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← The Coroners' Courts Support Service

2024-03-31-accounts

ANNUAL REPORT

1[st] APRIL 2023 – 31[st] MARCH 2024

Charity Number: 1105899

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

Introduction

It has been another busy and challenging year for the Coroners’ Courts Support Service (CCSS). The current economic climate continues to exert pressure on our finances, further challenging our ability to deliver on our charitable objectives. Despite these difficulties, the Board remains committed to ensuring the sustainability and growth of our services.

Financial Overview

As detailed in the CEO's report, the financial landscape presents significant challenges. The Board is actively exploring a number of initiatives aimed at providing long-term solutions to these financial pressures. Among these initiatives are proposals to increase fees and enhance our fundraising efforts. The Board fully supports these efforts, recognising their importance in maintaining and expanding our services.

Looking Forward

I am hopeful that the current measures being undertaken by the CEO, with the full support of the Board, will enable us to expand our services into the remaining courts where we are not yet present. We are committed to continuing our mission and making our services accessible to more people in need.

Acknowledgments

At the AGM in September, we bid farewell to Rashid Teladia, who stepped down from his position as Chairman of the Board of Trustees after 18 years of dedicated service. His leadership and contributions have been invaluable to our organisation. We welcomed Christopher Blue as the new CCSS Chairman. We also welcomed two new Trustees at the September AGM, Wesley Lau and Kim Chudley. Wesley brings experience in business development and fundraising, while Kim is a successful senior HR leader with extensive experience across all aspects of HR and organisational development.

I would like to express my thanks to all our staff, volunteers, fellow trustees, funders, sponsors, Coroners and Patrons—HHJ Mark Lucraft KC and Lady Emma Barnard—for their unwavering support. This year also marked a transition within the Office of the Chief Coroner. I wish to extend our gratitude to the outgoing Chief Coroner, HHJ Tommy Teague, for his support to The CCSS and we extend our best wishes to him. The Board warmly welcomes HHJ Alexia Duran, the newly appointed Chief Coroner; and we look forward to building a productive and collaborative partnership with as we continue our vital work.

Finally, I wish to acknowledge our volunteers, whose dedication and commitment are invaluable to the CCSS. Their ongoing support is greatly appreciated, and we are grateful for their continued involvement in our mission.

This report underscores the resilience and dedication of the CCSS community in the face of ongoing challenges. The Board remains optimistic about the future and is committed to steering the organisation towards continued success and growth.

Maggie Frost Interim Chairman

CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REPORT

Finances

This financial reporting year has again been challenging and the Coroner’s Court Support Service (CCSS) continues to face significant financial difficulties. Our financial support comes from two primary sources: fee income from Local Authorities and fundraised income. The combination of potential fee increases and increased momentum within fundraising is crucial to our financial security.

In response, the Board of Trustees and I have taken proactive steps to address these issues. One of those steps to address a shortfall in income is that I will be initiating joint meetings with Coroners and Local Authority budget holders to discuss potential fee increases. These meetings are scheduled to commence in the new financial year and will continue throughout 2024.

Despite the ongoing challenges, the dedication and efforts of our volunteers and staff are a source of inspiration and hope. Their unwavering commitment is the backbone of our organisation, and we are deeply grateful for their contributions.

Volunteer Engagement

As of 31st March 2024, the CCSS had 352 volunteers actively engaged in service, with an additional 72 individuals in training. These volunteers are supporting 49 courts across 44 coronial areas. The dedication of our volunteers is truly remarkable, and they remain the backbone of our organisation.

Statistics

Despite the financial challenges the CCSS has had a year of interesting developments that reaffirm the importance and relevance of the services the charity provides. Highlights include:

Comparing 2022/23 activity with 2023/24, there has been:

A 35% increase in the number of individuals directly supported.

A 19% increase in volunteer days.

A 29% increase in the number of inquests attended.

Detailed information can be found in the attached charts. A big thank you to Robina Bush who volunteers to compile our monthly and annual statistics.

Training

We successfully delivered seven new volunteer training courses along with Helpline training and Telephone Support Service training. Following feedback from our volunteers we launched a new training format in January spanning 2 consecutive days instead of the previous 3 days, including three one hour stand-alone sessions making a more streamlined and efficient process and a better on boarding experience to volunteers.

