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2022-03-31-accounts

Vincentian Care Plus

Annual Report and Financial Statements

31 March 2022

Company Limited by Guarantee Registration Number 05321333 (England and Wales) Charity Registration Number 1112473

Contents

Reports

Reference and administrative details of
the charitable company, its Trustees and
advisers 1
Trustees’ report 2
Independent auditor’s report 14
Financial statements
Statement of financial activities 19
Balance sheet 20
Statement of cash flows 21
Principal accounting policies 22
Notes to the financial statements 26

Vincentian Care Plus

Reference and administrative details of the charitable company, its Trustees and advisers

Trustees Mr Glen Von Malachowski (Chair)
Mr Mark Hibberd
Mr Damian Dowling
Sister Bernadette Ryder
Mr Nigel Turner
Registered Manager Ms Cathy Naigow
Registered Office 14 Buckingham Palace Road
London
SW1W 0QP
Company Registration Number 05321333 (England and Wales)
Charity Registration Number 1112473
Auditor Buzzacott LLP
130 Wood Street
London
EC2V 6DL
Bankers CAF Bank
25 Kings Hill
West Mailing
Kent
ME19 4JQ
Solicitors Womble Bond Dickinson LLP
4 More London Riverside
London
SE1 2AU

Vincentian Care Plus 1

Trustees’ report 31 March 2022

The Trustees present their statutory report together with the financial statements of Vincentian Care Plus (VCP) for the year ended 31 March 2022. The report has been prepared in accordance with Part 8 of the Charities Act 2011 and constitutes a directors’ report for the purposes of company legislation.

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out on pages 22 to 25 and comply with the charitable company’s memorandum and articles of association, applicable laws and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).

Constitution

Vincentian Care Plus is a company limited by guarantee (Company Registration No. 05321333 (England and Wales)) and a registered charity (Charity Registration No. 1112473). The charitable company is governed by its memorandum and articles of association.

DCSVP Services is the sole member of the charitable company and thus its parent entity. DCSVP Services is a registered charity (Charity Registration Number 1149326) and a company limited by guarantee (Company Registration Number 07638065 (England and Wales)), set up by the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul, to safeguard the Vincentian ethos in various projects such as Vincentian Care Plus.

Liability of members

The charitable company is constituted as a company limited by guarantee. In the event of the charitable company being wound up, the member is required to contribute an amount not exceeding £1.

Principal aim and activities

The principal aim of the charitable company in the year under review was to assist those in need of home care by the provision of a home care visiting service.

Vincentian Care Plus is a home care agency committed to delivering quality care, support, and befriending to people in their own homes. It is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

The values, spirit, and ethos of VCP are taken from the teachings, example and legacy of St Vincent de Paul and St Louise De Marillac, Christian and social reformers who together founded the religious congregation known as the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul. They believed practical action balanced with gentle kindness and attentiveness to the little details would make the lives of poor and vulnerable people a little easier. Over the years they have inspired many ordinary people to volunteer their time and their talents to support and befriend lonely and isolated people.

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Trustees’ report 31 March 2022

Our Vision

Our Vision is that people matter!

Here at Vincentian Care Plus we believe in the uniqueness, contribution, and value of older people in our society today.

In order to achieve this vision, we provide personal care and support in a safe, effective, compassionate, and respectful way.

Our Mission

Our Mission is to:

Our Mission Statement

Vincentian Care Plus provides a domiciliary care service for people who by reason of age, infirmity, disability, or illness are unable to provide it for themselves thus enabling older people to live independently in their own homes.

Achievements and performance

Executive summary

Despite the on-going and unprecedented challenges posed by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, VCP has successfully operated a safe service. We have continued to provide services in a prudent manner whilst adhering to all UK Government guidance on COVID-19, the regulatory expectations of the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and the local authority. As we seek to expand our services, VCP moved offices on 14 January 2022.

After the successful implementation of improvements following the publication of an inspection report by the Care Quality Commission in February 2019, VCP is currently committed to sustainability by maintaining improvements already made. In addition, VCP seeks to expand its services into accommodation-based/supported living care and support, Non-Regulated Service Provision, having successfully won an Enhanced Home Care Service at Edward Alsop Court (EAC) in the City of Westminster. Thus, the charity is seeking to increase the weekly hours of care delivered for Westminster Social Services, Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG) and self-funded service users.

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Trustees’ report 31 March 2022

Achievements and performance (continued)

Process

The process of making improvements to the Well Led CQC rating has included the implementation of Birdie digital systems to support the delivery of care. Birdie Care is a homecare management solution designed to give better visibility over the care and support aspect of vulnerable adults’ clients groups to live happily at home. This system illustrates VCP’s clear vision and credible strategy to deliver high-quality care and support, promoting a positive culture that is person-centred, open, inclusive, empowering and to evaluate and learn from mistakes. It is a way to continuously learn, improve, innovate, and ensure sustainability, and enable the service to work in partnership with next of kin, friends, relatives, health professionals and other agencies.

Key operational and process-focused improvements have included:

Sub-contractor relationship

VCP continues to work closely with the sub-contractor, Verilife, to minimise disruption and ensure a smooth partnership and communication flow. The weekly meetings continue to establish and foster improved dialogue on strategic as well as operational issues.

