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Protecting children today, preventing abuse tomorrow
|**Contents**
04
06
08
10
12
14
16
21
30
35
46
51
54
58|**Welcome**
from our Chair
**Welcome**from our
Chief Executive
**Hello**from our
Young People’s
Board for Change
**What we do**
**Our new strategy**
**2021 - 2031**
**Our strategy**
**2016 - 2021**
**Achievements**
**and performance**
**against targets**
**Goal 1:**
Prevent child abuse in
families facing adversity
**Goal 2:**
Prevent child
sexual abuse
**Goal 3:**
Help children
speak out and
adults take action
about abuse
**Goal 4:**
Help abused children
get back on track
**Goal 5:**
Make children safe
from abuse online
**Fundraising**
**Volunteering**
64
69
71
78
82
84
91
92
93
96
103
106
107
108
111
135|**Looking back**|
|---|---|---|
|||**Looking forward**|
|||**Our values**|
|||**Governance**|
|||**Environment and**
**Sustainability**
**2020/21**|
|||**Principal risks and**
**uncertainties**|
|||**Public beneft and how**
**our activities deliver it**|
|||**Trustees’**
**responsibilities**
**statement**|
|||**Patrons, trustees,**
**offcers and**
**professional advisors**|
|||**Financial review**|
|||**Independent auditor’s**
**report to the trustees**
**of the NSPCC**|
|||**The support we**
**received**|
|||**How we helped**
**protect children**|
|||**Consolidated fnancial**
**statements**|
|||**Notes to the**
**consolidated accounts**|
|||**NSPCC offces**|
||||
**02**
**03**
**NSPCC Annual Report and Accounts 2020-21**
## Welcome
## **From our Chair**
**Neil Berkett** _Chair of trustees_
**In my introduction to the annual report last year, I wrote of three priorities I had highlighted as the incoming chair of the board of trustees. I said that I wanted to ensure that children and young people really are at the heart of everything we do and every decision we make; that we become an organisation that attracts cherishes and celebrates volunteering; and that we sharpen focus, and concentrate our efforts where we can have the greatest positive impact, because the resources at our direct disposal are modest relative to the problem we seek to solve. In the pages of this year’s report, I hope you will find evidence of progress against all three of these priorities. Our focus through a quite remarkable year has been first and foremost to ensure that the many and varying needs of children and young people have been recognised and prioritised through the pandemic. We have had to adapt our own services and work hard to ensure that governments and the public across the UK and Channel Islands have been there for children.**
Our volunteers have been quite amazing in adapting their own roles, many of which had to stop temporarily with the onset of lockdowns, and have provided support to other parts of the organisation to keep our vital services running. You will read within this report the work of our volunteer engagement programme to improve communication, recognition and recruitment, and our new intranet for volunteers will be going live shortly after publication of this report.
The pandemic demanded that we focus on where we could achieve impact in the short term. It is our new strategy however, that I believe enables us to bring the focus to our work that will help us to achieve the best we can for children over the next ten years.
safer over five years. Throughout this report, you will be able to read how we have done this.
We now embark on a ten-year period in which our services will focus on three impact goals, which we believe will make the biggest difference for children:
**1. Everyone plays their part to prevent child abuse.** We’ll work together to make it easier for everyone to play their part and create a social safety net that prevents child abuse and neglect.
**2. Every child is safe online.** Together, we’ll transform the online world, so it’s safe for every child to go online.
**3. Children feel safe, listened to and supported.** More children will be able to speak out, so they feel safe, listened to and understood so abuse doesn’t shape their future.
Everyone has a role to play and we want to inspire many more people to play their part in preventing child abuse and neglect. We will work with people and communities across the UK and Channel Islands to achieve change in these three areas, together.
We will strive to be nationally significant and locally relevant, and look at where we are uniquely placed to do, enable, influence or celebrate the efforts of others in our shared endeavour to keep every child safe.
I’m immensely proud to be the chair of the board of trustees of an organisation with the opportunity to lead the way in making a difference to children’s lives. I also feel the responsibility that we all carry to bring people with us to bring about better outcomes for young people. This is about all of us working together to prevent child abuse and neglect, and we couldn’t do this without you.
Thank you.
This annual report marks the final year of a five-year strategy, in which we have helped make over 6.6 million children
**04**
**05**
## Welcome
**The last year has been a year like no other for children. Before the coronavirus pandemic we knew that the levels of need and risk factors surrounding child abuse were rising. And we know that the impact of COVID-19 will exacerbate the situation. This generation of children is now facing a unique and worrying set of challenges — facing unfamiliar school environments, fractured relationships, increased family pressures, less access to their support networks, and a weakening of safeguarding measures.**
## **From our Chief Executive**
When the pandemic hit, we quickly introduced three principles to steer us through it to enable us to still be here for children:
**Peter Wanless** _Chief Executive_
**1. To be the very best we could for children and young people.**
**2. To be as good and effective and supportive as we could to one another and to ourselves.**
**3. To secure the long-term finances of our organisation.**
While the pandemic has been immensely challenging, it’s also helped us learn valuable lessons. Our services and practitioners quickly adapted so they could still be there for children – embracing technology and different ways of working.
Some of these adaptations widen accessibility and increase engagement with certain children and families. These have revealed new ways that we can do our very best for children, now and in the future.
Our frontline staff prioritised supporting families’ immediate needs – such as signposting to financial support, making and delivering food parcels, and providing home learning and play resources. We adapted our services by offering flexible direct support – sometimes a blend of virtual and inperson – to meet the needs of each child, parent or carer and family we work with.
The pandemic placed us in a position where we needed to be innovative to ensure we could continue delivering
our Childline service effectively. We’ve been able to deliver the personal inbox service to children and young people remotely via virtual shifts outside our counselling rooms for the first time. And our first virtual base has gone from strength to strength. On our first week, we had 13 volunteers. Fast forward a few months and thanks to the dedication and exceptional work of everyone setting up and running the base, we now have over 150 new volunteers who have completed training and given shifts, with nearly another 250 new volunteers going through our onboarding process.
In the year before the pandemic, our _Speak out. Stay safe._ programme visited more than 7,000 schools and spoke to over 1.6 million children. We had to quickly suspend delivery of this as the first lockdown arrived, and have subsequently worked hard to build a virtual offer for primary schools. We delivered the new _Speak out. Stay safe._ online programme to over 1,500 schools in the last autumn term alone, and reached over 350,000 children. We look forward to returning to schools this autumn, when we will be offering a new mix of in school and virtual activity.
Our NSPCC helpline saw an initial drop in demand in late March 2020 and concerns about hidden children resulted in a campaign funded by the Department for Education and an additional campaign supported by Calpol. The campaigns were successful in raising awareness and contacts handled by our helpline soared by 48 per cent compared to the period prior to the pandemic. The increases in demand have been maintained throughout the rest of the year, with an overall year on year increase in contacts to the helpline of 23 per cent.
We’ve seen that adults spending more time with their children are noticing concerns and seeking advice and support. And the pandemic has also served as a reminder of how resourceful, resilient and brave children can be — and how much we can learn from them.
**07**
**NSPCC Annual Report and Accounts 2020-21**
## Hello...
The NSPCC Young People’s Board for Change is a team of 15 young people aged 13–16 from across the UK with a range of life experience who steer, advise and influence our work.
**From our Young People’s Board for Change**
Elan and Gracie, two young people from the board, share what being a member means to them, how they’ve found the experience so far, and how they will be making change happen over the next two years.
While we all really enjoyed getting to meet each other for the first time, it was also time for us to get down to business. We had a brilliant two-day meeting where we learned more about our role, had the chance to meet loads of people that work across NSPCC, and found out lots about how important young people’s voices are in different areas of the NSPCC.
You can’t possibly imagine the excitement when I found out I got a _Elan and Gracie_ place on the Young People’s Board for Change... it was swiftly followed by nervous anticipation of meeting the other members for the very first time.
We were introduced to their work and got the chance to share what matters most to us. As a group, we voted on what we want to work on over the next few months:
We met for the first time online to get to know one another and find out what we’ll be doing over the next two years. It didn’t take long to get to know each other (thanks to team building games involving excessive amounts of creativity, laughter and sellotape!) and find our common goal: wanting to make a difference.
• Creating a new secondary school resource to help young people create healthy relationships.
• Work with our safeguarding team to look at how we explain to young people how we keep them safe and how young people can raise worries if they have concerns about their friends.
The last year has been frustrating for young people, you can feel like you’re not being listened to or taken seriously. The Young People’s Board for Change offers us opportunities to find out what matters to other young people and make change with the support of the NSPCC behind us.
• Looking at NSPCC information for young people: how can it be improved and shared so young people always have the support they need?
These three projects elicited a fierce response of support, including some engaging debates about why they matter so much. As young people, we all felt really connected to these projects because we could see how they could affect our lives directly, and how they could improve our communities.
Allowing young people to be part of these projects right at the beginning is not only a great honour, but also helps us shape them so they will have an impact on young people. We, as young people, are so directly connected to these issues, with direct experience of how these things are affecting our generation and ways in which we can strive to make it better.
Joining the Young People’s Board for Change has been incredibly eyeopening, considering how much we’ve already learnt about the NSPCC, campaigns, media, team-building and how to make a difference. But there’s still so much to learn and do over the course of the upcoming two years (a thrilling prospect!).
We are excited to work towards the goal of involving young people’s voices at the heart of the charity. Everything so far has only added fuel to the fiery passion of the Young People’s Board for Change - we are unstoppable!
## _**Elan and Gracie from the Young People’s Board for Change**_
## **Participation**
The NSPCC believes that the involvement of children and young people should be routed in ethical, high-quality, meaningful participation that is based on what we know works well and from what children and young people tell us. This is a crucial part of ensuring a culture of continuous learning. The involvement of young people in shaping and informing our work is an essential part of how the organisation operates.
**Informing strategy and governance**
In May 2020, the NSPCC Board of Trustees agreed to recruit two trustees with specific responsibility for promoting
the voice and views of children and young people directly at Board level. We received over 160 applications for these posts and our new trustees joined the Board in October.
The new NSPCC trustees are working with our Young People’s Board for Change and act as the link for the wider board of trustees.
The Young People’s Board for Change received over 300 applications from children and young people with 25 young people being invited to virtual interviews. 15 young people were selected who have a breadth of life experiences. Six of the group live in the devolved nations and the other 9 represent different regions of England. Members are passionate about a range of issues including: anti-bullying, climate change, racial discrimination, LGBTQ+ rights and online safety.
Young people throughout their time on the Board will be supported to develop confidence, learn new skills such as presenting ideas, speaking in and to groups, campaigning, negotiation and public speaking and will receive a formal recognition for their time commitment through a skills qualification.
Young people who did not gain a place on the Board were given details of other ways they could support our work, and we have engaged some young people where their specific experiences could help strengthen our work.
Children and young people have played a central part in developing our strategy 2021+. Their involvement has helped us to better understand their experiences and expectations. They have provided input into the language we used, ideas we proposed, and what they think success of our strategy would look like. Children have also taken part in recruitment panels, shared their views and ideas on new technology, and supported children and young people to share their views on accessing our services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
**08**
**09**
**NSPCC Annual Report and Accounts 2020-21**
## What we do
Everything we do protects children today and prevents abuse tomorrow so we can make child abuse a thing of the past.
## **Working with schools**
## **Therapeutic services**
## **National helplines**
We run Childline for any child to turn to for confidential support, and our helpline for adults concerned about a child.
We engage with the entire school community, children, teachers and parents and carers to ensure that every child in the UK is better protected.
We help children to recover from abuse and get their lives back on track.
## **Campaigning for change**
## **Support for families**
## **Sharing our research and evidence**
We stand up for children and demand that laws and rules need to change to protect them.
We equip parents and carers with the knowledge, skills and support they need to protect their children from abuse.
We strive to find the best ways to protect children and prevent abuse, and share knowledge and training with people who work with children.
But every day, more children need our help and all our vital work is only possible because of our supporters. As an independent charity we receive around 90 per cent of our funding from supporters and rely on them to make sure we can reach the children who need us. **Together we can, and we will, fight for every childhood.**
**10**
**NSPCC Annual Report and Accounts 2020-21**
**11**
## Our new strategy 2021-2031
Together, we can stop child abuse and neglect. This is our vision. And through the collective power of our staff, supporters, partners and volunteers, and our 100 years of experience; we will move closer to achieving that vision.
We didn’t decide on this strategy alone. We engaged with a range of people — children, staff, volunteers, external stakeholders and more. It was the most robust and inclusive consultation we have done in recent years. We listened, we learned, and we took that on board when planning our approach for 2021 onwards.
Alongside this work, we considered the latest child protection research, what we know about the needs and experiences of children across the UK, and what support others are better placed to provide. We looked to ourselves too — weighing up what our strengths are as an organisation and where we can add the most value in making a difference for children.
**To effectively deliver our strategy, we have drawn out seven principles that will shape and guide everything we do for children and young people.**
## **Focus more on preventing child abuse and neglect**
Prevention is in our name; it’s at the heart of what we do. We’ll continue to prevent abuse and neglect from happening in the first place, and concentrate on stopping it faster once it’s started.
## **Work in partnership**
## **Be inspired and led by children**
## **Build on our strengths**
We’ll work together with everyone — from schools to local authorities and corporate partners — to reach more children and prevent child abuse and neglect. And, by working together with communities, we’ll strive to be nationally significant and locally relevant — balancing our responsibility as a national charity with responding to local need.
We’re drawing on over 100 years of experience. We’ll do the things we do well — that others can’t, won’t or don’t do. We’ll do more to be present in communities, understand their needs and work with them to shape what we do.
