## SEFTON PARENT CARER FORUM
Charity 1199649
Trustees' Report and Unaudited Accounts
31 March 2024
1
SEFTON PARENT CARER FORUM
Registered Charity 1199649
TH
TH
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE PERIOD FROM 14 JULY 2022 TO 20 FEBRUARY 2024
INTRODUCTION
The Trustees of Sefton Parent Carer Forum are pleased to share this report ahead of the
organisations first AGM on 11 March 2024. Sefton Parent Carer Forum ISPCFI is funded by
the Department for Education Parent Carer participation Grant, supported by Contact, and
works in partnership with Sefton Local Authority as well as Health and Education strategic
partners to shape and influence services, and to ensure they are fit for purpose and meet
the needs of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities
and their families living in Sefton.
We understand the day-to-day challenges faced by parent-carers, as we are parent-carers
too. SPCF aims to give parent-carers a voice and make our collective views heard in the
improvement of services for our children.
SPCF TRUSTEES
Yael Edmonds IFinancel
Jane Pickersgill
Sue Swinchin Ico Chairl
Kellie Wright
Monica Wright Ico Chairl
- To work with commissioners, service providers and families to enable services to be delivered in a personalised way, based on the principle of early intervention. To build skills, confidence and teamwork by individual parent carers and between parent carer groups,
- recognition of our role as parent carers in true participation to achieve a coproduction model with partner agencies.
- To be representative and to engage with as many parent carers as possible, including seldom heard groups of parent carers.
- To develop and build good practice mechanisms to engage with parent carers better.
3
FUTURE PLANS 202412025
Website - Sefton PCF has a new website up and running, this will be a resource for parent
carers to keep up to date with what 15 happening with the forum, which gue5t5 are coming
into coffee mornings, to sign up for the member database, book places at events, updates
on consultations and information on the steering group and policies. As the website is new it
is still being populated, we hope to have all relevant information added to it in the near
future.
th
Summer in Sefton- Another Summer in Sefton is booked for the 17 May 2024. having
listened to feedback from parent carers we have arranged to be open from the afternoon
into the evening.
Local Offer Live - We have begun to have conversations about our next local offer live later
this year, having an agreement for the next three years, funding to host this event means we
can plan ahead of time.
Strategic Involvement and Influencing- Work to get a pathway for FASD IFoetal Alcohol
Spectrum Disorderl is continuing, we have a regular FASD Support group meeting at our
Linaker coffee mornings. We are in the early stages of the PINS IPartnership for Inclusion of
Neurodiversity in Schools) project and will feedback more once we can. Work is going on
regarding Emotional Based School Avoidance IEBSAI.
Collaborative Projects - Following on from the sensory environment work with Alder Hey we
have been approached by Pears Foundation to do some work on reasonable adjustments for
children with rare diseases.
Engagement Guided by Parent Carers- Our plans. with regards to coffee mornings, tea and
talk sessions and training will be guided by our members. We welcome any suggestions from
parent carers as to who they would like us to invite in and what kind of training they want.
We are looking at resuming some Zoom sessions soon; the steering committee are all parent
carers, but we want to try to find a way to offer some evening events.
Increasing our Membership- We want to reach parent carers that rnay encounter barrier5
to engagement and participation. We hope to engage with community leaders and groups to
understand how SPCF can reach into diverse communities.
Recruiting Volunteers and Active Parent Carer Representatives - We will conduct an
analysis of our current engagement, participation and skills to understand where there are
gaps and recruit volunteers, parent carer representatives, steering group members and
trustees, based on what is needed to ensure SPCF meets its aims and objectives.
OUR FINANCES
Becoming a CIO - In July 2022 we officially registered as a Charitable Incorporated
Organisation with the Charity Commission, which meant a great many changes to ways of
working, having a legal status as a charity and being able to raise funds. This is our first AGM
as a CIO and so we look back over the past year and a half, which brought a lot of change to
how we do things.
Funding- In May 2023 we received the grant we apply for annually from the Department for
Education IDfEI. which supports parent carer participation in local, regional and national
work around Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. This grant is the forums main
income and pays for running costs and bills, and allowing us to pay for training sessions,
some new equipment and events. Towards the end of the year, we applied for further
funding from DfE, in order to receive support with writing and adapting our policies, learning
to work as charity trustees and dealing with different issues that emerged along the way.
Due to the additional funding, we were able to send our Co-chairs to the National
Conference of Parent Carer Forums in Newcastle, for the first time as a charity.
