2024-03-31-accounts - Send Voices Wokingham

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Trustees’ Annual Report for the period

From 1[st] January 2023 To 31[st] March 2024

Charity name: SEND Voices Wokingham

Charity registration number: 1201621

Objectives and Activities

	SORP reference
Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document	Para 1.17	To relieve the needs of children and young people, including their parents, carers and families, who have disabilities and/or special educational needs in Wokingham and the surrounding areas, in order to improve their quality of life, promote their inclusion in their Local communities and to help and support them to reach their full potential.
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	SEND Voices Wokingham is the independent Parent Carer Forum, Wokingham Borough, who give a voice to families who have a child or young person aged 0-25 years with any Special Educational Need or SEND). Working in partnership with education, health, social care, and other service providers to make sure the services commissioned meet the needs of children and young people with SEND in Wokingham. This is achieved by: • Engaging with families of children and young people to with SEND to gather their views and lived experiences. • Sharing the views and lived experiences with all stakeholders to improve services in the local area. • Running training for families with SENDIASS and information events. • Working with strategic local area partners.
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 had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission 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	There are a few volunteers who contribute their time and support the charity.
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	SVW continue to work with our strategic partners and were involved in 336 meetings across a wide range of SEND Education, Health and Social Care areas. SVW attended over 540 hours of meetings ensuring that there was parent carer representation at the Safety Valve and SEND Improvement 5 workstreams that feed into this SEND Partnership Board ensuring that the parent carer voice is represented across all workstreams in the Borough. A Termly Feedback from Families report is produced and presented for the Wokingham SEND Assurance Board to ensure senior leaders across education, health and social care are aware of SEND families lived experience. In total SVW has conducted in excess of 1492 hours of work across all areas of our work which is an annual increase of 25%. Overview of our Parent Carer Engagement This year we have developed a Parent Carer Participation Group which meets virtually and face-to- face each term to increase parent carer engagement across all demographics and disabilities, including working with the Wokingham Equality Forum. SVW have regular contact with over 1500 families via email, social media and through contacts with local school and other local voluntary sector groups. Our membership continues to grow and has increased this year by over 25% this year.

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||||| |---|---|---|---| |We are pleased to be able to continue to offer Max| |Cards (a national discount card) to all our members.| |We provide half-term updates on our activities to our| |members.| |This year we have run 24 events for Parent Carers:| |•|the annual|Local Offer Live|information event| |•|hosted 11|SENDIASS training courses|throughout the| |year on the EHCP Process, SEN Support at School,| |Effective Communication, Annual Reviews and| |Preparing for Adulthood.| |•|ran surveys our second|Annual Wokingham Area| |SEND survey,|as well as other surveys on|SEND Home| |to School Transport,|SENDIASS training courses|and| |EOTAS|.| |•|5|on-line drop-in sessions|with the SEND Team and| |with the Senior Leadership Team from Wokingham| |Borough Council and the BOB Integrated Care Board| |(health) on SEND Strategy & Improvements and the| |Safety Valve Programme| |•|hosted more specific focus groups on proposed| |Home to School Transport and EOTAS Policy changes| |•|organised termly SEND team drop-ins with WBC| |SEND team Senior Leaders for families to raise their| |individual concerns directly.| |•|attended|9 SENDIASS drop-ins/coffee mornings|to| |provide information, gather feedback on areas that| |need improvement and offer a cuppa for those| |waiting to see the SENDIASS team.| |Information for Parent Carers:| |Information is a key area for families, and we often| |hear families say it is hard to find information locally.| |We are able to offer parent carers information through| |the following:| |•|SEND Guide for parents|a quick and easy guide| |for parent & carers of children with Special| |Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND)| |available both online and hard copy.| |•|Local Offer Live event|a face-to-face event, full of| |information stands of what is available in| |Wokingham for parent carers with children and| |young people with SEND.| |•|Local Offer Guide|a booklet for parent carers and| |professionals to find services, organisations, help| |& support for children and young people with| |SEND. Available both online and hard copy.| |•|Information Leaflets|on When you child needs| |extra support in school, Short Breaks, Health| |Support and Early Years support for 0-5’s.| |•|Coproduced a|Preparing for Adulthood guide| |with Wokingham Borough Council and Health.|

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Our website which is regularly updated with all our events and news items. www.sendvoiceswokingham.org.uk
• Facebook page with useful information, participation opportunities and our events. www.facebook.com/SendVoicesWokingham
• Supporting events for parent carers such as Carers Information days and SENDIASS drop-ins.

