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Annual Report and Accounts For year ending 31st March 2021

Together we can find a home for every child who needs one

Home for Good (a company limited by guarantee). Registered Address: 8 Angel Court, Copthall Avenue, London, EC2R 7HP. Charity Number (England & Wales): 115870. Charity Number (Scotland): SC046972. Company Registration Number (England & Wales): 9060425

Foreword

From the CEO

Nobody could have predicted the events that began to unfold at the beginning of 2020. In a year that has been synonymous with uncertainty, lockdowns and loss, Home for Good is humbled to share that despite the significant global impact of COVID-19 and the multiple dynamics across all sectors, we have continued to work with laser-like focus towards of vision of ‘Finding a home for every child who needs one’, and we have seen significant and encouraging impact.

It is well known that across the world the pandemic has most devastatingly affected the most vulnerable – and that is no different for children in care in the UK. It was not therefore a time for us to hunker down and wait for the pandemic to subside, but instead to relentlessly continue our work to find homes for the children who are waiting for them.

When Covid-19 initially forced a lockdown in March 2020, we had anticipated that with fewer opportunities for our regional staff and speakers to share in person across hundreds of churches in the UK, we would see enquiries of those interested in fostering and adopting decrease. However, in reality – and following the swift move to transition much of our work online – the opposite happened.

Home for Good saw a 33% increase in enquiries and out of the nearly 2,000 fostering and adoption enquiries we received, 20% connected with a local authority or adoption agency. Research into our work in Bristol has shown that enquirers who journey with Home for Good, joining a learning community through our Foundations course and who, with our support, go on to develop a greater ‘faith literacy’ to enable them to confidently speak with local authorities and adoption agencies, are 2.5 times more likely to have a positive assessment process. With an estimated 2,030[1] children waiting to be adopted in England, and around 8,600[2] foster carers needed in the UK, the need remains high, and this work is crucial.

As the pandemic took hold, all Home for Good events became virtual, not least our annual Summit, a fundamentally important conference to speak life and hope into those caring for vulnerable children and young people. Our Summit in November 2020 attracted 1,469 people – a far greater number than we’d ever had in any year previously.

As part of our mission to find homes, we continued work tirelessly to spark systemic change in the care system, driven by our belief that change is most effectively achieved through top-down and bottom-up activity. We are seeing significant traction as we translate the findings and stories from our on-the-ground work across the UK into useful policy and legislative recommendations. We continued to work closely with the vital Care Review in England and alongside the APPG for Adoption and Permanence, ensuring that the voices of vulnerable children are amplified, and those who care for them are seen and supported.

2020 saw a change in leadership at Home for Good, with the Founding Director Dr Krish Kandiah moving on to a fantastic new position within the Department for Education (DfE) as Chair of the Adoption and Special Guardianship Leadership Board. We thank Krish for his incredible work. Following a period whereby the Chair of Trustees, Alan Charter, held the reigns of Interim Executive Chair, I took over as Chief Executive in October 2020.

Though we were mid-pandemic, we embarked on a rigorous process of restructuring the organisation to be fit for purpose for the next decade, with a particular focus on building on multiple and substantial online opportunities, and the significant development of an evolving strategy which keeps finding homes at the top of our agenda, but within this goal gives a special focus to tackling racial disparity and caring for teenagers.

Home for Good is deeply to committed to finding homes, especially for those who wait the longest. As part of this work, we have been appalled to see the distinct and numerous disadvantages faced by Black and minority ethnic children in the care system. We know that Black children are disproportionately represented in our care system. While Black children make up 5% of the general population, they make up 7% of the looked after children population[3] , and Black children are then less likely to go on to be adopted and wait longer to find their adoptive family. Only 2% of children adopted each year are Black, with the number of Black children who were adopted between 2015 and 2019

02 Home For Good | Annual Report and Accounts year ending 31st March 2021

decreasing by 50%[4] . With this in mind, our strategic priority of tackling racial disparity began with significant work to call upon the Government to address this problem and continued through plans to increase strategic engagement with the Black Majority Church in the UK. We will continue to shed light on this issue, doing all we can to ensure that Black and minority ethnic children in care are found the homes that they so desperately need.

In the area of caring for teenagers, this year saw work undertaken to prepare for Home for Good to wrap a third ‘offer’ into our current work. Whilst we have been and continue to be known for our work inspiring and equipping people to foster and adopt, we began our work on a response to needs of teenagers in and around the care system, launching research into supported lodgings – a relationship-centred provision for teenagers that offers them a safe space in the home of a ‘host’. This is a crucial option; teenagers in and leaving care face numerous challenges and vulnerabilities. Care-experienced young people in England make up 25% of the homeless population[5] and almost 25% of the adult prison population[6] . They are three times more likely not to be in education, employment, or training[7] , and are four times more likely to suffer from poor physical and mental health 30 years down the line[8] . In many regions in England, it is estimated that up to half of women in prostitution spent time in care as children[9] .

A caring, compassionate home to belong to and a tribe to call family could in many instances mitigate against one, if not all, of these significant challenges for our young people. We are thrilled to be embarking on this journey to ensure that every child – and young person – has a place to belong.

In summary, brave decisions have been taken and, we believe, have paid off. Home for Good now has a centralised Enquiry Team who are able to serve people across the whole of the UK with information, guidance and signposting; an increased number of Regional Leads, with our presence now established in Wales; a jam-packed schedule of high-quality online events and training; and a crystal-clear vision to find homes for children here in the UK, with a strategy in place to reach out to, inspire and equip the 50,000 churches across the country, all of which represent a community that could step forward to care for vulnerable children.

The joy of this work is that we get to do it with you, our supporters, champions, donors, intercessors, corporate partners, churches, individuals and families. Together, we can find a home for every child who needs one.

Blessings,

Tarn

Tarn Bright, CEO

Strategic Engagement

Through our strategic engagement in every part of the UK we inspire individuals, churches and the faith community at large to play their part for vulnerable children through church engagement at local, regional and national levels, taking every opportunity to motivate the Church to respond.

Alongside church partnerships, we also seek to build purposeful and mutually beneficial relationships with other charities and networks, believing that we can go further together on behalf of vulnerable children.

Home for Good is positioned uniquely to connect, support and partner with churches, charities, local authorities, adoption agencies and other statutory bodies, in helping to find a home for every child that needs one. The need remains, and so through our strategic engagement we aspire to work inclusively, collaboratively and innovatively, helping to find loving homes for children and young people.

Andrew Hornsby, Director of Strategic Engagement

04 Home For Good | Annual Report and Accounts year ending 31st March 2021

In a pandemic year of distance and separation, we achieved our Strategic Engagement targets through innovative approaches, digital engagement and a determined response.

Inspiring churches through virtual speaking engagements

As churches navigated the need to connect online, Home for Good ensured we had teams available for pre-recorded and live speaking engagements, with an extraordinary response. Sharing virtually even provided the opportunity to visit multiple churches on a Sunday, reaching even further with our vision. Our team spoke in 111 churches over the year, with many online services being watched by increasing numbers and from further afield.

KEY STATS from the last year

Connecting further at Christmas and on Mother’s Day

Building on our experience of producing resources that meet the needs of church leaders on festival days and are significant in inspiring individuals in their fostering or adoption journey, we took a digital-first approach for Christmas 2020 and Mother’s Day 2021, creating packages that churches meeting online would value. In order to reach as widely as possible, Christmas resources were open access and they reached more than 13,200 users on social media. More churches engaged with Mother’s Day 2021 than ever before, with 596 different churches signing up to use our resources, representing thousands of people.

