it with MPs, Government ministers, local authorities and others.

*State of Caring, Carers UK, 2022

Your session today has really highlighted to me that sadly I am one of the statistics and am someone who has never really thought about myself being a ‘carer’. I have been caring for my husband at various levels for almost a decade.

Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23 21

What we did

----- Start of picture text -----
Carer Friendly
Tick
© Caring TogetherValid until 2025
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53

53 organisations achieved the Carer Friendly Tick Award, taking the total to 120.

5,712

We reached 5,712 professionals and young people through our carer awareness activities.

The difference we made

I found the videos, especially the young carers, touched a nerve and I did have a cry.

I feel its time I probably got in touch with the service.

100% of awareness session attendees said they have improved confidence in identifying and supporting carers in their setting.

98% of awareness session attendees said their ability to meet the needs of carers within their services and/or signpost them had improved.

Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23

22

Our people

We believe that the combination of different life experiences, attributes and contributions from our colleagues makes the charity more effective, inclusive and a better place to work.

There have been big changes in our people team in 2022/2023 with an entirely new team now in place to support our valued employees and volunteers.

We rolled out equality, diversity and inclusion training for all of our employees and volunteers at Caring Together. These sessions were well attended and informative with almost 70% of our employees completing the training in 2022/23 and this training will continue through 2023/24.

We introduced the voluntary use of pronouns which has been well received both internally and externally.

A benefits review was completed following feedback from the staff forum and employee survey. Suggestions were made that employees would welcome a discount scheme such as the Blue Light Card and a ‘death in service/life assurance’ benefit.

Following a wider benefits review it was evident that Caring Together compared well against other local charities but the death in service benefit was one area we were missing. After further research we have budgeted to offer this from October 2023.

At Christmas we offered to pay for a Blue Light Card for all employees.

We know that many of our employees and volunteers are carers themselves so we provide paid carers leave, flexible and hybrid working to support our team.

Working at Caring Together, I have seen and heard of the difference our charity makes to unpaid carers.

This year it was my family’s time to need support. It meant so much to know the support my colleagues work hard to provide would be there to help us.

Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23 23

Your donations in action

None of the achievements set out in this Annual Report would have been possible without the fantastic support of individuals, community groups, companies, charitable trusts and other funders during 2022/23.

A dip in the sea – on Christmas Day!

This was some challenge! Hunstanton Round Table managed to bring together 90 brave souls to take a dip at Hunstanton on Christmas Day 2022. Together they raised a whopping £8,100 to support young carers across Norfolk!

Committed to helping unpaid carers – becoming a Carer Friend

In June 2022 we launched our Carer Friend scheme where supporters could give regular monthly donations by Direct Debit and become a Carer Friend. Many people have already signed up and the majority are also able to boost their donations with Gift Aid which adds 25% on top at no cost to the supporter.

Rotary Clubs, Freemasons and more – giving to help local communities

Thousands of pounds have been given this year by local organisations determined to support unpaid carers of all ages. We are very grateful to Peterborough Rotary Club, The Rotary Club of Peterborough Minster, Peterborough Round Table, St Ives Rotary Club and the Rotary Club of Huntingdon who kindly supported our work across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Euston Freemasons Lodge in St Neots also gave a generous donation of over £3,000 to support our work locally.

Bungee jumping for carers

It is wonderful to have so many companies now partnering with us to support carers locally. This year the team at Field Lodge Care Home in St Ives raised over £1,000 by facing their fears and taking on a 160ft bungee jump!

This was followed up with a delicious cream tea event to also raise funds.

Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23

24

Title

Giving in memory of a loved one

We have received some very special gifts this year in memory of family members and friends who have sadly passed away. These gifts, often given at funerals or in the weeks and months after, honour the life of the person we have lost, and bring hope and help to unpaid carers locally.

Raffles, Christmas cards and the Christmas Appeal

Every donation makes a difference. For example a £10 donation could enable us to answer a helpline call from an unpaid carer in distress. We have been amazed at overwhelming responses to our fundraising activities this year. Thousands of pounds were raised through our Summer Raffle, sales of Christmas cards, and our appeals – especially our Christmas Appeal. These donations mean we can reach more unpaid carers with help and support.

Leaving a gift that will last

This year we received a special legacy gift which will enable local unpaid carers to be supported into the future. By leaving a gift in your Will your kindness can live on in the lives of the people you will help.

To help us support even more carers you can:

Your support makes a difference

£50

could provide a day of homecare to give a carer a break.

£175

Find out more about how to support our work at caringtogether.org/help-us-help-others

Caring Together Charity

Company Registration Number 4379948

Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23 25

Title

We would like to thank the following organisations for supporting Caring Together

Active Norfolk

The Arnold Clark Community Fund The Alan Boswell Group Charitable Trust

Ashton’s Legal Charitable Fund BBC Children in Need

The Brampton Hub

Bridges Outcomes Partnerships Buckles Solicitors LLP Butterfly Legacy Project Cambridge City Primary Care Network Cambridgeshire Community Foundation

Cambridgeshire County Council Carers Trust

The Chamifealion Charitable Trust Burwell Carers Group Earith Community Cafe The Earl Fitzwilliam Charitable Trust Ely Primary Care Network Euston Lodge 2283 The Evelyn Trust Field Lodge Care Home Garfield Weston Foundation Hunstanton and District Round

Caring Together Charity

Table 615

The Hutchinson Charitable Trust Inner Wheel of Huntingdon

King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Health and Wellbeing Partnership

The Leslie Mary Carter Charitable Trust

The Lord Cozens-Hardy Trust

Maxine Lester Lettings and Property Management

NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care System NHS Charities Together

NHS England and NHS Improvement NHS Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board

The National Lottery Community Fund The National Trust, Wimpole Hall Farm Norfolk and Waveney Health and Care Partnership

Norfolk Community Foundation Norfolk County Council Peterborough City Council Peterborough Round Table Peterborough United Charitable Trust

Company Registration Number 4379948

R. C. Snelling Charitable Trust Ridley Godfrey Foundation Rotary Club of Huntingdon Rotary Club of Peterborough The Rotary Club of Peterborough Minster

Sir Norman Lamb Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund St Ives Rotary Club University of Cambridge Colleges Voluntary Norfolk Waitrose St Ives

26 Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23

Looking to the future

Whilst we are proud of our 40-year history, the needs of unpaid carers are growing. Carers told us that they felt ignored and unsupported. Through our campaign from June to November 2022 we asked ‘carers to speak out’ and to share their experiences with us. We were told that “the process for achieving any support was at least as draining as caring itself”.

A young carer told us that “they would rather get in trouble at school for not having the right equipment, than ask their parents for money which they don’t have”.

Many revealed experiences of not feeling part of the team when it came to hospitals discharging the person they are caring for, often left without the appropriate support and many said that despite their experience and knowledge, they felt unimportant.

This together with the daily contacts we have with unpaid carers has made us realise that we need to do more to ensure they are recognised, valued and supported.

the process for achieving any support was at least as draining as caring itself.

