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_“We’ve had a difficult year and your help, support and kindness means a great deal to us. Just knowing there are people who care gives me strength to carry on.”_ (Widowed mother, with two young children)
## **The Catholic Children’s Society (Westminster)**
Annual Report and Financial Statements
31 March 2023
Company Limited by Guarantee Registration Number: 00085235 (England and Wales) Charity Registration Number: 210920
The Catholic Children's Society (Westminster)
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## **Contents**
## **Reports**
|Reference and administrative details of the||
|---|---|
|charity, its trustees and advisers|1|
|Chairman’s introduction|3|
|Trustees’ report|6|
|Independent auditor’s report|28|
|**Financial statements**||
|Statement of financial activities|32|
|Balance sheet|33|
|Cash flow statement|34|
|Principal accounting policies|35|
|Notes to the financial statements|40|
The Catholic Children's Society (Westminster)
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## **Reference and administrative details of the charity, its trustees and advisers**
|**President**|The Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster|
|---|---|
|**Vice President**|Archbishop John Wilson of Southwark|
|**Board of Trustees**|Fr Michael Daley (Chairman)|
||Ben Andradi|
||Dr Anne Burnage (resigned 20.09.22)|
||John Gibbs (Treasurer)|
||Catherine Kerr (appointed 14.03.23)|
||Frances McCarthy|
||Lucy McLynn|
||John O’Donnell|
||Anthony O’Halloran|
||Fr David Reilly (appointed 05.07.22)|
||Maureen Roe|
||Mgr Phelim Rowland (resigned 05.07.22)|
||Pamela Singh (Vice Chairman) (resigned|
||14.03.23)|
|**Chief Executive Officer and Secretary**|Gregory Brister|
|**Principal address and registered office**|73 St Charles Square|
||London|
||W10 6EJ|
|**Telephone**|020 8969 5305|
|**E-mail**|info@cathchild.org.uk|
|**Website**|www.cathchild.org.uk|
|**Company registration number**|00085235 (England and Wales)|
|**Charity registration number**|210920|
|**Hon. Medical Adviser**|Dr Mary McHugh|
|**Hon. Education Adviser**|Peter Ward|
The Catholic Children's Society (Westminster) **1**
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## **Reference and administrative details of the charity, its trustees and advisers**
|**Auditor**|Buzzacott LLP|
|---|---|
||130 Wood Street|
||London|
||EC2V 6DL|
|**Bankers**|Royal Bank of Scotland plc|
||Old Brompton Road Branch|
||29 Old Brompton Road|
||London|
||SW7 3JE|
|**Investment managers**|Charles Stanley & Co Limited|
||25 Luke Street|
||London|
||EC2A 4AR|
||Killik & Co LLP|
||46 Grosvenor Street|
||Mayfair|
||London|
||W1K 3HN|
|**Solicitors**|Bates Wells LLP|
||20 Queen Street Place|
||London|
||EC4R 1BE|
|**Surveyors**|Pinders Professional and Consultancy Services|
||Limited|
||Pinder House|
||Central Milton Keynes|
||MK9 1DS|
The Catholic Children's Society (Westminster) **2**
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## **Chairman’s introduction** Year to 31 March 2023
The Catholic Children’s Society (Westminster) (“CCS”) is a registered charity offering a range of services for children and families in need. We are one of the largest providers of mental health services to schools in London. We deliver early intervention counselling, play therapy and creative arts therapies on-site in over 70 primary, secondary and special schools, helping to build children’s resilience and improve their life chances. To complement this work, we run specialist mental health training programmes for hundreds of school staff and parents/carers each year. We also help disadvantaged children and families through our family centres and Crisis Funds. In addition, our Post Adoption and Aftercare Team supports adopted adults, adoptive parents and birth families who are seeking help and advice in relation to adoption, as well as those formerly in our care.
## **ACHIEVEMENTS DURING THE YEAR**
During 2022/23 CCS:
- Supported 9,577 individuals (an increase of over 40% compared to 2021/22)
- Worked with 78 schools to provide counselling and therapy services for pupils experiencing mental health difficulties, supporting 2,931 individuals.
- Provided food, gifts and other material support to a record 2,449 children and parents/carers experiencing severe hardship over Christmas, including women and children who had been trafficked.
- Expanded our mental health training, helping 2,161 school staff, parents/carers and pupils develop new skills to support young people experiencing mental health issues (a fivefold increase compared to the previous year) .
- Awarded emergency grants via our Crisis Funds to help 476 children and parents/carers who were facing a crisis in their lives, including Ukrainian refugees and families fleeing domestic abuse.
- Trained 495 staff from across 67 schools in the Rainbows Bereavement Support Programme, helping these schools provide early intervention support for pupils experiencing bereavement and loss (vs 51 school in 2021/22).
- Received a strong Ofsted report for our St Francis Family Centre, with an overall rating of ‘Good’.
- Scaled up the support we offer families at our St Mark’s Stay and Play, supporting 328 individuals (a 30% increase compared to 2021/22).
- Provided our Post Adoption Service to 437 individuals with 92% of respondents to our feedback survey rating the quality of the service as ‘Outstanding’.
- Successfully piloted a ‘Community Mental Health Lead’ initiative, empowering parents/carers to support families in their communities.
- Delivered services in every single deanery in the Diocese of Westminster and the Archdiocese of Southwark, and in 83% of deaneries in the Diocese of Arundel & Brighton.
The Catholic Children's Society (Westminster) **3**
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## **Chairman’s introduction** Year to 31 March 2023
## **ACHIEVEMENTS DURING THE YEAR** (continued)
2022/23 has not been without its challenges, but it has also been a time of hope. A time when individuals and communities have come together to support those in need and show real compassion in the face of adversity.
We are all well aware of the impact the cost-of-living crisis has had on our lives but – as with the pandemic - it has been the most disadvantaged and marginalised in our communities who have been most acutely affected. Basic standards of living have become increasingly unattainable for many; the strain and distress felt by those unable to keep their children warm over the winter months, or put food on the table, cannot be overstated.
Yet thanks to the support and dedication of individual supporters, schools, parishes, staff and volunteers the Catholic Children’s Society has been able to rise to this challenge. During 2022/23 we scaled up the support offered via our Crisis Funds, distributing over £100,000 in emergency funding to provide immediate practical support for families in need. In addition, we supported a record number of families at Christmas, distributing almost £70,000 worth of food and gifts for children who would otherwise go without. The quote from one recently widowed mother on the first page of this document speaks to the profound impact this can have: _“Just knowing there are people who care gives me strength to carry on.”_
Alongside this, we have continued to expand our work as a leading provider of mental health services, supporting almost 3,000 individuals. The impact mental health issues can have on children’s development is well documented; through our early intervention services we build resilience and give children the tools to cope with the challenges they face. The difference this can make to the whole trajectory of a child’s life is profound.
To complement this work, we have expanded our training programmes and delivered specialist training for over 2,000 school staff, parents/carers and young people. This, together with our Rainbows Bereavement Support Programme, has ensured that key adults and peers in children’s lives are able to provide them with the help and support they need during challenging times.
Early intervention links many of our services, and our work with children in their early years at our family centres has continued to go from strength to strength. By giving disadvantaged children as young as two the opportunity to thrive we set them on a path to real achievement, despite the barriers many face. I was delighted this was recognised when our St Francis Family Centre was inspected by Ofsted in August 2022 and found there was a “breadth and balance” to the curriculum which enabled children to “gain valuable skills in preparation for school”.
No less important has been our Post Adoption and Aftercare work. During our time as a Voluntary Adoption Agency we placed over 6,000 children with adoptive families; our duty to these adopted adults and birth relatives remains. The moving feedback included in this report bears testament to the powerful impact our work can have, helping over 400 individuals learn more about their past and reuniting many with ‘lost’ family members.
Key to the success of our work are our core values: integrity, compassion, inclusion and partnership. These are what bind us together and ensure that the wellbeing of children and families is at the heart of all we do. As we look ahead, I am confident that thanks to the
The Catholic Children's Society (Westminster) **4**
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## **Chairman’s introduction** Year to 31 March 2023
kindness and compassion of all who contribute to our work, we will continue to give many more families the strength to carry on and real hope for the future.
Father Michael Daley Chairman
The Catholic Children's Society (Westminster) **5**
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## **Trustees’ report** Year to 31 March 2023
## **INTRODUCTION**
The trustees, who are the directors for the purposes of company law, present their statutory report, including the Strategic Report, together with the financial statements of The Catholic Children’s Society (Westminster) (“CCS”) for the year ended 31 March 2023.
The report has been prepared in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 and Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out on pages 35 to 39. They comply with the charitable company’s Memorandum and Articles of Association, applicable laws and the requirements of 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).
## **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT**
## **Constitution**
CCS is a company limited by guarantee (Company No. 00085235) and a registered charity (Charity No. 210920). The company was incorporated on 13 July 1905 and its governing documents are the Memorandum and Articles of Association. The company registered as a charity with the Charity Commission on 24 September 1963.
## **Trustees and senior management**
The present Board consists of 10 members, six of whom are male and four of whom are female. One member of the Board is BAME. New members are recruited on the basis of contacts and knowledge of potential recruits from within the Board’s existing membership and senior executive staff.
There is an induction programme for new members and regular training events for the Board. In line with the Charity Governance Code, there is an annual review conducted by the Board of its membership, means of recruitment, appointment, induction and training. An external independent review of Board governance is scheduled to take place every three years.
The full Board meets at least four times each year as does its Finance Committee. Since August 2020 the Articles of Association have enabled Board meetings to be held in person, electronically or a mix of both. There is a Remuneration Committee which meets as and when required. There is also an Executive Committee with delegated powers which meets when appropriate to consider longer term strategic matters with the CEO if required. The Chief Executive Officer of CCS is answerable to the Board and acts under authority delegated by the Board.
The Catholic Children's Society (Westminster) **6**
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## **Trustees’ report** Year to 31 March 2023
## **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT** (continued)
## **Trustees and senior management** (continued)
The following trustees were in office throughout the period (except where indicated):
**Trustees** Fr Michael Daley (Chairman) Ben Andradi Dr Anne Burnage Resigned 20 September 2022 John Gibbs (Treasurer) Catherine Kerr Appointed 14 March 2023 Frances McCarthy Lucy McLynn John O’Donnell Anthony O’Halloran Fr David Reilly Appointed 05 July 2022 Maureen Roe Mgr Phelim Rowland Resigned 05 July 2022 Pamela Singh (Vice Chairman) Resigned 14 March 2023
**Company Secretary** Gregory Brister
## **Senior management team**
|**Name**|**Position**|
|---|---|
|Gregory Brister|Chief Executive Officer|
|Orla Morris|Head of Finance|
|Marie Kissane|Head of Resources (Retired 31 May 2022)|
|Julie O’Devlin|Head of HR and Operations (Appointed 19 April 2022,|
||resigned 09 September 2022)|
|Preeti Johal|Head of HR and Operations (Appointed 28 November 2022)|
|Suzanna K Waring|Head of Partnerships and Communications|
|Michelle Hegarty|Head of School Services and Safeguarding|
The Chief Executive Officer plays an active role with the Caritas Social Action Network (CSAN) and is a member of the CSAN Directors Forum. This umbrella organisation within the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales brings together Catholic welfare agencies.
## **Remuneration of key management personnel**
CCS has a Remuneration Committee, which meets as and when required and is comprised of the CCS Treasurer and one trustee with a HR specialism. This Committee sets the pay for all staff. The CEO, Head of Resources/HR and Operations and Head of Finance are also in attendance for the meeting, but do not participate in discussions regarding their own remuneration.
In determining CCS’s remuneration policy, the Remuneration Committee takes into account all factors which are deemed necessary. The objective of the policy is to ensure that the Chief Executive Officer and staff team are provided with appropriate incentives to encourage enhanced performance and are, in a fair and responsible manner, rewarded for their individual contributions to the success of the charity. The appropriateness and relevance of the remuneration policy is reviewed annually including reference to comparisons with other charities ensuring CCS remains sensitive to the broader issues e.g. pay and employment conditions elsewhere.
The Catholic Children's Society (Westminster) **7**
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## **Trustees’ report** Year to 31 March 2023
## **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT** (continued)
## **Remuneration of key management personnel** (continued)
The trustees consider that they, together with the Chief Executive Officer, Head of Finance, Head of Partnerships and Communications, Head of Resources/HR and Operations and Head of Schools Services & Safeguarding comprise the key management of the charity in charge of directing and controlling, running and operating the charity on a day-to-day basis.
None of the trustees received any remuneration from the charity in respect of their services during the year (2021/22 – £nil). There were no out of pocket travelling expenses reimbursed to trustees during the year (202/22 – £nil). The Chief Executive Officer of CCS received remuneration in accordance with their contract of employment as well as a car mileage allowance. Further details of the remuneration payable to the key management personnel are provided within note 10 to the attached financial statements.
The charity has purchased insurance to protect it from any loss arising from the neglect or defaults of its directors and officers and to indemnify the directors or other officers against the consequences of any neglect or default on their part. The insurance premium paid by the charity during the period totalled £100 (2021/22 – £100) and provides cover of up to a maximum of £5 million (2021/22 – £5 million).
