**Adroddiad CCB – 2024 - 2025 AGM Report  –   2024 – 2025 Dydd Mercher 3 Medi 2025 Wednesday 3 September 2025** 

**Llawr Cyntaf /1[st] Floor 37 Stryd Fawr /High Street Llanbedr Pont Steffan/Lampeter – SA48 7AW Tel/Ffôn: (01570) 218546 Email/Ebost:homestartaberaeron@gmail.com** 



**Thank you to all the families, volunteers, staff, trustees, and external partners who have contributed to this report** 



## **Contents** 

|**1.**|**Introduction**|**1**|
|---|---|---|
|**2.**|**Some headline figures from the project**|**2**|
|**3.**|**Some quotes from families…**|**3**|
|**4.**|**Progress towards project outcomes**|**4**|
|**5.**|**Referrals**|**7**|
|**6.**|**Service provision**|**8**|
|**7.**|**The co-production model**|**16**|
|**8.**|**Volunteer recruitment, training and support**|**21**|
|**9.**|**Support for staff**|**23**|
|**10.**|**Working with other agencies and raising**|**24**|
||**awareness of the project**||
|**11.**|**Financial Report**|**26**|





## **1. Introduction** 

This report reviews the third year of Home-Start Ceredigion’s 5-year Families Building a Brighter Future Together project (from April 2024 to March 2025). The project has been funded primarily by the Big Lottery People and Places programme,  with  elements  of  matched  funding  provided  by  the  Welsh Government’s Families First initiative, the Henry Smith Charity, Lloyds Bank Foundation, Garfield  Weston  Foundation,  Community Foundation, National Grid  Foundation,  Moondance  Foundation  and  Home-Start  UK.  The  report covers the following aspects of the project: 

- progress towards project outcomes 

- the referral process 

- service delivery 

- the co-production model 

- volunteer recruitment, training and support 

- support for staff 

- working with other agencies and raising awareness of the project 

Over  Year  3  of  the  project,  the  staff  team  has  continued  to  provide opportunities for families to contribute feedback on Home-Start Ceredigion’s services, including carrying out online surveys and consultation sessions at family groups. In addition to this input from families, information for this report has been drawn from discussions with staff, and questionnaires completed by staff, trustees, volunteers, and workers from external agencies. 2 key learning points from Year 3 of the project have been identified and 3 recommendations have been made for the development of the project as it moves forward into Year 4. 

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## **2. Some headline figures from the project to date** 

**713** families have been supported 

**2,470** individuals have been supported, comprised of… 

**1,217** children and **1,214** parents/carers 

**368** additional families have attended 1-day events & play days 

**23,647** hours of support provided by the project, of which… 

**5,363** hours have been provided by volunteers 

**17** locations have provided group support 

**518** families have attended group support sessions 

**205** families have received home-visiting support 

**78** families have received School Ready support 

**87** families have received Fast Response support 

**39** volunteers have provided support to families 

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## **3. Some quotes from families…** 

“Fantastic and huge support given to families; great for the children and adults also.” 

“The group I have been attending has been crucial for my mental wellbeing. As well as supporting myself and my son’s social development, it has given us both confidence.” 

“Home-Start has been a vital support system for my family.” 

“We've only been to the baby groups but they're really good! Thank you 😊.” 

“My child benefited greatly from the school ready program. Thank you.” 

“Lovely staff, lovely group.” 

“My group leader Avril is amazing. Always provides a safe environment to talk. She also provides some fantastic activities for everyone to get involved in.” 

“I cannot thank Home-Start enough, for all their help and all that they did for me and my family.” 

“I love this group, and the friendships formed from attending.” 

“Home-Start have helped me through a period of time where I had no one or nothing… they can make isolation from people and your old home feel better and have helped me on my low days and good. This team of people go above and beyond for the community and newcomers and make it feel safe and welcoming.” 

“I think it’s a brilliant relaxed and social environment for not only the parents but the children as well. Never any pressure.” 

“This is a great group. They are very patient with all the kids and it’s a great chance to practice Welsh.” 

“Home-Start… has been a huge help and support through some of the darkest times in my life. Avril is an absolute angel, and I don’t know what I’d do without her or Home-Start.” 

“Elen is fantastic. I moved here in April 2024, and she was so welcoming when I arrived a little anxious at the group in Penrhyn-coch. She made me and my two little ones feel right at home, introduced us and helped break us in to the group. A warm cuppa and a smile is so lovely.” 

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## **4. Progress towards project outcomes** 

The  Families  Building  a  Brighter  Future  Together  project has four project outcomes, one  of which  relates to  families’  general  wellbeing,  two  to  the benefits to families of attending group support, and one to the benefits to children of School Ready support. The four outcomes, and current project performance against their indicators, are summarised in table 1 below. 

Table 1. Summary of progress towards project outcomes. 

|Outcome 1|Outcome 1|Outcome 1|Outcome 1|
|---|---|---|---|
|850 families report a measurable improvement in identified areas of need<br>and overall family well-being.||||
|Indicator|End of Year 3<br>target<br>(no. families)|End of Year 3<br>achievement<br>(no. families)|% of target<br>met|
|Families demonstrate a measurable<br>improvement in at least 50% of their<br>identified areas of need.|510|489|96%|
|||||
|Outcome 2||||
|510 families report reduced feelings of isolation, along with increased social<br>confidence and wider social engagement, as a result of attending groups.||||
|Indicator|End of Year 3<br>target<br>(no. families)|End of Year 3<br>achievement<br>(no. families)|% of target<br>met|
|Group-attending families demonstrate<br>an improvement in at least one of the<br>following identified areas of need:<br>‘coping with isolation’, ‘improving<br>confidence in social situations’ and<br>‘increasing access to / use of services<br>and amenities’.|306|395|129%|



|Outcome 3|Outcome 3|Outcome 3|Outcome 3|
|---|---|---|---|
|300 parents contribute to the well-being of their communities by providing<br>peer support for other families through creation of / participation in<br>independent supportgroups.||||
|Indicator|End of Year 3<br>target<br>(no.parents)|End of Year 3<br>achievement<br>(no.parents)|% of target<br>met|
|Parents participate in independent<br>peer support groups (i.e., groups that<br>have reached stage 3 as outlined in<br>the project plan).|120|59|49%|



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|Outcome 4|Outcome 4|Outcome 4|Outcome 4|
|---|---|---|---|
|100 pre-school children demonstrate enhanced school readiness in the form<br>of improved basic numerical, linguistic, hygiene skills and/or social skills.||||
|Indicator|End of Year 3<br>target<br>(no. children)|End of Year 3<br>achievement<br>(no. children)|% of target<br>met|
|Pre-school children demonstrate an<br>improvement in at least one of the<br>following identified areas of need:<br>‘improved numeracy skills’, ‘improved<br>linguistic skills’ ‘improved hygiene<br>skills’ and ‘improved social skills’.|60|68|113%|



**Outcome 1:** Achievement against the end of Year 3 target of 510 families for the indicator “families demonstrate a measurable improvement in at least 50% of their identified areas of need” stands at 96%, with 489 families showing this level of improvement. Whilst this represents a drop from the 115% achievement of the Year 2 target, it does represent an additional 97 families reaching this level of improvement over the past year, and the scheme remains on course to achieve a strong performance against this outcome by the end of the project. 

**Outcome 2:** The end of Year 3 target of 306 families for the indicator “groupattending families demonstrate an improvement in at least one of the following identified areas of need: ‘coping with isolation’, ‘improving confidence in social situations’ and ‘increasing access to / use of services and amenities’” has been exceeded,  with  395  families  showing  this  level  of  improvement  (129%  of target). Given the popularity of group support with families, and the large amount of positive feedback in terms of reduced feelings of isolation and increased  confidence  (both  in  families’  review  assessments  and  in  their evaluation feedback), it seems highly likely that this outcome will be met in full by the end of the project. 