“This Christmas video message is really powerful.” Facebook user

111

churches spoken in by home for good staff in the last year (with many online services being watched by increasing numbers)

more than 13,2000 users on social media enagegd with our christmas resources

signed up to use our Mother’s day 596 2021 resources churches

enquiries about emergency fostering following our bristol lockdown campaign

with 13 foster carers approved and 17 more in the assessment process

Strategic Engagement (continued)

“Home for Good’s commitment to children and finding families has been outstanding, and we are very grateful to the team for their support during this time.”

Ann James, Director of Children and Families for Bristol City Council

Engaging with churches to find foster families in lockdown

Throughout Spring and Summer 2020, Home for Good worked closely with a number of local authorities to find foster carers from within church communities by raising awareness of the local need. We brought together church leaders in each area, offering bespoke digital resources to envision their congregation to respond, and also used targeted social media campaigns expand our reach. Bristol City Council (BCC) were the first local authority we were able to respond to and as a result of our appeal, 64 enquiries about emergency fostering have been responded to. As of March 2021, Home for Good have made 23 referrals to BCC with 13 foster carers have been approved and at least 17 prospective foster carers currently in the assessment process. Many who have been approved as emergency foster carers have gone on to mainstream fostering, and those who could only foster briefly are considering how they can continue to do so.

When the UK went into lockdown and we saw Home for Good’s campaign to find more foster carers in Bristol, a little idea began to turn into something real. The initial and ongoing support from Home for Good has been invaluable. Following our assessment, two children were placed with us. There have been hard moments, and tiring moments, and I’m on the phone or in meetings, or writing reports while the kids are at school most days – but each of these things I do with a new fire in my belly that I didn’t know I had. I am absolutely fighting for these children, to be sure that what they have experienced will not be the whole of their story.

Helen, foster carer

06 Home For Good | Annual Report and Accounts year ending 31st March 2021

Focus on: Strategic Engagement in Northern Ireland

Despite the challenges we’ve all faced in 2020, we’ve seen a fantastic response to our work in Northern Ireland. Over the past year through radio interviews, social media campaigns, online resources, online speaking engagements at churches/ conferences and developing a Northern Ireland prayer video, we have reached more than 32,000 people.

We have worked with 62 different churches, journeyed with 109 households exploring fostering or adoption, delivered a rolling programme of our online foundation course with 110 attendees. We have seen 41 households begin the assessment process and 15 households so far have been approved as foster carers or adopters. A number of new champions joined our champion network, to bring the number of champions in Northern Ireland to 44. There have been six active peer support groups connecting throughout the pandemic, either through zoom or WhatsApp.

“I absolutely loved hearing more about Home for Good on the zoom call. We look forward to further promoting the excellent work of Home for Good.” Church Leader, Richhill

“Home for Good have brought a new dimension to how we seek to promote adoption and fostering in the Southern Health and Social Care Trust. They bring an adoption and fostering expertise and real life experiences of many of their staff to the fore when engaging with the public and interested stakeholders.” Colm McCafferty, Assistant Director, Southern Trust

Due to the success of our work and the partnership with the Southern Trust, Home for Good secured an agreement to work together with the Regional Health and Social Care Board in 2021-2022, covering all five Trust areas across Northern Ireland. This will inspire and journey with prospective foster carers across Northern Ireland with an established referral system to their local HSC Trust. We will be engaging champions to support us with the delivery of the partnership. It is a phenomenal opportunity for the Church to be part of the solution in finding a home for very child who needs one.

more than we have worked with and journeyed with 32,000 62 109 people reached different households through the northern churches exploring fostering ireland prayer video or adoption

Influencing

Drawing together advocacy, media engagement, research, fundraising and digital communications, we seek to influence the Church, the Government, the sector and wider society, raising awareness of the needs of vulnerable children.

Our credible voice is bringing a shift in cultural attitudes and meaningful improvements to policy and practice, to ensure every child and young person has the home environment they need with a family for life.

We are passionate about sharing the work of Home for Good – and the many incredible stories we hear every day – with a whole range of audiences. From working with Government to spark the systemic change needed to find a home for every child who needs one, to reaching thousands of people through our social media and campaigns and building strategic partnerships across sectors, we are committed to demonstrating that there is great hope for vulnerable children in the UK.

Lucy Colman, Director of Influencing

08 Home For Good | Annual Report and Accounts year ending 31st March 2021

Our reach increases year-on-year as we focus our activity on key priorities that will achieve the greatest impact for vulnerable children

Tackling racial disparity in the care system

In October 2020, Home for Good launched an Open Letter, calling on the Government to tackle the issue of racial disparity as part of the upcoming Care Review in England. We posted the letter in December, with the backing of 24,000 individuals and numerous organisations. In March 2021, the Chair announced in the first official document published as part of the Review that as a result of our Open Letter, the review would specifically consider racial disparities at play across the system. Shortly after, he invited the Home for Good team to meet with him privately where we were able to put to him our recommendations as to how this work might be taken forward. He informed us that he would be establishing one taskforce as part of the review, whose sole focus would be on racial disparities. We have been so encouraged to see the direct impact of our Open Letter in convening support across the sector and influencing the Review.

Another issue that has been brought to my attention both through the Call for Advice and by the many signatories of an open letter coordinated by Home for Good, is the question of racial disparities across children’s social care. One example of this is that Black children and children from some other ethnic groups are significantly more likely to be in care. My intention is that the review will look to understand this issue in more depth and consider what should be done to address it.

Josh MacAlister, ‘Early Plans’, March 2021

KEY STATS from the last year

24,000 INDIVIDUALS (plus numerous organisations)

BACKED OUR OPEN LETTER TO GOVERNMENT TO TACKLE THE ISSUE OF RACIAL DISPARITY IN CARE

39%%

INCREASE IN 39%% INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS 22% INCREASE IN facebook FOLLOWERS

a total reach of over 2 million people

£25,000 crowdfunder TARGET REACHED IN just 20 DAYS

our father’s day campaign reached over

340,000 people across our social media channels

(continued) Influencing

Bookending the year with innovative fundraising campaigns

As the coronavirus pandemic took hold in April 2020, Home for Good launched a Crowdfunder campaign to enable us to continue delivering vital services and step up our work finding homes for children coming into care in an emergency. The £25,000 target was reached within 20 days of its one-month window, through 262 supporters, many of whom were new to Home for Good. In March 2021, we worked with the digital gifting company Huggg to launch an incentivebased regular donor acquisition campaign for Mother’s Day, enabling new donors to receive or gift a box of brownies. The appeal performed 57% better than previous regular giving campaigns.

After growing up in the foster care system I want to give back to those who are actually making a positive difference to every child who deserves to have a loving and safe home where they truly belong. I believe in Home for Good and fully support and honour the heart behind all they do making a difference one child at a time.

Crowdfunder supporter

Finding supportive and safe homes for children especially in times of crisis is so important. Thank you Home for Good for all your campaigning for children and young people. Crowdfunder supporter

As a foster carer, I can see at close hand the need for vulnerable children to have the social work support they need to keep them safe. Thank you, Home for Good, for highlighting this need to the church, and for being there to support us.

Crowdfunder supporter

10 Home For Good | Annual Report and Accounts year ending 31st March 2021

Transatlantic learning exchange

In July 2020, Home for Good had the privilege of convening an inaugural learning exchange on adoption between the UK Government and their Ministerial counterparts in the USA. The event was an opportunity for each nation to hear about the innovative practice occurring and to be inspired to consider where such practice might be replicated in their own nation. We heard directly from care-experienced individuals, as well as leaders and pioneers in the world of adoption from both countries. Each nation shared about the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on their care system, with a shared ambition to improve the care system and take forward lessons learnt through the pandemic. Attendees were incredibly positive about the event, highlighting the invaluable insight and learning that had been gleaned, with a strong desire shared to take the learning forward and continue hearing from other countries.