Helpline services

The Helpline continues to be a success. Since last year there has been an overall growth of 6.4% in users contacting the helpline, this varies by month. Since February when we started to collect geographical data, we have received calls relating to cases in almost all coronial areas in which we have a court team. We have also supported callers from areas that do not have a court team as well as those that do.

CEO Open Door Sessions

The CEO Open-Door Sessions, introduced in 2023 and open to all volunteers, provide an opportunity for me to get to know our volunteers better, hear first-hand how things are progressing in their areas, and for us to learn from each other. They are an invaluable means of communication.

Old Bailey Event

In September we hosted an awareness-raising event at the Old Bailey. I am grateful to our CCSS Patrons, HHJ Mark Lucraft and Lady Emma Barnard, for their support of this event. This evening was generously sponsored by the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers.

Engagement with Research and Policy Projects

The Operations & Training Manager and I , met with representatives from “Voicing Loss” a research and policy project on the role of bereaved people in coroners’ investigations and inquests. The Voicing Loss project examined the role of bereaved people in coroners’ investigations and inquests. We were delighted to take part in their research.

Justice Committee Engagement

Together with Roey Burden, Founder Trustee, I participated in a face-to-face session with the Justice Committee to provide evidence to their follow up inquiry into the Coroners Service for England and Wales. We received unequivocally positive comments and support for the CCSS.

Recognition and Rewards

I am delighted to report that the High Sheriff of West Sussex selected the CCSS to receive a High Sheriffs recognition award for 2024. An event was held on 21st of March 2024 where the volunteer team in West Sussex received a certificate of recognition and a cash award. This award celebrates the exceptional work and dedication of our volunteers who make a significant impact in their communities.

In Conclusion

In conclusion, while the financial landscape remains challenging, we are actively pursuing solutions through strategic fee increases and enhanced fundraising efforts. The dedication of our volunteers and the collaborative efforts of our team give us confidence in navigating these challenges successfully.

I extend my gratitude to our volunteers, for the generosity of their time and to our donors whose contributions make our work possible, to our Trustees for their unwavering guidance and support and to our staff, for their dedication and hard work.

Together, we make a difference in the lives of many, and together, we will continue to build a brighter future.

Angela Geer CEO

HON. TREASURER’S REPORT

Our annual accounts show that we operated more efficiently than in the previous year and we are carefully managing expenditure while ensuring that we provide high quality services to our courts.

Income

During the year, we received £220,780 from private donations, local authorities and government grants. A list of donors is included in our Annual Report. We continue to provide our services without central government support.

Expenditure

Total costs for the year were £299,530 which included expenditure of £208,414 on staffing. This is significantly lower than last year because we have restructured how we operate. Consequently, expenditure on volunteer recruitment, training and expenses of £39,604 was also lower than last year. Other costs included £19,604 for fundraising.

Summary

We begin the new financial year with restricted reserves of £7,498 and total reserves of £104,322. We continue to seek opportunities to provide our services more efficiently given recent fundraising challenges while seeking new sources of funding.

Once again, I thank Margaret Bayman for her continuing support with our financial reporting and our team and volunteers, and my fellow trustees given the significant changes during the year.

Chris Peaker, Hon. Treasurer

Charity Number: 1105899

THE CORONERS’ COURTS SUPPORT SERVICE

ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[st] MARCH 2024

Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of The Coroners’ Court Support Service

I report on the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2024, which are set out on the pages following this report.

Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Act) and that an independent examination is needed. The charity’s gross income exceeded £250,000 and I am qualified to undertake the examination by being a qualified member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

It is my responsibility to:

Basis of independent examiner’s report

My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records.

It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters.

The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair view’ and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.

Independent examiner’s statement

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

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

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

Karen Bunyan FCCA Hargreaves Owen Ltd Red Sky House Fairclough Hall

Halls Green

Weston Herts, SG4 7DP

The date upon which my opinion is expressed is: 15[th] August 2024

Charity No: 1105899

THE CORONERS' COURTS SUPPORT SERVICE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH 2024