**Outcome 3:** The 49% achievement of the Year 3 target for the indicator “parents participate in independent peer support groups (i.e., groups that have reached  stage  3  as  outlined  in  the  project  plan)”  represents  a  slight improvement on the 45% achievement of the end of Year 2 target, but this remains a challenging outcome to achieve. As discussed in previous evaluation reports, performance against this outcome has to be considered in the context 

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of the co-production model being a largely new way of working for the scheme and of targets being set from a position of relative inexperience with regard to the timescales involved in fulfilling the journey from newly established HomeStart-supported group to fully independent peer support group. Year 3 has continued to highlight some of the challenges and barriers that groups face in completing this journey, and these are discussed in Sections 6.1 and 7 below. Also  discussed in Section 7 are the results of a survey of families that have moved on from group support, looking at continuing friendships and levels of contact with their former group members. Experience is showing that this more informal  type  of  longer-term  peer  support  might  be  a  more  realistic  and achievable outcome from the project. 

**Outcome 4:** As has been the case in previous years, the indicator target for this outcome has been exceeded, with 113% of the end of Year 3 target being achieved. As with Outcome 2, current levels of performance suggest that this outcome will be met in full by the end of the project. 

Pictures from Penrhyncoch Park summer play day 01/08/2024 

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## **5. Referrals** 

Over the first three years of the project, Home-Start Ceredigion has received 704 new referrals, out of which, 674 referred families have been supported (96%), Whilst referrals are received from Health Visitors, Mental Health Team, Social Workers, Midwives, and other local family support agencies, the vast majority (73%) of referrals have been self-referrals. This has been a growing trend since the start of the project and the rise to prominence of group support, the self-referral figure being composed primarily of families who become aware of Home-Start Ceredigion’s group support service by word-of-mouth and/or social media and then approach Home-Start directly to obtain a place. 

During Year 1 of the project, there were issues around the initial assessment forms used by Home-Start, with their complexity creating a barrier to some families accepting support. After consultation with families, the forms were streamlined and made more user-friendly, and the staff team now feel that the initial assessments and referral system in general are working very well, with families much happier with the revised forms and none of the issues from Year 1 having been repeated. Staff continue to gather feedback from families about the user-friendliness of the initial assessment forms but, as yet, there has been no need for further modification. 

Referring agencies were also positive about the referral process. When asked which aspects of the referral process had worked well, responses from referring agencies  were  as  follows:  initial  communication  (100%);  speed  of  initial response (83%); speed of support provision (83%); follow-up communication (100%); family satisfaction with the process (83%). None of the respondents from external agencies were able to suggest any ways in which the referral process could be improved. 

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## **6. Service provision** 

Home-Start Ceredigion continues to provide a suite of support services to families with young children in Ceredigion, as follows: 

- Group support – with groups initially supported by a Group Support Worker, aided by volunteers, but encouraged and supported over time to become independent peer support groups. 

- School Ready support – a staff-led programme that helps pre-school children to develop their language, numeracy, hygiene and social skills in preparation for starting school. 

- Home-visiting  –  a  service  that  matches  families  with  home-visiting befriending volunteers. 

- Fast Response – a staff-led support service that provides immediate support to families in urgent need. 

- Other scheme services – including telephone and online support, public play days, and provision of food and hygiene parcels to families in need. 

With the start of the Families Building a Brighter Future Together project, 

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provision of group support became the primary means by which Home-Start Ceredigion supports families. This was partly in response to feedback from families and partly a strategic response to the post-pandemic difficulties in recruiting volunteers that continue to be experienced by voluntary organisations, with group support allowing a larger number of families to be supported  with  fewer volunteers. However, the  other services remain  vital components  of  Home-Start  Ceredigion’s work,  providing  a  broad  range  of support types that enable the scheme to react to the broad and diverse range of challenges faced by families and to meet each family’s individual needs. 

Response to the family satisfaction survey carried out at the end of Year 3: 

To what extent do you feel that your support from Home-Start Ceredigion has improved your family's well-being? 


**----- Start of picture text -----**<br>
100.00%<br>88.60%<br>90.00%<br>80.00%<br>70.00%<br>60.00%<br>50.00%<br>40.00%<br>30.00%<br>20.00%<br>11.40%<br>10.00%<br>0.00%<br>0.00%<br>A lot A little Not at all<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>


## **6.1 Group support** 

_**“It’s where I believe I’ve met friends for life now.”**_ 

Group support has been provided at 17 locations across Ceredigion during the first three years of the project, supporting a total of 518 families and involving delivery of 9,976 support hours. During Year 3 of the project, groups have been running in 12 of these locations, with a new Parent Support Group adding to 11 groups that were already running at the start of Year 3. Previously, one group had  closed  in  May 2023  and  three  in  November 2023  due  to  insufficient attendance numbers, and one group had moved on to become independent of Home-Start. During Year 3, the group at Llanarth has also closed as children reached school age and parents returned to work. 

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Results of Year 3 online questionnaire to assess families’ views on the impact of group support: 


**----- Start of picture text -----**<br>
To what extent do you feel that attendance at group<br>has increased your family's confidence in social<br>situations?<br>90.00% 85.50%<br>80.00%<br>70.00%<br>60.00%<br>50.00%<br>40.00%<br>30.00%<br>20.00% 14.50%<br>10.00%<br>0.00%<br>0.00%<br>A lot A little Not at all<br>To what extent do you feel that attendance at group<br>has reduced your family's feelings of isolation?<br>90.00% 83.90%<br>80.00%<br>70.00%<br>60.00%<br>50.00%<br>40.00%<br>30.00%<br>20.00% 16.10%<br>10.00%<br>0.00%<br>0.00%<br>A lot A little Not at all<br>Have you developed a wider support network as a<br>result of your Home-Start group support?<br>90.00%<br>83.30%<br>80.00%<br>70.00%<br>60.00%<br>50.00%<br>40.00%<br>30.00%<br>20.00%<br>10.60%<br>10.00% 6.10%<br>0.00%<br>Yes No Not sure<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>


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Groups continue  to  be  very well  attended, and  families continue  to  show growing confidence in socialising and in developing their own parenting skills. In some groups, families have grown sufficiently confident to become involved in deciding which activities their group should run, and even, on occasion, running activities themselves, although in other groups this has proved more challenging (discussed further in Section 7). One issue that had arisen in Year 1 of the project was the formation of cliques within groups, making some families feel excluded and deterring them from attending. Various measures, largely  focused  on  the  layout  of  the  room  and  layout  of  activities,  were successfully introduced in Year 2 to address this problem. These measures continue to be effective, although one parent remarked that her family no longer  attends  a  group  because  other  families  there  had  made  her  feel uncomfortable. This,  however, appears to  have  been  an  isolated  incident, rather than being symptomatic of any wider issue. 


“We love the Talybont “I look forward to going “I have been happy group so much!!!” to the group every week coming to the group and it has helped me a lot.” meeting new people.” “We love our weekly lunch club group. Two of “We have been shown so my children have benefited immensely from much kindness at our group, going, they absolutely love the leader, the and it has helped prepare activities and the food!” them for preschool as there “We have reallyare no cylch or other nurseries “The leaders are enjoyed our timeaccessible to us in our area.” with Home Start's brilliant and really make group. I hope you feel at home.” “I enjoy going to the group and other families will meeting new people.” get to join as and “We love “Lovely group, have made genuine friends and when they are attending both my girls are always excited to attend.” ready to do so.” group.” 

Examples of comments from group-supported families. 

Family feedback is overwhelmingly positive in terms of the impact of group support (see comments above). Suggested improvements are largely focussed on provision of more sessions and more groups, both of which are, of course, resource dependent, in respect to staff and volunteer availability and staff costs,  and  also  in  respect  to  longer-term  sustainability.  Other  suggested 

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improvements were a wider range of toys being made available, particularly for babies and younger children, larger venues, and a venue without stairs in Lampeter  (some  parents  felt  that  this  was  a  deterrent  to  other  families attending). There was, however, a recognition from families that finding suitable alternative venues is not a straightforward matter. 