APPG for Adoption and Permanence

We continue to provide joint secretariat to the APPG with our friends at Adoption UK. During June 2020, the APPG held two evidence sessions to hear about the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on adoption, focusing on the education of adopted children, and the journeys of individuals and families seeking to become adoptive families. Following these sessions, the Chair of the APPG Rachael Maskell wrote a letter to the Children’s Minister, calling for her to address challenges within the system and made a submission to a consultation hosted by the Department for Education on the temporary regulations put in place during the pandemic.

A year of increased reach and digital engagement

During a year where digital content and communications became vital for many parts of society, Home for Good saw increased growth, engagement and development across our digital channels. Most notably, Home for Good’s Instagram following increased by 39% over the year and our Facebook activities led to an 22% increase in followers and a total reach of over 2 million.

In June 2020 we shared our Father’s Day ‘At Home’ broadcast with contributions from more than a dozen influencers, including Pete Greig, Danielle Strickland, Diane-Louise Jordan, Tim and Rachel Hughes, and David and Carrie Grant. Their stories reached more than 340,000 people across our social media channels, and over the month we had more than 100,000 engagements (like, comment, share etc.) on our posts.

“Thank you for an inspirational broadcast.” Facebook comment

Programme

Through our comprehensive programme of resources, training, events and services, we inform and equip individuals and churches at every stage of their journey from inspiration to welcoming a vulnerable child – and beyond.

Our network of volunteer Champions are resourced and empowered to represent Home for Good in their churches and communities, enabling our vision and work to reach further into every part of the UK.

At Home for Good we are committed to our network of supporters, enquirers, churches and Champions, and know that it is through each one being equipped to play their part that we will find a home for every child who needs one and see children’s lives transformed.

Amy Burns, Director of Programme

12 Home For Good | Annual Report and Accounts year ending 31st March 2021

In the midst of a global pandemic, we experienced a surge of individuals and churches standing with us and stepping up to play their part for vulnerable children.

Journeying with more enquirers than ever before

As lockdown gripped the UK, more people than ever before contacted Home for Good to begin their enquiry journey. Over the year we responded to 1869 enquiries, offering information, advice and prayer support as families stepped up to explore fostering or adoption.

KEY STATS from the last year

enquiries from people exploring fostering or adoption

1,869

home for good champions (with 43 new champions 404 stepping up this year)

fully booked online 32 foundation courses journeying with over 240 households

registered to join our online summit , representing almost 800 churches

1,469

more than in donations at summit 2020 £8,000

Empowering Champions to reach their community

Despite the year we have experienced, 43 individuals stepped up to become a Home for Good Champion, bringing our total to 404. Champions are the lifeblood of Home for Good, raising awareness of the need in their churches, connecting with local enquirers, fundraising, speaking on behalf of Home for Good and facilitating peer support for foster and adoptive families.

“As a Home for Good Champion, I long to see more and more churches develop a prayerful and active concern for vulnerable children and those who care for them.”

Roger, Champion

Programme (continued)

Pivoting our Foundations course for online use

In April, we redeveloped our Foundations course to be able to offer our enquirers the chance to continue the conversation through six weeks of Zoom calls with our staff and champions, studying the Bible and considering some of the important challenges that face vulnerable children. The take up for the course was considerable, and by March 2021 we had launched 32 fully booked courses, journeying with 243 households.

We found the foundations course extremely helpful, it’s really great preparation for anyone considering fostering or adoption. It was an opportunity to consider the process, hear stories, discuss some of the challenges, reflect and pray together.

Foundations participant

The Foundations course came at exactly the right time for us. It was great to get our heads into the process and meet people who had experience of adoption and fostering, and others on a similar journey. Foundations participant

We had talked about fostering for a long time but doing the Foundations course with Home for Good really cemented for us that this was something our family could do, so we started filling in the paperwork. Less than a month after we were approved, we received a phone call about two-year-old twins who needed a home, who arrived at our door four hours later. Since being part of Foundations, we’ve remained connected with Home for Good and the support from this network has meant so much to us. Being in lockdown it was really valuable to have contact with the team and to be connected with Champions for support and prayer.

Donna, Foster Carer

14 Home For Good | Annual Report and Accounts year ending 31st March 2021

Focus on: Summit 2020

As it became clear that gathering hundreds of people for our annual conference would be impossible in the autumn of 2020, we sought to recreate the event online with resounding success. 1,469 adults registered to take part, representing almost 800 churches from every part of the UK, and including delegates from 12 other countries around the globe. The week-long conference with both prerecorded sessions and live webinars generated more than £8,000 in donations and 65 new fostering or adoption enquiries.

Not wanting to overlook the children and young people who are such an integral part of the Summit, we created activity packs for them with our friends at YFC and sent out 400 to children throughout the UK. The packs proved so popular that they ran out within a few weeks of opening bookings, before the online Summit itself had even taken place, so we created a digital version of the pack, which was accessed by 409 families.

“I came away even more passionate about advocating for kids and our fostering journey has begun far earlier than intended!” Summit delegate

“The provision for the kids has been fantastic!” Summit delegate

“Such God centred teaching. God spoke to us so much through these sessions. A wonderful variety of contributors who were such a blessing to listen to.”

Summit delegate

Reference and administrative details

Trustees Alan Charter (Chair) Jeremy Cooper (Vice Chair) George Stylianides (Treasurer) (resigned 13/10/21) Sue Colman Laura Eades Dominic Llewellyn Eddie Lyle (resigned 14/01/2021) Chief Executive Krish Kandiah (01/03/20 – 20/06/20) Alan Charter (Interim Executive Chair: 20/06/20 – 05/10/20) Tania Bright (appointed 5/10/20) Banks CAF Bank 25 Kings Hill Ave, West Malling, ME19 4JQ NatWest 40 Whitgift Centre, Croydon, CR0 1UQ Nationwide Nationwide House, Pipers Way, Swindon, SN38 1NW Accountants Finance Box 189 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR Solicitor (Charity) Anthony Collins Solicitors LLP 134 Edmund Street, Birmingham, B3 2ES Solicitor Paul Roberts, Keelys LLP(Employment Law) 28 Dam Street, Lichfield, Staffordshire, WS13 6AA Independent Auditors Andrew Stickland, Moore Kingston Smith LLP Devonshire House, 60 Goswell Road, London, EC1M 7AD

Registered Charity Number England & Wales): 1158707 Registered Charity Number (Scotland): SC046972 Company Registration Number (England & Wales): 9060425 Registered Address: 8 Angel Court, Copthall Avenue, London, EC2R 7HP

16 Home For Good | Annual Report and Accounts year ending 31st March 2021

Structure, governance and management

Trustees

The trustees are responsible for Home for Good. As stated by the Charity Commission, their responsibilities are to ensure the charity is carrying out its purposes for the public benefit, comply with the charity’s governing documents and the law, act in the charity’s best interests, manage the charity’s resources responsibly, act with reasonable care and skill, and ensure the charity is accountable.

In planning the activities, the trustees have had regard to the guidance on public benefit issued by the Charity Commission.

