CUNTHORPE AND DISTRICT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU OPERATING AS CITIZENS ADVICE NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE REGISTERED IN ENGLANDAND WALES UNDER COMPANY NUMBER 0544 REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 1110205 FINANCIAL STATEMENT E YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2024 NTHORPE AND DISTRI ITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU PERATING AS CITI ADVICE NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE FINA TATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR END 31ST MARCH IND Page Trustees, annual report Independent auditor's report 8-9 statement of financial activities and inc(Jme and expenditure account 10 Balance sheet statement of cash flow8 12 Notes to the financial statarnents 13-19 Detalled statement of financial activities 20 SCUNTHORPE AND DISTRICT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREA OPERATING AS CITIZENS ADVICE NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2024 TRUSTEES, ANNUAL REPORT The trustees present their annual directors, report and the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 st March 2024 which are also prepared to meet the requirements for a directors, report and accounts for Companies Act purposes. The financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011. the Companies Act 2006, the Memorandum and Articles of Association, and Accounting and Reporting by Charities.. Statement of Recommended Practice {SORP) applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019). OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES Objectlves and alms Citizens Advice North Lincolnshire provldes an In-depth Information, general help and legal advtce and advocacy service across North Lincolnshire. We deliver free, independent, confidential and impartial advice covering benefits and tax credits, debt, employment, health and community care. housing, immigration. asylum and nationality, relationships and family and consumer goods and services. The organisation was founded in 1974. The company was established under a Memorandum of Association which sets out the organisation's objects and activities. These are.. To promote any chantable puryjoses for the benefit of the community in North Lincolnshire and surmunding 8re8s by the advancement of education, Ihe protect￿n andpreservalion of health and the relief of poverty and sickness thmugh Ihe provision of free, independent, impartial inf0mlal￿n and advocacy on any subject raised by the general publK. Our vision is that everyone will be able to access free advice to find a way forward. Our aim is to provide the advice people need for the problems they face and improve the policies and practices that affecl people's lives. We are a member of the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux (Citizens Advice) and as part of the UK'S largest advice se￿iCe we offer: • Triage diagnosis - analysis of the nature of the problems presented and identifying the most appropriate next steps for the client. • Information - presented to clients in a form that can be easity understood. Advice- clients presented with options and a clear explanation of what each involves. Advocacy- direct involvement in seeking solutions to clients, problems e.g. letter writing, negotiation or representation. Referral- to another agency rf most appropriate for the client. We review our objectives and activities each year through our business planning processes. This review looks at what we achieved and the outcomes of our work in the previous 12 months. The review looks at the success of each key activity and the benefits they have brought to the community we are set up to help. The review also helps us to ensure our objectives and activrties remain focussed on our stated purposes. We have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefrt when reviewing our aims and objectives and in planning our future activities. In particular. the trustees consider how planned activities will contribute to the aims and objectives they have set. Page 1 SCUNTHORPE AND DISTRIC TIZEN ADVICE BUREAU OPERATING AS ZEN ADVICE NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE NAN IAL TATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2024 TRUSTEE AL REP RT ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE Citizens Advice North Lincolnshire has extensive experience of delivering services and all of our projects in the year successfully delivered their contracted outcomes. Our staffing structure continued to support the delivery of services and in the year, we helped local people to solve over 21,000 issues through our advice. The top advice issues clients faced were debt and money, benefits and income maximisation and energy. Fundlng from the Money Advice and Pensions Service enabled us to prowde specialist debt and money advice and funding from Ongo enabled us to support their tenants to sustain financial wellbeing. Whilst our Energy Advice project continued to build on past successes and as51Sted consumers in matters relating to relief from fu81 poverty, our advice project delivered in partnership with Scunthorpe Foodbank continued to 8UPPOrt visitors experiencing food poverty and financial insecurity. We secured new advice sepiices in the year for people experiencing mild to moderate mental health problems and for older people who had reached retirement age and were experiencing financial insecurity. In addition, we 8UPPOrted North Lincoln8hire Council to provide grants to over 4000 households affected by cost of living increases to 8UPPOrt them to access essentials including food and warmth. Health and community care continued to be part of our core offer. We supported patients registered with practices across the East and West Primary Care Nelworks through our Social Prescribing services to enable them to address the wider determinants of health and to take more control of their own health and wellbeing. Additionally our Adult Social Care project and Ironstone project along with the newly established Acute Response and Welcome Home projects continued to support people maintain independence in their own homes for longer and to connect to their community. Work also commenced on the mobilisation of a community first model to introduce peer support into mental health pathways along with the development of a peer support network to 8UPPOrt delivery of the Community Mental Health Transformation work. Our peer support work successfully delivered a community first modal, establishlng solutlons to ensure that people with mental health problems are supported to live well in their communities. to maximise their individual skills. and to be aware and make use of the resources and assets available to them in the community, In addition to helping people resolve their individual problems we also collected evidence and stories to campaign for policy changes that benefit the population as a whole. Our successes in the year included delivery of the Big Energy Savings Week to help people cut their fuel bills and get all of the financial support they are entitled