2024-03-31-accounts - Home-Start UK

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Home-Start UK

Annual report and group financial statements For the year ended 31st March 2024

Home-Start UK Arnhem House Waterloo Way Leicester LE1 6LP

t. 0116 464 5490 e. info@home-start.org.uk w. www.home-start.org.uk

Home-Start UK, a company limited by guarantee, company no. 5382181 Registered charity England and Wales (1108837) and in Scotland (SC039172)

Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2024

Content

Introduction from the Chair.………..…....………………………………………………………..…… 3 Reference and administrative information…………………………………..…………………….. 4 Trustees’ annual report ……………………………………………………..………………………………. 5 Independent auditor’s report …………………………………………………………………………… 22 Consolidated statement of financial activities …………………………………………...........27 Balance sheets........................................................................................................ 28 Consolidated statement of cash flows .................................................................. 29 Notes to the financial statements ..........................................................................30

Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2024

Introduction from the Chair

As the Chair of Trustees, it is my privilege to introduce Home-Start UK’s annual report for the year ended 31 March 2024. This year has been one of significant achievement and unwavering commitment to our mission of supporting families in their most critical times. Home-Start celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023 and we have had the opportunity to reflect on the journey and the incredible work done over the years to build the organisation we have today. The culture and ethos established in those early days continues to be the bedrock of all that we do as a charity working alongside families.

The work done by Home-Start and its teams of volunteers across the UK is truly inspiring. We believe in the power of a happy and secure childhood and the pivotal role parents play in shaping their children’s futures. Our approach is simple yet profound: Home-Start volunteers offer nonjudgmental, confidential help and support tailored to the unique needs of each family, providing a lifeline to families navigating the complexities of raising young children.

Since 1973, Home-Start has been a beacon of hope for children and parents going through challenging times. 50 years on from the establishment of that single pioneering Home-Start in the city of Leicester, Home-Start has grown into a thriving nationwide movement of 9,000 volunteers supporting 78,000 children and their families every year.

Today the challenges facing families and the growing number of people needing our support require us to be bold in our collective ambition to ensure our work is stronger, wider-reaching, and more effective in the next 50 years, as we strive to reach more families and ensure no parent or family feels alone in the critical task of raising their children.

Meeting this need will require a strong and stable Home-Start UK and a sustainable network of local Home-Starts. Together With Families, the strategy developed by our federation during 2021, sets out a bold five-year vision for Home-Start centred around four shared commitments - summarised as impact, inclusion, growth and voice. It set ambitious targets to increase the number of families we are working with, and the number of volunteers who are giving their time to make it happen.

Two years into this strategic period, this annual report focuses on Home-Start UK’s work this year and the impact of this for our volunteers, our network and for families and children. We have achieved so much - from securing funding and support for Home-Start’s work, partnering with organisations to raise awareness and profile, developing training for staff and volunteers, sharing expertise and best practice from across the network and collectively celebrating our wonderful Home-Start volunteers. As we set out on our roadmap for the next three years of this strategy, we will be working closely with local Home-Start leaders and with our volunteers, funders and partners to build compassionate communities of support for families, grow our movement and innovate for the future.

Together we have achieved so much in our 50th year, yet our focus has always been to look forward. Together, we are making a lasting difference in the lives of children and families, building a foundation for a brighter, more hopeful future and ensuring children’s early years are filled with the opportunities every child deserves. And together, we will make sure our work is stronger, wider reaching and more effective in the next 50 years. Lin Hinnigan

Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2024

Reference and administrative information

Company number	England and Wales: 5382181
Charity number	England and Wales: 1108837, Scotland: SC039172
Registered office	Arnhem House, Waterloo Way, Leicester, LE1 6LP
Trustees	Trustees, who are also directors under company law, who served during the
	year and up to the date of this report were as follows:
	Bushra Ahmed	Resigned 4thJuly 2024
	Ray Ayivor (Treasurer)
	Sheena Bolland
	Sophie Castell	Resigned 27thSeptember 2023
	Naomi Dickson	Resigned 20thMarch 2024
	Barbara Firth
	Karen Graham	Retired 27thSeptember 2023
	Lin Hinnigan (Chair)
	Pearly Siffel
	Tara Spence	Appointed 20thMarch 2024
	Euan Wilmshurst	Appointed 20thMarch 2024
	Faiza Waheed	Appointed 20thMarch 2024
	Sarah Duxbury	Appointed 20thMarch 2024
Key Management	Peter Grigg	Chief Executive
Personnel	Vivien Waterfield	Deputy Chief Executive
Bankers	National Westminster Bank plc
	1 Granby Street Leicester, LE1 6EJ
Solicitors	Farrer & Co LLP
	66 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3LH
Auditor	Sayer Vincent LLP
	Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditor
	110 Golden Lane, London, EC1Y 0TG
Patron	HRH Princess Alexandra, The Hon Lady Ogilvy, KG, GCVO
Founder	Margaret Harrison CBE (1938-2015)
Honorary President	James Sainsbury OBE
Vice President	Alastair Stewart OBE

Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2024

Trustees’ annual report

The board of trustees presents its report and the audited financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2024. The financial statements comply with current statutory requirements, the Memorandum and Articles of Association, the requirements of a directors’ report as laid down by company law, and the Statement of Recommended Practice - Accounting and Reporting by Charities: SORP applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with FRS 102.

Purpose

Home-Start was set up in 1973 with its charitable objects as set out with the Charity Commission, for the relief of children or parents in despair and distress and the prevention of emotional, physical and mental abuse of such children.

Home-Start’s collective ambition as a federation is to ensure that more parents can receive relational compassionate support at the earliest moment so that no parent or family feels alone in the critical task of raising their children.

Home-Start believes that children need a happy and secure childhood and that parents play the key role in giving their children a good start in life and helping them achieve their full potential.

Our story

A child’s earliest years are irreplaceable. Without a stable, loving and nurturing environment, a very young child will not develop the vital foundations they need.

Home-Start is there for parents when they need us the most, because childhood can’t wait.

Our local community network of trained volunteers and expert support helps families with young children through their challenging times.

Why we do it

The earliest years make the biggest impact. Home-Start makes sure those years count so that no child’s future is limited.

How we do it

Home-Start offers no judgement, just compassionate, confidential help and support. Starting in the home, our approach is as individual as the people we’re helping. Today and every day, in communities up and down the UK, Home-Start volunteers are working alongside families, helping them to change their lives for the better.

From Orkney to Guernsey and Enniskillen to Great Yarmouth, families are benefitting from the support of Home-Start’s network of community-based volunteers and expert support. We’re tackling some of the big issues facing families today, with more families than ever coming to us because they are struggling with:-

Mental health and wellbeing
Loneliness and isolation
Building supportive, nurturing, loving relationships with their children
Money worries and financial pressure.

Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2024

Our strategy

In May 2022, we launched Together with Families, our first ever network-wide, Strategic Framework for 2022-2027. Together With Families helps align our work for families as a federated network, ensuring Home-Start UK’s priorities are informed by a shared vision; and that local Home-Starts have the autonomy to adapt this to their own strengths and the context and needs of their communities.

Led by our passionate movement of volunteers, staff and supporters we identified four strategic commitments to bring this vision to life:

GROWTH. A collective ambition to reach significantly more families so that more parents with young children can access support in a way that works for them.
VOICE. Home-Start will stand alongside families to make the case for support so that more families avoid crisis as a result of receiving appropriate early support.
INCLUSION. Home-Start will advance inclusion and equity in all we do so that everyone feels included at Home-Start.
IMPACT. Local Home-Starts will be stronger together so that a thriving, collaborative UK-wide community of high-quality Home-Start provision is available for families with young children.

By 2027, through a vibrant, resilient, inclusive Home-Start movement we aim to:-

Work directly with 50,000 families each year through home visiting and group work.
Be powered by 20,000 active volunteers underpinning our Home-Start movement across the UK.
Achieve greater diversity across Home-Start volunteers, trustees, staff and leadership, and in access to our support from under-represented groups.
Work with our network to develop new models of partnership, delivery and services with the potential to radically scale our reach and accessibility for 200,000 families.

The year 2023-24 was our 50th anniversary since our founder Margaret Harrison set up the very first Home-Start in Leicester. It has been a year to reflect on the incredible work that has been done over the years to create the organisation that exists today, and how the culture and ethos established in those early days still underlies everything that we do. Fifty years on, it feels as though the world that families are forced to navigate is increasingly difficult, and that in many ways, Home-Starts work has never been more needed in the 50 years of its existence.

In 2023-24, we are particularly proud of the following achievements:

GROWTH. A collective ambition to reach significantly more families so that more parents with young children can access support in a way that works for them. In 2023 we worked with 43,000 an increase on the previous years. (2022-38,000 and 2021-26,000)

Celebrating 50 Years of Home-Start

On 27 November, Home-Start UK’s president, James Sainsbury, hosted a dinner to mark the 50[th] anniversary. The event was held at the RAC Club and was an opportunity for trustees and senior staff to thank and engage with funders and partners.

Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2024

Home-Start UK developed the Little Moments campaign to celebrate the millions of little moments that have impacted on families over the past 50 years. Building on this, in October, Home-Start UK also launched its Christmas fundraising campaign.
Thanks to our corporate partner, BT, these campaigns featured on the BT Tower in London, as well as on BT Hubs in town and cities across the UK.

Ensuring Home-Start sustainability

The Pears Foundation established the Breathing Space Fund, worth £1m to provide support to local Home-Starts who were facing funding challenges, and which is designed to keep services running while longer term funding is secured. So far, the Breathing Space Fund has provided funding of £525,000 to Home-Starts.

Supporting Home-Start development

Home-Start received funding from the Kristian Gerhard Jebsen Foundation to continue to develop training and support for local Home-Starts in peri-natal mental health. In the previous two years Home-Start UK, and its peri-natal mental health lead had increased capacity in the network and this will allow us to invest in the development of this important area of our work.
The Scottish Government announced its continuing support of our work with Home-Starts in Scotland for a further three years. The Scottish Government are also supporting additional work to support the workforce in Scotland deliver on work relating to ‘The Promise’.

Corporate Partnerships

Since 2020, Home-Start has worked with the John Lewis Partnership. In 2023 this saw a commitment from the John Lewis Partnership of £350,000 as part of their Building Happier Futures programme. Along with Action for Children and Who Cares? Scotland, inclusion in this programme recognises the role that Home-Start’s work plays, both in supporting children on the edge of care and in improving outcomes for children so that families do not need the formal care system. Home-Start UK have also joined the Building Happier Futures Steering Group which is chaired by John Lewis Partnership chair, Sharon White, and includes representatives with lived experience of the care system, and external stakeholders. While the Healthy, Happy, Home programme that is supporting volunteer training won a Third Sector Business Award.

IMPACT - Local Home-Starts will be stronger together so that a thriving, collaborative UK-wide community of high-quality Home-Start provision is available for families with young children.