31st March 2024 31st March 2024 31st March 2024 31st March 2023 31st March 2023 31st March 2023
Unrestricted Restricted Unrestricted Restricted Total Unrestricted Restricted Unrestricted Restricted Total
Incoming resources Notes Funds Funds Funds Funds Funds Funds
£ £ £ £ £ £ £
Donations 2 51,873 6,150 58,023 51,440 37,350 88,790
Local authorities 155,648 0 155,648 159,312 0 159,312
Income tax
recovered 582 0 582 652 0 652
Interest received 6,527 0 6,527 4,860 0 4,860
Total incoming
resources 214,630 6,150 220,780 216,264 37,350 253,614
Resources
expended
Staff costs 3 197,493 10,921 208,414 225,226 75,026 300,252
Volunteer
recruitment 310 0 310 1,117 0 1,117
Volunteer training 4,908 78 4,986 8,214 15 8,229
Volunteer expenses 4 34,135 173 34,308 31,913 527 32,440
Fundraising costs 19,604 0 19,604 25,338 0 25,338
Accountancy 11,040 0 11,040 10,546 0 10,546
Administration 11,964 2,203 14,167 13,288 2,203 15,491
Insurance 2,372 0 2,372 1,823 0 1,823
Marketing costs 823 0 823 951 0 951
Helpline costs 33 2,864 2,897 9,068 0 9,068
Independent
examiner's fee 324 0 324 348 0 348
Bank charges 285 0 285 282 0 282
Total resources expended 283,291 16,239 299,530 328,114 77,771 405,885
Net incoming resources (68,661) (10,089) (78,750) (111,850) (40,421) (152,271)
Brought forward 165,485 17,587 183,072 277,335 58,008 335,343
Total funds £96,824 £7,498 £104,322 £7,498 £104,322 £165,485 £17,587 £183,072

THE CORONERS' COURTS SUPPORT SERVICE BALANCE SHEET

Charity Number: 1105899

as at 31st MARCH 2024

Notes
31st March 2024
£
£
Current assets
Debtors
5
5,402
Cash at bank and in hand
173,762

179,164
Current liabilities
Creditors: amounts falling
due within one year
6
1,544
Deferred income
73,298
74,842
Net current assets
104,322
Net assets
£104,322
Funds
General funds
96,824
Restricted funds
7
7,498
£104,322
Approved by the Trustees and signed on
their behalf by:
CJ Peaker
Trustee		 31st March 2023
£
£
4,220
283,735

287,955
1,749
103,134
104,883
183,072
£183,072
165,485
17,587
£183,072		 31st March 2023
£
£
4,220
283,735

287,955
1,749
103,134
104,883
183,072
£183,072
165,485
17,587
£183,072
287,955
1,749
103,134
104,883
£183,072
165,485
17,587
£183,072

The attached notes form part of these accounts

Charity No: 1105899

THE CORONERS' COURTS SUPPORT SERVICE NOTES FORMING PART OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH 2024

1 Accounting policies

The financial statements have been prepared on the accruals basis and in accordance with the Charities Act

2
Restricted Donations over £5,000
The Batchworth Trust
Eleanor Rathbone Charitable Trust
Heart of Bucks Community Foundation
3
Staff costs and numbers
Salary
Social security costs
Pension costs
Staff travel
Other
costs		 31st March 2024
31st March 2023
£
£
0
10,000
0
5,000
0
5,850
31st March 2024
31st March 2023
£
£
183,512
256,221
13,107
14,872
2,065
3,716
1,719
12,267
8,011
13,176
£208,414
£300,252		 31st March 2024
31st March 2023
£
£
0
10,000
0
5,000
0
5,850
31st March 2024
31st March 2023
£
£
183,512
256,221
13,107
14,872
2,065
3,716
1,719
12,267
8,011
13,176
£208,414
£300,252
£300,252

There were 8 employees in the year (2023 = 12). None of the

Trustees was directly or indirectly remunerated in any way.

4 Volunteer expenses

It is the policy of the Charity to reimburse expenses properly incurred by its volunteers in connection with its charitable activities. During the year, the total reimbursed to volunteers in respect of travel and sundry costs amounted to £39,604 (2023 = £41,786), which included £0 to trustees (2023 = £0).

Debtors
Expenditure prepayments
Accrued income
Income tax repayment
Other debtors		 31st March 2024
31st March 2023
£
£
3,275
3,358
1,413
100
582
750
132
12
£5,402
£4,220		 31st March 2024
31st March 2023
£
£
3,275
3,358
1,413
100
582
750
132
12
£5,402
£4,220
£4,220

6 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year 31st March 2024 31st March 2023
£ £
Expenditure accruals 1,544 1,749
Other creditors 0 0
£1,544 £1,749

7 Reserves policy

Our unrestricted reserves reflect the need to sustain our commitment to the courts where we currently operate and provide our services to new courts, when the courts cannot be funded from restricted reserves.