We’ll involve children and young people in our work and decisionmaking through meaningful participation. We’ll continue to listen to them, learn from them, and be inspired by them.
## **Inspire more people to be there for children**
**Embed equality, diversity and inclusion**
## **Be trauma informed**
All of our work with children will be underpinned by an understanding of trauma. We’ll help others with this too — developing a shared awareness of trauma and making sure all children get the response and support they need.
We’ll inspire more people to be there for children, to keep children safe and make the biggest difference to children’s lives, together.
We believe every childhood is worth fighting for. Together, we’ll remove real and perceived barriers to inclusion and diversity. Because recognising, embracing and valuing differences leads to improvements for all.
**12**
**13**
**NSPCC Annual Report and Accounts 2020-21**
## Our strategy 2016 – 2021
In 2016, we set ourselves a goal to make 5 million children safer in 5 years. We’re proud to report that we’ve helped make over 6.6 million children safer in 5 years.
1.
**Prevent child abuse in families facing adversity.**
## **The outcomes we targeted for children are:**
- more families facing domestic abuse, parental substance misuse or parental mental health problems get early help from the NSPCC to prevent child abuse and neglect
- more families facing adversity receive NSPCC-evaluated services to prevent child abuse and neglect
- systems change in the prevention of child abuse and neglect in families facing adversity
2.
**Prevent child**
**sexual abuse.**
**The outcomes we targeted for children are that:**
- more support is available to prevent harmful sexual behaviours and sexual offending
- there’s increased evidence of ‘what works’ in preventing child sexual abuse
- people who work with children are more confident in preventing child sexual abuse
- there’s increased public belief that child sexual abuse can be prevented.
3.
**Help children speak out and adults take action about abuse.**
**The outcomes we targeted for children are that:**
- we deliver more Childline counselling sessions
- we answer more NSPCC helpline contacts
- more children understand about abuse and know who to turn to for help
- there’s increased confidence in identifying risks and responding to abuse and neglect among parents and people who work with children.
4.
**Help abused children get back on track.**
## **The outcomes we targeted for children are that:**
- more help is available for children who have been abused or neglected to get back on track
- improvements are made to the justice system so it better meets the needs of children who have been abused or neglected
- there is an increased evidence base of ‘what works’ in getting children back on track after abuse or neglect.
5.
**Make children safe from abuse online.**
**The outcomes we targeted for children are that:**
- more communications providers demonstrate best practice in relation to child safety online
- more children know how to keep themselves safe online
- more adults know how to keep children safe online.
- people who work with children in families facing adversity are more confident in preventing child abuse and neglect.
**NSPCC Annual Report and Accounts 2020-21**
**14**
**15**
## Achievements and performance against targets
In 2016, we set ourselves a goal to make 5 million children safer in 5 years. **We’re proud to report that we’ve helped make over 6.6 million children safer in 5 years.** And we helped make over 1.5 million children safer in 2020/21 alone.
For our 2016-21 strategy, we set outcomes that stated the changes we wanted to see for children. Each outcome had one or more measures, to help us understand whether that change was happening. We had set our targets for these measures for 2020/21 before COVID-19 reached the UK. Early in the year, we revised them based on our knowledge and response at that stage. However, few thought at the time that come the end of the year, we would still be directly experiencing the effects of the pandemic.
Despite all the challenges, we were still here for children. In 2020/21, we met or exceeded revised targets for 62 per cent of our outcome measures and were close to target for a further 5 per cent. This was in line with the previous year.
**Key points about our performance over the year in our services to better help children are:**
## **More children and adults understood about abuse and neglect and knew who to turn to for help.**
part. We delivered 204,638 Childline counselling sessions in 2020/21, which was 13 per cent below the revised target of 236,300.
- We met rising demand for the NSPCC helpline. We answered 84,914 helpline contacts which resulted in advice or referral, plus another 2,420 low-level advice contacts, which was 31 per cent higher than the revised target of 66,500. Significant awareness raising campaigns in May and June 2020 increased demand for the year. We launched five new commissioned helplines, including a helpline for children and adults to report abuse in education in response to testimonies on the website, Everyone’s Invited.
- We pivoted _Speak out. Stay safe._ for online delivery. Due to school closures, we were unable to deliver our _Speak out. Stay safe._ programme in the usual way. We developed an online offer for primary schools, and reached 1,609 schools, including ten schools for children with special educational needs and disabilities, and 72 schools we had never worked with before. During the autumn term when schools were open, 370,395 children attended the online offer in their school. This was 61 per cent fewer than the 945,952 revised target, set when we expected schools to be open for much more of the year.
- We adapted Childline in the face of initially-reduced volunteer shifts. In the first lockdown in 2020, volunteers dropped to 50 per cent of usual levels. Launch of the remote Childline team enabled more volunteers to play their
**16**
**NSPCC Annual Report and Accounts 2020-21**
**17**
## **More children and families had help from the NSPCC to prevent child abuse and neglect.**
• We adapted the delivery of our direct services for children and families by offering flexible support to meet their needs. Altogether, 4,698 children and adults were referred and assigned to one of our therapeutic services, 9 per cent more than the revised target of 4,317. Some of our services were easier to adapt than others: for example, _Pregnancy in Mind_ was well-suited for virtual delivery, whereas some of our sexual abuse services proved more difficult to adapt due to their complexity.
• We responded to local needs in our services centres and Together for Childhood sites, where strong relationships enabled staff to work alongside partners to share information, distribute resources to families, adapt planned activities, and respond to the needs of the local community with new offers and some remotely-delivered services. In 2020/21 Together for Childhood activities were attended 11,863 times, 12 per cent more than the revised target of 5,237 attendances.
## **We increased the evidence base of what works in preventing child abuse, and improvements were made to better meet the needs of children who have experienced abuse or neglect.**
guidance for schools on harmful sexual behaviour, and the _Close the Loophole_ win when the UK Government announced they will expand the laws around ‘positions of trust’ to include sports coaches and faith leaders. The UK Government response to the online harms white paper drew heavily on the NSPCC and Herbert Smith Freehills’ proposal.
- We published 31 NSPCC research publications with evidence of what works to prevent sexual abuse or to help children get back on track after abuse or neglect, 138 per cent higher than our revised target of 13. These included a helplines insight briefing on the impact of COVID-19 on online abuse, and an evaluation of the implementation of our _InCtrl_ service, a group work programme which works with children and young people to prevent sexual abuse online, the findings of which were reflected on in an NSPCC Learning podcast about creating safer online experiences for children and young people.
- We campaigned for change for children. We worked with the Department for Education to keep school closures flexible for vulnerable children. Other examples included our influence on legislation for equal protection in Scotland, the Welsh Government’s
## **Parents and people who work or volunteer with children identified risks and responded to abuse and neglect, including keeping children safe online.**
• This year, training and safeguarding tools relating to online safety were accessed 14,855 times, which was 270 per cent higher than the revised target of 4, 018. This was partly due to our _Keeping children safe online_ elearning, which sold 8,667 licenses, more than 200 per cent over our target of 2,895. We also launched a new course this year, _Managing safer online communities_ . With young people spending much more time at home this year, concern around their increased time online is likely to have caused growth in this measure.
- We helped others to better safeguard children. NSPCC elearning was accessed more this year than ever. The 63,829 elearning licenses sold were 2 per cent below our revised target of 65,000 but 35 per cent more than the previous year.
• We delivered online workshops about _PANTS, Look, Say, Sing, Play_ and online safety to 4,515 community groups and parents, which was 12 per cent higher than the revised target of 4,018. This was significantly higher than expected due to two deliveries to large audiences that on their own reached more than 3,000 people.
**18**
**19**
**NSPCC Annual Report and Accounts 2020-21**
## Goal 1
Prevent child abuse in families facing adversity
The COVID-19 Pandemic presented new challenges for safeguarding children. Normally, most children and young people are seen by a number of different adults every day including teachers, neighbours and grandparents. However, the lockdowns, school closures and restrictions meant that they were spending more time at home, without any regular contact with other adults. For children experiencing abuse, this meant that there were fewer opportunities for adults to spot the signs and report concerns, resulting in a delay in support being offered and accessed. Spending prolonged periods at home as well as financial pressures and other worries that the pandemic created for many, also meant that some families needed extra help and support.
Domestic abuse, substance misuse and mental health problems are known risk factors for child abuse and neglect and the pandemic has seen a large increase in reports of this nature. However, we know that with the right support, abuse can be prevented. This is why we have worked so hard to adapt our services to ensure the support is still there in the pandemic for those who need it.
In response to the first lockdown in March 2020 our open cases fell significantly as the country adapted
to life in a pandemic. Many cases closed because of capacity and also preference of the service users, as well as partner agencies not referring to us. During June, we saw the number of open cases start to rise again as virtual delivery was embedded. Safe and well checks were established and buildings were starting to reopen, so face-toface delivery could resume and partner agencies were in a position to refer to us. At the end of March 2021, we had 1,452 open cases compared with 1,236 at the end of March 2020.
Initially, NSPCC frontline staff prioritised supporting families’ immediate needs – such as signposting to financial support, making and delivering food parcels and providing home learning and play resources. We focused on how we could maintain service delivery. Service centre teams were able to successfully adapt many of our services to virtual or online delivery. The virtual delivery of some services has been so successful that virtual delivery will continue post pandemic.
**20**
**21**
**NSPCC Annual Report and Accounts 2020-21**
In total, we provided a service to 4,698 children, young people and adults. This slightly exceeded our revised pandemic target of 4,317 (the original target was 6,300). Of the 4,698 children, young people and adults we worked with, 2,360 completed the work with us. The revised target for work completed was 2,941 cases so we have achieved 80 per cent of this target. (Some cases end without being completed for a number of reasons: they may change to another service or agency that is more appropriate, the child or family may disengage for some reason or we may have a practitioner who leaves or goes off sick and the child doesn’t want to continue with somebody else.)
Our direct services are primarily targeted in two areas of support:
## **1. Prevention of abuse in the early years.**
**2. Prevention and recovery of sexual abuse.**
The early years services reached 1,201 children, young people and adults, exceeding our revised target of 994. Of these, 1,035 completed their work with us which again, exceeds our revised target of 628.
## **Together for Childhood**
Working with outside partners has helped us respond to the needs of the local communities throughout the pandemic. The existing relationships in the four _Together for Childhood_ areas of Grimsby, Plymouth, Govan and Stoke-on-Trent enabled staff to work alongside partners to share information, distribute resources to families and respond to the needs of the local community with new offers.
One parent/ carer commented:
“I cannot thank (staff member) enough for everything she has done for me and my family. Even with COVID-19 going on, (staff member) was still able to provide amazing support over the phone and I really wouldn’t have been able to get through any of it without her”
## Young people said:
- “You’ve been brilliant through all that has been going on and have made a real difference.”
- “You’re the only one helping me.”
All of our _Together for Childhood_ sites focused on supporting children and families with their most immediate needs as an initial response to the pandemic. This has been achieved through supplying food packages for those in need, along with guidance and support for helping young people with their education and even providing IT equipment and stationery.
One parent shared that they had played the same board game for several weeks and it no longer engaged their children. As a response to this, our site in Govan set up a toy library that now supports over 50 families. The library has been recognised as a vital resource to Govan families and we are now in the process of transitioning the toy library over to a local not-for-profit social enterprise, Make Do and Grow, who are focused on supporting families with children aged 3-12, developing creativity and encouraging re-use and recycle.
Another project, which is at the Plymouth _Together for Childhood_ site, is The Young Voices project. It’s funded by The Samworth Foundation and works with 24 students at a local secondary school to help them design and develop a campaign to share across their school. The focus of the campaign was on establishing and communicating what healthy relationships should look like, and creatively tackling peer to peer abuse. While the campaign had to adapt in response to the pandemic and was delivered virtually, the young people wrote and produced a rap. Plans to share the rap in school assemblies
were hindered, but their flexible approach meant a webinar was created and shared across the school, reaching all pupils in years 8-11.
to show what people really value in their relationships as part of a wider healthy relationships campaign that was delayed due to the pandemic.
## **Blackpool Better Start**
- “It was just like a place I could go to if I had any problems”
Our Blackpool _Better Start_ site introduced the Dad’s Chat, a virtual clinic streamed over Facebook, where dads can discuss a wide range of issues with professionals such as mental health and wellbeing during lockdown.
- “I like that you welcomed me and you haven’t discriminated against me because of my disability which I’m quite glad about because I’ve had that quite a few times”
In January, HENRY - an infant feeding service, that offers parents a range of workshops to support them with feeding their infants, was launched in Blackpool. The service is currently being delivered virtually through online group sessions. They have also set up a one-to-one telephone helpline available to all new parents in Blackpool, offering support following the birth of their child and signposting to infant feeding groups. It is hoped this will promote increased and sustained breastfeeding, and more responsive and safer bottle feeding.
_(Young people in Plymouth)_
- “You know sometimes children don’t necessarily want to go and speak to a teacher about some of their issues and actually, the level to which they need to speak to somebody, it might not warrant a conversation with a teacher, they might just need to sound it out with another young person to know that there’s another young person that’s there to listen to them, which is going to be really good I think really good.” _(Teacher)_
“HENRY is a much-needed listening ear and reassurance there is no question or worry too small. It’s a one-stop-shop so referrals can be made for additional help if needed. As a new mum, especially with other children around, it can be hard finding the confidence and time to make lots of different phone calls trying to find answers or book appointments. It’s comforting to know someone can lighten that load.” _(Service user)_
At our Liverpool site, young people from Alder Hey Youth Forum were encouraged to create video diaries to document living through a pandemic. These showed the impact of lockdown and school closures, through pictures that were then made into a virtual exhibition and launched online.