Families continue to be consulted on the development of groups on a regular basis (see Section 7). As part of an extensive consultation in Year 2, families suggested a range of activities they would like to see in group sessions, with several of these having been introduced in Year 3. These include the rollout of activities such as messy play and cooking sessions to a wider range of groups, increased resources in terms of toys and books, sensory play days, “Count on Us” project budgeting sessions, energy advice sessions, and interactive days with visitors from Citizens Advice Bureau and Women’s Aid. A member of staff trained in checking benefits offers a 1:1 service with any parent whose situation has changed and also offers sessions at our group on Turn2us. Staff and volunteers continue to listen to and talk to families to improve existing activities and develop new ideas. 

## **School Ready support** 

_**“Lena was brilliant with my son - her visits became a muchanticipated part of his week, and his improvement was measurable on a weekly basis - the activities were different each time and full of fun - we still play some of the same games now because of his enjoyment of them.”**_ 


**----- Start of picture text -----**<br>
\<br>12<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>




## Children participating in the School Ready programme. 

The  School  Ready  programme  aims  to  prepare  pre-school  children  for attending school by working on their development in four key areas – numeracy skills, linguistic skills, hygiene skills and social skills. Families are supported through  regular  weekly  sessions  (delivered  by  the  School  Ready  Worker, supported by volunteers) and the provision of resources, with materials being tailored to meet the needs of each individual child. Whilst some children receive support at home, the majority of School Ready sessions now take place in a group environment. Over the first three years of the project, 79 children have taken part in the programme, receiving a total of 778 hours of support, with the results of the programme to date being summarised in Table 2 below. 

Table 2. Summary of results of School Ready programme to end of Year 3. 

|**Identfed need**|**No. children**<br>**identfying need**|**% children recording**<br>**improvement**<br>**(end ofyear 3)**|**% children recording**<br>**improvement**<br>**(end of year 2)**|
|---|---|---|---|
|Numeracy skills|75|67%|62%|
|Linguistc skills|74|68%|67%|
|Hygiene skills|74|49%|47%|
|Social skills|76|84%|80%|



68 of the 79 participants in the programme have demonstrated an improvement in at least one of their identified areas of need, and as can be seen from the table above, for each of the four areas of need, the percentage of children recording an improvement has increased slightly from the position at the end of Year 2. Feedback from parents whose children have taken part in the School Ready programme has been very positive, emphasising not only how much the programme  has  helped  to  develop  children’s  skills  and  improve  their confidence, but also how much their children have enjoyed taking part in the sessions. 

## **6.2 Home-visiting** 

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## _**“I would have never coped without my volunteer,  she has been a massive help, thank you for the kindness you showed my family,  I will never forget it.”**_ 

Home-visiting  remains an  essential  component  of Home-Start  Ceredigion’s suite of support services, enabling provision of dedicated, long-term support to families who do not feel sufficiently confident to attend groups, are too rurally isolated to regularly attend a group, or who simply feel that group support is not appropriate for their situation. Feedback from families continues to highlight their appreciation of the work of their volunteers, both in terms of the emotional support provided and the more practical aspects of support, such as helping with completing forms and budgeting, playing with the children and taking them out to activities. 

In their feedback, volunteers have emphasised the benefit of Home-Start’s approach  of  allowing  the  volunteer  of  having  sufficient  time  to  develop  a connection and to build trust with a family, allowing. This longer timeframe of support allows volunteers to help the family gradually build their self-esteem and confidence, often leading to the family feeling sufficiently confident to start attending group support. This is a crucial step for many families who have been experiencing feelings of isolation and have had limited opportunity for their children to interact with their peers. Conversely, some families that initially accessed  Home-Start  through  self-referral  to  groups  have  subsequently accepted  additional  home-visiting  support.  During  Year  3  of  the  project, volunteer home-visiting was provided to 61 new families, bringing the total number of home-visited families over the course of the project to 205, involving provision of 2,412 hours of support. 

## **6.3 Fast Response service** 

_**“Absolutely amazing and caring people. Are always very supportive and there to give you advice and help however they can. Would highly recommend.”**_ 

Fast Response is a staff-led service that provides immediate support to families with urgent needs. Without the Fast Response option, many families would face  a  prolonged  wait  for  a  suitable  home-visiting  volunteer  to  become 

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available, during which time their problems could intensify. Support generally starts within a week of referral and lasts for up to 12 weeks (sometimes less if the family feels that their needs have been met), with the family then usually moving on to other forms of support such as groups or home-visiting. 

Over the first three years of the project, Home-Start Ceredigion has supported 87 families through the Fast Response service, providing a total of 1,987 hours of support. Having completed their Fast Response support, 85 families have gone on to receive support from a home-visiting volunteer, with 18 additionally attending groups and 1 family additionally receiving both group and School Ready support. 

## **6.4 Other scheme services** 

In addition to its core activities, Home-Start Ceredigion continues to provide a range of additional services to families, including telephone and online support, provision of online activities and videos, closed Facebook groups to enable families to provide each other with peer support, and deliveries of food, hygiene products, clothes, craft materials and toys, etc. to families in need, and ran a First Aid course attended by 30 families. The scheme has also hosted a series of public summer play days throughout the county during the 2024 summer holidays, attended by 121 families (133 adults and 237 children), and took part in the RAY Ceredigion Play Day, attended by c.150 families. These public events,  as  well  as  providing  summer  activities  for  children  in  their  local 


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## **7. The co-production model** 

As defined by Home-Start UK – “Co-production is an asset-based approach that  enables  people  providing  and  receiving  services  to  share  power  and responsibility, and work together in equal, reciprocal and caring relationships. It creates opportunities for people to access support when they need it, and to contribute to social change.” Co-production takes the concept of engagement and consultation to the point of directly involving families in the co-design and co-production of services in an equal and reciprocal relationship with staff and volunteers, so that staff and volunteers are making decisions and designing/ providing services with, rather than for, families. 

Home-Start Ceredigion has always strived to maximise family involvement in decision-making with regard to the support that they receive, from the type of support  (groups,  home-visiting,  School  Ready,  Fast  Response  or  online support),  through  to  the  detail  of  how  that  support  is  structured.  Of  the scheme’s range of services, it is group support that has the greatest potential to put the co-production model into practice, with families able to work alongside Home-Start staff and volunteers to develop group activities. From the start of a group, families are encouraged to be involved in deciding on activity content, and as the group progresses, to take on greater involvement in designing, planning and delivering activities. It was originally conceived that each family support group would progress through four stages towards becoming a peer support group that could operate independently from Home-Start:: 

1. Groups  initially  organised, supported and mentored by Home-Start Ceredigion staff and volunteers. 

2. As  the  confidence  of  participants  grows,  groups  move  to  a  more independent status where families have greater involvement in organisation and delivery. 

3. Groups  become  independently  run  by  participants,  with  Home-Start available to offer advice/support as needed, and group members provide mentoring for newly forming groups (and establish mutually supportive links between groups). 

4. Groups become fully independent of Home-Start. 

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In addition to ongoing feedback, families are provided with regular opportunities to influence the content and direction of their groups. Examples of this include: 

- interactive “focus group” sessions to explore what types of activities and content they would like their group to have 

- participating in listening circles where they shared their experiences and needs, their input directly influencing changes in the structure and timing of support groups to better fit their schedules 

- participation in planning meetings to help design workshops on topics such as child development, mental health, and financial literacy, with their suggestions leading to more practical, hands-on sessions rather than theory-based discussions 

- parents and children co-designing family activity days, ensuring that events were engaging for all age groups. 

One group, based at Rhydlewis, became fully independent from Home-Start during Year 2 of the project. In contrast to most of the other groups, the Rhydlewis group was composed primarily of families of social grade C and above, with comparatively high levels of self-confidence, organisational ability and  financial  stability.  For other groups, many of which  are  comprised  of families experiencing complex needs and ongoing financial insecurity, progress towards  independence  is  patchier.  The  family  groups  at  Felinfach  and Lampeter, and the Parent Support Group at Aberystwyth have all reached a stage  where  families  decide  on  the  activities  of  the  group,  help  with  the planning and delivery of the sessions, and also play an active role in recruiting new members when families leave the group.  Home-Start staff and volunteers are still present at the group sessions to offer support and advice, and costs such as venue hire, refreshments and activity materials are still covered by Home-Start. A new family group has formed in Lampeter, meeting at a room at the Home-Start Ceredigion offices. Staff are present to offer advice and support when needed, and provide a free venue, materials and refreshments, but the parents work independently in organising session content and activities and are also now meeting up outside of the group. 