Recruitment and training

We are proud of our diverse workforce from all walks of life (ethnicity, religions, age, socioeconomic backgrounds), all with a passion for looking after others and with the ability to provide customer care and an understanding of our service users’ needs, how to meet them and how to apply these skills actively in their roles.

We have sourced specialist training from reputable training provider Norman Mark, which not only accommodates the bespoke culture of the charity but is cost effective and accommodates more attendees. Training courses include:

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Trustees’ report 31 March 2022

Achievements and performance (continued)

Recruitment and training (continued)

VCP has a mandatory induction training programme in place which lasts for five days, and it covers the 15 standards of care for new staff. All VCP care workers have completed the care certificate.

Annual refresher training is given for the key standards and principles of care, including safeguarding, medication and moving and handling.

In addressing improvements needed in the “well led” domain of the 2019 CQC report, VCP recognised the need to address care staff actions in the field immediately, in addition to establishing a more comprehensive and regularly audited database of all staff training. A comprehensive training matrix has been established and implemented which both identifies which training has been completed and alerts when it is due, in order to ensure that staff are operating in accordance with the latest guidance and best practice.

There is vigorous management in place for supervision and training to identify areas for development: for example, two key office staff have been trained to be Dementia Champions; care staff have been upskilled to undertake risk assessments and spot checks (senior care workers); there are opportunities to undertake short courses; and enrolment onto the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) and National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) is encouraged.

Each new employee needs to shadow an existing senior or upskilled carer in the field for a minimum of three days.

Staff competency is under constant review through one-to-one medication competency assessments with a field care supervisor.

There are reactive workshops to assess staff competency: e.g., case studies regarding medication errors and lessons learned and open floor discussion of current events regarding social care in the media.

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Trustees’ report 31 March 2022

Future developments

Considering the current pressures on home care and factoring in feedback from various joint provider meetings, there is one overwhelming message that workforce is the number one issue facing the industry now — and will be for the foreseeable future. There is an industrywide crisis in recruiting and retaining the workers that we absolutely depend upon.

VCP is seeking to expand its services by moving into accommodation-based/supported living care and support, Non-Regulated Service Provision, having successfully won an Enhanced Home Care Service at Edward Alsop Court (EAC) in the City of Westminster. In addition, VCP is also seeking to change the job title from care worker to support worker, only for care staff who work in EAC. Simplifying the recruitment process to recognise new recruits with valuable skills and experience gained outside the care industry is also being considered.

A therapeutic on-site team that provides additional support for individuals, supporting them through challenges in the comfort of their own home, in a safe, structured environment, whilst providing the necessary care and attention they may require, it also provides security, safety and assurance of work for staff on shift who tend to prefer working at one location.

Some care service providers or self-employed personal assistants (PAs) are not regulated by the CQC. There can be several reasons why this may be. For example, if a care provider only offers services such as household tasks, shopping, and cleaning - the CQC would not need to regulate such providers. More often than not, these companies often act as personal assistants and do not carry out any 'hands-on' care services. These services can be removed from care workers and offered to PA activity staff who prefer to provide domestic services as opposed to personal care.

VCP has come to recognise that new recruits may bring valuable expertise and skills gained from outside traditional or formal care roles. This may be from personal experience, from working in customer-facing roles in other sectors, volunteering, etc. - and from personal attributes such as a compassionate and caring orientation. We plan to simplify our recruitment procedures and welcome new recruits from diverse backgrounds.

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Trustees’ report 31 March 2022

Financial review

Results for the year

A summary of the charity’s income and expenditure can be found on page 19 of the attached financial statements.

For the year ended 31 March 2022 the total income for the year amounted to £2,355,728 (2021 - £2,310,604) and included donations, grants, and legacies of £263,107 (2021 - £137,127) and fees receivable of £2,092,572 (2021 - £2,173,434).

During the year, total expenditure amounted to £2,151,274 (2021 - £2,067,066) including £1,903,807 (2021 - £1,836,485) in relation to staff costs.

Reserves and financial position

The Trustees have examined the requirement for free reserves i.e., those unrestricted funds not invested in tangible fixed assets, or otherwise committed. The Trustees consider that, given the nature of the work undertaken at Vincentian Care Plus, the level of free reserves should be approximately equal to between three- and six-months’ recurring expenditure. The Trustees are of the opinion that this level of reserves should provide sufficient flexibility to cover temporary shortfalls in income due, for example, to falls in service levels.

General funds at 31 March 2022 were £542,460 (2021 – £357,531). The Trustees accept that the financial position of the charity needs improving and the amount of general funds is at the lower end of the reserves policy, but it has improved on 2021 and is now equivalent to approximately 3 months. The Trustees know that the next few years will be challenging. There is a need to ensure that the charity continues to improve its processes and controls with a view to fulfilling the requirements of the Care Quality Commission, thereby retaining the confidence of Westminster City Council, and demonstrating that it is able to continue to deliver a quality domiciliary care service. This will need to be done alongside the requirement for VCP to continue to implement robust and careful budgeting and monitoring of cash flow.