In April 2023 we launched our new vision:

No unpaid carer is in crisis, isolated or struggling alone.

This new vision highlights the urgency of need that unpaid carers are experiencing. It has a strong preventative message with everything we do focussed on ensuring that we are:

  1. Responsive to increased demand and the changing needs of carers.

  2. Increasing our capacity to do more.

  3. Taking action locally to ensure carers are valued and recognised.

  4. Raising awareness of who we are, our expertise and how we can help.

In developing our strategy we know that we must be an organisation that is trusted, capable and sustainable. We will continue to build on all the improvements we have made in recent years to ensure our culture is carer centric, embracing diversity with leadership that is kind, fair and compassionate.

We will continue to simplify our systems and processes to help make every penny count. We will look after our people, investing in their development, remuneration and benefits to support Caring Together strive for excellence in everything we do.

Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23 27

Susan’s story

Susan’s husband Alan was diagnosed with primary progressive MS in 2004, when he was still a practising lawyer and Susan was running her own theatre company. Susan describes how they were living life at full throttle, until life as they knew it came to a ‘crashing end’ with his diagnosis.

Although Alan’s deterioration was slow at first, this has accelerated and he is now a wheelchair user and very frail. Susan is his full-time carer although she also has Crohn’s Disease and has her own serious health problems. For Susan, it feels as though they have been cheated of precious time to enjoy life.

It’s all been stolen from us

“There’s an overwhelming sense of loss and grief and bereavement, because all that should have been, hasn’t been. Especially when couples say they’re just retired and they’re going to get a Winnebago or they’re going to buy somewhere in Spain, or they’re going on this holiday or they’re going to take up golf, whatever it is it sort of hurts now because that’s all been stolen from us.”

There’s an overwhelming sense of loss and grief and bereavement, because all that should have been, hasn’t been.

“I’ve really valued the carers hub and during the pandemic we met over Zoom which was brilliant. It was nice to see friends and it was nice to have time to say what the issues were and to get Laura’s [the Caring Together adviser] support and advice. And if there was a real problem she’d always say, ‘Oh I’ll ring you later’ or ‘I’ll Zoom you on your own’ to talk that issue through, so we all felt supported and listened to. That does ease that sense of loneliness and isolation that you’re dealing with it on your own.”

Thankfully we are able to support Susan. She goes to one of our regular carer hubs to meet with other carers and get support, and to enjoy breaks from her caring role on outings and day-trips. Even during the pandemic, when the hubs had to meet online, the support continued.

28 Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23

Risk, compliance and governance

Risk

The board of trustees has overall responsibility for risk management. Oversight is maintained throughout the year with the support of the finance and audit committee and quality and service delivery committee. In 2022/23 we created a further formal sub-committee to provide assurances to the board on fundraising which will review and assess our approach to managing fundraising risks.

Caring Together’s performance framework is updated annually to ensure internal reporting is against relevant key performance indicators, which are designed with the key risks, strategic direction of the charity and opportunities in mind. At the end of each quarter, as part of our reporting, each risk is reassessed and the residual risk rated according to the impact of mitigating actions and any new intelligence, knowledge and experience. We also assess whether the risk is decreasing, stable or increasing which enables trustees to understand movements of risks when it isn’t appropriate to change red-amber-green (RAG) ratings.

Risk management is factored into business planning, performance management, the audit cycle, business continuity planning, project management, contract and grant applications and funding awards.

We started the year with key risks in the areas of:

Income

The challenging fundraising environment, uncertainties about how the new integrated health and social care structures would impact on future commissioning and whether local authorities would be able to fund the full cost of homecare were all identified as key risks.

People

Recruiting and retaining high quality employees amidst a cost-of-living crisis. Seeking to support them and being able to compete with other employers in terms of pay and benefits.

Risks, their assessment and mitigating actions, are scrutinised each quarter by the relevant sub-committee or the board.

The board receives an annual risk report. This provides the opportunity to review the impact of our risk management processes, how risks have changed throughout the year, to review the risk management policy and to ensure any learning is identified and influences future approaches to the management of risk.

Systems

Having confidence in our cyber security to ensure the data we collect is held safely and securely and that our systems and processes are robust.

We are continually looking at ways of improving cyber security through strengthening our systems, and staff training and awareness.

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Company Registration Number 4379948

Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23 29

Competition

Recognising that there are new providers of digital services seeking to increase their provision locally to us.

As a result of the actions we took to mitigate risks during the year, we have:

Key risks for the organisation going forward:

Funding

Recognising that the external environment remains challenging and is especially so for charities seeking to grow fundraised income and managing the continued pressure on contracts when inflation continues to be so high.

Local authorities remain unable to pay for the full cost of homecare adding further strain on our overall financial position. However to mitigate the risks of a potential reduction in funding we have high quality people leading our income generating activities and have maintained positive relationships with funders and commissioners of services.

People

The employment market hasn’t and may not recover from the post COVID world. It remains difficult to recruit for social care roles at both frontline and leadership levels. Failure to recruit and retain the right people has a direct impact on the ability we have to deliver services to unpaid carers. To mitigate these risks we have appointed a new head of people and human resources business partner to help ensure that the experience of both paid employees and volunteers is a positive one. We have refreshed our benefits offer which will be rolled out during 2023. We have maintained our position as a real living wage employer and factored in modest pay awards to our budgets.

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30 Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23

Systems and processes

We have already completed work to improve the security of our customers’ data with the protection of our systems remaining front of mind. In order to further mitigate cyber security risks this year we will complete penetration testing of our systems, continue to roll out training and share learning if something goes wrong.

Competition

Although we are confident that we achieve high quality impact and outcomes, as pressure on funding continues, providers of digital services may become more attractive to commissioners of carer services. The disadvantage of this for carers is that many are not regular users of online services and platforms, and many others gain huge benefit from local services delivered by phone and face to face, in addition to online. To mitigate this risk we are developing our own on-line service offer and working with Carers Trust on developing their virtual carers centre which will provide a digital offer consistent with and complementary to our local services.

We are also aware that as the cost of delivering homecare increases, due to increases in pay and running costs, more homecare providers may seek to grow privately purchased care and move away from local authority purchased care. We continue to offer a high-quality homecare service at a competitive rate and will be increasing our focus on achieving a CQC outstanding rating for our service.

Compliance

Our homecare service is regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). We have maintained our ‘good’ rating demonstrating our ongoing commitment and investment in maintaining high standards of care, ensuring our care professionals are highly trained and expert in the services they provide. Our fundraising activities are compliant with UK legislation and meet the required standards in overall fundraising ethics in the sector.

Governance

In 2021, the trustee board engaged Bayes Business School, City University of London, to complete a board effectiveness review for us. The review assesses our performance against the principles of ‘good governance’ as set out in the Charity Governance Code.