The photo diaries project in the Plymouth _Together for Childhood_ site encouraged those involved to document key important moments in their relationships with others - helping
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**Look Say** _Look, Say, Sing Play (LSSP)_ is our **Sing Play** national and local early years campaign. We share ideas with parents via email for easy, fun ways to fit more interaction in to their daily routines with their little ones – right from birth. During their earliest years, a child’s brain makes one million neural connections every single second and positive and supportive experiences with parents and other adults are important in their brain development. We launched nationally in June 2020 when the UK was still in lockdown and the campaign was well received by parents. Since then, we’ve seen more than 64,000 people across the UK and Channel Islands sign up for free, weekly _Look, Say, Sing, Play_ tips.
While some of our face-to-face local work is on hold, much of this campaign is still able to progress remotely. Weekly tips are available via email and professionals and parents can access webinars as well as a range of NSPCC Learning materials. We’ve also created a new short series of YouTube films where parents can watch other families having fun and learning with our brainbuilding tips.
We’ve even launched new local campaigns remotely in both York and Walsall, demonstrating the agility of the campaign to adapt and evolve in this challenging year. York and Walsall local authorities have also outlined plans to integrate _LSSP_ in early years and neglect activities respectively, showing the legacy that local campaigns can have.
_LSSP_ was launched in Walsall in July 2019. This year, the messages have been adopted by a number of professionals across the borough, including health visiting, midwifery and early years. The campaign has now been included in their Neglect Strategy, ensuring that vital brain building messages are imbedded into their business as usual activities going forward.
In York, _LSSP_ launched in October 2020 and has been firmly embedded across the city as part of their early years strategy, with midwifery, health visiting, early years and social care colleagues promoting the campaign at various points during the parenting journey.
so far, and assess where we can develop further nationally and locally. We will also be running another survey with all the parents who are on the journey, or have completed it – to get their opinions on the campaign, and see how it has affected their understanding and behaviours.
As we plan for 2021/22 we will also be looking at how and where we can reach new audiences of parents with the campaign, through both our national and local _LSSP_ campaign offer. We’ve had brilliant feedback from parents who reached the end of the email journey.
“I feel so grateful I signed up to receive your advice. Every tip sent to my email was really useful and joyful. Even when I was doing some of them, its felt like a confirmation I was doing the right thing. (Although English is not my first language I was able to understand everything).”
Next, we will be focussing on evaluation, working closely with the research and evidence team to access the successes
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## **Fight for a Fair Start**
Up to 1 in 5 mums and 1 in 10 dads experience mental health problems during pregnancy and after birth. But getting the right support at the right time isn’t guaranteed. It’s vital that parents and their babies get the help they need. Even if mums and dads get support for their own mental health, additional support may be required to look after their babies’ developmental needs.
Up to **1 in 5 mums and 1 in 10 dads** experience mental health problems during pregnancy and after birth.
The pandemic has put even more pressure on families so we have continued our _Fight for a Fair Start_ campaign, with the support of Jo Malone London. This policy influencing campaign aims to ensure that perinatal health support is available for every parent, wherever they are.
Some notable developments this year have included the announcement of new specialist community services in Northern Ireland and the announcement of an interim mother and baby unit in Wales. We’ve also submitted a letter to Matt Hancock, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, signed by over 2,000 supporters asking him to ensure that parents and babies are not forgotten about in the restructure of Public Health England.
## **Scale up**
We believe that we can achieve better outcomes for many more children if we work in partnership to put more evidence into practice. That’s why we help other organisations to adopt, implement and deliver evidence-based services locally. We grow services from initial ideas, all the way to delivering them at our service centres, testing them at every stage to ensure we have a strong evidence base. Then, once we have learned what works, we help other
organisations to deliver the programme. This includes training, consultancy, resources and implementation support.
In 2020/21, we reached over 23,000 children and adults, and 3,000 professionals were trained through NSPCC tested services that have been scaled up to other organisations. This has been significant, as scale up work was paused for much of the year due to lockdown restrictions. However, it was able to resume in the autumn by adapting the training to virtual delivery.
The _Baby Steps_ programme places a specific focus on supporting parental mental health and couple relationships and nurturing relationships between parents and babies. Pre-pandemic, it was delivered face-to-face by midwives, health visitors and family support workers. It combined group sessions with home visits, however the introduction of lockdown restrictions saw us working with and supporting our delivery partners to adapt the delivery of _Baby Steps_ to a virtual model. To ensure parents could continue to access the support they needed, we used technology including a private YouTube channel to share materials and resources, along with video calls and group messaging services to promote group social support among families. These swift adaptions ensured that _Baby Steps_ continued to support over 3,000 adults and children over the year. The virtual delivery meant that, even while she was in labour, one of the mums on the programme was still able to join the session:
“They all logged on for a session and suddenly realised that one of the mums was sat in a hospital bed and everyone was like ‘oh, you are in a hospital bed’ and she said ‘I know I’m in labour’.” (Virtual _Baby Steps_ evaluation)
_Baby Steps_ also received recognition by Public Health England as a good practice, evidence-based approach to reduce outcome inequality for Black and Asian women and their babies.
Our _Graded Care Profile 2 (GCP2)_ provides multi-agency practitioners with a way of assessing whether a child is experiencing or at risk of neglect. We believe we can reach many more children who are being neglected, or are at risk of being neglected, if we work together and share our knowledge of what works.
That’s why we’ve been supporting partner organisations to implement and embed _GCP2_ in their local communities. A further nine local authorities have been licensed and trained to implement _GCP2_ this year, meaning that nearly 40 per cent of all UK and Channel Islands authorities have now been licensed to use this tool. There are now 86 local authorities across the UK and Channel Islands who are licensed to use this tool, and together they reached almost 20,000 children and adults so far this year. We are continuing to work closely with these sites to ensure successful and sustainable implementation, as well as increasing reach to children by introducing this to more partners.
**Domestic abuse**
it can affect a child’s development, health, behaviour and wellbeing. The pandemic and ’stay at home’ measures put more children at risk of being exposed to domestic abuse, while being cut off from support networks like school. This meant they had fewer opportunities to speak up about what was going on at home.
Since the introduction of lockdown measures, the number of contacts to the helpline from people concerned about children living in homes with domestic abuse rose by 35 per cent. These figures are backed up by the experiences of our frontline staff who work with children who are living with domestic abuse at home.
We work to influence the government to enact laws that protect children and support families facing domestic abuse and other key issues that children face. This has never been as important as it has this year.
Around 1 in 5 children in the UK have been exposed to domestic abuse. Children never just ’witness’ domestic abuse - it always has an impact on them. Exposure to domestic abuse in childhood is child abuse and living with
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**Domestic** June 2020 saw a breakthrough in England when the Home Office **Abuse Bill –** announced they would amend the **Policy and** Domestic Abuse Bill to ensure children **public affairs** were included in the definition of victims of domestic abuse in the new law. This followed us working in coalition with other children’s and women’s sector organisations to lobby ministers, officials and parliamentarians to recognise the devastating impact domestic abuse can have on children. To help secure this important change, we produced briefings analysing the numbers and types of contacts related to domestic abuse received by the NSPCC Helpline and Childline, and an analysis of serious case reviews where domestic abuse featured. The combination of compelling evidence of the impact on children and young people, high-profile media work and joint campaigning with other organisations led to this landmark change to the law.
We’ve campaigned to ensure **children now have the same protection as adults.**
We have seen positive results in other parts of the UK too. Children were already recognised as victims in Welsh legislation but despite this, services for child victims remain patchy and underfunded. Together with partners we detailed our concerns to the Welsh Parliament and the Equality Committee demanded that the Welsh government agree a sustainable funding model going forward.
In Northern Ireland, the Domestic Abuse and Civil Proceedings Bill created a new domestic abuse offence to criminalise patterns of coercive,
controlling behaviour in partner or family relationships. Because of our work to influence elected members and officials - including in partnership with other children’s charities - we secured changes including enhanced sentencing in cases involving children, a recognition of the impact that living in a home where domestic abuse takes place has on children and increased[1] legal protections for all children from non-physical ill-treatment by anyone with parental responsibility for them.
The Acts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will come into force in 2021.
## **Equal protection - Policy and public affairs**
Until recently, across the UK and Channel Islands, parents and carers who physically assaulted their children could defend their actions by arguing the physical force was ’reasonable’ punishment or chastisement for their actions. This went against the overwhelming evidence that physical punishment can be harmful to children and carries a serious risk of escalation into abuse.
In Scotland in November 2020, after years of campaigning alongside families and organisations, new legislation to give children equal protection from assault came in to force. This legal change means that children now have the same protection from assault as adults after the archaic defence was removed from the law. The change makes clear that physical punishment should no longer be part of childhood in Scotland. Our work with partner organisations to secure this landmark change was recognised when we jointly won the “Cracking Campaign” award at the Scottish Charity Awards.
The legalisation made Scotland the first nation in mainland UK to achieve equal protection. With new laws in Wales due to come into force in March 2022, and Jersey passing similar legislation back in December 2019, we now look for governments in England and Northern Ireland to follow and ensure the defence is consigned to history, and all children are better protected.
1. Domestic Abuse and Civil Proceedings Act (Northern Ireland), 2021 https://www.legislation. gov.uk/nia/2021/2/enacted
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## Goal 2
## Prevent child sexual abuse
We believe that sexual abuse can be prevented, and we are working to equip more people, both professionals and parents and carers, with the knowledge and skills they need to prevent it happening in the first place.
## **Harmful Sexual Behaviour Service**
Our prevention of sexual abuse services reached 736 children, young people and adults, achieving 84 per cent of the 877 target. Of the 736 children, young people and adults we worked with, 272 completed their work with us, which was 54 per cent of the target of 500. This lower than expected figure is mainly attributed to cases where children or families didn’t want to receive the
Our service has reached **190 children, young people** and **adults** against a target of 138.
service virtually, so either cases were closed before the work was complete or they opted to wait until face-to-face could resume, meaning they stayed open and incomplete into 2021/22. We did use safe and well sessions to keep in touch with people in the interim, but didn’t deliver the service.
The _Harmful Sexual Behaviour (HSB)_ service has reached 190 children, young people and adults against a target of 138 (138 per cent). While the prevention of sexual abuse services has not been as easy to adapt to a virtual delivery, practitioners have maintained contact. Where relationships were
already established pre-COVID-19, we found the transition to virtual methods has been easier, whilst newer relationships took longer than normal to develop. Being flexible, collaborative and responding to meet the individual needs of children and families meant they were still able to continue until more suitable delivery was allowed.
As part of the prevention of sexual abuse, the existing _InCtrl_ service was adapted in response to the pandemic. This enabled its continued delivery and contributed to our reach with the young people and adults through the adapted service. _InCtrl_ is a group programme that works with children and young people to prevent sexual abuse online. The service can be delivered on a one-to-one basis where the child’s needs or context suggest this is most appropriate. _InCtrl_ also works with parents and carers so that they know what their child is being offered. They are given information and help to support them, and provided with opportunities to share their own concerns.
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• Three in five parents of four-to-eightyear-olds now recall Talk PANTS, and a third have had the conversation.
## **PANTS**
Talk PANTS is our flagship behaviour change campaign. It enables parents and carers to have a simple conversation to help keep their child safe from sexual abuse, with the help of our friendly dinosaur Pantosaurus. We launched the campaign back in 2013, and since then over 1.5 million parents have had at least one conversation with their children, more than 8 million people have viewed our Pantosaurus film, and our annual campaigns have a reach of over 10 million.
• There are signs of longer term attitudinal change; there is increasing agreement over time that child sexual abuse in the UK and Channel Islands can be prevented, one of our wider marketing objectives for the campaign.
We have also set up a brand new short journey of emails for Talk PANTS, to give parents tips and resources to help make the conversation easier. Since this launched in July, we’ve had more than 6,400 sign ups.
Over **1.5 million parents** have had at least one conversation with their children
## **Matalan**
Our longstanding partner Matalan took their support for the Talk PANTS campaign a step further by producing a Pantosaurus plush toy to raise awareness of the campaign, provide a tool for parents to have conversations and raise money for the NSPCC. Pantosaurus even featured in their Christmas TV advert!
## **Following our Summer 2020 campaign, our YouGov pre-and-post surveys found that:**
• 111,374 additional parents had a conversation about Talk PANTS after seeing our campaign.
**Close the Loophole campaign**
In 2017, we began campaigning to Close the Loophole in the law to make it illegal for adults to engage in sexual activity with any 16 or 17-year-olds in their care. We wanted to ensure that the law relating to positions of trust, which applies to teachers, care workers and youth justice workers, was extended to include other adults who hold a position of power over a young person.
Football Union and the Lawn Tennis Association, and 20 cross-party MPs including Sarah Champion, Tracey Crouch and Baroness Grey-Thompson.
Following our relentless campaigning, in March 2021, the Ministry of Justice finally announced that the law relating to positions of trust will be extended to include sports coaches and faith leaders in England and Wales. Closing this loophole will make it illegal for sports coaches and faith leaders to engage in sexual activity with 16- and 17-year-olds in their care – a huge breakthrough for improving the safety of all children and young people.
Closing this loophole will make it **illegal for sports coaches and faith leaders to engage in sexual activity with 16- and 17-year-olds** in their care – a huge breakthrough for improving the safety of all children.