The financial performance of the charity is dependent on it being able to meet consistently the targets set out within its contractual agreement with Westminster City Council and on the funding climate for care services generally. In particular, the charity’s finances are impacted directly by the number of service users referred or transferred to it by Westminster City Council and on the contract price paid. These aspects may be a challenge in the forthcoming year given the residual impact of Covid-19. However, assuming that VCP can continue to retain its “Good” CQC rating, the Trustees remain cautiously optimistic that the charity can meet the challenges presented and slowly build up its level of free reserves over time.

Governance, structure, and management

Trustees

The Trustees constitute directors of the charitable company for the purposes of company legislation.

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Trustees’ report 31 March 2022

Governance, structure, and management (continued)

Trustees (continued)

The following Trustees served during the year:

Trustee

G Von Malachowski M Hibberd D Dowling Appointed 17 May 2022 Sister M O’Connor Resigned 9 February 2022 Sister B Ryder N Turner

No Trustee received any remuneration from the charitable company during the year. No out of pocket travelling expenses were reimbursed to Trustees during the year. No Trustee had any beneficial interest in any contract with the charitable company during the year.

Brief biographical details of each Trustee serving at 31 March 2022 are given below:

Glen Von Malachowski

Glen Von Malachowski is an experienced Executive Director within the health and social care sector, with extensive experience in the private, public and third sectors. He has a particular passion for growing businesses in line with key strategic opportunities. As a trained Social Worker, Glen worked for many years in education before moving into business management and strategic development within organisations specialising in acquired brain injury and people with learning disabilities and complex health needs.

Glen currently is a Trustee for two charitable organisations, the Chairman of a third and the Non-Executive Director/Chairman of a fourth.

Mark Hibberd

Mark Hibberd was born in London at Westminster Hospital on 15 November 1961. His early schooling was at St Gabriel's Primary School and at Westminster City School. He then did a history degree at the School of Slavonic East European Studies, part of the University of London. Having worked part-time, he joined John Lewis full-time in 1984 and continued to work at the flagship Oxford Street store until the summer of 2011. After leaving John Lewis he acted as full-time carer for his mother Patricia who suffered with Alzheimer’s disease. Sadly, she passed away in 2020. He is currently acting as carer for his father. His interests include travel, skiing, swimming, listening to music and reading. He enjoys watching live football where possible, being a supporter of Chelsea Football Club, and meeting up with friends.

Damian Dowling

After graduating from Trinity College with a Masters in Science, Damian moved from his home city of Dublin to the UK. Initially working as an Environmental Scientist, his background allowed for a diverse energy and sustainability career – from Geophysicist to Sustainability Management - over the next 15 years. Even though that experience was grounded on the technical, Damian naturally progressed to a consultative approach on new and existing developments. Later completing a Masters in Psychology, Damian’s approach to engagements is lived through a sustainable lens, where operational, human centric and

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Trustees’ report 31 March 2022

Governance, structure, and management (continued)

Trustees (continued)

Damian Dowling (continued)

commercial pillars are addressed equally. Now leading the Logistics Segment (UK and Ireland) for Schneider Electric, Damian works with stakeholders and partners to develop an energy efficient future. Outside of work, Damian is a keen volunteer – holding Board level positions in educational and social outreach charities over the years. Those years offered a large networking base, key governance experience and a central government and NGO footprint. Positions included the Director of Young Professionals for the Petroleum Exploration Society of Great Britain (PESGB), Chair of Sustainability for the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM) and Head of Business & Resident Liaisons for Pride in London (PiL). During the pandemic, Damian concentrated on community mental and physical health by volunteering as a Crisis Counsellor with SHOUT and as a vaccinator with St John Ambulance.

Sister Bernadette Ryder

Sister Bernadette Ryder entered the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul in March 1963 and has worked in caring for children, adolescents, and the elderly. After being awarded her certificate as a Social Welfare Officer for the blind, Sister was in charge of a unit for multiple handicapped blind adolescents in Christopher Grange, Liverpool for 15 years, during which time Sister also gained her certificate in residential social work. Sister was the Project Leader of a Family Centre in Wales for four years, and Manager of Christopher Grange, Liverpool for four years. After five years working as a Pastoral Worker for the elderly in Manchester, she was appointed Manager of Seton Care for elderly Sisters in Warley, Essex. Sister is currently working in the Province Archives and Heritage Centre of the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul.

Nigel Turner

Nigel has led charitable enterprises which provide social care and support for people with learning disabilities, people with long-term mental health support needs, and older people. Most notably, he was Chief Executive of a social care provider for 18 years, taking the charity from an organisation running two care homes to managing a diverse range of services across five London boroughs. Nigel holds a Diploma in Company Direction from the Institute of Directors and takes a particular interest in charity governance. He has served as Deputy Chair of a local authority trading company providing housing and social care, and as Deputy Chair of a grant-making charity which aims to reduce health inequalities in Great Britain. Currently he chairs a charity which offers training to support people to self-manage their long-term health conditions, and which promotes self-management more generally .

Key management personnel

The key management personnel of the charity during the year were the Trustees and Registered Manager. The Registered Manager is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Service and since 2019 has been executing additional duties of Chief Executive Officer and is accountable to the Trustees.

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Trustees’ report 31 March 2022

Governance, structure and management (continued)

Statement of Trustees’ responsibilities

The Trustees (who are also directors for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Annual Report and Financial Statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). Company law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the income and expenditure of the charitable company for that year.