## **Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults**
The trustees recognise the importance of safeguarding all those with whom CCS works. To this end, all trustees, staff and volunteers working with children undergo Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance before appointment and thereafter every three years. The majority of staff are now registered with the DBS Update Service and their status is reviewed annually. In addition, up to date written references are also required as are original copies of certificates and qualifications. CCS employs appropriately qualified staff for all posts and provides them with regular training. It follows the child protection procedures produced by the London Safeguarding Children Board and the Hertfordshire Safeguarding Children Board.
## **Charity Governance Code**
The CCS trustees recognise the significance of good governance and are broadly in compliance with the seven principles of the Charity Governance Code outlined in the Code for larger charities.
## **Fundraising statement**
CCS seeks to secure funds from a range of sources including charitable trusts, local authorities and individuals through our in-house team. We do not contract external professional fundraisers to conduct this function, nor do we have a commercial participator.
We are registered with the Fundraising Regulator and adhere to its Code of Fundraising Practice. There has been no failure to comply with this Code. Our CEO and the Head of Partnerships and Communications both hold a Diploma in Fundraising from the Chartered Institute of Fundraising.
Whenever individual supporters conduct fundraising activities on our behalf a dedicated member of staff within the Partnerships and Communications team monitors these activities, regularly communicating with the supporter (via phone, email and mail) to provide advice and support. Neither CCS, nor any individual acting on our behalf, has received any complaints about fundraising.
The Catholic Children's Society (Westminster) **8**
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**Trustees’ report** Year to 31 March 2023
## **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT** (continued)
## **Fundraising statement** (continued)
We recognise it is vital to ensure that our fundraising activities and approaches are reasonable and only targeted at those who are sympathetic to our work and want to hear from us. It is also essential we protect vulnerable people from feeling pressured into giving. To achieve this:
- All our fundraising communications provide information on how, via one simple step, individuals can opt out of future communications or manage their communication preferences;
- We immediately action any requests to cease receiving fundraising communications;
- We have a supporter CRM that captures different communication preferences so supporters can choose how they hear from us; and
- We do not undertake street, door-to-door or telephone fundraising.
## **Statement of trustees’ responsibilities**
The trustees (who are also directors of The Catholic Children’s Society (Westminster) for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the trustees’ report and financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the income and expenditure of the charity for that period.
In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:
- Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
- Observe the methods and principles in 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);
- Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
- State whether applicable United Kingdom Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and
- Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
The Catholic Children's Society (Westminster) **9**
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**Trustees’ report** Year to 31 March 2023
## **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT** (continued)
**Statement of trustees’ responsibilities** (continued)
Each of the trustees confirms that:
- So far as the trustee is aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the charity’s auditor is unaware; and
- The trustee has taken all the steps that he/she ought to have taken as a trustee in order to make himself/herself aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the charity’s auditor is aware of that information.
This confirmation is given and should be interpreted in accordance with the provisions of s418 of the Companies Act 2006.
The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the charity and financial information included on the charity’s website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.
## **EMPLOYEES**
The charity is an equal opportunities employer and continues to apply objective criteria to assess merit. In line with employment legislation and the Equality Act 2010 it aims to ensure that no job applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, sex or sexual orientation. In addition, the above applies to the issue of religion or belief except in respect of the post of Chief Executive Officer, which, by decision of the Board, is to be filled by someone practising the Roman Catholic faith.
Selection criteria and procedures are reviewed regularly to ensure that individuals are selected, promoted and treated on the basis of their relevant merits and abilities. All employees are given equal opportunity and, where appropriate and possible, special training to enable them to progress both within and outside the organisation.
CCS pays its staff at least the London Living Wage.
## **VOLUNTEERS**
The trustees very much value the contribution made by our volunteers to the work of CCS. A great amount of time, the value of which is impossible to quantify for the purpose of these financial statements (and is therefore excluded), was donated by 19 (2021/22 – 18) volunteers throughout the period. Activities undertaken included assisting with community fundraising and Christmas card sales.
The Catholic Children's Society (Westminster) **10**
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## **Trustees’ report** Year to 31 March 2023
## **PUBLIC BENEFIT: OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES**
The trustees confirm that in setting the objectives and planning the work of the charity for the year, they have given careful and serious consideration to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit.
## **The Charity’s Objects**
The objectives for which CCS is established are: to promote in such charitable ways as shall seem fit the material, mental and spiritual welfare of children, young persons, adults who were beneficiaries of CCS as children or young persons, adults who were (or who have family members who were) in foster, adoptive or residential care as children or young persons, and families with children and/or persons in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Westminster and elsewhere and whether or not of the Roman Catholic faith and in particular (but without in any way limiting the generality of the foregoing) to provide and assist in providing for such persons accommodation (whether in property belonging to CCS or otherwise and whether or not in the United Kingdom) and also clothing, education and training, advice and counselling.
CCS seeks to further the objects of material, mental and spiritual welfare in children and families through the following services:
- Pathways Post Adoption and Aftercare
- St Mark’s Stay and Play
- St Francis Family Centre
- Crisis Funds
- Christmas Gift Appeal
- Connect-Ed School Counselling and Therapy Services
- Connect-Ed Mental Health Training
- Rainbows Bereavement Support Programme
- Pastoral Awareness
These activities and achievements are outlined on the next page. A summary of achievements during the year can be found on page 3-5 of this Annual Report.
## **The Charity’s Activities**
## _**Pathways Post Adoption and Aftercare Services**_
These comprise the undertakings of an Adoption Support Agency (ASA). The Post Adoption and Aftercare Team works with adult adoptees who are seeking help, advice or counselling in relation to their adoption. This service extends to the person’s adopters and birth family. In addition, this team offers a similar range of services in respect of those formerly in our care and their families. The aim of this work is to help adopted adults, and former residents of our children’s homes, achieve a greater understanding of their origins and reasons for separation, using the sensitivity, skills and knowledge of the workers and the records which CCS holds.
The Catholic Children's Society (Westminster) **11**
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## **Trustees’ report** Year to 31 March 2023
## **PUBLIC BENEFIT: OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES** (continued)
**The Charity’s Activities** (continued)
## _**St Mark’s Stay and Play**_
This parent and toddler drop-in, located in North Kensington, is funded by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It supports parents and their young children living in or near Dalgarno Ward (formerly St Charles Ward), an area of high economic deprivation and close to Grenfell Tower. Through this work we aim to provide a stimulating range of educational play activities for children aged 0-5 and their parents/carers.
## _**St Francis’ Family Centre**_
St Francis’ Family Centre (St Francis) is located in Poplar Ward within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. This borough has one of the highest rates of child poverty in the country (Indices of Deprivation 2019). Through our nursery and family activity programme we provide vital support for deprived children and families.
Our aim at St Francis is to enhance disadvantaged children’s cognitive, language and social skills ensuring they are able to make a successful transition to school, progress well and achieve their full potential. We also work closely with parents/carers, empowering them to embrace their role as their children’s first and most important educators.
## _**Crisis Funds**_
In response to the growing levels of poverty experienced by families across the Diocese of Westminster, the Archdiocese of Southwark and the Diocese of Arundel & Brighton we operate three Crisis Funds. These funds provide direct material assistance for families facing a crisis. We aim to respond to requests for support (made by a Head Teacher or Parish Priest on behalf of a family) within 24 hours. Through this initiative we are able to help alleviate the suffering experienced by many children and families who often have nowhere else to turn. Every penny donated to these funds goes directly to families in need. In addition, a fourth Crisis Fund was established in 2017 to assist those families affected by the Grenfell Tower fire. This fund has supported counselling and therapy to children and families as well as providing financial assistance and holiday activities for children and their parents.
## _**Christmas Gift Appeal**_
Each year at Christmas we distribute gifts, food and toiletries to families who are living in poverty and would otherwise struggle a great deal over the Christmas holidays. This helps to relieve some of the strain they are under and enables them to enjoy their time together at a time of year that would otherwise be very challenging.
## _**Connect- Ed School Counselling and Therapy Services**_
Connect-Ed is the delivery arm of the mental health services CCS provides in schools. In 2020 the NHS digital survey of children and young people’s mental health in England found that one in six children aged 5-16 years was identified as having a probable mental disorder.
These challenges at such an early age can negatively impact children’s education, their ability to form healthy relationships and the quality of their family relationships. Mental ill-health during childhood and adolescence can go on to dramatically impact outcomes later in life, affecting future earnings, physical health and even life expectancy.
The Catholic Children's Society (Westminster) **12**
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## **Trustees’ report** Year to 31 March 2023
## **PUBLIC BENEFIT: OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES** (continued)
## **The Charity’s Activities** (continued)
## _**Connect- Ed School Counselling and Therapy Services** (continued)_
The aim of our Connect-Ed service is to provide early intervention and prevention through professional therapeutic support for children and young people who experience social, emotional and mental health difficulties. Through this service we help pupils come to terms with the sources of their distress and develop greater emotional resilience. This ensures they are in a much stronger position to engage with learning and achieve their full potential.
We differentiate ourselves from other organisations by primarily employing qualified and experienced mental health professionals to deliver this work. This means our staff can conduct clinical assessments and work with complex cases. As a result, children and young people, as well as parents and school staff, benefit from expert support which can make a lasting difference to children’s lives. We have a dedicated Connect-Ed website which provides further information about this service at www.ccsconnected.org.uk.
## _**Connect-Ed Mental Health Training**_
We deliver bespoke training sessions for schools. Through these sessions we aim to equip school staff with new insights and skills, helping them to more effectively support vulnerable pupils with mental health needs.
## _**Rainbows Bereavement Support Programme**_
We have continued our successful partnership with Rainbows Bereavement Support Great Britain. Our Rainbows ‘Registered Director’ provides training for school staff, enabling them to deliver support groups for vulnerable pupils who have experienced a significant loss in their lives. This initiative represents another way in which we aim to enhance the ability of school staff to identify and support vulnerable pupils, ensuring children and young people are able to thrive at school and achieve their full potential.
## _**Pastoral Awareness**_
CCS produces a range of materials and teaching resources for schools, as well as coordinating events. These help children develop an understanding of what it means to promote the Common Good and enhance pastoral awareness.
## _**Partnerships and Communications**_
The Partnerships and Communications Department is responsible for generating income for both existing and new projects as well as overseeing CCS’s marketing, branding and events.
## **STRATEGIC REPORT**
## **Achievements and Performance**
## _**Post Adoption and Aftercare Services**_
During 2022/23 we supported 437 individuals (2021/22 – 521) through our Post Adoption and Aftercare Service. We have continued to reduce waiting times and feedback from service users has been extremely positive with 92% of respondents to our feedback survey rating the quality of the service we delivered as ‘outstanding’.
The Catholic Children's Society (Westminster) **13**
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## **Trustees’ report** Year to 31 March 2023
## **STRATEGIC REPORT** (continued)
## **Achievements and Performance** (continued)
## _**Post Adoption and Aftercare Services** (continued)_
Specific feedback included:
_“Perfect service was received.”_
_“I would like to thank your social worker for her patience and professionalism and all her time spent collating all of my information. It means a lot to me and my newly found family to understand what their mother/sister/aunt went through.”_
_“The social worker has been brilliant throughout the entire process by maintaining clear communication, as well as offering empathetic and invaluable advice when requested. She could not have made the process any more comfortable or clear, which I’m extremely grateful for.”_
_“I was reading our synopsis of mum’s file to her last evening and she was enthralled. I just want to thank you for the professional and caring way you put this together and handled our case.”_
## _**St Mark’s Stay and Play**_
Families in North Kensington face multiple disadvantages. 20% of households are overcrowded (K&C Foundation, 2021) and many families live in cramped accommodation with no outdoor space. Wards in this area also has some of the highest rates of child poverty in the capital. Educational outcomes for disadvantaged young people in the borough are often poor and Kensington and Chelsea has the highest rate of permanent exclusions in London.
At St Mark’s Stay and Play we aim to give local children the best possible start in life. We provide a safe and welcoming environment where children in their early years can socialise and take part in fun educational activities and run around in our large outdoor play area. We also provide an opportunity for parents/carers to socialise, make new friends and access parenting support.
This is a universal service, funded by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It therefore plays an important role in supporting community cohesion and giving children and families from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to meet and have fun together. The Grenfell Tower Fire highlighted the inequality that exists in this area and our Stay and Play is an important setting where everyone is welcome and the rich diversity of our community is celebrated.
Feedback from families has included:
_“Staff make the place a pleasure to come to… my children feel safe, happy and most importantly loved!”_
_“The garden is so nice and big for the children to enjoy sunshine (and rain!)”._
_“The staff are just amazing and so helpful… it really benefits the mental wellbeing of parents and children”._
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## **Trustees’ report** Year to 31 March 2023
## **STRATEGIC REPORT** (continued)
## **Achievements and Performance** (continued)
## _**St Mark’s Stay and Play**_ (continued)
_“We absolutely love coming to play here…my son adores the outside play area and we are so lucky to have a place like this so close to home”._
## _“My daughter is always so happy to be here… she never wants to leave”._
## _**St Francis Family Centre**_
Tower Hamlets has one of the highest rates of child poverty in the country and the community here has been significantly impacted by both the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis.