Supporting our volunteers

Over the past 50 years volunteers have remained at the heart of Home-Start’s work supporting families. Yet, along with the voluntary sector in general, Home-Start faces pressures to attract and retain volunteers. That is why we focus so much on training and development of our volunteers. 2023 saw 9,000 volunteers working in our federation. This is an 8% decline, which is less than the national downward trend in volunteering across the charity sector. We are increasing our efforts to address this decline, in our 2024-25 plans.

Home-Start UK For the year ended 31 March 2024

Home-Start UK worked with local Home-Starts to carry out a large scale review of our volunteer course of Preparation, the training that every home visiting volunteer goes through before supporting a family. This work was led by Home-Start in Suffolk and will lead to an updated and improved course being launched in 2024.
We also provided training to 62 Home-Starts on our school readiness programme, Big Hopes, Big Future, which has been funded by the Masonic Foundation, and which will be delivered through volunteers and staff to support families and make sure families know how they can be supporting their children’s education and development in the earliest years.
Home-Start UK launched four perinatal and infant mental health learning modules, which have been endorsed by AiMH UK, to train volunteers and staff in local Home-Starts to support positive emotional and cognitive development for parents and their children through our home visiting and group work.

Continuous improvement of safeguarding

As an organisation that works with families and children, safeguarding is at the heart of our practice. Home-Start UK is committed to fostering a culture of reflective practice among Local Home-Starts, with an emphasis on enhancing safeguarding measures. We welcome the heightened transparency in incident reporting, which is instrumental in facilitating learning and fostering an environment of continuous improvement in this critical area.
We launched our Home-Start Safeguarding Forum, where members of the network can come together and share best practice and work out ways to overcome challenges. This series of online forums has attracted approximately 40-50 signups for each session.
We began reviewing and updating our Safeguarding Policies to reflect best practice when working with families and have been increasing the number of Home-Start UK Designated Safeguarding Leads to promote best practice and deal with significant incidents.
We strengthened our Safeguarding Practice Group, which contains representatives from across the network to coordinate areas of our work, share practice and learn from national guidance.

Maintaining quality

Home-Start UK plays a crucial role in helping local Home-Starts ensure that families can expect a consistent quality of support wherever they are in the UK. In 2023 Home-Start UK concluded a Quality Assurance Pilot and Evaluation phase and produced a detailed report with recommendations which we are implementing in 2024.
The Quality Reference Group, which allows local Home-Starts to discuss and evaluate the new quality programme, continued to develop and Home-Start UK caried out the first 20 individual Home Start Quality Assurance reviews since restarting the process after the pandemic.

Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2024

INCLUSION- Advancing inclusion and equity, in all we do. Making sure everyone feels welcome and included at Home-Start

Home-Start has committed to putting inclusion, equity and diversity at the heart of all that we do. This is why inclusion is one of the four pillars of Home-Start’s strategic framework. To create compassionate communities of support for parents, so that no parent feels alone raising children, will require all organisations to be welcoming and supportive for everyone.

As well as being accessible and welcoming to parents and their children, Home-Start needs to be an organisation that can increase the diversity of its staff, volunteers and trustees so that we are more representative as an organisation of the communities in which we work.

Improving inclusion at Home-Start UK

In 2023 Home-Start UK developed a Better Workplace Forum, where staff from across the organisation could work together to raise issues and suggestions. This forum is consulted on policies and practice.
Home-Start UK has become more aware and inclusive of EEDI issues, thanks to our growing group of champions and our colleagues' interactions. We have improved our recruitment process to attract and represent more diverse candidates. We have also increased our engagement and learning from awareness days and sessions and challenged our assumptions and biases, including through training, and collective sharing sessions.
We were proud that in 2023 Home-Start UK were shortlisted as finalists in the Diversity and Inclusion category at the Investors In People Awards, in recognition of our work in this area.
In 2023 Home-Start UK began the process of reviewing and updating our people polices to ensure they are accessible and supportive of all.
We have developed our recruitment processes, making our application and interview processes more open and accessible. Among the many changes we have made, we have introduced the process of sharing questions with candidates ahead of interview so they can give the best representation of their skills and expertise.

Supporting the network

In 2023 we created an EEDI platform on the Home-Start network intranet, @Home, where we planned to share resources with the network and hold a discussion forum. We also conducted a Diversity Champions Poll, where we asked how Diversity Champions feel about their role, what is our purpose, what are our roles and activities, and how we can improve moving forward. We created an EEDI Statement to highlight our commitment to EEDI on our website.
Throughout the year Home-Start UK recognises events and awareness days and builds them into our external communications activity, as well as its internal work with staff. In 2023 Home-Start UK focused on events including International Women’s Day, Maternal Mental Health Week, Infant Mental Health Week, Black History Month and many religious and cultural celebrations.

Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2024

Improving representation

We have worked hard to increase the diversity and representation of both the families we support and the volunteers who work with them in our images and videos. By working with Home-Starts to identify families and volunteers who want to be ambassadors for Home-Start in this way we have increased the number of families and volunteers from a range of backgrounds and communities across the UK. We have made these images, videos and stories available to Home-Starts to use in their own communications, allowing Home-Starts to transform their visual communications.

VOICE - Standing alongside families to make the case for support so that more families avoid crisis as a result of receiving appropriate early support.

To mark our 50th anniversary Home-Start UK held an online celebration in November, hosted by Home-Start Norfolk patron and host of ITV’s Loose Women, Trisha Goddard. Over 600 people attended online to hear stories of the impact that Home-Start’s work has made over the past 50 years.

Our new film, The Reunion, told the story of Sam, her daughter Molly and their volunteer Marie. Marie supported Sam 20 years ago, when Sam was experiencing postpartum psychosis and our film brings Sam and Marie together for the first time since that support ended two decades ago, and Sam has a surprise for Marie – she has brought along Molly. This powerful story came to light during Home-Start’s search for families who had been supported by Home-Start since 1973 and demonstrates perfectly the difference that Home-Start’s support has decades into the future.

As part of Home-Start UK’s ‘Power of Little Moments’ 50th Anniversary campaign we created a new animation voiced by comedian and TV star, Romesh Ranganathan, showing the power of little moments through the eyes of children.

Raising the voice of volunteering

In January Home-Start held the first annual volunteer awards, recognising the incredible work that is being done by the 9,069 volunteers across the UK. Volunteers were recognised in six categories in a ceremony held online and viewed by more than 200 people, with Angela Gowdy from Home-Start Garioch named Volunteer of the Year for her 27 years of service to families in her community in the north east of Scotland.
In October Home-Start hosted our first volunteering summit. Two days of online content around attraction, retention and reward in volunteering which included speakers from Age UK, BBC Children in Need, Groundwork, NCVO, Royal Opera House, Save The Children, The Scouts, The Samaritans, Vision for Volunteering, Volunteer Scotland, Waffle and more. The summit attracted at least 239 attendees over the two days from 92 different Home-Starts.
In December, for the second year Home-Start took part in Good Morning Britain’s 1 Million Minutes campaign which aims to attract volunteers. Throughout the month supporters pledged an incredible 6 million minutes to Home-Start, and 1,721 people registered their interest in giving their time to Home-Start.

Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2024

Creating systematic change

Home-Start is delighted to be supporting “Shaping Us” - a new campaign launched by HRH The Princess of Wales and the Royal Foundation to increase public understanding of the importance of the first five years of a child’s life and we joined the Shaping Us conference with the Princess of Wales and the Royal Foundation’s Centre for Early Childhood.
Representatives from Home-Start Lakeland in Northern Ireland had the opportunity to meet the King during a visit to Enniskillen Castle, while Home-Start Kernow helped parents, babies and toddlers meet prime minister, Rishi Sunak MP, during a visit to promote family hubs.
We responded to the England wide government consultation on the reforms to children’s social care, highlighting the huge gap between statutory thresholds and universal support that in some areas are being ‘dumped’ on the voluntary sector, including Home-Starts, without the funding. Government response to the consultation is due in September.

Our plans for the future

Together with Families, is our five-year strategic framework that sets out Home-Start’s vision for the future. It builds on our legacy of 50 years of standing alongside families in communities across the UK.

Home-Start UK have set the follow three-year Business Plan setting out their role to enable the Federation to deliver on these ambitions. These are:

One Home-Start: We will do more to harness the collective power of the whole federation, and as one movement with many leaders, and will work across organisational boundaries to deliver greater impact for families.
Supporter led: we will shift to an 'audience-led’ approach that sees donors, funders and volunteers as partners in our mission and will create more ways for people to get involved in our work.
Data informed: we will use data intelligently to understand our impact and identify areas for change and growth.
Collaborative: we will build collaborations and alliances to help deliver our vision.
People and culture: we will continue to build a positive, inclusive and purpose driven culture to deliver for the people who need us
Accelerating Impact: we will seek out new approaches and partnerships that will speed up the pace and scale of our ambitions to meet the needs of more families.

We have set out three programmes of work use these cross-cutting themes.

Programme One: compassionate communities of support for families

Our primary task is to strengthen the Home-Start network and build compassionate communities of support around families through strong, sustainable local Home-Starts with volunteering at their heart.

Over the next 3 years we will:

Build a sustainable, thriving and inclusive local Home-Start network, growing in areas of greatest need and accessible to all families who need us.

Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2024

Invest in the support, training and development of our volunteers and local leaders to enable them to thrive in their roles and provide high quality relational, compassionate support in their local communities.
Build our capability to assess and demonstrate the impact of volunteer led compassionate, relationship-based support for families.
Build partnerships with charities, and across the private and public sectors to help build strong supportive networks in communities.

Programme Two: building a wider movement

We want to increase the number of volunteers and supporters actively engaged with the Home-Start cause to secure the income, profile, volunteer capacity and influence to make change happen.

Over the next 3 years we will:

Grow our movement of supporters who are actively engaged in helping us to meet our ambitions.
Build an active network of volunteers to meet the growing need.
Create more ways in which volunteers and organisations can contribute their time, resources and experience to our work so that together we can be there for those who need us.
Make the case with policy and decision makers for why investment in early support for families is a national, regional and local priority.
Work with families to ensure their voices are heard and they are shaping the services and systems there to support them.
Build a strong, inclusive brand and voice that enables us to reach a wider range of audiences and engage them with our work

Programme Three: building strong foundations

We need to ensure we are building on strong foundations. This means making sure Home-Start UK has the people and resources we need to be a highly effective organisation able to deliver on the ambitions set out in this plan.

Over the next 3 years we will:

Build our voluntary income to circa £5m a year, across a diverse range of income streams. We also want to increase the percentage of unrestricted income we have so we have the flexibility to spend our funds where they are needed most.
Value all our people and create a healthy, supportive environment in which they can thrive.
Make the best use of digital technology to improve how we operate.
Build service design insight, capacity and experience into our work at Home -Start UK and in the Home-Start federation.
Foster an inclusive, diverse and workplace and organisational culture.