We have also been pushing for change to the law in Northern Ireland. After the Department for Justice indicated in November 2020 they would amend the law – but not immediately – we made a powerful case for urgent and comprehensive change, to elected members, officials and Ministers. In March 2021, the Northern Ireland Justice Minister issued a statement saying comprehensive and widereaching changes (going beyond just sports coaches and faith leaders) would be made in new legislation in 2021 and that this would be done by consulting and working in partnership with the NSPCC.
In 2019, following pressure from NSPCC, the Ministry of Justice committed to reviewing the law for England and Wales. In 2020, when the results of the review had still not been announced, we co-ordinated an open letter to the Ministry of Justice from Hannah*, a swimmer who had been abused by her coach, Jeff*. Over 4,400 supporters joined her calls for change. We also received support from the network council of safeguarding leads, 60 national sporting bodies including UK Athletics, British Cycling, the Rugby
*Names have been changed to protect identities
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## Goal 3
Help children speak out and adults take action about abuse
At the NSPCC, we help children and adults to recognise and speak out about all types of abuse and support and encourage adults to take action to protect children. We know from research that some children do attempt to disclose abuse but they are often not ‘heard’ or those concerns are not acted upon. We have to ensure that we are there for children and empower people to do something if they have a concern about a child. In this extraordinary year the NSPCC have done some extraordinary work.
## **NSPCC Helpline**
during May to promote awareness of the helpline, raising approximately £100,000. These campaigns saw immediate results with significant increases in the volume of contacts to the service. In May 2020, the volume of contacts handled by the service was up by 48 per cent compared to those before national restrictions were imposed. Beyond the campaign, the awareness levels remained high, with an overall year on year 23 per cent increase in the number of contacts to the helpline. In order to overcome the capacity challenges as a result of staff having to isolate or shield, the service adapted its operation in a number of ways with many staff working from home. Our systems were adapted to allow non-voice contacts to be handled remotely and additional capacity was resourced from across the organisation to handle some of our low risk contacts. Our call back service was also a vital tool to ensure the highest risk contacts from adults were prioritised while ensuring others seeking advice also got a response.
In March 2020, when schools were closed because of the pandemic, one of the concerns we had was that children at risk of harm were now hidden out of sight. We rely on adults in schools and communities to be there for children and to contact the NSPCC helpline if they are worried about a
In May 2020, the volume of **contacts handled by the service was up by 48 per cent** compared to those before national restrictions were imposed.
child. In response to these concerns, we worked to secure funding from the Department for Education to deliver a huge awareness campaign, the biggest one that the service has delivered in many years.
For four weeks in May 2020 the campaign delivered awareness raising activity across TV, radio, press and social media. In addition, our corporate partners Calpol ran a TV and video on demand advertising campaign
The top concerns have remained in line with those in 2019/20, but what the service saw was an increase in the proportion of contacts about some of
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other organisations. In particular, we joined forces with the Royal Voluntary Service (RVS) to provide support to NHS Responder volunteers who are out in the community providing services to those isolating as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. There were many aspects to the partnership; providing volunteers with access to free elearning to help them spot the signs of abuse and neglect _(It’s Your Call)_ and as an advice and referral mechanism for RVS in response to any safeguarding concerns that volunteers raise.
these concerns. The top concerns reported to our helpline in 2020/21 were:
- adult health and behaviour (including worries about parental alcohol and substance misuse, domestic abuse and parental mental health), which increased 42 per cent to more than 20,400 contacts
- neglect, which increased 15 per cent to more than 12,600 contacts
- physical abuse, which increased 18 per cent to more than 12,600 contacts
During the first national lockdown we launched a partnership with Deliveroo, this included making online training available for all Deliveroo riders to make them aware of the signs of neglect and how to take action. This partnership was born following one Deliveroo rider contacting the helpline to report concerns they had while delivering to a home. This contact highlighted the unique opportunity this sector has to help protect children and young people from harm. The partnership saw a very positive response from the Deliveroo workforce with thousands signing up to complete the online training within hours of launch. They also promoted the helpline on their iconic delivery bags.
- emotional abuse, which increased 40 per cent to more than 11,600 contacts.
Our helpline practitioners handled almost **85,000 contacts** which resulted in advice or referral, 23 per cent more than in 2019/20 (69,000).
In total, our helpline practitioners handled almost 85,000 contacts which resulted in advice or referral, 23 per cent more than in 2019/20 (69,000). Almost 40,000 contacts resulted in a referral to an external agency such as children’s services or police with the remaining 45,000 receiving advice. We estimate that over 48,000 children were referenced in referrals made this year.
The helpline secured a further three years of accreditation under the Helplines Standard, having been accredited now since 2013. The accreditation demonstrates that the helpline delivers a service that is consistent, relevant to the needs of its stakeholder and effective in its objectives.
Throughout the year the service has continued to work in partnership with
## **Childline**
With lockdown measures and school closures across much of the UK and Channel Islands, the year started with a challenge for Childline. Childline is predominantly delivered by volunteers, who through our 12 bases provide support to children and young people via telephone, chat messaging and email. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in many of these volunteers having to step back from their usual levels of commitment. Overnight we saw a drop of almost 50 per cent on previous levels of volunteer counselling hours. The service responded and adapted quickly by replacing our switchboard with a set of automated options and reducing operating hours to ensure capacity was most effectively utilised.
In spite of the challenges, the service remained here for children and young people every day. And the support and advice available through the Childline website became an even more important resource for children and young people.
In response to the Coronavirus pandemic and resulting restrictions with schools closed, Childline launched emergency activity to raise awareness of the service and the support available which includes a range of online tools such as our message boards, mood journal, coronavirus content and the Calm Zone. We ran paid social media campaigns across Facebook and Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube to raise awareness of the service.
One of the biggest concerns for Childline was the potential drop in awareness amongst children and young people of what the service had to offer, even under the extreme conditions that they were facing.
But the period saw a huge growth in the use of these tools and resources. Message board submissions for 2020/21 totalled over 58,000, a 64 per cent increase on the previous year and more than double those seen in February 2020. The Calm Zone, which was a new area of the site launched in December 2019 containing a range of tools to help children and young people feel calmer with meditation, mindfulness, breathing exercises and yoga amongst other things, also saw
increases in use. The week that schools were closed saw a 60 per cent week on week increase in pageviews of our range of tools and advice for children to feel calmer. Schools and other services promoted the site on our behalf, helping to raise awareness, and levels remained high throughout April, May and June and saw further peaks of activity later in the year.
With young people having more limited privacy to call Childline or use the chat function, they turned to other online tools, such as the website and our email service, which is quick and easy to access for those young people with a Childline account. The service adapted well to these changing patterns. At its peak (in June 2020 and January 2021) levels exceeded 6,000 submissions of new posts or replies to existing threads on our message boards. Levels would normally be closer to 3,000 in a month. It was clear that this was working well for children and young people to support each other during this period of uncertainty.
The increased use of our email service and the availability of Childline and other NSPCC staff working from home led to the pilot of a remote service. These home workers, under supervision, were able to reply to the emails received by the service, releasing capacity in the bases to answer more of the voice calls and messages that were coming in. The pilot proved very successful and led to the development of a new virtual base, which launched officially in October 2020 and has gone from strength to strength. By 31 March 2021, there were over 200 active virtual volunteers who had provided over 3,000 hours to the service.
While demand to the live channels did see a decline as a result of the pandemic, the nature of what those who did speak to Childline were worried about did not change. What the service did see, however, was an increase in the proportions of contacts relating to mental/emotional health. This has been the biggest concern for children and young people using the service for some years now, accounting in 2019/20 for 31 per cent of the counselling sessions delivered and growing to 37 per cent of all counselling sessions in 2020/21.
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## **Nobody is Normal campaign**
alone and that Childline is there for them and won’t judge them. Radiohead even donated ‘Creep’ free of charge, which would usually cost around £200,000, because they loved the campaign concept so much.
The campaign had 169 pieces of national, regional and broadcast press coverage. Across social media we saw over 1,500 posts from users (including Holly Willoughby and Manchester United) sharing the campaign’s animation and messaging. Many schools and youth organisations (such as Young Minds) were among these, evidencing the relatability of the campaign.
This campaign ran for four weeks and was part funded by the Department for Education (£50,000). Childline receives thousands of contacts every year from young people who feel like they don’t fit in, and who don’t feel ‘normal’. This can be the result of bullying or abuse, or just that they simply don’t feel comfortable in their own skin. This campaign was developed with the help of young people and featured an animation of a young boy dealing with anxiety while desperately trying to appear ‘normal’, backed by Radiohead’s hit song ‘Creep’. It highlighted to young people that feeling like you don’t fit in is a shared experience, they are not
We received very positive feedback from children and young people, including that the messaging made them feel less alone, and they really engaged with the animation. The Childline Brand Tracker tool informed us that 15 per cent of 13-18-year-olds recalled seeing the Nobody is Normal campaign, 65 per cent said they felt more positively about Childline and 46 per cent would be more likely to use the service after seeing the video.
**Childline received £150,000 additional marketing funding from the Department for Education in 2020 to focus activity on groups of vulnerable young people during the pandemic, under four key areas:**
## **Mental health**
_Tough to Talk_ is a Childline campaign about male mental health and suicidal feelings. It was repurposed and relaunched to raise awareness around how hard it can be to reach out, especially for boys. The response to this campaign was really positive, reaching 1.9 million young people. As a result, we saw an increase in boys’ likelihood to contact the service in the latest Childline Brand tracker results.
Our _Tough to Talk Childline_ campaign was really positive, reaching **1.9 million young people**
## **LGBTQ+**
We produced adverts with videos featuring a mix of LGBTQ+ influencers talking about their unique and different coming out stories and experiences. Across paid social media, these were viewed and shared over 2.2 million times, more than seven times our planned figure. And we saw a 12 per cent increase in LGBTQ+ young peoples’ likelihood to contact Childline. We also launched a successful partnership with PinkNews.
## **Black and Asian minoritised ethnicities (BAME)**
Activity included rerunning our previous discrimination campaign _Understand Me_ , which showed young people that being judged, stereotyped or racially bullied is never OK, and that Childline is here to support anyone experiencing discrimination.
We revisited a partnership with online music channel and media company Share. Build. Teach. Vibes (SBTV), which involved reposting four collaboration tracks/videos covering topics such as xenophobia, racism, Islamophobia, neglect and feeling invisible. They generated over 500,000 views and a new track created with Don Strapzy for SBTV was also very successful, generating over 4,000 comments on YouTube.
This combined activity contributed to a 6 per cent increase in BAME young peoples’ likelihood to contact Childline (from Brand tracker) compared with the previous year.
## **Emotional abuse**
This continues to be a prevalent issue for young people, as the social and economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic heaps more pressure on families. With counselling sessions steadily rising, and family relationships having a big impact on young people, particularly during lockdown, Childline wanted to raise awareness of emotional abuse, to help young people recognise the signs and know that Childline is there to support them. With this aim, we launched marketing across TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat which ran from 8 February 2021 until 22 March 2021.
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## **We want**
**to say a special thank you to everyone in the Childline Team...**
## Dear Childline Team,
We are from **anonymised** Secondary School in year 11 and we are writing on behalf of everyone here to thank you for what you have done during lockdown to support children who are in need during this difficult time.
At the start of lockdown, everyone found it hard to adjust to life in a pandemic and Childline was always there to help. Education, for many students, was put on hold and year 11 and 13 began to worry as their exams were approaching. Some students struggled with the stress of exams and suffered with things like ADHD and anxiety even when we are not in a global pandemic. Knowing that Childline is ‘online, on the phone, anytime’, made our mental stability a lot steadier and manageable.
We cannot even imagine how difficult it is to live with a lifechanging mental issue and for you to have gone through this pandemic whilst listening to other people’s stories, must really take a toll on your own mental health. And for that, we thank you for doing what you do.
Childline is not just about mental health issues, but about helping people when they feel unsafe and uncomfortable at home, for example, the people who have not got a stable relationship with others in the same household. To those who have gone through this, Childline were the community that listened to their issues and help them resolve the problems that separate them from their loved ones.
Besides helping through lockdown, you do so much more to help such as: giving support at night, helping deaf people, supporting children from other countries, and always keeping it completely confidential. We think what you do is incredible! So again, we say thank you to all the staff at Childline.
**We hope this has made your day a little brighter and that you are coping during this tough time. Keep up the good work. We all appreciate you!**
## **Influence and lobbying**
The lockdown restrictions placed additional stresses on many families. This was reflected in the contacts that the NSPCC helpline responded to and the counselling sessions provided by Childline. To highlight what some children were experiencing, we published a series of thematic insight briefings from the helplines, drawing on what children, young people and adults were telling us about: domestic abuse; physical abuse; online abuse; sexual abuse; schools; and d/Deaf and disabled children. These insight briefings were used as part of our evidence to the UK’s parliaments to call for improved safeguards from harm for children and young people.
When the UK and Channel Islands first went into lockdown, we knew from contacts to Childline just how difficult and uncertain children were finding the situation. With schools closed, we were unable to deliver our face-to-face _Speak out. Stay safe._ (SOSS) programme, which helps children speak out about their worries. To ensure children weren’t missing vital messages about seeking support if they need it, we launched a virtual assembly for parents and carers
## **Speak out. Stay safe.**
Our Schools Service team have had to be creative this year to ensure that primary aged children continue to receive key messages about abuse and neglect in order to be able to speak out and stay safe.
to watch with their children at home. This premiered on Friday 5 June 2020, and featured an introduction from Ant and Dec, a cameo from David Walliams, a SOSS presentation by one of our area coordinators and a Q&A with Vicky Ford MP, Minister for Children and Families, featuring questions from children.