Since welcoming families back on-site, following the pandemic, we have invested a lot of time helping children develop their confidence and social skills after such a large proportion of their young lives had been spent living under lockdown.
This work has been very successful and we have seen notable improvements in children’s cognitive, language and social skills. By providing a stimulating environment in which to learn and play, we have helped children thrive and be much better prepared to make a successful transition to school and achieve their full potential. This was confirmed during our Ofsted Inspection in August 2022 which found that:
“ _All children make good progress and gain valuable skills in preparation for school.”_
_“There is breadth and balance in the curriculum…Children are confident and self-motivated learners.”_
St Francis receives funding from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets to increase nursery access for children from low-income families who may be at risk of not achieving in the education system. We have also received generous funding from charitable trusts and grant making bodies to support this work.
Parents regularly provide feedback on the difference our service makes:
_“Coming to St Francis has been brilliant. I am helped each day with my child and the staff are so friendly and helpful to me and my child learns so much… I can’t imagine what I would do if I could not go there.”_
_“I have a child with special needs and was told about St Francis by another parent… I could not believe how lucky we are to have found it. The care and kindness that I have experienced and the help for my child’s development is incredible.”_
_“My child has come on leaps and bounds since joining St Francis.”_
_“My daughter has improved socially and academically, the staff are very caring and professional, I highly recommend the St Francis Family Centre.”_
_“St Francis is a very welcoming place to bring your children, it has helped my daughter to become more confident and independent, also helped her with attachment issues… now I feel so much more comfortable and at ease with her starting her new school.”_
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## **Trustees’ report** Year to 31 March 2023
## **STRATEGIC REPORT** (continued)
## **Achievements and Performance** (continued)
## _**St Francis Family Centre** (continued)_
During 2022/23 we were also delighted to relaunch our family activity programme and take disadvantaged families on day trips to the seaside and a wildlife park. For many children, this was the first time they had ever left inner London. Feedback included:
_“Thank you so much we had a wonderful time at the seaside, my son was excited for days before. It was truly a blessing as we have never been anywhere except a park.”_
_“It was so lovely for all the children to play together with their friends outside of nursery. We had a great time paddling in the sea.”_
_“We had such a lovely day, everything was fabulous from start to finish, I would never been able to do this on my own and would not be able to afford it.”_
_“I don’t even know how to tell you how much the trip to South end meant to us, things are very difficult at the moment and to spend a sunny day away from it all was so special.”_
## _**Crisis Funds**_
_**Crisis Fund (Westminster):**_ Our Crisis Fund has continued to be a very effective way of providing immediate practical help for children and families in crisis throughout Westminster Diocese. All applications have been responded to within 24 hours and this support has provided a life-line for many families when they have had nowhere else to turn.
_**Crisis Fund (Southwark):**_ A separately ring-fenced fund has been established for use within the Archdiocese of Southwark. Money for this is raised from fundraising activities that have taken place in parishes and schools in Southwark itself, ensuring income raised in Southwark is spent on beneficiaries from the same area.
_**Crisis Fund (Arundel & Brighton):**_ CCS established a separately ring-fenced fund for use within the Diocese of Arundel & Brighton. Money for this is raised from fundraising activities which take place in parishes and schools within the Diocese of Arundel & Brighton itself, ensuring income raised in Arundel & Brighton is spent on beneficiaries from the same area.
_**Crisis Fund (Canon Flood):**_ Following a resolution passed by the board of trustees in July 2022, funds from the Canon Flood Trust have been used to create a Canon Flood Crisis Fund. This has helped boost our resources and has been used to scale up the support we can offer children and families across Westminster, Southwark and Arundel & Brighton.
Over the course of the year our Crisis Funds helped a total of 476 individuals (2021/22 – 477). Although the numbers are broadly the same as the previous year (when we were still dealing with the fallout from the pandemic), the level of funding provided has increased by approximately 30% with over £100,000 distributed. This is a reflection of the very challenging circumstances in which many families have found themselves and our commitment to ensure the support we offer makes a meaningful and lasting difference to the lives of the children and parents/carers concerned.
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## **Trustees’ report** Year to 31 March 2023
## **STRATEGIC REPORT** (continued)
## **Achievements and Performance** (continued)
## _**Crisis Funds** (continued)_
Issues addressed during the year have included supporting families fleeing domestic abuse and helping families avoid homelessness. We have also continued to help meet families’ basic needs, for example by providing beds for children who have been found to be sleeping on the floor or providing a cooker so destitute parents can provide their children with a warm meal. A number of grants were provided for Ukrainian refugees who had fled the war.
Feedback received from Headteachers who have accessed our Crisis Funds to support children in their schools has included:
_“We cannot thank you enough for the support you have given to our family in need today. The children’s mother was thrilled that they will not have to stay in the hostel over Christmas… We cannot put into words how grateful we are for your generosity.”_
_“I just wanted to say that your help literally saved a family. Mum and dad were on the brink and I actually thought they would harm themselves. Your help at that time saved them. I don’t have the words to explain what a difference you made.”_
_“The most amazing thing is how quick the process is. You respond so quickly and get the money to the family as soon as they need it. It’s so impressive and I’ve never known anything like it. We know we can rely on you to respond immediately when our families need help.”_
_“We’ve accessed the Crisis Fund multiple times and the experience has always been incredibly smooth and efficient. You have helped four of our families and I can honestly say it was a turning point in their lives. We feel very lucky to have your organisation to turn to.”_
_“Your help really has made a difference to this family and got them out of a hole they just couldn’t see a way out of.”_
_“I am always so impressed with the speed that everyone deals with our applications…I met mum at the school gate this morning, and she so proudly showed me a photo of her new table and chairs. She was almost in tears that she was able to sit with her child and eat breakfast this morning. It is things like this that make such a difference.”_
_“I am totally overwhelmed by your generosity and all I can say is this will be life changing for the family… the effect this will have on them as a unit will be priceless.”_
## _**Grenfell Crisis Fund**_
This special Crisis Fund created in 2017 in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower Fire is ringfenced to provide services and funds to those affected by this tragedy. As well as those who were in the tower on the night of the fire, there were hundreds of local residents who witnessed first-hand the events which unfolded and whose lives have, as a consequence, been affected. The shell of the tower remains a constant reminder not only of the fire itself but of the lasting impact it will have on a generation of children and young people who live with it every day. Over the last year the fund has helped support our counselling services delivered in four schools in North Kensington that were impacted by the fire, providing important mental health support for children and families in this community.
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## **Trustees’ report** Year to 31 March 2023
## **STRATEGIC REPORT** (continued)
## **Achievements and Performance** (continued)
## _**Christmas Gift Appeal**_
Alongside our Crisis Funds, at Christmas we supported 2,449 children and parents/carers (a 14% increase compared with 2021/22) by providing food and gifts that were generously donated by our supporters, including parishes, schools and individuals.
Almost £70,000 worth of items were distributed via 76 schools to help disadvantaged families facing severe hardship over Christmas. We also provided support via the Medaille Trust for mothers and children who have been trafficked.
This initiative further ensured we could alleviate the pressures faced by families living in poverty, particularly at a time when so many were struggling due to the cost-of-living crisis. Below are some examples of families we helped, including feedback received:
## Supporting a family who fled domestic abuse:
A mother and her three young children had fled domestic abuse with only the clothes on their backs and were staying together in one room in a hostel. The father had been the main bread winner and they relied on food banks to get by. At a time when many children were looking forward to Christmas, this mother knew she would have nothing to give her children. Through our Gift Appeal, we ensured that all three children could open presents on Christmas day. The mother said:
_“After everything my children have been through, it broke my heart to think they would have nothing to look forward to at Christmas like other children. These gifts mean so much to us and have helped me feel much more positive about the future. I can’t thank you enough.”_
Supporting a bereaved family during the cost-of-living crisis:
A mother lost her husband to cancer six months ago. In addition to coping with this traumatic bereavement, she had to face the challenge of bringing up her two young children alone. With no family nearby, she was extremely isolated. Her youngest was just two years old and the cost-of-living crisis meant that their flat was often cold as they struggled with rising energy and food costs. The family faced a bleak Christmas. Through our Crisis Fund we provided the family with warm clothes and blankets, hot water bottles and an energy efficient/low-cost electric heater to help keep their home warm. We also provided gifts for each child. The mother got in touch to say:
_“We’ve had a difficult year and your help, support and kindness means a great deal to us. Just knowing there are people who care gives me strength to carry on. I’m so touched by these gifts, they’re a massive help and my children are over the moon! Thank you so much”._
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**Trustees’ report** Year to 31 March 2023
## **STRATEGIC REPORT** (continued)
## **Achievements and Performance** (continued)
## _**Connect-Ed School Counselling and Therapy Services**_
Over the course of the year we delivered therapeutic services for pupils in 78 schools (both faith based and community) across the Diocese of Westminster and Archdiocese of Southwark (2021/22 – 83). These included primary, secondary, special schools and alternative provisions. Although the number of schools has reduced slightly, the level of provision has actually increased and in total our Connect-Ed counselling and therapy service worked with 2,931 individuals (an increase of 55% compared with the previous year). This has been achieved by increasing our focus on supporting a whole school approach to mental health and emotional wellbeing, including delivering more drop-in sessions and whole school/class work.
Outcomes achieved for pupils during the year included:
- Improved emotional wellbeing.
- Less disruptive, anti-social and aggressive behaviour.
- A reduction in depression and anxiety.
- Improved social skills and peer relationships.
- Improved confidence and self-esteem.
- Stronger family relationships.
- Enhanced ability to engage with learning.
We have continued to develop our online Case Management System, ensuring we have clear and robust processes in place for undertaking assessments, formulating clinical work, assessing risk, capturing clinical notes and recording and monitoring safeguarding concerns. In addition, we have further sought to deepen the quality of our work by:
- Developing new outcome measures to evidence impact and inform how we tailor our support to the individual needs of each child and school community.
- Creating a new clinical competency framework to support staff development.
- Bringing clinical supervision in-house to gain additional clinical expertise within our management team and ensure all staff access regular high-quality supervision.
- Rolling out new termly reports for schools, providing more opportunities to review the impact of the service, make recommendations and work in partnership with school staff to address the specific needs of their school communities.
- Investing in supporting the continuing professional development of our staff, both via skills sharing sessions and bespoke training.
We collect feedback from children, parents/carers and school staff on an ongoing basis to measure the impact of this work and a sample is included below:
School staff:
_“X is more positive and confident and much more settled in class.”_
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## **Trustees’ report** Year to 31 March 2023
## **STRATEGIC REPORT** (continued)
## **Achievements and Performance** (continued)
## _**Connect-Ed School Counselling and Therapy Services** (continued)_
_“It is clear to see the therapist’s impact on the children each day. They are better at recognising their own emotions and using strategies to self-regulate... We are very lucky to have this service in our school.”_
_“The therapist has allowed our class to be a calmer learning environment by reducing X’s outbursts and helping him be more responsive to learning.”_
## Parents/carers:
_“He is no longer worried and anxious.”_
_“It has helped to increase my child’s confidence and their ability to form friendships and focus on learning.”_
_“Thank you for all your amazing work with my daughter. I have learnt so much from our consultations and I have already seen the benefits.”_
_“My son is so much happier and calmer.”_
_“The weekly sessions have been so important to my daughter… you have been her rock”._
Children:
_“I feel so much calmer now.”_
_“I’ve stopped worrying about everything all the time.”_
_“It helped me and made me feel better… when I come to therapy all the angry feelings are gone.”_
_“It made me feel happier because I can talk to the therapist about things and I don’t feel scared.”_
## _**Connect-Ed Mental Health Training**_
Over the last year we have delivered training sessions and workshops for 2,161 school staff, parents/carers and pupils. This figure is significantly higher than in previous years (2021/22 – 416) and reflects our increasing efforts to promote a whole school approach to mental health and emotional wellbeing, working closely with key adults in children’s lives. We have also delivered sessions for pupils and developed resources for Children’s Mental Health Week, helping children learn about the importance of connecting with and supporting one another.
Many of the school staff who received training had never accessed mental health training before. Topics covered included: supporting children with additional needs; supporting emotional regulation; trauma in children; bereavement; and promoting positive mental health.
Our online feedback survey found that we were rated an average of over 9/10 for ‘How well delivered was this training?’ and ‘How helpful/relevant was this training to support your practice in school?’. Specific feedback from school staff has included:
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## **Trustees’ report** Year to 31 March 2023
## **STRATEGIC REPORT** (continued)
## **Achievements and Performance** (continued)
## _**Connect-Ed Mental Health Training** (continued)_
_“Great strategies demonstrated for helping children to self-regulate that I’ll definitely use”._
_“It helped to identify weaknesses in my own practice which will allow me to better support the children in my class”._
_“The information provided about the types of trauma that can be experienced in children was very helpful. I was able to recognise the trauma in some of the pupils I work with - being able to understand how to support children with even seemingly simple actions was hugely reassuring”._
_“Amazing session that was really powerful and impactful”._
During the year we also piloted ‘Community Mental Health Lead’ training. This involved training parents to run workshops to support other parents/carers. This approach has helped ensure more parents/carers in the community learn about how to promote children’s healthy development and wellbeing.
