Registered number.. 12051397 Charity number: 1183964 FAMILIES FIRST (NORTH EAST) (A company limited by guarantee TRUSTEES, REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 FAMILIES FIRST {NORTH EAST) IA ¢¢)mpany limited by guarants•l CONTENTS Page Rafgronc8 and administrative d8tails of thg Charity. its Trustees and advisors Tru5tses' report 2-15 Independent auditors. rnport on th• financial statemènts Statsment of financial activitios 16-19 20 Balan¢• sh¢¢t 21 Stat8ment of cash flows 22 Notes to thè financlal Statsmènts 23-41 FAMILIES FIRST {NORTH EAST) IA ¢¢)mpany limited by guarants•l REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS OF THE CHARITY. ITS TRUSTEES AND ADVISERS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 klARCH 2024 Tru$tg9$ J Atkinson (resigned 22 January 2024 J Brash (resigned 9 July 20241 P Hargreaves S Harrison C Hubbert S Lamplough Company rggist8red number 12051397 Charity rogl¥tsred numb•r 1183964 Rggl$tsrgd offi¢e 175 York Road Hartlepool TS26 9EQ Company Socretary P Thompson Presldgnt Lord Peter Mandelson Patron Stephen Miller MBE Patron Jonathon Brash Page 1 FAMILIES FIRST {NORTH EAST) IA ¢¢)mpany limited by guarants•l TRUSTEES. REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 klARCH 2024 The Iruslees are pleased lo present their ￿port together th the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2024. These financial statements comply wth the Charities Act 2011 and the Accounts'ng and Reporb'ng by Charities.. Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance wth the Financial Reporb'ng Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland IFRS1021 leffeclive 1 January 20191. Since the Charity qualifies as small under section 382 of the Companies Act 2006. the strategic report required of medium and large companies under the Companies Act 20(￿ Islralegic Report and Directors. Reporti Regulations 2013 has been omitted. R8fgr8nc8 and administrative d8tails The name of the Charity as Il appears in the Register of Charities is Families First (North Ea511 and the Charity's main working name Is the same as ils legal name. The Charity has also reglstered the working names of Harfepool Families First, Durham Families First and Stockton Families First vknich are all legacy names of the former Charity. The Trustees serving during ihe year are listed on page 1. Lord Peter Mandelson is the president and Stephen Miller MBE and Jonalhon 8rash are the Charity's patrons. The Charity is governed by a Board ol Directors and ils executive members Ilhe Trustees} are elected on an annual basis. The￿ are no lifetime or custodial Trustee8 and no sub-coMM￿ee$. Other administrative detail$ are listed on page 1. STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT ConstitutSon Families First (North East) 1$ registered as a charitable ￿MpanY limiled by guarantee and was Set up by a Memorandum of Association. The organigalion is a Chartsble Company meaning rt 1$ registered wth both Companies House and the Charity Commission. The Charity was registered with the Charity Commission on 19 June 2019. Families First North East is a successor Charity. The original Charity originated in March 1988 and was a registered Charity, however the Trustees agreed in 2019 that the more appropriate legal structure was to convert the organisats'on to an incorporated Charrtable Company - i.e. registered with both Companies House and the Charity Commission. Page 2 FAMILIES FIRST {NORTH EAST) IA ¢¢)mpany limited by guarants•l Molhod$ of appolnlm•nt or ol•¢tion of Trustgos. Trustee5, who are required under the governing conslilLth"on lo serve a5 meTnber5 of the charty. are elected at a full trustees, meeting and are required to sab'sfy speafied criteria of eligibility, competence, skills and locality. New trustees are fvlly indu¢ted into the Charity's working environment, its policies and pro¢edure$. Due to the organisation's registration with the Care Quality Commission and Ofsted, all trustees are required to complete an annual Fit and Proper Person's Declaratson and Safeguarding Self Declarats'on. Organlsatlonal stru¢tur• and d•¢lslon4naklng poll¢l•$ Trustees meet regularly to determine the general policy of the Charity and lo review ils overall management and conlrd to en$￿￿ that their legal reswnsits'lities are appropriately discharged. Trustees carry out 855essmenls of risk5 facing the Charity. Extemal risks from funding are miligaled by seeking diversrficalion. where necessary and appropriate. lo secure activities. Intemal risks are minimised by maintaining sufficient procedures to appropriately authorise projects and underfying transactions to maintain the quality of delivery from all charitable opefab"ons. The organisalion has a robust Risk Register is monitored quarterly and an annual action plan is in place lor improvements. The oryanlsatlon'8 current structure rell•cts tha followbng . Board ol Diroctors I Charilabl• TnMt•os Chl•f ExKu¢lv• Section Head for Children and Young People FSnanco Manager Daputy Chlaf Calerfng and EZE Lomg Hous Manager Executivo Facilitigs Illanagor Book keeping Management of Melboume House One77 Trnining Bistro Invoicing out SNIPS Purchase ledger STREET Room Hi￿$ and Functi¢)n Venue Hand in Hand Special NeedsToy Loan Service Credrt Control Evolve Proiecl 3Fs project Management and operats'on of Lome House Payroll sup￿rting I adhoc Policy Review stocks and Supplies Actsve Kids Budgets, reports an finan¢ial projections