2022-03-31-accounts - Kent Parents And Carers Together

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Trustees’ Annual Report for the period

From 1[st ] April 2021 Period start date To 31[st ] March 2022 Period end date Charity name: Kent PACT (Parents and Carers Together) Charity registration number: 1194016

Objectives and Activities

	SORP reference
	Para 1.17	To relieve the needs of children and young people with disabilities and special educational needs aged between 0 and 25, and their families/carers, in Kent through: a) the provision of opportunities for parents and carers to influence the decisions that affect their families and to contribute to developing services that meet the needs of their families; b) the provision of advice and support to parents and carers via forums, workshops and other means to inform and empower them about the services and issues that affect their families; c) liaising and forming partnerships with statutory authorities and other agencies to represent the views of families, influence positive change in the delivery of services for children and young people with disabilities and special educational needs and ensure the best possible outcomes for them.
Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts.	Para 1.17 and 1.19	• Business plan submitted to the Local Education Authority to enable us to create a staff team able to deliver our objectives across Kent which is a vast area with over 18000 families having children or young people with an Education Health and Care Plan • 3 year funding agreed, staff recruited, registered as an employer and engaged employment support through Shoosmiths (formerly Lex Leyton) • We have built strong professional relationships with strategic partners with the Local Authorityand the Kent &

	Medway Clinical Commissioning Group
•	Due to restrictions of Pandemic, we
	have run campaigns through social
	media to grow membership and increase
	our reach.
•	We have created 15 Facebook Closed
	Groups to enable parents to ask
	questions, share experiences and
	provide feedback on hot topics
•	We also have a group for other
	professionals and support groups within
	the SEND arena to share information,
	ideas or seek opinions from our
	members
•	We were able to hold a delayed face to
	face launch event where parents could
	hear from some of our strategic partners
	within the Local Authority SEND
	Directorate and the local CCG as well as
	attend a marketplace featuring services
	available to support families of children
	and young people with SEND
•	Our AGM followed a similar format with
	speakers and a marketplace focused on
	Post 16 transition
•	We have held one round of Parent
	Participation Training to enable parents
	to represent the views of others with
	our strategic partners
•	We have held virtual coffee mornings to
	enable parents to share experiences and
	knowledge
•	We have run a series of Meet the
	Professional sessions virtually to enable
	parents to engage directly with
	members of the SEND Team from the
	local authority
•	One staff member and one trustee have
	received training to enable them to
	conduct quality assurance reviews on
	EHCPs for the local authority
•	We have represented parents at all the
	SEND Improvement Board meetings this
	year
•	We have represented parents at
	quarterly DfE reviews of progress
	towards the local authority’s Written
	Statement of Action
•	In response to widespread parental
	concern, we raised the issue of SEND
	Transport at SEND Improvement Board
	level. Highlighting to senior Directors
	issues that they had previously been
	unaware of.

•	Following this we have worked closely
	with the three areas that are involved in
	agreeing and allocating transport to
	improve services and communications
	with parents
•	We conducted a virtual Q&A around
	transport with the Service Manager on
	behalf of parents. This was
	subsequently released on our YouTube
	channel to encourage wider
	engagement
•	We took the voice of parents to a
	Cabinet Meeting regarding Transport
•	We have been involved in representing
	parent views to the Formal Investigation
	which is currently underway
•	For this work, we received a
	Healthwatch Recognition Award
•	We have sat on Stakeholder Interview
	Panels for senior positions within the
	KCC SEND Directorship and the local
	health authority, helping to ensure
	people appointed to decision making
	posts listen to the voice of parents
•	We have worked on Kent’s Co-
	Production Charter, the local SEND
	Strategy, the Mainstream Core
	Standards and the County Approach to
	Inclusive Education documents. Again,
	ensuring parent views are considered
•	We have co-produced Kent’s Local Offer,
	working to ensure it is presented in a
	parent friendly way and that information
	is easy to find
•	We have worked with the KCC
	Communications Department to review
	letters and documents sent to parents
	ensuring they are less corporate and
	easier to understand
•	We have co-produced mandatory
	training for all staff working within the
	SEND Department at the Local Authority
•	We were identified within a joint bid to
	NHS England by KCC and the CCG to
	recruit, employ and manage a team of 4
	Peer Associates as part of the Key
	Worker Project supporting families of
	children with SEND and Mental Health
	difficulties
•	The role of the Peer Associates is to
	support the families as they approach
	crisis and are at risk of their child being
	hospitalised under Tier 4 support. They
	attend meetings, visit families, offer
	telephone support and help children to
	re-engage with their education. The aim