The remaining groups tend to fluctuate between stages 1 and 2, still requiring 

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high levels of input and support from Home-Start staff and volunteers. The groups at Aberystwyth Hub, Aberystwyth Library and Newcastle Emlyn are more consistently at stage 2, with families having increased involvement in the organisation and delivery of activities. Some of the challenges of progressing from stage 1 to stage 2 are neatly summarised by Family Support Worker, Lena  Brown: _“I feel that the groups have progressed between stages 1 & 2. Stage 1 has worked well as we have set up groups that the families have the confidence to attend. We then must gain the families trust for them to continue to attend and encourage them to engage with other families. This takes longer with  some  families  than  others.  This  has  mostly  worked  well  but  we  do sometimes see that not all families are as open as others. (To reach) stage 2… we encourage families to deliver craft sessions, but it often never materialises as they lose confidence or fear they will do something wrong. Some have delivered a craft session but aren’t happy to do so on a regular basis. We then go back to stage 1, mentoring the families and encouraging them to regain their confidence.”_ 

The  difficulties  of  establishing  groups  at  stage  2  and  facilitating  their progression beyond that are further exacerbated by the fact that many families have a limited timespan for attending groups, with many parents returning to work once their children reach school age. It is often, therefore, the more established  (and  thereby  usually  more  confident)  members  that  leave  the group, negatively impacting the capability of the group overall to take on the responsibilities of running independently. 

Despite  these  difficulties,  there  has been  definite  progress in  building  the confidence of families and in involving them (and in many cases enabling them to take the lead) in decision-making, if not always in the case of entire groups, then certainly in the case of many individual families. Over the three years of the project, staff have developed and enhanced their experience of running groups  and  of  successfully  managing  any  problematic  issues  that  arise. Although the scheme has been unable to access dedicated facilitator training over the last year, staff have held brainstorming sessions together on how they could better facilitate peer support between families, enabling them to share experiences and develop ideas to take back to the groups. Staff report that they have found these sessions useful. 

18 



There remain, however, significant (and in some cases probably insurmountable) obstacles to groups becoming fully independent of HomeStart. Many of these were raised by families in the extensive consultation carried out in Year 2, and most remain pertinent and have again been raised in Year 3  consultations. The  key barriers as identified  by families (and  also recognised by staff and volunteers) can be summarised as: 

- financial costs of venue hire, materials and refreshments 

- fear of what happens if something goes wrong 

- concerns about the absence of a neutral presence to manage disputes 

- requirement for a trained First Aider to be present 

- the complex needs of many families requiring the long-term support of trained staff and volunteers 

- insurance  terms  of  some  venues  requiring  an  individual  from  a registered organisation to be present to open up, lock up and set alarms 

- loss of the more confident members of groups when their children reach school age (although in some cases families return to the group when they have another child) 

Whilst  staff  continue  to  support  families  in  building  towards  the  levels  of confidence  and  skills  needed  to  run  an  independent  group,  there  is  a realisation that, given the low starting confidence of many families and the complexity  of  their  needs,  fully  independent  groups  are  unlikely  to  be  a common outcome. Probably more  realistic is a large proportion of groups attaining  the  status  that  a  number  are  already  reaching,  of  being  largely independent in terms of decision making, but with the ‘back-up’ presence of Home-Start staff and volunteers to help families manage the issues listed above.  One  successful  model  for  extending  family  involvement  in  groups beyond  the  ‘natural  end  point’  of  their  children  starting  school  is  the Aberystwyth-based Parent Support Group. This parents-only group enables the parents to remain in contact, meet up, and provide mutual support, and thereby helps to maintain the original network of families supporting each other. 

Whilst long-term independent group-based peer support networks, as envisaged in the original project design, may be difficult to achieve, that does not mean that important informal support networks for families are not arising out  of  the  project.  During  Year  3,  Home-Start  Ceredigion  surveyed  eight 

19 



families that had left group support at least six months previously, with results as follows: 


**----- Start of picture text -----**<br>
How many families that you met through your group<br>are you still in contact with?<br>4<br>3<br>2<br>1<br>0<br>0 1 2 3+<br>No. families still in contact with<br>How often are you in contact with them?<br>4<br>3<br>2<br>1<br>0<br>No contact Daily Weekly Monthly<br>Frequency of contact<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>


Although this initial sample size is small, the results do give hopeful indications that lasting friendships, and thereby expanded informal support networks for families, are arising out of the group support provided by the project. 


**----- Start of picture text -----**<br>
20<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>




## **8. Volunteer recruitment, training and support** 

## _**“I really enjoy helping in the group, it has really helped with my confidence and improved my own mental health.”**_ 

A Home-Start Ceredigion volunteer. 

Supported  families  remain  highly  appreciative  of  the  work  of  Home-Start Ceredigion’s  team  of  volunteers.  As  in  previous  years,  their  feedback emphasises the kindness and friendliness of the volunteers, and the nonjudgemental nature of their support. Over the first three years of the project, 39 volunteers  have  delivered  support  to  families.  Of  these,  23  were  already volunteering for Home-Start Ceredigion at the start of the project, with four being recruited in Year 1 and ten in Year 2. Only two new volunteers have been recuited in Year 3 of the project but, crucially, Home-Start Ceredigion has a very good record of retaining its volunteers and only three have left over the same period. This brings the total number of volunteers to have left during the project to 17, meaning that the scheme has been able to retain relatively consistent numbers of around 20-25 active volunteers throughout the project to date. 

Recruitment numbers have fallen quite steeply from Year 2, but anecdotal evidence suggests that this is a wider societal issue across the charitable sector, rather than the result of any particular failing in Home-Start Ceredigion’s volunteer recruitment strategy. Recruitment and retention of volunteers remains a key priority for the scheme and the Volunteer Officer continues to explore new and innovate ways to attract volunteers, liaising with other Home-Start schemes  to  share  ideas.  The  scheme  currently  advertises  its  need  for volunteers through recruitment drop-in sessions, leaflets, posters, social media, notifications via CAVO (Ceredigion Association of Voluntary Organisations), and presentations at local universities and further education colleges. A former volunteer, based at Aberystwyth University, has produced a video to encourage students to volunteer for Home-Start Ceredigion, and the Volunteer Officer is also looking into a virtual volunteer fair with CAVO. In Year 2, staff raised the point that a Home-Start UK-led national volunteer recruitment drive could be of great help in increasing volunteer numbers, and this remains pertinent. Whilst 

21 



volunteer recruitment difficulties have  a limited  effect on the ability of the scheme to run group support sessions, they do have a major impact in limiting the number of families that can be supported through home-visiting. 

New volunteers were positive about the recruitment process in general, and about the content and delivery of their preparatory training, which they felt prepared them very well for their family support role. They had no suggestions for how the recruitment process could be improved. The Volunteer Officer commented  that  she  had  added  a  PowerPoint  on  Personal  Safety  for Volunteers to the preparatory training and updated the Safeguarding element of the training in line with Ceredigion County Council safeguarding policies. Several volunteers had attended First Aid training, which was well received. Time  availability  was  a  barrier  to  some  volunteers  accessing  training opportunities,  but  the  only  comment  regarding  possible  improvements  in training provision was a request for some training opportunities in Aberystwyth. 

Volunteers have supervision meetings every 3 to 4 months, but can contact staff at any time if there are issues that they need to discuss. Staff also arrange training sessions and coffee mornings (usually every 6 to 8 weeks) to provide volunteers  with  opportunities  for  peer  support  and  developmental  training. Volunteers are very appreciative of the support they receive from the staff team (see below). 

