OpenCharities

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator.

2023-03-31-accounts

`

Home-Start London

(Charity number: 1161629)

Trustees’ report and financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2023

1

Home-Start London Trustees’ Annual Report For the year ended 31 March 2023

Reference and administrative information

Charity number 1161629
Business and registered office Stephens House
17 East End Road
London
N3 3QE
Trustees
Julia Roberts – Chair
Christina Smyth
Helen Anastasi
Karen Robertson
Lydia Lezama
Margaret O’Connor
Karen Robertson
Ally Cross
Silva Hrabar
Farkhunda Jabeen Ali (resigned 1st September 2022)
Janet Mountford (resigned 7th September 2022)
Sarah Messenger (resigned 7th September 2022)
Simon Lloyd (resigned 23rd September 2022)
Fran Boto (appointed 9th November 2022)
Ian Jesnick (appointed 9th November 2022)
Alex Williams (appointed 9th November 2022)
Treasurer Raphael Harris
Accountant Accountability Europe Limited
Omnibus Workspace, 39-41 North Road
London
N7 9DP

2

Home-Start London Trustees’ Annual Report For the year ended 31 March 2023

Home-Start London Report of the Trustees for year ended 31 March 2023

The trustees present their report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023.

Objectives and Activities

The objectives of Home-Start London (HSL) are to promote and facilitate the provision of Home-Start services throughout London, and in particular:

Since HSL was established in 2015 with 14 London Home-Starts operating across 15 boroughs, our membership and operations have evolved, responding to new challenges and opportunities. At the start of this year, the HSL membership was 12 London Home-Starts covering 24 boroughs. During the year, efforts were made to engage and include the four other local Home-Starts in the capital. This has enabled us to extend the reach of our joint initiatives to five additional boroughs.

In shaping our objectives for the year, and planning our activities, the trustees have considered the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit. The Trustees have agreed that activities in pursuit of the above objectives have fully met the public benefit test.

Achievements and Performance

This was a tough year for many families with young children across London. Still struggling with the impact of the pandemic, they were hit with spiralling food and energy prices. This deepened poverty and inequality, pushing more families to crisis point. Home-Starts across London reported a sharp rise in referrals and an increase in the complexity of the challenges families faced including high levels of mental and physical health difficulties and social isolation.

London Home-Starts faced increasingly difficult operating conditions with rising costs, falling volunteer numbers, and fierce competition for funding. While navigating this, Home-Starts continued to provide critical support for families: 16 London Home-Starts collectively supported 6,543 families and 9,592 children through 800 volunteers and 189 staff. Our community network of skilled staff and highly trained volunteers provided a combination of highly tailored home visiting, group support and specialist services such as counselling. This compassionate, relational support continued to deliver

3

Trustees’ Annual Report For the year ended 31 March 2023

Home-Start London

impressive outcomes for families and communities across the capital: 74% of parents reported improved mental health and 70% reported improved child development after Home-Start support.

Throughout the year, HSL’s small team worked hard to connect, strengthen, and champion local Home-Starts. As agreed with the network, we focused on: building new partnerships to sustain and extend services; shared learning and collaboration to ensure services best meet the evolving needs of London’s diverse communities; and raising our collective voice to demand more and better support for vulnerable families with young children across the capital. We share highlights below.

Building partnerships to sustain and extend Home-Start services to more London families.

In our annual member survey, 80% of Home-Starts said HSL had supported them to develop new partnerships and/or secure new funding. We provided support through joint bids, brokering introductions, signposting opportunities, and providing 1:1 advice.

Through our long-standing partnership with Berkeley Homes (North East London), we worked with three Home-Starts to support 240 new parents/carers and children in disadvantaged communities in South Islington, Hackney, Tower Hamlets, and Enfield to access Home-Start support. Families struggled to manage spiralling living costs. Alongside home visiting and groups, staff and volunteers connected parents to food and baby banks, linked them to money and housing advice, distributed food vouchers, and hosted “warm spaces” offering a hot meal. Families told us that, particularly during the tough winter months, Home-Start support was “a lifeline”.