By midday on launch day, we had 31,000 video views and 2,500 new followers for the NSPCC Facebook account. After one week, we reached 73,000 combined views of the assembly across YouTube and Facebook, gained 88 new channel subscribers on YouTube, and saw 905 visits to Childline Kids (compared with 327 visits the previous week).
We launched a **virtual assembly** for parents and carers to watch with their children at home.
Following the success of our first virtual assembly, and the continued obstacles to restoring our face-to-face service, we decided to develop a suite of SOSS online resources specifically for schools. The new online assemblies (one for 5-7-year-olds, and one for 7-11-year-olds) feature interactive pause points where teachers can have discussions with their class, and cover topics like children’s rights, speaking out and how to get help. They also explain the different types of abuse and have a section on coronavirus and the worries and concerns that children might be experiencing. Schools who register via NSPCC Learning also gain access to supporting materials, which complement the online assemblies and help reinforce our essential safeguarding messages with children. Schools Service staff are available to support schools remotely with planning and delivering the session. Versions were also developed in British Sign Language and the Welsh language to maximise accessibility.
By the end of the autumn term, 2,101 schools had registered for the online programme (against an ambitious target of 2,000 registrations), with a form submission rate of 18.4 per cent. For schools that registered and gained
access to our resources page, there was a combined total of 21,033 unique downloads for our assemblies and supporting resources.
Despite our hopes for a return of the face-to-face SOSS service in January 2021, the new year began with a third national lockdown, and schools once again being closed. Our online programme for schools isn’t suitable for remote learning, as the kind of topics covered are best discussed with a teacher present, who can respond to difficult questions and disclosures. So, instead of continuing to promote these new resources to schools, we produced another virtual assembly to support parents and carers. Ant and Dec and David Walliams kindly offered their support again, and we added a few elements to our tried and tested assembly: clear steps on how children can approach a trusted adult and a closer look at the Childline website resources. We also created new website content to accompany the assembly, so that parents and carers who felt they wanted to explore our messages further could choose one of our fun, at-home activities to do with their children: leap pads, OK and not OK, rock painting and wellbeing box.
Within 24 hours, we had reached 33,000 video views, 6,280 post engagements and 1,000 comments on the Facebook post. By 5 March, through paid promotion across Facebook and YouTube, we had reached over 350,000 combined views, smashing our very ambitious target of 300,000 views.
## Teachers said:
- “I think it was great that you linked this assembly to the current time and what has passed and told the children it was natural for them to feel uncertain and anxious and that many had these feelings too, which reassured them.”
- “A lot of the children were feeling quite anxious when they returned to school in September. The assembly encouraged them to talk about their feelings about leaving their homes and the threat of coronavirus.”
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## **Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU)**
Our CPSU works directly with sports organisations to improve their safeguarding and child protection practices to ensure that all children and young people are safe while participating in sport and activity. 2020/21 saw a greater focus on safeguarding in sport, starting from the release of ‘Athlete A’ and following concerns raised around gymnastics
The CPSU ensures that **all children and young people are safe** while participating in sport and activity
in the UK, to the publications of the Sheldon Report looking into sexual abuse in football. The CPSU has continued to operate throughout 2020/21 and with a lot of sport and activity stopped as a result of the pandemic, many parents and children have reflected on things happening in clubs and raised concerns with the unit or directly with their clubs.
CPSU played a fundamental part in the NSPCC’s role in response to the concerns raised in gymnastics. The unit supported both the British Athletes Commission and British Gymnastics with ongoing advice and guidance and links to statutory agencies whilst the NSPCC helpline handled 359 contacts about this issue, referring 185 on to British Athletes Commission for review.
For those sports organisations that moved their activity online, CPSU supported the sector with guidance to ensure high standards of safeguarding were maintained through this new model of delivery. Our virtual delivery of the Safe Events training, which now includes a module on virtual events has been oversubscribed since the summer. The service has delivered this one-day training session six times to 66 individuals from across all sports sectors this year.
As the NSPCC moves to be a more trauma informed organisation, the CPSU created a podcast about the importance of listening to people with lived experience and to empower people to make changes in their own organisations based on those experiences. The feedback has been incredible and the person that shared her story with us for the podcast said CPSU ‘has raised the bar in how people should expect to be worked with and empowered’. The CPSU developed and shared supportive guidance on the NSPCC website to go alongside the podcast and further survivors are now reaching out to work with CPSU and offer support. Find the podcast at: _thecpsu.org.uk/resource-library/ podcasts/ep8-learning-from-livedexperience-of-childhood-sexual-abuse/_
Parents in Sport Week is an annual campaign that the CSPU run. Now in its fifth year, the aim was to highlight the important role parents play in youth sport – from helping to keep children safe, to encouraging them to take part and stay active. The 2020/21 theme was ‘Let’s talk about keeping children safe in sport’ to raise awareness among parents of the types of things clubs should have in place to keep children safe and how parents can get help with any concerns. We asked sports parents to make the Sports Parents Promise – a three-point pledge to their children to listen to them about concerns, check clubs are safe to enjoy, and encourage their children to take part in a positive way. We hope this will help parents to understand how their contribution to their child’s sport makes it a safer place for all children.
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## **Training, Consultancy and the Support Team**
Due to the pandemic, all face-toface training events for professionals working with children were cancelled with effect from 17 March 2020. In response to this, the service ran a pilot of the National Training Programme on the Zoom platform. Following the success of the pilot, the Virtual National Training Programme was launched fully for all courses. This transition to virtual delivery has enabled the Training Service to deliver a range of safeguarding training to 1,735 delegates in 2020/21 across the UK, levels on par with 2019/20 despite no delivery in April and May 2020. Delivery generated income of over £708,000 for the NSPCC and ensured professionals working with children and families could continue to develop skills and knowledge in order to better safeguard children and young people. Feedback on the new model of delivery was positive with learning outcomes being met and many delegates confirming that they felt more comfortable in the virtual environment and more confident to engage with the training and share their thoughts, feelings, anxieties and praise in a safe space.
Delivery generated income of over **£708,000 for the NSPCC** and ensured professionals working with children and families could continue to develop skills and knowledge.
We implemented a COVID-19 discount policy for elearning which was very well received. We have raised awareness of the free _It’s Your Call_ training to a number of different sectors, which has opened doors to discuss the whole portfolio of NSPCC Learning products and services.
## **Learning and Development**
NSPCC Learning is the most comprehensive resource on child protection and safeguarding in the UK and Channel Islands. It’s played an important role in supporting anyone working or volunteering with children, or coming into contact with children in the course of their work and helping them through the safeguarding challenges they’ve faced during the Coronavirus pandemic.
There have been almost two million recorded visitors to the NSPCC Learning website this year, viewing nearly six million pages. At the start of the year, in response to the emerging situation, we created a COVID-19 hub so that anyone visiting the website could quickly find the information, guidance and resources that they needed. To support professionals who were struggling to keep on top of the huge amount of guidance being published by government departments, we produced and kept up-to-date briefings for schools, early years staff and social workers that put all the very latest government guidance about safeguarding children across the UK and Channel Islands into one place.
We created 35 pages of guidance and support directly related to the pandemic in 2020/21. Our coronavirus pages have been viewed over 230,000 times over the year with the most popular content by far being about safeguarding and remote teaching. Our weekly and monthly current awareness emails continued throughout, with over 100,000 subscribers regularly receiving at least one of our newsletters. Professionals increasingly turned to social media for the very latest information; NSPCC Learning Twitter now has around 11,800 followers, an increase of almost 2,200 followers over the year. As well as increasing our written content, we continued to grow the NSPCC Learning podcast series, publishing 13 new episodes in which NSPCC and external experts discussed topics like how the NSPCC have adapted our direct services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The podcast had over 19,000 listens in 2020/21. We also launched our expert insights interviews with two series of videos on safeguarding information
for tutors, and on safeguarding and children’s wellbeing.
As a consequence of lockdown restrictions, our library was closed to visitors but we were still able to provide a remote library and information service, responding to almost 4,000 requests for information and guidance on safeguarding and child protection from people working or volunteering with children, as well as NSPCC staff.
The online learning course portfolio continues to grow and in 2020/21 we launched five new courses, including two new introductory courses for primary and secondary schools, a course on how to safely manage online communities, a safeguarding awareness course for bus and taxi drivers, and our first translation of a course – for chaperones in the entertainment industry – into the Welsh language. Customer satisfaction remained exceptionally high, with 98 per cent of our elearning customers saying that they would recommend our courses. We now have around 8,000 active users (people who buy or take a course) every month and throughout 2020/21 there
Our annual _How Safe are our children?_ conference brings together hundreds of safeguarding professionals each year to collaborate, debate and discuss the latest trends and challenges facing young people. The event, initially scheduled for June 2020, was unable to go ahead as planned as a result of the pandemic, and was eventually hosted online in March 2021. As it was, we saw record delegate numbers at the two-day gathering, with almost 750 professionals coming together to reflect on a unique and challenging year for children.
**How Safe are our children? conference**
We saw record delegate numbers at the two-day gathering, with almost **750 professionals coming together**
The event was opened by our chief executive, Sir Peter Wanless, and followed by a keynote from Chief Social Worker, Isabelle Trowler. Over
were almost 47,000 course completions, which was a 31 per cent increase on the previous year. Income from the sale of online courses also increased in 2020/21, possibly because more people turned to elearning to meet their training needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020/21, we sold over 63,800 online course licences, which was a 35 per cent increase on last year. Income raised from the sale of elearning exceeded £1.6m, which was also a 35 per cent increase on last year.
Improving the look and navigation of the NSPCC Learning website is ongoing. Phase three of this project went live in April 2021 delivering new page templates incorporating our refreshed brand identity and various search, user experience and accessibility enhancements. Our project to revamp our online selfassessment tools was successful and two new tools were launched in May 2021: the self-assessment checklist for schools and the self-assessment checklist for the voluntary and community sector.
the course of the two days, we provided a platform for young people, safeguarding colleagues in health, social care, education, policy, the criminal justice system, research and from across the charity sector, as well as parents reflecting on their own lived experiences. We closed the conference with an emotive interview with a survivor of sexual abuse and former NSPCC Trustee, David Tait, sharing his own story a year on from the release of the biopic, _Sulphur and White_ .
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## Goal 4
## Help abused children get back on track
Abuse and neglect can derail a child’s development, affecting everything from their physical growth to their cognitive and emotional development. Without help, the damage can last long into adult life, affecting relationships, learning and wellbeing. Child abuse is higher on the political and public agenda than it has been for some time, yet many children who have been abused cannot access the most basic support. Through our campaigning, and by providing more effective services, we work to change that.
Our services that support children to recover following abuse reached 2,761 children, young people and adults against a target of 1,515, achieving 82 per cent over target. Of the 2,761 children, young people and adults we worked with 1,053 completed their work with us, 87 per cent of the target of 1,215.
## **Letting the Future In**
_Letting the Future In_ is our therapeutic service for children who have been sexually abused. Despite many challenges in delivering this service virtually, we worked with 544 children, young people and adults this year, against a target of 466. The nature of this service meant it was not easily adaptable for virtual delivery. Instead, practitioners focussed on maintaining contact with existing service users through ‘safe and well’ checks and maintaining or building those new
relationships ready for face-to-face delivery. Once we could deliver faceto-face work again, from July /August 2020, we were able to continue with the model. When service centres reopened in July 2020, we saw a significant increase in the number of referrals to the service, as both referrers and children/ young people had preferred to wait for face-to-face to commence.
## **Domestic Abuse, Recovering Together (DART)**
DART is our group work programme that aims to improve outcomes for mothers and their children following domestic abuse. It was one of the very first programmes we supported partner organisations in delivering in their local areas and we are currently providing support for 30 organisations delivering it. This year we undertook an evaluation to understand more about
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• Children’s emotional and behavioural difficulties had reduced, and there were improvements in the motherchild relationship.
how effective the service is when delivered by our partners. Some of the findings of that evaluation are:
- DART delivery sites were equally as successful as the NSPCC at helping families achieve positive outcomes following domestic abuse.
**“I feel I and my daughter have learned a lot coming here and we’ve become closer and understand each other more.”**
- Families who took part in DART with our partner organisations benefited from the programme to a similar extent to families who originally attended DART with the NSPCC.
_A mother attending the DART service_
Over 2020/21, we have seen an increasing demand for DART. Following the positive evaluation results, we have re-launched the service and will identify partners to deliver the programme.
- They showed significantly greater improvements in most outcomes than mothers and children who received no intervention during the same period.
- Mothers had significantly greater self-esteem and felt more supported in their role as a parent.
**The Lighthouse**
Getting the right support when a child has been abused is critical. But after sexual abuse, children and their families often struggle to navigate health and social care, therapeutic services, police and the criminal justice process by themselves.
Although the majority of services moved to virtual delivery during the early stages of the pandemic, **The Lighthouse has remained open** throughout for face-toface health assessments
_The Lighthouse_ launched in October 2018 and is the first centre in the UK and Channel Islands to bring multiple agencies together under one roof to provide a child-friendly, multidisciplinary service for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse and exploitation. Based in Camden, it serves the London boroughs of Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey and Islington.
_The Lighthouse_ provides services by NSPCC, University College London Hospitals and The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trusts, The Brandon Centre, Camden Council, The Metropolitan Police Service, Respond, and Solace Women’s Aid.
Although the majority of services moved to virtual delivery during the early stages of the pandemic, _The Lighthouse_ has remained open throughout for children to access
face-to-face health assessments and undertake their video recorded evidence when it was not in the child’s interests to delay these. Assessments and therapeutic work have been adapted to minimise travel for families and practitioners and reduce the number of professionals they are in contact with. This means some of the multi-disciplinary team are physically present while others attend the initial assessment via video.