In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:

The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Each of the Trustees confirms that:

This confirmation is given and should be interpreted in accordance with the provisions of s418 of the Companies Act 2006.

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

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Trustees’ report 31 March 2022

Governance, structure, and management (continued)

Public benefit

The Trustees confirm that they have complied with their duty under Section 17 of the Charities Act to have regard to the public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission. This report includes a detailed description of the activities undertaken by the charity during the year to further its charitable purpose for the public benefit.

The assistance given to our service users is proportionate to their needs. Trustees complete an annual declaration of conflict of interest. The Trustees have planned VCP activities to avoid the granting of any private benefit other than one that is purely incidental to carrying out VCP objectives. They believe they have followed the Charity Commission’s guidance in this area.

Risk management

In line with the requirement for the Trustees to undertake a risk assessment exercise and report on the same in their report, key management (including the Trustees) look at the risks the charity currently faces and review the measures already in place, or needing to be put in place, to deal with them. Five main areas have been identified where risk may occur:

Governance and management: VCP had faced historical challenges with regards to compliance with the regulatory body CQC. Since overcoming this obstacle, VCP has had to face the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the challenges presented during this period and coming out from the worldwide crisis have since shifted. Balancing the organisation’s underpinning values/vision with the reality of high inflation/cost of living, workforce capacity and company-wide morale has become more of a significant priority/risk.

Operational looks at the risks inherent in the charity’s activities including engaging in inappropriate activities and shortcomings in the service provided, difficulties with staff, poor health and safety, etc.

Financial risks include those arising as a result of poor budgetary control, inappropriate spending, poor accounting, inappropriate investment policies etc.

Reputation looks at possible damage to the charity’s reputation.

Laws, regulations, external and environment look at the effects of government policies and the consequences of non-compliance with laws and regulations.

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Trustees’ report 31 March 2022

Governance, structure, and management (continued)

Risk management (continued)

The Trustees regularly assess the major risks to which the charity is exposed. The systems established to mitigate those risks are periodically reviewed to ensure that they have established effective systems to manage those risks. The Trustees have identified the following risks as those which have caused most concern in this financial year:

Service user numbers

As part of its business planning, the board estimates, and sets as a minimum target, the number of hours of care and support per week which VCP needs to deliver in order at least to break even financially. At times during the year, we have struggled to meet this target through a combination of factors, including various impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and challenges in recruiting sufficient staff. Service user numbers, weekly hours and overhead costs are closely monitored in order to maintain financial sustainability.

The main financial risk, as in previous years, is uncertainty over current and future funding. Financially, the next couple of years will be difficult and there will be a real need for careful budgeting and the monitoring of cash flow. The trustees of the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul Charitable Trust (Charity Registration Number: 236803) have confirmed that they will continue to provide cash flow support to the charity in the short term to enable it to remain a going concern.

Care staff are the front line of VCP, and they build and maintain VCP’s reputation. The Registered Manager has devised a strategy for recruitment and has invested a great deal of time by offering short courses, induction, NVQ level - 2 & 3, specialist training and refresher training to ensure a quality service. VCP now requires more care staff, to keep up with the current challenges facing the Social Care recruitment environment.

Without sufficient care staff VCP may not be able to deliver services, causing distress to service users and their loved ones. A lack of care staff may also result in a default notice being issued against the charity by Westminster City Council if it can be argued that VCP cannot meet the demands of service users in Westminster.

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Trustees, report 31 March 2022 Govomance. structure. and Mana￿rnent Iwnlinuedl Rlsk management (continued) Safeguarding and Dlsclosurn and Barring Service (DBSI VCP has a policy on the safeguarding of vulnerable adults and children. The charity takes responslbility for identifying, preventing. invesligaling. and responding lo all allegations or incidents of abuse_ If service users believe that they are subject to abuse of any kind, they are encouraged to speak to a member of staff or volunteer al VCP or lo an external advocate. Risk assessments. needs assessments and support plans are implemented and agreed with service users. AII VCP staff and volunteers musl uniiergo a full DBS check. However, at present thefe are some minor delays in obtaining DBS clearances and the Trustees hope that this situation can be resolved quickly as VCP is unable lo employ care staff unless they have a clear DBS check. • Reputatlonal Since inception, VCP has worked hard al developing a reputable service, bul this always demands conslanl attention from every member of the charity. Reputslion can be lost very easily and well-nigh impossible lo rebuild. Fundraising policy The charity aims to achieve best practices in the way in which il communi¢21es with donors and other supporters. 11 lakes care with both the tone of ils communication and the accuracy of its data to minimise the pressures on supporters. 11 applies best practices to protect supporters, data and never sells data, it never swaps data and ensures that cornmunication preferences can be changed at any lime. The charity does not employ the services of professional fundraisers. The charity undertakes lo react lo and investigate any complaints regarding ils fundraising activities and to leam from them and improve ils seNice. During the year, the charrty received no Complaints about ils fundraising aclivilies. Concèrn for the envlronment We contin o recyc an equip nl and lights. reduce energy consumption by being careful lo switch off edbylh rust es and igned on their behalf by,. Tr ee Approved by the Trustees on.. loqlLL Vincentian Care Plus 13

Independent auditor’s report 31 March 2022

Independent auditor’s report to the member of Vincentian Care Plus

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of Vincentian Care Plus (the ‘charitable company’) for the year ended 31 March 2022 which comprise the statement of financial activities, the balance sheet, the statement of cash flows, the principal accounting policies, and the notes to the financial statements. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 ‘The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland’ (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

In our opinion, the financial statements:

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charitable company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Conclusions relating to going concern

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the Trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charitable company’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

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

Other information

The other information comprises the information included in the Annual Report and Financial Statements, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report and financial statements. 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.