We developed two new partnerships bringing additional resources into the network. We were Oxford Street’s charity partner for their 2022 Christmas campaign ‘It’s the Love You Give’. Hampers were distributed to 100 families across London including both treats and practical items such as thermals, socks, and blankets to help keep families warm and bring some Christmas magic over the winter months. Our new partnership with ZSL London Zoo opens up access for 3,500 parents/carers and children supported by London Home-Starts through free tickets and opportunities to share their feedback to help develop ZSL’s community engagement programme. Connecting families with opportunities like this is part of Home-Start’s support to build confidence and tackle social isolation.

Sharing learning and supporting collaboration to ensure services best meet the evolving needs of London’s diverse communities

HSL continued to connect London Home-Starts to share learning and support joint work. This included facilitating a regular peer learning group for Home-Start CEOs/Directors. This vibrant group provided a safe space for Managers during a very difficult year to share challenges and offer ideas and support on a range of issues from DEI to governance to service innovation and income diversification. As one Manager reflected, “Through Home-Start London I have built strong relationships with other HomeStarts and shared our learning and approaches. As a network, we problem solve together. Managing a Home-Start can be a really lonely job. This peer support is vital.”

At the start of the year, we shared the learning from the external evaluation of our pilot with Central North West London (CNWL) NHS Foundation Trust in several London perinatal mental health networks. This pilot supported a home-visiting service targeting new mothers facing mild to moderate mental health difficulties, bringing together staff and volunteers from three Home-Starts with Community Perinatal Mental Health teams in five boroughs. We used the learning to strengthen our partnership model, with an increased focus on ensuring the diversity of our volunteers to reflect and best support all the communities in need of our service. We were delighted to secure a new, one-year

4

Home-Start London Trustees’ Annual Report For the year ended 31 March 2023

contract with CNWL NHS Foundation Trust to extend the service to 50 new mothers. During the year, we convened meetings with two other Trusts interested in replicating our service, these conversations are ongoing.

Raising our collective voice in support of London families during the cost-of-living crisis.

In the autumn, we worked with the network to conduct research and deliver a joint campaign profiling the experiences of London families in the midst of the cost-of-living crisis. We surveyed parents, exploring how they were coping and what support they needed. The results were shocking: three in four parents felt stressed and anxious due to financial pressures and one in two said they were unable to afford household bills. Parents spoke about the negative impact on their young children and their frustrations at gaps in services and support. We worked with London campaigning group 4in10 to share our research during London Challenge Poverty Week. Home-Starts also shared the research with commissioners, funders, and councillors through their local influencing efforts. Collectively, we called for more and better support for families with young children and highlighted the critical role of HomeStart and the wider voluntary sector.

Throughout the year, HSL worked closely with Communications Leads to build skills and support collaboration. This included hosting regular peer learning sessions covering topics such as storytelling and engaging parent advocates. We also supported local Home-Starts by providing assets and coordinating joint campaigns such as during Baby Loss Awareness Week. Finally, HSL’s Director and Programme Manager regularly represented Home-Start externally, building our profile, sharing network insight and amplifying family voices in key forums and platforms including the Pan-London Perinatal Mental Health Network and the London Poverty Alliance.

Fundraising and Partnership Highlights

As part of Home-Start London’s fantastic partnership with Berkeley Homes (North East London), we supported fundraising events this year engaging staff and contractors. This included the successful annual Question of Sport event raising over £100,000, as well as a golf day, wine tasting and dragon boat race. BHNEL staff generously gave their time to support Home-Start events including a gift drive for families at Christmas. We are very appreciative of the match funding provided by Berkeley Foundation for this partnership.

We were delighted to secure a new contract for £123,000 with CNWL NHS Foundation Trust enabling us to continue to support women experiencing perinatal mental difficulties in five boroughs. We were pleased to receive a small grant of £1,000 from Children England to support our annual family survey as part of our cost-of-living crisis campaign. We also secured new partnerships with London ZSL and Oxford Street providing valuable, in-kind support. We moved into the third year of our City Bridge Trust partnership, providing much valued support through an annual grant of £20,000 towards the Director’s salary.

