2020-12-31-accounts

s ofthe charity trus	s ofthe charity trus	tees who manage th	e charity
Trustee name		Office (ifany)	Dates acted ifnot for whole year	Name ofperson (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (if an
Andy Simmonds		Chairman	Reappointed to 3"term 22"'June 2020. Term
			ends June 2023.
Jill Gibbs		Treasurer	Reappointed to 3~ term 22"' June 2020. Term
			ends June 2023.
Rev Mark	Barker		Reappointed to 2"' term 14e March 2018. Term
			ends June 2021.
Venerable Andy Wooding-Jones			Reappointed to 2"' term 14'"March 2018. Term ends June 2021.
Sarah Marfleet			Appointed to 1"term 13a
			November 2019. Term
			ends June 2023.
Rev Wendy Carr			Appointed to 1"term 11" March 2020. Term ends
			June 2023.
Sally Nash			Appointed to 1"term 11'" March 2020. Term ends
			June 2023.

	Names and addresses ofadvisers (Optional information)	Names and addresses ofadvisers (Optional information)
	T eofadviser Name Address
	Independent examiner Tony	Miles-Prouten 39Bidborough Ridge, Bidborough, Kent
		TN4 OUU
	Bankers Lloyds Bank pic National Clubs and Charities Centre,
		Sedgemoor House, Deane Gate Avenue,
		Taunton, TA1 2UF
	Name ofchief executive or names ofsenior staff members (Optional information)
	Amanda Hedger, Counselling	Manager
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Description ofthe charity's trusts
	Type ofgoverning document	COnstitutloil (based on the Charity Commission model fora CIO whose only voting members areits charity trustees)
	How the charity is constituted	Charitable Incorporated Organisation
	Trustee selection methods	Appointed by existing Trustees
Additional governance issues (Optional information)
You may choose to include additional information, where relevant, about: ~ policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training oftrustees; ~ the charity's organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works; ~ relationship with any related parties; ~ trustees' consideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them.		Appointment, induction and training ofTrustees Trustees are selected firstly to provide the charity with oversight ofits counselling activities through relevant counselling knowledge and experience, and secondly to provide the charity with oversight and governance ofadministrative matters through relevant legal and financial knowledge and experience. New Trustee induction includes consideration ofCharity Commission guidance (CC3)and completion ofa Charity Commission Trustee Declaration, discussion ofcurrent issues including the financial position ofthe charity, and completion ofDBSchecks. Ongoing training includes access to the network and courses run by the Institute ofChartered Accountants in England and Wales Charity and Voluntary Sector Group. Organisational structure Trustees have appointed Amanda Hedger as Counselling Manager, under a written agreement, to act as chief executive and team leader ofthe charity's operations including the appointment and supervision of freelance counsellors, and to oversee the content and delivery oftraining courses. Amanda reports directly to the Trustees.
		Related parties
		As explained below, the charity's premises at Gilbert House in the centre ofTonbridge were transferred to the Charity from Tonbridge Baptist Church for nil consideration in February 2020.
		In addition, Tonbridge Baptist Church provide the charity with rooms to run training courses without charge, and to provide counselling to financially disadvantaged clients, and clients with mobility constraints. However, the charity is not accountable to the Church in a governance sense. Risk management
		Trustees maintain a risk register which identifies 11 major risks under 4 headings: strategic, governance and management; external; operational; and financial. Usin the re ister, Trustees assess the si nificance and

						probability ofeach risk, mitigation, and specific trustee action to monitor
						each net risk.
						The charity has two objects:
Summary ofthe objects ofthe charity set out in its governing document						1. Therapeutic counselling: to promote and protect the physical, spiritual and mental health ofthose in need in Tonbridge and the surrounding area by way ofa professional counselling service based on a Christian ethos. 2. Training: to advance the education ofcounsellors for the public
						benefit by the provision oftraining in counselling.
						Counselling service The charity's counselling service is open to any member ofthe public,
						and is provided under a flexible and affordable charging structure.
						The charity is committed, for the public benefit, to provide its services in
						safe and trusting relationships guided by professional principles. Accordingly, all counsellors are required to be members ofthe British Association ofCounsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP)or the
						Association of Christian Counsellors (ACC), are qualified to at least
						Diploma level, and abide by the ethical framework set out by these bodies. This includes regular supervision and ongoing post-qualification
						training.
						In addition to direct access to the public through its website
						www. tonbrid ecounsellin service.co.uk and dedicated telephone line, the
						charity encourages local agencies including GPs and churches to refer
						clients for counselling. The charity is committed to providing a non-
Summary ofthe main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects (include within this section the statutory declaration that trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit)						judgemental service which aims to treat all people respectfully, regardless ofgender, sexual orientation, ethnic origin or religion. The charity does not describe its activity as 'Christian counselling' nor does it have a religious affiliation. Rather, as professional therapeutic counsellors it operates within the same ethical guidelines and practices as any other organisation affiliated to the BACP. However, the objects refer toa 'Christian ethos' being part ofthe values and motivation that draw the charity into providing counselling. We believe that it is a Christian principle that hurting people are reached, and broken lives restored, and that therapeutic counselling can help in this process.
						While all clients are encouraged to make some contribution for the
						service received in order to place value on that service, at initial
						assessment and through the website clients are made aware ofthe
						bursary fund which is available to subsidise fees according to need. The bursary fund is a restricted fund maintained by gifts and transfers from
						general funds.
						Training
						Within this public benefit context ofmaintaining high professional
						standards, the charity provides training to existing counsellors through a
						programme ofcontinuing professional development (CPD) that maintains and enhances their skills in accordance with the BACP and ACC ethical
						frameworks, and to new counsellors to safeguard the charity's access to
						future qualified counsellors and thereby maintain and build capacity.
						In addition to the counselling bursary fund, the Trustees maintain a
						trainin bursa fund which is funded b the sur lus arisin on corn leted