The development of support for siblings of children who have disclosed abuse, by the Morgan Stanley funded team, has been received very positively by families who are reporting that they are much more comfortable talking about the impact of the sexual abuse as a family.
There has been a significant increase in the level of self-harm, suicidal thoughts and anxiety among the children referred. This has understandably lengthened the amount of time that cases are open, given the multiple vulnerabilities and complex needs of the children and young people.
Learning from this pilot project has led to a restructure of the senior management roles and decisionmaking forums with the aim of further improving partnership working. The partnership has also contributed to the development of a range of options for both sustainability of _The Lighthouse_ and the London wide delivery of sexual abuse services. Funding options are currently being explored by The Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime and NHS England and the outcome is expected by the end of June 2022. The current funding that was due to end in September 2021 has been extended to March 2022.
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## Goal 5
Make children safe from abuse online
As most of the world moved onto online delivery platforms this year due to the pandemic it has been even more important that we continue to promote online safety to children, parents and professionals. The NSPCC is leading the way in how to tackle online abuse itself and to find the best ways prevent it.
## **Keeping children safe through the pandemic with O2**
resources and tools to support parents and make sure children can grow up using the internet safely.
Since 2015, O2 has raised an astonishing £5 million for young people. Over 900,000 children were made safer online by their parents taking action as a result of our NSPCC/O2 partnership resources.
When the pandemic hit in March 2020 and lockdown ensued, we knew children would be spending more time online than ever before. Young people were likely to be feeling isolated and anxious due to the lockdown and social distance measures, so many were using social media to interact with friends and family who they were unable to see in person. A survey of 2,000 young people aged 11-17 found that 4 per cent had sent, received, or been asked to send sexual messages to an adult, and 9 per cent had sent, received or been asked to send sexual messages to another young person. The survey also told us that children who felt lonely, unhappy, were extroverted and who rely on social media were even more likely to have sent, received or been asked to send sexual messages. The pandemic has brewed the perfect storm for abusers to exploit the existing weaknesses of social media platforms, so our calls for a robust Online Safety Bill to protect young people are more important than ever before.
This year we are proudly celebrating five years of working together with the tech specialists who have helped us make the online world a safer place for children to play, explore, learn and connect.
Together with O2, **we have built resources and tools to support parents** and make sure children can grow up using the internet safely.
The internet has changed and grown drastically, with websites, apps and games becoming smarter and more accessible. Children are going online from a younger age and they love discovering new technology to have fun with. But they’re also more exposed to the dangers that growing up in the digital age brings, such as online abuse and grooming.
Standing united and remaining resilient as partners has been even more crucial to ensure parents and children could still access their tools and resources. At the height of lockdown, we offered free online safety webinars for parents, developed in partnership with O2, providing support at a time of crisis; in
That’s why our partnership with O2 is so important. Together, we have built
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2020 more than 6,500 people attended a webinar, demonstrating what an important resource they have been. These workshops have grown from introducing parental controls and privacy settings, to educating parents and providing guidance on online harms such as live streaming, grooming and sexting.
We also created top tips[2] for parents and carers during the lockdowns, which were hosted on the Net Aware website; this gave them quick and easy guidance at a difficult time. In May 2020, Net Aware was signposted by the UK Government as a trusted resource to help parents and carers protect their children online, from home. We were delighted to see Net Aware so highly regarded when parents needed support; this was a real testament to the trust placed in our online safety resources.
## **Local campaigns**
The local campaigns team continued to deliver on national campaigns at a local level as well as local bespoke campaigns during the last year. It was fortunate that the Local Campaigns team had planned to start offering virtual online safety workshops for parents and carers prior to the pandemic. This meant they could quickly move their face-to-face sessions with parents to an online offer. During 2020, they were able to reach over 4,500 parents and carers with their virtual online safety offer.
2. https://www.net-aware.org.uk/tips-and-advice
a comprehensive range of measures that online platforms can take to protect child users. The Online Safety Bill was introduced in 2021 and we will continue to campaign for it to transform protections for children online.
Following that, at the end of 2020, the UK Government published their final response to the Online Harms White Paper and set out their proposals for legislation. Our six tests have helped to shape the UK Government’s response and ensured they set out
**Wild West** Until 2017, it wasn’t illegal for an adult **Web** to send a child a sexual message. 50,000 people signed our Flaw in the Law petition calling on the UK Government to make online grooming a crime. The UK Government listened and changed the law. Since then, our monitoring of the number of police reports of crimes under the new law show that social media platforms still need better safety measures in place to stop groomers; over 1,200 offences of sexual communication with a child were recorded in England and Wales in the first three months of lockdown alone.
**Our six tests** have helped to shape the UK Government’s response and ensured they set out a comprehensive **range of measures that online platforms can take to protect child users.**
Our campaign to end the Wild West Web has called for the UK Government to push forward with legislation on online safety and to set up an independent regulator that would have the power to investigate and fine social networks if they failed to put measures in place to protect children.
In May 2020, we raised the need for strong, new legislation directly with the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson,
in his ‘Hidden Harms’ summit when discussing the impact of the pandemic on child sexual abuse. The Prime Minister committed his government to bringing forward a robust Online Harms Bill.
**In September 2020, we published our six tests report setting out how the UK Government can deliver legislation to protect children online. The six tests are that regulation must:**
**1.** Create an expansive, principlesbased duty of care. Tech firms should have a legal responsibility to identify harms caused by their sites and deal with them.
**2.** Tackle online sexual abuse. Platforms must proactively and consistently tackle grooming and abuse images.
**3.** Tackle legal but harmful content. The law must enforce firms to respond to the harms caused by algorithms targeting damaging suicide and self-harm posts at children.
**4.** The regulator must have robust transparency and investigatory power and demand information from companies.
**5.** Hold industry to account with criminal and financial sanctions.
**6.** Give civil society a legal voice for children with user advocacy arrangements.
**Report Remove pilot**
Working with the Internet Watch Foundation and Yoti, the NSPCC have developed Report Remove, a reporting tool that enables young people to selfrefer sexual images of themselves that have been shared or they think might be shared, for removal from the internet without being judged.[3] Report Remove is currently live on the Childline website, and reports are being made. Between 1 April 2020 and 31 March 2021, there have been approximately 25,800 users of the landing page and 550 users of the first page of the tool after logging in to Childline. User research with young people was also commissioned consisting of in-depth interviews followed by usability testing of the tool with recommendations feeding into future development work to improve the user journey. In addition, an in-
browser solution for age verification will be added to the tool, which means the child will not have to use an alternative platform when verifying their age allowing for a smoother, uninterrupted process. We are also in conversation with our partners to approve the use of age estimation which would remove the need for some children to upload a form of photo ID in the first place.
3. https://www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/ bullying-abuse-safety/online-mobile-safety/ sexting/report-nude-image-online/
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## Fundraising
The devastating impact of the pandemic has been felt across all sectors and the charity sector is no different. At the NSPCC, we are fortunate that we have a wide range of supporters who have fought even harder for childhood over the past year to allow our work to continue. We’ve seen many of our most generous supporters double down on their support and increase their giving during the height of the pandemic, in direct response to our Still Here for Children appeal, and we are truly grateful to all those who enabled us to continue providing support and a listening ear. A special mention to Musk-Burton Family Trust who donated an extra £250,000 towards our appeal. And we have also attracted new supporters, such as the Julia and Hans Rausing Trust who have supported Childline in response to the appeal.
## **Many of the fundraising campaigns have been driven by what the NSPCC has learned as we navigated local and national lockdowns.**
The Jersey funding community also responded to the pandemic and our operations across the island were fully funded from the Jersey community for the first time ever. We’d like to recognise those that stepped up in order to ensure we could still be here for Jersey children and families: Philip Gower OBE, Sarah and Chris Dawson, Association of Jersey Charities, Lloyds Bank Foundation for Channel Islands, Sir James Knott Trust, Roy Overland Trust, Alice Ann Raynor Trust, and CVC Capital, amongst others. Together, they helped us raise over £680,000.
In the early weeks of the pandemic, fuelled by concerns about children hidden away in homes and at heightened risk of abuse and neglect, the Department for Education awarded an additional £1.6 million of funding to the NSPCC helpline (on top of their long-standing grant of £2 million for Childline and the helpline) to strengthen our capacity and promote the service with a national campaign. This area of our work was further enhanced by a grant of over £1.4 million from the COVID-19 Support Fund established by the UK insurance and long-term savings industry. It helped us answer many more thousands of contacts about children experiencing domestic abuse and other harms.
A number of our closest supporters also increased their funding to the NSPCC this year through coronavirus response funds, including significant grants from the Katherine Martin Charitable Trust and Samworth Foundation, as well as several Police & Crime Commissioners across England.
Alongside the campaign, Calpol donated £80,000 to allow us to answer 16,000 calls from adults who may have worries about a child. On top of this, the campaign raised a further £20,000 from public donations, in total enabling the NSPCC helpline to answer a massive 20,000 calls.
We remain extremely grateful to the players of People’s Postcode Lottery, who raised over £1.3 million towards a range of NSPCC services. And the Department of Education Northern Ireland’s continued funding for our Childline base in Foyle. Looking ahead, we were also delighted to receive confirmation of multi-year grants from the Home Office towards our child sexual abuse recovery services, and the National Lottery Community Fund supporting the work of Together for Childhood Plymouth.
The Coronavirus pandemic created a whole range of new safeguarding concerns for children and young people. For many children, home is not a safe place, and we also saw increased mental health issues due to isolation and reduced access to statutory services. In response to the urgent need, Lidl GB stepped up to support the NSPCC to be here for children and within a month had developed and launched a brand new campaign. The Rainbow Trail campaign was inspired by the rainbow drawings that children across the country were putting up in their windows and aimed to spread a message of hope to children and let them know that Childline is still here for them. The campaign also raised awareness of Lidl and the NSPCC’s partnership and our need for public support during the pandemic.
We remain extremely grateful to the players of People’s Postcode Lottery, who **raised over £1.3 million** towards a range of NSPCC services.
Calpol recognised the huge threat the pandemic posed to children and took urgent action to support the helpline. In less than six weeks from kick off to being on air, together we produced a brand-new campaign. This was to raise awareness that the helpline is there to help with people’s concerns about children and to raise vital funds for the NSPCC at a time of great need.
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Hasbro staff joined our Sourcing Squad to make and send an amazing 170 Christmas hampers to our 12 Childline bases. They were also the proud sponsor of Childline’s Merry Little Christmas concert with their popular children’s characters spreading festive cheer to attendees. We plan to develop this partnership further in 2021.
Blakemore Retail is a long standing partner who has extended their relationship with us for another three years, taking the total length of our partnership to 18 years. They have raised over £4m to date for the NSPCC.
KPMG extended their partnership for another year, ending in 2021. We will have had a three-and-a-half-year partnership that has raised over £1.2m so far, with a drive to reach £1.5m.
OC&C delivered their first pro bono project with us, scoping a new secondary school service. Over a six-week period, a team of their consultants used their expertise to collect evidence, and produce a report. This has saved us both time and money. Building on the success of our work in primary schools, the new programme will focus on preventing abuse and neglect for children aged 11 and above. We’re developing the service further and are working with the NSPCC’s new Young People’s Board for Change to shape the final product.
We had £2.7 million of media donated by the **Financial Times** to support our **100 Unforgettable Days campaign – which helps to fund the running of all 12 UK Childline bases.**
Redrow donated £40,000 to the NSPCC just in time for Christmas. The business chose to donate their unspent Christmas party budgets as a thank you after receiving NSPCC parenting content and resources for their employees throughout the pandemic.
Long term supporters Home Bargains raised £75,000 for the NSPCC through the sale of their annual Christmas onesies. Shoppers flocked in their thousands to buy the limited edition penguin onesies, which sold out in just a few weeks.
NatWest Group have been longstanding supporters of children. Throughout the difficult year that we’ve had, and for over 40 years previously, colleagues have supported through regular payroll giving and taking on national campaigns like Giving Tuesday. Networks within the organisation have championed parents and children’s rights alongside NSPCC campaigns. NatWest have also encouraged their customer base to support through their Rewards accounts. This year they have collectively donated over £55,000 to support children and young people.
We had £2.7 million of media donated by the Financial Times to support our 100 Unforgettable Days campaign. This campaign asks individuals and organisations to fund the running of all 12 UK Childline bases for one day, with a donation of £30,000. Rightmove sponsored two days and Countryside Properties and the Covent Garden Group one day each. The Wayne Rooney Foundation donated £75,000 to Childline in total, with £30,000 being spent to fund Childline on Christmas Day. TV’s Vogue Williams worked with her sizeable online following to raise over £30,000 with various fundraisers taking place, including a partnership with eBay to sell her wardrobe for Childline.
We had more celebrity support from Rochelle and Marvin Humes who raised nearly £25,000 for the NSPCC via their popular Instagram account. Each Friday throughout April, May and June, they held their own ‘kitchen raves’ online and asked their followers to show their support by donating to the NSPCC.
This year the annual Great Chefs Dinner on 1 December was marked by a virtual ‘Toast to the Great Chefs Dinner’ event in aid of the NSPCC’s _Speak Out. Stay Safe._ programme. The evening was hosted by Committee Member Ollie Lloyd with speeches from Committee Chair John Worth. Guests also enjoyed a panel discussion with NSPCC supporters Natalie Dormer, David Tait CBE and Ryan Jones moderated by NSPCC CEO Sir Peter Wanless. The virtual _Speak out. Stay safe._ school’s assembly with Ant and Dec also featured, as well as performances from singer Lesley Garrett and cellist Daniel Simojoki.
