2024-08-31-accounts

CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trusteesl members of Chdfiiy Norr",: Transforniing Futures Suffolk On accounts for the year ended 3110812024 Charity no (if any) 1169250 Set out on pages '.ierriember 10 include the )aoe numbers of additional sheelsl I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity ('the Trusf) for the year ended 3110812024. Responslbllltles and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation basis of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ("the Act.). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. I have completed my examination. I confimi that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act. Independent examiner's statement Advice has been given that PAYE deducted from salaries should be reconciled regularly and paid over to HMRC on a timely basis in accordance with HMRC regulations. I have no concems and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Slgned: Date: 20111 120 Name: Sandra Careless Relevant professional qualification{s) or body (if any): BA (Hons). Chartered Institute of Public Finan￿ and Accountancy (CIPFA) Address: Kestrel View. 4 Barbauld Close, Palgrave, Diss. IP22 1 BJ IER October 2018

Transforming Futures Suffolk UK Balance Sheet As of 31 August 2024

ASSETS Current Assets Other Current Assets Grants due not received Other debtors Total Other Current Assets Cash at bank and in hand Charity Bank Co Op Current Coop Deposit Equals Total Cash at bank and in hand Total Current Assets Current Liabilities Accounts Payable Other Current Liabilities Grants c/f Payroll Liabilities Total Other Current Liabilities Total Current Liabilities NET ASSETS Capital and Reserves Unrestricted Funds Restricted funds Suffolk Community Foundation Total Funds held	31 Aug 24 7561 0 7561 4116 1845 2000 1693	31 Aug 23
		1987 16
		2003 4000 11237 0 0
	9654	15237
	17215 503 1673 116 1789 2292 14923 13250 1673 14923	17240 1832 1333 -335
		998
		2830
		14411
		13078 1333
		14411

Transforming Suffolk (Home for Good)

Financial Summary to 31 August 2024

Income a Church donations Individual donations Contributions to activites Grant income Bank Interest Fundraising Miscellaneous income Total Receipts Expenditure Bank charges Salary costs Office equipment Governance Activity costs Postage, telephone etc Insurance IT Equipment Volunteer costs Travel Training Marketing & publicity Welcome bags Other costs Movement for year	2024 2023 Unrestricted Restricted Total Previous year 6432 6432 4365 4731 4731 3279 1221 175 1396 1433 5500 20121 25621 19543 116 116 35 250 250 0 20
	18250 20296 38546 28676 0 0 0 45 13,781 4,876 18,657 10,885 0 0 0 16 23 23 6 1,163 12,996 14,159 11,230 213 4 217 161 0 154 154 154 894 0 894 0 0 48 48 332 399 545 944 966 48 0 48 97 454 0 454 1,027 763 0 763 139 0 0 44
	17,738 18,623 36,361 25,103
	512 1,673 2,185 3,573

ANNUAL REVIEW SEPT 2023- AUG 2024

This year Home for Good Suffolk Celebrated 10 years of impactful work

Objectives

MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN SUFFOLK

We provide a Christian response to the social need for more foster families, adoptive homes and supported lodgings, by raising awareness of the local need through connecting and partnering with Suffolk Churches. We do not assess or place children but signpost enquiries and work closely with our local authority, Suffolk County Council, and their Fostering and Adoption teams.

We journey alongside ALL local families who foster, adopt or have special guardianship. Everyone is welcome to join in our activities and events throughout the year. We value diversity and strive to create an inclusive environment where all individuals feel respected and valued. We want to ensure all families feel supported and connected. Looking after children and young people who are in care or have experience of the care system is a demanding and challenging job. These children have often experienced early trauma, abuse and neglect, which can have a life-long impact. We believe that helping connect and support families with these shared experiences builds strong resilient homes and promotes the best outcomes for these young lives.

Home for Good: Suffolk is a Suffolk wide small organisation, founded in 2014. We are connected to the national charity Home for Good www.homeforgood.org.uk but operate separately since Sept 2016 under the local charity Transforming Futures – Suffolk (Charity No. 1169250).