					training courses. Applications for up to 50%oftraining fees are
					considered by the Trustees.
					The trustees have considered, and concluded, that any private benefit received through its training activities are a necessary and cost-effective by-product ofcarrying out its public interest purpose of providing a professional counselling service and are not excessive in the
					circumstances.
Additional details			ofobjectives		and activities (Optional information)
					Grants
					The charity's policy is that no person should be refused access to its
You may choose to include further statements, where relevant, about:					counselling services on grounds ofaffordability. Accordingly the charity maintains a bursary fund which is available to subsidise fees for clients according to need, and a training bursary fund to provide up to 50% subsidy to training fees for students according to need.
					Volunteers
~ ~ ~	policy on grant making; policy programme related investment; contribution made by volunteers.				In the interests of maintaining a high professional standard and ensuring accountability, all counsellors sign afreelance agreement covering their obligations to the charity, and the charity's obligation to provide supervision, safeguarding checks, insurance and a fee based on hours incurred in client work. Where a counsellor wishes to return the fee to the charity, this is included within 'gifts and donations'. Bookkeeping and administration services were provided by a Trustee, part ofwhich is on a paid basis at a rate lower than market. Various support services such as other administration, cleaning and fundraising are provided by volunteers.
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Summary		ofthe main			Counselling
achievements ofthe during the year				charity	In this seventh year ofoperation, the team ofqualified counsellors has been reduced to 10. Prior to the outbreak ofCOVID 19and imposition of lockdown regulatioiis in March 2020, there were 60clients in therapy, and awareness that further growth was occasionally limited by capacity of our 3counselling rooms. With the start oflockdown, the team undertook re-training for telephone and online counselling, new policies and client agreements were developed, and a new secure post box at Gilbert House installed. The new TCS Online Counselling Service launched on 1"June. Initially, around 40%ofclients made the transition to remote
					counselling. However, with a steady demand from new clients
					throughout the lockdown, the number ofclients in therapy is approaching its pre-lockdown level. Over the course of2020, we dealt with 87clients (2019—103),ofwhich 35were discharged (2019—51). In total, 39 clients received help from the bursary fund. Most referrals continue to be direct self-referrals. Most clients are dealt with as single adults, but we are also able to work with couples. The website
					www. tonbrid ecounsellin service.co.uk includes an introduction to
					counselling, a clear statement ofour ethos, profiles ofour counsellors, and an explanation ofthe introductory process we follow.
					Looking to the future, we anticipate the re-opening offace-to-face counselling in Gilbert House in 2021, alongside the continued provision of online appointments. In this way, the overall capacity ofthe counselling service is permanently increased.
					In 2020, we concluded ajoint initiative with Tonbridge Baptist Church to rovide counsellin to disadvanta ed clients livin within the 'TN10' area

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		utilising funding provided by the Co-Op Community Fund as that funding
		is now exhausted.
		Training Following completion ofthe Bamabas franchised Level 3CSKL3course,
		and Introduction course ICSKL2, in 2019,no further training courses
		have commenced. Following negotiation, the contractual relationship
		with Barnabas was concluded, and it is planned to develop our own
		courses and seek accreditation from CPCAB, although new course
		commencement is held up by COVID 19 constraints.
		We continued our programme ofCPD training events for our existing
		counsellors, to which we invite guests to assist in sharing the cost of holding these events, which are subsidised for TCS counsellors. These courses are open to the wider counselling world as well as students.
		Unrestricted funds: In summary, the charity received 287,153(2019-
Briefstatement ofthe charity's policy on reserves		F77,410)in unrestricted income, and spent f76,981 (2019—F75,668). The balance of unrestricted funds at 31"December 2020 was f25,095
		after transfers to restricted funds (2019 - 814,923). While the charity's
		financial model ofpaying counsellors an hourly rate for client appointments, and clients contribute on the basis ofaffordability, has served well there isa continuing need to transfer unrestricted funds to the
		bursary fund to meet demands from those in need.
		Bursary fund: During 2020, tbe charity awarded grants towards fees from the bursary fund ofE13r163.(2019.—f10870) to 39clients (2019— 43 clients). With the arrival ofthe COVID lockdown, and expected
		increase in demand for the charity's help, a programme ofseeking grant
		support from available sources was accelerated. We are delighted and
		thankful that grants and gifts were received from Kent Community
		Foundation —Vulnerable Adults Themed Programme, National Lottery
		Community Fund, John Lewis Community Fund, SirThomas Smythe's Charity, Tesco Bags of Help, and Tonbridge Lions. At 31"December 2020, the restricted bursary fund stood atf19,960(2019-E3,387). In
		2021,the charity plans to complete its cycle offeedback to donors in
		preparation for seeking further grants.
		Training bursary. " As no training courses ran in 2020, no grants were sought and the balance off1,702 is carried forward.
Details ofany funds materially
in deficit