“Knowing I have full support “Consistent, regular support – and advice whenever needed.” telephone, text and regular face to face and training sessions – opportunities to “Getting check“Always someone on meet other volunteers.” the end of the ups from staff.” “Positive support through phone if I have any supervision, text, phone “Supervision issues or questions.” and meetings.” meetings.” “Avril and the team “There has always been “That if I have any are consistently immense support for the issues I can talk at anysupportive, and willing volunteer. Any query or point to the to help with any problem is efficiently and organisers.” issues.” empathetically solved and “Knowing Lena is always in the group to there is at all times a friendly help and support me, and Avril is at the voice at the end of the phone.” end of the phone for advice.” 

Some volunteer responses to “What has worked well with the support given to volunteers?” 

22 



## **9. Support for staff** 

Both the Scheme Manager and the trustees feel that their communication systems work well and that the trustees are kept up to date with the project’s progress, both in terms of financial accountability and progress towards the project’s targets.  This is achieved through provision of progress reports by the Scheme  Manager and  financial  reports  by the  Treasurer at  the  scheme’s regular  committee  meetings.  Monthly  accounting  meetings  are  also  held between the Treasurer and the Scheme Manager, who is also in regular email and/or telephone contact with the Chair and Safeguarding Officer, and with the other trustees when issues arise that need to be considered or discussed. Neither the Scheme Manager nor the trustees could suggest any improvements to how the reporting system currently works. 

As has been the case throughout the project, staff reported high levels of satisfaction with how they are supported in their work. The primary methods of support are regular supervision meetings every three months and weekly team meetings, with the Scheme Manager also operating an open-door policy for any staff concerns. There was a general feeling amongst staff that there was always somebody available to talk to if they had any concerns, and that they work very well as a mutually supportive team. Monday team meetings were recognised as being particularly important for sharing advice, providing mutual support, and discussing issues and concerns that arise with supported families. Staff also felt that these meetings kept them apprised of the project’s progress and provided clarity on the targets within their own areas of work in terms of meeting the project’s outcomes. There were no suggestions for how support for staff could be improved. 

Over the third year of the project, staff have been provided with a range of training opportunities to develop their skill set and to enable them to keep abreast of developments in their particular fields. Training courses completed were  as follows (number of staff attending in brackets): Safeguarding  (2); Domestic Abuse Through the Eyes of a Child (2); Working with Adults with Unresolved Childhood Trauma (2); Media, Children and Young People (1); Introduction  to  Benefits  (1);  Housing  Costs  and  Universal  Credit  (1); 

23 



Introduction to Volunteer Management (1); Bowel & Bladder Training (1); First Aid (1); Food Hygiene (1). 

## **10. Working with other agencies and raising public awareness of the project** 

_**“I feel that Home-Start is an invaluable service...  I think further development and joint working for groups and continued close working relationships on individual cases is key.  Thank you to Home-Start for being so fabulous.”**_ 

Jane Whalley, Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Service Manager. 

Throughout the third year of the project, Home-Start Ceredigion has continued to work successfully with a range of other organisations, including referring agencies and other family and child support providers within the county. HomeStart  Ceredigion  staff  participate  in  multi-agency  forums  such  as  Lead Professional meetings with Team Around the Family, and regularly liaise with other providers to ensure that the scheme’s support provision is complementary to other services, and to allow appropriate referrals of families between  the  county’s  support-providing  agencies.  The  Scheme  Manager pointed out that these multi-agency meetings play a vital role in helping to identify any gaps in service provision. Staff also meet on an informal basis with other family support professionals when attending events and training sessions. 

Organisations including Citizens Advice Bureau, St. John’s Ambulance and Hywel Dda University Health Board have provided workshops and talks for families, and Flying Start have been jointly running a family group with HomeStart Ceredigion in Aberporth. Home-Start’s work appears to be well known and very well respected and highly valued by other agencies (see, for example, the quote above). In an improvement from last year, all but one respondent (who  did  not  answer  the  question)  to  the  external  agency  evaluation questionnaire felt that they had been kept up-to-date with developments in Home-Start Ceredigion’s services over the past year. 

In terms of the project’s contribution to other agencies, of the six external professionals who participated in the project evaluation, all six felt that it had enhanced their own organisation’s services, four that the project had helped 

24 



them to meet their own family and child support targets, and two that it had informed/contributed to the development of their own organisation’s services. 

The majority of families that attend groups or receive School Ready support are self-referrals, having heard about the groups and the School Ready service either  through  word-of-mouth  or  via  the  scheme’s  expanded  social  media presence. However, the scheme also advertises its services through other means, including poster drops in the villages and towns where groups are being held, sending referrers updated posters on group locations in their areas, flyer drops, and sending emails to local schools to share information on their parent networks. Staff and volunteers have also run a range of activities and open play days to engage with the public and advertise the scheme’s services (see Section 6.5 above). The high number of self-referrals being recieved by the scheme suggests that these methods are proving successful in promoting public awareness of Home-Start Ceredigion’s services. 

Pictures from RAY Ceredigion Play Day 2024 

25 



11.
Financial Report
HOm￿Start Ceredigion
Detsiled Statement ofFinaneial Activities for the YeaT Ended 31 March 2025
Total
2025
Tothl
2024
tk)naiion5 and leg￿leS
tirdDLS, includins 8fdnts
Managerncnt fees
2,353
216,224
10.220
220.300
228.360
228.797
JRveslmenl
Intcrcst ¢ash dewsits
971
440
971
ChurilÈTOl¢ I￿V￿leS
Wages
Rcnl
Trnvel expenses
Insurance
Voluntrer and sChc￿e cxrtnsts (inc trdvcl)
TTaining & LOL
Support sroups
F.amily hysicne & food povtty
Oftice expense$
Tig Fee
Consullavcy
1143,9051
112,811)
{4,()01)
{2.4431
(1.9441
(J,772}
{7.930)
{fb.n12)
(11,¥321
(4,1261
(3,2501
200,Q261
{164,3181
112,8101
(9.459}
{1.061}
(1,3521
1927)
(8.0941
113.824)
(IU.258}
12,5nOI
(2.2501
1226.8531
AccounTawy #nd Icgaj fc<s
Bank kh1￿¢5
11,8001
Iifvii
11,800)
{1.964}
11,9931
This docs not forni part of th¢ 5￿tr￿￿ry finoncial 5tstrm¢nts.
Page 22
26

|Income|2022-2023|2023-2024|2024-2025|
|---|---|---|---|
|||||
|lottery|£100,000.00|£100,000.00|£100,000.00|
|Families First|£45,000.00|£45,000.00|£45,000.00|
|Lloyds TSB|£25,000.00|||
|HenrySmith|£35,500.00|£36,050.00|£53,800.00|
|Home-Start Uk|£6,000.00|£5,000.00|£5,000.00|
|PovertyGrants|£1,070.00|£41,123.00|£2,787.97|
|com foundation|£5,000.00|£5,000.00||
|othergrants|||£2,557.05|
|moondance|||£8,000.00|
|mumsgroup||£2,500.00||
|cavo|||£10,000.00|
|cavopoverty|||£1,500.00|
|Pears||||
|donation||||
|||||
|||||
|||||
||£217,570.00|£234,673.00|£228,645.02|





Company registration number: 05441452
Charity registratlon number: 1110771
Home-start Ceredigion
(A ¢ompany Itmited by guarantee)
Annual Report and Financial Statements
for the Year Ended 31 March 2025
LHP Accountants Ltd
l North Road
Aberaeron
Ceredigion
SA46 OJD

Home-start Ceredigion
Contents
Reference and Administrative Details
Trustees, Report
2to3
Independent Examinerfs Report
Statement of Financial Activiti¢s
5t06
Balance Sheet
Notes to the Financial Ststetnents
8t0 18

Home•Start Ceredigion
Reference and Administrative Details
Ch#firm8n
Jane Thomas
Secretary
Sharon Morrss
Charity Registration Numher
1110771
Company RegEstrallon Number
05441452
The charity is incorpordted in England and Wales.
1st Floor
37 High Street
Lampeter
Ceredigion
SA48 7AW
ReElstered Office
Independent ExAminer
LHP Accowitants Ltd
l North Road
Aberacron
Ceredigion
SA46 OJD
Pag¢ I