		is to reduce the number of children and young people with SEND facing a mental health admission
Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit	Para 1.18	The Trustees can confirm that they have taken regard to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit

Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

	SORP reference
Policy on grant making	Para 1.38
Policy on social investment including program related investment	Para 1.38
Contribution made by volunteers	Para 1.38	In this, our first year our trustees have volunteered a considerable amount of their time and expertise to ensure Kent PACT could meet its objectives and operate strong financial control over its funds. Also to ensure all relevant employment law has been complied with taking professional advice as necessary
Other

Achievements and Performance

SORP reference

Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole.	Para 1.20	See bullet points under Summary of Main Activities. All of this work has led to the Parents, carers and families of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities within Kent having an effective forum that can take their views to the highest level where they can be heard and taken into consideration when services are planned and policies are set.

Additional information (optional)

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

Achievements against objectives set	Para 1.41
Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set	Para 1.41
Investment performance against objectives	Para 1.41
Other		We are proud to have received some positive feedback from the parents and carers we serve as well as our professional strategic partners and wish to share some examples here: • As a health partner, your representation at the EHCP appreciative inquiry audit for health advice and being a member of the interview panel at the Deputy DCO positions have been invaluable. The voice of parents is pivotal but the movement towards having you as an equal partner in everything that we do, has been such a positive shift in culture. (from the DCO Kent & Medway Quality, and Safeguarding Directorate. NHS Kent & Medway Clinical Commissioning Group) • From Parents:

-	I am under no illusion this will	I am under no illusion this will
	change	tomorrow but a collective
	pressure from a group like this can
	gradually make the voice of parents
	heard.
-	I stand back and applaud the help I
	have gotten from a system and
	forums	such as yours.
-	Without Kent PACT although it is not
	for individual families or cases,
	without it we wouldn’t have a voice
	as a whole. So thank you and
	continue your great efforts.
From the Corporate Director for Children, Young
People and	Education KCC
	-	I am writing to express my
		sincere thanks to you and all
		the other parents at Kent
		PACT who have engaged so
		readily with us at KCC during
		the course of the pandemic.
		The last 12 months have
		been incredibly challenging
		for all of us, none more so
		than for parents of children
		and young people with
		SEND. The way you have
		worked with us throughout
		this time has been
		incredible, given the other
		demands on your time. You
		have helped us in our
		improvement work to
		understand parents’
		perspectives better, and
		also reached out to other
		parents to hear their views
		and then represent them to
		us. You have done this
		while also building a new
		parents organisation from
		scratch, and managing the
		huge demands of your own
		children and families at this
		most challenging of times.
		You have done this with
		good humour, honesty and
		integrity and many long
		hours of work in your own
		time. Thank you and all the
		other parents in PACT very
		much – I am very grateful
		for your work, and I am sure
		all parents of children and
		young people with SEND are

equally grateful.

Financial Review

Financial Review
Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period	Para 1.21	The Trustees feel the charity is in a strong position at the year end. Forecasts were robust and spending has been rigorously monitored. The DfE grant was spent in accordance with the rules and there is no reason to believe our application for this year’s grant will not be successful. The KCC funding has been agreed for a 3 year period. We plan to begin negotiations in October of this year (mid way through year 2) to secure further funding. The Key Worker project is a closely monitored by the overall project team and reported to NHS England.
Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held	Para 1.22	Trustees believe it is prudent to hold reserves to cover salaries and other expenses for at least 3 months.
Amount of reserves held	Para 1.22
Reasons for holding zero reserves	Para 1.22
Details of fund materially in deficit	Para 1.24
Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern	Para 1.23
Additional information (optional) Youmay choose toincludefurtherstatements		whererelevant about:
The charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising)	Para 1.47	The Department for Education Kent County Council SEND Directorate Kent & Medway CCG with KCC through NHSE Fundraising: Nurture Community Group ASDA green tokens ACUIT
Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted	Para 1.46	Kent PACT does not intend to invest funds – our principal income streams are directly to cover salaries and other expenses. Any fund raising is small and used to the benefit of our members such as the provision of Wellbeing Packs during the Pandemic.
A description of the principal risks facing the charity	Para 1.46	The principal risk is that funding from the DfE or KCC is not renewed.
Other