As ever, we would like to thank all of our funders and partners for their commitment and support for the work of Home-Start across London. We are incredibly grateful, particularly in the current context which is increasingly challenging for our network.

Structure, Governance and Management

Home-Start London became a CIO in May 2015. The governing documents are the Home-Start London Constitution and the Members Agreement. The trustee board comprises an appointed trustee from

5

Home-Start London Trustees’ Annual Report For the year ended 31 March 2023

each of Home-Start London’s member schemes. Trustees bring skills and expertise to ensure the sound governance of Home-Start London as well as representation of the member schemes.

During the year, the Director worked with the board to develop a new, three-year strategy for HomeStart London. This was co-developed with the Mangers of Home-Starts from across the network, discussion with partners/funders, and included insight from the 2022 annual survey of families supported by London Home-Starts. The new strategy contributes to the federation wide Home-Start strategy. Progress towards the goals outlined in the strategy will be regularly reviewed by the board.

Financial Review

Income this year from all sources was £330,235 (2022 - £330,533) and expenditure £288,449 (2022 - £302,621). Total funds at the yearend were £89,076 (2022 - £47,290) of which £44,930 is unrestricted, £22,146 is restricted and £22,000 is designated by the trustees for the purpose of fundraising and business development to support the growth of new funding partnerships for HSL and our work to support the wider network of London Home-Starts. This reflects our recognition of the increasingly challenging funding context and the need to diversify HSL’s funding base to ensure sustainability over the longer-term.

Reserves Policy

The trustees review the reserves policy on an annual basis. It was agreed that unrestricted funds, which are the free reserves of the charity, should be set at a level that equates to at least approximately six months unrestricted expenditure (£50,000). This provides sufficient funds for management and administration and support costs.

Statement of Trustees Responsibility

The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees' Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

The law applicable to charities requires in England and Wales requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity for that period and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:

The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provision of the trust deed. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

6

Home-Start London Independent Examiner’s Report For the year ended 31 March 2023

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Home-Start London for the year ended 31 March 2023.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND BASIS OF REPORT

As the charity trustees of the CIO you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).

I report in respect of my examination of the CIO’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S STATEMENT

Since the CIO’s gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the 2011 Act. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), which is one of the listed bodies.

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe:

  1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the CIO as required by section 130 of the Act; or

  2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or

  3. the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view' which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or

  4. the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities

  5. applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

…………………………

Aamer Shehzad FCA

Accountability Europe Ltd Omnibus Workspace 39-41 North Road London N7 9DP Date: 11th January 2024

7

HOME-START LONDON

Statement of financial activities

(including summary income and expenditure account)

For the year ended 31 March 2023

Note
Income from:
2
3
Reconciliation of funds:
9
Total income
Grants & donations
Total expenditure
Net income/ (expenditure)
Expenditure on:
Charitable activities
Total funds brought forward
Total funds carried forward
Transfer between funds
Net movement in funds		 2023
£
54,803
Unrestricted		 2023
£
275,432
Restricted		 2023
£
330,235
Total		 2022
£
22,344
Unrestricted		 2022
£
308,189
Restricted		 2022
£
330,533
Total
54,803
23,642		 275,432
264,808		 330,235
288,449		 22,344
-		 308,189
302,621		 330,533
302,621
23,642
31,162
-		 264,808
10,624
-		 288,449
41,786
-		 -
22,344
-		 302,621
5,568
-		 302,621
27,912
-
31,162
35,768		 10,624
11,522		 41,786
47,290		 22,344
13,424		 5,568
5,954		 27,912
19,378
66,930 22,146 89,076 35,768 11,522 47,290

8

HOME-START LONDON

Balance sheet

As at 31 March 2023

Note
Current assets:
10
Liabilities:
11
Net current assets
12
12
Designated funds
General funds
Restricted funds
Cash at bank and in hand
Debtors
Unrestricted funds:
Funds
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
Total charity funds
Total net assets		 £
3,938
102,198
106,136
(17,060)
(17,060)
44,930
22,000		 2023
£
89,076
89,076
22,146
66,930
89,076		 2022
£
-
48,998
48,998
(1,708)
(1,708)
47,290
47,290
35,768
11,522
47,290

Approved by the trustees on 7th December 2023 and signed on their behalf by:

……………………………………. Julia Roberts Chair of Trustees

The attached notes form part of the financial statements.

