## **Trustees' Annual Report for the period** **From** Period start date **To**[Period end date ] 06 04 2022 05 04 2023 ## Section A Reference and administration details **Charity name Other names charity is known by Registered charity number (if any)** 1154710 Stand Alone **Charity's principal address** 34B York Way, London, **Postcode** N1 9AB ## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity** **Dates acted if not for whole Name of person (or body) entitled Trustee name Office (if any) year to appoint trustee (if any)** June 2022-March 2023 1[Geraldine ] McAndrew 2 Beth Watts-Cobb August 2022- March 2023 3 Ben Jordon August 2022- March 2023 4 Gordon Hunt April 2022 – March 2023 – 5 Lucy Blake April 2022 July 2022 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 1 May 2024 **TAR** ## **Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)** **Name Dates acted if not for whole year** **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)** **Type of adviser Name Address** **Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)** Rebecca Bland, CEO ## **Section B Structure, governance and management** ## **Description of the charity’s trusts** Constitution of a Charitable Incorporated Organisation whose only voting Type of governing document members are its charity trustees Date of constitution (last amended): (eg. trust deed, constitution) 24[st ] Nov 2013 CIO How the charity is constituted - (eg. trust, association, company) Appointment Trustee selection methods - (eg. appointed by, elected by) ## **Additional governance issues (Optional information)** You **may choose** to include additional information, where relevant, about: - policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees; - the charity’s organisational - structure and any wider network with which the charity works; - relationship with any related parties; ● Complaints handling ● Conflicting interests ● Investment ● Paying staff - Risk management ● Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries - Volunteer management - trustees’ consideration of - major risks and the system and procedures to manage them. 2 May 2024 **TAR** ## **Section C Objectives and activities** To promote social inclusion for the public benefit by preventing people who are estranged from their family or members of their family from becoming socially excluded, relieving the needs of those people who are socially excluded and assisting them to integrate into society. For the purpose of this **Summary of the objects of the** clause ‘socially excluded’ means being excluded from society, or parts of **charity set out in its governing** society, as a result of family relationship breakdown. To advance education **document** among the public on the subject of family estrangement. Throughout the financial year 2022/23 Stand Alone charity continued to drive significant changes in higher education policy around estranged young people nationally across the UK. Most notable progress was achieved in Scotland. Following a series of conversations and round tables with the then MSP with a remit for higher education in Scotland, the Scottish Government commissioned ScotCen Social Research to undertake research on the experiences of estranged students in Scotland. The aim was to provide an insight into the contexts and experiences of estranged students in further and higher education (FE and HE) to inform future higher education policy in Scotland. The Scottish Government also committed to exploring a national guarantor scheme for estranged students studying higher education. Stand Alone worked with the Welsh Government towards improved data on estranged students in higher education to inform Welsh higher education policy in the future. Stand Alone advised the Welsh Government to introduce a new field on the HESA (Higher Education Statistics Agency) data collection platform for higher education providers to gather and submit institutional **Summary of the main activities** data on estranged students. The new field was confirmed to go live in the **undertaken for the public** academic year 2023/24. **benefit in relation to these objects (include within this** Following the move to online support during Covid 19 the charity chose to **section the statutory** deliver a mix of online and in person support during the first half of 2022. An **declaration that trustees have** in-depth review of the hybrid model was undertaken to understand the **had regard to the guidance** advantages and disadvantages of modes of delivery for beneficiaries. The **issued by the Charity** findings recommended a digital offer only. The support groups and **Commission on public benefit)** workshops were more accessible to beneficiaries online and allowed the charity to extend its reach across the UK and beyond. The report also took into account beneficiaries’ desire for a closed community where they could safely meet and interact with likeminded people with experience of estrangement to reduce their feelings of loneliness and isolation. The report’s recommendations gave rise to a new programme of online support groups starting from September 2022 which included a monthly online community support space. The charity continued to increase the awareness and understanding of estrangement among staff working in universities and colleges across the UK through its national training conferences and delivery of training at external events. For the first time training was aimed at staff in particular roles who had in the past not engaged with the charity and the topic of estrangement, such as careers advisers. Stand Alone also widened its reach to improve the understanding of estrangement and its barriers to progression into tertiary education through a new collaborative project with the UniConnect 3 May 2024 **TAR** Partnerships in England. A CPD accredited training for staff and teachers in secondary education was created and online delivery was rolled out. ## **Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)** You **may choose** to include further statements, where relevant, about: - policy on grantmaking; - policy programme related - investment; Stand Alone charity’s 5-year strategic plan 2017 – 2022 was reviewed to inform the development of the 5-year strategy for 2023-2027 within the context of staff changes and a limited funding environment. The CEO had informally announced her intention to leave the charity by the end of 2023 in a Board meeting in November 2020. Stand Alone’s Advocacy and Policy Officer (Scotland) was leaving by the end of October 2022. The Esmee Fairbairn grant for the higher education project was due to end in early 2023 and the 2-year grant from the Robertson Trust Grant was due to end in the summer 2023. Discussions around the strategic direction of the charity 20232027 therefore took into account the consequences of the departure of the CEO and the Advocacy and Policy Officer (Scotland) as well as the need to generate new income streams from grant giving organisations and find ways to become more financially self-sufficient and sustainable. ● contribution made by volunteers. May 2024 4 **TAR** TAR May 2024 ## Section D Achievements and performance **Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year** Research to inform national policy and to support the charity’s campaigns to raise awareness and understanding of the impact of estrangement on individuals remained at the heart of the charity’s strategy. The publication of the Scottish Government commissioned independent research in November 2022 into the barriers and difficulties estranged young people face was the first of its kind in the UK. It gave rise to further discussions with policy makers to improve statutory support for estranged students in Scotland. Collaboration with other third sector organisations active in the estranged and care-experienced space on research, policy consultations and campaigns enhanced recognition of estrangement as a measure of inequality in higher education in England. To improve the service provided to estranged students in England and Wales by Students Loan Company (SLC), Stand Alone delivered a training session on estrangement directly to members of SLC’s Customer Experience team. The aim was to upskill SLC staff in helping to provide an intuitive, supportive, and trusted service for their most vulnerable customers, including those estranged from parents. The new UCAS flag for applicants to higher education to self-identify as estranged was introduced and went live for the first time for the 2023 application cycle. The flag will support institutions with the identification of new estranged students enrolling on a higher education course enabling them to proactively offer institutional support to these individuals. The data collected by UCAS will give insight into the number of students estranged at application stage and their acceptance rate to higher education as a cohort. The data will also allow comparisons with other disadvantaged cohorts in the longer term. The restructured programme of online support was successfully rolled out. It gave rise to a new regular monthly session for beneficiaries to become part of an online community of adults with experience of estrangement. Close to 300 beneficiaries attended a support group of which approx. 68% identified as estranged adult children and approx. 27% identified as estranged parents. The size of a support group remained limited at 15 to be able to offer a safe and contained space for people who have experienced trauma, to meet one another and share painful, and often rarely discussed, experiences. 6 May 2024 **TAR** ## **Section E Financial review** 3 months reserves – see accounts **Brief statement of the charity’s policy on reserves** **Details of any funds materially in deficit Further financial review details (Optional information)** Grants from grant giving organisations continued to cover staff salaries: You **may choose** to include Esmee Fairbairn grant for the part-time higher education project director additional information, where relevant about: Tudor Trust part-funded the full-time CEO role together with the Robertson Trust. ● the charity’s principal The Robertson Trust also funded the part-time Advocacy and Policy Officer sources of funds (including any (Scotland). fundraising); The Big Lottery Fund grant covered the part-time Support Programme ● how expenditure has Manager role. supported the key objectives of the charity; ● investment policy and objectives including any ethical investment policy adopted. ## **Section F Other optional information** ## **Section G Declaration** **The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.** **Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees** **Signature(s) Full name(s)** Geraldine McAndrew **Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc)** Trustee May 2024 7 **TAR** Date 10" May 2023 TAR May 2024 ## **Independent examiner's report on the accounts** **Section A Independent Examiner’s Report** |**Report to the trustees/**
**members of**
**On accounts for the year**
**ended**
**Set out on pages**|Stand Alone|Stand Alone|Stand Alone| |---|---|---|---| ||||| ||5 April 2023|**Charity no**
**(if any)**|1154710| ||||| ||1||| I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended **5 April 2023** . - **Responsibilities and** As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation **basis of report** of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”) . I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. ## **Independent examiner's statement** I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention other than that disclosed below in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect: - accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or - the accounts do not accord with the accounting records I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. |**Signed:**
**Name:**
**Relevant professional**
**qualification(s) or body**