VOLUNTEER REPRESENTATIVES’ ANNUAL REPORT 2023 - 2023

Ruth Pressley – London, South and East

Volunteer Teams covered : Brighton, Chelmsford, City of London, Fulham, Hatfield, Huntingdon, Ipswich, Maidstone, Milton Keynes, Northampton, Norwich, Plymouth, St. Pancras and Poplar, Southwark.

I am pleased to report another year with no real issues within the teams. As Toni Owens has taken over from Julie Wood it has given an opportunity to revisit the areas we cover in order to make more geographical sense. The courts I now deal with are listed above and I look forward to returning to some of them, who I covered historically. I have conducted 3 exit interviews this year which is less than previously and a good sign that things are settling down following the Pandemic and the reorganisation of some of the courts.

As mentioned in the reports from my colleagues John and Julie, we have been reviewing our roles as Regional Representatives and I feel that we have worked well together to suggest ways to enhance our involvement in CCSS.

I have particularly enjoyed delivering training to new volunteers, as I think it is very important that we enthuse people at an early stage of their volunteering experience. I look forward to continuing to be involved with these sessions, which give people an insight into court attendance, the Helpline and TSS service.

I would like to thank Julie for all her input during her time as Regional Rep. She arrived like a breath of fresh air and came up with new ideas that I found encouraging. It has been a pleasure to work with her.

I look forward to working alongside Toni and wish her all the best in her new role

Julie Wood– Central, South and West

Volunteer Teams covered : Ampthill, Beaconsfield, Bournemouth, Chichester, Croydon, Exeter, Flax Bourton, Leicester, Milton Keynes, Newport, Northampton, Oxford, Plymouth, Reading, Shrewsbury, Woking.

I have continued to contribute to the regular online training of new volunteers, usually alongside Ruth Pressley. The feedback shared with us by the staff team indicates that new volunteers appreciate hearing from experienced volunteers about their experiences in court and on the Helpline and I am pleased that the review of the training offered to new volunteers has retained our input.

I have conducted seven exit interviews in the last year, which is fewer than the previous year and may be a sign that the higher turnover experienced as teams adjusted to new ways of working after the pandemic is now returning to pre-pandemic levels. Some leavers have continued to mention less regular and predictable shifts as a frustration but the overwhelming feedback from leavers concerns how much they have enjoyed their CCSS volunteering, with a particular focus on the support of their colleagues and Lead Volunteers.

I have completed three years in the role of Volunteer Representative and decided that the time was right for me to step down at the end of March 2024. Undertaking the role has given me an insight into the diversity of the experience of being a CCSS Court Volunteer in different courts across England and Wales, the incredible life experiences and amazing talents of CCSS volunteers and also the common values that bind those who offer their time to support anyone who finds themself touched by the inquest process.

I am grateful in particular to Ruth who helped me so much when I first took on the role and to both Ruth and John for their advice and support as fellow Volunteer Representatives. Working with them has been a privilege.

John Pattison - Northwest

Volunteer Teams covered: Blackpool, Stafford, Coventry, Leicester, Liverpool, Morpeth, Stockport, Stoke, Warrington.

John Pattison Northeast (Acting)

Volunteer Teams covered: Bradford, Lincoln, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Northallerton, Sunderland.

As the only Regional Representative operating in the North, I have worked closely with the Area Manager responsible for the North region, Gwen Wild. Her enthusiasm and commitment in dealing with new developments has been outstanding. I would also like to thank Julie Wood the retiring Regional Representative for the Central, South and West region; it has been a real pleasure working with her.

COURTS WHERE THE CCSS IS HELPING AS AT 31[st] MARCH 2024

Coronial Area (44)

Courts (49)

Avon Flax Bourton Bedfordshire & Luton Ampthill Berkshire Reading Blackpool & Fylde Blackpool Buckinghamshire Beaconsfield Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Huntingdon & Peterborough Cheshire Warrington City of Brighton & Hove Brighton City of Liverpool & Wirral Liverpool City of London Area City of London City of Sunderland Sunderland Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Truro County Durham & Darlington Crook Coventry Coventry Dorset Bournemouth East London Walthamstow Essex Chelmsford Exeter & Greater Devon Exeter Gwent Newport Hertfordshire Hatfield Inner London North St. Pancras, Poplar Inner London South Southwark Kent – Mid Kent & Medway Maidstone Leicester City & South Leicestershire Leicester Lincolnshire Lincoln, Boston Manchester South Stockport Milton Keynes Milton Keynes Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne Norfolk Norwich Northamptonshire Northampton Northumberland Morpeth North Yorkshire & York Northallerton, Harrogate Oxfordshire Oxford Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin Shrewsbury South Devon Plymouth South London Croydon South Staffordshire Stafford Stoke on Trent & North Staffordshire Stoke on Trent Suffolk Ipswich Surrey Woking Teeside Middlesbrough West London Fulham West Sussex Chichester, Horsham West Yorkshire (West) Bradford