## _**Rainbows Bereavement Support Programme**_
We have provided Rainbows training for 67 schools in total and 495 school staff. The Rainbows Bereavement Support Programme training has ensured schools can offer structured support for pupils who have experienced a bereavement or loss in their lives, helping them feel less alone with their grief and process their feelings in a safe and supportive environment. Feedback has included:
_“This has helped immensely to understand how best to support children”. (Teacher)_
_“I found the course very interesting and useful. I feel I have a much better understanding of how to talk to children regarding loss”. (Teacher)_
_“This was exceptionally well planned and well organised…Thank you for such a positive CPD experience”. (Teacher)_
_“I found the training really helpful and feel more confident about supporting children through difficult experiences”. (Teacher)_
“ _Thank you for the help and support given to my seven-year-old granddaughter following the death of her father. She is happier now”. (Grandmother)_
## _**Pastoral Awareness**_
Through our work with schools we seek to encourage children and young people to show concern for and support local children and families in need. In this way we help children gain a better understanding of Catholic Social Teaching and how to promote the Common Good.
We engaged with over 100 schools during the year, delivering assemblies and providing presentations and resources. We also held our Nativity Service at Westminster Cathedral which was attended by 2,800 children from schools across London and Hertfordshire.
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## **Trustees’ report** Year to 31 March 2023
## **STRATEGIC REPORT** (continued)
## **Achievements and Performance** (continued)
## _**Partnerships and Communications**_
Thanks to the generosity and kindness of individuals, schools, parishes and charitable trusts 2022/23 has been a strong year for income generation across a range of key areas. Gross income secured from trusts, grant making bodies and statutory sources in 2022/23 was £518,739 (as against £647,276 in 2021/22). Although this represents a decrease on the previous year, this reflects the fact that more schools have transitioned from receiving grant subsidies to funding our mental health services from their own budgets. This is a more sustainable model and one we are working towards across a number of projects. In line with the SORP accounting requirements this income has been included either as part of the income from donations and legacies, or as part of the income from charitable activities (services to schools and local authorities) within the Statement of Financial Activities.
Income from donations and appeals remained strong with £651,451 raised in total as against £666,102 in 2021/22. We have been particularly grateful to the record number of ‘Friends of CCS’ who have set up regular payments to support our work.
## **Financial Review**
## _**Results for the year**_
The total income for the year to 31 March 2023 was £3,080,079 (2021/22 – £2,512,723). The principal funding sources were donations and legacies and income from charitable activities. The total expenditure for the year to 31 March 2023 was £2,724,398 (2021/22 – £2,411,109). The principal area of charitable expenditure related to our Connect-Ed School Counselling and Therapy Services.
In 2022/23 a surplus of £355,684 was achieved before realised and unrealised gains and losses on investments (2021/22 – surplus of £101,614). There were unrealised losses on our investments amounting to £312,465 (2021/22 – gains of £20,837) and realised losses of £51,713 (2021/22 – gains £16,151).
## _**Reserves policy and financial position**_
The Board’s reserves policy is to have general funds, which it terms “free reserves” sufficient to meet one year’s unrestricted expenditure. At the end of 2022/23 this sum stood at £2,342,579 (2021/22 – £2,291,900) which is based on total funds of £6,582,207 (2021/22 – £6,590,704) less the restricted and designated funds of £945,580 (2021/22 – £943,910) and £3,294,048 (2021/22 – £3,354,894) respectively.
CCS’s free reserves at the year-end were the equivalent to approximately 12 months’ unrestricted expenditure based on the forecast for 2023/24. Given the considerable economic uncertainty due to global events, trustees feel this is a prudent level.
In determining the appropriate level of reserves the trustees have taken into account the need to provide a degree of security for direct charitable activities. Not least of these are the longterm functions of the Post Adoption and Aftercare Service. This work is demanding of skilled resources and heavy in terms of caseload; 2022/23 saw us involved in supporting 437 individuals. This is an enduring commitment as, by law, we must keep records for between 75 years and 100 years and offer a post adoption service throughout the lives of any of those involved in the adoption process.
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## **Trustees’ report** Year to 31 March 2023
## **STRATEGIC REPORT** (continued)
## **Financial Review** (continued)
## _**Reserves policy and financial position** (continued)_
Most of the administrative and support costs needed to enable this service to function effectively are not funded from statutory income and have to be met from CCS’s own funds. The continued cost of our Post Adoption and Aftercare Service in 2022/23 was £210,466 (2021/22 – £205,573).
## _**Investment policy and performance**_
The Trustees have adopted a general statement of an ethical investment policy.
The Charity’s ethical investment policy is based on Catholic teaching and reflects a number of Papal encyclicals including _Laudato Si’_ and more recently _Fratelli Tutti_ both from Pope Francis. Essentially this means respect for life, respect for the dignity of the person, Catholic teaching on war and peace, economic justice and protecting the environment. Increasingly there is scrutiny of corporate responsibility in all these areas including ESG (environmental, social and governance) screening.
Under Charity Law and Church teaching CCS’s investments are managed in accordance with CCS’s ethical investment policy on a discretionary basis by Charles Stanley & Co Limited and Killik & Co. The trustees must seek to obtain the best financial return possible whilst also maintaining CCS’s ethical investment policy which is based on not having substantial holdings in companies that are involved in the sale of tobacco, armaments, and artificial means of contraception, gambling, or the artificial creation of human life. The judgement and decisions to invest or disinvest reflect the Church’s teaching which promotes the dignity and sanctity of human life and the importance of society in general.
The Board has a Finance Committee comprising five members of the Board who monitor the performance of the charity’s funds and receive regular valuations and updates of the portfolios which are reviewed at each committee meeting. This Committee meets at regular intervals and once a year with representatives of the investment management companies. The Board, which is fully informed of the Finance Committee’s deliberations, is content to maintain the holdings to allow for flexibility in meeting the charitable demands of CCS.
The market value of investments held was £5,135,505 at 31 March 2023 (2022 – £4,971,880). The investment yield on listed investments is about 4% based on the average market value, which is considered satisfactory. The unrealised losses on listed investments were £312,465 and realised losses were £49,565.
## _**The charity’s fixed assets**_
Acquisitions and disposals of fixed assets during the year are recorded in notes to the financial statements.
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**Trustees’ report** Year to 31 March 2023
## **STRATEGIC REPORT** (continued)
## **Plans for the future**
## _**Introduction**_
Our work has continued to grow in terms of both reach and impact. We are now looking at how we can develop our work over the years ahead to help further our vison of _a world where every child and family facing disadvantage gets the support they need to achieve their potential, creating a better society for all_ . Key to this will be ensuring that maintaining and deepening the quality of our services is our overriding priority. At the same time, we are now well placed to build on our success and reach out to more families in need.
To this end we have set out four overarching strategic aims:
- **Quality:** Focus on maintaining and deepening the quality of our work.
- **Capacity:** Build capacity to achieve our goals.
- **Growth:** Expand existing services/develop new services to help more children and families.
- **Learning:** Involve staff/service users in the development of our services, consulting with them to support continuous improvement.
We will use these four aims to guide how we develop our work and our specific strategic objectives for each service area. These will be developed with each department over the coming year. Some of our initial plans are outlined below.
## _**Post Adoption and Aftercare Services**_
We will ensure the service is compliant with the National Minimum Standards for Adoption Support Agencies 2011 (updated 2014), as required by Ofsted. We will also strive to offer service users high quality provision, in keeping with our ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted rating, and reduce waiting times. In addition, we plan to build capacity by creating an electronic database to help enhance our ability to quickly locate and retrieve files from our archives.
## _**St Mark’s Stay and Play**_
We will offer a full range of fun indoor and outdoor activities, supporting the wellbeing and healthy development of children in their early years. We will also seek to strengthen our partnerships with local services, including Early Help, speech and language therapists and the local children’s centres. By working collaboratively in this way we hope to offer holistic support for children and families and give children the best possible start in life. In addition, we will develop new monitoring and evaluation tools to ensure families can inform how we develop and shape the service going forward.
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## **Trustees’ report** Year to 31 March 2023
## **STRATEGIC REPORT** (continued)
## **Plans for the future** (continued)
## _**St Francis’ Family Centre**_
We will offer children and families early years education of the highest quality. As planned, we successfully relaunching our full range of day trips and family activities during 2022/23 and we plan to continue this over the coming year. As with St Mark’s, we also plan to introduce new monitoring and evaluation tools to ensure families can inform how we develop our services. Over the coming year we will be looking at opportunities to expand the support we offer children in their early years, including offering more services to support parents/carers and delivering training for early years practitioners.
## _**Crisis Funds**_
Over the coming year we will ensure that our Crisis Funds provide immediate practical help for families in crisis. Every penny donated to our Crisis Funds will be given out via emergency grants. In addition, we plan to recruit a Family Support Worker to provide ongoing advice and support for families in crisis. This will include developing a bank of resources so that families are aware of other support services available to them and how to access these. The Grenfell Crisis Fund will continue to assist families and children affected by the Grenfell Tower fire.
## _**Christmas Gift Appeal**_
We will work with individuals, parishes and schools to increase donations, enabling us to support even more disadvantaged children and families over Christmas.
## _**Connect-Ed School Counselling and Therapy Services**_
The number of children and young people experiencing complex mental health issues continues to be very high and many are unable to access the specialist support they need. Over the coming year we plan to continue to deepen the quality of this service as well as expand its reach by:
- Providing high quality training and development opportunities for our staff, including offering Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) training for therapists working in secondary schools who often work with risk around self-harm and suicidal ideation.
- Delivering parent/child work, helping enhance parents’ skills to understand and support children experiencing social, emotional and mental health difficulties.
- Ensuring our services are accessible to children and families from diverse backgrounds and any barriers to access are identified and addressed.
- Developing manualised programmes for schools that staff can deliver to whole classes of pupils, supporting them with a range of issues around wellbeing and mental health.
- Continuing the measured growth of our service, increasing the number of days per week we have counsellors/therapists working in schools.
The Catholic Children's Society (Westminster) **25**
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## **Trustees’ report** Year to 31 March 2023
## **STRATEGIC REPORT** (continued)
## **Plans for the future** (continued)
## _**Connect-Ed Mental Health Training**_
Mental health training will be a key part of the work delivered by our Connect-Ed Service Managers, ensuring school staff have the knowledge, strategies and skills to provide early intervention support for vulnerable children. An important element of this will include providing training for the designated Senior Mental Health Leads in schools, ensuring they are supported to develop and implement an effective whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing.
We also plan to deliver more training workshops for parents/carers, ensuring all key adults in children’s lives have a strong understanding of how to support children experiencing difficulties and promote their positive mental health. This will include rolling out our ‘Community Mental Health Lead’ training for parents, which was successfully piloted over the last year.
## _**Rainbows Bereavement Support Programme**_
The demand for this service has continued to be very high. To ensure as many children as possible can benefit from this support we plan to continue offering Rainbows training and resources free of charge to schools throughout London and Hertfordshire. We also plan to provide CPD opportunities for school staff who are trained as Rainbows Facilitators, giving them the chance to meet other facilitators, share best practice and access advice and support. As part of this we will also contact all registered Rainbows schools to review how the service is progressing and whether they require any ‘top up’ training to ensure they have enough staff trained to successfully deliver the programme.
## _**Pastoral Awareness**_
We will seek to engage with more schools across Westminster Diocese, Arundel & Brighton Diocese and the Archdiocese of Southwark. Developing engaging and differentiated teaching resources will be an important part of this work, encouraging pupils to learn more about Catholic Social Teaching and inspiring them to work together to promote the Common Good.
## _**Partnerships and Communications**_
We will continue to build on our success in securing income from a diverse range of income streams. Our new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system will be further developed, helping our small team build strong and positive relationships with our growing supporter base. Our priority is to work as cost effectively as possible and achieve maximum return on investment, ensuring as much of the charity’s resources as possible are focused on directly supporting children and families in need.
## **Principal risks and uncertainties**
In compliance with The Charities Act 2011, CCS’s Trustees undertake an annual risk assessment of the charity.
The Catholic Children's Society (Westminster) **26**
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## **Trustees’ report** Year to 31 March 2023
## **STRATEGIC REPORT** (continued)
## **Principal risks and uncertainties** (continued)
The trustees, in assessing risk, consider the following risk areas: governance and management; operational; financial; and external and compliance with laws and regulations. These are assessed using a scoring system for severity of impact and likelihood of occurrence. An overall gross risk score is calculated and established ranging from 1-8: (Low), 9-17 (Medium) and 18-25 (High). The 2022/23 risk assessment identified no high retained risks. There were 12 medium retained risks spread across:
- Governance and Management Risks, in particular the loss of key managers;
- Operational Risks concerning damage to or destruction of IT systems, breach of Data Protection or GDPR non-compliance;
- Financial Risks e.g. income targets not being met or a fall in value of investments, and loss of rental income;
- External Risks such as allegations concerning historical abuse or past practice and public perceptions of the Catholic Church;
- Compliance with Laws and Regulations including those related to increased use of IT e.g. data protection breaches.