Activities

Home-Start’s beneficiaries are families struggling to cope with the stresses and strains of bringing up children in the face of mental and physical illness, poverty, homelessness, disability and other pressures. Home-Start UK seeks to support these families by providing support to a network of 180 independently run local Home-Starts. As a national federated charity, Home-Start UK provides a range of support for our local Home-Starts. We work closely with the network to support the growth and sustainability of the Home-Start service. We provide information and guidance to enhance the quality of our services and research to improve and influence the development of services for

Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2024

families. We support the smooth running of local Home-Starts, set and measure quality standards and provide training to make sure all our families get the same high standard of service. We also use our website and national presence to connect families and referrers to their local Home-Starts.

Public benefit

The board of trustees confirms it has complied with the duty in section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit.

Organisational structure

Home-Start UK is a charity constituted as a company limited by guarantee in England and Wales, governed by a board of trustees. The Home-Start network consists of Home-Start UK together with 180 local Home-Starts, affiliated to Home-Start UK through a legal agreement. Local Home-Starts are separate charities in their own right and are responsible for their own financial affairs and statements. The total income of local Home-Starts is £38million, which together with Home-Start UK’s group income of £4million gives the total Home-Start network income of £42 million.

Home-Start UK owns 100% of the issued equity share capital of Home-Start Consultancy Limited, a company incorporated in England. The subsidiary undertaking commenced trading during 2020-21.

Governance and management

Our Board of Trustees, who are also Directors of the Charity for the purposes of the Companies Act, have overall responsibility for setting the strategy of the Charity. Our Chief Executive, working with the Senior Leadership Team is responsible for delivering the Board’s vision and strategy and for its day-to-day operations.

When seeking to fill vacancies on the board, the trustees identify the particular skills and expertise needed to cover the work of the board and prioritise these during the recruitment process. In an attempt to increase the diversity of the board’s membership we advertise widely for new trustees, and ensure, throughout the recruitment process, that all applicants from a wide variety of backgrounds have an opportunity to succeed.

A panel of trustees interview all prospective trustees to determine that they have the required skills to contribute to the charity’s management and development. New appointments are ratified by the full Board of Trustees. Trustees serve for an initial term of three years, and subject to review and the approval of the board, may serve a second period of three years. When trustees are appointed, they are given a formal introduction to the work of the charity and the information they need to fulfil their roles as charity trustees and company directors. The trustee board meet quarterly plus two additional meetings to focus on Board development and strategy.

A Finance Committee, with members with specific knowledge and experience in finance and fundraising, meet four times per year and report to the board.

An Impact Committee, which includes the Board's lead trustee for safeguarding, meets between two and four times per year to oversee issues of quality, impact and network development and support the strategic governance of the impact of work across the Home-Start federation.

The charity provides third party indemnity insurance provision on behalf of the board of trustees.

Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2024

Related parties and Home-Start Worldwide

Home-Start UK provides model operating policies, guidance and procedures for our network of 180 local Home-Starts.

Home-Start Worldwide sustains the development of Home-Starts across the world. In 2023-24 there were Home-Starts operating in 22 countries and five continents.

Home-Start UK owns 100% of the issued equity share capital of Home-Start Consultancy Limited, a company incorporated in England. Related party transactions during the year are shown in Notes 12 in the group financial statements. Home-Start Consultancy Limited undertakes commercial activities on behalf of the parent company Home-Start UK.

Financial review

Our Previous year - 2022-23

We invested in the foundational structure from our designated funds. Restricted and designated funds at the start of this financial year represented the volume of projects which were outstanding, restricted reserves of £1.24m and designated reserves of £1.29m. The programme of strategic changes was funded by designated funds. These changes allowed us the capacity, within our staff structure and system abilities, to complete most of the outstanding restricted project work. An adjustment due to the accrual recognitions standard has been made to the 2022-23. The grants distributed have been accounted in 2023-24. £458k of restricted funds remained.

This reported year - 2023-24

The year-ending 31[st] March 2024 has been a strong year. We have secured income of £3.85m and expended £3.88m. The year resulted in a £0.03m deficit, this was significantly under the planned budgeted deficit of £0.48m. This outcome stems from a strategic moderation in activities, prioritising meticulous planning and execution of new initiatives, which yielded substantial efficiency savings. It is important to acknowledge the tough decisions made, including staff reductions that led to redundancies. These were difficult choices that affected our team and slightly reduced our support capacity, yet they were necessary steps to ensure our long-term sustainability and ability to continue delivering impactful support to our network.

The Group Balance Sheet, which includes Home-Start UK and its subsidiary, Home-Start Consultancy, as of 31 March 2024, confirms a marginal increase in net assets to £2.07m (2022-23: £2.07m), with £0.25m (2022-23: £0.46m) allocated to restricted funds. The overall net increase of £0.00m is the result of a £0.03m decrease in unrestricted funds, offset by a £0.24m increase in designated funds and a £0.21m decrease in restricted funds. The pension reserve level accurately reflects the net present value of the agreed deficit recovery payments up to 2025, as required by FRS 102. In balance sheet the deficit recovery payments up to March 2025 are included in short-term liabilities under current liabilities.

Total income for the group for the year was £3.85m, an increase of 0.2% on the previous financial year (2022-23: £3.84m). As detailed in Note 3 in the accounts, income from charitable activities

Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2024

comes from a mixture of government grants, support from trusts, foundations and corporate partners and a membership levy charged to local Home-Starts.

As part of the Home-Start Agreement (the legal agreement between local Home-Starts in our federation and Home-Start UK) local Home-Starts pay a membership levy to Home-Start UK. The levy is 1.8% of a local Home-Start’s income from their previous financial year. The benefits of this include permission to use the Home-Start brand and resources, including safeguarding, volunteer recruitment, quality assurance, training and governance. Local Home-Starts maintain autonomous financial governance and are accountable for their distinct income streams. This income is not reflected in the federation's financial statements and totals an estimated £34 million per annum.

Our total operating expenditure was £3.88m (2022-23: £5.72m), a reduction from the previous year of £1.84m. This was primarily due to the completion of several significant projects, which were financed through designated and restricted reserves. In contrast, the 2023-24 project timeline and related expenses have been more evenly distributed, resulting in a substantial cost variance of £1.35m. A thorough examination of our annual expenses during the budgeting phase identified areas for cost reduction, achieving an annual cost saving of £0.3m. 85% of our 2023-24 expenditure (202223: 91%) was allocated to support Home-Start UK’s charitable activities. A core activity of Home-Start UK is to create and broker funding opportunities for the wider Home-Start network. Grants to local Home-Starts are secured from a range of funders and are subject to a due diligence process. They are only committed once a bespoke grant agreement has been signed by the local board of trustees. The total grant issued this fiscal year was £0.63m (2022-23: £0.62m). Note 7 of the accounts outlines the details of these grants.

The cost of raising funds in the year represented the remaining 15% (2022-23: 9%) of operating expenditure. The increase in the year is as a result of new staff and central support functions added to enable new income streams.

Our Budget and future targets 2024-25 and 2025-26

The Board has thoroughly evaluated our detailed plans, aligning them with our long-term objectives and strategic vision. After a comprehensive review of associated risks, we are confident that our financial plans and the accompanying risk management strategies are robust and will sustain our growth target. Our voluntary income secured offers a promising future and shows remarkable commitment from our donors, funders, and partners.

In the fiscal year 2023-24, we have notably expanded our fundraising capabilities, achieving substantial progress in voluntary income generation. This success is largely attributed to our three core programs, which have been pivotal in effectively conveying our mission to our supporters and clearly delineating the expected impactful outcomes of their contributions.

The financial outlook for the fiscal year 2024-25 is one of stability and cautious optimism. The budget reflects a net zero movement on general reserves, with an income target set at £4.36m, which is projected to increase modestly to £4.46m in the subsequent year. We are committed to keeping our levy income consistent and aim for growth through voluntary income, driven by enhanced support from corporate entities, trusts, foundations, and individual contributors.

Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2024

Reflecting on the previous year, we have reinforced our financial and operational stability. Key partnerships have been both initiated and strengthened, particularly with Cadent Gas Limited and Scotia Gas Networks Limited, which have expanded our corporate support network. The ongoing support from the John Lewis Partnership PLC and British Gas Services (Commercial) Limited has been invaluable.

Our trusts and foundations portfolio remains robust, and we extend our heartfelt thanks to The Pears Family Charitable Foundation for their commitment to our federation's movement.

The honour of being chosen as a charity partner by the People's Postcode Lottery marks a significant milestone in our journey.

The generous contributions of our individual supporters have been instrumental in Home-Start's growth, providing not only financial donations but also raising awareness and dedicating personal time. We are committed to continually improving the experience for our supporters, acknowledging the significant impact of their devoted commitment, which is essential to the vitality and progression of the Home-Start movement.

We are committed to financial efficiency and effectiveness, ensuring that our skilled workforce is well-supported to reach their full potential. Our staffing constitutes a substantial part of our expenditure, accounting for approximately 53% of the overall budget in 2024-25, with 50 full-time equivalents allocated. Our income targets will aloud for further staff capacity, we anticipate increasing our workforce within the next two years, enhancing our delivery capabilities.

To maintain financial prudence, we have implemented a strategic plan for staff growth and project delivery. Our risk analysis and complex controls ensure that we remain on course, while the modernization of our financial systems has provided deeper insights into our expenditures. Investments in digital advancements have further streamlined our operations, making capacity building more efficient.

2024-25 Expenditure Overview:

Compassionate communities of support for families - £1.95m
Building a Wider Movement - £1.47m
Strong Foundations - £1.13m

The demand on our network is forever increasing as more families struggle each year. The expansion of our income and services at Home-Start UK is crucial to enable local Home-Starts to meet these challenges. Our commitment to these families remains unwavering, as we continue to strive for excellence in all our endeavours.

Investment policy

The Memorandum and Articles of Association give the Trustees unrestricted powers of investment. The charity’s current investment strategy is to deposit the majority of funds in short and medium term interest bearing accounts with UK banks and building societies.

CCLA were chosen as a charity specialist investment manager with strong governance and a clear approach to responsible and ethical investments designed to reflect the nature of the charities they serve. During 2023-24, no further funding was added to the Fund. Unrealised gain of £58K during the

Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2024

year resulted in a net balance in this Fund of £705K as of 31st March 2024 (2022-23: £646K). As this investment is intended to be held in excess of one year, the investment fund has been classed as a Fixed Asset Investment on the Balance Sheet.

Our funders

Home-Start UK enjoys support from a wide range of funders. We take great care to ensure they receive the maximum value for every penny they give. We would like to thank all the organisations, corporate partners and individuals who have funded Home-Start UK during 2023-24 and we look forward to working with them in future years. We are grateful for their ongoing support, generosity and passion for Home-Start and the families we support together.

Risk management and internal control

Home-Start UK operates a risk register reflecting its strategic plan and key operational risks. The strategic plan contains specific actions designed to mitigate all of the risks identified in the risk register.