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

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 an acceptable position at the year end. Forecasts were as robust as possible with enough back up to manage the financial crisis in the public sector.
Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held	Para 1.22	The Board of Trustees have resolved that a balance of £23,000 being the equivalent of 6 months expenditure should be held in reserve since the payment of income grants is subject to annual application processes that delay receipt of funds. The remainder of the General Reserve is available to support the work of the Charity.
Amount of reserves held	Para 1.22	£23,000
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) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:	Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:	Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
The charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising)	Para 1.47	•Department of Education Grant which is administered via Contact. •Grant from Wokingham Borough Council.
Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted	Para 1.46
A description of the principal risks facing the charity	Para 1.46	Grants are issued on yearly application and subject to those applications being successful. Grants are not increasing in line with inflation and other factors.
Other

Structure, Governance and Management

Description of charity’s trusts:
Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter)	Para 1.25	Constitution
How is the charity constituted? (e.g unincorporated association, CIO)	Para 1.25	Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)
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	Trustees may nominate themselves or others, with regard to DfE requirements for persons with SEND CYP or skills sets required by the Board of Trustees. Trustees are interviewed and voted by current Trustees.

Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:	Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:	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	All Trustees have undergo Trustee training and DBS checks. All Trustees are provided with all SVW policies and procedures.
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	Part of the National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF)
Other

Reference and Administrative details

Charity name	SEND Voices Wokingham
Other name the charity uses	SVW
Registered charity number	1201621
Charity’s principal address	11 The Manor, Shinfield, RG2 9DP

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

Trustee name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for whole year
Sarah Clarke	Chair	1/1/2023 to 20/3/2023
Debbie Jacobs		8/2/2023 to 31/8/2023
Lynn Boba		8/2/2023
Tim Bharucha		6/3/2023
Matthew Booth		4/4/2023
JennyHooper		11/4/2023

– 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)

Sarah Clarke and Terri Walsh Joint CEOs

Exemptions from disclosure

Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details

Other optional information

Declarations

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

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s) Full name(s) Matthew Booth Position (eg Chair Secretary, Chair, etc) Date 11th November 2024

Financial Statement SEND Voices Wokingham - January 2023 to March 2024

Financial Statement SEND Voices Wokingham - January 2023 to March 2024	Financial Statement SEND Voices Wokingham - January 2023 to March 2024	Financial Statement SEND Voices Wokingham - January 2023 to March 2024	Financial Statement SEND Voices Wokingham - January 2023 to March 2024	Financial Statement SEND Voices Wokingham - January 2023 to March 2024

Receipts and Payments Accounts Jan 2023 to March 2024	Unrestricted Funds	Restricted Funds (Contact)	Restricted Funds (WBC)	Total

Receipts	£	£	£
Contact (DfE) Grant	0	19887.00	0	19887.00
WBC Grant	0	0	17500.00	17500.00
Other	2800.00	0	0	2800.00
Total Receipts	2800.00	19887.00	17500.00	40187.00

Payments
Infrastructure	0	3772.02	0	3772.02
Events with families	0	2228.68	1031.63	3260.31
Meetings with families	0	583.9	175.14	759.04
Training (internal)	0	838.15	330	1168.15
Developing Info & Resources	0	0	0	0
Out of pocket expenses & Mileage	0	581.96	134.29	716.25
Staffing Costs - internal	0	7361.04	6043.47	13404.51
Staffing Costs - meetings with stakeholders	0	4511.25	2133.75	6645.00
SVRBWM support	619.31	0	0	619.31
Misc	1050.00	10.00	0	1060.00
Total Payments	1669.31	19887.00	9848.28	31404.59

Surplus (Deficit)	1130.69	0.00	7651.72*	8782.41
* Surplus due to not being able to obtain a suitable office space - costings were broken down as follows: Office space £3600.00, Office phone line £260.00, Office IT support £500.00, Office Laptop £600.00 = Total £4960.00 and £2000.00 being allocated for Ofsted/CQC inspection work (inspection date unknown).

Net Movement in Funds
Bought forward at 1/1/2023	0	0	0	0
Transfer between funds	0	0	0	0
Carried forward at 31/3/24	0	0	0	0

Statement of Assets and Liabilities	Unrestricted Funds	Restricted Funds (Contact)	Restricted Funds (WBC)	Total
Cash at bank and in hand	10019.54	0	0	10019.54
Reserves (6 months)	23000.00	0	0	23000.00
Asset retained for charity's use	0	0	0	0
Liabilities	0	0	0	0

Total assets less Liabilities	33019.54	0	0	33019.54

INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS REPORT

At the request of the Trustees of SEND Voices Wokingham, I have examined the receipts and payments account for the year ending 31st March 2023, along with the related paperwork.

I have no concerns and have come across no other no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn.

Gisela Sharp

11th September 2024