Trustees are appointed by existing trustees. The induction and training of trustees includes:

Reading an induction pack including the Charity Commissions booklet, “The essential trustee: what you need to know, what you need to do” (CC3), our Memorandum and Articles of Association, Home for Good’s trustee manual (currently being written), most recent annual accounts / report, most recent strategic plan, and other relevant documents.
Meeting with the chair of trustees and chief executive. The nature of this meeting will largely depend on what was covered during the recruitment process but it will be an opportunity for new trustees to ask questions about Home for Good and explore more about their role as trustee.
Getting to know the staff team. Within approximately three months of becoming a trustee, we will arrange for a new trustee to join a Directorate meeting, staff meeting, or to visit the Home for Good office. Trustees are all encouraged to attend the annual Home for Good Summit – but particularly during their first year as a trustee.

Leadership

Krish Kandiah was Chief Executive from March 2020 until June 2020, previously held by Phil Green. Alan Charter (Board Chair) became the Interim Executive Chair from June 2020 until October 2020, whilst recruitment for a permanent Chief Executive occurred. Tania Bright was appointed in this role in October 2020. Tania was initially supported by an incumbent Senior Leadership Team which she restructured into a Directorate, four Directors overseeing a Division each. Influencing; Strategic Engagement; Programme; Finance and Infrastructure. The Directorate represent all areas of our work and are responsible for outworking the core mission of ‘finding a home for every child who needs one’.

Renumeration of senior staff is reviewed annually by trustees and CEO using available charity sector information.

Advisory boards

We have Advisory Boards in Northern Ireland and Scotland. An Advisory Board for our burgeoning work in Wales is being developed and will be informed by best practice in Northern Ireland and Scotland. Their remit is to support and advise the work of Home for Good in these nations, given the variations of devolved government, commissioning mechanisms and nuances across the landscape of the Church.

The governing documents of Home for Good are Memorandum and Articles of Association dated 28th May 2014 and the charity is constituted as a company limited by guarantee.

Updates from the Charity Commission. As part of our endeavour to not only be compliant but be an example of good practice, we commit to read, and disseminate as necessary, updates from the Charity Commission.

Structure, governance and management (continued)

Risk management

The trustees and Directorate consider the risks to Home for Good on a regular basis and systems are in place to manage risk, using a risk register as a dashboard. Assessing risk is also built into the development and ongoing monitoring of each programme.

The areas of risk outlined in the risk register and our plans to manage them are:

Financial resilience

As a young charity, we do not have a long history of established income streams. There is, however, a spread of income from different sources, and we are pursuing a detailed fundraising strategy to further strengthen and diversify income. Reserve levels are slightly below target, but we are committed to managing our finances to maintain these to a responsible level.

Governance and compliance

Home for Good is committed not only to meet all the requirements of the Charity Commission, Companies House and other relevant regulatory bodies, but to be a model of good practice. We ensure we are aware of the impact of changes to legislation and guidelines, and as our activities develop, we are checking whether that introduces the need for us to comply with additional legislation or guidelines.

Information and data security

We collect, hold and use personal data for our charitable purposes – some of which is considered to be sensitive personal data. We continue to review and amend our policies. We did not have any significant data protection breaches during the year.

Brand and reputation

We are aware that our brand is a significant asset to us and makes the majority of our work possible, therefore protecting it is a priority. We produce guidelines for staff, partners and volunteers, hold training sessions and continually review activities and communications across the Home for Good network.

Failure to deliver contracts / partnership programmes

Each year we learn more, making it possible to establish increasingly realistic expectations. We only take on new working Commissioned Agreements if we know we have the capacity and competence to deliver and set success indicators that are in our control alongside indicators we have less control over. We seek to build long-term relationships with commissioners where we are innovating together.

Overreaching

There are a huge number of opportunities where we could make a positive impact in the lives of vulnerable children, foster carers, and adoptive families. Therefore, we have to be careful about what we do and don’t do.

Losing staff

Alongside being proactive to make sure that our staff retention is good, we are building in processes to ensure that we can effectively hand over work if staff leave (with warning) and can pick up urgent tasks if staff are suddenly out-of-action.

Health, safety and environment

We have identified four particular areas of risk – home working and working hours and workload, working environment, travel and manual handling. We are seeking to mitigate these risks through policies and guidelines, training, good line management and peer-to-peer accountability.

Safeguarding

External factors

Our work is impacted by the continually changing fostering and adopting landscape in the UK - as a result of legal precedence, government policy, legislative change and social work practice. We make sure we stay on top of the landscape and are creating an organisation that, while having a clear direction, remains agile so we can effectively respond to changes. Our broad funding base is a vital factor in ensuring our resilience in an ever-changing landscape.

We have a safeguarding policy that is approved by the Churches’ Child Protection Advisory Service, is reviewed regularly, is part of the induction process, and there is annual refresher awareness training. All local movements must have appropriate safeguarding policies in place.

18 Home For Good | Annual Report and Accounts year ending 31st March 2021

Relationship with other organisations

Home for Good is committed to working collaboratively to achieve our charitable objectives.

Adoption Agreements

The aim of our Adoption Agreements is to find homes for children who wait the longest for adoption and ensure that adoptive families receive the support they need. During the year 2020 - 2021 we held agreements with six agencies.

Adoption Matters
Adoption Focus
Caritas Care (Ended 31/08/20)
Diagrama Foundation (Ended 31/11/20)
Parents and Children Together
St Francis Children’s Society
North Somerset Council
Nottingham City Council
Northamptonshire County Council
Oxfordshire County Council
Reading Borough Council
Southampton City Council
TACT (including Peterborough City Council)
Tower Hamlets Council
Triborough – The Shared Service of Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham and Westminster City Council
West Berkshire Council
Wirral Council

Fostering Agreements

Initially launched off the back of our campaign to find foster carers for unaccompanied minors, our Fostering Agreements enable us to connect people who are thinking about fostering with a partner local authority or agency in their area.

Active relationships

Achieving for Children (Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and Windsor and Maidenhead)
Bath and North East Somerset
Bristol City Council
Diagrama Foundation
East Lothian Council
Foster Care Cooperative
Leeds City Council
Lewisham Council
London Borough of Bexley
Nottinghamshire County Council
Southern Health & Social Care Trust
Stoke-on-Trent City Council

Local Movements

Currently there are five active Local Movements, listed on Home for Good’s website. Each Local Movements aligns to an agreed working arrangement, in partnership with Home for Good. Local Movements actively respond to local needs across the sector, whilst supporting existing carers and inspiring Christians to play their part in finding homes for children. The five Local Movement are as follows:

Bath Area: Operates under the charity Genesis Trust: https://genesistrust.org.uk/projects/home-for-good/
Suffolk Area: Has created new charity for their Home for Good work called Transforming Futures Suffolk: https://www.tfsuffolk.org.uk/
Leicester: recently have registered as an independent charity and are developing a trauma-informed focus.
Worcestershire: A new charity named Worcestershire Churches Supporting Adoption and Fostering; developing a region-wide strategy.
Bolton: Bolton’s Local Movement forms part of Urban Outreach.
Wiltshire Council

Historic relationships

(To whom we would still refer prospective carers)

Action for Children
Dean and Cauvin
Derbyshire County Council
Ealing Borough Council
Fairways
Royal Brough of Greenwich
Leicester City Council
Liverpool City Council

Alliances and other

We are members of the following groups within related sectors:

Global Church Pledge Facilitation Group
Kinship Care Alliance
NARSG
Refugee and Migrant Children’s Consortium
Alliance for Children in Care and Care Leavers
APPG for Adoption and Permanence (co-secretariat with Adoption UK)

Financial Review

Reserves Policy

Our reserves policy is to ensure that Home for Good has sufficient funds to meet its financial commitments, to demonstrate that the organisation is sustainable in the medium term, to ensure that we can manage future unforeseen financial challenges and to ensure that excessive funds are not held without any identifiable reason or for any unidentifiable purpose.