The review concluded that the board are high-performing and very engaged, working in partnership with the executive team. Recommendations were made to improve our governance further in the areas of meeting effectiveness to build in generative and strategic discussions throughout the year; documentation and performance reviews. Since the conclusion of the review, we have created an action plan with all actions having been completed.

Following a review of terms of office, we have created a plan for the recruitment of new trustees taking us through to 2025/26.

Caring Together Charity

Company Registration Number 4379948

Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23 31

Financial review and results for the year

The financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Companies Act 2006, the Memorandum and Articles of Association, and 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). Our charity has an effective system of internal control and major risks have been reviewed and systems and/or procedures have been established to manage those risks.

Overall, Caring Together made a deficit of £159k in the financial year to 31 March 2023 compared to a surplus of £97k in the previous year. Within this, however, we made a surplus on unrestricted-funded activities of £36.6k (2022: deficit £181.1k). We ended the year with unspent restricted grants of £90.4k (2022: £286k) which will be spent in 2023/24.

Income

Our income decreased from the previous year by £475k (10.7%) to £3,970.7k (2022: increased by £456k (9%) to £4,445k). Care fees and contracts continue to be our main sources of income.

We raised £4m income through:

82% care fees and contracts

15% grants receivable

2% donations and legacies

1% other income

We spent £4.1m on:

70% care and carer breaks

8% carer support

8% emergency care and hospital discharge

11% raising awareness

3% fundraising costs

Caring Together Charity

Company Registration Number 4379948

32 Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23

Care fees and contracts relate to CQC regulated services and provision of carers’ support, which include our contract as a strategic partner with Cambridgeshire County Council. Care fees and contract income decreased by £98.2k to £3,288.9k.

Grants, donations and fundraising are our other sources of charitable income. Grant income in the year decreased by £367.2k to £572.8k. Our principal donors are listed in note 5 to the financial statements. Most grants have been provided for a specific purpose; any amounts unspent at the year-end are carried forward in restricted reserves. Donations and legacies of £96.2k are 35% higher than last year, demonstrating recovery and growth in our fundraised income following the pandemic. Donations and grants were spent on the charitable purposes for which they were given.

Expenditure

Our expenditure decreased by £218.9k (5%) to £4,129.7k in 2022/23, which partly reflects our decrease in service provision and variable direct costs during 2022/23, in addition there were reduced project costs from grant funded programmes not incurred. Savings within support costs came from staff vacancies not recruited throughout the year and promotional costs were considerably lower in the year. Higher IT and telephone costs can be offset by Barclays funding received for this purpose. The organisation has continued to benefit from efficiency savings with hybrid working seeing a reduction in management travel costs from remote working. We also remain a real living wage employer.

Funds and reserves

Our total unrestricted reserves at the year-end were £692.1k. Restricted reserves were £90.4k. The assets backing these reserves are shown in note 19 to the financial statements. Note 17 details the use of restricted funds received during the year.

Commissioners

We were grateful to be commissioned by the following organisations to deliver services during 2022/23:

Caring Together Charity

Company Registration Number 4379948

Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23 33

Fundraising

Fundraising enables the charity to reach and support more carers, and provide the services that carers are most in need of. We have therefore prioritised fundraising in 2022/23 to enable us to generate increased unrestricted income, and lay foundations for growing our fundraised income in future. We have developed new sources of income and are very grateful to all supporters – both individuals and organisations.

Our approach to fundraising

During the year we have received support from grant making trusts, community groups, companies and individual supporters.

This year we raised money through two major appeals - during Carers Week 2022 and at Christmas. Through setting up Direct Debit processing we have been able to invite supporters to make regular monthly gifts. These gifts are very important to the charity as they enable us to predict our income better, and plan for the future. Many more people made donations in 2022/23 than in the past as we proactively told them about why we needed support, as a regional charity.

For the first time since 2019 we made a backdated gift aid claim in March 2023. This income is raised at no cost to the donor and boosts the value of their donations. We proactively sought gift aid declarations from supporters who are UK taxpayers, raising additional income for the charity.

We were honoured to receive a number of special in-memory donations this year, and awareness of this type of giving is increasing. We now provide an online platform for tributes, as well as special in-memory donation cards. This year we received our first legacy gift for some years and have been raising awareness of this type of charitable giving.

Many people supported our work through taking part in our Summer Raffle, buying Christmas cards, and making donations. Grants have continued to be a very important source of income for the charity and this year we were able to secure grants from a number of trusts, foundations and other funders.

Fundraising conforming to recognised standards

We are registered with the Fundraising Regulator and our fundraising team comply with the Code of Fundraising Practice. All donations received are used for charitable purposes. There have been no reported failings in the compliance with the code during 2022/23.

We have an ethical fundraising policy and all fundraising team members are aware and supportive of our ethical approach to fundraising.

No fundraising activity is incentivised through pay or other means. Our approach to fundraising is through relationship building.

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Company Registration Number 4379948

34 Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23

Monitoring of fundraising carried out on our behalf

During 2022/23 fundraising activities carried out on our behalf have been largely individual challenges or community fundraising activities. Where fundraising activities have been known to us, we have provided support and guidance as appropriate.

Our staff are required to complete mandatory training which includes data protection, safeguarding of adults, and safeguarding of children. This training is undertaken on an annual basis thereafter and reminders are sent automatically from our e-learning system.

Fundraising complaints

We have a complaints policy and procedure. We have not received any fundraising complaints during the fundraising period.

Protection of the public, including vulnerable people, from unreasonably intrusive or persistent fundraising approaches, and undue pressure to donate

We follow regulations relating to privacy and data protection in all matters, including fundraising. Within our systems we maintain a system of permissions to ensure that people we are in contact with are able to inform us of their contact preferences.

We have an ethical fundraising policy. Our fundraising team members are aware of our ethical approach to fundraising and the requirements to adhere to the framework provided by the Code of Fundraising Practice.

Caring Together Charity

Company Registration Number 4379948

Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23 35

Reserves and reserves policy

The reserves held are funds that are available for use in the furtherance of the charitable objectives. They are funds which have not yet been committed, designated or spent. At 31 March 2023 our reserves are as follows:

----- Start of picture text -----
Current Previous
year year
£000 £000
Unrestricted funds 692 655
Restricted funds 90 286
Total charity funds 782 941
Average monthly operating costs 334 350
Number of months operating 2.3 2.7
costs held as reserves
----- End of picture text -----

The trustees review the reserves policy annually using the guidance given by the Charity Commission.

After consideration of ongoing operating costs and other potential calls on funds it is considered our liquidity and the reserves position is at a reasonable level to provide financial stability and the means for the future development of our principal activity.

Restricted funds have been spent during the year in line with the donor funding and grant conditions and we have picked up additional unrestricted funds for sustainability in future years. Overall, we have maintained our reserves at a level which is within our policy range of two and a half months of operating costs.

Investment policy

The trustees, having regard to the liquidity requirements of operating the charity, have set a policy to keep funds available in a current account and one or more interestbearing deposit account(s) where appropriate. Trustees have considered diversifying their investment policy and concluded that no action should be taken to progress this currently.