9

HOME-START LONDON

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2023

1

Accounting policies

The principal accounting policies adopted in the preparation of the financial statements are set out below, and have been consistently applied within the accounts.

a) Basis of accounting

The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis under the historical cost convention, modified to include certain items at fair value. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard 102 (FRS 102), the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP), Accounting and Reporting by Charities published in 2019 SOBP (FRS102) and applicable charity and company law. The charity has taken advantage of the reduced disclosure framework and has not prepared a Cash Flow statement.

b) Incoming Resources/ Income

Incoming resources are recognised an accruals basis. except that donations and legacies are recognised only upon receipt unless the donor advises otherwise. Grants and contracts are treated as income for the period to which the funder assigns the funds so matching the income for the period to which the funder assigns the funds with the associated costs of the services.

c) Charitable activities expenditure

Charitable activities consist of expenses incurred to further the company's aims and objectives of developing and maximising the effectiveness of the charity. Charitable expenditure includes the costs of training, sponsorship, grants and support to member organisations. The costs of liaising with member organisations, the preparation of directories, events and conference are included.

d) Stocks of materials and literature

Stocks of materials and literature are written off as incurred.

e) Going concern basis

The accounts have been prepared on a going concern basis.

f) VAT

Where appropriate expenditure includes irrecoverable value added tax.

g) Fund Accounting

Unrestricted funds are available for use in the furtherance of the charity's objectives. Restricted funds are subject to restrictions imposed by donors as set out in the notes to the accounts. Designated funds are unrestricted funds earmarked by the trustees for particular purposes.

h) Debtors

Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid after taking account of any trade discounts due.

i) Creditors

Creditors and provisions are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.

10

HOME-START LONDON

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2023

2 ANALYSIS OF CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES INCOME

Unrestricted 2023
£		 2022
£
General Fund 54,803 22,344
Total Unrestricted
Restricted
Berkeley Homes (North East London) Ltd
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
City Bridge Foundation
Children England
Clarion Futures
HUSK ICAP
Kristian Gerhard Jebsen Foundation
London Community Response Fund Wave 5
Pears Foundation
The Invesco Cares Foundation
Total Restricted
Total Income		 54,803
140,142
114,290
20,000
1,000
-
-
-
-
-
-
275,432
330,235
22,344
92,381
127,707
20,000
-
10,000
7,401
8,000
31,600
10,000
1,100
308,189
330,533

11

HOME-START LONDON

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2023

3 EXPENDITURE

EXPENDITURE
Staff costs
Legal and professional
Independent Examination
Office and admin
Total Expenditure
Support costs
Project costs		 Total
Total
2023
2022
205,698
-
205,698
256,278
52,561
-
52,561
35,393
-
5,142
5,142
5,249
-
24,449
24,449
4,800
-
600
600
900
Charitable
Activities
Support costs
258,258
30,190
288,449
302,621
30,190
(30,190)
- -
288,449
-
288,449
302,621

Of the total expenditure, £23,642 was unrestricted (2022: £nil) and £264,808 was restricted (2022: £302,621).

Staff costs were as follows:
Salaries & SociaI Security costs
Defined contribution pension costs		 2023
2022
£
£
50,358
32,643
2,203
2,750
52,561
35,393

The average number of persons employed by the charity in the year was 2 person (2022: 2) The total amount of employee benefits received by key management personnel was £29,456 (2022: 35,393)

6 NET OPERATING SURPLUS/(DEFICIT)

The net operating surplus/(deficit) of income over expenditure is stated after charging:

2023 2022
£ £
Independent examination 600 900

7 TRUSTEES REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS

No Trustees had expenses reimbursed or paid directly in the year (2022 - Nil)

12

HOME-START LONDON

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2023

8 TAXATION

The charity is an exempt charity within the meaning of schedule 3 of the Charities Act 2011 and is considered to pass the tests set out in Paragraph 1 Schedule 6 Finance Act 2010 and therefore it meets the definition of a charitable company for UK corporation tax purposes.