The trustees have decided that the target level of free reserves should be three month’s operating costs. By reference to organisational budgets, the current target level is £400K. Free reserves at 31 March 2021 were £278K. Although this figure is below target, the trustees are confident, given operational strategy now in place, that this level will be improved over the next two years.

Designated Funds

Designated Funds are to be used to further the core vision of ‘finding homes for every child who needs one’ between 2020-2024, together with strengthening the organisation for the medium term which has been undertaken through an organisational restructure and clarification of mission.

Where appropriate, we have commercial participator agreements with businesses. To date, all businesses that raise money for us in this way have approached us to do this. All such agreements are signed and monitored by both Home for Good and the commercial participator.

We are committed to the highest standards in fundraising practice and we are regulated by the Fundraising Regulator (joined 11th December 2017).

Funding Sources

We continue to be deeply encouraged at how much incredible support we receive from individuals, churches, businesses and grant making trusts across the United Kingdom, with each one committed to finding homes for vulnerable children. We simply could not do what we do without such generosity. Thank you to all those who continue to share their resources with us in order to find homes for vulnerable children.

This year, our income was, £1,297,621. Including furlough grants, this is £107,420 above the previous year excluding the unexpected anonymous donation (given via Stewardship) of £3,000,000.

A new concept called City Wide Strategies is being embedded, where a city will be reached ‘at large’ with campaigning for homes through mechanisms such as Unity Movements; Churches Together movements; and largescale events such as Festival Manchester which is the first prototype in 2022.

As well as fostering and adoption, which will always be two methods of caring for children and young people, we are investing into the expansion of Supported Lodgings across the UK, another means by which young people can be cared for in a safe and loving home. Further prototypes in partnership-working to create other models for care-leaving young people are being developed. Some of this activity has been delayed or slowed down due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Fundraising

Our fundraising plans are approved by trustees and monitored by the leadership team. The majority of our income (see more details below) is generated through charitable donations we receive from individuals, churches, grant making trusts and businesses. Our fundraising activities are primarily conducted by our staff team, from time-to-time drawing on the expertise of advisors.

Funding Sources:

----- Start of picture text -----
1%
6%
5%
9%
39%
8%
32%
----- End of picture text -----

Individuals (including Gift Aid & sponsored events) Trusts and foundations

Grants related to the Pathway to Adoption Businesses

Churches

Work with Local Authorities and Fostering Agencies (1%) Other (including furlough grants)

20 Home For Good | Annual Report and Accounts year ending 31st March 2021

Statement of Board’s Responsibilities

The Trustees (who are also Directors of Home for Good for the purposes of Company Law) are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Annual Report (including the Strategic Report) and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations.

Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial period that give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period. In preparing those financial statements, the trustees are required to:

select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
observe the methods and principles in the ‘Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice 2015’ (‘Charities SORP’);
make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
state whether FRS 102 ‘The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland’ has been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and
prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in business.

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006, the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 as amended by The Charities Accounts (Scotland) Amendment (No. 2) Regulations 2014.

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. In so far as the Board of Trustees is aware:

there is no relevant audit information of which the company’s auditors are unaware; and
they have taken all the steps that they ought to have taken as Trustees to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the company’s auditors are aware of that information.

The Trustees’ Annual Report is approved by the trustees of the Charity. The Strategic Report, which forms part of the Annual Report, is approved by the trustees in their capacity as directors in company law of the Charity.

By order of the Board of Trustees on 07th December 2021 and signed on its behalf:

J Cooper

Jeremy Cooper, Acting Chair

Independent Auditor’s Report

To the Trustees and Members of Home for Good

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of Home for Good for the year ended 31 March 2021 which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, the Balance Sheet, the Cash Flow Statement and notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. 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:

give a true and fair view of the state of the charitable company’s affairs as at 31 March 2021 and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure, for the year then ended;
have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and
have been prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 2006, the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 (as amended), regulations 6 and 8 of the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended) and the Charities Act 2011.

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, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other information. 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.

In connection with our audit of the financial statements, 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 audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other information. 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.

22 Home For Good | Annual Report and Accounts year ending 31st March 2021

Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

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

the information given in the trustees’ annual report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and
the trustees’ annual report have been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

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’ annual report.

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters where the Companies Act 2006, the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended) and the Charities Act 2011 require us to report to you if, in our opinion:

the parent charitable company has not kept adequate and sufficient accounting records, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or
the parent charitable company’s financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or
certain disclosures of trustees’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or
we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.

Responsibilities of trustees

As explained more fully in the trustees’ responsibilities statement set out on page 21, 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

We have been appointed as auditor under Section 44(1)(c) of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005, the Companies Act 2006 and Section 151 of the Charities Act 2011 and report to you in accordance with regulations made under those Acts.

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 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.

Independent Auditor’s Report (continued)

Explanation as to what extent the audit was considered capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud

The objectives of our audit in respect of fraud, are; to identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements due to fraud; to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence regarding the assessed risks of material misstatement due to fraud, through designing and implementing appropriate responses to those assessed risks; and to respond appropriately to instances of fraud or suspected fraud identified during the audit. However, the primary responsibility for the prevention and detection of fraud rests with both management and those charged with governance of the charitable company.

Our approach was as follows:

We obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory requirements applicable to the charitable company and considered that the most significant are [the Companies Act 2006, the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 (as amended), regulations 6 and 8 of the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended), the Charities Act 2011, the Charity SORP, and UK financial reporting standards as issued by the Financial Reporting Council]
We obtained an understanding of how the charitable company complies with these requirements by discussions with management and those charged with governance.
We assessed the risk of material misstatement of the financial statements, including the risk of material misstatement due to fraud and how it might occur, by holding discussions with management and those charged with governance.
We inquired of management and those charged with governance as to any known instances of non-compliance or suspected non-compliance with laws and regulations.
Based on this understanding, we designed specific appropriate audit procedures to identify instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. This included making enquiries of management and those charged with governance and obtaining additional corroborative evidence as required.

As part of an audit in accordance with ISAs (UK) we exercise professional judgement and maintain professional scepticism throughout the audit. We also:

Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error, design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control.
Obtain an understanding of internal control relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purposes of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the charitable company’s internal control.
Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates and related disclosures made by the trustees.
Conclude on the appropriateness of the trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting and, based on the audit evidence obtained, whether a material uncertainty exists related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the group and parent charitable company’s ability to continue as a going concern. If we conclude that a material uncertainty exists, we are required to draw attention in our auditor’s report to the related disclosures in the financial statements or, if such disclosures are inadequate, to modify our opinion. Our conclusions are based on the audit evidence obtained up to the date of our auditor’s report. However, future events or conditions may cause the charitable company to cease to continue as a going concern.
Evaluate the overall presentation, structure and content of the financial statements, including the disclosures, and whether the financial statements represent the underlying transactions and events in a manner that achieves fair presentation.
Obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence regarding the financial information of the entity or business activities to express an opinion on the consolidated financial statements. We are responsible for the direction, supervision and performance of the audit. We remain solely responsible for our audit report.