Governance and management

Our governing document

Fenland Crossroads was established in 1982, followed by Crossroads Cambridge City in 1984 and Crossroads South and East Cambridgeshire and Crossroads Huntingdonshire in 1985. Crossroads Huntingdonshire was registered as a charity in September 1992 and incorporated in February 2002. 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. By 2011 all charities had merged into this organisation.

In the event of the company being wound up members (our trustees) are required to contribute an amount not exceeding £1 while they are members, or within one year after they cease to be members, for payment of debts and liabilities contracted before they ceased to be members. Caring Together Charity (‘Caring Together’) is governed by our latest Articles of Association and Memorandum dated 22 January 2022.

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Company Registration Number 4379948

36 Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23

The board

Appointment of trustees

Trustees serve an initial term of three years that can be extended up to a maximum of three terms. No trustee will serve more than three, three-year terms.

New trustees are appointed through an open recruitment process targeting individuals with the diversity of skills, experience and knowledge that the board has identified as needed to deliver the organisation’s strategy and provide effective governance of the charity.

Interested parties apply and are invited to meet the chair and other trustees for informal discussions. Should both parties want to proceed, prospective trustees are invited to take part in a formal interview process with representatives from the trustee board and senior leadership team, including the chief executive. All trustees are subject to appropriate vetting checks and asked to sign policies which include a fit and proper persons (Disqualification Disclaimer) form, a register of interests and the Charity Commission’s eligibility form.

Trustee induction and training

Newly appointed trustees are given an induction pack based on good practice guidance issued by the Charity Commission.

The pack includes relevant policies and procedures, our Memorandum and Articles of Association, the latest financial statements, strategic plan and annual report.

New trustees are invited to meet with the chief executive and senior leadership team and encouraged to visit our services to meet carers and shadow members of staff.

Trustees are supported to attend workshops and training sessions to improve their knowledge of charity governance and network with trustees of other organisations.

Organisation

The board of trustees meet routinely six times per year. The three formal sub-committees, finance and audit, quality and service delivery and fundraising, meet four times a year each. Strategic away days are held from time to time.

The board sets up steering groups and task and finish groups to focus on the completion of specific activities.

A scheme of delegation is in place with day-to-day responsibility for the smooth and effective running of the charity assigned to the chief executive, along with the senior leadership team. The chief executive is responsible for ensuring the delivery of the business plan and that key performance indicators are met.

Caring Together Charity

Company Registration Number 4379948

Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23 37

Relationships and co-operation with other organisations

We are a network partner of Carers Trust, an independent registered charity in England and Wales (No. 1145181). In 2018 there were 150 members of the network working across the UK. We pay Carers Trust an annual partner fee.

We are also a member of Carers UK, an independent registered charity in England and Wales (No. 246329). Carers UK give expert advice, information and support to carers.

We seek to work in partnership with others so that we can reach and support more carers and have worked together with over 60 voluntary and public sector organisations, as well as around 50 Carer Friendly Tick Award holders throughout the year.

A full list of our Carer Friendly Tick Award holders can be found on our website at caringtogether.org/carer-friendly-tick

Management

Pay policy for senior staff

The key management personnel of the charity are the board of trustees (directors) and the senior leadership team, as listed on pages 64-65. All trustees give of their time freely and none received remuneration in the year. Details of trustees’ expenses and related party transactions are disclosed in note 11 to the accounts.

The charity has an agreed remuneration policy. Salaries for the senior leadership team are set and reviewed annually by the board of trustees in consultation with the chief executive as appropriate. All other staff salaries are set by the senior leadership team. Increases in pay are kept within the budget agreed by the board. Pay increases are split partly to take into account inflation and also to reward performance. Salaries are openly stated in job adverts.

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Company Registration Number 4379948

38 Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23

Statement of trustees’ responsibilities

The trustees (who are also directors of Caring Together for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Annual 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 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 trustees 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.

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

Caring Together Charity

Company Registration Number 4379948

Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23 39

Statement as to disclosure to our auditors

In so far as the trustees are aware:

Approved by order of the board of trustees on 9 August 2023 and signed on its behalf by:

Stuart Evans Chair of trustees

Auditors

The Auditors, Price Bailey LLP, have indicated their willingness to continue in office. The designated trustees will propose a motion re-appointing the auditors at a meeting of the trustees.

This report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies entitled to the small companies’ exemption.

Caring Together Charity

Company Registration Number 4379948

40 Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23

Independent auditor’s report to the members of Caring Together

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of Caring Together (the ‘charitable company’) for the year ended 31 March 2023 which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities incorporating Income and Expenditure Account, the Balance Sheet, the Statement of Cash Flows and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

In our opinion the financial statements:

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the 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 12 months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

Caring Together Charity

Company Registration Number 4379948

Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23 41

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

We have nothing to report in this regard.

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 our 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 included within the trustees’ 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:

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42 Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23

Independent auditor’s report to the members of Caring Together (continued)

Responsibilities of trustees

As explained more fully in the trustees’ responsibilities statement set out on page 38, 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.

Auditors’ responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

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

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of noncompliance 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:

We gained an understanding of the legal and regulatory framework applicable to the charitable company and how it operates and considered the risk of the charitable company not complying with the applicable laws and regulations including fraud, in particular those that could have a material impact on the financial statements. This included those regulations directly related to the financial statements.

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Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23 43

In relation to the charitable company this included financial reporting.

The risks were discussed with the audit team and we remained alert to any indications of non-compliance throughout the audit. We carried out specific procedures to address the risks identified. These included the following:

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.

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at frc.org.uk/ auditorsresponsibilities. 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 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 for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

10 August 2023

Shaun Jordan ACA (Senior Statutory Auditor) For and on behalf of Price Bailey LLP

Chartered Accountants

Statutory Auditors

Tennyson House, Cambridge Business Park, Cambridge CB4 0WZ

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44 Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23

Financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023

Statement of financial activities (including income and expenditure account)

----- Start of picture text -----
2023 2022
Notes Unrestricted Restricted Total Total
funds funds funds funds
Income £000 £000 £000 £000
Donations and legacies
Donations and legacies 3 85.7 10.6 96.3 71.2
Grants receivable 5 - 572.8 572.8 940.0
Income from charitable activities: 4
Care fees and contracts 3,288.9 - 3,288.9 3,387.1
Other charitable income 6 1.5 - 1.5 30.7
Investment income 0.4 - 0.4 1.4
Other income 7 10.8 - 10.8 15.3
Total income 3,387.3 583.4 3,970.7 4,445.7
Expenditure
Costs of raising funds 119.7 - 119.7 63.1
Expenditure on charitable activities 3,231.0 779.0 4,010.0 4,285.5
Total expenditure 8 3,350.7 779.0 4,129.7 4,348.6
Net movement in funds for the year 10 36.6 (195.6) (159.0) 97.1
Reconciliation of funds
Total funds brought forward 655.5 286.0 941.5 844.4
Total funds carried forward 19 + 23 692.1 90.4 782.5 941.5
----- End of picture text -----

There were no recognised gains or losses for 2023 or 2022 other than those included in the statement of financial activities. All activities are continuing.