to. FINANCIAL REVIEW The Statement of Financial Activities set out on page 10 shows all of the income receivable and expenditure payable for the year. Our overall level of fundin9 increased slightly in the year. Income was £1,869,926 compared to £1,808,095 for the previous year. Expenditure was also higher. increasing from £1,688,758 to £1,715.784. A surplus of £154,142 resulted for the year. At 31 st March 2024, total fund balances were £700,139 of which £593.549 related to unrestricted funds, with the balance of £106,590 being restricted funds. Page 2 SCUNTHORPE AND DISTRICT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU OPERATING AS CITIZENS ADVICE NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2024 TRUSTEES, ANNUAL REPORT Investment pollcy and objectlves Aside from retaining a prudent amount in reserves each year most of the charity's funds are spent in the short term. Therefore the charity adopts a short term investment time horizon and a low risk strategy with liquid resources being invested in deposit accounts. Reserves pollcy The trustees believe that the organisation should hold financial reseprfes in order to ensure that the charity can continue to operate and meet the needs of clients in the event of unforeseen and potentially financial damaging circumstances arising. The trustees consider it prudent to set aside an amount equivalent to six months, average operating expenditure plus a designated contractual commitment reserve. The amount of the reserve fund target minimum is calculated each year after approval of the annual budget. The amount of reserve for the year ending 31 March 2025 is budgeted to be £429,902. Fundralslng Standards Inforniatlon The charity had no significant fundraising activities in the year. STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT Govornlng document The organisation 18 a charitable company limited by guarantee. The company was established under Memorandum of Association which established the objects and powers of the charitable company and is governed under its Articles of Association which were adopted on 5 April 2005 8nd were last amended on 23 January 2014. In the event of the company being wound up members are required to contribute an amount not exceeding £1. Recrultment and appolntment of new trustees The directors of the company are also charity Iiustees for the purposes of Charity law and under the ¢ompanWs Articles are known as members of the Truslee Board. Under the requirements of the Memorandum and Articles of Association the members of the Trustee Board are elected to serve for a period of three years after which they must be re-elected at the nexi Annual General Meeting. Trustees are recruited by a fomial process which seeks to maintain a broad skill mix and ensure that the needs of the community are appropriately reflected through the diversity of the board. All member of the Trustee Board give their time voluntarily and received no benefits from the charity. Any expenses reclaimed from the charity are set out in the notes to the accounts. Trustee 5nductlon and trainlng New trustees are supported to learn about their responsibilities and gain an understanding of how the organisation V￿rks. The Chair of the board provides new trustees with essential reading to enable them to understand the legal, financial and strategic responsibilrties of their role. Organisational structure Citizens Advice North Lincolnshire has a trustee board of up to 15 who meet quarterly and are responsible for the strategic direction and policy of the charity. At present the boaTd has nine members from a variety of professional backgrounds relevant to the work of the charity. The Company Secretary also sits on the board but has no voting r￿ht$. The board of trustees meet to discuss strategic and operational perfomiance and agree business plans and budgets. The board is structured to ensure that individual members lead on key aspects of the organisation's vmrk., equalrty and diversty, finance, health and safety, human resources, research and campaigns and quality of advice. Page 3 SCUNTHORPE AND DISTRICT CITIZENS REA OPERATING AS CITI ADVI RTH LINCOLNSHIRE IAL TATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 ST MARCH 2024 TRUSTEES, A RT Organlsatlonal structure {continuod) The trustee board operates under an agreed schedule of agenda to ensure that all necessary business is enacted each year. A scheme of delegation is in place and day to day responsibilty for the provision of the services rests with the Chief Executive REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS Charity number 1110205 Company number 5446797 Name and registered office Scunthorpe and District Citizens Advice Bureau Scunthorpe Central, Carlton Street, Scunthorpe, DN15 6TX Other name charity uses Citizens Advice North Lincolnshire Directors and trustees RJSMason L Howley M M Kew40rth K Stones LGKing S G Hepworth R Johnson C Clack W Holroyd R Kohli J E Keilthy Chair - Vice Chair - Treasurer - appointed May 2024 appointed May 2024 resigned Apr 2024 resigned Oct 2023 The trustees retiring by rotation at the 2024 Annual General Meeting and offering themselves for re-election are C Clack, L G King, R J S Mason, S G Hep￿￿rth and W Holroyd. Company secretsry D Taylor Key management personnel L C Stephenson D Taylor Joint Chief Executive Joint Chief Executive Auditors Smai18s Goldie Chartered Accountants Regent's Court, Princess Street. Hull, HU2 8BA Accountants Tingle Ashmore Ltd Chartered Accountants Enterprise Hou88. Broadfield Court, Sheffield, S8 OXF Bankers Lloyds Bank 106 High Street, Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, DN15 8HG Unrty Trust Bank PO Box 7193, Planetary Road. Willenhall, VIW19DG Page 4 SCUNTHORPE AND DISTRICT TIZ SADWCE BUREAU OPERATING AS CITIZENS ADVICE NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2024 TRUSTEES. ANNUAL REPORT RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE TRUSTEES IN RELATION TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS The twstees (who are also directors of Scunthorpe and District Citizens Advice Bureau 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). The trustees have adopted the provisions of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) "Accounting and Reporting by Charities" issued in 2019 in preparing the annual report and financial statements of the charity. 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 charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charity for the year. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to: • Select suitable accounting policl•s and then apply them con$l$lently' • Obse￿ the methods and principles in the Charrties SORP 2019 (FRS 102); • make judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed. subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; prepare the financial statements on the going concem basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity vrfill 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 charily 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 charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. In so far as the Trustees are aware.. there is no relevant audit information of which the charitable companrfs auditor is unaware., and the 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. AUDITORS The auditors, Srnailes Goldie, will be proposed for re-appointment at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting. The Annual Report was approved by the trustees on ... 