24 Home For Good | Annual Report and Accounts year ending 31st March 2021

We communicate with those charged with governance regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit and significant audit findings, including any significant deficiencies in internal control that we identify during our audit.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the charitable company’s members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006; and to the charity’s trustees, as a body, in accordance with Section 44(1)(c) of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005, and in respect of the consolidated financial statements, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 8 of the Charities Act 2011. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charitable company’s members and trustees those matters which we are required to state to them 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 any party other than the charitable company, the charitable company’s members, as a body, and the charity’s trustees, as a body for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinion we have formed.

Andrew Stickland (Senior Statutory Auditor)

for and on behalf of Moore Kingston Smith LLP, Statutory Auditor

Date: 27/01/2022

Devonshire House 60 Goswell Road London EC1M 7AD

Moore Kingston Smith LLP is eligible to act as auditor in terms of Section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006.

Statement of Financial Activities

(for the year ending 31st March 2021)

----- Start of picture text -----
Unrestricted Restricted 2021 2020
Funds Funds Total Total
Notes £ £ £ £
INCOME FROM
Donations and legacies 715,933 286,080 1,002,013 3,955,244
Charitable activities 179,412 106,637 286,049 211,462
Other trading activities 633 - 633 5,656
Investments 8,926 - 8,926 17,839
Total Income 904,904 392,717 1,297,621 4,190,201
EXPENDITURE ON
Raising Funds 2 111,208 - 111,208 99,429
Charitable activities 3 910,786 367,053 1,277,839 1,265,337
Total Expenditure 1,021,994 367,053 1,389,047 1,364,766
Net income before transfers (117,090) 25,664 (91,426) 2,825,435
Transfer - - - -
Net expenditure/income for the year (117,090) 25,664 (91,426) 2,847,935
Total funds brought forward £3,296,053 £151,304 £3,447,357 £621,922
Total funds carried forward 13/14 £3,178,963 £176,968 £3,355,931 £3,447,357
----- End of picture text -----

The company’s income and expenditure all relate to continuing operations. The company has no recognised gains or losses other than shown above. The accompanying notes form an integral part of these financial statements.

26 Home For Good | Annual Report and Accounts year ending 31st March 2021

Balance Sheet

(as of 31st March 2021)

----- Start of picture text -----
2021 2021 2020 2020
Notes £ £ £ £
FIXED ASSETS
Tangible Assets 8 5,159 15,009
Intangible Assets 9 5,602 11,205
10,761 26,214
CURRENT ASSETS
Debtors 10 164,367 149,039
Cash at bank and in hand 3,288,771 3,326,333
3,453,138 3,475,372
Creditors: Amounts falling
due within one year 11 (107,968) 54,227
NET CURRENT ASSETS 3,345,170 3,421,145
Total assets less Current Liabilities £3,355,931 3,447,357
FUNDS
Restricted Funds 176,968 151,304
Unrestricted Funds
Designated Funds 2,901,396 3,000,000
General Funds 277,567 296,053
13/14 £3,355,931 £3,447,357
----- End of picture text -----

The accompanying notes form an integral part of these financial statements.

The accounts on pages 26 to 37 were approved and authorised for issue by the Board of Trustees on 07th December 2021 and signed on its behalf by:

J Cooper

Jeremy Cooper, Acting Chair

Registered Company Number: 9060425

Statement of cash flows

(as of 31st March 2021)

----- Start of picture text -----
2021 2021 2020 2020
£ £ £ £
Cash flows from operating
activities
Net income for the year (91,426) 2,825,435
Adjustments for:
Depreciation charges 9,778 12,072
Amortisation charges 5,603 5,603
(Profit) / loss on the sale of tangible fixed assets (237) 211
Interest (8,926) (17,839)
Increase in debtors (15,328) (86,241)
Increase (decrease) in creditors 53,741 (11,301)
Net cash provided by
operating activities (46,795) 2,727,940
Cash flows from investing activities
Interest 8,926 17,839
Proceeds on disposal of tangible fixed assets 1,517 0
Purchase of tangible fixed assets (1,211) (14,753)
9,232 3,086
Change in cash and cash
equivalents in the year (37,563) 2,731,026
Cash and cash equivalents at the
3,326,332 595,306
beginning of the year
3,288,771 3,326,332
----- End of picture text -----

28 Home For Good | Annual Report and Accounts year ending 31st March 2021

Notes to the Financial Statements

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES

1.1 Basis of preparation

These financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102). The charity is a public benefit entity for the purposes of FRS 102 and therefore have also prepared the financial statements in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (The FRS 102 Charities SORP) and the Charities Act 2011.

The financial statements have been prepared to give a ‘true and fair’ view and have departed from the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 only to the extent required to provide a ‘true and fair view’. This departure has involved following Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) rather than the Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice effective from 1 April 2005 which has since been withdrawn.

1.2 Going Concern

The trustees have assessed whether the use of the going concern basis is appropriate and have considered possible events or conditions that might cast significant doubt on the ability of the charity to continue as a going concern. The trustees have made this assessment for a period of at least one year from the date of approval of the financial statements. In particular, the trustees have considered the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. To date there has not been a significant change in income and there has been a successful transition to an online model for engagement. Costs have been controlled and use has been made of the furlough scheme. Trustees have considered forecasts and projections and based on the above, the level of reserves and the significant donation received in the previous financial year, they have concluded that there is a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. The charity therefore continues to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements.

1.2 Income and Expenditure

Income is included in the Statement of Financial Activities when the charitable company is entitled to the income, receipt is probable and the amount can be measured reliably. Donations are accounted for when they are received. Unrestricted contract and grant income is recognised in proportion to the work completed, receipts in advance are deferred to future accounting periods.

Expenditure is recognised in the period in which it is incurred and includes attributable VAT which cannot be recovered.

Expenditure is allocated to charitable activity where the cost relates directly to that activity. However, the cost of overall direction and administration activity, comprising the salary, governance and other support costs, is apportioned based on an estimate of staff attributable.

1.4 Tangible Fixed Assets and Depreciation

Tangible fixed assets are stated at cost less depreciation. Items over £500 are capitalised. Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write off the cost less estimated residual value of each asset over its expected useful life, as follows:

Computer Equipment 33.3% straight line Office Equipment 50% straight line

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)

1.5 Intangible Fixed Assets and Amortisation

Intangible fixed assets are stated at cost less depreciation. Items over £500 are capitalised. Amortisation is provided at rates calculated to write off the cost less estimated residual value of each asset over its expected useful life, as follows:

Website 25% straight line

1.6 Operating Leases

Rentals payable under operating leases are charged on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease.

1.7 Pension Costs

The charity has a defined contribution auto-enrolment pension scheme for all members of staff. Pension costs charged in the Statement of Financial Activities represent the contributions payable by the charity in the year.

1.8 Fund Accounting

Funds held by the charitable company are either:

Unrestricted general funds – these are funds which can be used in accordance with the company’s charitable objects at the discretion of the trustees
Designated funds – comprise funds which have been set aside at the discretion of the trustees for specific purposes.
Restricted funds – these are funds that can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charitable company. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.

Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.