Preparing Accounts and Training- The past few months have been very busy, preparing for
the end of the financial year, the AGM and finding our feet after the Local Offer event in
November. 2 of us had training for treasurers of community groups and l am now working
towards a qualification in bookkeeping and accounting in evening classes at Hugh Baird
College. Once we wrap up submissions to Contact and the Charity Commission, we get to
start all over again.. with grant applicationsl
Money in: Total - £ 31750.00
DfE Parent Carer Participation grant £17500- any underspend (unused moneyl goes back to
the government.
Priority Grant £8200
We weren't able to fundraise in 2023-24, but did receive a small donation of £250 from
Flynn Pharma in 2022-23.
We plan to get better at fundraising in the coming financial year.
We received £6,000 in funding from Sefton to host the Local Offer Live event, any
underspend will be returned or added to the funding for the autumn 2024 Local Offer Live.
Money out: Total- £19053.55
The full accounts will be available once the Charity Commission has approved them.
E-mail: info
sefton
cf.o
Facebook {Private) . SPCF- Sefton Parent Carer Forum
Facebook (Publicl: Sefton Parent Carer5 Information Sharing Network
Twitter: @SeftonPcfNew
InstagrBm: Seftonpcf
Website: wMnu.5efton
cf.or
Address: SPCF Shared Space, Cambridge Family Wellbeing Centre, Cambridge Road, Bootle, L20
9LQ- (next doorto Cambridge Nurseryschool)
The Trustees declare that they have approved the trustees, report above.
Signed on behalf of the Charity Trustees
Yael Edmonds
Treasurer
31 January 2025
**Sefton Parent Carer Forum Independent Examiners Report**
## **Independent Examiner's Report to the trustees of Sefton Parent Carer Forum**
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the financial statements of Sefton Parent Carer Forum for the year ended 31 March 2024 which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, the Summary Income and Expenditure Account, the Balance Sheet and the related notes.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the trustees of the charity (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 ('the 2006 Act.
Having satisfied myself that the financial statements of the charity are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity's financial statements as carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 ('the 2011 Act'). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.
## **Independent examiner's statement**
I have completed my examination. I can confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that:
- accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 386 of the 2006 Act ; or
- the financial statements do not accord with those records; or
- the financial statements do not comply with the accounting requirements under section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the financial statements give a 'true and fair' view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or
- the financial statements have not been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (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 financial statements to be reached.
Ian Wright Chartered Accountant Sefton Council for Voluntary Service Burlington House Crosby Road North Waterloo Liverpool L22 0LG 31 January 2025
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**Sefton Parent Carer Forum**
## **Statement of Financial Activities**
## **for the year ended 31 March 2024**
|**Notes**
**Income and endowments**
**from:**
Donations and legacies
3
Charitable activities
4
**Total**
**Expenditure on:**
Charitable activities
5
**Total**
Net gains on investments
**Net income**
6
Transfers between funds
**Net income before other**
**gains/(losses)**
**Other gains and losses**
**Net movement in funds**
**Reconciliation of funds:**
Total funds brought forward
**Total funds carried forward**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**2024**
**£**
750
1,798|**Restricted**
**funds**
**2024**
**£**
10,906
25,404|**Total funds**
**2024**
**£**
11,656
27,202|**Total funds**
**2023**
**£**
13,521
6,641|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||2,548
4,866|36,310
32,240|38,858
37,106|20,162
19,132|
||4,866
-|32,240
-|37,106
-|19,132
-|
||(2,318)
-|4,070
-|1,752
-|1,030
-|
||(2,318)|4,070|1,752|1,030|
||(2,318)
562|4,070
468|1,752
1,030|1,030
-|
||(1,756)|4,538|2,782|1,030|
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**Sefton Parent Carer Forum**
**Balance Sheet**
## **at 31 March 2024**
|**Company No.**
**Notes**
**2024**
**£**
**Fixed assets**
Tangible assets
8
229
229
**Current assets**
Cash at bank and in hand
3,701
3,701
**Creditors:**Amount falling due within one year
9
(1,148)
**Net current assets**
2,553
**Total assets less current liabilities**
2,782
**Net assets excluding pension asset or liability**
2,782
**Total net assets**
2,782
**The funds of the charity**
**Restricted funds**
10
Restricted income funds
4,538
4,538
**Unrestricted funds**
10
General funds
(1,756)
(1,756)
**Reserves**
10
**Total funds**
2,782|**2023**
**£**
708|
|---|---|
||708
790|
||790
(468)|
||322
1,030|
||1,030|
||1,030|
||468|
||468
562|
||562|
||1,030|
These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
For the year ended 31 March 2024 the company was entitled to exemption under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
The members have not required the company to obtain an audit in accordance with section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.
The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts.