CO St Augustine’s Church Hall, Bucklesham Road, Ipswich IP3 8TH

Governance, staffing & volunteer development

Current Trustees – Michelle Jones (Chair/Fund Raising) Rachel Renfrew (Treasurer), Joanna Ward (Safeguarding) and Julie Daniels (Administration)

Our trustees met 6 times during the year to ensure our charity objectives were being met, policies updated, ideas shared and finances tracked. This year Jane Jennison resigned as Chair and Melissa Naish came to the end of her maximum term - 3 consecutive terms of 3 years. Trustees receive regular reports from our employed coordinators and treasurer so they know exactly what is happening, are updated on future plans and our financial situation. These meetings are now conducted on Zoom to avoid travel time and costs as well as childcare difficulties.

We recruit trustees through Facebook posts, articles on Network Suffolk, and our mailouts to families and supporters.

Staff Elaine Ingram (left) Melissa Naish (middle) Louise Bunton (right)

We now have 3 part time employees, who coordinate Home for Good: Suffolk together. We hope to be able to take on an additional member of staff in 2025 as we strive to grow and connect more churches and families living in Suffolk.

NEW TRUSTEES NEEDED

We are currently looking for one/two more trustees to support with grant applications and our IT systems

Volunteers

We couldn’t achieve all we do without the dedication of our volunteers. Our volunteers help by either hosting one-off events, more regular meetups or by helping us share/promote our work within Suffolk churches. With Suffolk being such a large county to reach, we depend on our volunteers in locations across the country to help develop our provision.

This year we have had 26 active volunteers, including 8 new ones, to help host our groups and activities and a further 16 active volunteers (known as Champions), who we connect with through our what’s app group so they can share our work with their churches.

We are always keen to recruit new volunteers, so please contact us if you would like to know Our company is driving you to a regular and more about how you or your church can get involved. common people needs by the services

WHAT HAVE WE ACHIEVED THIS YEAR?

This year through our 1:1 support, welcome bags, regular groups and one-off holiday activities/events we have had contact with 277 families/395 children, aged 0-18 years either in foster care, adopted or have special guardianship arrangements. 87 families more than last year which is a 22 % increase and 125 of these were new families to us.

We now gather information about which districts our families come from and we currently have this data for almost all our families reached (253).

OUR PROVISION OF ACTIVITIES AND GROUPS HAS CONTINUED TO EVOLVE AND EXPAND THIS YEAR, AS WE HAVE RESPONDED TO THE NEEDS OF OUR FAMILIES.

We currently have 465 families represented on our mailing list 162 foster families 240 adopters 63 special guardians

THIS YEAR WE HAVE RUN 13 MONTHLY GROUPS, 45 ONE OFF HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES (17 MORE THAN LAST YEAR) & 2 ADULT MEALS

Holiday Activity Feedback Example : “Thank you so much for

organising. Whilst my son struggles with social interactions where he doesn't know people, he thoroughly enjoyed the paddle boarding part. Events like this help us manage his social anxiety by encouraging him out of the house and pushing boundaries”

THIS YEAR WE HAVE RUN 13 MONTHLY GROUPS, 45 ONE OFFWE HAVE HOSTED 6 ONLINE INFORMATION SESSIONS HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES (17 MORE THAN LAST YEAR) & 2 ADULTS

MEALS

This year has included new online sessions by Professionals from Suffolk County Council including Keeping in Touch with Birth Family, Life Story Work and sessions with the Permanence Team. www.reallygreatsite.com

Online Life Story Work Session Feedback Example : I learnt “How important it is to explain the child’s history (where suitable) with the truth but baring in mind the child’s ability”

FAMILY SURVEY RESPONSE (MAY 2024)

Home for Good Suffolk is committed to listening and responding to your responses to the family survey & to any other feedback we receive. Actions from this survey include

1. Our businesses and Churches Initiative to raise funds for monthly, term time activities

2. Providing activities specifically for adopters and SGO’s

3. Providing online education focus groups and an online behavioural strategy session

4. Developing/providing signposting resources for mental health, finances, education etc

P R O M O T I N G , C O N N E C T I N G A N D S U P P O R T I N G F A M I L I E S

This year we have had contact with 5 new households who have considered fostering or adoption or supported lodgings. We know that 2 have been approved to foster.