In all risk areas, policies and procedures are in place which are monitored and reviewed regularly to mitigate potential risk to the charity.
At the end of the 2019/2020 financial year a new risk was identified, the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in a substantial fall in the value of investments. These have subsequently largely recovered but we are mindful of this potential volatility in the wake of the pandemic, as well as the potential impact of recent world events. Our current level of free reserves will help mitigate some of this risk.
The Trustees’ Report including the Strategic Report was approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by:
Chairman 28/7/2023 | 1:19 PM BST Approved by the trustees on:
The Catholic Children's Society (Westminster) **27**
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## **Independent auditor’s report** Year to 31 March 2023
## **Independent auditor’s report to the members of The Catholic Children’s Society (Westminster)**
## **Opinion**
We have audited the financial statements of The Catholic Children’s Society (Westminster) (the ‘charitable company’) for the year ended 31 March 2023 which comprise the statement of financial activities, the balance sheet, the statement of cash flows, the principal accounting policies, and the notes to the financial statements. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 ‘The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland’ (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
In our opinion, the financial statements:
- give a true and fair view of the state of the charitable company’s affairs as at 31 March 2023 and of its income and expenditure for the year then ended;
- have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and
- have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.
## **Basis for opinion**
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charitable company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
## **Conclusions relating to going concern**
In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.
Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charitable company’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.
Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.
## **Other information**
The trustees are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the Annual Report and Financial Statements other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.
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## **Independent auditor’s report** Year to 31 March 2023
## **Other information** (continued)
In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other information. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information; we are required to report that fact. We have nothing to report in this regard.
## **Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006**
In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:
- the information given in the trustees’ report, which is the directors’ report for the purposes of company law, including the strategic report, for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and
- the trustees’ report, which is the directors’ report for the purposes of company law, including the strategic report, has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
## **Matters on which we are required to report by exception**
In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the charitable company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the trustees’ report, including the strategic report.
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:
- adequate accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or
- the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or
- certain disclosures of trustees’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or
- we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.
## **Responsibilities of trustees**
As explained more fully in the trustees’ responsibilities statement, the trustees are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charitable company’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
The Catholic Children's Society (Westminster) **29**
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## **Independent auditor’s report** Year to 31 March 2023
## **Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements**
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.
Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below:
## _**How the audit was considered capable of detecting irregularities including fraud**_
Our approach to identifying and assessing the risks of material misstatement in respect of irregularities, including fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations, was as follows:
- the Senior Statutory Auditor ensured that the engagement team collectively had the appropriate competence, capabilities and skills to identify or recognise non-compliance with applicable laws and regulations;
- we identified the laws and regulations applicable to the charitable company through discussions with management, and from our knowledge and experience of the sector;
- we focused on specific laws and regulations which we considered may have a direct material effect on the financial statements or the operations of the charitable company, including the Charities Act 2011, Companies Act 2006, data protection legislation, antibribery, safeguarding, employment, health and safety legislation;
- we assessed the extent of compliance with the laws and regulations identified above through making enquiries of management and inspecting legal correspondence; and
- identified laws and regulations were communicated within the audit team regularly and the team remained alert to instances of non-compliance throughout the audit.
We assessed the susceptibility of the charitable company’s financial statements to material misstatement, including obtaining an understanding of how fraud might occur, by:
- making enquiries of management as to where they considered there was susceptibility to fraud, and their knowledge of actual, suspected and alleged fraud; and
- considering the internal controls in place to mitigate risks of fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations.
To address the risk of fraud through management bias and override of controls, we:
- performed analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected relationships;
- tested journal entries to identify unusual transactions;
The Catholic Children's Society (Westminster) **30**
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## **Independent auditor’s report** Year to 31 March 2023
## **Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements** (continued)
_**How the audit was considered capable of detecting irregularities including fraud** (continued)_
- assessed whether judgements and assumptions made in determining the accounting estimates set out in the accounting policies were indicative of potential bias; and
- used data analytics to identify any significant or unusual transactions and identify the rationale for them.
In response to the risk of irregularities and non-compliance with laws and regulations, we designed procedures which included, but were not limited to:
- agreeing financial statement disclosures to underlying supporting documentation;
- reading the minutes of trustee meetings; and
- enquiring of management as to actual and potential litigation and claims;
There are inherent limitations in our audit procedures described above. The more removed that laws and regulations are from financial transactions, the less likely it is that we would become aware of non-compliance. Auditing standards also limit the audit procedures required to identify non-compliance with laws and regulations to enquiry of the directors and other management and the inspection of regulatory and legal correspondence, if any.
Material misstatements that arise due to fraud can be harder to detect than those that arise from error as they may involve deliberate concealment or collusion.
A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.
## **Use of our report**
This report is made solely to the charitable company’s members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charitable company's members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor's report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charitable company and the charitable company's members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
Mark Worsey (Senior Statutory Auditor) For and on behalf of Buzzacott LLP, Statutory Auditor 130 Wood Street London EC2V 6DL 28/7/2023 | 4:37 PM BST
The Catholic Children's Society (Westminster) **31**
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## **Statement of financial activities** Year to 31 March 2023
|Notes|
**Un-**
**restricted**
**funds**
**£**|
**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**|**2023**
**Total**
**funds**
**£**|Un-
restricted
funds
£|
Restricted
funds
£|
2022
Total
funds
£|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Income and expenditure**
**Income from:**
Donations and Legacies
1
Charitable Activities
2
Investments
3
Other Trading Activities
4
Other sources
5
**Total income**
**Expenditure** **on:**
Raising funds
6
Charitable Activities
7
**Total expenditure**
**Net income (expenditure)**
**before investment gains**
**(losses)**
Realised (losses) gains on the
disposal of listed investments
13
Unrealised (losses) gains on the
revaluation of listed investments
13
**Net income (expenditure)**
Transfers between funds
**Net movement in funds**
**Reconciliation of funds:**
Total funds brought forward
at 1 April 2022
Total funds carried forward
at 31 March 2023|**879,478**
**823,999**
**270,328**
**38,617**
**293,088**|
**467,962**
**301,099**
**5,508**
––
––|
**1,347,440**
**1,125,098**
**275,836**
**38,617**
**293,088**|701,381
741,561
184,400
40,062
208,717|
385,272
245,170
6,160
—
—|1,086,653
986,731
190,560
40,062
208,717|
||**2,305,510**|
**774,569**|**3,080,079**|1,876,121|
636,602|2,512,723|
||**248,371**
**1,695,330**|
––
**780,697**|
**248,371**
**2,476,027**|198,591
1,604,084|
––
608,434|198,591
2,212,518|
||**1,943,701**|
**780,697**|**2,724,398**|1,802,675|
608,434|2,411,109|
||**361,809**|
**(6,128)**|**355,681**|
73,446|
28,168|
101,614|
||**(51,713)**
**(312,465)**|
––
––|
**(51,713)**
**(312,465) **|
15,616
21,368|
535
(531)|16,151
20,837|
||**(2,369)**|**(6,128)**|**(8,497) **|110,430|
28,172|138,602|
||**(7,798)**|**7,798**|
––|––|
––|––|
||**(10,167)**|**(1,670)**|**(8,497) **|110,430|
28,172|138,602|
||**5,646,794**|
**943,910**|
**6,590,704**|5,536,364|
915,738|6,452,102|
||**5,636,627**|
**945,580**|**6,582,207**|5,646,794|
943,910|6,590,704|
All recognised gains and losses are included in the above statement of financial activities.
All of the charity’s activities derived from continuing operations during the above two financial periods.
The Catholic Children's Society (Westminster) **32**
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## **Balance sheet** 31 March 2023
|Notes|
**2023**
**£**|**2023**
**£**|2022
£|
2022
£|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Fixed assets**
Tangible assets
12
Investments
13
**Current assets**
Debtors
14
Cash at bank and in hand
**Creditors**: amounts falling due
within one year
15
**Net current assets**
**Total net assets**
**The funds of the charity:**
Restricted funds
16
Unrestricted funds
. General funds
17
. Designated funds
17|
**265,427**
**763,253**|
**846,275**
**5,135,505**|303,108
810,369|906,835
4,974,170|
|||**5,981,780**
**600,427**
||5,881,005
709,699|
||**1,028,680**
**(428,253)**||1,113,477
(403,778)||
||
**2,342,580**
**3,294,047**||2,291,900
3,354,894||
|||**6,582,207**||6,590,704|
|||
**945,580**
||943,910
5,646,794|
||||||
|||**6,582,207**||6,590,704|
Approved by the trustees of The Catholic Children’s Society (Westminster), Company Registration Number 085235 (England and Wales) and Charity Registration Number 210920, and signed on their behalf by:
Chairman Approved on: 28/7/2023 | 1:19 PM BST
The Catholic Children's Society (Westminster) **33**
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## **Statement of cash flows** Year to 31 March 2023
|Notes|
**2023**
**£**
**218,602**
**266,346**
**(6,549)**
**947,792**
**(1,325,488)**
**(117,899) **
**100,703**
**812,659**
**913,362**|2022
£
(107,666)
185,162
(19,175)
568,115
(596,849)
137,253
29,589
783,072
812,659|
|---|---|---|
|**Cash flows from operating activities:**
Net cash used in (provided by) operating activities
A
**Cash flows from investing activities:**
Dividends and interest from investments
Purchase of tangible fixed assets
Proceeds from the disposal of investments
Purchase of investments
**Net cash used by investing activities**
**Change in cash and cash equivalents in the year**
**Cash and cash equivalents at 1 April 2022**
B
**Cash and cash equivalents at 31 March 2023**
B|||
## **Notes to the Statement of Cash Flows for the year ended 31 March 2023**
**A Reconciliation of net expenditure to net cash flow from operating activities**
||**2023**
**£**|2022
£|
|---|---|---|
|**Net (expenditure) income for the year (as per the statement of**
**financial activities)**
**Adjustments for:**
Depreciation charge
Realised losses (gains) on disposal of listed investments
Unrealised losses (gains) on the revaluation of listed investments
Dividends and interest from investments
Decrease (increase) in debtors
Increase (decrease) in creditors
**Net cash used in(provided by) operating activities**|**(8,497)**
**67,109**
**51,174**
**312,465**
**(275,836)**
**47,172**
**24,475**|138,602
66,352
(16,151)
(20,837)
(190,560)
(12,534)
(72,538)|
||**218,602**|(107,666)|
## **B Analysis of cash and cash equivalents**
|Cash at bank and in hand
Cash held by investment managers
**Total cash and cash equivalents**|**2023**
**£**
**763,253**
**150,109**
**913,362**|2022
£|
|---|---|---|
|||810,369
2,290|
|||812,659|
The Catholic Children’s Society (Westminster) does not have any borrowings or finance lease obligations. Net debt consists therefore of the cash at bank and in hand.
The Catholic Children's Society (Westminster) **34**
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## **Principal accounting policies** 31 March 2023
The principal accounting policies adopted, judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty in the preparation of the financial statements are laid out below.
## **Basis of preparation**
These financial statements have been prepared for the year to 31 March 2023 with comparative information presented in respect of the year to 31 March 2022.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policies below or the notes to these financial statements.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their financial statements in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (Charities SORP FRS 102) issued on 16 July 2014, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102), the Companies Act 2006 and the Charities Act 2011.
The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102.
The financial statements are presented in sterling and are rounded to the nearest pound.
## **Critical accounting estimates and areas of judgement**
Preparation of the financial statements requires the trustees and senior management to make significant judgements and estimates.
The items in the financial statements where these judgements and estimates have been made include:
- the estimation of the useful economic life of tangible fixed assets;
- the estimation of the amount receivable in respect of legacies where the charity has been notified of its entitlement; and
- the basis on which the support costs are allocated across the various categories of charitable expenditure.
## **Assessment of going concern**
The trustees have assessed whether the use of the going concern assumption is appropriate in preparing these financial statements. The trustees have made this assessment in respect to a period of one year from the date of approval of these financial statements.
The trustees of the charity have concluded that there are no material uncertainties related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the ability of the charity to continue as a going concern and that it will have sufficient resources to meet its liabilities as they fall due. In making this assessment, the trustees have considered the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the charity and the adequacy of its reserves and have concluded that although there may be some negative consequences, it is appropriate for the charity to continue to prepare its accounts on the going concern basis.
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## **Principal accounting policies** 31 March 2023
## **Income**
Income is recognised in the period in which the charity has entitlement to the income, the amount of income can be measured reliably and it is probable that the income will be received. Income is deferred only when the charity has to fulfil conditions before becoming entitled to it or where the donor or funder has specified that the income is to be expended in a future accounting period.