Structure, Governance and Management

Description of charity’s trusts:
Type of governing document (trust deed,royalcharter)	Para 1.25	Constitution
How is the charity constituted? (e.g unincorporated association,CIO)	Para 1.25	Charitable Incorporate Organisation
Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees	Para 1.25	Any member can indicate that they would like to become a trustee. Trustees are voted in by members.

Additional information (optional)

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees	Para 1.51
The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works	Para 1.51
Relationship with any related parties	Para 1.51
Other

Reference and Administrative details

Charityname	Kent Parents and Carers Together
Other name the charityuses	Kent PACT
Registered charitynumber	1194016
Charity’s principal address	The Howard de Walden Centre Bluett Street Maidstone Kent ME14 2UG

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

Trustee name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for whole year
Alison White	Chair
Fiona Handscombe	Vice Chair
Clare Winwood	Secretary
Aylee Richmond	Treasurer
Sharon King
Brian Griggs
Kim Daniels		Appointed to join trustees at AGM 24/5/22

– Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved Director name

Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity

Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year

Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others

Description of the assets held in this capacity

Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets

Additional information (optional)

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)

Type of Name Address adviser

Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)

Kent PACT employees Mrs Vicky Edwards as Operations Manager

Exemptions from disclosure

Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details

Other optional information

Resubmission of Annual Report following discussion with Charities Commission regarding human error in transferring information between submitted documents and Commission reporting questions.

Declarations

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

SKing Signature(s) Mrs Sharon King Full name(s) Position (eg Secretary, Trustee Chair, etc) Date 24/03/2024.

211194016

			£	£
Income	KCC	Grants	138265.00
	Space 2 Be Me	Grant	12577.63
	Contact A Family (DfE)	Grant	15408.79
	Ian Community (Nurture)	Donation	740.00
	Acuit	Donation	500.00
	Canon Europa	Donation	500.00
				167991.42
		£
Expenses	Salaries	71609.78
	PAYE	9480.57
	NEST Pension	2563.08
	HR	2365.42
	Staff training	266.73
	Postal address	25.00
	Software	4779.06
	Stationery and marketing	2296.70
	Postage	44.23
	Hardware	6758.33
	Telephone	2905.10
	Travel	1177.45
	Events	749.05
	Quadrant meetings	661.36
	Susbcriptions / fees	200.00
	Parent training	550.00
	Insurance	665.28
	DBS checks	57.50
	Bank charges	80.00
	Website	2138.20		109372.84
Excess				58618.58
	Balance at bank			58618.58

CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trustees Kent Parents and Carers Together On accounts for the year ended 31 March 2022 Charity no (if any) 1194016 Set out on pages I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity ('the Trust") for the year ended As the charity's trustees, 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 Trust'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 IThe charity's gross income exceeded £250,000 and l am qualified to examiner's statement undertake the examination by being a qualified member of [insert name of applicable listed body]]. Delete [ ] if not applicable. I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination (other than that disclosed below") which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect: the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or the accounts did 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. 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. Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply, Date: 2410412024 Responsibilities and basis of report Signed: Name: Andrew Kite Relevant professional qualification(s) or body Fellow of the Institute of Accountants and Bookkeepers, Fellow of the International Association of Accounting Professionals, ICPA (Fellow) Oct 2018 IER

(if any): Address: Lombard House, 12-17 Upper Bridge Street, Canterbury, CT12NF Section B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight material matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners). Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose, There are no items to disclose. IER Oct 2018