9
Current year
MOVEMENT IN FUNDS
Unrestricted Funds:		 At the start of
the year
Income
£
£		 Expenditure
& loses
£		 Transfers
At the
end of
the year
£
General Fund 35,768
54,803		 (23,642) (22,000)
44,930
City Bridge Foundation
HUSK ICAP
Kristian Gerhard Jebsen Foundation
The Invesco Cares Foundation
Children England
Total Funds
9a
MOVEMENT IN FUNDS
prior year
City Bridge Foundation
Clarion Futures
HUSK ICAP
Kristian Gerhard Jebsen Foundation
Pears Foundation
The Invesco Cares Foundation
Total Funds
Unrestricted Funds:
General Fund
Central and North West London NHS
Foundation Trust
Berkeley Homes (North East London)
Ltd
Total Unrestricted Funds
Restricted Funds:
London Community Response Fund
Wave 5
Total Restricted Funds
Berkeley Homes (North East London)
Total Restricted Funds
Total Unrestricted Funds
Designated Fund
Central and North West London NHS
Foundation Trust
London Community Response Fund
Wave 5
Restricted Funds:		 22,000
22,000
35,768
54,803		 (23,642) -
66,930
1,868
140,142
-
114,290
-
20,000
3,402
-
2,552
-
2,600
-
1,100
-
1,000
 (130,301)
(103,853)
(20,000)
(3,402)
(2,552)
(2,600)
(1,100)
(1,000)		 -
11,709
-
10,437
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
11,522
275,432		 (264,808) -
22,146
47,290
330,235		 (288,449) -
89,076
At the start of
the year
Income
£
£
13,424
22,344		 Expenditure
& loses
£
-		 Transfers
£
-
35,768
At the
end of
the year
13,424
22,344		 - -
35,768
-
92,381
-
127,707
-
20,000
-
10,000
3,402
7,401
2,552
8,000
-
31,600
-
10,000
-
1,100
 (90,513)
(127,707)
(20,000)
(10,000)
(7,401)
(8,000)
(29,000)
(10,000)
-		 -
1,868
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
3,402
-
2,552
-
2,600
-
-
-
1,100
5,954
308,189		 (302,621) -
11,522
19,378
330,533		 (302,621) -
47,290

13

HOME-START LONDON

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2023

9b Purpose of restricted funds

Berkeley Homes (North East London) : Development and delivery of Home-Start services in North East London.

Central North West London NHS Foundation Trust : Delivery of Perinatal Mental Health Peer Support Project.

City Bridge Foundation : Contribution to Home-Start London Director salary.

Children England : Communications campaign.

HSUK ICAP : Development of a training resource on domestic abuse.

LCRF Wave 5 : Fundraising support to London Home-Starts.

Invesco Cares : Growth of Home-Start volunteer network.

KGJ Foundation : Promotion and development of Home-Start Perinatal Mental Health services.

9c Purpose of Designated funds

Funds have been designated by the Trustees for the purpose of fundraising and business development to support the development of new funding partnerships for Home-Start London.

10 Debtors

11
Accruals and Deferred Income
Taxation and Social Security
Other debtors
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
Other Creditors		 2023
2022
£
£
3,938
-
3,938
-
2023
2022
£
£
15,824
-
798
515
438
1,193
17,060
1,708

14

HOME-START LONDON

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2023

For the year ended 31 March 2023
12
Current year
Current Assets
12a
prior year
Current Assets
Net assets at the end of the year
ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BETWEEN FUNDS
Current Liabilities
Net assets at the end of the year
Current Liabilities
ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BETWEEN FUNDS		 General
Unrestricted
44,930		 £
22,000
-
Designated		 Restricted
Total
funds
£
£
39,206
106,136
(17,060)
(17,060)
44,930 22,000 22,146
89,076
General
Unrestricted
11,522
-
.		 £
-
-
Designated		 Restricted
Total
funds
£
£
37,476
48,998
(1,708)
(1,708)
11,522 - 35,768
47,290

12 Related party transactions

There are no related party transactions to disclose for 2023 (2022: none). There are no donations from related parties which are outside the normal course of business and no restricted

15