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Independent auditor’s report 31 March 2022

Other information (continued)

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

We have nothing to report in this regard.

Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

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

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

In the light of the 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’ report. We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

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Independent auditor’s report 31 March 2022

Responsibilities of Trustees

As explained more fully in the statement of Trustees’ responsibilities, the Trustees (who are also the directors of the charitable company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, the Trustees are responsible for assessing the charitable company’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the Trustees either intend to liquidate the charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

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

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

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Independent auditor’s report 31 March 2022

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements (continued)

We assessed the susceptibility of the charitable company’s financial statements to material misstatement, including obtaining an understanding of how fraud might occur, by:

To address the risk of fraud through management bias and override of controls, we:

In response to the risk of irregularities and non-compliance with laws and regulations, we designed procedures which included, but were not limited to:

There are inherent limitations in our audit procedures described above. The more removed that laws and regulations are from financial transactions, the less likely it is that we would become aware of non-compliance. Auditing standards also limit the audit procedures required to identify non-compliance with laws and regulations to enquiry of the trustees and other management and the inspection of regulatory and legal correspondence, if any.

Material misstatements that arise due to fraud can be harder to detect than those that arise from error as they may involve deliberate concealment or collusion.

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

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Independent auditor’s report 31 March 2022

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the charitable company’s member in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charitable company's member those matters we are required to state to it in an auditor's report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charitable company and the charitable company's member, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Amanda Francis (Senior Statutory Auditor) For and on behalf of Buzzacott LLP, Statutory Auditor 130 Wood Street London EC2V 6DL

25 October 2022

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Statement of financial activities (including income and expenditure account) Year to 31 March 2022

Notes
Unrestricted
funds
£
Restricted
funds
£		 2022
Total
funds
£		 Unrestricted
funds
£		 Restricted
funds
£		 2021
Total
funds
£
Income from:
Donations and legacies
1
Bank interest
Fees receivable for home care
visiting service
Total income
Expenditure on:
Charitable activities
. Provision of a home care
visiting service
2
Total expenditure
Net income and net
movement in funds
6
Reconciliation of funds:
Fund balances brought forward
at 1 April 2021
Fund balances carried forward
at 31 March 2022
—
49
2,092,572		 263,107
—
—

263,107
49
2,092,572

5,469

43
2,173,434
131,658

—
—
137,127

43
2,173,434
2,092,621 263,107 2,355,728
2,178,946
131,658		 2,310,604

1,907,692		 243,582 2,151,274 1,935,408
131,658		 2,067,066
1,907,692 243,582 2,151,274
1,935,408
131,658		 2,067,066

184,929
357,531		 19,525
—		 204,454
357,531		 243,538
113,993		 —

—		 243,538
113,993
542,460 19,525 561,985 357,531
—		 357,531

All of the charity’s activities derived from continuing operations during the above two financial years.

All recognised gains and losses are included in the above financial activities.

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Balance sheet 31 March 2022

Notes 2022
£		 2021
£
Fixed assets:
Tangible assets
8
Current assets:
Debtors
9
Cash at bank and in hand
Total current assets
Current liabilities:
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
10
Net current assets
Total assets less: current liabilities
Creditors:amounts falling due after one year
11
Total net assets
Represented by:
The funds of the charity
Restricted funds
Unrestricted funds
General funds		 5,132 5,096
229,239
502,380		 257,371
290,972
731,619
(124,766)		 548,343
(125,908)
606,853 422,435
611,985
(50,000)		 427,531
(70,000)
561,985 357,531
19,525
542,460		 —
357,531
561,985 357,531

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies’ regime.

Approved by the Trustees and signed on their behalf by:

Trustee

Approved on:

Glen Von Malachowski

Vincentian Care Plus

Registered Company Number: 05321333 (England and Wales)

Vincentian Care Plus 20

Statement of cash flows Year to 31 March 2022

Notes
2022
£		 2021
£
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash provided by operating activities
A
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchase of tangible fixed assets
Net cash used in investing activities
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayment of loan
Net cash used in financing activities
Change in cash and cash equivalents in the year
Cash and cash equivalents at 1 April 2021
B
Cash and cash equivalents at 31 March 2022
B

234,186		 251,297


**(2,778) **		 (4,006)
**(2,778) ** (4,006)


**(20,000) **		 (40,000)
**(20,000) ** (40,000)

211,408

290,972
 207,291
83,681

502,380		 290,972

Notes to the statement of cash flows for the year to 31 March 2022.