Note 23 refers to the prior year statement of financial activities.

The notes on pages 47 to 61 form part of these financial statements.

Caring Together Charity

Company Registration Number 4379948

Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23 45

Balance sheet

----- Start of picture text -----
2023 2022
Notes £000 £000
Fixed assets
Tangible assets 13 82.9 106.2
Current assets
Debtors 14 1,035.8 687.3
Cash at bank and in hand 513.9 656.0
Total current assets 1,549.7 1,343.3
Liabilities
Creditors falling due within one year 15 847.7 508.0
Provision for dilapidations 2.4 -
Net current assets 699.6 835.3
Net assets 782.5 941.5
The funds of the charity
Unrestricted funds 16 692.1 655.5
Restricted funds 17 90.4 286.0
Total charity funds 782.5 941.5
----- End of picture text -----

The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions for small companies under Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006.

The financial statements were approved and authorised for issue by the trustees and signed on their behalf, by Stuart Evans and Alison Griffiths.

Stuart Evans Chair 9 August 2023

Alison Griffiths Honorary treasurer 9 August 2023

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46 Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23

Statement of cash flows

----- Start of picture text -----
2023 2022
Notes £000 £000
Cash used in operating activities 20 (134.4) (92.9)
Cash flows from investing activities
Purchase of equipment (8.1) (89.0)
Proceeds of disposal of fixed asset - 14.3
Interest income 0.4 1.4
Cash flows used in investing activities (7.7) (73.3)
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents in the year (142.1) (166.2)
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year 656.0 822.2
Total cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year 513.9 656.0
----- End of picture text -----

Reconciliation of net cash flow to movement in net debt

----- Start of picture text -----
2023 2022
Notes £000 £000
Decrease in cash in the year being movement in net funds 21 (142.1) (166.2)
in the year
Net funds at 1 April 656.0 822.2
Net funds at 31 March 513.9 656.0
----- End of picture text -----

Caring Together Charity

Company Registration Number 4379948

Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23 47

Notes to the accounts

1 Accounting policies

The principal accounting policies adopted, judgements and key sources of estimation and uncertainty in the preparation of the financial statements are as follows:

(a) Basis of preparation

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))), and the Companies Act 2006.

The company is a company incorporated in England and Wales, within the United Kingdom, limited by guarantee not having share capital. There are currently eight (2022: nine) trustees who are also the members of the company names on page 64. In the event of the company being wound up, the liability in respect of the guarantee is limited to £1 per member of the company. The charity is a registered charity. The registered office of the charity is

L D H House, Parsons Green, St Ives, Cambridgeshire, PE27 4AA.

The charity meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note(s). The financial statements are presented in sterling which is the functional currency of the company and the stated £’000 rounded to the nearest £100.

(b) Preparation of the accounts on a going concern basis

The board of trustees consider that there are sufficient reserves held at the year end to manage any foreseeable changes in contracts and other income sources for the charity.

has adequate resources to continue operations for more than 12 months and believe there are no material uncertainties about the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern, and have therefore adopted the ‘going concern’ basis in preparing the accounts.

(c) Income

Income is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the item(s) of income have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.

Income from government and other grants, whether ‘capital’ grants or ‘revenue’ grants, is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the grants have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably and is not deferred.

For legacies, entitlement is taken as the earlier of the date on which either: the charity is aware that probate has been granted, the estate has been finalised and notification has been made by the executor(s) to the Trust that a distribution will be made, or when a distribution is received from the estate.

Receipt of a legacy, in whole or in part, is only considered probable when the amount can be measured reliably and the charity has been notified of the executor’s intention to make a distribution. Where legacies have been notified to the charity, or the charity is aware of the granting of probate, and the criteria for income recognition have not been met, then the legacy is a treated as a contingent asset and disclosed if material.

Income received in advance of the provision of a specified service is deferred until the criteria for income recognition are met.

The board of trustees have reviewed and approved a forecast which shows the charity trading sustainably beyond the next 12 months. Consequently at the time of approving the financial statements, the trustees have an expectation that the charity

Caring Together Charity

Company Registration Number 4379948

48 Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23

(d) Donated services and facilities

The charity benefits greatly from the involvement and enthusiastic support of its many volunteers, as outlined in our annual report. In accordance with FRS 102 and the Charities SORP (FRS 102), the economic contribution of volunteers is not recognised in the accounts.

Donated professional services and donated facilities are recognised as income when the charity has control over the item and any conditions associated with the donated item have been met. The receipt of economic benefit from use by the charity of the item is in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102). Our general volunteer time is not recognised financially. Please refer to the trustees’ annual report for more information about their contribution.

On receipt, donated professional services and donated facilities are recognised 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 of equivalent economic benefit on the open market; a corresponding amount is then recognised in expenditure in the period of receipt.

(e) Interest receivable

Interest on funds held on deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the charity; this is normally upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the bank.

(f) Fund accounting

Restricted funds are to be used for the specified purposes laid down by the donor. Expenditure for those purposes is charged to the fund, together with a fair allocation of overhead and support costs.

Unrestricted funds are donations and other incoming resources received or generated for expenditure on the general objects of the charity. Designated funds are unrestricted funds of the charity which the trustees have decided at their discretion to set aside to use for a specific purpose.

(g) Expenditure and irrecoverable VAT

Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to make a payment to a third party, it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is classified under the following activity headings:

The cost of redundancy is included in the period when the staff member ceases to work actively for the charity.

Voluntary termination payments are included at the point that the employee accepts the offer.

Irrecoverable VAT is charged as a cost against the activity for which the expenditure was incurred.

(h) Allocation of support costs

Support costs are those functions that assist the work of the charity but do not directly undertake charitable activities. They include back-office costs, finance, personnel, payroll and governance costs. These costs have been allocated between costs of raising funds and expenditure on charitable activities.

The bases on which support costs have been allocated are set out in note 9.

(i) Operating leases

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

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Company Registration Number 4379948

Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23 49

(j) Depreciation

Individual tangible fixed assets, or projects, costing £1,000 or more are capitalised at cost, apart from all laptops and no mobile phones are capitalised. Depreciation is provided on all tangible fixed assets at rates calculated to write off the costs less estimated residual value of each asset over its expected useful life.

Asset category Annual rate Equipment 25% straight line Motor vehicles 25% straight line Furniture and fittings 20% straight line

(k) 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.

The charity also makes defined contributions for a member of staff who was transferred to us under TUPE from Cambridgeshire County Council (CCC). They remain members of the multiemployer defined benefit scheme that CCC used but CCC have agreed to bear the cost of employer contributions which exceed those payable under our scheme plus any pension shortfall.

The pension liability and expense is allocated between restricted and unrestricted funds according to the staff time taken on each activity.

