## **TLC Network** ## **2020-2021** **Trustee Annual report including The Charity financial report** **The Local Carers Network CIO number** **1155280** **1** # **Annual report 1st April 2020 – 31st March 2021** **Status** **The Local Carers Network is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation Charity Registration No. 1155280 Company registration number CE000647** **Address:** **The Welcome Centre 43 Hamilton Street, Birkenhead, Merseyside, CH41 5AA** **Contact details** **Email: info@tlcnetwork.co.uk Phone: 0151 647 9584 Web: www.tlcnetwork.co.uk** ## **Trustees** **The Trustees who held office during the year were as follows:** **Laura Carman (Chairperson) Appointed 2016 Susan Mahoney (Trustee) Appointed 2015 Louise Reecejones (Secretary) Founder Trustee 2014 Selena Chisholm Appointed November 2019** **The Charities Bankers: Barclays Bank, Liscard branch, Wallasey.** **2** ## **The principal activity of the Charity** **To promote and advance the knowledge, education and well-being in life of all persons with special needs or disabilities and to support their families by such charitable means as the trustees think fit. To ensure as far as possible such persons with special needs may advance in life and develop as individuals and members of society.** **Services Offered** **Special educational needs (SEND) is a legal term, referring to any condition, difficulty or Disability TLC Network is an independent advice and support network for families, carer’s, young people and children affected by the issues and challenges of living with Special Educational Needs or disabilities. Over the last 6 years our charity has made a real difference working practically with families at a grass roots level to prevent and overcome barriers and to reduced self-harm, re-offending, child abuse and neglect, segregation, financial poverty, homelessness, bullying and exclusion from school or school activities. We provide an independent advocacy service - inclusion projects - outreach service, training events, clients assessment of needs, direct family and guardian’s support.** **We work in conjunction with other professionals and organisations to provide the best possible support, and up to date advice and guidance. We would usually provide activities for families to access which include under 5’s groups, children’s activity groups, parent and Carer support sessions, Adult ADHD advice and guidance and specialist advice and guidance in Special educational needs and disabilities. We have expanded in to working remotely due to the covid-19 situation. All our volunteers are vulnerable, so we have found new ways to engage with families while they are at home, this includes helping with any digital issues with education. Our main priority is to ensure all children are receiving the correct amount of support whilst in school or educated at home during lockdowns or due to isolation. We have also increased our support for school exclusions as these have risen and especially amongst children and young people with diagnosed Autism or ADHD. The wait to be diagnosed has also increased due to covid and this is having a negative impact on Children and young people, so we are spending a long-time educating professionals about needs not diagnosis. We also support with disability discrimination and work with solicitors if cases need to be handed over to escalate.** **3** **We offer support for Deaf families, working closely with other charities we provide Deaf advocates to ensure They are able to communicate with children’s and adult services, this includes providing specifically trained Deaf advocates for child protection and child advocates when capacity is limited with Deaf CAMHS.** **Our Grant funders during this year were:** **4** ## **Who are we, what do we believe:** - **We are independent of the statutory services, and we believe offering a completely independent service gives families the choice.** - **Our approach is based on transparency, mutual respect and trust.** - **We work collaboratively and in equal partnership; we expect the same in return** - **Our volunteers are all parents of children or young people with SEND and collectively make certain decisions** - **Our roles are to contribute different perspectives and to be as representative as possible of the families of children and young people with SEND in Wirral.** - **We seek to increase family’s participation and co- production in the developing & commissioning of services that affect us** - **We work on a pan-disability basis, without exclusion or bias.** ## **Our Values and principles** **We are all volunteers and abide by the Nolan principles of public life.** **These are our values:** - **Selflessness – we take decisions in terms of our values and mission, for universal benefit (not personal benefit)** - **Integrity – we do not place ourselves under obligation to individuals or organisations that might influence us** **Objectivity – we ensure that we are representative of SEND and our localities** - **Accountability – we accept accountability for our decisions and actions and submit ourselves to appropriate scrutiny** - **Openness – we are open about all decisions and actions that we take; and where required give reasons for our decisions** **5** ## **Honesty – we declare private interests relating to our duties and** **takes steps to resolve conflicts in a way that protects our reputation, values and missions** **Leadership – we promote and support these principles by leadership and example** **The next year is an interesting year as we grow and thrive in new and different ways, with a well-established Charity now and attracting new members from across the Northwest England we have a positive future. The covid-19 situation has seen our skills being used across the country as tribunals and meeting went remote via online platforms. The challenge for our charity is to keep up with the technology world so that all our volunteers have the resources to work effectively from home.** **Our volunteers have given over 3000 hours of volunteer service during the past year, making a huge difference to families lives from across Wirral, The Northwest England and the whole country, much by remote access.** _**“I do not know what I would have done if I didn’t have the charities support. I am so grateful; your professionalism and extensive knowledge won the tribunal and got my son the right support at last. I went to other places for support, but they either cost a fortune or they just don’t do what you all do. It also makes a difference having someone who has been through what we were going through. Thank you all so much!!” Jane**_ **6** ## **A message from our Chair** We have had some very challenging times with the covid-19 pandemic, our volunteers have gone above and beyond this year with all the support they have given to families. Our financial situation is under constant discussion as we have been unable to raise funds in the way that we did before, this was helped by receiving government grants as these have really helped to take the pressure off so that we could concentrate on families and the support we give, without these grants we may have had to close. We have been able to look at our support off and also update our policies, so we have used our time wisely so when we open the building back up, we are ready to implement the changes. We are one family at The Welcome Centre, and we look forward to welcoming more new families, new volunteers and members of the community from different groups who hire out the building. We are looking forward to the year ahead and ready to take on the challenges ahead. **7** Chair of Trustees ## _**Laura Carman**_ ## **Financial report 1[st] April 2020 – 31[st] March 2021** ## **Financial report The Local Carers Network CIO number 1155280 For the 12 months ended 31 March 2021** |Consultancyfee|3,000| |---|---| |FundraisingIncome|731| |Grant Received includingcovidgrants|40000| |Interest Received|12| |SensorySales|0| |Under 18 Direct Payments Provision|6,130| |**Total Income**|**49,873**| |**Less Operating Expenses**|| |Administration Expenses|5,118| |Audit & Accountancyfees|346| |Grant spend includingcovid 19 Grants|7953| |Direct Expenses|1,910| |General Expenses|2,510| |Insurance|994| |IT Software and Consumables|76| |Premises Rent|10,000| |Telephone & Internet|1,487| |Tuck Shop Stock Purchases|96| |**Total Operating Expenses**|**35,490**| |**Operating Surplus (Deficit)**|**0**| ||| ||**14,383**| |**Net Cash Movement**|| |**Summary**|| |OpeningBalance|14,387| |Total income|49,873| |Total expenditure|35,490| **8** Glosing Balan¢e 28,770