## _**Donations**_
Donations are recognised when the charity has confirmation of both the amount and settlement date. In the event of donations pledged but not received, the amount is accrued where the receipt is considered probable. In the event that a donation is subject to conditions that require a level of performance before the charity is entitled to the funds, the income is deferred and not recognised until either those conditions are fully met, or the fulfilment of those conditions is wholly within the control of the charity and it is probable that those conditions will be fulfilled in the reporting period.
## _**Legacies**_
Legacies are included in the statement of financial activities when the charity is entitled to the legacy, the executors have established that there are sufficient surplus assets in the estate to pay the legacy and any conditions attached to the legacy are within the control of the charity.
Entitlement is taken as the earlier of the date on which either: the charity is aware that probate has been granted, the estate has been finalised and notification has been made by the executor to the charity that a distribution will be made, or when a distribution is received from the estate. Receipt of a legacy, in whole or in part, is only considered probable when the amount can be measured reliably and the charity has been notified of the executor’s intention to make a distribution. Where legacies have been notified to the charity or the charity is aware of the granting of probate, but the criteria for income recognition have not been met, then the legacy is treated as a contingent asset and disclosed if material. In the event that the gift is in the form of an asset other than cash or a financial asset traded on a recognised stock exchange, recognition is subject to the value of the gift being reliably measurable with a degree of reasonable accuracy and the title of the asset having been transferred to the charity.
## _**Gifts in kind**_
Donated goods are recognised at fair value unless it is impractical to measure this reliably in which case a derived value, being the cost of the item to the donor, is used. An equivalent amount is included as expenditure except where the donated good is a fixed asset in which case the corresponding amount is included in the appropriate fixed asset category and depreciated over the useful economic life in accordance with the charity’s accounting policies.
In accordance with the Charities SORP FRS 102 the value of volunteer time is not recognised.
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## **Principal accounting policies** 31 March 2023
**Income** (continued)
## _**Grant and fee income**_
Grants and fee income from government and other agencies have been included as income from charitable activities where these amount to a contract for services, but as donations where the money is given in response to an appeal or with greater freedom of use, for example monies for core funding.
## _**Investment income**_
Dividends are recognised once the dividend has been declared and notification has been received of the dividend due.
Interest on funds held on deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the charity; this is normally upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the bank.
## **Expenditure**
Expenditure is recognised as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to make a payment to a third party, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. All expenditure is stated inclusive of irrecoverable VAT.
Expenditure comprises direct costs and support costs. All expenses, including support costs, are allocated or apportioned to the applicable expenditure headings. The classification between activities is as follows:
- Expenditure on raising funds includes all expenditure associated with raising funds for the charity. This includes investment management fees, staff costs associated with fundraising, and an allocation of support costs.
- Expenditure on charitable activities includes all costs associated with furthering the charitable purposes of the charity through the provision of its charitable activities. Such costs include direct and support costs in respect of the provision of post-adoption and after care services, community services, counselling and therapeutic services and pastoral awareness.
## _**Allocation of support and governance costs**_
The majority of costs are directly attributable to specific activities. Office costs and propertyrelated costs are apportioned by staff members, staff time or usage. Governance costs (which comprise the costs associated with the public accountability of the charity (including audit costs) and costs in respect of its compliance with regulation and good practice) are split across the expenditure headings in the same ratio as for the remainder of the support costs.
The Catholic Children's Society (Westminster) **37**
DocuSign Envelope ID: 277C8848-F030-4DB7-ADF8-01ACB85714ABDocuSign Envelope ID: 68CD07EE-B18A-4587-A78D-A41E0B82F5FA
## **Principal accounting policies** 31 March 2023
## **Tangible fixed assets**
All assets costing more than £2,000 for computers and £1,000 for other assets, and with an expected useful life exceeding one year, are capitalised at cost.
## _**Functional freehold property**_
Freehold properties used for the direct charitable work of the charity are included in these financial statements at cost at the date of acquisition together with the cost of additions and improvements to date. Functional freehold properties are depreciated at a rate of 2.5% per annum on a straight line basis in order to write the buildings off over their estimated useful economic life to the charity.
No depreciation is provided on freehold land.
## _**Functional leasehold property**_
Property leases used for the direct charitable work of the charity are included in these financial statements at their cost at the date of acquisition and are depreciated over the term of the lease on a straight line basis in order to write the lease off over its term.
## _**Other tangible fixed assets**_
Other tangible fixed assets are capitalised at cost and depreciated at the following annual rates in order to write them off over their estimated useful lives:
- Equipment 10-20% per annum based on cost Computers 33.3% per annum based on cost
## **Fixed asset investments**
Listed investments are a form of basic financial instrument and are initially recognised at their transaction value and subsequently measured at their fair value as at the balance sheet date using the closing quoted market price.
The charity does not acquire put options, derivatives or other complex financial instruments.
The main form of financial risk faced by the charity is that of volatility in equity markets and investment markets due to wider economic conditions, the attitude of investors to investment risk, and changes in sentiment concerning equities and within particular sectors or sub sectors.
Realised gains (or losses) on investment assets are calculated as the difference between disposal proceeds and their opening carrying value or their purchase value where the investment is acquired subsequent to the first day of the financial year. Unrealised gains and losses are calculated as the difference between the fair value at the year end and their carrying value at that date. Realised and unrealised investment gains (or losses) are combined in the statement of financial activities and are credited (or debited) in the year in which they arise.
Cash held by the investment manager for re-investment is included as a component of fixed asset investments.
The Catholic Children's Society (Westminster) **38**
DocuSign Envelope ID: 277C8848-F030-4DB7-ADF8-01ACB85714ABDocuSign Envelope ID: 68CD07EE-B18A-4587-A78D-A41E0B82F5FA
## **Principal accounting policies** 31 March 2023
## **Debtors**
Debtors are recognised at their settlement amount, less any provision for non-recoverability. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid. They have been discounted to the present value of the future cash receipt where such discounting is material.
## **Cash at bank and in hand**
Cash at bank and in hand represents such accounts and instruments that are available on demand or have a maturity of less than three months from the date of acquisition. This excludes cash held by the investment manager for re-investment which is included as a component of fixed asset investments as noted above.
Deposits for more than three months but less than one year have been disclosed as short term deposits. Cash placed on deposit for more than one year is disclosed as a fixed asset investment.
## **Creditors and provisions**
Creditors and provisions are recognised when there is an obligation at the balance sheet date as a result of a past event, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefit will be required in settlement, and the amount of the settlement can be estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are recognised at the amount the charity anticipates it will pay to settle the debt. They have been discounted to the present value of the future cash payment where such discounting is material.
## **Fund structure**
General funds represent those monies which are freely available for application towards achieving any purpose that falls within the charity’s charitable objects.
Designated funds comprise monies set aside out of unrestricted general funds for specific future purposes or projects and funds which represent the value of fixed assets which cannot be realised without compromising the ongoing activities of the charity.
Restricted funds comprise monies raised for, or their use restricted to, a specific purpose, or contributions subject to donor imposed conditions.
## **Leased assets**
Rentals applicable to operating leases where substantially all of the benefits and risks of ownership remain with the lessor are charged to the statement of financial activities on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease.
## **Pension costs**
Contributions to the group personal pension scheme are charged to the statement of financial activities when they become payable.
The Catholic Children's Society (Westminster) **39**
DocuSign Envelope ID: 277C8848-F030-4DB7-ADF8-01ACB85714ABDocuSign Envelope ID: 68CD07EE-B18A-4587-A78D-A41E0B82F5FA
## **Notes to the financial statements** 31 March 2023
## **1 Income from donations and legacies**
||**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**|**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**|**2023**
**Total**
**£**|Unrestricted
funds
£
3,000
554,622
143,759
701,381|Restricted
funds
£|
2022
Total
£|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Grants
Donations & Appeals
Legacies
**Total funds**|**18,650 **
**517,487 **
**343,341 **|
**304,721**
**133,964**
**29,277**|
**323,371**
**651,451**
**372,618**||273,792
111,480
––|
276,792
666,102
143,759|
||**879,478 **|
**467,962**|
**1,347,440**||385,272|
1,086,653|
The charity received gifts in kind totalling £50,241 (2021/22 – £41,528) which have been included within unrestricted donations above. These include donated goods for use by the charity such as gift vouchers.
## **2 Income from Charitable Activities**
||**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**|
**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**|
**2023**
**Total**
**£**|Unrestricted
funds
£|
Restricted
funds
£|
2022
Total
£
986,731|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Services to schools and local
authorities
**Total funds**|**823,999**|
**301,099**|
**1,125,098**|741,561|
245,170||
||**823,999**|
**301,099**|
**1,125,098**|741,561|
245,170|
986,731|
Nursery Education Grant fees of £54,253 (2021/22 – £31,262) were received from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.
## **3 Income from investments**
|**Income from investments**|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**|
**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**|**2023**
**Total**
**£**|Unrestricted
funds
£|
Restricted
funds
£|
2022
Total
£|
|Listed investments
Bank interest receivable
**Total funds**|**267,738**
**2,590**|
**5,322**
**186**|
**273,060**
**2,776**|184,334
66|
6,155
5|
190,489
71|
||**270,328**|
**5,508**|
**275,836**|184,400|
6,160|
190,560|
## **4 Income from other trading activities**
||**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**|
**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**|
**2023**
**Total**
**£**|Unrestricted
funds
£|
Restricted
funds
£|
2022
Total
£|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Sales of Christmas cards and
gifts
**Total funds**|**38,617**|
**-**|
**38,617**|40,062|
––|
40,062|
||**38,617**|
**-**|
**38,617**|40,062|
––|
40,062|
The Catholic Children's Society (Westminster) **40**
DocuSign Envelope ID: 277C8848-F030-4DB7-ADF8-01ACB85714ABDocuSign Envelope ID: 68CD07EE-B18A-4587-A78D-A41E0B82F5FA
## **Notes to the financial statements** 31 March 2023
## **5 Income from other sources**
||**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**|**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**|
**2023**
**Total**
**£**|Unrestricted
funds
£|
Restricted
funds
£|
2022
Total
£|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Rents receivable
Caretaker services to Tenants
Conference room hire
Recoverable utility costs
Other General income
**Total funds**|**264,241**
**7,830**
**11,065**
**3,285**
**6,667**|––
––
––
––
––|**264,241**
**7,830**
**11,065**
**3,285**
**6,667**|194,828
6,996
1,040
931
4,922|
––
––
—
––
––|
194,828
6,996
1,040
931
4,922|
||**293,088**|––|**293,088**|208,717|
––|
208,717|
## **6 Expenditure on raising funds**
|**Expenditure on raising funds**||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**
Staff costs (note 10)
**86,443**
Advertising and promotion
**48,062**
Investment manager’s fees
**21,387**
Other trading activities
**28,562**
Other direct costs
**13,687**
Allocated of support costs
(note 8)
**50,230**
Total funds
**248,371**|
**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**|
**2023**
**Total**
**£**|Unrestricted
funds
£|
Restricted
funds
£|
2022
Total
£|
|Staff costs (note 10)
Advertising and promotion
Investment manager’s fees
Other trading activities
Other direct costs
Allocated of support costs
(note 8)
Total funds|
––
––
––
––
––
––|**86,443**
**48,062**
**21,387**
**28,562**
**13,687**
**50,230**|71,741
21,305
22,710
31,793
11,180
39,862|