Approved by the board on 31 January 2025
And signed on its behalf by:
Y. Edmonds
Trustee
31 January 2025
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**Sefton Parent Carer Forum Notes to the Accounts**
## **for the year ended 31 March 2024**
- 1 **Accounting policies**
## **Basis of preparation**
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity's governing document, the Companies Act 2006, FRS 102 "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland" ("FRS 102") and the Charities SORP "Accounting and Reporting by Charities: 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 (FRS 102)" (effective 1 January 2019). The charity meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note. The functional currency used is the £ Sterling.
Assets and liabilities are initially recognized at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note.
The functional currency used is the £ Sterling.
## **Preparation of the accounts on a going concern basis**
At the time of approving the accounts, the trustees' have a reasonable expectation that the Charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the forseeable future. As such these accounts have been prepared under the going concern basis.
## **Change in basis of accounting or to previous accounts**
There has been no change to the accounting policies (valuation rules and method of accounting) since last year and no changes have been made to accounts for previous years.
## **Fund accounting**
Unrestricted funds These are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objects of the charity. Designated funds These are unrestricted funds earmarked by the trustees for particular purposes. Revaluation funds These are unrestricted funds which include a revaluation reserve representing the restatement of investment assets at their market values. Restricted funds These are available for use subject to restrictions imposed by the donor or through terms of an appeal.
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**Sefton Parent Carer Forum Notes to the Accounts**
## **Income**
Recognition of Income is included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SoFA) when the charity income becomes entitled to, and virtually certain to receive, the income and the amount of the income can be measured with sufficient reliability. Income with related Where income has related expenditure the income and related expenditure is expenditure reported gross in the SoFA. Donations and Voluntary income received by way of grants, donations and gifts is included in the legacies the SoFA when receivable and only when the Charity has unconditional entitlement to the income. Tax reclaims on Income from tax reclaims is included in the SoFA at the same time as the donations and gifts gift/donation to which it relates. Donated services These are only included in income (with an equivalent amount in expenditure) and facilities where the benefit to the Charity is reasonably quantifiable, measurable and material. Volunteer help The value of any volunteer help received is not included in the accounts. Investment income This is included in the accounts when receivable. Gains/(losses) on This includes any gain or loss resulting from revaluing investments to market value revaluation of fixed at the end of the year. assets Gains/(losses) on This includes any gain or loss on the sale of investments. investment assets
## **Expenditure**
Recognition of Expenditure is recognised on an accruals basis. Expenditure includes any VAT which expenditure cannot be fully recovered, and is reported as part of the expenditure to which it relates. Expenditure on These comprise the costs associated with attracting voluntary income, fundraising raising funds trading costs and investment management costs. Expenditure on These comprise the costs incurred by the Charity in the delivery of its activities and charitable activities services in the furtherance of its objects, including the making of grants and governance costs. Grants payable All grant expenditure is accounted for on an actual paid basis plus an accrual for grants that have been approved by the trustees at the end of the year but not yet paid. Governance costs These include those costs associated with meeting the constitutional and statutory requirements of the Charity, including any audit/independent examination fees, costs linked to the strategic management of the Charity, together with a share of other administration costs. Other expenditure These are support costs not allocated to a particular activity.
## **Taxation**
The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.
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**Sefton Parent Carer Forum Notes to the Accounts**
## **Tangible fixed assets and depreciation**
Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life:
Equipment 25% Reducing
## **Trade and other debtors**
Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due.
## **Cash and cash equivalents**
Cash and cash equivalents comprise cash at bank and on hand, demand deposits with banks and other short-term highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less and bank overdrafts. In the statement of financial position, bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings or current liabilities. In the Statement of Cash Flows, cash and cash equivalents are shown net of bank overdrafts that are repayable on demand and form an integral part of the company's cash management.
## **Trade and other creditors**
Short term creditors are measured at the transaction price. Other 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.
## **Pension costs**
The charity operates a defined contribution plan for its employees. A defined contribution plan is a pension plan under which the company pays fixed contributions into a separate entity. Once the contributions have been paid the company has no further payments obligations. The contributions are recognised as expenses when they fall due. Amounts not paid are shown in accruals in the balance sheet. The assets of the plan are held separately from the company in independently administered funds.
## 2 **Company status**
The company is a private company limited by guarantee and consequently does not have share capital.