Our Merry Little Christmas Concert in aid of Childline was adapted to be brought into the homes of families across the UK virtually. Hosted by Ore Oduba the event on 10 December featured a stunning headline performance from Leona Lewis, alongside performances from Jamie Cullum and Calum Scott, and readings from HRH Countess of Wessex, Alison Steadman OBE, actor Natalie Dormer and more. With support from our headline sponsor Hasbro and media partner Good Housekeeping we raised an incredible £50,000 for Childline.
The annual White Hat Ball moved online to become White Hats Unforgettable Day on 29 January, raising over £84,000 for Childline. The evening was hosted by Graham Cole OBE. He was joined by others including Charlie Webster and Chris Harper who spoke about their support of the NSPCC, and Nicole, a survivor of child abuse who shared her story. The evening was full of fun, laughter and powerful moments celebrating the incredible support of the White Hat Committee to Childline. To conclude the night, Dame Esther Rantzen presented the 2021 Childline Lockdown Hero Award to Charlie Burton, an inspiring and dedicated Childline volunteer counsellor.
The NSPCC’s 25th annual City Fine Wine Challenge was transitioned into a virtual event this year on 18 March, to allow it to still go ahead despite the national lockdown. Guests were sent three bottles of fine wine, provided by Lea & Sandeman, and tuned into a live online tasting and informal quiz hosted by Matthew Jukes, Wine Writer. It was a fun and engaging evening, raising over £55,000 for Childline, through ticket sales, donations and a silent auction.
We launched two new partnerships – Omaze Prize winning house and Bank of England, both supporting Childline for the next year.
Legacy income accounts for around 20 per cent of our income and is vital in the work we do for children.
The Legacy Management team, who are responsible for the administration of the legacies left to us, have been instrumental in ensuring the charity has a solid financial base on which to operate effectively, enabling us to do our best for children. At a time when
the majority of colleagues have been furloughed, the team continued with a very busy workload, incorporated different working practices for all our income and correspondence, managed delays from the probate registry, dealt with a changeable property market and have been even more sensitive to the position of lay executors and grieving relatives given the pandemic.
Our Sports Board look for opportunities and synergies between the sporting industry and children and young people in order to raise funds to support the NSPCC’s work with children. This year they have engaged some new supporters from across the UK sports industry and worked to raise over £17,000 to support Childline, through a mix of personal giving, fundraising and corporate donations. They have also secured over £100,000 of gifted media space to support our campaigns and fundraising activity.
We have over 450,000 fantastic donors who give to the NSPCC every month. Despite the economic hardships that many people have faced over the last 12 months, we have seen fewer supporters cancel their regular gifts with us, compared with last year. We have also seen incredible support from our supporters and the general public to our campaigns including cash appeals, Letter from Santa and raffles. This support has provided a financial base for us to carry out our work with children and has meant that Individual Giving income has ended the financial year £2.0 million over the target for 2020/21.
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## Volunteering
Despite the challenges of the pandemic, we have made significant and purposeful strides in this programme. We have:
Last year we embarked on an ambitious programme of work: – the Volunteer Engagement Programme. It’s been created to connect, motivate and inspire our existing volunteers to do more of the same or to take on new or different roles with us. It’s also used to engage with a new generation of volunteers to ensure we have a sustainable volunteer workforce for the future.
- Invested in a consistent approach to recognise and thank our volunteers for the incredible role each of them plays.
- Expanded the reach of our volunteer communications and improved how we present our weekly email to volunteers. It is now as engaging and accessible as possible, so volunteers feel involved, informed, and inspired about the NSPCC and can champion us in their conversations with others.
- Refreshed our volunteering opportunities pages on our website, making it quicker, easier and more personalised for people to find the right volunteering role, so that we can attract more people to join us in the fight for childhood.
But we’re not done yet, there’s still so much more that we have set out to achieve:
- A new virtual awards ceremony, bringing together all our volunteer and staff award programmes, to recognise the incredible passion and contribution of our workforce. The ceremony will be virtual so we can make it more accessible, inclusive and cost effective.
- An intranet for our volunteers so they can access all the tools, resources and information they’ll need to feel equipped, connected and inspired to give their best. It’s being built from their insight and support, and will continue to grow with them.
Our Volunteer Engagement Programme has been created to connect, motivate and inspire our existing volunteers and engage with a new generation of volunteers.
We truly value our volunteers and we’ll continue to work with them to make sure that, through their invaluable insight, they are helping to shape the programme of work to meet their needs.
We won’t be stopping there – there will be more developments to come as we continue to improve how we value our volunteers.
## **Childline volunteers**
2020/21 has been a challenging year for volunteers across the UK and Channel Islands. Lockdown measures had a huge impact on how many of our volunteers have been able to continue to support Childline in our 12 bases around the country. In 2019/20, on average more than 1,300 volunteers delivered one or more shifts in bases, between April and June monthly averages dropped by 52 per cent with levels around 630 per month. In spite of the challenges, the volunteers that were able to continue to come in to base were even more committed, delivering more shifts and contributing more hours to the service particularly during the first period of restrictions. This meant that the number of hours delivered by volunteers only dropped by 36 per cent when compared with averages for the previous year, reducing the impact on our ability to support children and young people throughout the period.
So many of our amazing volunteers really went above and beyond during this difficult period. These include Elaine Turnbull from our Aberdeen base who stepped up to doing 3 – 4 shifts every week during the lockdown and 2 shifts every week since then. Lester Hardcastle from our Manchester base has not only shown a fantastic commitment to his regular shifts but also drummed up case support for the local foodbank, following a call he received from a young person who had not eaten for 7 days. Diane Maltman, a retiree from our Belfast base, unfailingly gave a weekly shift throughout the pandemic. She had to use public transport and had a long walk to get to the base but this didn’t stop her commitment. Sandra Mcllwaine is another committed volunteer from our Belfast base. She continued with her weekly shift throughout lockdown despite also having a very busy job in social care supporting young people with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Alison Archard volunteers at our Prestatyn base and was volunteering up to four times a week during the first lockdown
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in order to help balance out the shortage of available volunteers. She clocked up an incredible 437 hours of counselling children and young people over the last year.
Overall, Childline saw over **13,600 volunteer hours** delivered in March with over 3,000 of these provided by the virtual team
In October, Childline launched its new remote personal inbox (PIB) team, a cohort of volunteers recruited to work virtually from home to handle our email contacts. This was beneficial in many ways. It meant volunteers could deliver the service without having to go in to a base which also increased the pool of potential volunteers. It enabled Childline to release capacity for those in the bases to handle phone and chat interactions, allowing the service to answer more contacts from children and young people. With our new virtual team in place, volunteer numbers began to grow again. Volunteer hours are also on the increase. By the end of March 2021, volunteer levels were back up to over 1,200 with over 200 volunteers working on the virtual shifts on a regular basis. Overall, the service saw over 13,600 volunteer hours delivered in March with over 3,000 of these provided by the virtual team.
**“Being a volunteer remote PIB counsellor has been one of the most intensely satisfying things I have ever done. Every email I read is from a young person who really wants and needs our support; it feels like an honour and a privilege to be given their trust. With every response I write I have the time to try to really understand the child’s world so that I can show them they’ve been heard and that they matter. I am backed up every step of the way by the fabulous Childline supervisors to help these young people to move forward in their lives more confidently and, for many, more safely.”**
_Sue Sandler, Childline volunteer email counsellor_
## **Schools Service volunteers**
The pandemic meant that our School Service volunteers were no longer able to go into primary schools to deliver our _Speak out. Stay safe_ . programme. Even when local restrictions were lifted, we were still not able to go into schools, so our volunteers remained on hold. Throughout this period, the service maintained contact with the volunteers, who number almost 1,000. They were kept up to date with developments and told about other ways they could support the organisation, such as supporting our campaigns, or taking on new virtual Childline roles.
Patricia Hodgson OBE has volunteered with the Schools Service in the North East of England for nearly 10 years now, delivering _Speak out. Stay safe._ assemblies and workshops to thousands of children as well as fundraising for the NSPCC. Despite the pandemic meaning that _Speak out. Stay safe._ volunteers were unable to deliver the programme in schools over the last year, Patricia has continued with her fundraising and has come up with some innovative, socially distanced ways of raising money during this time. These have included online piano recitals and comedy gigs as well as socially distant visits to her beautiful garden over the summer when restrictions allowed for this. She has successfully managed to raise over £2,000 and is still going strong.
Another way that our Schools Service volunteers have been able to continue helping children, is through volunteering for Childline. In autumn 2020, a number of _Speak out. Stay safe._ volunteers applied to support Childline as Childline volunteer email counsellors. This led to over 90 School Service volunteers completing their Childline training and volunteering on shifts. Four of these volunteers have been so dedicated, committed and skilled at this role that they have recently trained as mentors to support other volunteers with their journey.
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## **Young Witness Service volunteers**
Despite lockdown restrictions preventing our _Young Witness Service_ volunteers from being able to support children through the court process in Northern Ireland, we retained all 64 volunteers. The courts started to open up again in September 2020 and a small number of our 64 volunteers have been supporting children and young people again. The plan is for this to continue, with strict safety protocols including reduced numbers in buildings and remote evidence giving where possible.
**“Initially I was very apprehensive. As a parent with a 17-year-old daughter who suffers with severe anxiety, that and having to attend court, never mind anything else it was all very stressful and very daunting.**
**That soon changed on meeting Christine and Carol. These two ladies put me and my children at ease straight away, they were very welcoming and had a lovely manner. They engaged with the children straight away. My daughter would rarely let her guard down but she found herself laughing and feeling reassured.**
**I also felt completely put at ease, being in strange surroundings and in an environment that the kids and I were not used to. The two ladies were absolutely fantastic, their professional but yet caring ways really helped to settle me.”**
_Quote from Young Witness Service user_
## **Fundraising volunteers**
The commitment of our volunteers has always been outstanding. However, in this last year, so many people went above and beyond to fundraise and provide vital services for children. The creativity and passion shown by our Community Fundraising Volunteers in every region and nation was exceptional.
Our Manchester Special Events committee held an online silent auction after they were unable to do any of their scheduled events this year. They received 50 fantastic items including an original signed Quentin Blake piece of art drawn specifically for this occasion. The committee, who had recently
recruited a number of new members, set themselves a £10,000 target for this event and after a fantastic response from the public and social media they raised over £17,000.
The Lymington Committee have raised over £4,500 by making face masks. Lesley Yates and her sister Allie started selling their masks on their stall in the local market. As they are also volunteers on the NSPCC Lymington committee, they donated the proceeds to the committee as the group’s traditional events were cancelled. Soon, all of the committee were involved in selling masks to their friends and family. Lesley said - “I have been volunteering for the NSPCC for about six years, helping at the events and street collections. When it looked like our upcoming events were going to be cancelled, I thought face masks would be a way of raising some extra money.” Now an incredible £4,600 has been raised, all of Lymington are wearing one of Lesley’s masks and Lesley is the proud recipient of an Esther Award.
Our NSPCC Jersey Branch rose to challenges brought about by the pandemic by setting up their first Just Giving page for a “26 week challenge”. Throughout the summer our dedicated volunteers held various events including a photography competition and a virtual dog show raising £7,762, which is still to be matched funded. They then rounded off 2020 by lighting up 21 buildings green to show their support for NSPCC. This was a stunning and poignant way to shine a light on the work of NSPCC at Christmas time. Pamela Doherty of NSPCC Jersey Committee said:
“The Light Up campaign highlights the work of Jersey NSPCC to those who are involved with the buildings in support of the campaign and is also impactful to those who walk or drive by. If it helps create awareness for one child to seek help from the NSPCC or encourages someone to donate, then it is worth it.”
In October, the Berkshire committee ran a ‘No Show Ball’, which raised £17,500. Event organisers, Emma Cobb and Patricia Antelme put together an evening that included songs from Beth Orton and Andrea Corr and a supportive video message from Dame Esther Rantzen DBE. Supporters purchased tickets and then enjoyed the whole event online.
they managed to raise an incredible £13,270. They are already planning their next fundraising challenge to support the NSPCC.
In 2020, many of our running, cycling and trekking supporters were left disappointed following the postponement and cancellation of mass participation events. However, eager to continue to do their part to protect children, many changed their plans to take on their own personal challenges solo, or organised other virtual fundraising activities with friends, family and colleagues.
We adapted our portfolio to provide opportunities for #TeamNSPCC to get involved in fundraising challenges remotely. New for 2020, we launched four virtual challenges: Run 30, Ride 300, The Big Climb and Walk for Children. More than 2,800 people got involved, and raised more than £525,000. At Christmas, nearly 1000 crafters got involved in the NSPCC’s Craft O’Clock; letting their imaginations run wild making Christmas decorations, knitting gifts and hosting virtual craft sessions with friends.
Diane Chapman from West Yorkshire chose to fundraise for the NSPCC by running 10K every day of advent. Diane initially set her fundraising target at £1,250 but it became clear early on that she was going to exceed this. Diane also encouraged her friend Nicola Simpson to join in with the challenge. Diane and Nicola generated great media and social media coverage and were such an inspiration for so many people that
We also received fantastic support from people taking part in other virtual challenges, such as the 2.6 Challenge and the virtual London Marathon. More than £250k has been raised by supporters taking part in third party challenges.