----- Start of picture text -----
2. EXPENDITURE ON RAISING FUNDS Total Unrestricted Total Unrestricted
2021 £ 2020 £
Direct staff costs 41,413 72,102
Other direct costs 52,457 808
Support costs (note 4) 17,338 26,519
111,208 99,429
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
3. EXPENDITURE ON CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES Total Total
2021 £ 2020 £
Direct staff costs 858,963 765,586
Other direct costs 105,002 218,175
Support costs (note 4) 359,604 281,576
1,323,569 1,265,337
----- End of picture text -----

30 Home For Good | Annual Report and Accounts year ending 31st March 2021

----- Start of picture text -----
4. SUPPORT COSTS Raising Charitable Total Total
funds activities 2021 2020
£ £ £ £
Staff Costs 8,552 177,385 185,937 166,082
IT & Database 584 12,121 12,705 16,026
Office costs 2,531 52,496 55,027 62,370
Professional fees 1,176 24,390 25,566 17,964
Governance 452 9,378 9,830 11,027
Other Costs 4,043 83,834 87,877 34,626
17,338 359,604 376,942 308,095
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
Prior Year Raising Charitable Total
funds activities 2020
£ £ £
Staff Costs 14,295 151,787 166,082
IT & Database 1,379 14,647 16,026
Office costs 5,368 57,002 62,370
Professional fees 1,546 16,418 17,964
Governance 949 10,078 11,027
Other Costs 2,980 31,646 34,626
26,519 281,576 308,095
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
5. STAFF COSTS Total Total
2021 £ 2020 £
Wages and Salaries 938,428 855,835
Social Security Costs 68,765 55,300
Pension Costs 66,770 59,413
-
Redundancy Costs 12,350
Other Staff Costs 40,624 33,222
1,126,937 1,003,770
The average number of employees was:
Headcount 36 35
Full time equivalent 28 27
----- End of picture text -----

No employee received remuneration over £60,000 (2020: nil). Remuneration payable to key management personnel in aggregate was £261,625 (2020: £292,887)

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)

6. NET INCOME
This is stated after charging:	Total 2021 £	Total 2020 £
Independent auditors fees	8,940	8,940
Depreciation	9,778	12,072
Amortisation	5,603	5,603

7. TAXATION

The company is a registered charity and no taxation liabilities arise from its charitable activities.

8. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS - ALL FOR CHARITY USE	Computer Offce
COST	Equipment £ Equipment £ Total £
At 1st April 2020	36,194 £956 £37,150
Additions	1,211 - 1,211
Disposals	(1,548) (956) (2,504)
At 31st March 2021	35,857 - 35,857
DEPRECIATION
At 1st April 2020	22,062 £80 22,142
Charge for the year	9,539 239 9,778
Disposals	(903) (319) (1,222)
At 31st March 2021	30,698 - 30,698
NET BOOK VALUES
At 31st March 2021	5,159 - 5,159
At 1st April 2020	14,132 876 15,008

32 Home For Good | Annual Report and Accounts year ending 31st March 2021

. INTANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS – ALL FOR CHARITY USE	Website Total
COST	£ £
At 1st April 2020	22,410 22,410
Additions	- -
At 31st March 2021	22,410 22,410
DEPRECIATION
At 1st April 2020	11,205 11,205
Charge for the year	5,603 5,603
At 31st March 2021	16,808 16,808
NET BOOK VALUES
At 31st March 2021	5,602 5,602
At 1st April 2020	11,205 11,205

9. INTANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS – ALL FOR CHARITY USE

----- Start of picture text -----
10. DEBTORS Total Total
2021 2020
£ £
DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR
Accrued income 67,861 129,342
Prepayments and sundry debtors 96,506 19,697
164,367 149,038
11. CREDITORS Total Total
2021 2020
£ £
AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR
Trade Creditors 19,846 4,646
PAYE and Social Security costs 21,333 18,951
Deferred income 500 500
Accruals and sundry creditors 41,717 29,433
Other Creditors 24,572 697
107,968 54,227
----- End of picture text -----

12. PENSION COMMITMENTS

The charity contributes to a defined contribution auto enrolment pension plan for its employees. The assets of the plans are held separately from those of the charity in independently administered funds. The pension cost charge represents contributions payable by the charity to these plans and amounted to £66,770 during the year (2020 £59,413).

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)

----- Start of picture text -----
13. FUNDS Balance at Balance at
31st March 31st March
2020 Income Expenditure Transfer 2021
£ £ £ £ £
Home for Good – Scotland 18,410 63,983 70,390 - 12,003
Home for Good – Northern Ireland 9,612 77,672 86,291 - 993
- -
Families of Refuge 61,079 (45,730) 15,349
-
Enquiry Line 15,210 25,250 32,630 7,830
Home for Good Adoption - - -
73,337 73,337
Pathways (England)
-
Homecoming Project 32,046 20,874 27,724 25,196
- -
Regional Engagement Activities 6,704 2,500 9,204
- -
Change His Future 8,243 5,053 3,190
National church engagement - - -
10,000 10,000
campaigns
- - -
Bristol Campaign 22,331 22,331
- -
Care Review England 56,250 3,319 52,931
Enquirer Journeying - 75,000 175 - 74,825
- - -
Champion development 6,250 6,250
- - -
Regional activities: South West 5,000 5,000
Restricted funds 151,304 392,717 367,053 - 176,968
- -
Designated funds 3,000,000 98,604 2,901,396
Unrestricted funds 296,053 950,634 969,120 - 277,567
Total funds 3,447,357 1,343,351 1,434,777 - 3,355,931
----- End of picture text -----

34 Home For Good | Annual Report and Accounts year ending 31st March 2021

Families of Refuge is our programme that is working to find supported lodging accommodation for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children who are eligible to come to the UK under the so-called Dubs agreement but have previously been unable to travel due to a lack of available homes within the UK care system.

The Bristol Campaign is a city-wide fostering recruitment campaign.

National Church Engagement campaigns are resources to inspire and equip churches on Mother’s Day. Father’s Day and Christmas, raising awareness of the needs of looked after and care experienced children throughout the Church community.

We have received trust funding to run our Enquiry Line , enabling us to offer a helpful and responsive service to individuals exploring fostering or adoption.

Adoption Pathways (England) is our programme with Adoption Agencies in England to offer church engagement in specific geographic areas to find homes for children who wait the longest for adoption.

We received a grant to allow us to launch our work on the Homecoming project . It has the aim of inspiring and equipping individual Christians and churches across the UK to promote family-based care for children around the world.

Funds have been received to further our Regional Engagement Activities in specific locations across the country. This year this funding included work in Bristol, Berkshire, West Midlands, Bedfordshire and the North West.

Change His Future is an awareness-raising and recruitment campaign specifically focused on finding families to explore offering a fostering or adoptive home to Black children, particularly Black boys.

The Review of Children’s Social Care began in March 2021 and is due to conclude in Spring 2022. Chaired by the former CEO of Frontline, Josh MacAlister, the review has been dubbed a “once-in-a-generation” opportunity to reconsider the way in which we support and care for vulnerable children and families across England. Home for Good has been actively engaging and seeking to shape this review, recognising it as a pivotal opportunity to influence change to enable children and young people across England to flourish. Our work in this area has been made possible through the generous support of the UBS Optimus Foundation.

Funding towards Enquirer journeying has enabled us to further develop the service and support we offer, introducing the delivery of online events and courses to better resource and journey with individuals as they explore fostering or adoption.

Champion development is our resourcing and training of volunteers to support local activity in all parts of the UK.

Bristol was one area particularly impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak in regards to vulnerable children, so we launched an additional recruitment campaign with the South West to find emergency, temporary foster carers for Bristol City Council, many of those who went through assessment went on to complete full training and were approved at panel as mainstream foster carers. To complement the already existing peer support for adoptive families, we also launched a new weekly zoombased peer-to-peer fostering support group for households in assessment, new and existing carers, as the disruption to support services during the pandemic left many carers without the usual support, they might expect from local authority fostering teams.

Designated Funds – Designated funds are to be used to further the core vision of ‘finding homes for every child who needs one’ between 2020-2024, together with strengthening the organisation for the medium term which has been undertaken through an organisational restructure and clarification of mission.