SocialEyes Vehicles Health and Safety Maintenance Page 3 FAMILIES FIRST {NORTH EAST) IA ¢¢)mpany limited by guarants•l TRUSTEES. REPORT ICONTINUEDI FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 klARCH 2024 STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT 1¢ontIn￿dI • Pay policy for key management personn•l The pay of senior stsff is benchmarked against similar organisalions and paid al a market rate. There is an annual performance rewew of the Chief ExecLrtive and perfomiance against this is checked at six monthly intervals. OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES • Pollclos and obl•ctlve8 The legal obje￿5 ol the Charity are.. the relief and education of all loeal children. particularfy those Trmth additional and special needs through the provision ol social, physical and emotional support activib.es and therapeutic. educational and slimulaling toys and equipment.. and, the preservation and protection of health wlhin all ￿￿dents, induding the promotion of a positive and healthy lifestyle., and, liiil the advancement of vocational education for the public benefft of residents of all igès throughout the North East of England". and. livl To promote such other chantsble purposes as may from lime to time be delemined. thich support and promote the health, educatson an¢J prosperty of residents of all ages throughout the North East of England. In setting objectives and planning for activrties. the Trnstees have given due congideration to general guidance published by the Charty Commission rel*ing to public benefil. including the guidance 'Public benefit.. running a ¢harrty IP821'. Page 4 FAMILIES FIRST {NORTH EAST) IA ¢¢)mpany limited by guarants•l Stratsgles for achièvlng obJ•¢ti¥es In order lo meet the above legal objects. the Chanty provides events and activities for Children, young people and adults throughout the area to meet. leam and develop. These are described in more detail below. Over the course of the 12 months of this financial reporL ￿ have provided the following services: SNIPS Ispgcial Needs Inclusion Project} We operate an Otsled registe￿d after-school dub an(1 holiday Playscheme for children with profound and often multiple disabilities. The idea behind the project is to give these children the same play opportunities that other able bodied children are afforded. The project is varied and the acb'vilies are influenced by the thildren themselves. We are based in our¢%¥n centre al One77, 175-177 Yoth Road. Hartlepool. We often visrt other places such as '. Tv￿dIe Farni 1818ckhalll Wynyard Woodland County Park IThofpe The¥Mesl, Velocity Trampoline Park18illinghaml. and Preslon Fami Islock1onl We attempt to meet all needs of the children whilst promoting learning through play in activrties vthi¢h are of the child's Choice. We provide the children on our afterschool club wth a tea-time snack and refreshments. We also prowde transport from xhool and to home wlh our accompanied escorts. The project is staffed by a leam of V￿11 trained individuals who specialise in working with Child￿rt who have a disability as well as a strong team of dedicated volunteers. Every member of the team is DBS ¢he¢ked. first aid trained. food hygiene qualified and trained in a multitude of other areas such a5 feeding, loileling issues and hygiene matters. Children are referred on lo the project by either their School, Parents and Carers. Children's Services. a Health Professional or another agency. Many of our children who attend the after-school and holiday programme cannot access any other scheme due to their complex needs and in some cases their need for 1..1 or 2..1 support. Hand In Hand Hand In Hand is OUT project to provide support for young adults and children with a range of additional need5, including autism and behavioural issues. It is a personalised support service that is tailored for each individual client. For the vast majority of Clients. it is providing 1-1￿1 support {2-10-1 and 1-10-2 also available) lo enable them to do the things that they enjoy socially and within the local community. Page 5 FAMILIES FIRST {NORTH EAST) IA ¢¢)mpany limited by guarants•l However, we offer support in the home also to offer respite to parents I ¢8￿r9 or additional support at times of crisis. Support offe￿d Can include". Employment and education support Personal ca Social activib'es Short Break respite for parents and carers Ovemight care either at home or avrdy from home Supported holidays I short break Emergency and last minute supports Independent living and Iransptsrt training School holiday cover The service provides individual support to chi1j￿rt and young people with additional needs so that they may t￿￿1 their social care ambitions and p3rti¢ipale in physical activrties. The seryice is Ilexible and is bespoke lo each individual client. The seNice is fvnded from Oifecl Paymenis, Individual Support Funds and Peisonalised Budgets. Sp•clal N••d8 Toy Loan S•p4lce This project was the original foundabon that Families Fifst INorth East) was built upon. It started as a small group offering a toy library based ilhin Sl Paul's Church Hall. Murray Street In the first year. It is a dedicated service for parentslcarers. childminders and other Settings who care for ¢hildren with speual of addib.onal support needs. The library was set up to give children and young people wth special and additional needs an opportunty lo loan suitable toys and sperAalisl equipment