**(if any):**
**Address:**|**Date:**|| |---|---|---| |||16 May 2024| |||| ||FJ Wilde|| |||| ||FCCA DChA|| |||| ||4 Marigold Drive|| ||Bisley|| ||Surrey GU24 9SF|| 1 **October 2018** **IER** ## **Section B Disclosure** Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners). **Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose** . The Trustees advise that challenges related to the operation and governance of Stand Alone in recent years have hindered the presentation of a comprehensive picture of accounting records in accordance with Section 130. That many of the financial challenges that have emerged in recent months have been longstanding, and predate the tenure of the existing Board. This includes a delay to the submission of accounts, of which existing trustees were not aware. The departure of the previous CEO has presented further challenges in compiling financial records. Existing staff have worked tirelessly to provide documentation and records to present as complete a picture as reasonable possible. However, this has not be possible in every case and as examiner I have therefore not been able to test four of ten income items and eight of ten expenditure items and cannot conclude that accounting records have been kept in accordance with Section 130 of the Act due to the restriction of access. 2 **October 2018** **IER** ||**Stand Alone**
**Charity Name**|**Stand Alone**
**Charity Name**|**Stand Alone**
**Charity Name**|**1154710**
**No (if any)**|**1154710**
**No (if any)**|**1154710**
**No (if any)**|**CC16a**| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| ||**For the period**
**from**|01/04/2022
Period start date|**To**||05/04/2023
Period end date||| ||||||||| |**Section A Receipts and payments**|||||||| |**A1 Receipts**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**to the nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**1,173**
**12,076**
**272**
**3,000**
**-**
**-**
**16,521**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**16,521**
**6,911**
**38,847**
**4,917**
**189**
**4,608**
**490**
**2,537**
**123**
**2,928**
**6,090**
**67,640**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**67,640**
**- 51,119**
**-**
**108,592**
**57,473**|**Restricted**
**funds**
**to the nearest £**
**4,650**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**4,650**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**4,650**
**91,952**
**-**
**3,355**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**50**
**-**
**242**
**659**
**96,258**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**96,258**
**- 91,608**
**-**
**173,996**
**82,388**|**Endowment**
**funds**
**to the nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**||**Total funds**
**to the nearest £**
**4,650**
**-**
**1,173**
**12,076**
**272**
**3,000**
**-**
**-**
**21,171**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**21,171**
**98,863**
**38,847**
**8,272**
**189**
**4,608**
**490**
**2,587**
**123**
**3,170**
**6,749**
**163,898**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**163,898**
**- 142,727**||**Last year**
**to the nearest £**| |Grant Income|**-**||||||**146,115**| |Legacies|**-**||||||**-**| |Donations|**1,173**||||||**13,023**| |Income from Events|**12,076**||||||**-**| |Interest|**272**||||||**-**| |Unknown Income|**3,000**||||||**-**| ||**-**||||||**-**| ||**-**||||||**-**| |**_Sub total_**_(Gross income for_
_AR)_|**16,521**||||||**159,138**| ||||||||| |**A2 Asset and investment sales,**
**(see table).**|||||||| ||**-**||||||| ||**-**||||||**-**| |**_Sub total_**|**-**||||||**-**| |**_Total receipts_**
**A3 Payments**|||||||| ||||||||**159,138**| ||||||||| |Wages/ Salaries|**6,911**||||||**108,412**| |PAYE/NIC|**38,847**||||||**7,054**| |Sessional Support|**4,917**||||||**2,170**| |Training|**189**||||||**86**| |Overheads|**4,608**||||||**5,953**| |Insurance|**490**||||||**477**| |Website & Research costs|**2,537**||||||**4,609**| |Travel|**123**||||||**614**| |Fundraising|**2,928**||||||**2,730**| |Staff Expenses|**6,090**||||||| |**_Sub total_ **|**67,640**||||||**132,105**| ||||||||| |**A4 Asset and investment**
**purchases, (see table)**|||||||| ||**-**||||||| ||**-**||||||| |**_Sub total_ **|**-**||||||**-**| |**_Total payments_**
**_Net of receipts/(payments)_**
**A5 Transfers between funds**
**A6 Cash funds last year end**
**_Cash funds this year end_**|||||||| ||||||||**132,105**| ||||||||| ||**- 51,119**|**- 91,608**|**-**||**- 142,727**||**27,033**| ||**-**|**-**|**-**||**-**||**-**| ||**108,592**|**173,996**|**-**||**282,588**||**255,555**| ||**57,473**|**82,388**|**-**||**139,861**||**282,588**| CCXX R1 accounts (SS) 16/05/2024 1 ## **Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period** |**Categories**
Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees
**B1 Cash funds**
**B2 Other monetary assets**
**B4 Assets retained for the**
**charity’s own use**
**B5 Liabilities**
**B3 Investment assets**|Signature
**Details**
**Details**
CAF Bank
**Details**
**Details**
**_Total cash funds_**
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))
**Details**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**57,473**
**82,388**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**57,473**
**82,388**
OK
OK
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Fund to which**
**liability relates**
**Amount due**
**(optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
Print Name
Geraldine MCAndrew|**Endowment**
**funds**
**to nearest £**| |---|---|---|---| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||OK| ||||**Endowment**
**funds**
**to nearest £**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**Current value**
**(optional)**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**Current value**
**(optional)**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**When due**
**(optional)**| ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||Date of
approval| |||Geraldine MCAndrew|16 May 2023| ||||| CCXX R2 accounts (SS) 16/05/2024 2