ENQUIRERS/SUPPORT: We have provided 1:1 advice, support and a listening ear through our telephone support. We also provide prayer support and signpost families to relevant services.

Our closed Facebook group continues to be a safe space where families can share ideas, ask questions and where we can promote events. We have 262 members, which is 10% more than last year (31st August 2024)

MAIL OUTS: As well as mailing out to families on our mailing list we also send out emails through Suffolk Fostering and Adoption. We also attended 3 Suffolk County Council events for fostering/adoptive families.

NEWLY APPROVED HOUSEHOLDS: Families have received 34 welcome bags this year containing useful information about what we do, as well as chocolates and useful books to support them too.

100 Books & Resources to Lend These will be available for borrowing at our activities.

P R O M O T I N G A N D C O N N E C T I N G W I T H S C H O O L S

In June we attended the Virtual School’s Conference in Ipswich to increase awareness of Home for Good Suffolk and to connect with designated teachers for looked after and previously looked after children. We encouraged them to join our professionals mailing list to help keep them up to date with our provision for families. We are always keen to connect with different schools and provide new information packs for designated teachers. If you know of a school/designated teacher who needs an information pack please do get in touch.

CONNECTING WITH SUFFOLK CHURCHES

Through our Champions and social media platforms we have encouraged Suffolk Churches to take up national campaigns to raise the profile of the number of vulnerable children who come into the UK care system every year - highlighting the constant need for more foster carers and adopters. Home for Good creates resources for Mothering Sunday and Father’s Day which areOur company is driving you to a regular and available from their website during the rightcommon people needs by the services season -www.homeforgood.org.uk

In June 2024, 7 Suffolk Churches shared a video with their congregations celebrating 10 years of Home for Good Suffolk’s impactful work. Our aims were to show what has been achieved during the last 10 years and to raise awareness that

www.reallygreatsite.com

EASTER EGG APPEAL

EVERYONE CAN PLAY THEIR PART

This Easter 14 Suffolk Church’s generously gave Easter Eggs which we were able to give to the children who attended our Easter Events. Thank you so much for blessing our families.

1. PRAY for children in care who need a home and for families caring for vulnerable children.

2. OPEN YOUR DOOR to a child in care

P R A Y E R C A R D S

We believe in the power of prayer and wanted to make it easy for people to support us by praying with us for specific needs and giving thanks for our developments/resources. Each term new prayer cards are shared on our Socials and with our champions, supporters and local churches.

FINANCIAL REVIEW

1 SEPTEMBER 2023-31 AUGUST 2024

Annual Income: £38,546

Mainly achieved through… Church donations £6,432 Individual donations £4,731 Contributions to activities £1,396 Grants – £25,621

Annual Expenditure: £36,361

Our main expenditure are Salaries £18,657 Activity costs £14,159

Other costs include insurance, publicity materials, bank charges, telephone, postage, travel, volunteers, DBS’s and training

1. GIVE financially to support our work

We also encouraged Churches to provide support to families caring for vulnerable children.

We have also shared a similar message during Sunday services at 5 additional churches and Ipswich's annual prayer event Crown Him 2024 .

Reserves

The trustees keep the reserves of the charity under review, considering the nature of the income and expenditure streams, the need to match variable income with fixed commitments and the nature of the reserves.

The trustees consider that to provide a buffer for uninterrupted services and/or event of winding up, a designated reserve of £6000 equating to 6 months operational costs is appropriate.

The current level of free reserves is £13,250 - £4,000 of which is set aside in a deposit account.

Monthly Giving: We encourages families and supporters to make a monthly donation. We are now up to 31 regular givers – an increase of 4 this year. You can sign up to give monthly with Stewardship. Scan or visit https://www.stewardship.org.uk/partners/20258808

Contact Us 07434 462860 [e-mail]