CORONER’S COURTS SUPPORT SERVICE REPORT ON VOLUNTEER ACTIVITY 2023/24

At financial year-end, there were 43 Coronial areas returning statistical information pertaining to their courts.

Activity in all areas continues to increase, following the dramatic fall in activity 4 years ago caused by the Covid epidemic. Whilst some courts are back to pre-Covid levels of activity, many others are increasingly relying on technology, with hearings being held via video link. This has resulted in some courts only calling volunteers in when family and witnesses are attending in person.

That said, comparing 2022/23 activity with 2023/24 there has been:

Detailed information can be found in the attached charts showing overall numbers by month and activity by individual Coronial area.

As ever, I would like to thank the volunteers who send in the monthly returns to me for their time and effort in collating their local data.

Robina Bush May 2024

CORONERS' COURT SUPPORT SERVICE STATISTICS 2023/2024 BY CORONIAL AREA

Sittings Volunteer Openings PIRs Inquests Family Friends Witnesses Others Total
Individuals		 Signposted Signposted
Attendances Supported CCSS
Helpline		 Other
Amphtill 121 137 2 27 145 417 62 197 480 1189 1 2
Beaconsfield 77 83 1 65 156 457 71 65 331 969 0 0
Blackpool 186 377 10 63 179 736 60 256 535 1657 0 1
Bournemouth 150 243 0 1 185 603 75 271 88 1037 201 85
Bradford 182 165 0 18 343 952 126 344 624 2101 0 6
Brighton 96 96 3 16 126 341 122 66 101 644 7 3
Cannock 98 148 0 8 214 595 48 131 105 916 0 0
Chelmsford 175 176 4 5 118 513 144 356 164 1164 1 3
Chichester 134 124 5 16 191 513 57 66 177 831 49 0
Cityof London 3 3 0 0 3 7 3 0 0 10 0 0
Coventry 56 88 0 1 61 194 40 47 49 330 9 8
Crook 209 327 46 98 337 1208 104 257 395 2047 15 155
Croydon 99 179 0 19 116 367 27 24 54 472 13 7
Exeter 142 223 0 6 197 654 78 133 24 929 46 1
Flax Bourton 197 215 13 19 299 820 131 189 178 1318 22 80
Fulham 197 192 1 4 136 552 43 269 429 1325 0 5
Hatfield 157 159 0 2 285 799 93 221 114 1268 0 0
Huntingdon 29 30 0 1 21 117 16 29 12 192 0 0
Ipswich 137 148 0 16 134 459 69 215 171 944 3 7
Leicester 92 99 0 5 88 291 26 228 443 1006 0 1
Lincoln 71 88 0 0 74 255 33 13 13 330 4 5
Liverpool 204 224 2 21 184 564 49 215 451 1122 0 4
Maidstone 125 164 1 48 495 1322 173 191 257 2019 20 160
Middlesborough 31 37 0 1 56 237 32 64 129 467 0 0
Sittings Volunteer Openings PIRs Inquests Family Friends Witnesses Others Total
Individuals		 Signposted Signposted
Attendances Supported CCSS
Helpline		 Other
Milton Keynes 79 152 4 4 71 254 36 88 243 629 0 0
Morpeth 100 170 0 0 86 250 79 285 344 974 0 1
Newcastle 144 185 0 11 145 498 47 377 613 1566 0 3
Newport 52 63 0 1 53 76 1 52 5 151 0 3
Northallerton 165 190 0 7 257 694 66 195 367 1384 19 35
Northampton 107 140 1 1 332 589 77 270 236 1224 96 10
Norwich 187 295 4 40 349 954 131 134 452 1709 14 27
Oxford 98 117 0 2 166 457 84 46 40 627 3 20
Plymouth 71 117 0 8 81 237 45 44 47 373 9 0
Reading 244 273 51 31 299 847 97 336 761 2041 74 14
Shrewsbury 69 128 0 13 111 369 51 81 501 1002 0 1
St. Pancras 136 142 0 0 81 328 29 348 641 1346 0 0
Southwark 115 121 2 8 151 384 49 20 36 489 4 9
Stockport 167 184 6 39 305 1071 131 387 339 1928 1 5
Stoke on Trent 131 153 54 14 373 879 37 254 257 1427 6 2
Sunderland 23 31 0 1 22 67 1 47 126 241 0 1
Truro 210 355 0 10 234 626 137 149 436 1348 2 4
Warrington 269 381 0 21 237 898 78 536 1449 2961 2 2
Woking 218 190 12 57 249 844 63 28 25 960 20 27