Since Home-Start works with children and families at risk of harm, we consider safeguarding and child protection the greatest area of inherent risk with our work. Home-Start UK has developed a comprehensive framework of consents, controls, policies and reviews to ensure local Home-Starts fulfil their safeguarding/child protection responsibilities and deal with any concerns rapidly and sensitively. Home-Start UK asks local Home-Starts to report data breaches and safeguarding reputational threats against set criteria. Our Impact Sub Committee was created as a governance layer to support the protection and safeguarding of at risk groups. They report quarterly to the trustee board on safeguarding issues, emerging themes, staff training and reportable incidents. Staff across the network team have received DSO training, as the direct contact for safeguarding concerns and reportable incidents.

Maintaining an effective oversight and management of risk is a central responsibility of the Board of Trustees but to support the Board, each of our formal sub committees takes a direct role in leading on the ongoing review of a group of identified risks. This is complemented by an annual review of the risk by the Board and the ability to dive into any risk at any stage as deemed relevant by trustees and the senior leadership team as well as to test the effectiveness of our approach to risk management.

The management of risk is structured through a clear delegation process as outlined below::-

Finance Sub Committee -

Inability to balance Home-Start UK’s core income and expenditure, cash flow and reserves.
Inability to secure future income in line with plans with funders, supporters and partners.
Failure to comply with regulatory and legal requirements around financial controls, governance and data results in a loss of reputation or penalty.
Systems failure, cyber-attack or fraud present significant compromise to Home-Start UK’s ability to operating including in a remote environment.

Impact Sub Committee -

We are unable to measure and communicate our impact for families in order to position ourselves effectively with funders and decision-makers.

Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2024

A safeguarding or child protection issue, or failure of Home-Start UK, results in harm and loss of trust and reputation among key stakeholders.
Concerns around governance, compliance, financial controls, practice or lack of volunteers in local Home-Starts lead to operational failure in the Home-Start network.
Lack of financial sustainability or income diversification across the Home-Start network reduces our federations’ longer term ability to serve families.

Senior Leadership team -

We are insufficiently agile as an organisation and a federation to respond to turbulence in our environment and to recover from the pandemic.
We are unable to maintain positive, effective relationships with the Home-Start network to enable us to deliver for families.
Inability to respond to the sector challenges around diversity and inclusion leaves Home-Start vulnerable to reputational criticism.
Our staff are unable to deliver our ambitions because of capacity, lack of skills, poor wellbeing, or burnout/disengagement.

Remuneration policy

The Finance Committee, on behalf of the trustee board, consider and set staff pay. A non-contractual health care provision is in place for all staff as an additional benefit.

We review staff job descriptions annually as part of an annual appraisal process and the senior leadership team consider any proposals for amendments to roles and remuneration.

The Board sets the chief executive pay level taking into account pay levels in other similar sized charities. The Board also considers any proposed changes to roles and remuneration for executive staff on the senior leadership team. Trustees are entitled to claim expenses but do not receive any remuneration for their time. Trustee expenses are shown in Note 10 of the group financial statements.

Reserves policy and going concern

During the year the trustees have reviewed the level of reserves they believe are required to fund the work of Home-Start UK.

Free reserves are held for working capital resilience, each year the target is determined using a nuanced approach, that provides a calculated X months of free reserves not including fixed assets and funds set aside in key areas.

The Trustees have established a minimum free reserves level at £1.2m, which represents 3.2 months of projected revenue expenditure. This level is supplementary to the target reserves, which are set at £1.49m, and serves as a risk indicator as we progress towards our growth objectives. The reserve target is based on a calculated consideration of the working capital requirements necessary for different aspects of the organisation’s expenditure (principally salaries, overheads and Liabilities relating to contracted commitments). The Trustee ensures diligent oversight of the reserves through systematic reviews within the framework of monthly management accounting procedures and a comprehensive evaluation on a quarterly basis as part of the strategic financial risk assessment protocol.

Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2024

At 31 March 2024, free reserves were £1.50m (2023: £1.54m). This equates to 4.8 months revenue expenditure (2023: 4.2 months).

Following a comprehensive evaluation of the reserves and strategic planning activities conducted throughout the year, the trustees have determined that the charity possesses adequate reserves to maintain its operations as a going concern. After thorough deliberation of the charity's budgets, forecasts, cash flow projections, reserve levels, and financial arrangements, the trustee board has ascertained that there are no significant uncertainties that would affect Home-Start UK's ability to operate for a minimum of 12 months.

Fundraising regulator

Home-Start UK fully supports the self-regulation of fundraising and is committed to providing its supporters with the best possible levels of service.

Home-Start UK is registered with the Fundraising Regulator. We work within the guidelines and standards as set out by the Charity Commission and the Fundraising Regulator to ensure the protection of the public, including vulnerable people, from unreasonably intrusive or persistent fundraising approaches, and undue pressure to donate.

Home-Start UK maintains a formal complaints procedure. During the 2023-24 period, after initiating contact with individuals based on legitimate interest, we received one complaint regarding fundraising. This issue pertained to an unfulfilled Fundraising Preference Service request. In accordance with our formal complaint procedures, we addressed and resolved the matter promptly. We are committed to always listening to our supporters and putting them at the heart of our work. A subsequent review of our procedures in this area has ensured a better experience for all those who participate in fundraising challenge events on our behalf.

On occasion our federated structure can mean that some donations intended for a local Home-Start come through to Home-Start UK in error. We do all we can to avoid this happening but where we have been notified of a donation that was intended for a local Home-Start having been sent to HomeStart UK we have forwarded the amount in question to the relevant local Home-Start in line with the donor’s wishes.

Our directly employed fundraising team undertakes the majority of our fundraising work. However, because of the specialist nature of some of the work, we do from time to time work with external agencies for creative, digital and marketing support to help us communicate effectively with donors and potential donors. We require these contractors, as a minimum, to operate within the remit of the fundraising regulator TPS framework, the GDPR framework and our own fundraising guidelines and monitor each contract on an ongoing basis to make sure operators comply with these requirements.

Protecting our data

We take the protection of our clients’ data extremely seriously. We are particularly alert to potential cyber-attacks and other external threats and to the changing regulatory environment signalled by the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Really Good Data Protection (RGDP) are our external Data Protection Officer.

Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2024

Equity, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policy

Home-Start UK’s goal is to be truly inclusive, benefit from diversity and appreciate everyone for their contribution and welcome and value difference. We treat everyone with respect and offer equal chances to participate. Our Strategic Framework, launched in May 2022, places a specific focus on advancing inclusion.

Home-Start UK has high standards and we will investigate and take action on any reports of practice, which trustees, staff, volunteers or families believe to be unfair or discriminatory. Performance is checked through Home-Start Quality Assurance assessments and reviews. Home-Start UK is certified to ISO 9001.

As described earlier, in 2022, we launched a new EEDI Action Plan that reports into the Trustee Board. This plan and our progress is made publicly available on our website. We have created a diversity champions group and compile surveys of staff to measure our progress as an employer and use the results from these to inform future planning and targets. We fully comply with our obligations under the Equality Act 2010.

We take seriously our role as a charity and central body within a federation to challenge inequality, use data to build understanding and action, become a more inclusive employer, enhance the representativeness of our Boards and instil greater cultural confidence of Home-Start UK and the wider network.

Statement of responsibilities of the trustees

The trustees (who are also directors of Home-Start UK 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, which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and group and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the group for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:

select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently
observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP
make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent
state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards and statements of recommended practice have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements
prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation

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 group and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2024

In so far as the trustees are aware:

There is no relevant audit information of which the charitable company’s auditor is unaware.
Trustees have taken all steps that they ought to have taken to make themselves aware of any
relevant audit information and to establish that the auditor is aware of that information.

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.

Members of the charity guarantee to contribute an amount not exceeding £1 to the assets of the charity in the event of winding up. The total number of such guarantees at 31 March 2024 was 11 (2022-23: 9). The trustees are members of the charity but this entitles them only to voting rights. The trustees have no beneficial interest in the charity.

Auditor

Sayer Vincent LLP was re-appointed as the charitable company’s auditor during the year and has expressed its willingness to continue in that capacity.

The trustees’ annual report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies’ regime.

The trustees’ annual report was approved by the trustees on 04 October 2024 - and signed on their behalf by the chair.

Lin Hinnigan

Chair of Board of Trustees

Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2024

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of Home-Start UK (the ‘parent charitable company’) and its subsidiary (the ‘group’) for the year ended 31 March 2024 which comprise the consolidated statement of financial activities, the group and parent charitable company balance sheets, the consolidated statement of cash flows and the 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 FRS 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:

Give a true and fair view of the state of the group’s and of the parent charitable company’s
affairs as at 31 March 2024 and of the group’s incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure, for the year then ended
Have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted
Accounting Practice

● Have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006, the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and regulations 6 and 8 of the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulation 2006 (as amended)

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 group 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 Home-Start UK's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

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

Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2024

Other Information

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

Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

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

The information given in the trustees’ annual report for the financial year for which the financial
statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements
The trustees’ annual report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal
requirements.

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

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

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 and Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended) requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

Adequate accounting records have not been kept by the parent charitable company, or
returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or
The parent charitable company financial statements are not in agreement with the
accounting records and returns; or
Certain disclosures of trustees’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or
We have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit; or
The directors were not entitled to prepare the financial statements in accordance with the
small companies’ regime and take advantage of the small companies’ exemptions in preparing the trustees’ annual report and from the requirement to prepare a strategic report.

Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2024

Responsibilities of trustees

As explained more fully in the statement of trustees’ responsibilities set out in the trustees’ annual report, the trustees (who are also the directors of the parent 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 group’s and the parent 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 group or the parent charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

We have been appointed as auditor under section 44(1)(c) of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and under the Companies Act 2006 and report in accordance with regulations made under those Acts.

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

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

Capability of the audit in detecting irregularities

In identifying and assessing risks of material misstatement in respect of irregularities, including fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations, our procedures included the following:

We enquired of management, and the finance committee, which included obtaining and reviewing supporting documentation, concerning the group’s policies and procedures relating to:
Identifying, evaluating, and complying with laws and regulations and whether they were aware of any instances of non-compliance;
Detecting and responding to the risks of fraud and whether they have knowledge of any actual, suspected, or alleged fraud;
The internal controls established to mitigate risks related to fraud or non-compliance with laws and regulations.
We inspected the minutes of meetings of those charged with governance.

Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2024

We obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory framework that the group operates in, focusing on those laws and regulations that had a material effect on the financial statements or that had a fundamental effect on the operations of the group from our professional and sector experience.
We communicated applicable laws and regulations throughout the audit team and remained alert to any indications of non-compliance throughout the audit.
We reviewed any reports made to regulators.
We reviewed the financial statement disclosures and tested these to supporting documentation to assess compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
We performed analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected relationships that may indicate risks of material misstatement due to fraud.
In addressing the risk of fraud through management override of controls, we tested the appropriateness of journal entries and other adjustments, assessed whether the judgements made in making accounting estimates are indicative of a potential bias and tested significant transactions that are unusual or those outside the normal course of business.