## 3 **Income from donations and legacies**
|**Income from donations and legacies**||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Unrestricted**||**Restricted**|**Total**|**Total**|
|||||**2024**|**2023**|
||**£**||**£**|**£**|**£**|
|Donations|-||-|-|550|
|Funds introduced|-||-|-|12,971|
|Alder Hey NHS for equipment|-||1,936|1,936|-|
|Bolton Parent Carers|750||-|750|-|
|Alder Hey NHS for Peer To
Peer training|-||2,970|2,970|-|
|Sefton MBC|-||6,000|6,000|-|
||750||10,906|11,656|13,521|
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**Sefton Parent Carer Forum**
## **Notes to the Accounts**
## 4 **Income from charitable activities**
|Events
Department of Education
Contact a Family
5
**Expenditure on charitable activities**
_Expenditure on charitable_
_activities_
Events
Department of Education
Contact a Family
Supplies
Training
_Admin costs_
Employee costs
Motor and travel costs
Amortisation, depreciation,
impairment, profit/loss on
disposal of fixed assets
General administrative costs
6
**Net income before transfers**
This is stated after charging:
Depreciation of owned fixed assets
7
**Staff costs**
Salaries and wages|**Unrestricted**
**£**
1,798
-
1,798
**Unrestricted**
**£**
-
-
-
-
-
1,498
479
2,889
4,866|**Restricted**
**£**
-
25,404
25,404
**Restricted**
**£**
-
21,402
-
2,970
5,875
57
-
1,936
32,240
**2024**
**£**
479
**2024**
5,875
5,875|**Total**
**2024**
**£**
1,798
25,404
27,202
**Total**
**2024**
**£**
-
21,402
-
2,970
5,875
1,555
479
4,825
37,106|**Total**
**2023**
**£**
50
6,591|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||6,641|
|||||**Total**
**2023**
**£**
4,533
6,123
1,077
680
-
-
3,325
3,394|
|||||19,132|
|||||**2023**
**£**
3,325
**2023**
-|
|||||-|
No employee received emoluments in excess of £60,000.
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**Sefton Parent Carer Forum Notes to the Accounts**
## 8 **Tangible fixed assets**
|**Cost or revaluation**
At 1 April 2023
At 31 March 2024
**Depreciation and**
**impairment**
At 1 April 2023
Depreciation charge for the
year
At 31 March 2024
**Net book values**
At 31 March 2024
At 31 March 2023
9
**Creditors:**
amounts falling due within one year
Trade creditors
Accruals|**2024**
**£**
960
188
1,148|**Equipment**
**£**
4,033
4,033
3,325
479
3,804
229
708|**Total**
**£**
4,033|
|---|---|---|---|
||||4,033|
||||3,325
479|
||||3,804|
||||229|
||||708|
||||**2023**
**£**
280
188|
||||468|
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**Sefton Parent Carer Forum Notes to the Accounts**
## 10 **Movement in funds**
|**At 1 April**
**2023**
**Restricted funds:**
**Restricted income funds:**
Department of Education
468
Alder Hey National Health
Service
-
Alder Hey National Health
Service
-
Sefton MBC
-
_Total_
468
**Unrestricted funds:**
**General funds**
562
**Total funds**
1,030
Purposes and restrictions in relation to the funds:
Restricted funds:
Department of Education
Contact a Family Grant
Alder Hey National Health
Service
Equipment
Alder Hey National Health
Service
Peer To Peer Training
Sefton MBC
Local Offer Live|**Incoming**
**resources**
**(including**
**other**
**gains/losses**
**)**
**£**
25,404
1,936
2,970
6,000
36,310
2,548
38,858|**Resources**
**expended**
**£**
(21,402)
(1,936)
(2,970)
(5,932)
(32,240)
(4,866)
(37,106)|**At 31**
**March**
**2024**
**£**
4,470
-
-
68|
|---|---|---|---|
||||4,538|
||||(1,756)|
||||2,782|
|||||
|||||
|||||
|||||
|||||
|||||
|||||
## 11 **Analysis of net assets between funds**
|Fixed assets
Net current assets|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**
229
(1,985)
(1,756)|**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**
-
4,538
4,538|**Total**
**£**
229
2,553|
|---|---|---|---|
||||2,782|
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**Sefton Parent Carer Forum Notes to the Accounts**
## 12 **Reconciliation of net cash / (net debt)**
|**Reconciliation of net cash / (net debt)**||||
|---|---|---|---|
|Cash and cash equivalents
Net cash / (net debt)|**At 1 April**
**2023**
**£**|**Cash flows**
**£**|**At 31**
**March**
**2024**
**£**|
||790|2,911|3,701|
||790
790|2,911
2,911|3,701|
||||3,701|
FRS 102 requires and entity to report changes in net debt in the accounting period. Sefton Parent Carer Forum does not carry any debt or other borrowings and has a positive net cash position
Page 9