(o) Financial instruments

The charity only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value. Fixed assets are recorded at depreciated historical cost. All other assets and liabilities are recorded at costs which is their fair value

(l) Cash at bank and in hand

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

(m) Creditors and provisions

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

(p) Corporation tax exemption

The company 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 company 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.

(n) Pensions

The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme with The People’s Pension. The pension charge represents the amounts payable by the charity to the fund in respect of the year. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the charity in an independently administered fund.

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Company Registration Number 4379948

50 Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23

2 Critical accounting judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty

In the application of the charity’s accounting policies, which are described in note 1, the trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

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

The trustees do not consider there are any critical accounting judgements or key sources of estimation uncertainty requiring disclosure.

3 Income from donations and legacies

----- Start of picture text -----
2023 2022
Unrestricted Restricted Total Unrestricted Restricted Total
funds funds funds funds funds funds
£000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000
Gifts 80.7 10.6 91.3 71.2 - 71.2
Legacies 5.0 - 5.0 - - -
Grants receivable (see note 5) - 572.8 572.8 67.0 873.0 940.0
85.7 583.4 669.1 138.2 873.0 1,011.2
----- End of picture text -----

Income from donations and legacies comprises income generated from the following sources:

The charity benefits greatly from the involvement and enthusiastic support of its many volunteers, as outlined in our annual report. In accordance with FRS 102 and the Charities SORP (FRS 102), the economic contribution of general volunteers is not recognised in the accounts.

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Company Registration Number 4379948

Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23 51

4 Income from charitable activities

----- Start of picture text -----
Carer support Emergency
(information care and
Care and advice and hospital Raising 2023
carers breaks guidance) discharge awareness Total
Direct support for: £000 £000 £000 £000 £000
By source:
Care fees and contracts 2,317.9 302.5 403.6 264.9 3,288.9
Other income 1.1 - - 0.4 1.5
Total income from charitable activities 2,319.0 302.5 403.6 265.3 3,290.4
Carer support Emergency
(information care and
Care and advice and hospital Raising 2022
carers breaks guidance) discharge awareness Total
Direct support for: £000 £000 £000 £000 £000
By source:
Care fees and contracts 2,298.1 224.6 553.5 310.9 3,387.1
Other income 19.7 4.6 - 6.4 30.7
Total income from charitable activities 2,317.8 229.2 553.5 317.3 3,417.8
----- End of picture text -----

All charitable activity income relates to unrestricted income.

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52 Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23

5 Grants receivable

----- Start of picture text -----
2023 2022
Unrestricted Restricted Total Unrestricted Restricted Total
funds funds funds funds funds funds
£000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000
Barclays 100 - - - - 100.0 100.0
BBC Children in Need - 51.5 51.5 - 48.3 48.3
Cambridgeshire Community Foundation - 10.0 10.0 - 64.1 64.1
Cambridge City Primary Care Network - - - - 10.0 10.0
Cambridgeshire County Council (Mind the Gap) - 1.3 1.3 - 9.9 9.9
Carers Trust - - - - 15.0 15.0
Ely North Primary Care Network - 6.1 6.1 - 11.0 11.0
Evelyn Trust - 14.2 14.2 - - -
Hunstanton Round Table - 8.1 8.1 - - -
Huntingdon Freemen’s Trust - - - 7.0 - 7.0
Masonic Charitable Trust - - - - 35.0 35.0
The National Lottery Community Fund (CAST) - - - - 16.2 16.2
The National Lottery Community Fund (Reaching Communities/ - 85.1 85.1 - 81.0 81.0
Connecting Carers)
NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care System - 255.0 255.0 - 337.8 337.8
NHS England - - - - 6.1 6.1
NHS Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board (Co-production) - - - - 20.0 20.0
NHS Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board (Counselling) - 25.0 25.0 - - -
NHS Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board (Gypsy, Roma and - - - - 49.0 49.0
Traveller)
NHS Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board (Kings Lynn and - 40.0 40.0 - - -
West Norfolk Health and Wellbeing Partnership - Counselling)
Norfolk Carers Partnership - 42.8 42.8 - - -
Norfolk Community Foundation (Your Big Idea) - 10.0 10.0 - - -
Norfolk Community Foundation (Response and Recovery) - - - - 8.0 8.0
Quilter - - - - 15.0 15.0
NCC and CCC Infection Control and Workforce Retention grants - - - 60.0 - 60.0
Others £5,000 and below - 23.8 23.8 - 46.6 46.6
572.8 572.8 67.0 873.0 940.0
----- End of picture text -----

The grants we receive are for the support of carers.

We have no unfulfilled conditions and other contingencies attached to grants that have been recognised in income.

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Company Registration Number 4379948

Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23 53

6 Other charitable income

----- Start of picture text -----
2023 2022
Unrestricted Restricted Total Unrestricted Restricted Total
funds funds funds funds funds funds
£000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000
Other income 1.5 - 1.5 30.7 - 30.7
1.5 - 1.5 30.7 - 30.7
----- End of picture text -----

7 Other income

----- Start of picture text -----
2023 2022
£000 £000
Profit on sale of fixed asset - 14.3
Kickstart funding 6.6 -
Norfolk Utility Fund 2.0 -
Income for meeting attendance 1.5 -
Infection control income and workforce retention grant 0.7 1.0
10.8 15.3
----- End of picture text -----

8 Analysis of expenditure

----- Start of picture text -----
Activity by type: 2023 2022
Direct Support 2023 Direct Support 2022
costs costs Total costs Costs Total
£000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000
Care and carers breaks 1,953.2 953.1 2,906.3 1,948.0 1,119.4 3,067.4
Carer support (information, advice and guidance) 240.8 106.2 347.10 278.2 128.5 406.7
Emergency care and hospital discharge 206.2 102.0 308.2 208.5 124.7 333.2
Raising awareness 306.5 142.0 448.5 328.6 149.6 478.2
Fundraising costs - 119.7 119.7 - 63.1 63.1
Total expenditure on activities 2,706.7 1,423.0 4,129.7 2,763.3 1,585.3 4,348.6
----- End of picture text -----

Expenditure on the charitable activities by the company was £4,010.0k (2022: £4,285.5k) of which £3,231.0k was unrestricted (2022: £3,760.6k) and £779.0k was restricted (2022: £594.7k). Cost of raising funds in both the current and prior year were unrestricted.

Caring Together Charity

Company Registration Number 4379948

54 Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23

9 Analysis of governance and support costs

The charity initially identifies the costs of its support functions. It then identifies those costs which relate to the governance function. Having identified its governance costs, the remaining support costs together with the governance costs are apportioned between the five key charitable activities undertaken (see note 8) in the year. Refer to the table below for the basis for apportionment and the analysis of support and governance costs.