Home-start Ceredigion
Trustees, Report
The trustees, who are directors for the purposes of company law, present the annual rcport togcth¢r with the
f￿anCIal statements and auditors, Itport of the charitable Company for the Ye￿ ended 31 March 2025.
Objectives and activities
Public benefit
The trustees confinn that they have ¢omplAed with the requirements of section 17 of the Charities A¢t 2011 to have
due regard to the public benefit guidance published by the CEwity Commi&8ion for England and Wales.
Flnanci*l revlew
Policy on reserv
Based on a realistic ￿SeSsment of the resetves needed the trnstees consider that the appropriate level of free reserves
is 200/0 of annual expenditure. This is based on the following coDsideratÈons :.
a) the nccd lo provide for potential redundancy expenses in case of a disruption to funding
b) to provide for any shortfajl in funds generated to cover the costs of nmning the scheme
c) to protect against unforeseen events
The Erust¢es consider that at PiEseTht a contingency reserve of £20,000 is required.
Monies held in the unrestrict¢d account fund is constantly reviewed and used to support any Shortfall in essential
staff costs. There is also a sum held for contingency costs.
Trustees 2nd officers
The trustees and officeis setving during the year and sine¢ the year end were as follows:
Trustees..
Attnwen Bell (resigned l May 2024)
Janet Young
Mrs Mary Eileen Davics
FeliGity Smart
Miriam Menhennett
Geoff Elms (appointed 3 April 2024)
Chairmati:
Jane Thomas
Secretary:
Sharon Morris
Structllre* governante gnd management
￿￿Ure ofgoverning documettt
The charity is controllcd by its governing document, a deed of trusL and constitutes a limited company. limited by
gU￿?nIe4 &8 defin¢d by the Companies Act 2006.
Page 2

Home-start Ceredigion
Trusteesl Report
Statement of trustees, responsibillties
The trustees (who are also the directors of Home-start Ceredigion for the purposes of company law) are responsible
for preparing the trustees, report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom
Accounting Standards (Unitcd Kingdom Generally Acceptcd Accountirhg Praccicc), including FRS 102 "The
Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland..
Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial ststements for each financial year. Under company law the
trnstees must not approve the financial statements unless they are sati5fi¢d that they give a true and fair view of the
state of affairs of thc charitable company and of the incoming rcsourccs and application of resourccs, including its
income and expenditvre, of the charitable company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the
trustees are required to:
sel¢ct suitable accounting polici¢s and apply th¢m Consistently-
observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
make judgements and estlmates that are reasonable and prudent;
state whethei. applicable accounting standards, cotnprising FRS 102 have been followed, subject to any material
departures discloscd and explained in the financial statcments; and
prepare the financial statements on the going concern b&8is unless it is inappropriate to presume that the
charitable company will continue in business.
The tmslees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that can disclose with reasonable accuracy at any
time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statement5 comply
with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company 8Ad
h¢nc¢ for taking ftasonabl¢ Steps for the pr¢v¢ntion and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
The trustees are responsible for Ihe mainienance and integrity of the corporate and financial inforn)ation included on
the charitable company's website. Legislation governing the preparation alld dissemination of financial sthtemenis
may difter from legislation in other jurisdictions.
SmY411 eompanles provision statement
This report has been prepared in accordance with the small companies regime TJnd¢r th¢ Companies Act 2006.
The annual report was approved by the trustees of the charity on ..1210%1.1-
. and signed on its behalf by".
eTh
Page 3

Home-St2rt Ceredigion
Independent Examiner's Report to the trustees of Homtrstart Ceredigion ('the Company,)
I report to the charity trustees on my ex3mination of the a￿ountS of the CoEfLpany for the year ended 31 March
2025.
Respon5ibilitles alld basis of report
As the charity's trustees of the Company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are
responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of thc Companies Act 2006 ('"the
2006 Act,).
Having satisfied myself that the a￿Ourtts of the Company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006
Act and arc ¢ligible for independent examinatiory I report in respect of my examination of your charity's accouLlts as
carried out under section 145 ot thc Charities Act 2011 ('"th¢ 2011 Act.). In carrying out my examination I have
followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission UTEder section 145{5)(b) of the 2011 Act.
Independent examiner's statement
I have completed my exatninalion. I confimi that no matters have come to my attention in conn¢¢tion ivith the
examination giving me cause to believe..
accounting rewrds were not kept in respect of Home-start Ceredigion as required by section 386 of the 2006
2. the ac¢ounts do not accord with those Tecords: or
3. the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any
requirement that the accounts give a '"true and fair viewd ivhich is not a matter considered &s part of
independent examination; or
4. the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of
Recotnmended Practice for accounting Ènd reporting by charities [applicable to charities preparing th¢ir
ounts in accordance with the Financial Rcporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland
(FRS 102)].
I have no concerns and have come acmss no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention
should be drnivn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts ￿) be reached.
Owain Rhys Jones
ACCA
l North Road
Ab¢raeron
Ceredigion
SA46 OJD
Page 4

Home-start Ceredigion
Statemellt of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 March 2025
Uncluding Income and Expenditure Account and Statement of Total Recognised Gains and
Losses)
UnTestricted
fuDds
R¢strlct¢d
nds
Total
2025
Note
Income and Endowments from-
Donations and legacies
Investment incomc
8,060
971
220,300
228,360
971
Totsl Éncome
9,031
220 300
229,331
Expebditllre on:
Charitable activities
Other expenditure
Total expenditure
{1.233)
(204,793)
(1,964)
(206,026)
(1,964)
(207,990)
{1,2J3)
206,757)
Net income
Trdnsfers beLiveen ￿ndS
7,798
1,000
13,543
1.000)
21,341
Net movement in funds
8,798
12,543
21,341
Reconciliation of ￿lld$
Total fiJnds brouglLt forvvard
Total funds carried forward
103,130
40.547
143,677
14
111,928
Unrestricted
funds
53,090
165,018
Total
2024
Restricted
fitnds
Note
Illcome and Endowments from:
Donations and legacies
Investment income
13,073
440
215,724
228,797
440
Total income
13,513
215.724
229,237
Expenditure on..
Charitable activities
Other expenditure
Totsl expenditure
Nel Income/(￿pendIÈurc)
Net movement in fimds
(226,853)
1.993)
(226,853)
1.993
(22S,846
228,846
13,513
13,122)
391
13,513
(13,122)
391
Reconciliatlon of fitnds
Total thnds brought fornvard
Total thnds carried foThvard
89,617
53,669
143.286
14
103.130
40.547
The notes on pages 8 to 18 forni an integral part of these financial statements.
Page 5
143,677

Home2Start Ceredigion
Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 March 2025
(Including Income 2nd Expenditure Aecount and Statement of Total Recognised Gains and
Losses)
All of the charity's activities dertve from continuing operntiotts during the above two perftods.
The funds breakdown for 2024 is shown in not¢ 14.
The notes on pages 8 to 18 forn] an integral part of these financial statement&
Page 6

Home-start Ceredigion
(Registration llumber: 05441452)
Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2025
2025
2024
Note
Current assets
Debtors
C&qh at bank and in hand
li
3,478
167,727
12
152,256
171.205
152,256
Creditors: Amounts fallillE due within one year
Net assets
13
(6.187)
165,018
8,579
143,677
Funds of the chArity:
Re5trKcted income fund5
Restricted funds
53,090
40,547
Unrtttrficted income ￿ndS
Unrestricted fLmds
111,928
103,130
Total fun(L%
14
165,018
143,677
For the fu)oncial year ending 31 March 2025 the charity entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of
the Compsnies Aci 2006 relating to small coEnpanies.
DRrectot3' responsibilities..
The members have not requiiEd the charity to obtsin an audAt of its accounts for the year in question in
accoi'dance with section 476. and
The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complytng with the requirements of the Act wiib r¢spcct to
accounting records and the preparation of accounts.
The financia] statements on pages 5 to 18 were approved by the trustees. and authorised for issue on .L3J.¢>4115
and signed on their behalf by=
ane
homas
an
The notes on pages 8 to 18 fom an integral part of these fin8mctaI 8tafrments.