to use in their h¢)me. As a group we know how drfficull an¢J expensive il is to purchase such items. What the Toy Library offers.. We have weekly Family sessions held at One77 We deliver. install and demonslrale equipment. You can come along to our premises and ty out loy$ before deciding if il is suitable. We can source a loy lor you lo purchase. We offer a dedicated Special Needs Home Supwrt Officerto promote the development of play wlhin the family environment. The officer has the additional responsibilty of offering support and advice to parents of children with a profound physical I leaming disability. Our officer offers stimulating, fun and safe toys and 5peciali51 play equipment, including adapted bikes. operating through a loan scheme and w0￿1n9 alongside school nurses I play therapists. As part of this wort. we support pa￿ntS I ¢8￿r$ via home visits and peer support. We give families the opportunity to browse speaalist catalogues to proV￿e ideas of play and shape the fvture provision of the service. These sessions also provide an opportunty lo network ￿ other parents vrfrth similar issues and look lo idenb'fy solub.ons and a sympathebc ear. Page 6 FAMILIES FIRST {NORTH EAST) IA ¢¢)mpany limited by guarants•l The equipment is chosen by children and parents to meet their needs. Regular outreach and parental demonslralion sessions wll be held in order for families lo gel the best out of the resource. Equipment out on long term hire ¥MII receive regular safety inspections. STREET Seniors and STREET Juniors The STREET project is a befriending service held at the One77 facility on York Road on 3 evenings a week. 11 is a safe social environment for individuals often with special needs and requirements to interact and socialise. We aim lo give young people the essential support and encouragement to help them overcome issues with SOCAal skills. 5eW esteem and emotional trauma. Everyone al STREET is understsnding and supportive of each others Situation. With the help of our highly skilled support workers and volunteers we try to build on friendship, social skills, and confidence. We do this by encouraging the young people lo participate in numerous fijn activib.es Including." quiues, team games. cooking and discos. amongst other activth'es. In an effort lo restore their confidence and guide them on lo the right path. SoclalEyes SocialEyes is a new and innovative approach to facilitating social skills and social understanding wrth people on the autism spectrum. Launched by The National Autistic Society in 2010, this learning resource has been developed with people with autism and Asperger syndrome. along with leading professionals in the field. All SocialEyes resources have been extensively piloted and re-piloted wlh ongoing development and research Sir￿ 2005. SocialEyes does not ask people on the autism spe¢trum to ¢hange 'inappropriale' social behaviour. or to acquire social skills by copying the lypical. behaviour of others. Instead. it gives people the option of learning so¢ial Interaction skills or attemalive so¢ial slralegies. SocialEyes f¢xuses on eight social skills that people on the auts'sm spectwm can have difficulty wth. induding starting a ¢onversation, eye wnla¢l and personal space. On977 A bistro situated in the heart of tovm. One77 is a slxial enlerpwise based in Hartlepool that exists lo provide opportunities that engage and inspire young people. Based in a vibrant. ￿centlY refurbished space at number 177 York Road, we offer a iarwe of social, practical teaching and leaming activities for young people. All of our opportunities are open lo any young person aged befv￿en 13 and 24 years but many of our activities are designed especially for disadvantaged young people lo help them gel a ￿al start in life. The young people accessing the project are from all backgrounds, bul mainly with low levels of educational attainment and less affltjent families. The Bistro is available for private functions and provides outside catering, therefore offering altemative training experiences. There are often Opportun￿'e$ for older volunteers l trainees lo participate. Page 7 FAMILIES FIRST {NORTH EAST) IA ¢¢)mpany limited by guarants•l Active Kldz Active Kidz is the name given to all of our work wth children and young people with additional needs where physical activity and adventu￿ is the f(xus. A signthcant element of this are our sessions lake place every Saturday bets¥een 11.00am and 1.00pm at Brierton Sports Centre. Those attending are offered training in football, basketball, tennis and lols of other types of indoor sports. Transport lo and from the centre can be provided (subject to availability) and snack and refreshments are also provided. During school holidays. in particular during those holidays vthen the weather is wamier, more adventurous sessions take place such as Canoeing, orienteering, den building and swimming. Occasionally we run additional tssler days on weekends lor the enlife family. The 3F$ Project A growing and Ihriwng part ol our work now which seeks lo provide support for those adults over the age of 55 or who may be idenlifieil in the early stages of demenb"a. recentty discharged from hospital or who are socially isolated. 3Fs (Fun, Food and Friendship). sees older people come together over food lo meet new people and enjoy each other's company. therefore piomoting positive mental health. Sessions also include ￿gular speakers an(J heatth improvement I Se￿