----- Start of picture text -----
General Governance 2023 General Governance 2022
support function Total support function Total Basis of
General support £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 apportionment
Annual report, audit and AGM - 13.4 13.4 - 14.6 14.6 Direct staff cost
Trustees’ expenses and training - 0.3 0.3 - - - Direct staff cost
General office, HR and finance staff 576.6 142.7 719.3 662.5 141.2 803.7 Direct staff cost
Premises 116.5 - 116.5 175.7 - 175.7 Desks used
IT and communications 304.7 - 304.7 312.1 - 312.1 Direct staff cost
Fundraising 119.7 - 119.7 63.1 - 63.1 Direct staff cost
Subscriptions, insurance and professional fees 77.6 - 77.6 93.8 - 93.8 Direct staff cost
Staff welfare and recruitment 40.1 - 40.1 103.3 - 103.3 Direct staff cost
Depreciation 31.4 - 31.4 19.0 - 19.0 Direct staff cost
Total 1,266.6 156.4 1,423.0 1,429.4 155.9 1,585.3
----- End of picture text -----

10 Net income/(expenditure) for the year

----- Start of picture text -----
2023 2022
This is stated after charging: £000 £000
Depreciation 31.4 19.0
Audit fee 8.4 8.4
Operating lease rentals – land and buildings and equipment 140.0 113.9
Profit on sale of fixed asset - 14.3
----- End of picture text -----

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Company Registration Number 4379948

Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23 55

11 Staff costs, trustee remuneration and expenses, and the cost of key management personnel

----- Start of picture text -----
2023 2022
The staff costs were: £000 £000
Wages and salaries 2,784.7 2,779.3
Social security costs 240.4 219.3
Payments for termination of employment 19.0 -
Pension costs 59.0 61.5
3,103.1 3,060.1
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
Two members of staff received employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs) of more than £60,000 (2022: 2)
£60,000-£69,999 £70,000-£79,999
Number of people 2023 1 1
Number of people 2022 1 1
----- End of picture text -----

The charity trustees were not paid and did not receive any other benefits from employment with the charity or a related entity in the year (2022: £nil). Neither were they paid for professional or other services supplied to the charity (2022: £nil). No trustee expenses were paid during the accounting period. (2022: £nil).

The key management personnel of the charity comprise:

The trustees, chief executive, director of finance and resources, director of operations, head of care/registered manager for care, head of people, head of fundraising and communications, and head of digital and business intelligence. The total employee benefits of the key management personnel of the charity were £404.1k (2022: £378.9k). The key management personnel of the company are listed on page 65 of the trustees’ annual report.

The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions totalling £13,033 (2022: £14,733) were payable to the fund at the balance sheet date.

----- Start of picture text -----
2023 2022
Termination of employment payments relating to the reporting period are: £000 £000
Payments in lieu of notice 17.3 -
Redundancy 1.7 -
Total 19.0 -
----- End of picture text -----

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Company Registration Number 4379948

56 Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23

12 Staff numbers

The average monthly head count was 130 staff (2022: 142 staff). The average number of employees during the year, calculated on the basis of full-time equivalents, was as follows:

----- Start of picture text -----
2023 2022
Number Number
Senior management 7.3 7.1
Service delivery 89.9 78.6
Administration and finance 13.8 15.6
Total full-time equivalent 111.0 101.3
----- End of picture text -----

13 Fixed assets

----- Start of picture text -----
Furniture
Equipment and fittings Total
All funded by unrestricted reserves £000 £000 £000
Cost
At 1 April 2022 65.3 65.1 130.4
Additions 8.1 - 8.1
At 31 March 2023 73.4 65.1 138.5
Depreciation
At 1 April 2022 19.9 4.3 24.2
Depreciation charge 18.4 13.0 31.4
At 31 March 2023 38.3 17.3 55.6
Net book value
At 1 April 2022 45.4 60.8 106.2
At 31 March 2023 35.1 47.8 82.9
----- End of picture text -----

Caring Together Charity

Company Registration Number 4379948

Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23 57

14 Debtors: due within one year

----- Start of picture text -----
2023 2022
£000 £000
Trade debtors 831.8 459.0
Prepayments and accrued income 189.5 214.1
Other debtors 14.5 14.2
1,035.8 687.3
----- End of picture text -----

15 Creditors: due within one year

----- Start of picture text -----
2023 2022
£000 £000
Trade creditors 182.2 214.5
Accruals and deferred income 495.8 164.7
Taxation and social security 153.0 114.4
Other creditors 16.7 14.4
847.7 508.0
Deferred income: 2023 2022
£000 £000
Balance b/fwd 75.3 171.5
Released in year (75.3) (171.5)
Deferred in year 431.7 75.3
Balance c/fwd 431.7 75.3
----- End of picture text -----

Caring Together Charity

Company Registration Number 4379948

58 Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23

16 General reserves

----- Start of picture text -----
2023 2022
Brought Carried Brought Carried
forward Income Expenditure forward forward Income Expenditure forward
£000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000
General reserve 655.5 3,387.3 3,350.7 692.1 836.5 3,572.7 3,753.7 655.5
----- End of picture text -----

17 Analysis of movements in restricted funds

----- Start of picture text -----
2023 2022
Brought Carried Brought Carried
forward Income Expenditure forward forward Income Expenditure forward
£000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000
Cambs and Peterborough young and young adult 13.3 159.0 172.3 - 7.9 48.3 42.9 13.3
carers - for carers aged up to 26 years
Norfolk young and young adult carers - for carers - 26.5 13.5 13.0 - 7.5 7.5 -
aged up to 18 years
Norfolk Young Carers Forum - to give young carers - - - - - 7.5 7.5 -
a voice
Cambridgeshire Community Foundation - to 4.1 10.0 9.1 5.0 - 9.9 5.8 4.1
provide innovative community-based projects for
adult carers
Big Lottery Reaching Communities - community 34.0 86.4 61.4 59.0 - 81.0 47.0 34.0
based projects supporting carers
Cambridgeshire and Norfolk support for adult 234.6 301.5 522.7 13.4 - 718.8 484.2 234.6
carers including hubs and clubs - for carers and
dependants including those with dementia giving
breaks, support, information advice and guidance
286.0 583.4 779.0 90.4 7.9 873.0 594.9 286.0
----- End of picture text -----

The purpose of the funds is explained beneath the heading of the item.

Caring Together Charity

Company Registration Number 4379948

Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23 59

18 Other commitments

----- Start of picture text -----
Land and buildings Equipment
2023 2022 2023 2022
£000 £000 £000 £000
Expiry date:
In less than one year 96.1 89.9 31.3 20.0
Between one and five years 64.0 172.6 30.2 -
In over five years - - - -
160.1 262.5 61.5 20.0
----- End of picture text -----

This will be funded by existing contracts and income streams.

The lease on the St Ives premises expires in November 2024.