––
––
––
––
––
––|
71,741
21,305
22,710
31,793
11,180
39,862|
||
––|**248,371**|198,591|
––|
198,591|
## **7 Expenditure on charitable activities**
||**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**|
**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**|
**2023**
**Total**
**£**|Unrestricted
funds
£|
Restricted
funds
£|
2022
Total
£|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Post Adoption & Aftercare
St. Mark’s Stay & Play
St. Francis Family Centre
Crisis Funds
Connect-Ed Mental Health
Services
Rainbow Bereavement
Support Programme
Pastoral Awareness
Other
**Total funds**|**185,466**
**60,162**
**127,857**
—
**1,253,296**
**13,491**
**55,058**
—|
**25,000**
—
**77,110**
**116,848**
**526,566**
**35,173**
—
—|
**210,466**
**60,162**
**204,967**
**116,848**
**1,779,862**
**48,664**
**55,058**
—|180,573
71,358
136,022
—
1,140,786
17,647
57,698
—|
25,000
––
70,098
84,918
366,435
35,377
—
26,606|
205,573
71,358
206,120
84,918
1,507,221
53,024
57,698
26,606|
||**1,695,330**|
**780,697**|
**2,476,027**|1,604,084|
608,434|
2,212,518|
The Catholic Children's Society (Westminster) **41**
DocuSign Envelope ID: 277C8848-F030-4DB7-ADF8-01ACB85714ABDocuSign Envelope ID: 68CD07EE-B18A-4587-A78D-A41E0B82F5FA
## **Notes to the financial statements** 31 March 2023
## **8 Support costs**
|**Support costs**||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Basis of**
**allocation**|**Raising**
**funds**
**£**|
**Post**
**adoption**
**and after**
**care**
**services**
**£**|**St. Mark’s**
**Stay & Play**
**£**|
**St. Francis**
**Family Centre**
**£**|
**Connect-Ed**
**Mental Health**
**Services**
**£**|
**Rainbow**
**Bereavement**
**Support**
**Programme**
**£**|
**Pastoral**
**awareness**
**£**|**2023 Total**
**funds**
**£**|
|Finance, human resources and
general office
Management
Direct administrative support
Premises Costs, Equipment &
Utilities
Legal and professional fees
Depreciation
Governance costs
**2023 Total funds**|**Staff No’s**
**Usage & Staff**
**Time**
**Staff Time**
**Floor Space**
**Usage**
**Usage**
**Support Cost**
**Split**|**3,803**
**10,293**
_—_
**29,437**
**690**
**1,945**
**4,062**|
**9,508**
**5,676**
_—_
**21,526**
**1,725**
**4,863**
**3,808**|
**3,803**
**5,195**
_—_
**10,722**
**690**
**1,945**
**1,966**|
**9,508**
**5,869**
_—_
**18,722**
**1,725**
**4,863**
**3,578**|
**100,781**
**28,595**
**78,430**
**66,273**
**18,290**
**51,547**
**30,248**|
**1,902**
**2,097**
_—_
**4,700**
**345**
**973**
**881**|
**1,902**
**5,195**
_—_
**6,169**
**345**
**973**
**1,282**|
**131,205**
**62,921**
**78,430**
**157,549**
**23,812**
**67,109**
**45,825**|
|||**50,230**|
**47,106**|
**24,321**|
**44,265**|
**374,164**|
**10,898**|
**15,866**|
**566,850**|
||**_Basis of_**
**_allocation_**|**_Raising_**
**_funds_**
**_£_**|
**_Post_**
**_adoption_**
**_and after_**
**_care_**
**_services_**
**_£_**|**_St. Mark’s_**
**_Stay & Play_**
**_£_**|
**_St. Francis_**
**_Family Centre_**
**_£_**|
**_Connect-Ed_**
**_Mental Health_**
**_Services_**
**_£_**|
**_Rainbow_**
**_Bereavement_**
**_Support_**
**_Programme_**
**_£_**|
**_Pastoral_**
**_awareness_**
**_£_**|**_2022 Total_**
**_funds_**
**_£_**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|_Finance, human resources and_
_general office_
_Management_
_Direct administrative support_
_Premises Costs, Equipment &_
_Utilities_
_Legal and professional fees_
_Depreciation_
_Governance costs_
**_2022 Total funds_**|**_Staff No’s_**
**_Staff Time_**
**_Staff Time_**
**_Floor Space_**
**_Usage_**
**_Usage_**
**_Support Cost_**
**_Split_**|_3,065_
_2,491_
_—_
_21,936_
_6,540_
_3,013_
_2,817_|
_15,325_
_1,246_
_—_
_16,041_
_6,056_
_3,804_
_3,230_|
_9,195_
_747_
_—_
_7,990_
_2,628_
_851_
_1,628_|
_9,195_
_1,744_
_—_
_13,951_
_2,958_
_29,500_
_4,362_|
_153,254_
_6,975_
_49,549_
_49,385_
_47,046_
_28,052_
_24,423_|
_3,065_
_498_
_—_
_3,502_
_189_
_251_
_571_|
_3,065_
_1,246_
_—_
_4,597_
_876_
_882_
_811_|
_196,164_
_14,947_
_49,549_
_117,402_
_66,293_
_66,353_
_37,842_|
|||_39,862_|
_45,702_|
_23,039 _|_61,710_|
_359,684_|
_8,076_|
_11,477_|
_548,550_|
The Catholic Children's Society (Westminster) **42**
DocuSign Envelope ID: 277C8848-F030-4DB7-ADF8-01ACB85714ABDocuSign Envelope ID: 68CD07EE-B18A-4587-A78D-A41E0B82F5FA
## **Notes to the financial statements** 31 March 2023
## **9 Net income (expenditure) and net movement in funds**
This is stated after charging:
||**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**|
**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**|
**2023**
**Total**
**£**|Unrestricted
funds
£|
Restricted
funds
£
375,509
—
8,280|
2022
Total
£
1,670,096
16,200
66,351|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Staff costs (note 10)
Auditor’s remuneration
(including VAT)
. Statutory audit services
Depreciation|**1,535,939**
**24,720**
**62,557**|
**471,535**
_—_
**4,552**|
**2,007,474**
**24,720**
**67,109**|1,294,587
16,200
58,071|||
## **10 Staff costs and remuneration of key management personnel**
Staff costs during the year were as follows:
||**2023**
**Total**
**£**|2022
Total
£|
|---|---|---|
|Wages and salaries
Social security costs
Other pension costs
Recruitment costs
Agency staff costs
Redundancy costs|**1,685,073**
**151,790**
**122,762**|1,376,450
119,216
107,429|
||**1,959,624**
**38,074**
**9,776**
_—_|1,603,095
43,352
23,649
—|
||**2,007,474**|1,670,096|
Payments to agency staff during the year reflect the need to cover staff annual leave and sickness.
The average number of employees during the year, analysed by function, was as follows:
||**2023**
**Number**|**2023**
**FTE**|
2022
Number|
2022
FTE|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|Raising funds
Charitable activities
Indirect support|**2**
**67**
**10**|
**2**
**38**
**7**|2
69
8|
2
32
7|
||**79**|
**48**|79|
41|
FTE = Full time equivalents
In addition to the above, a great amount of time, the value of which is impossible to quantify for the purpose of these financial statements, was donated by 19 volunteers throughout the period (2021/22 – 18). Activities undertaken included assisting at events, fundraising, general office duties and supporting with our Christmas Gift Appeal.
The number of employees who earned more than £60,000 during the year (including taxable benefits but excluding employer pension contributions) was as follows:
|but excluding employer pension contributions) was as follows:|||
|---|---|---|
||**2023**|2022|
|£60,001 to £70,000
£70,001 to £80,000|**2**
**1**|—
2|
The Catholic Children's Society (Westminster) **43**
DocuSign Envelope ID: 277C8848-F030-4DB7-ADF8-01ACB85714ABDocuSign Envelope ID: 68CD07EE-B18A-4587-A78D-A41E0B82F5FA
## **Notes to the financial statements** 31 March 2023
## **10 Staff costs and remuneration of key management personnel** (continued)
The key management personnel of the charity in charge of directing and controlling, running and operating the charity on a day to day basis comprise the trustees, the Chief Executive Officer and the Senior Management Team. The total remuneration (including taxable benefits and employer's pension contributions) of the key management personnel for the year was £338,706 (2021/22 – £359,970). No trustee received any remuneration in respect of their services during the period (2021/22 – £nil).
No out of pocket travelling expenses were reimbursed to trustees during the year (2021/22 – £nil).
## **11 Taxation**
The company is a charity under the Finance Act 2010 (schedule 6, paragraph 1) definition. Accordingly, the company is potentially exempt from taxation in respect of income or capital gains within categories covered by the Corporation Tax Act 2010 (part 11, chapter 3) or the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 (section 256), to the extent that such income or gains are applied exclusively to charitable purposes.
No direct tax charge arose in the period.
## **12 Tangible fixed assets**
|**Tangible fixed assets**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
||Freehold
land,
buildings
and leases
£|Equipment
unrestricted
£|Equipment
restricted
£|**Total**
**£**|
|**Cost**
At 1 April 2022
Additions
Disposals
At 31 March 2023
**Depreciation**
At 1 April 2022
Charge for year
Disposals
At 31 March 2023
**Net book values**
At 31 March 2023
At 31 March 2022|1,095,326
_—_
_—_|279,081
1,109
(14,784)|78,551
5,440
_—_|**1,452,958**
**6,549**
**(14,784)**|
||1,095,326|265,406|83,991|**1,444,723**|
||284,261
31,789
_—_|235,252
30,167
(14,784)|26,610
5,153
_—_|**546,123**
**67,109**
**(14,784)**|
||316,050|250,635|31,763|**598,448**|
||779,276|14,771|52,228|**846,275**|
||811,065|43,829|51,941|**906,835**|
It is likely that the open market values of the charity’s freehold land and buildings are substantially higher than their book values based on cost. The amounts of such differences cannot be ascertained without incurring significant cost, which, in the opinion of the trustees, is not justified in terms of the benefit to the users of the financial statements.
The Catholic Children's Society (Westminster) **44**
DocuSign Envelope ID: 277C8848-F030-4DB7-ADF8-01ACB85714ABDocuSign Envelope ID: 68CD07EE-B18A-4587-A78D-A41E0B82F5FA
## **Notes to the financial statements** 31 March 2023
## **13 Investments**
|**Investments**|||
|---|---|---|
||**2023**
**£**
**4,971,880**
**1,325,488**
**(999,506)**
**(312,465)**
**4,985,395**
**150,109**
**5,135,505**
**4,478,241**|2022
£|
|**Listed investments**
Market value at 1 April
Additions at cost
Disposals at book value (proceeds: £947,792; loss £51,714)
Net unrealised investment gains
Market value at 31 March
**Cash held by investment managers for re-investment**
**Total**
Cost of listed investments excludingcash held byinvestment managers||4,906,157
596,850
(551,964)
20,837|
|||4,971,880
2,290|
|||4,974,170|
|||4,322,010|
Listed investments held at 31 March comprised the following:
||**2023**
**£**|
2022
£|
|---|---|---|
|UK fixed interest
UK equities
UK unit trusts
Property
Overseas unit trusts
Mixed Investments|**759,954**
**3,395,200**
**271,133**
**167,730**
**337,830**
**53,548**|
846,903
3,006,443
585,257
426,181
107,096
_—_|
||**4,985,395**|
4,971,880|
## **14 Debtors**
|**Debtors**|||
|---|---|---|
|Fees from schools and local authorities
Other debtors
Investment income due
Loans to employees from the Canon Flood Trust Fund
Legacies receivable
Prepayments and accrued income|**2023**
**£**|2022
£|
||**76.957**
**22,644**
**47,437**
**2,412**
_—_
**115,977**|156,711
10,772
37,947
4,408
33,668
59,602|
||**265,427**|303,108|
## **15 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year**
|**Creditors: amounts falling due within one year**|||
|---|---|---|
|PAYE
National insurance
Other creditors
Accruals
Deferred income|**2023**
**£**|2022
£|
||**17,232**
**17,133**
**97,331**
**41,528**
**255,029**|12,851
16,018
37,197
45,634
292,078|
||**428,253**|403,778|
Deferred income consists of monies received for the next financial year for school counselling £148,320 (2021/22 - £243,674), St Francis Family Centre £17,267 (2021/22 - £3,333), Rainbows Bereavement Programme £19,144 (2021/22 Nil), and rental income for six tenants (2021/22 – five tenants) amounting to £70,297 (2021/22 – £45,071).
The Catholic Children's Society (Westminster) **45**
DocuSign Envelope ID: 277C8848-F030-4DB7-ADF8-01ACB85714ABDocuSign Envelope ID: 68CD07EE-B18A-4587-A78D-A41E0B82F5FA
## **Notes to the financial statements** 31 March 2023
## **16 Restricted funds**
The income funds of the charity include restricted funds comprising the following unexpended balances of donations and grants held on trusts to be applied for specific purposes:
||At 1
April
2022
£|
Income
£|
Expenditure
£|
Transfers,
gains and
losses
£
**At 31**
**March**
**2023**
**£**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|Big Lottery Fund Grant
Bishop Harvey Memorial Garden
Canon Flood Trust
Canon Flood Crisis Fund
Crisis Fund Arundel & Brighton
Crisis Fund Southwark
Crisis Fund Westminster
Crisis Fund Grenfell
North London Schools
East London Schools
Meditation with Children
Operational
Rainbows
School Counselling
St Francis’ Family Centre
West London Schools
Pathways Post Adoption and Aftercare
Services|26,367
12,517
245,713
_—_
150,986
51,865
113,974
115,218
3,252
16,607
11,588
—
20,539
50,871
45,350
79,063
—|
_—_
_—_
10
5,498
54,047
77,725
21,551
54,620
14,134
53,313
_—_
_—_
29,302
181,350
38,968
219,051
25,000|(34,165)
_—_
(5,880))
(93,506)
(1,500)
(7,814)
(8,148)
(72,238)
(9,826)
(43,551)
_—_
_—_
(35,173)
(157,868)
(42,945)
(243,083)
(25,000)|
7,798
_—_
_—_
**12,517**
(239,843)
**_—_**
239,843
**151,835**
_—_
**203,533**
_—_
**121,776**
_—_
**124,005**
_—_
**97,600**
_—_
**7,560**
_—_
**26,369**
_—_
**11,588**
_—_
**-**
_—_
**14,668**
_—_
**74,353**
_—_
**41,373**
_—_
**55,031**
—
—|
||943,910|
774,569|
780,697|
7,798
**945,580**|
||_At 1_
_April_
_2021_
_£_|
_Income_
_£_|
_Expenditure_
_£_|
_Transfers,_
_gains and_
_losses_
_£_
_At 31_
_March_
_2022_
_£_|
|_Big Lottery Fund Grant_
_Bishop Harvey Memorial Garden_
_Canon Flood Trust_
_Crisis Fund Arundel & Brighton_
_Crisis Fund Southwark_
_Crisis Fund Westminster_
_Crisis Fund Grenfell_
_North London Schools_
_East London Schools_
_Meditation with Children_
_Operational_
_Rainbows_
_School Counselling_
_St Francis’ Family Centre_
_West London Schools_
_Pathways Post Adoption and Aftercare_
_Services_|_27,972_
_12,517_
_240,371_
_145,448_
_44,675_
_109,602_
_123,760_
_3,947_
_6,816_
_11,588_
_15,533_
_15,866_
_51,743_
_45,350_
_60,550_
_—_|
_29,081_
_—_
_6,160_
_20,432_
_33,104_
_48,482_
_62,586_
_9,950_
_42,151_
_—_
_10,250_
_40,050_
_170,081_
_39,411_
_99,864_
_25,000_|
_(30,686)_
_—_
_(822)_
_(14,894)_
_(25,914)_
_(44,110)_
_(71,128)_
_(10,645)_
_(32,360)_
_—_
_(25,783)_
_(35,377)_
_(170,953)_
_(39,411)_
_(81,351)_
_(25,000)_|
_—_
_26,367_
_—_
_12,517_
_4_
_245,713_
_—_
_150,986_
_—_
_51,865_
_—_
_113,974_
_—_
_115,218_
_—_
_3,252_
_—_
_16,607_
_—_
_11,588_
_—_
_—_
_—_
_20,539_
_—_
_50,871_
_—_
_45,350_
_—_
_79,063_
_—_
_—_|
||_915,738_|
_636,602_|
_(608,434)_|_4_
_943,910_|
The Catholic Children's Society (Westminster) **46**
DocuSign Envelope ID: 277C8848-F030-4DB7-ADF8-01ACB85714ABDocuSign Envelope ID: 68CD07EE-B18A-4587-A78D-A41E0B82F5FA
## **Notes to the financial statements** 31 March 2023
## **16 Restricted funds** (continued)
The specific purposes for which the funds are to be applied are as follows:
## _**(a) Big Lottery Fund**_
These are funds received for staff costs of the nursery nurses based at St Francis Family Centre.