A new concept called City Wide Strategies is being embedded, where a city will be reached ‘at large’ with campaigning for homes through mechanisms such as Unity Movements; Churches Together movements; and large-scale events such as Festival Manchester which is the first prototype in 2022.

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)

13. FUNDS (CONTINUED)

SUMMARY OF FUNDS IN THE PRIOR YEAR

----- Start of picture text -----
Balance at Balance at
31st March 31st March
2019 Income Expenditure Transfer 2020
£ £ £ £ £
Home for Good – Scotland - 69,126 50,716 - 18,410
Home for Good – Northern Ireland - 72,253 62,641 - 9,612
- -
Families of Refuge 100,000 38,921 61,079
National Conferences & Summits 3,007 - 3,007 - -
Children’s and Youth Worker
- - -
5,050 5,050
Training
-
Enquiry Line 15,000 23,760 23,550 15,210
Home for Good Adoption - - -
121,753 121,753
Pathways (England)
-
Homecoming Project 17,633 74,178 59,765 32,046
-
Regional Engagement Activities 18,218 21,760 33,274 6,704
-
Change His Future 20,000 11,757 8,243
National church
- - -
10,000 10,000
engagement campaigns
- - -
Faith Literacy Training 12,250 12,250
Restricted funds 53,858 530,130 432,648 - 151,304
-
Designated funds 300,000 300,000 3,000,000 3,000,000
Unrestricted funds 268,064 3,660,071 632,082 (3,000,000) 296,053
Total Funds 621,922 4,190,201 1,364,766 - 3,447,357
----- End of picture text -----

Income for the year to 31st March 2021 comprised donations and legacy income of £964,261 (including restricted income of £286,080), income from charitable activities of £255,132 (including restricted income of £106,637, and £633 of unrestricted income from other trading activities.

36 Home For Good | Annual Report and Accounts year ending 31st March 2021

14. ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BETWEEN FUNDS

----- Start of picture text -----
Unrestricted Restricted Designated Total
Funds Funds Funds 2021
£ £ £ £
FUND BALANCES AT 31ST MARCH
2021 ARE REPRESENTED BY
- -
Tangible Fixed Assets 5,159 5,159
- -
Intangible Fixed Assets 5,602 5,602
Debtors 164,367 - - 164,367
Cash 210,407 2,901,396 176,968 3,288,771
Creditors (107,968) - - (107,968)
Net Total Net Assets 277,567 2,901,396 176,968 3,355,931
PRIOR YEAR
Unrestricted Restricted Designated Total
Funds Funds Funds 2020
£ £ £ £
FUND BALANCES AT 31ST MARCH
2020 ARE REPRESENTED BY
- -
Tangible Fixed Assets 15,008 15,008
- -
Intangible Fixed Assets 11,204 11,204
Debtors 149,038 - - 149,038
Cash 175,029 3,000,000 151,304 3,326,332
Creditors (54,227) - - (54,227)
Net Total Net Assets 296,053 3,000,000 151,304 3,447,357
----- End of picture text -----

15. DIRECTORS REMUNERATION AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

One trustee was reimbursed travel and related expenses in the year of £686 (2020: £1,852).

The total amount of donations funded by trustees was £8,480 (2020: £11,480).

Home for Good received £5,000 from the Sir Jeremiah Colman Trust of which Sue Colman is a Trustee. Sue was not involved in the decision-making process when the donation was made (2020: £7,000).

During the year Home for Good paid consultancy fees amounting to £nil (2020: £3,000), to Alan Charter Partnering Consulting. Alan Charter is a member of the Board of Trustees, is a director in that firm. There are no amounts outstanding (2020: Nil).

Following the departure of the Chief Executive in 06/2020, one of the trustees, Alan Charter, fulfilled the role of interim executive chairman from June to November 2020 on an employed basis. He was paid a total of £13,583 for this role.

References

1 Adoption and Special Guardianship Leadership Board. 2021. ASGLB Data on Adoption and Special Guardianship . https://coram-i.org.uk/asglb/data/.
2 The Fostering Network. 2021. Recruitment Targets .
https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/advice-information/all-about-fostering/recruitment-targets.
3 Department for Education. 2020. Children looked after in England including adoptions .
4 Department for Education. 2020. Adopted and Looked-after Children.
5 Reeve, Kesia and Batty, Elaine. 2011. The hidden truth about homelessness: Experiences of single homelessness in England. Crisis. https://www.crisis.org.uk/media/236816/the_hidden_truth_about_homelessness_es.pdf.
6 Berman, Gavin. 2013. Prison Population Statistics. UK Parliament.
http://www.antoniocasella.eu/nume/Berman_2013.pdf .
7 Department for Education. 2020. Children looked after in England including adoptions. https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/fnd-statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-includingadoptions/2020.
8 Murray, Emily T., Lacey, Rebecca, Maughan, Barbara, and Sacker, Amanda. 2020. ‘Non-parental care in childhood and health up to 30 years later: ONS Longitudinal Study 1971–2011.’ European Journal of Public Health, 30(6). p.1121–1127.
9 Oakley, Matthew, Miscampbell, Guy and Gregorian, Raphael. 2018. Looked-after Children: The Silent Crisis. London: The Social Market Foundation.

38 Home For Good | Annual Report and Accounts year ending 31st March 2021

Together we can find a home for every child who needs one

2021-03-31-accounts

Annual Report and Accounts For year ending 31st March 2021

Foreword

From the CEO

Strategic Engagement

Inspiring churches through virtual speaking engagements

KEY STATS from the last year

Connecting further at Christmas and on Mother’s Day

Engaging with churches to find foster families in lockdown

Focus on: Strategic Engagement in Northern Ireland

Influencing

Tackling racial disparity in the care system

KEY STATS from the last year

24,000 INDIVIDUALS (plus numerous organisations)

Bookending the year with innovative fundraising campaigns

Transatlantic learning exchange

APPG for Adoption and Permanence

A year of increased reach and digital engagement

Programme

In the midst of a global pandemic, we experienced a surge of individuals and churches standing with us and stepping up to play their part for vulnerable children.

Journeying with more enquirers than ever before

KEY STATS from the last year

1,869

Empowering Champions to reach their community

Pivoting our Foundations course for online use

Focus on: Summit 2020

Reference and administrative details

Structure, governance and management

Trustees

Leadership

Advisory boards

Risk management

The areas of risk outlined in the risk register and our plans to manage them are:

Financial resilience

Governance and compliance

Information and data security

Brand and reputation

Failure to deliver contracts / partnership programmes

Overreaching

Losing staff

Health, safety and environment

Safeguarding

External factors

Relationship with other organisations

Home for Good is committed to working collaboratively to achieve our charitable objectives.

Adoption Agreements

Fostering Agreements

Active relationships

Local Movements

Historic relationships

Alliances and other

Financial Review

Reserves Policy

Designated Funds

Funding Sources

Fundraising

Funding Sources:

Churches

Statement of Board’s Responsibilities

Independent Auditor’s Report

To the Trustees and Members of Home for Good

Opinion

Basis for opinion

Conclusions relating to going concern

Other information

Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

Responsibilities of trustees

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

Explanation as to what extent the audit was considered capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud

Use of our report

Andrew Stickland (Senior Statutory Auditor)

Statement of Financial Activities

(for the year ending 31st March 2021)

Balance Sheet

(as of 31st March 2021)

J Cooper

Registered Company Number: 9060425

Statement of cash flows

(as of 31st March 2021)