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

Home-Start UK

For the year ended 31 March 2024

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 and section 44(1)(c) of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005. 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 as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Fleur Holden (Senior statutory auditor)

07 November 2024

for and on behalf of Sayer Vincent LLP, Statutory Auditor

110 Golden Lane, LONDON, EC1Y 0TG

Sayer Vincent LLP is eligible to act as auditor in terms of section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006

Home-Start UK

Consolidated statement of financial activities (incorporating an income and expenditure account)

For the year ended 31 March 2024

Unrestricted £ 1,026,689 291,026 505,222 234,513 49,406 47,477	Designated £ 289,432 - 175,000 - - -	Restricted £ 288,175 222,577 551,524 166,370 - - -	2024 Total £ 1,604,296 513,603 1,231,746 400,883 - 49,406 47,477	*Unrestricted £ 749,423 278,342 263,678 174,921 1,310,895 45,791 39,201	*Designated £ 52,500 - 35,000 - - -	Restated Restricted £ 30,000 357,081 396,711 103,870 - - -	Restated 2023 Total £ 831,923 635,423 695,389 278,791 1,310,895 45,791 39,201
2,154,333	464,432	1,228,646	3,847,411	2,862,251	87,500	887,662	3,837,413
118,513 709,025 827,716 549,622 -	64,432 5,040 167,483 3,990 -	390,007 118,641 709,573 216,184 -	572,952 832,706 1,704,772 769,796 -	266,652 507,059 424,442 190,534 1,310,895	138,867 367,124 606,158 234,430 -	79,721 747,247 588,537 258,354 -	485,240 1,621,430 1,619,137 683,318 1,310,895
2,204,876	240,945	1,434,405	3,880,226	2,699,582	1,346,579	1,673,859	5,720,020
21,833	-	-	21,833	23,052	-	-	23,052
2,226,708	240,945	1,434,405	3,902,058	2,722,634	1,346,579	1,673,859	5,743,072
(72,375) 58,511	223,487 -	(205,759) -	(54,647) 58,511	139,617 (24,353)	(1,259,079) -	(786,197) -	(1,905,659) (24,353)
(13,864) (20,358)	223,487 20,358	(205,759) -	3,864 -	115,264 (35,238)	(1,259,079) 35,238	(786,197) -	(1,930,012) -
(34,222)	243,845	(205,759)	3,864	80,026	(1,223,841)	(786,197)	(1,930,012)
1,544,071	64,544	458,157	2,066,772	1,464,045	1,288,385	1,244,354	3,996,784
1,509,849	308,389	252,398	2,070,636	1,544,071	64,544	458,157	2,066,772

All of the above results are derived from continuing activities. There were no other recognised gains or losses other than those stated above. Movements in funds are disclosed in Note 25(a to d) to the financial statements.

Company no. 05382181

Home-Start UK

Balance sheets

As at 31 March 2024

2024 Note £ Fixed assets: 14 63,902 15a 704,916 Shares in group undertaking 15b - 768,818 Current assets: 18 348,670 300,000 1,131,412 1,780,083 Liabilities: 19 (478,265) 1,301,818 2,070,636 21 - 2,070,636 25 252,398 308,389 (14,431) 3,273 1,521,007 Total unrestricted funds 1,818,238 2,070,636 Total funds Listed investments Cash at bank and in hand Tangible assets The G The funds of the charity: Creditors: amounts falling due within one year Net current assets Total net assets Creditors: amounts falling due after one year Total assets less current liabilities Restricted income funds Unrestricted income funds: Designated funds Pension reserve Non-charitable subsidiary funds General funds Debtors Short notice deposits held for investment	roup	2024 £ 63,902 704,916 100 The C	harity
	Restated 2023 £ 43,544 646,405 -		Restated 2023 £ 43,544 646,405 100
768,818 348,670 300,000 1,131,412	689,949 305,819 1,000,000 447,733	768,918 393,391 300,000 1,075,901	690,049 385,829 1,000,000 345,620
1,780,083 (478,265)	1,753,552 (363,624)	1,769,292 (470,846)	1,731,449 (357,016)
1,301,818	1,389,928	1,298,445	1,374,433
2,070,636 -	2,079,877 (13,105)	2,067,363 -	2,064,482 (13,105)
2,070,636	2,066,772	2,067,363	2,051,377
252,398 308,389 (14,431) 3,273 1,521,007	458,157 64,544 (29,853) 15,395 1,558,529	252,398 308,389 (14,431) - 1,521,007	458,157 64,544 (29,853) - 1,558,529
1,818,238	1,608,615	1,814,965	1,593,220
2,070,636	2,066,772	2,067,363	2,051,377

Approved by the trustees on 04 October 2024 and signed on their behalf by

Lin Hinnigan

Home-Start UK, Chair of Trustees

Home-Start UK

Consolidated statement of cash flows

For the year ended 31 March 2024
Note 26 27 Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year Change in cash and cash equivalents in the year Cash flows used in operating activities Net cash used in investing activities Net cash used in operating activities Cash flows from investing activities: Interest from investments Purchase of tangible fixed assets	£ 47,477 (62,078)	£ (1,719) (14,601) 2024	Restated £ 39,201 (50,316)	Restated £ (1,421,265) (11,115) 2023

		(16,320) 1,447,733		(1,432,380) 2,880,113
		1,431,413		1,447,733

Home-Start UK

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

1 Accounting policies

a) Statutory information

Home-Start UK is a charitable company limited by guarantee and is incorporated in England and Wales, and Scotland. The registered office address and principal place of business is Arnhem House, 31 Waterloo Way, Leicester, LE1 6LP.

b) 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) - (Charities SORP FRS 102), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006.

These financial statements consolidate the results of the charity and its wholly-owned subsidiary Home-Start Consultancy Limited on a line by line basis. Transactions and balances between the charity and its subsidiary have been eliminated from the consolidated financial statements. Balances between the two entities are disclosed in the notes of the charity's balance sheet. A separate statement of financial activities, or income and expenditure account, for the charity itself is not presented because the charity has taken advantage of the exemptions afforded by section 408 of the Companies Act 2006. The wholly-owned subsidiary became operational on 1st November 2020.

Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy or note.

In applying the financial reporting framework, the trustees have made a number of subjective judgments, for example in respect of significant accounting estimates. Estimates and judgments are continually evaluated and are based on historical experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. The nature of the estimation means the actual outcomes could differ from those estimates. Any significant estimates and judgments affecting these financial statements are detailed within the relevant accounting policy below.

c) Public benefit entity

The charitable company meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102.

d) Going concern

The trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charitable company's ability to continue as a going concern.

The trustees do not consider that there are any sources of estimation uncertainty at the reporting date that have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the next reporting period.

e) Income

Income is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the income have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and that 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.

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

f) Donations of gifts, services and facilities

Donated professional services and donated facilities are recognised as income when the charity has control over the item or received the service, any conditions associated with the donation have been met, the receipt of economic benefit from the use by the charity of the item is probable and that economic benefit can be measured reliably. In accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102), volunteer time is not recognised so refer to the trustees’ annual report for more information about their contribution.

On receipt, donated gifts, 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.

g) 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. Investment income is earned through holding assets for investment purposes. It may include dividends and interest. It is included when the amount can be measured reliably.

h) Fund accounting

Restricted funds are to be used for specific purposes as laid down by the donor. Expenditure which meets these criteria is charged to the fund.

Unrestricted funds are donations and other incoming resources received or generated for the charitable purposes.

Designated funds are unrestricted funds earmarked by the trustees for particular purposes.

Home-Start UK

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

1 Accounting policies (continued)

i) 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:

Costs of raising funds relate to the costs incurred by the charitable company in inducing third parties to make voluntary contributions to it, as well as the cost of any activities with a fundraising purpose.
Standing alongside families relates to the costs incurred in making the case for support to help more families avoid crisis as a result of receiving appropriate early support.
Stronger together relates to the costs of a thriving, collaborative UK-wide community of high quality Home-Start provision for families with young children
Growing our movement relates to a collective ambition to reach significantly more families and in a way that works for them

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

j) Grants payable

Grants payable are made to third parties in furtherance of the charity's objects. Single or multi-year grants are accounted for when either the recipient has a reasonable expectation that they will receive a grant and the trustees have agreed to pay the grant without condition, or the recipient has a reasonable expectation that they will receive a grant and that any condition attaching to the grant is outside of the control of the charity.

Provisions for grants are made when the intention to make a grant has been communicated to the recipient but there is uncertainty about either the timing of the grant or the amount of grant payable.

k) Allocation of support costs

Where directly attributable resources expended are allocated to the particular activity where the cost relates. Where information about the aims, objectives and projects of the charity is provided to potential beneficiaries, the costs associated with this publicity are allocated to charitable expenditure. Similarly where such information about the aims, objectives and projects of the charity is also provided to potential donors, activity costs are apportioned between fundraising and charitable activities on the basis of area of literature occupied by each activity.

	Standing alongside families	22%
	Stronger together	44%
	Growing our movement	20%
	Cost of raising funds	14%

l) Operating leases

Rental charges are charged on a straight line basis over the term of the lease.

m) Tangible fixed assets

Items of equipment are capitalised where the purchase price exceeds £2,500. Depreciation costs are allocated to activities on the basis of the use of the related assets in those activities. Assets are reviewed for impairment if circumstances indicate their carrying value may exceed their net realisable value and value in use.

Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write down the cost of each asset to its estimated residual value over its expected useful life. The depreciation rates in use are as follows:

	Fixtures and fittings	15%
	Computer Equipment	33%
	Information system	15%

n) Investments in subsidiaries

Investments in subsidiaries are at cost.

o) Fixed asset investments

Investments are a form of non-basic financial instrument and are initially recognised at their transaction value and subsequently measured at fair value as at the balance sheet date using the closing quoted market price. Any change in fair value will be recognised in the statement of financial activities. Investment gains and losses, whether realised or unrealised, are combined and shown in the heading 'Net gains/(losses) on investments' in the statement of financial activities. The charity does not acquire put options, derivatives or other complex financial instruments.

Home-Start UK

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

1 Accounting policies (continued)

p) Debtors

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

q) Short term deposits

Short term deposits includes cash balances that are invested in accounts with a maturity date of between 30 days and 12 months.

r) Cash at bank and in hand

Cash at bank and 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.

s) 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.

t) Financial instruments

The charity has both basic and non-basic financial assets and financial liabilities. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value. Non-basic financial instruments are measured at fair value with any gain or loss going to the statement of financial activities. Full details are given in the financial instruments note.

u) Pensions

Home-Start UK makes contributions into a defined benefit pension scheme, which is now closed and a number of defined contribution schemes. The defined benefit scheme is a multi-employer scheme and it is not possible in the normal course of events to identify on a consistent and reasonable basis the share of underlying assets and liabilities belonging to individual participating employers. Home-Start UK has recognised its liability for past service deficits for this scheme and these are noted as a liability and in the pension reserve. The assets of the various schemes are held separately from those of Home-Start UK in independently administered funds. Employer contributions are charged in the Statement of Financial Activities as they fall due.