## _**(b) Bishop Harvey Memorial Garden**_
This fund consists of monies received towards a memorial garden, its upkeep and maintenance in memory of Bishop Harvey, former Administrator and Chairman of the Catholic Children’s Society (Westminster).
## _**(c) Canon Flood Trust**_
This fund (also known as the Charles Bernard Flood Trust) was established in 1964 with the object of providing financial assistance to employees and former employees of CCS or their dependants. Acting in its capacity as trustee of the Canon Flood Trust, the CCS board of trustees took written legal advice from Bates Wells Solicitors to understand the potential options available to enable the funds to be used more efficiently in the future. Further to this advice, at a board meeting on 5[th] July 2022 CCS trustees passed a resolution to apply the Canon Flood Trust assets, in accordance with its charitable purposes, to a new ‘Canon Flood Crisis Fund’ (see details below). On that date, the Canon Flood Trust therefore ceased to exist.
## _**(d) Canon Flood Crisis Fund**_
In light of the cost-of-living crisis, and the challenges faced by many families, the board of trustees established the Canon Flood Crisis Fund on 5[th] July 2022 to help children and parents/carers needing emergency assistance. During the year this was used to provide almost £100,000 in financial support for disadvantaged families across the dioceses of Westminster and Arundel & Brighton, as well as the Archdiocese of Southwark. As a result, expenditure from our individual diocesan Crisis Funds was relatively low during 2022/23. During 2023/24 we will revert to using our various Crisis Funds as normal, and the expenditure from these funds is likely to increase significantly. The Canon Flood Crisis Fund will be used as and when required to ensure we have the necessary resources to meet the needs of children and families in crisis.
## _**(e) Crisis Fund Arundel & Brighton**_
This fund is used to support children and families in poverty within the Diocese of Arundel & Brighton. Funding was received towards the fund from individuals, parishes and schools.
## _**(f) Crisis Fund Southwark**_
This fund is used to support children and families in poverty within the Archdiocese of Southwark. Funding was received towards the fund from individuals, parishes and schools.
## _**(g) Crisis Fund Westminster**_
This fund is used to support children and families in poverty within the Diocese of Westminster. Funding was received towards the fund from trusts, individuals, parishes and schools.
## _**(h) Crisis Fund Grenfell**_
This fund is used to support children and families affected by the Grenfell Tower Fire, including delivering mental health services in four schools. These mental health services are part-funded by the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea (RBKC). RBKC’s funding is set to reduce significantly and we will use this fund to meet any shortfall and ensure we can maintain provision at the appropriate level.
The Catholic Children's Society (Westminster) **47**
DocuSign Envelope ID: 277C8848-F030-4DB7-ADF8-01ACB85714ABDocuSign Envelope ID: 68CD07EE-B18A-4587-A78D-A41E0B82F5FA
## **Notes to the financial statements** 31 March 2023
## **16 Restricted funds** (continued)
## _**(i) North London Schools**_
This fund consisted of monies received for school counselling and therapy work. Funds were received from BBC Children in Need towards school counselling and therapy.
## _**(j) East London Schools**_
This fund consisted of monies received for school counselling and therapy work in a cluster of schools in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.
## _**(k) Meditation with Children**_
This fund is used to promote meditation with children, in the tradition of John Main OSB.
## _**(l) Operational**_
This fund consisted of monies from London Funders and others to provide training, laptops and therapy resources for schools.
## _**(m) Rainbows**_
This fund consists of monies towards the cost of a Rainbows Registered Director who will deliver training workshops to teachers on how to facilitate support groups for children experiencing bereavement and loss. Funds were received from the Assumption Legacy Fund towards this.
## _**(n) School Counselling**_
This fund consists of monies from Westminster Amalgamated Charity for school counselling and play therapy services. We have also worked with schools in Harrow, Pinner and central London to access funding from John Lyon’s Charity and deliver therapeutic services on-site at these schools.
## _**(o) St Francis’ Family Centre**_
This fund consists of monies which are to be applied to meet the cost of play equipment, special needs toys, holidays and training costs. Funds were received towards staff costs of the Centre Coordinator from the Sir Harold Hood’s Charitable Trust. Funds were also received from BBC Children in Need towards the staff cost of a nursery nurse.
## _**(p) West London Schools**_
This fund comprises funding received from Hillingdon Community Trust for school counselling and therapy. We have also worked in partnership with schools in West London to access funding from John Lyon’s Charity to provide on-site therapy services. Funds were also received from Kensington & Chelsea Foundation to run an after-school homework club.
## _**(q) Pathways Post Adoption & Aftercare Services**_
This fund consists of funding received from the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea (RBKC) to contribute towards the statutory element of our Post Adoption service.
The Catholic Children's Society (Westminster) **48**
DocuSign Envelope ID: 277C8848-F030-4DB7-ADF8-01ACB85714ABDocuSign Envelope ID: 68CD07EE-B18A-4587-A78D-A41E0B82F5FA
## **Notes to the financial statements** 31 March 2023
## **17 Unrestricted funds**
The income funds of the charity include the following designated funds which have been set aside out of unrestricted funds by the trustees for specific purposes:
||**At 1**
**April**
**2022**
**£**|**Income**
**and**
**investment**
**losses**
**£**|**Expenditure**
**£**|**Transfers**
**between**
**funds**
**£**|**At 31**
**March**
**2023**
**£**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Designated funds**
Tangible fixed assets fund
Property repairs fund
Pathways Post Adoption and Aftercare
Fund
**General funds**|**854,894**
**500,000**
**2,000,000**|_––_
_––_
**101,928**|**(47,169)**
_––_
**(185,466)**|**(13,678)**
_––_
**83,538**|
**794,047**
**500,000**
**2,000,000**|
||**3,354,894**
**2,291,900**|**101,928**
**1,839,404**|**(232,635)**
**(1,711,066)**|**69,860**
**(77,658)**|**3,294,047**
**2,342,580**|
||**5,646,794**|**1,941,332**|**(1,943,701)**|**(7,798)**|**5,636,627**|
||_At 1_
_April_
_2021_
_£_|_Income and_
_investment_
_losses_
_£_|_Expenditure_
_£_|_Transfers_
_between_
_funds_
_£_|_At 31_
_March_
_2022_
_£_|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|_Designated funds_
_Tangible fixed assets fund_
_Property repairs fund_
_Pathways Post Adoption and Aftercare_
_Fund_
_General funds_|_909,817_
_500,000_
_1,500,000_|_––_
_––_
_105,464_|_(58,071)_
_––_
_(180,573)_|_3,148_
_––_
_575,109_|_854,894_
_500,000_
_2,000,000_|
||_2,909,817_
_2,626,547_|_105,464_
_1,807,642_|_(238,644)_
_(1,564,031)_|_578,257_
_(578,257)_|_3,354,894_
_2,291,900_|
||_5,536,364_|_1,913,105_|_(1,802,675)_|_––_|_5,646,794_|
The purposes for which the funds have been set aside are as follows:
## _**(a) Tangible fixed assets fund**_
The tangible fixed assets fund represents the net book value of the charity’s unrestricted tangible fixed assets. A decision was made to separate this fund from the general fund of the charity in recognition of the fact that the tangible fixed assets are essential to the day to day work of the charity and as such their value should not be regarded as funds that would be realisable with ease, in order to meet future contingencies.
## _**(b) Property repairs fund**_
The property repairs fund has been established to provide funds to help meet the cost of major repairs to CCS’s properties. During the year CCS did not spend anything on significant property repairs and maintenance (2021/22 – £nil).
## _**(c) Pathways Post Adoption & Aftercare Fund**_
The trustees have created a designated fund of £2,000,000 to help meet the costs of the nonstatutory component of our Post Adoption work; the statutory component of this service is partfunded by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
The Catholic Children's Society (Westminster) **49**
DocuSign Envelope ID: 277C8848-F030-4DB7-ADF8-01ACB85714ABDocuSign Envelope ID: 68CD07EE-B18A-4587-A78D-A41E0B82F5FA
## **Notes to the financial statements** 31 March 2023
## **18 Analysis of net assets between funds**
|**Analysis of net assets between funds**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
||**General**
**funds**
**£**|**Designated**
**funds**
**£**|
**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**|**Total**
**£**|
|**Fund balances at 31 March 2023 are represented by:**
Tangible fixed assets
Investments
Current assets
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
**Unrealised losses included above:**
On investment assets
**Reconciliation of movements in unrealised gains on**
**investment assets**
Unrealised gains at 1 April 2022
Less in respect of disposals in year
Add: net gains arising on revaluation in the year
Unrealisedgains at 31 March 2023|_—_
**2,496,443**
**117,733**
**(271,597)**|**794,048**
**2,500,000**
_—_
_—_|**52,227**
**139,062**
**910,947**
**(156,656)**|**846,275**
**5,135,505**
**1,028,680**
**(428,253)**|
||**2,342,579**|**3,294,048**|**945,580**|**6,582,207**|
||**161,492**|**156,765**|**38,787**|**357,044**|
||**293,938**
**9,812**|**285,334**
**9,828**|**70,597**
_—_|**649,869**
**19,640**|
||**303,750**
**(142,258)**|**295,172**
**(138,407) **|**70,597**
**(31,810)**|**669,509**
**(312,465)**|
||**161,492**|**156,765**|**38,787**|**357,044**|
||_General_
_funds_
_£_|
_Designated_
_funds_
_£_|
_Restricted_
_funds_
_£_|_Total_
_£_|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|_Fund balances at 31 March 2022 are represented by:_
_Tangible fixed assets_
_Investments_
_Current assets_
_Creditors: amounts falling due within one year_
_Unrealised gains included above:_
_On investment assets_
_Reconciliation of movements in unrealised gains on_
_investment assets_
_Unrealised gains at 1 April 2021_
_Less in respect of disposals in year_
_Add: net gains arising on revaluation in the year_
_Unrealisedgains at 31 March 2022_|_—_
_2,335,107_
_118,456_
_(161,663)_|_854,894_
_2,500,000_
_—_
_—_|_51,941_
_139,062_
_995,021_
_(242,114)_|_906,835_
_4,974,169_
_1,113,477_
_(403,777)_|
||_2,291,900_|_3,354,894_|_943,910_|_6,590,704_|
||_293,937_|_285,334_|_70,598_|_649,869_|
||_335,782_
_(50,613)_|_345,454_
_(72,718)_|_71,128_
_—_|_752,364_
_(123,331)_|
||_285,169_
_8,769_|_272,736_
_12,598_|_71,128_
_(531)_|_629,033_
_20,836_|
||_293,938_|_285,334_|_70,597_|_649,869_|
## **19 Liability of members**
The charity is constituted as a company limited by guarantee. In the event of the charity being wound up members are required to contribute an amount not exceeding £10.
## **20 Related party transactions**
During the financial year 2022/23 six trustees (2021/22 – six) donated a total of £914 (2021/22 – £303) which included £297 (2021/22 – £168) relating to purchases of Christmas cards.
The Catholic Children's Society (Westminster) **50**