CORONERS COURT SUPPORT SERVICE STATISTICS 2023/24

CORONERS COURT SUPPORT SERVICE STATISTICS 2023/24 CORONERS COURT SUPPORT SERVICE STATISTICS 2023/24 CORONERS COURT SUPPORT SERVICE STATISTICS 2023/24 CORONERS COURT SUPPORT SERVICE STATISTICS 2023/24 CORONERS COURT SUPPORT SERVICE STATISTICS 2023/24 CORONERS COURT SUPPORT SERVICE STATISTICS 2023/24
**Sittings ** Volunteer
Attendances		 Openings PIRs Inquests Family Friends Witnesses Others Total
Supported		 Signposted
Helpline		 Signposted
Other		 Total
since
2003
April 405 514 16 38 557 1574 207 460 773 3014 52 55
May 443 543 19 56 626 1877 203 578 848 3506 21 37
June 484 620 23 47 692 1923 248 609 1030 3810 56 58
July 437 578 37 56 646 1966 241 614 1057 3878 43 46
August 419 512 5 54 611 1806 225 462 671 4122 43 55
September 465 616 23 60 638 1865 245 663 1005 3674 59 57
October 490 620 18 74 707 2110 318 652 1286 4366 82 74
November 551 696 18 84 728 2269 289 785 1261 4500 62 64
December 302 375 13 36 427 1343 179 444 610 2576 37 49
January 512 649 14 71 656 2062 250 792 1270 4374 48 66
February 527 656 17 77 726 2282 227 769 1345 4623 70 69
March 518 633 19 76 714 2177 299 694 1108 4227 61 67
Total 5553 7012 222 729 7728 23254 2931 7522 12264 46670 634 697 526000
22/23
Totals		 4477 5884 133 505 6191 17968 2131 5519 8938 34556 754 437

HELPLINE STATISTICS APRIL 2023 to MARCH 2024

KEY POINTS TO NOTE

  1. Since last year there has been an overall growth of 6.4% in users contacting the helpline. This varies by month, for example, in May last year the increase was 44% over the number of contacts in May 2022.

  2. Since February when we started to collect geographical data we have received calls relating to cases in every coronial area in which we have a court team except for Avon – although we had a call in January about a case in this area. This is an indication of the importance of the helpline in supporting people in a rounded way – through our court teams but also by providing support and information earlier in the inquest process, and often after the case has been concluded.

  3. The range of people who contact the helpline includes family and friends of the deceased, witnesses, people called for jury service, professionals (legal, medical, support organisations, insurers, MP assistants, Embassy staff etc), and people affected by the death such as landlords, care home staff and funeral directors. Whilst most of these people are based in the UK, we also get calls from Europe, America, Australia and elsewhere.

  4. About 16% of contacts over the last year have been via email. These generally take longer to respond to than a phone call and are often more frequent on a Monday morning due to the helpline being closed on Saturday and Sunday.

  5. Many of the calls we receive are from people who have been very recently bereaved (often in the past day or so) who can be very upset. This is different to supporting in court, where people may be upset but are unlikely to still be dealing with the immediate aftermath of the death. Consequently, many of our calls relate to what to do when someone dies, particularly where the death has been referred to the coroner. This is something that will be more obvious from the new contact record we are using, but the fact that across the year about a fifth of the contact records mentioned death certificates is an indication of the relative frequency of such calls.

  6. Volunteers are clear about the limits of our expertise so although there were 166 occasions when legal matters were brought up, legal advice is not given. Often these calls refer to whether legal representation is needed for an inquest, if funding is available, or such things as whether personal effects can be returned to a family.

  7. Many callers find our number through the gov.uk website, coroners’ websites, and coroners officers’ letters/emails to family members, and through referral from other support organisations. These referrals from other organisations seems to have increased over the past year, partly due to the efforts made over time by those members of CCSS staff who work with the helpline volunteers and who have made contacts outside of CCSS.