2 Income from donations

Individual donations Christmas Appeal Corporate partnership donations Trust/foundation donations Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme Legacies Cost of living appeal	Unrestricted £ 191,790 846,490 102,362 9,030 - - 166,449	Restricted £ - - 288,175 - - - -	2024 Total £ 191,790 846,490 390,537 9,030 - - 166,449	£ 215,305 421,053 75,200 84,708 3,500 - 2,157 Unrestricted	Restricted £ - - - 30,000 - - -	2023 Total £ 215,305 421,053 75,200 114,708 3,500 - 2,157
	1,316,121	288,175	1,604,296	801,923	30,000	831,923

Donations

Income received from charitable trusts, corporate partners, charity challenges and individual givers for our work across the UK. Individual donations decreaseed as the UK economy experienced an increase in the cost of living which has an impact on individual givers. Corporate partnership donations decreased as our partnerships with some major corporates can to an end as new ones are negotiated

Home-Start UK

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

3 Income from charitable activities

Funding is allocated to either the most relevant strategic workstream or, where appropriate, proportionally across multiple workstreams.

Unrestricted £ 291,026 - - - - - -	Restricted £ - 82,740 5,670 - 66,667 67,500 -	2024 Total £ 291,026 82,740 5,670 - 66,667 67,500 -	£ 259,842 - - - - - 18,500 Unrestricted	Restated Restricted £ - 82,740 11,345 - 200,000 62,996 -	Restated 2023 Total £ 259,842 82,740 11,345 - 200,000 62,996 18,500
291,026 291,026 - - - - 169,375 218,205 - 1,616	222,577 - 82,740 13,229 - - 375,000 80,555 - -	513,603 291,026 82,740 13,229 - - 544,375 298,760 - 1,616	278,342 259,842 - - - - 26,000 11,968 - 868	357,081 - 82,740 26,471 - - 187,500 100,000 - -	635,423 259,842 82,740 26,471 - - 213,500 111,968 - 868
	551,524 - 41,370 - 125,000 -	1,231,746 145,513 41,370 - 214,000 -	298,678 129,921 - - 39,000 6,000	396,711 - 41,370 - 62,500 -	695,389 129,921 41,370 - 101,500 6,000
234,513	166,370	400,883	174,921	103,870	278,791
1,205,762	940,471	2,146,233	751,941	857,662	1,609,603

Membership Levy

The membership levy is received from local Home-Starts who each contribute 2% of 90% of their income from the previous financial year in line with the Home-Start agreement. The levy is not a payment for specific services and the support of an individual local Home-Start does not vary according to the amount that they pay each year. During 2023-24, the levy was capped at £12,000 for individual local Home-Starts (2022-23: £12,000).

Government Grants

A grant was received from DHSS Family Policy Unit of £18,899 (2023: £37,815) for our work in Northern Ireland. A grant was received from the Corra Foundation of £206850 (2023: £206,850) for our work in Scotland. The Scottish Government supported our work during the pandemic totalling £0 (2023: £200,000) for a further winter support fund and family focus groups.

Support from the Community fund, corporate, trusts and foundations

Grants were received to support our work across the UK with continued support in specific areas across the UK. A number of trusts and foundations continued to support our work started in previous years: Dulverton Trust £0 (2023: £30,000) , Cadent £175,000(2023:£0.00)for our Breathing Spaces project and from KGJ Foundation £143,375 (2023:£0) for perinatal mental health support. The roll out and development of Big Hopes Big Future® in England and Wales is funded by the Masonic Charitable Foundation in 2024 for £87,638 (2023: £0). Funding was drawn from Army Central Fund of £57,500 (2023: £53,000) for our work with army families and we received £10,000 (2023:£53,000) for partnership with The Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity for work with naval families.

Home-Start UK

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

4 Income from other trading activities

Income from other trading activities
Subsidiary trading income-JLP licence fees Bank Interest Interest from fixed asset investments Income from investments Other	Unrestricted £ 28,200 21,206	Restricted £ - -	2024 Total £ 28,200 21,206	£ 21,198 24,593 Unrestricted	Restricted £ - -	2023 Total £ 21,198 24,593
	49,406	-	49,406	45,791	-	45,791
					2024 £ 28,681 18,795	2023 £ 20,406 18,795
					47,477	39,201

5 Income from investments

All income from investments is unrestricted.

Home-Start UK

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

6a Analysis of expenditure (current year)

Cost of raising funds £ 378,004 9,530 10,766 11,516 127 - 23,118 18,730 - 24,121 10,734 -	Charitable activities	Charitable activities	Charitable activities	Governance costs £ - - 1,275 - - - - - 18,750 -	Central support costs £ 812,320 6,679 15,531 286,490 594 - 17,787 19,390 11,720 - 24,407 -	2024 Total £ 2,378,138 22,562 50,030 367,148 2,586 627,640 218,813 69,976 11,720 54,345 76,268 -	2023 Total £ 2,636,630 10,231 66,449 346,082 4,422 820,892 280,798 185,577 15,079 61,264 174,501 3,200
	Standing alongside families £ 300,506 1,525 6,099 16,679 141 86,010 35,386 6,662 - 7,253 5,371 -	Stronger together £ 645,414 3,621 12,574 39,339 337 448,120 109,987 19,921 - 17,229 12,705 -	Growing our movement £ 241,894 1,207 5,060 13,124 112 93,510 32,535 5,273 - 5,742 4,301 - 402,758 360,469 - 6,569
486,646 84,987 - 319	465,632 360,506 - 6,569	1,309,247 388,956 - 6,569		20,025 - - (20,025)	1,194,918 (1,194,918) - -	3,879,226 - -	4,605,125 - -
571,952	832,707	1,704,772	769,796 647,987	-	-	3,879,226	4,605,125
602,106	1,679,933	1,479,099		-	-	4,409,125

Home-Start UK

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

6b Analysis of expenditure (prior year) (restated)

Standing alongside families Stronger together Growing our movement £ £ £ 680,018 968,100 406,620 89 67 67 18,660 21,251 11,925 107,061 94,586 41,581 1,651 1,478 1,209 486,387 89,698 46,916 81,006 94,568 27,811 36,388 72,940 35,012 3,958 5,868 1,886 9,011 5,465 5,559 21,149 26,505 11,410 - 3,200 - 1,445,378 1,383,726 589,996 188,543 77,133 46,757 - - - 46,012 18,240 11,234 1,679,933 1,479,099 647,987 Charitable activities	Standing alongside families Stronger together Growing our movement £ £ £ 680,018 968,100 406,620 89 67 67 18,660 21,251 11,925 107,061 94,586 41,581 1,651 1,478 1,209 486,387 89,698 46,916 81,006 94,568 27,811 36,388 72,940 35,012 3,958 5,868 1,886 9,011 5,465 5,559 21,149 26,505 11,410 - 3,200 - 1,445,378 1,383,726 589,996 188,543 77,133 46,757 - - - 46,012 18,240 11,234 1,679,933 1,479,099 647,987 Charitable activities	2023 Total £ 2,636,630 10,231 66,449 346,082 4,422 624,892 280,798 185,577 15,079 61,264 174,501 3,200
Standing alongside families £ 680,018 89 18,660 107,061 1,651 486,387 81,006 36,388 3,958 9,011 21,149 - 1,445,378 188,543 - 46,012 1,679,933	Stronger together £ 968,100 67 21,251 94,586 1,478 89,698 94,568 72,940 5,868 5,465 26,505 3,200 1,383,726 77,133 - 18,240 1,479,099
		4,409,125 - -
		4,409,125

Home-Start UK

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

7 Analysis of grants to local Home-Starts

Analysis of grants to local Home-Starts	Analysis of grants to local Home-Starts
Restated 2024 2023 £ £ - 6,500 Cost of living support - 29,000 Breathing Space fund - Pears- 2- to provide LHS with support throughout the cost of living crisis, help sustaining LHS at risk allow 371,000 - - 160,000 22,500 73,515 50,000 47,000 (1,872) - - 14,057 Supporting the wellbeing of new parents with Cystic Fibrosis 4,000 - 120,312 - - 40,000 Addressing isolation and loneliness in families (funded by Volant Charitable Trust) - 120,000 Empowering women (Funded by White Stuff)-20 LHS-fund dedicated to one to one confidence building, creating starategy for sa 50,000 69,000 Warm spaces friendly faces (funded by White Stuff) - 50,000 7,000 12,700 Other 4,700 3,120 627,640 624,892 To deliver change in holistic family support in Scotland (The Promise), establish practice hub Big Hopes Big Future® Supporting work with service families(Army Central) (see breakdown below) Family Support to naval families (funded by the Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity) Crisis pandemic funds for local Home-Starts (see breakdown below) Centre for Warmth grants ( funded by Cadent)- 28 LHS to allow them to form the energy advise groups, supporting families with Home-Start UK is instrumental in securing funding to pass on to local Home-Starts. These grants are distributed in line with the criteria of the funder. Applications are formally assessed by a panel. Central support costs are allocated as shown in Note 6. In total, 119 (2023: 207) grant payments to local Home-Starts were made during 2023/24. Recovery and resilience programme At the end of the year Grants to institutions Supporting families and children affected by poverty in Scotland (STV Children's Appeal) Volunteering Futures Fund (funded by Pears/DCMS)		Restated 2023 £ 6,500 29,000 - 160,000 73,515 47,000 - 14,057 - - 40,000 120,000 69,000 50,000 12,700 3,120
	627,640	624,892
Breakdown of material grants included in the above grants to institutions:- ◦ Supporting local Home-Starts to support families with isolation ◦ ◦ Centre for Warmth grants ( funded by Cadent)- 28 LHS to keep families warm and form the energy advise groups draft making workshops, making families safe and warm - supporting 38 of the most vulnerable local Home-Starts by providing Breathing Space grant to survive through Cost of living crisis Supporting local Home-Starts to support families through Cost of Living Crisis Warm Spaces grants- to support with rising energy prices - 27 local Home-Starts in Scotland were supported by the Scottish Government to address loneliness and isolation in young parents. - 15 local Home-Starts were supported by the Volant Charitable Trust towards addressing isolation and loneliness in families and supporting their capacity to parents	2024 £ - - 371,000 120,312	Restated 2023 £ 160,000 120,000 - -
	491,312	280,000

			Restated
Breakdown of material grants included in the above grants to institutions:-		2024	2023
		£	£
◦	Supporting local Home-Starts to support families with isolation
	- 27 local Home-Starts in Scotland were supported by the Scottish Government to address loneliness and isolation in	-	160,000
	young parents.
	- 15 local Home-Starts were supported by the Volant Charitable Trust towards addressing isolation and loneliness in	-	120,000
	families and supporting their capacity to parents
◦	Supporting local Home-Starts to support families through Cost of Living Crisis
	- supporting 38 of the most vulnerable local Home-Starts by providing Breathing Space grant to
	survive through Cost of living crisis	371,000	-
◦	Warm Spaces grants- to support with rising energy prices
	Centre for Warmth grants ( funded by Cadent)- 28 LHS to keep families warm and form the energy advise groups draft
	making workshops, making families safe and warm	120,312	-
		491,312	280,000

Home-Start UK

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

8 Analysis of technical advice and support

Analysis of technical advice and support
PR and communications Corporate partnership development Strategy and policy development Technical advice and support Network development Digital, data and technology development To support funded projects Other	2024 £ 63,346 54,054 7,370 - 93,793 250 -	2023 £ 45,215 31,998 94,545 24,540 21,524 46,962 16,014
	218,813	280,798

Home-Start UK uses technical advice, support and expertise to assist in strategic development as part of externally funded projects and to provide targeted expenditure in key areas such as strategic development, digital development, buidling corporate partnerships and supporting network development using freelance, interims via agencies and consultancy.