A Reconciliation of net movement in funds to net cash provided by operating activities

2022
£		 2021
£
Net movement in funds (as per the statement of financial activities)
Adjustments for:
Depreciation charge
Decrease (increase) in debtors
(Decrease) increase in creditors
Net cashprovided by operating activities		 204,454
2,742
28,132
(1,142)		 243,538
3,076
(32,634)
37,317
234,186 251,297

B Analysis of cash and cash equivalents

Analysis of cash and cash equivalents
2022
£		 2021
£
Total cash and cash equivalents:
Cash at bank and in hand		 502,380 290,972
Analysis of change in net debt 2021
£		 Cash flows
£		 2022
£
Cash at bank and in hand
Loans falling due after more than one year
Balance at 31 March		 290,972
(70,000)		 211,408
20,000		 502,380
(50,000)
220,972 231,408 452,380

C Analysis of change in net debt

Vincentian Care Plus 21

Principal accounting policies 31 March 2022

The principal accounting policies adopted, judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty in the preparation of the financial statements are laid out below.

Basis of preparation

These financial statements have been prepared for the year to 31 March 2022 with comparative information given in respect to the year to 31 March 2021.

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policies below or the notes to these financial statements.

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the principles set out in Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their financial statements in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (Charities SORP FRS 102), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006.

The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102.

The financial statements are presented in sterling and are rounded to the nearest pound.

Critical accounting estimates and areas of judgement

Preparation of the financial statements requires the trustees and management to make significant judgements and estimates.

The main judgements and estimates applied in these financial statements relate to:

Assessment of going concern

The Trustees have assessed whether the use of the going concern assumption is appropriate in preparing these financial statements. The Trustees have made this assessment in respect to a year of at least one year from the date of approval of these financial statements.

Vincentian Care Plus 22

Principal accounting policies 31 March 2022

Assessment of going concern (continued)

The Trustees accept that the financial position of the charity needs improving and the amount of general funds is at the lower end of the reserves policy, but it has improved on 2021 and is now equivalent to approximately 3 months. The Trustees know that the next few years will be challenging. There is a need to ensure that the charity continues to improve its processes and controls with a view to fulfilling the requirements of the Care Quality Commission, thereby retaining the confidence of Westminster City Council, and demonstrating that it is able to continue to deliver a quality domiciliary care service. This will need to be done alongside the requirement for VCP to continue to implement robust and careful budgeting and monitoring of cash flow.

The financial performance of the charity is dependent on it being able to meet consistently the targets set out within its contractual agreement with Westminster City Council and on the funding climate for care services generally. In particular, the charity’s finances are impacted directly by the number of service users referred or transferred to it by Westminster City Council and on the contract price paid. These aspects may be a challenge in the forthcoming year given the residual impact of COVID-19. However, assuming that VCP can continue to retain its “Good” CQC rating, the Trustees remain cautiously optimistic that the charity can meet the challenges presented and slowly build up its level of free reserves over time.

The Trustees are of the opinion that VCP will have sufficient resources to meet its liabilities as they fall due, and that the charity is a going concern.

Income recognition

Income is recognised in the year in which the charitable company is entitled to receipt and the amount can be measured with reasonable certainty and it is probable that the income will be received. Income comprises donations, legacies and fees receivable for home care visiting services.

Donations and grants are recognised when the charity has confirmation of both the amount and settlement date. In the event of donations and/or grants pledged but not received, the amount is accrued for where the receipt is considered probable. In the event that a donation or grant is subject to conditions that require a level of performance before the charity is entitled to the funds, the income is deferred and not recognised until either those conditions are fully met, or the fulfilment of those conditions is wholly within the control of the charity, and it is probable that those conditions will be fulfilled in the reporting year.

In accordance with the Charities SORP FRS 102 volunteer time is not recognised.

Vincentian Care Plus 23

Principal accounting policies 31 March 2022

Income recognition (continued)

Legacies are included in the statement of financial activities when the charity is entitled to the legacy, the executors have established that there are sufficient surplus assets in the estate to pay the legacy, and any conditions attached to the legacy are within the control of the charity. Entitlement is taken as the earlier of the date on which: the charity is aware that probate has been granted, the estate has been finalised and notification has been made by the executor to the charity that a distribution will be made, or when a distribution is received from the estate. Receipt of a legacy, in whole or in part, is only considered probable when the amount can be measured reliably, and the charity has been notified of the executor’s intention to make a distribution. Where legacies have been notified to the charity, or the charity is aware of the granting of probate, but the criteria for income recognition have not been met, then the legacy is treated as a contingent asset and disclosed if material.

In the event that the gift is in the form of an asset other than cash, or a financial asset traded on a recognised stock exchange, recognition is subject to the value of the gift being reliably measurable with a degree of reasonable accuracy and the title of the asset having being transferred to the charity.

Fees receivable for home care visiting services are accounted for on an accruals basis. Income is recognised at fair value when the charity becomes entitled to the funds under its contractual agreements.

Expenditure recognition

Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to make a payment to a third party, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.

All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and relates to furthering the charitable purposes of the charity through the provision of a home care visiting service.

Governance costs are associated with the governance arrangements of the charitable company and include audit costs and the necessary legal procedures for compliance with the statutory requirements.

All expenditure is stated inclusive of irrecoverable VAT.

Tangible fixed assets

All assets with an expected useful life exceeding one year are capitalised.

Computer equipment

Expenditure on the purchase of computer equipment is capitalised and depreciated on a straight-line basis over a four-year period.

Furniture and fittings

Expenditure on the purchase and replacement of furniture and fittings is capitalised and depreciated on a straight-line basis over a four-year period.