19 Analysis of net assets between funds

----- Start of picture text -----
2023 2022
General Restricted Total General Restricted Total
£000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000
Tangible fixed assets 82.9 - 82.9 106.2 - 106.2
Cash at bank and in hand 423.5 90.4 513.9 370.0 286.0 656.0
Other net current assets 185.7 - 185.7 179.3 - 179.3
692.1 90.4 782.5 655.5 286.0 941.5
----- End of picture text -----

Caring Together Charity

Company Registration Number 4379948

60 Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23

20 Reconciliation of net movement in funds to net cash flow from operating activities

----- Start of picture text -----
2023 2022
£000 £000
Net movement in funds (159.0) 97.1
Adjustment for:
Depreciation charge 31.4 19.0
Profit on sale of fixed assets - (14.3)
Interest from dividends, interest and rents from investments (0.4) (1.4)
(Increase) in debtors (348.5) (144.9)
Increase/(decrease) in creditors 339.7 (48.4)
Increase in dilapidations provision 2.4 -
Net cash used in operating activities (134.4) (92.9)
----- End of picture text -----

21 Analysis of changes in net debt - current year

----- Start of picture text -----
31 March Cash flow Other 31 March
2022 non cash 2023
changes
£000 £000 £000 £000
Cash at bank and in hand 656.0 (142.1) - 513.9
31 March Cash flow Other 31 March
2021 non cash 2022
changes
£000 £000 £000 £000
Cash at bank and in hand 822.2 (166.2) - 656.0
----- End of picture text -----

22 Related party transactions

There are no related party transactions in this or the prior financial year (2022: none).

Caring Together Charity

Company Registration Number 4379948

Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23 61

23 Prior year statement of financial activities

----- Start of picture text -----
2022
Unrestricted Restricted Total
funds funds funds
£000 £000 £000
Donations and legacies
Donations and legacies 71.2 - 71.2
Grants receivable 67.0 873.0 940.0
Income from charitable activities:
Care fees and contracts 3,387.1 - 3,387.1
Other charitable income 30.7 - 30.7
Investment income 1.4 - 1.4
Other income 15.3 - 15.3
Total income 3,572.7 873.0 4,445.7
Expenditure
Costs of raising funds 63.1 - 63.1
Expenditure on charitable activities 3,690.6 594.9 4,285.5
Total expenditure 3,753.7 594.9 4,348.6
Net movement in funds for the year (181.0) 278.1 97.1
Reconciliation of funds
Total funds brought forward 836.5 7.9 844.4
Total funds carried forward 655.5 286.0 941.5
----- End of picture text -----

Caring Together Charity

Company Registration Number 4379948

62 Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23

Legal and administrative details

Legal name Caring Together Charity Trading name Caring Together Charity number 1091522 Company number 4379948 Registered office L D H House, Parsons Green, St Ives, Cambridgeshire PE27 4AA

Our advisors

Auditors Price Bailey Tennyson House, Cambridge Business Park, Cambridge CB4 0WZ Bankers Lloyds Bank plc PO Box 1000, BX1 1LT Solicitors Buckles Solicitors LLP Grant House, 101 Bourges Boulevard, Peterborough, PE1 1NG

Directors and trustees

The directors of the charitable company (the charity) are its trustees for the purpose of charity law. The trustees and senior leadership team serving during the year and since the year end were as follows:

Trustees Appointed Senior leadership team Stuart Evans (chair) August 2017 Chief executive Alison Griffiths (honorary treasurer) June 2016 Director of finance and resources Mandy Hill September 2021 Director of operations David Hipple February 2017 Head of care/registered manager Matthew Lester (resigned Feb 2023) June 2016 Head of people Christy O’Connell September 2021 Head of fundraising and communications Donna Talbot June 2021 Head of digital and business intelligence Howard Tidman September 2021 Christina Wells February 2016

Miriam Martin Neil Portor Sarah Harvey Lisa Downs Natalie Chandler Zoe Bunter John Platten

Caring Together Charity

Company Registration Number 4379948

Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23 63

Caring Together Charity

Company Registration Number 4379948

Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23

64

Our trustees

Alison Griffiths – honorary treasurer

Alison, a chartered accountant, brings vast professional expertise to the board and was a director of taxation in international FTSE 100 groups. She is a trustee of Cambridgeshire Community Foundation.

David Hipple

David brings considerable financial and general management skills to the charity having spent over 35 years as a chartered accountant and director of finance for a number of large and medium sized groups in both the public and private sector.

Donna Talbot

As communications and income generation director at Arthur Rank Hospice, Donna has extensive experience in generating voluntary income from a variety of sources.

Christina Wells

Christina spent over 25 years working at a senior level in the public sector and has a wide range of experience, particularly within the NHS. Her interests include promoting the health and wellbeing of carers, developing carer friendly communities and safeguarding.

Stuart Evans - chair of trustees

Entrepreneur Stuart previously chaired Arthur Rank Hospice Charity and was a board member of the East of England Development Agency. He and his wife adopted three children and have first-hand experience of caring.

Mandy Hill

As managing director of Academic Publishing at Cambridge University Press, Mandy is skilled in delivering improved performance, strategic innovation and collaborative engagement.

Christy O’Connell

Christy has worked in the legal sector for over ten years and is currently a Counsel in the corporate team at Cleary Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton LLP.

Howard Tidman

Howard is a registered psychiatric nurse with 11 years’ experience of supporting carers within the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust.

Please see our website for full biographies

Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23 65

Our senior leadership team

Miriam Martin – chief executive

Miriam has worked in the charity sector for over 20 years, including as chief executive at Action for Blind People, a UK-wide charity with a budget of £23mn, 900 staff and 400 volunteers, supporting 90,000 people each year.

Sarah Harvey – director of operations

Sarah is an experienced senior manager in adult and child social care, having worked for the local authority, private and charitable organisations.

Natalie Chandler - head of people

Natalie has over 20 years experience as a human resources professional. Before joining Caring Together Natalie was operations manager for a successful local homecare organisation.

John Platten - head of digital and business intelligence

John has a broad experience of delivering customer-centred digital services with a focus on user experience and change management in a range of sectors.

Neil Portor - director of finance and resources

Neil is a qualified accountant with experience working in an executive role and reporting at board level within the charity sector, having worked at YMCA for over 25 years.

Lisa Downs – head of care/ registered manager for care

Lisa began her journey in social care as a coordinator and became a registered manager in 2016. After a short tenure working in bids and contracts, she realised her passion lies closer to the frontline of the industry

Zoe Bunter - head of fundraising and communications

Zoe has worked as a charity fundraiser for over 20 years. She has worked in both large national charities and smaller local organisations, raising essential funding for their work.

Please see our website for full biographies

Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23

66

Caring Together Charity

Company Registration Number 4379948

Caring Together Charity annual report and accounts 2022/23 67

Caring Together Charity

Company Registration Number 4379948

Provider ID 1-19234275

L D H House Parsons Green St Ives PE27 4AA

T 01480 499090 or 0345 241 0954 E hello@caringtogether.org caringtogether.org

Caring Together Charity Charity Registration Number 1091522 Company Registration Number 4379948

© 2023 Caring Together Charity

v1.0

Annual report and accounts 2022/23

Caring Together Charity Charity Registration Number 1091522 Company Registration Number 4379948