9 Net income/(expenditure)

This is stated after charging /(crediting):

This is stated after charging /(crediting):
	2024	2023
	£	£
Depreciation	11,720	6,772
Operating lease rentals:
Property	35,196	32,534
Auditors' remuneration (excluding VAT):
Audit	18,750	18,150
Other services	1,000	1,000

10 Analysis of staff costs, trustee remuneration and expenses, and the cost of key management personnel

Staff costs were as follows:

Employer’s contribution to defined contribution pension schemes Salaries and wages Social security costs Redundancy costs paid and settled	2024 £ 1,965,055 56,533 206,123 150,427	2023 £ 2,220,064 36,216 223,510 156,840
	2,378,138	2,636,630

The following number of employees received employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs and employer's national insurance) during the year between:

	2024	2023
	No.	No.
£110,000 - £119,999	1	-
£100,000 - £109,999	-	1
£90,000 - £99,999	-	-
£80,000 - £89,999	1	-
£70,000 - £79,999	1	2
£60,000 - £69,999	-	1

The total employee benefits including pension contributions and employer's national insurance of the key management personnel were £344,455(2023: £364,481).

The charity trustees were not paid nor received any other benefits from employment with the charity in the year (2023: £nil). No charity trustee received payment for professional or other services supplied to the charity (2023: £nil).

Trustees' expenses represents the payment or reimbursement of travel and subsistence costs totalling £1,275 (2023: £1,238) incurred by 11 (2023: 8) members relating to attendance at meetings of the trustees.

Home-Start UK

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

11 Staff numbers

The average number of employees (head count based on number of staff employed) during the year was as follows:

Raising funds Governance Standing alongside families Stronger together Central support costs Growing our movement	2024 No. 3.2 13.2 16.6 6.6 8.9 1.1	2023 No. 3.8 12.9 20.2 7.0 8.9 0.7
	49.6	53.4

The number of employees calculated on the basis of full-time equivalents at the end of the year was 46.1 (2023: 47.8).

12 Related party transactions

Our honorary president, James Sainsbury OBE, is also a trustee of The Headley Trust and The Tedworth Charitable Trust. The Headley Trust made a grant of £27,250 (2023:£2,500) and The Tedworth Charitable Trust made a donation of £30,000 (2023: 30,000) towards Home-Start UK core costs. There were no outstanding balances due to or from related parties at 31st March 2024. (2023: £nil). James Sainsbury OBE receives no benefit from the grants made to the charity.

Home-Start UK received donations totalling £2,531.50 (2023: £2,038) from trustees (2023: 2 trustees). The trustees receive no benefit from the donations made to the charity.

There are no donations from related parties which are outside the normal course of business and no restricted donations from related parties.

13 Taxation

The charitable company is exempt from corporation tax as all its income is charitable and is applied for charitable purposes.

The charity's trading subsidiary Home-Start Consultancy Limited distributes under Gift Aid available profits to the parent charity. Its charge to corporation tax in the year was:

Fixtures and fittings £ - 48,268 -	Computer equipment £ 20,316 13,810 -	2024 £ -	2023 £ -
		Information system £ 30,000 - (30,000)	Total £ 50,316 62,078 (30,000)
48,268	34,126	-	82,394
- - 2,702	6,772 - 9,019	- - -	6,772 - 11,720
2,702	15,791	-	18,492
45,566	18,336	-	63,902
-	13,544	30,000	43,544

14 Tangible fixed assets

All of the above assets are used for charitable purposes.

Home-Start UK

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

15a Listed investments

15a Listed investments
Fair value at the start of the year Net gain/ (loss) on change in fair value Investments comprise: COIF Charities Investment Fund 15b Shares in group undertaking Cost at 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024 Fair value at the end of the year	2024 £ 646,405 58,511 The g	2023 £ 670,758 (24,353) roup	2024 2023 £ £ 646,405 670,758 58,511 (24,353) 704,916 646,405 704,916 646,405 704,916 646,405 2024 2023 £ £ 100 100 The charity
	704,916	646,405	704,916	646,405
	704,916	646,405	704,916	646,405
	704,916	646,405	704,916	646,405
			2024 £ 100	2023 £ 100

16 Subsidiary undertaking

The charity owns the whole of the issued ordinary share capital of Home-Start Consultancy Limited, a company registered in England. The company number is 02810260. The registered office address is 4th floor Arnhem House, 31 Waterloo Way, Leicester, United Kingdon, LE1 6LP.

The subsidiary is used for non-primary purpose trading activities. All activities have been consolidated on a line by line basis in the statement of financial activities. Available profits are distrbuted under Gift Aid to the parent charity.

The trustee Pearly Siffel is also a director of the subsidiary.

A summary of the results of the subsidiary is shown below:

Profit for the financial year Amounts owed to/from the parent undertaking are shown in notes 18 and 19. Administrative expenses The aggregate of the assets, liabilities and reserves was: Retained earnings Total retained earnings brought forward Profit for the financial year Distributed to parent charity Cost of sales Turnover Profit on ordinary activities before taxation Reserves Assets Gross profit Liabilities Profit on ordinary activities before interest and taxation Total retained earnings carried forward Taxation on profit on ordinary activities	2024 £ 28,200 -	2023 £ 21,198 -
	28,200 (23,877)	21,198 (4,753)
	4,323	16,445
	4,323 -	16,445 -
	4,323	16,445
	15,495 4,323 (16,445)	61,072 16,445 (62,022)
	3,373	15,495
	58,762 (55,389)	105,363 (89,868)
	3,373	15,495

Included within administrative expenses above is a management charge of £22,877 (2023: £4,389) from the parent entity.

Home-Start UK

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

17 Parent charity

The parent charity's gross income and the results for the year are disclosed as follows:

Gross income Result for the year

	Restated
2024	2023
£	£
3,858,534	3,882,628
15,986	(1,884,900)

18 Debtors

Trade debtors Accrued income Other debtors Prepayments Amounts due from group undertaking	2024 £ 177,126 61,868 - 109,676 - The g	2023 £ 109,408 98,393 53,953 44,065 - roup	2024 2023 £ £ 174,544 106,826 61,868 98,393 - 53,763 109,676 44,065 47,302 82,782 393,391 385,829 The charity	2024 2023 £ £ 174,544 106,826 61,868 98,393 - 53,763 109,676 44,065 47,302 82,782 393,391 385,829 The charity
	348,670	305,819	393,391	385,829

19 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year

Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
Other creditors Trade creditors Taxation and social security Accruals Grants payable Amounts owed to group undertaking Grant commitments Pension deficit Deferred income (note 20)	2024 £ 178,937 95,072 - 150,352 - 5,518 14,431 - 33,955 The g	restated 2023 £ 101,203 55,107 37,162 76,750 61,166 9,940 16,748 - 5,548 roup	restated 2024 2023 £ £ 176,220 99,686 91,222 55,107 - 31,593 149,022 76,750 - 61,166 5,518 9,940 14,431 16,748 478 478 33,955 5,548 470,846 357,016 The charity
	478,265	363,624	470,846	357,016

20 Deferred income

Deferred income comprises funds held on behalf of local Home-Starts for future events.

Balance at the beginning of the year Amount released to income in the year Amount deferred in the year Balance at the end of the year	2024 £ 5,548 (5,548) 33,955 The g	2023 £ 8,509 (8,509) 5,548 roup	2024 2023 £ £ 5,548 8,509 (5,548) (8,509) 33,955 5,548 33,955 5,548 The charity	2024 2023 £ £ 5,548 8,509 (5,548) (8,509) 33,955 5,548 33,955 5,548 The charity
	33,955	5,548	33,955	5,548

Home-Start UK

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

21 Creditors: amounts falling due after one year

Creditors: amounts falling due after one year
Financial instruments Financial assets measured at fair value through profit and loss Investments Financial liabilities measured at fair value through profit or loss Defined pension scheme liability Pension deficit	2024 £ - The g	2023 £ 13,105 roup	2024 2023 £ £ - 13,105 - 13,105 2024 2023 £ £ 704,916 646,405 - (43,475) The charity
	-	13,105	-	13,105
			2024 £ 704,916	2023 £ 646,405
			-	(43,475)

22 Financial instruments

23 Pension scheme

The Pensions Trust - Growth Plan ("the scheme")

The company participates in the scheme, a multi-employer scheme which provides benefits to some 950 non-associated participating employers. The scheme is a defined benefit scheme in the UK.

It is not possible for the company to obtain sufficient information to enable it to account for the scheme as a defined benefit scheme, therefore it accounts for the scheme as a defined contribution scheme.

The scheme is subject to the funding legislation outlined in the Pensions Act 2004 which came into force on 30 December 2005. This, together with documents issued by the Pensions Regulator and Technical Actuarial Standards issued by the Financial Reporting Council, set out the framework for funding defined benefit occupational pension schemes in the UK.

The scheme is classified as a 'last-man standing arrangement'. Therefore the company is potentially liable for other participating employers' obligations if those employers are unable to meet their share of the scheme deficit following withdrawal from the scheme. Participating employers are legally required to meet their share of the scheme deficit on an annuity purchase basis on withdrawal from the scheme.

A full actuarial valuation for the scheme was carried out at 30 September 2020. Following confirmation of the final audited asset value, the deficit has reduced to £31.6m. Next Valuation plan is due to take place after January 2025.

Expenses will no longer be included in the deficit payment and from 1 April 2022 will be identified separately and paid in addition to deficit contributions. This approach is more transparent and has the benefit to employers of expenses no longer being included in employer accounts for the purposes of FRS102.

The recovery plan contributions are allocated to each participating employer in line with their estimated share of the Series 1 and Series 2 scheme liabilities. Where the scheme is in deficit and where Home-Start UK has agreed to a deficit funding arrangement, Home-Start UK recognises a liability for this obligation. The amount recognised is the net present value of the deficit reduction contributions payable under the agreement that relates to the deficit. The amount recognised includes the unwinding of the discount used to calculate the net present value.