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Principal accounting policies 31 March 2022

Debtors

Debtors are recognised at their settlement amount, less any provision for non-recoverability. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid. They have been discounted to the present value of the future cash receipt where such discounting is material.

Cash at bank and in hand

Cash at bank and in hand represents such accounts and instruments that are available on demand or have a maturity of less than three months from the date of acquisition. Deposits for more than three months but less than one year have been disclosed as short-term deposits. Cash placed on deposit for more than one year is disclosed as a fixed asset investment.

Creditors and provisions

Creditors and provisions are recognised when there is an obligation at the balance sheet date as a result of a past event, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefit will be required in settlement, and the amount of the settlement can be estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are recognised at the amount the charity anticipates it will pay to settle the debt. They have been discounted to the present value of the future cash payment where such discounting is material.

Fund structure

General funds represent those monies which are freely available for application towards achieving any charitable purpose that falls within the charitable company’s charitable objects.

Restricted funds comprise monies received for, or their use restricted to, a specific purpose, or contributions subject to donor/funder imposed conditions.

Leased assets

Rentals applicable to operating leases where substantially all the benefits and risks of ownership remain with the lessor are charged to the statement of financial activities on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease.

Pension contributions

Contributions in respect to the defined contribution pension scheme are charged to the statement of financial activities when they are payable to the scheme. Contributions are restricted to the contributions disclosed in note 4. There were £6,876 outstanding contributions at the year-end (2021 – £6,783). The charity has no liability beyond making its contributions and paying across the deductions for the employees’ contributions.

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Notes to the financial statements 31 March 2022

1 Income from: Donations, grants, and legacies

Unrestricted
funds
£		 Restricted
funds
£		 2022
Total
funds
£		 Unrestricted
funds
£		 Restricted
funds
£		 2021
Total
funds
£
Donations
. Westminster Foundation
. Other
Grants
. City of Westminster
...Charitable Trust
. Westminster City Council
Legacies
Total funds		 —
—
—
—
—		 10,684
—
—
252,423
—		 10,684
—
—
252,423
—
—
3,469
—
—
2,000
21,778
—
14,400
95,480
—		 21,778
3,469
14,400
95,480
2,000
— 263,107 263,107
5,469
131,658		 137,127

2 Expenditure on: Provision of a home care visiting service

Unrestricted
funds
£		 Restricted
funds
£		 2022
Total
funds
£		 Unrestricted
funds
£		 Restricted
funds
£		 2021
Total
funds
£
Staff costs (note 4)
Other staff related costs
Premises costs
Welfare costs
Management and support systems
Governance costs (note 3)
Office and other costs
Total funds		 1,706,952
20,254
54,183
8,195
61,300
4,454
52,354
196,855

10,799
10,684
25,244
—
—
—		 1,903,807
31,053
64,867
33,439
61,300
4,454
52,354
1,741,605

18,197
26,753
36,233
64,682
5,700
42,238
94,880

15,000
21,778
—
—
—
—		 1,836,485
33,197
48,531
36,233
64,682
5,700
42,238
1,907,692
243,582		 2,151,274
1,935,408
131,658		 2,067,066

3 Governance

Unrestricted Unrestricted
2022
Total
funds
£		 2021
Total
funds
£
Auditor’s remuneration 4,454 5,700

4 Staff costs and remuneration of key management personnel

Staff costs and remuneration of key management personnel
2022
Total
funds
£		 2021
Total
funds
£
Staff costs during the year were as follows:
Wages and salaries
Social security costs
Pension costs		 1,739,062
133,401
31,344		 1,685,361
120,695
30,429
1,903,807 1,836,485

The average number of employees during the year was 102 (2021 – 99).

Vincentian Care Plus 26

Notes to the financial statements 31 March 2022

4 Staff costs and remuneration of key management personnel (continued)

No employees earned £60,000 per annum or more (including taxable benefits but excluding employer’s pension contributions) during the year to 31 March 2022 (2021 – none).

During the year, the key management personnel of the charity in charge of directing and controlling, running, and operating the charity on a day-to-day basis comprised the Trustees, and the Registered Manager. The total remuneration (including taxable benefits and employer’s pension contributions) of key management personnel for the year was £58,521 (2021 - £51,662).

5 Trustees’ remuneration

None of the Trustees received remuneration in respect of their services during the year (2021 - £nil). No Trustee received reimbursement of expenses during the year (2021 – £nil).

6 Net income and net movement in funds

Net income and net movement in funds
2022
Total
funds
£
1,903,807
2,742
23,086
6,000		 2021
Total
funds
£
1,836,485
3,076
48,911
7,440
This is stated after charging:
Staff costs (note 4)
Depreciation (note 8)
Operating lease charges
Auditor’s remuneration
. Statutoryaudit

7 Taxation

Vincentian Care Plus is a registered charitable company and, therefore, is not liable to income tax or corporation tax on income derived from its charitable activities, as it falls within the various exemptions available to registered charities.