At the beginning of 2024 the helpline team started using a different contact record. The first table is similar to the one presented a year ago. The second shows the greater detail which will appear going forwards. The reason for the change in contact record is to simplify the completion process as the helpline shifts get busier.

Month CR Email Phone Voicemail Emotional Inquest
process		 Legal PM Disclosure Jury Support at
court		 Complaint IDC/DC Contact
details		 Historical
case		 Other Signposted TSS
Referral
2023
Apr		 196 45 130 18 18 58 12 8 5 0 17 14 48 21 5 74 122 1
May 249 35 168 42 20 68 13 9 16 0 29 19 40 28 9 87 160 5
June 198 29 140 27 19 50 13 6 6 0 19 7 38 34 0 83 116 5
July 190 22 140 28 18 57 9 6 12 1 15 15 32 25 6 59 121 3
Aug 216 31 140 45 24 64 17 5 12 0 23 11 35 29 8 63 134 10
Sept 193 38 128 27 17 65 11 11 13 0 26 10 32 27 6 57 104 5
Oct 286 47 205 34 31 79 16 12 10 1 44 18 67 40 8 84 180 9
Nov 201 38 113 48 18 71 12 9 4 2 29 6 50 24 4 59 116 4
Dec 170 31 96 42 11 40 13 11 4 2 13 3 41 27 3 56 95 1
2024
Jan		 286 41 186 57 40 93 27 12 7 2 43 19 63 49 10 66 170 9
Feb 224 28 146 48 25 33 16 15 20 3 26 10 56 73 5 51 145 9
Mar 230 29 160 40 26 23 7 15 9 1 27 17 52 53 4 45 122 6
Totals 2639 414 1752 456 267 701 166 119 118 12 311 149 554 430 68 784 1585 67

The TSS referral figures reflect how often people wish to have a call from a local volunteer. In addition to this, contact is frequently made with local teams to check that support will be available for a particular inquest or to answer a specific question, but without the need for the local volunteer to call the user.

Month CR Email Phone Voicemail Emotional Family Support PM IDC/DC Open – PIR - Inquest PIR purpose/nature Disclosure/bundle Purpose of inquest Evidence/questioning Conclusions/R of I Death registration Remote/hybrid Jury Inquest other Complaint Support at court Legal Historic case Press/public Actions following
dh		 eat
TUO		 Funeral details Probate Family dispute Repatriation Contact details
coroner		 Contact details reg Contact details other Other Signposted TSS Referral?
2024
Jan		 286 41 186 57 40 0 12 63 0 0 3 76 0 1 2 0 1 1 19 43 27 10 1 2 1 1 0 1 0 45 0 0 66 170 9
Feb 224 28 146 48 25 8 15 56 6 9 20 33 26 9 17 4 3 22 10 26 16 5 5 4 11 12 3 5 6 59 8 6 51 145 9
Mar 230 29 160 40 26 9 15 52 6 2 9 23 12 1 26 1 1 19 17 27 7 4 3 5 10 5 6 7 0 48 4 1 45 122 6
Total 740 98 492 145 91 17 42 171 12 11 32 132 38 11 45 5 5 42 46 96 50 19 9 11 22 18 9 13 6 152 12 7 162 437 24

In addition, in January 2023 we started to compare historical data. As per our data protection procedures this is only held for two years. Consequently, the data for the first two months of 2021 was not available for comparison.

The shaded columns represent the number of contact records. The other columns give percentage increase over time.

2021 2022 % increase
from 2021		 2023 % increase
from 2021		 % increase from
2022		 2024 % increase
from 2021		 % increase
from 2022		 % increase
from 2023
Jan 218 277 27 286 31 3
Feb 173 246 42 226 31 -8
Mar 158 210 33 283 79 35 246 56 17 -13
Apr 165 151 -8 197 19 30
May 130 165 27 237 82 44
Jun
Jul		 150 190 27
17		 211 41
62		 11
38
129 151 209
Aug 161 219 36 188 17 -14
Sep 175 250 43 204 17 -18
Oct 168 201 20 260 55 29
Nov 192 190 -1 226 18 19
Dec 121 182 50 176 45 -3
2300 2714

To support future fundraising we have also been recording geographical information since February relating to where an inquest is held or where the deceased lived. The intention is to try to give a sense of how financial support may help people in a particular area through the helpline in much the same way as the statistics collected for each court. The highlighted cells show the top 10% of locations in terms of service users by category, i.e. Counties, London Boroughs, Wales. Please note, it is not possible to identify location for all users, particularly when contacted by email.