Home-start Ceredigion
Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025
I Charity status
The charity is limited by guarantee, incorporated in England and Wales, and consequenily does not have share
capital. Each of the trustees is liable lo Contribute an amount not exceeding £1 ts>wards the assets of the charity in
the event of liquidation.
The address of its registered office is:
ISÉ Floor
37 High Street
Lampeter
Ceredigion
SA48 7A W
2 Aeeounting policies
Summary of slgDifi¢ant geeountlng policles and key accounting esttmates
The principal accounting policies applied in the preparation of these financial statements are set out below. These
policies have been con51Stently applied to all the years presenteQ unless otherwise stateiL
Statement of eomplianee
The financial statcments have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Stalement
of Recommended Practice (applicable to charitics preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial
Reporting Standard applicable in th¢ UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)) (issued in October 2019) - (Charities
SORP (FRS 102)), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland {FRS 102) and
th¢ Companies Act 2006.
Basis of preparatlon
Horne￿start Ceredigion meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are
initially rc¢ognised at historical cost or ti7nsaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy
notes.
Golng concern
The trustees consid¢r that there are no material uncertainties about the charity's ability to coniinue as a going
concern nor any significant areas of uncertainty that affect the carrying value of assets held by the charity.
Exemption from preparing a ¢o$h flow statemettt
The charity opted to early adopt Bulletin I published on 2 February 2016 and have therefore not included a cash
flow statement in these fmancial statements.
IncoJ)e Yand endoivmtnts
All income is recognised once the charity h&s entitlement to the incom4 it is probable that the income will be
received and the amount of the incotlle r¢ceivable can be mcasured r¢liably.
Page 8

Home-start Ceredigion
Notes to the Financial Statements for the Yegdr Ended 31 Mareh 2025
DoAailons andlegacles
Donations are rccognised whcn the charity has been notified in writing of both the synount K￿d settt¢ment date. I
the evcnt that a donation is subjecc to conditions that require a level of performance by the charity before the Charity
is ¢ntitled to the fi￿ds, the income is deferred and not recognised until either those conditions arc fully met, or thc
Ifilmenl of those conditions is wholly within the control of the charity and it is probable that th¢se conditions will
be fulfilled in the reporting period.
Grants receivable
Grants are recognised when the charity has an entitlement to the funds and any conditions linked to the grants have
been met. Where perfomance eonditions are attached to the grant and are yet to be M￿ the income is recognised as
a liability and included on the balance sheet as deferr¢d income to be released.
Expendlture
All expenditure is recogni5ed once there is a legal or constructive obligation to that expenditLwe. it is probable
settlement is required and the amount can be measured rcliably. All costs aye allocated to thc applicable expenditure
heading that aggi'egate similar costs to that category. Where costs cannot be directly attrÉbut¢d to particular heading5
they have been Allocated on a basis conststent with the use of rcsources.
Cliaritllble actlvili
Charitable expenditure comprises those costs in¢urred by the charity in the delivery of its activities and services for
its beneficiaries. It in¢ludes both costs that can be allocated directly to such activities and those costs of an indirect
nature necessary to support them.
Support costs
Suppor¢ costs include central functions and have becn allocated to activity cost categories on a basts consistent with
the use of ￿soUrCes.
Governsnce costs
These include the costs attributable to thc tharity's compliatice with constiÉutional and statutory requirements.
Taxation
The charity is considered to pass the tests set out in Paragraph I Schedule 6 of the Finance Act 2010 and therefore it
meets the defu]ition of a charitable company for UK Corporation tax purposes. Accordingly. the charity is potentially
exempt from taxation in respect of incomc or capital gains received withtn categories covered by Chapter 3 Part l i
of the Corporation Tax Act 2010 or Section 256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992, to the cxtent that
such income or gains are applied exclusively to charitable puiposcs.
Depreclation and amortisation
Depreciation is provided at the folloHryng annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated usefijl life.
Asset cla35
Fixtures and fittings
CotLputer equipment
Depreclation method and rate
330/0 on cost
33Yo on cost
Page 9

Home-start Ceredigion
Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025
Trade debtors
Traar dcbiorb arr atnounL¥ duc from cusiomers tor merchandise sold or services perfonned in the ord&nary course of
business.
Trade debtors are recognised initially at the transaction price. They are subsequently measured al amortised cost
using the effective interest method, less pmvision for impairnient. A pi'ovision for thc impairment of trade debtorn is
established when there is objective evidence that the charity will not be able to collect a][ amounts due according to
the original rernis of the receivables.
Cash and cash equfival¢nts
Cash and cash equivalents comprise c&sh on hand and call deposits, and other short-t¢rni highly liquid invcstments
that are readily convertible to a known amoutjt of cash and arc subject to an insignificant risk of change in value.
Fund structure
Unrestricted income tunds are general fimds that are available for use at the trustees discretion in tiirtherance of the
objectives of the charity.
Designated funds are unrestricted funds set aside for specific purposes at the discretion of the trustees.
Restricted income ￿ndS are those donated for use in a particular area or for specific purposes. the use of which is
restrtcted to that area or purpose.
Fillanolal instruments
Classlfication
Financial assets and financial liabilitics are rccogniscd when the charity becomes a paty to the contra¢tual
provisions of thc instrLuncnL.
Financi￿ liabililies and equity instruments are classified according to the substance of the contractual arrangemcnts
entered into. An equitv instrument is any contract that evidences a residual interest in the assets of the charity after
deducting all of its liabilities.
Page 10

Homtrstart Ceredigion
Notes to the Finallcial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025
Recognltloft measurement
All financial assets and liabilities are initially measured at transaction pric¢ (including transaction costs). exctp¢ for
those financial assets elassified as at fair value through profit or 105s, which aff initially measured at fair value
(whith is nornially thc transaction price excluding transaction costs), unless the arrangement constitutes a fmancing
transaction. If an arrangement constitutes a financtng transaction, the financial asset or financial liability is measured
at the PTesent value of the futsjre payments discountcd at a market rate of interest for a similar debt instrument
Financial assets and liabilities are only offset in the statement of financial posttion Whe￿ and only when there exists
a legally enforceable right to set off the recognlsed amounts and th¢ tharity intends eith¢r to 5ettl¢ on a net basis, or
to realise the asset and settle the liability simultancously.
Financial ￿Sets are derecognised when and only when a) the contractual rights to the cash flows from the financial
asset expire or are settled, b) the chmrity transfcrs to a¥Jother paty substantially all of the risks and rewards of
ownership of the financial asseL or c) the charity. despite having retained some. but not all, significant risks and
reward5 of ownership. has transferred control of the asset lo another party.
Financial liabilities are derecognised only when the obligation specifIed in the contract Is discharged, cancelled or
expires.
Pagell

llome-start Ceredigion
Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025
3 Income from donations #nd legacies
Unrestrleted
Dds
Gener41
Restrieted
funds
Total
2025
Donations and legacies.
Donations
Grants, including capital grants:
Grants
Managcment fces
2,060
2,060
220,300
220,300
6,000
8,060
220,300
228,360
Unrestricted
nds
General
Restrfirted
funds
Total
2024
Donations and legacies"
Donations
Grants, including ¢apital grants"
Grants
Management fees
2,353
2.353
500
10.220
215,724
216,224
10.220
215.724
228,797
4 Investment Income
Unr¢strlcted
nds
General
Total
funds
Intrest receivable and similar income.
Interest receivable on bank deposits
Totsl for 2025
971
971
971
971
Total for 2024
440
440
Page l?