8 Tangible assets

Tangible assets
Computer
equipment
£		 Furniture
and
fittings
£		 Total
£
Cost
At 1 April 2021
Additions
Disposals
At 31 March 2022
Depreciation
At 1 April 2021
Charge for the year
On disposal
At 31 March 2022
Net book values
At 31 March 2022
At 31 March 2021		 8,685
1,646
(497)		 4,456
1,132
(4,456)		 13,141
2,778
(4,953)
9,834 1,132 10,966
3,589
2,459
(497)		 4,456
283
(4,456)		 8,045
2,742
(4,953)
5,551 283 5,834
4,283 849 5,132
5,096 — 5,096

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Notes to the financial statements 31 March 2022

9 Debtors

Debtors

2022
£		 2021
£
Fees receivable
Other debtors
Prepayments		 229,239
—
—		 242,796
1,071
13,504
229,239 257,371

10 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year

Creditors: amounts falling due within one year

2022
£		 2021
£
Wages, social security and other taxes
Sundry creditors and accruals		 106,333
18,433		 102,461
23,447
124,766 125,908

11 Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year

Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year

2022
£		 2021
£
Loans repayable 50,000 70,000

In November and December 2016 and January 2017, bridging loans totalling £90,000 were advanced to Vincentian Care Plus from the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul Charitable Trust. On 31 March 2019, Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul Charitable Trust agreed to convert £20,000 of the loan to a donation. £20,000 was repaid during the year to 31 March 2022 leaving the balance outstanding of £50,000 as at 31 March 2022 (£70,000 as at 31 March 2021). The original terms of the bridging loan were that the balance would be repayable as funds became available, or on demand. Given the challenges that were faced by the charity as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the trustees of the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul Charitable Trust agreed temporarily to waive the repayment terms and have confirmed also that they will not demand repayment before 31 March 2023 although earlier repayment will be acceptable should the Trustees of the charity decide it is appropriate. The bridging loans carry an interest rate of 1% above the Bank of England base rate.

12 Restricted funds

The income funds of the charity include the following restricted funds comprising the following unexpended balances of donations and grants held on trust to be applied for specific purposes:

At 1
April
2021
£
Income
£		 Expenditure
£

At 31
March
2022
£
Rent fund
Infection control fund
Workforce retention fund
Migrant sponsorship fund		 —
—
—
—		 10,684
42,929
189,969
19,525		 (10,684)
(42,929)
(189,969)
—
—

—

—
19,525
— 263,107 (243,582) 19,525

Vincentian Care Plus 28

Notes to the financial statements 31 March 2022

12 Restricted Funds (continued)

Restricted Funds(continued)
At 1
April
2020
£		 Income
£		 Expenditure
£

At 31
March
2021
£
Rent fund
Infection control fund
Workforce retention fund
COVID-19 fund		 —
—
—
—		 21,778
79,300
15,000
15,580		 (21,778)
(79,300)
(15,000)
(15,580)
—

—

—
—
— 131,658 (131,658) —

13 Analysis of net assets between funds

Analysis of net assets between funds
Unrestricted
funds
£		 Restricted
funds
£		 2022
Total
funds
£
Fixed assets
Current assets
Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year
Creditors: Amounts falling due after one year		 5,132
712,094
(124,766)
(50,000)		 —
19,525

—
—		 5,132
731,619
(124,766)
(50,000)
542,460 19,525 561,985

All funds were unrestricted at 31 March 2021.

14 Liability of member

The charitable company is constituted as a company limited by guarantee. In the event of the charitable company being wound up the company’s member would be required to contribute an amount not exceeding £1.

Vincentian Care Plus 29

Notes to the financial statements 31 March 2022

15 Operating lease commitments

At 31 March 2022, the charity had the following future minimum commitments under noncancellable operating leases in respect to land and buildings:

cancellable operating leases in respect to land and buildings:
2022
£		 2021
£
Amounts payable:
. Within one year
. Within one to two years
. Within two to five years		 49,995
49,995
49,995		 24,479
—
—
149,985 24,479

At 31 March 2022, the charity had the following future minimum commitments under noncancellable operating leases in respect to office equipment:

cancellable operating leases in respect to office equipment:
2022
£		 2021
£
Amounts payable:
. Within one year
. Within one to two years
. Within two to five years
Total		 14,032
14,032
17,620		 16,272
16,272
—
45,684 32,544

15 Parent entity and connected charity

Control of Vincentian Care Plus lies with its member and parent entity, the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul Services, a registered charity (Charity Registration Number 1149326) and a company limited by guarantee (Company Registration Number 07638065 (England and Wales)). The registered office of the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul Services is Provincial House, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London, NW7 1RE.

The Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul Services (the charitable company) is controlled by the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul, a Roman Catholic religious congregation, by virtue of the fact that members of the Congregation are also members of the charitable company.

The charitable company is connected to the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul Charitable Trust (the Charitable Trust) (Charity Registration Number 236803) by virtue of the fact that its Trustees are also the Trustees of the Charitable Trust.

In November and December 2016 and January 2017, bridging loans totalling £90,000 were advanced to Vincentian Care Plus from the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul Charitable Trust. On 31 March 2019, Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul Charitable Trust agreed to convert £20,000 of the loan to a donation. £20,000 was repaid during the year to 31 March 2022 leaving the balance of £50,000 (31 March 2021 - £70,000) (see note 11 above).

At 31 March 2022, Vincentian Care Plus owed the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul Charitable Trust £875 (2021 – £700) interest on the outstanding loan balance.

Vincentian Care Plus 30