Home-Start UK ceased to provide this defined benefit scheme with effect from January 2009, with most of the members switching to the defined contribution scheme. Home-Start UK contributed £17.3k to the past service deficit of the defined benefit scheme in the year (2023: £37k) and will continue to contribute annually until 2025 subject to changes in deficit contributions once confirmed. Under the new recovery plan, from 1 April 2023, the deficit contributions are £14.4k per annum and the expense amount is £20.5k per annum bringing the total payment to £34.9k per annum.

24a Analysis of group net assets between funds - current year

Analysis of group net assets between funds - current year
Investments Long term liabilities Net current assets Net assets at 1 April 2023 Net current assets Analysis of net assets between funds - prior year (restated) Tangible fixed assets Net assets at 31 March 2024 Investments Tangible fixed assets Long term liabilities	General unrestricted £ - 704,916 804,933	£ 63,902 - 244,487 - Designated	Restricted £ - - 252,398 -	Total funds £ 63,902 704,916 1,301,818 -
	1,509,849	308,389	252,398	2,070,636
	General unrestricted £ - 646,405 910,771 (13,105) 1,544,071	£ 43,544 - 21,000 - 64,544 Designated	Restricted £ - - 458,157 - 458,157	Total funds £ 43,544 646,405 1,389,928 (13,105) -
				2,066,772

24b Analysis of net assets between funds - prior year (restated)

Home-Start UK

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

25a Movements in restricted funds - current year

Movements in restricted funds - current year
Total restricted funds Fidelity UK Foundation Corra Foundattion - The Promise Partnership Scottish Government - Loneliness & Isolation Fund Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity Pears Family Charitable Foundation Masonic Charitable Foundation NI development Small Trusts - CFP Army Central Fund Corra Foundation DHSS & PS Northern Ireland White Stuff Foundation Aberdeen Asset Management Charitable Foundation Pears Family Charitable Foundation with DCMS Scotland fundraising Band Trust Charles Gordon Foundation	At 1 April 2023 £ 16,250 - - - - - - 70,326 173,592 - 196,000 - 1,989 - - - -	Income £ - 57,500 80,000 60,000 206,850 - 18,900 139,675 - - 500,000 - 10,000 66,667 - 8,500 80,554	Expenditure £ (16,250) (57,500) (80,000) (60,000) (206,850) - (18,900) (193,983) (119,613) - (521,000) - (8,989) (64,266) - (6,500) (80,554)	Transfers £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -	At 31 March 2024 £ - - - - - - - 16,018 53,979 - 175,000 - 3,000 2,401 - 2,000 -
	458,157	1,228,646	(1,434,405)	-	252,398

Home-Start UK

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

25b Movements in restricted funds - prior year (restated)

Movements in restricted funds - prior year (restated)
Total restricted funds John Lewis Partnership - Healthy Happy Home Aberdeen Asset Management Charitable Foundation Corra Foundattion - The Promise Partnership Rayne Foundation Pears Family Charitable Foundation White Stuff Foundation Volant Charitable Trust Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity Big Lottery Fund - Greater Manchester project Margaret Harrison Travel Scholarship Masonic Charitable Foundation Kristian Gerhard Jebsen Foundation Fidelity UK Foundation Dulverton Trust Home-Start Greater Manchester BT NI development Pears Family Charitable Foundation with DCMS Scottish Government - Loneliness & Isolation Fund Scotland fundraising Corra Foundation R S MacDonald Charitable Trust - digital technology Army Central Fund Charles Gordon Foundation DHSS & PS Northern Ireland	At 31 March 2022 £ 16,250 - 8,450 10,000 57,562 - 102,443 - - 148,000 2,676 121,323 125,120 7,491 287,346 9,498 - 90,000 22,542 1,577 5,689 - 3,165 150,000 75,222	Income £ - 53,000 - - - 206,850 - 37,815 30,000 - - - - - - - 250,000 - - - 10,000 200,000 - - 100,000	Expenditure £ - (53,000) (8,450) (10,000) (57,562) (206,850) (102,443) (37,815) (30,000) (77,674) (2,676) (121,323) (125,120) (7,491) (113,754) (9,498) (54,000) (90,000) (22,542) (1,577) (13,700) (200,000) (3,165) (150,000) (175,222)	Transfers £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -	At 1 April 2023 £ 16,250 - - - - - - - - 70,326 - - - - 173,592 - 196,000 - - - 1,989 - - - -
	1,244,354	887,665	(1,673,862)	-	458,157

Home-Start UK

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

25c Movement in total funds - current year

At 1 April 2023 £ 43,544 - - - - - 21,000	Income and gains £ 100,000 189,432 - 175,000 - -	Expenditure and losses £ - (64,432) - (155,513) - (21,000)	Transfers £ 20,358 - - - - - -	At 31 March 2024 £ 63,902 100,000 125,000 - 19,487 - -
64,544	464,432	(240,945)	20,358	308,389
1,558,529 15,395 (29,853)	2,184,644 28,200	(2,202,831) (23,877) -	(19,335) (16,445) 15,422	1,521,007 3,273 (14,431)
1,544,071	2,212,844	(2,226,708)	(20,358)	1,509,849

1,608,615	2,677,276	(2,467,653)	-	1,818,238

458,157	1,228,646	(1,434,405)	-	252,398

2,066,772	3,905,922	(3,902,058)	-	2,070,636

25d Movement in total funds - prior year (restated)

At 31 March 2022 £ 8,306 510,392 357,687 82,000 330,000 1,288,385	Income and gains £ - - - 52,500 35,000 87,500	Expenditure and losses £ - (510,392) (357,687) (134,500) (344,000) (1,346,579)	Transfers £ 35,238 - - - - 35,238	At 1 April 2023 £ 43,544 - - - 21,000
				64,544
1,446,548 60,972 (43,475)	2,845,442 21,198 -	(2,746,623) (4,753) -	13,162 (62,022) 13,622	1,558,529 15,395 (29,853)
1,464,045	2,866,640	(2,751,376)	(35,238)	1,544,071

2,752,430	2,954,140	(4,097,955)	-	1,608,615

1,244,354	887,665	(1,673,862)	-	458,157

3,996,784	3,841,805	(5,771,817)	-	2,066,772

Home-Start UK

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

e year ended 31 March 2024
Purposes of restricted funds
Aberdeen Asset Management Charitable Foundation	Local level support to families across Scotland focussing on PIMH
Anonymous	Towards the Head of Volunteering post
Army Central Fund	Grants for supporting work with service families
Band Trust	Towards digital transformation and funding for website
Corra Foundation	Scotland Third Sector Early Intervention Fund
Corra Foundation - The Promise Partnership	A Good Childhood - to support necessary shifts to help ensure children and
	young people grow up loved, safe and respected
DHSS & PS Northern Ireland	Revenue grant towards our work in Northern Ireland
Early Intervention Foundation	Towards costs of Senior Adviser of Impact and Practise
Fidelity UK Foundation	Towards business intelligence project enabling more vulnerable families to
	achieve positive outcomes
Growth Fund	To support our expansion of Home-Start reach
Harvey Charitable Trust	Towards our work in Scotland
John Lewis Partnership - Healthy Happy Home	Volunteer-upskilling Programme
John Lewis Partnership - supercharged communities	Give a Little Love campaign suppporting superhubs
Masonic Charitable Foundation	Big Hopes Big Future®
Pears Family Charitable Foundation and DCMS	Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport Community Match Challenge Grant
Pears Family Charitable Foundation and DCMS	Volunteering Futures Fund - developing volunteer platform to support an increase
	in volunteer recruitment and retention
Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity	Family support to naval families
Small Trusts-CFP	Supporting mothers struggling with Cystic Fibrosis
Scottish Government	Various grants supporting family focus groups, outdoor play, winter support
	funds during the pandemic and support for loneliness and isolation in Scotland
Scotland fundraising	Donated funds from Kiltwalk for our work in Scotland
White Stuff Foundation	Perinatal mental health training/staff costs and Empowering Women Project

Purposes of designated funds

Fixed Asset Fund

The fixed asset fund represents all unrestricted funds invested in fixed assets net of any associated liabilities.

John Lewis Fund
John Lewis Partnership - Healthy Happy Home	Volunteer-upskilling Programme
John Lewis Partnership - supercharged communities	Give a Little Love campaign suppporting superhubs
Centre for Warmth grants ( funded by Cadent)- 28 LHS to allow	them to form the energy advise groups, supporting families with warm spaces,draft making

Digital Transformation

Central costs of supporting the BT 3Ds Digital Inclusion Programme being piloted in 2022/23 to provide digital confidence, data connectivity and devices to the network and the families they support.

Recovery and resilience programme

To support the Home-Start network to recover and become more resilient post pandemic through investment at Home-Start UK in growth and fixed-term skilled staff.

Transfers

Transfers between unrestricted funds and designated funds are agreed by the trustees.

Home-Start UK

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

26 Reconciliation of income to net cash flow from operating activities

Reconciliation of income to net cash flow from operating activities
Net income/ (expenditure)for the reporting period (as per the statement of financial activities) Depreciation charges Interest from investments (Profit) on the disposal of investments (Increase) in debtors Increase in creditors Net cash provided by operating activities Loss on disposal/writeoff of fixed assets	2024 £ 3,864 11,720 30,000 (47,477) (58,511) (42,851) 101,536	Restated 2023 £ (1,930,012) 6,772 8,307 (39,201) 24,352 669,628 (161,111)
	(1,719)	(1,421,265)

27 Analysis of cash and cash equivalents

Cash at bank and in hand Total cash and cash equivalents Short notice deposits held for investment	At 1 April 2023 £ 447,733 1,000,000	Cash flows £ 683,679 (700,000)	£ 1,131,412 300,000 At 31 March 2024
	1,447,733	(16,321)	1,431,412

28 Operating lease commitments

The group and charity's total future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases is as follows for each of the following periods

One to five years Less than one year	2024 2023 £ £ 35,196 35,196 11,732 41,062 46,928 76,258 Property	2024 2023 £ £ 35,196 35,196 11,732 41,062 46,928 76,258 Property
	46,928	76,258

29 Legal status of the charity

The charity is a company limited by guarantee and has no share capital.

Home-Start UK

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

30 Impact of prior year adjustment

In 2022/23, Home-Start accounted for £196,000 of grant commitments due to beneficiaries as a creditor at year-end. On review, while the grant application process was open at the year-end, no specific commitments had been communicated to recipients at the year-end, and so an accounting liability did not exist at 31 March 2023. The adjustment affects only restricted funds.

Unrestricted £ 1,608,615 -	Restricted £ 262,157 196,000	Total £ 1,870,772 196,000
1,608,615	458,157	2,066,772
Unrestricted £ (1,143,815) -	Restricted £ (982,197) 196,000	Total £ (2,126,012) - 196,000
(1,143,815)	(786,197)	(1,930,012)