Hom&Start Ceredigion
Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025
5 Expenditure eharEknble aethpities
Unrestricted
funds
Designated
Restricted
nds
Total
nds
Note
Wages
ReJ)t
Travel expenses
Insurance
Volunteer and scheme expenses (inc travel)
Training & courses
Support groups
Family hygtene & food poverty
Office expenses
Tig Fee
Consultancy
Total for 202S
143,905
12.811
4.001
2,443
1.944
539
143,905
12,811
4,001
2.443
1,944
1,772
7,930
0,012
11,832
4,126
1,233
7.930
6,012
11,832
4,126
3,250
1,233
198,793
200,026
Total for 2024
226,853
226,853
In addition to the expenditure at￿lysed aljove, there are also govemance costs of £1,800 (2024 - £1,800) which
relate directly to charitable activities. See note 6 for further details.
Page 13

Home-start Ceredigion
Notes to the Financi21 Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025
An21yqiq of governAnce 2nd SUDDOrt costs
Restricted
ds
Total
funds
Governance costs
A￿OUnta￿eY artd legal fees
Bank Charges
1,800
1,800
164
Tota) for 2025
1.964
1.964
Totsl for 2024
1.993
1.993
7 Trustees rewuneration and expenses
No t￿stee8, nor any persons connected with them. have received any remuneration from the Charity durlng the year.
No trustees have r¢ceived any rcimbursed expenses or any other benefits from the charity during the year.
8 Staff costs
The monthly average number of persons {including senior managcment I leadership team) employed by the charity
during the year expressed as full time equivalents was as follows:
2025
2024
Family Support
No employee received emoluments of more than £60,000 during the year.
9 Independent examiner's remuneratio
2025
2024
Other fees to exxTn5ners
Examination-related assurance serviccs
All other scrvices
840
960
840
960
1,800
1,800
Page 14

Home-start Ceredigion
Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 Marcb 2025
10 TAxAtioD
The charity is a registered charity and is therefore exempt from t&xatiOEL
11 Debtors
2025
Other debtors
3,478
12 Cash and eash equlvalents
2025
2024
C&8h at bank
167,727
152,256
13 Creditors: amounts fal]kng due within one year
2025
2024
Accruals
6,187
8,579
14 Funds
Balance at I
April 2024
Balance 8t
31 Mareh
2025
Incoming
re50urees
Resourees
expended
Transfers
Unre$trÉcted funds
General
103,130
9,031
(2i.000)
87,161
Contingency Fund
20,000
20,000
Training Fund
(1,233)
6,000
4,767
Total unrestrlcted thnds
103,130
9,03 I
1,233)
E,000
111,928
Page 15

Home-stsrt Ceredigion
Notes to the Ftnaneial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025
B21anee at i
Aprll 2024
Ineomlng
Ba12nee at
31 Mareb
Z025
Resources
¢xpend¢d
r¢sourccJ
Transfers
Restrlcted funds
Big Lottery Fund
Families First
Home-start UK
Henry Smith Charity
CCC Food Poverty
Moondance
430
loo,000
45,000
(100.430)
(45,000)
(9.li5)
(31,463)
(3,023)
(7,686)
(10,000)
9.155
17.734
5,542
7.686
53.800
1,500
(1.000)
39,071
4,019
CAVO
Pears
10,000
i 0,000
10,000
RestrEcted funds
40,547
220,300
{206.757)
1,000
53.090
Totsl thnds
143,677
229.331
207,990)
165.018
Page 16

Homtrstart Ceredigion
Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025
BalaDee at I
April 2023
Incoming
resources
Resovrees
expended
Balance gt 31
MAreh 2024
Unrestrieted funds
General
89,617
13.513
E03.130
Restricted funds
Big Lottery Fwid
Lloyds TSB
Familie5 First
Home.Start UK
Community Foundation Wales
Henry Smith Charity
J&H Rausing
CCC Food Poverty
Home-start Mums Group
Moondance
National CTrid
4,032
17,140
3,887
11,655
1,995
12.403
2,557
100,000
(103,602)
(17.140)
(48,887)
(2,500)
(6,995)
(30,719)
(2.557)
(1.632)
(2,500)
(2.314)
10,000
430
45.000
9,155
5,000
36.050
17,734
7,174
2.500
10,000
10.000
5,542
7,686
Restricted ￿ndS
53,669
215,724
(228.846)
40.547
Total thhds
143 286
228,846)
143,677
IS Analysls of net assets between thnds
Total knnds at
31 March
2025
Unrestricted funds
General
Desiguated
Restrlcted
funds
CurreTrt &ssets
Current liabilities
87.162
20.000
49.276
(6,188
156,438
(6,187)
150,251
Total net assets
87,163
20,000
43,088
Unrestrleted
funds
General
Total funds at
31 Mgrcb
2024
Restrlcted
funds
Current assets
Curreni liabilities
103,131
49,125
(8,579)
40,S46
152,256
(8,579)
Total nel assets
102.13E
143,677
Pa£e 17

Home-start Ceredigion
Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025
16 Related party transactions
There werc no related party transactions in the ycar.
Pagc 18

Home-start Ceredxgion
Statement of Financial Activities by fund for the Year Ended 31 March 2025
Unrestrlcted Funds
Total
Tot21
Unrestrleted UJJrestrict¢d
Funds
Funds
2025
2024
Income a•d Endowments from:
Donations and legaci¢s
Investment income
8,060
971
13,073
440
Total income
9,031
13,513
Expcndlture on:
Charitable activities
(1,233)
Total expenditure
1,233)
Net income
Transfers betweern fimds
7,798
1,000
13,513
Net movement in funds
8,798
13.513
Reconciliation of fund5
Total funds brought fornvard
103,130
89,617
Total funds carried fonvard
111,928
103,130
This page does not forni part of the statutory financial statements.
Page 19

Home-start Ceredigion
Statement of Financial Activities by fund for the Year Ended 31 March 2025
Restricted Funds
Total
Restricted
Funds
2025
Total
Restricted
Funds
2024
Infom¢ and Endowments from:
Donations and legacies
Tota] income
220,300
215,724
Expenditure on:
Charitable activities
Other expenditure
Governancc ￿sts
220,300
215,724
(204,793)
(164)
(226,853)
(193)
(1,800)
(228,846)
Total expeThditure
Net iticomel{expenditure)
Transfers between funds
{206.757}
13,543
(13,122)
Net movement in fvnds
Recon¢lllation of fi￿dS
Total fi￿dS brought fonvard
Total funds carried forward
12.543
(13,122)
40,547
53,669
53,090
40,547
Thffts page does not forni part of the statutory fmancial statements.
Page 20

Home￿Start Ceredigion
Detailed Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 Mareh 2025
Total
2025
Total
2024
Income and Endowments from:
Donations and legacics (analysed below)
Investment income (analysed below)
Total income
228.360
971
228.797
440
229,331
229.237
Expendithre on:
Charitable activities (analysed below)
Other expenditure (analysed below)
Total expenditsre
(206,026)
(1,964)
(226,853)
1,993)
(207,990)
228,846
Net income
21.341
391
Net movement in fvnd8
21,341
391
Reeonciliation of funds
Total ￿ndS brOll￿t forlvard
Total funds carried fonvard
143,677
143.286
165 018
143.677
This page does not fonn part of the Sla￿tory financial statements.
Page 21

Home-start Ceredigion
Detailed Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 March 2025
Total
2025
Total
2024
Donailons andlegocies
Donations and lega¢i¢5
Grdnts, including capitsl grants
Management fees
2,060
220.300
6,000
2.353
216,224
10,220
228,J60
228,797
Inveslmeni Incon
Intertgt on cash deposits
971
971
440
Cliurituble aclivlde&
Wages
Rent
Travcl expenses
Insurance
Volunteer and scheme expenses (inc travel)
Training & courses
Support groups
Family hygiene & food poverty
ojrice expenses
Tig Fee
Consultancy
(143,905)
(12,811)
(4.001)
(2,443)
(1,944)
(1.772)
(7,930)
(6.012)
(11.832)
{4,126)
3.250)
(200,026)
(164.318)
(12,810)
(9.459)
(1.061)
(1.352)
(927)
(8,094)
(13.824)
(10.258)
(2,500)
(2,250)
(226,853)
Other wendithre
Accountancy and legal fees
Bank charges
(1,800)
(164)
{1,800)
193)
This page does not forni part of the statutory financial statements.
Page 22