Counties 1
3
2
4
8
4
2
2
5
17
5
1
5
2
8		 12
17
8
2
8
26
4
9
6
3
2
11
9
12
1		 5
3
3
5
3
3
5
7
5
8
18
10
13
8
295
N.B. Where there
have been no
identified
instances from a
particular area,
these places have
been omitted
from the data for
brevity.
BEDFORDSHIRE 1 GLOUCESTERSHIRE 12 NOTTINGHAMSHIRE 5
BERKSHIRE 3 GREATER MANCHESTER 17 OXFORDSHIRE 3
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE 2 HAMPSHIRE & ISLE OF WIGHT 8 SHROPSHIRE 3
CAMBRIDGESHIRE 4 HEREFORDSHIRE & WORCESTERSHIRE 2 SOMERSET 5
CHESHIRE 8 HERTFORDSHIRE 8 SOUTH YORKSHIRE 3
CORNWALL 4 KENT 26 STAFFORDSHIRE 3
COUNTY DURHAM 2 LANCASHIRE 4 SUFFOLK 5
CUMBRIA & ISLE OF MAN 2 LEICESTERSHIRE 9 SURREY 7
DERBYSHIRE 5 LINCOLNSHIRE 6 TYNE AND WEAR 5
DEVON 17 MERSEYSIDE 3 WARWICKSHIRE 8
DORSET 5 MIDDLESEX 2 WEST MIDLANDS 18
DURHAM 1 NORFOLK 11 WEST SUSSEX 10
EAST SUSSEX 5 NORTH YORKSHIRE 9 WEST YORKSHIRE 13
EAST YORKSHIRE & HUMBERSIDE 2 NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 12 WILTSHIRE 8
ESSEX 8 NORTHUMBERLAND 1 Total 295

London Boroughs

Barking and Dagenham 0 Hammersmith and Fulham 22 Merton 1
Barnet 12 Haringey 3 Newham 0
Bexley 0 Harrow 3 Redbridge 3
Brent 0 Havering 0 Richmond 0
Bromley 0 Hillingdon 6 Southwark 19
Camden 6 Hounslow 5 Sutton 1
Croydon 13 Islington 0 Tower Hamlets 7
Ealing 4 Kensington and Chelsea 0 Waltham Forest 7
Enfield 0 Kingston upon Thames 0 Wandsworth 8
Greenwich 0 Lambeth 3 Westminster 26
Hackney 2 Lewisham 3 Total 154
Wales Wales
Cardiff Council (Cyngor Caerdydd) 4
Newport City Council (Cyngor Dinas Casnewydd) 2
Pembrokeshire County Council (Cyngor Sir Penfro) 2
Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council (Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Rhondda Cynon Taf) 1
Total 9
1
Glasgow 1

BOARD OF TRUSTEES 01.04.23 – 31.03.24

Christopher Blue Chairman & Trustee Dr. Chris Peaker Hon. Treasurer & Trustee Roey Burden Founder Trustee Kim Chudley Trustee Maggie Frost Trustee Nicolas Gibbon Trustee Wesley Lau Trustee Derek Winter Advisor – Deputy Chief Coroner & Senior Coroner for the City of Sunderland STAFF Angela Geer Chief Executive Officer Sandra Weldon Operations & Training Manager Gwen Wild Area Manager North Steve Cullis Area Manager South Kerry Gracie Executive Assistant Jane Irvine Administrator Juliet Moss Major Donor Fundraiser Margaret Bayman Financial Administrator

GRANTS AND DONATIONS TO THE CORONERS’ COURTS SUPPORT SERVICE 2023 – 2024

Our very grateful thanks to all our supporters

TRUSTS & FOUNDATIONS Barness Charity Edward Cadbury ECCT KKL Charity Smith Bros Somerset Community Foundation South Eastern England Coroners Society St Mary’s Church The Clark Foundation Trees Rickfield Trust West Sussex High Sheriff Fund Worshipful Company of Glovers

INDIVIDUALS

Ms H Ball Mr R Euridge Ms J Farmanfaranian Mr W Madill Mr A Salmon Simms Bakers Mr D Simpson Mrs J Taylor Mrs E Whyte Donated expenses from our volunteers