3011012024 and signed on their behalf by D Taylor Secretary Page 5 SCUNTHORPE AN TRI ITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU OPE ITIZENS ADVICE NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE FINANCIAL STATEfvIENTS FOR THE YEAR 31ST INDEPENDEN DIT REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF TH RPE AND DISTRICT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU Oplnlon We have audited the financial statements of Scunthorpe and District Citizens Advice Bureau (the 'charitable company,) for the year ended 31 st March 2024 which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities and Income and Expenditure Account, Balance Sheet, statement of Cash Flows and notes to the financial ststements. including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom General Accepted Accounting Practice), including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland. In our opinion the financial statements give a true and fair view of the state of the charltable company's affairs as at 31 st March 2024, and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure, for the period then ended., have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice including Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland and have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006. Basls for oplnlon We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISA8 (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements Section of our report. We are independent of the charitable company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC'S Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. Concluslons relatlng to golng concem In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees. use Of the going concern basis of aexounting in the preparation of the financi81 statements is appropriate. Based on the vrfork we have perfomied, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectivety, may cast significant doubt on the charitable compan￿$ ability to conlinu8 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 twstees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report. Page 6 SCUNTHORPE AND DISTRICT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU OPERATING AS CITIZENS ADVICE NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2024 INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORTTO THE MEMBERS OF SCUNTHORPE AND DISTRICT CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU other Infomlatlon The olher infomiation comprises the information included in the Trustees Annual Report, other than the financial statements and our auditorfs 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 responsibilty is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistenl with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit or otheNiise appears lo 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 perfomied, we conclude that there Is a malerial misslatement of this other infomiation, we are required to report that fact. We have nothing to report in this regard. Oplnlons on other matters prascrlbed by tho Companlos Acl 2006 In our opinion, based on the work undertaken In Ihe course of the audit.. the information given in the Trustees, Annual Report (incorporating the Directors, Report) for the financial period for which the financial statements are prepared 18 consistent with the financial statements,. and the Directors, Report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements. Matters on whlch we are requlred to report by exceptlon In the light of our knowledge and understanding of the charitable company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit. we have not identified material misstatements in the Trustees, Annual Report. We have nothing to report In respect of the following mattors In relation to whlch the Companles Act 2006 requires us to report to you rf. in our opinion.. adequate accounting records have not been kept or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us., or the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and retums. or • certain disclosures of directors, remuneration specified by law are not made., or we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit; or the Trustees were not entilled lo take advantage of the small companies exemption from the requirement to prepare a Strategic Report or in preparing the Trustees, Annual Report. Responsibilities of Trustees As explained more fully in the Trustees, responsibilities statement set out on page 5. the Trustees (who are also the directors of the charitable company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the Trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial ststements that are free from material missiatement. whether due to fraud or erTOr. In preparing the financial statements. the Trustees are responsible for assessing the charitable companvs abilty to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the Trustees either intend to liquidate the charitable company or to cease operations. or have no realisttc altemalive but to do so. Page 7 NTHORPE AND DISTRICT CITIZENS REAU PERATING AS CITIZENS AD RTH LINCOLNSHIRE FINANCIAL ST MENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED INDEP DENT A DITOR'S REPORT TO THE M NTHORPE AND DISTRICT CIT ADVI E BUREAU Our responslbilities for the audlt of the flnanclal statements Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAS (UK) will always detect a material misstatement vA)en it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individualty 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 ol irregularities, including fraud. The specific procedures for this engagement and the extent to which these are apable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below= Our approach to identifying and assessing the risks of material misstatement in respect of irregularities, including fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations, was focused on specrfic laws and regulations which we considered may have a direct material effect on the financial statements or the operations of the charitable company, including the Companies Act 2006, the Charities Act 2011, data protection, anti-bribery, employment, health and safety legislation and safeguarding regulations, An understanding of these laws and regulations and the extent of compliance wa8 obtsined through discussion with management and in8pecting legal and regulatory correspondence. We assessed the susceptibility of the charitable companvs financial statements to material misstatement, including obtaining an understanding of how fraud might occur, by rnaking enquiries of management and considering the internal controls in place to mitigate risks of fraud and non