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## Looking back
**This year, we helped make over 1.5 million children safer across all our services and offers.** This year a priority for the NSPCC has been to continue to support children and young people as the country deals with the impact of the pandemic. With different parts of the country in different tiers at different times and then a third UK wide lockdown at the start of 2021, the support provided for children and young people has never been more important. We needed to mitigate, as far as possible, income lost as a direct result of the pandemic due to cancelled and postponed fundraising activity, in order to keep our essential services open for children. We adapted our fundraising methods and asked the public to support us to ensure we were still here for children through the pandemic.
1.
Another priority was ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our staff and volunteers. We did this by following government guidance to keep people safe as our keyworkers continued coming into our buildings to ensure services were being delivered for children. We also moved our people to work from home wherever possible. At all times, we have prioritised the wellbeing of our staff and volunteers.
**This section of the report summarises how we reached each of our 5 goals over the last year.**
**Prevent child abuse in families facing adversity.**
We have continued our policy influencing _Fight for a Fair Start_ campaign which aims to ensure that perinatal health support is available for every parent, wherever they are.
**We planned to develop and deliver our services focused on preventing child abuse and neglect, including the community-based services we run with partners in** _**Together for Childhood**_ **sites. And to enhance and expand our scale up work to improve the outcomes for even more children.**
This year, we have reached over 23,000 children and adults, and 3,000 professionals have been trained through NSPCC tested services that have been scaled up to other organisations. This has been significant, as for much of the year scale up work was paused in response to the lockdown restrictions. However, it was able to resume in the autumn by adapting the training to virtual delivery.
Our work to prevent child abuse has never been more important. We have continued to offer services through our _Together for Childhood_ sites that have been adapted and changed in response to the pandemic. By adapting and evidencing our virtual and blended services, we’re continually learning more about what all frontline workers and policy makers can do to support children and families during and after the pandemic.
One of the biggest successes was our _Look, Say, Sing, Play_ campaign. This was launched nationally in June 2020 when the UK and Channel Islands were still in lockdown. The campaign was extremely well received by parents. Since then, we’ve seen more than 64,000 people across the UK and Channel Islands sign up for free, weekly tips for ways to engage with their babies.
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3.
**Prevent child sexual abuse.** 2.
During the year, we have also continued to respond to the needs of children, schools, and others affected, through our range of services, including our elearning, training courses, and consultancy for schools. Our work looks to prevent child abuse and make sure children have the support they need.
**We planned to continue our work to support schools’ relationships and sex education (RSHE) curriculum, and to propose how we could increase our support of secondary schools in their safeguarding of children.**
We have continued our policy and lobbying work to ensure that the introduction of compulsory RSHE in schools delivers change. We want the UK Government to invest in high-quality training and support so teachers are confident and equipped to deliver RSHE lessons in their classrooms. We also continue to advocate for a whole-school approach to tackling abuse where school communities challenge damaging norms and unhealthy attitudes about sexual behaviour so all schools are safe places for young people.
We have been working on a service for secondary schools that aligns with our new strategy. We have proposed a service that is strengthsbased, adds value, is responsive to need, is sustainable and accessible to 4.6 million children in approximately 7,000 secondary education settings across the UK and Channel Islands.
## **Help children speak out and adults take action about abuse.**
April and May 2020. Delivery generated income of over £573,000 for the NSPCC and ensured professionals working with children and families could continue to develop skills and knowledge in order to better safeguard children and young people.
**We planned to make sure there is increased awareness of the NSPCC helpline as a service that is there for all adults who have a concern about a child. And to increase the reach of our up-to-date information and resources around safeguarding for people who work with children. We planned to ensure children have somewhere to turn through Childline counselling and online services, implementing a more effective chat service through self-help and triaging approaches to direct young people to the most appropriate level of intervention.**
In response to the pandemic and resulting restrictions with schools closed, Childline launched emergency activity to raise awareness of the service and the support available. This included a range of online tools, such as our message boards, mood journal, coronavirus content and the Calm Zone. The period saw a huge growth in use of these tools and resources with message board submissions for 2020/21 totalling over 58,000, a 64 per cent increase on the previous year.
In March 2020 when schools were closed because of the pandemic, we were concerned that children at risk of harm were hidden out of sight. In response to these concerns, we worked to secure funding from the Department for Education to deliver a huge awareness campaign in May, across TV, radio, press and social media. In addition, our corporate partners Calpol ran a TV and video on demand advertising campaign during May to promote awareness of the helpline, raising approximately £100,000. These campaigns saw immediate results with the volume of contacts handled by the service in May up by 48 per cent compared with those before national restrictions were imposed. Beyond the campaign, the awareness levels remained high, with an overall year on year increase of 23 per cent in the number of contacts to the helpline.
We developed our Childline chat helper, which enabled young people to navigate more easily around what we had to offer. This has now developed into our chatbot ‘Cubie’ which young people can interact with while waiting to chat. Cubie is relatively new to the site but we are already seeing that it’s enabling some young people to find the help they need themselves, as it directs them to the right areas for the help and information they are seeking.
Due to the pandemic, all face-to-face training events from 17 March 2020 for professionals working with children were cancelled. However, we were able to transition to virtual delivery, enabling the training service to deliver a range of safeguarding training to 1,735 delegates in 2020/21, levels on par with 2019/20 despite no delivery in
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## Looking forward
4.
5.
## **Help abused children get back on track.**
a programme of support has been developed for siblings of children who have disclosed abuse, which was received very positively by families. The partnership has also contributed to the development of a range of options for both sustainability of The Lighthouse and the London wide delivery of sexual abuse services.
**We planned to build the evidence base and influence others to deliver policy, practice and behaviour change in ‘what works’ in helping children get back on track after abuse.**
This year, our services have been evolving and embedding learning from virtual delivery to support children to get back on track after abuse.
We are currently providing support for 30 organisations delivering our _Domestic Abuse, Recovering Together (DART)_ service. This year we undertook an evaluation to understand more about how effective the service is when delivered by our partners.
Our partnership multi agency service, _The Lighthouse_ , remained open during the pandemic, although most services moved to virtual delivery during the initial lockdown. This year,
## **Make children safe from abuse online.**
**We planned to campaign and influence others to deliver policy, practice and behaviour change in child sexual abuse, making children safer from abuse online and to continue to deliver expert advice to help parents keep children safe online through our partnership with O2.**
that online platforms can take to protect child users. The draft Online Safety Bill has now been published and we expect the full Bill to be published later this year. We will continue to campaign for it to transform protections for children online.
We have now been working with O2 for five years to help parents keep children safe online. At the height of lockdown, we offered free online safety webinars for parents, developed in partnership with O2, providing support at a time of crisis; in 2020, more than 4,700 people attended a webinar, demonstrating what an important resource they have been. We also created top tips for parents and carers during the lockdown, giving quick guidance on online safety. These were hosted on the Net Aware website.
In May 2020, the NSPCC raised the need for strong, new legislation directly with the Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in his ‘Hidden Harms’ summit, when discussing the impact of the pandemic on child sexual abuse. The Prime Minister committed his government to bringing forward a robust Online Safety Bill.
The NSPCC’s six tests have helped to shape the UK Government’s response and ensured they set out a comprehensive range of measures
**New strategy 2021-2031** This year sees the launch of a new and ambitious 10-year strategy for the NSPCC.
## **Our vision**
## **The three impact areas are:**
**Everyone plays their part to prevent abuse**
Together, we can stop child abuse and neglect. Through the collective power of our staff, volunteers, supporters and partners, and our more than 100 years of experience, we will move closer to achieving that goal.
We’ll make it easier for everyone to play their part and create a social safety net that prevents child abuse and neglect. From parents and teachers, to sports coaches, nurses, social workers
## **Working together**
communities, and working with all members of the community to help change behaviour.
and members of the public – we’ll harness their kindness and keep children safe together.
We couldn’t have created this strategy on our own. We spoke to many people - staff,
## **Every child is safe online**
Our services like _Together for Childhood_ bring local families, childcare professionals and organisations together to make children safer where they live. And our helpline, staffed by child protection specialists, is here for anyone who needs help or advice on what to do next.
volunteers, young people, external stakeholders and more
Together, we can transform the online world, so it’s safe for every child to go online. We’ll continue to develop ground breaking initiatives, like our Report Remove service, which empowers young people to have sexual images of themselves removed from the internet.
- to decide how we can build on what we’ve already achieved, and what to do next. Together, we decided to work towards three impacts for children.
## **The difference we want to see by 2031**
But we’re also getting everyone to play their part by:
We’ll support parents, carers and people who work with children to recognise signs of abuse and help keep children safe online. Through tools like Net Aware, which provides information on the apps, games and social media that children have access to, we want to help parents keep their children safe online.
We have three areas of focus from •Running public education 2021 onwards. These are ways campaigns and programmes we want to impact children in the like _Talk PANTS_ and _Speak out._ next ten years. We must focus on _Stay safe._ to give children the these to make the most progress knowledge they need to stay towards our overall vision, to stop safe and how to speak out if child abuse and neglect. they’re worried.
Each of the impact goals •Developing and evaluating new below contribute something services to prevent child sexual different. On their own they will abuse, including helping young see us make significant and people to understand harmful necessary changes for children. sexual behaviour. Together they will build on each •Testing new approaches to other and have a huge impact tackling sexual abuse in two on children’s lives.
But we also want to continue working alongside others to demand that governments, policy-makers and tech companies make the online world a safer space for children.
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## **Children feel safe, listened to and supported**
We want more children to be able to speak out, so they feel safe, listened to and supported. Our Childline service will continue to play a very important role. Whether it’s online or on the phone, we’re always here to listen and provide a safe space for children, no matter what difficulties they’re facing.
We’ll also continue to work with schools across the UK and Channel Islands through programmes like _Speak out. Stay safe._ to help children recognise abuse, understand that it’s never their fault, and know who to talk to.
By working together to give children the supportive response they need, we can also make sure abuse doesn’t shape their future. We want to build on and share our expert support to help children recover if they’ve experienced it.
## **How we are structured**
We have reorganised our Executive Board to ensure we’re in the best possible shape to deliver our new strategy.
Our local and national services for children have come together under one Services directorate led by Claire Johnson, to support a more cohesive and integrated services offer.
We formed a Technology directorate with a new Chief Technology Officer, Greig
Sharman, bringing together our Information Systems, Digital Production and Supporter Data departments.
Our Knowledge and Information, Development and Impact, and Professional and Community Engagement teams moved to Strategy and Knowledge so all our expert knowledge is in one directorate led by Maria Neophytou.
Our Property Services and Legal Functions have moved to the People directorate under Brett Terry.
Jo Swinhoe leads our Income Generation directorate, David Hamilton is our director of Marketing and Communications and Paul Taylor leads our Finance directorate.
## **Getting future ready**
Our Getting future ready work will inform how we’ll evolve out of the pandemic to be the best we can for children, and our people, while also helping to shape how we ensure we are in the strongest financial position to do this now and in the future. Central to the insight that is informing and shaping the project group’s recommendations is our staff and their experiences; as well as what other organisations are doing.
As well as the needs of our staff and volunteers, central to this is what we can do to still be here for children. Children, young people, families and professionals may wish to engage with us in different ways. We will respond to their individual needs in a flexible way that best meets their needs and requirements. And we will support the creative use of technology to build effective relationships with and support children, young people and families where this is appropriate, continuing to develop the tools available to do so.
## **Our priorities for 2021/22 are:**
- **To design and implement a model for the delivery of nationally significant and locally relevant services.**
• **Research and understand how to increase the range of children that we reach through Childline and increase the impact of Childline online services and**
**peer-to-peer support.**
• **Set out a plan for our work in secondary schools.**
- **Influence policy and child protection systems to strengthen national laws and local provision to keep children safe.**
• **Campaign and influence to secure strong regulation of online services aimed at children which delivers against the six NSPCC tests.**
• **Use what we have learned from working during the pandemic to enable a more agile culture, while making a difference for children.**
- **Deliver the 2021/22 priorities in our Youth Participation action plan.**
## Our values
Our work won’t end until we’ve changed attitudes and transformed services for children, in a way that protects every child and prevents abuse. We’re brave in our actions and are prepared to be unpopular when necessary, and sometimes force society to face uncomfortable truths where things get in the way of achieving our goal.
**As the only charity focused on ending child cruelty across the UK, everything we do protects children and prevents abuse. The values that embody our charity, as well as reflecting what we stand for, are:**
**Our values, principles and standards**
## **Putting children first**
We put children first in everything we do, and have done for more than 130 years. We believe in children, we want what’s best for them, and we make sure that we fight for every childhood.
## **Striving for excellence**
We always strive to be the best, so that we can give every child a life free from abuse. We are constantly learning, developing our work, and measuring what is effective in sharing knowledge with others.
## **Taking a stand**
We are courageous in standing up for what is right. We campaign, change laws where necessary, lead public debate and are on the frontline, supporting those who work with children. We will speak out when something is wrong and celebrate success with those who help things improve.
## **Working together**
We achieve more for children when we work together. We can’t prevent cruelty to children on our own. Luckily, we don’t have to. Our passion inspires others, and our desire to listen, learn and improve means we continually work with inspirational people, organisations and children to reach our goals.
## **Making an impact**
We base our actions on evidence and the difference we will make to children.
## **Remuneration policy**
The board of trustees has overall responsibility for our pay policy and the salaries of executive directors. We exercise this through the remuneration committee, which is a sub-group of the board of trustees. The committee approves executive pay and any annual pay awards in line with appropriate best practice standards, including those of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO).
We aim to be an employer of choice and we have around 1,900 paid staff operating from ten regions in the UK and Channel Islands. We engage with staff and volunteers regularly, value their opinions, and receive feedback through a variety of events and surveys.
We recognise the importance of attracting and retaining talented staff to ensure our continued success. While we aim to maximise our impact in improving the lives of our beneficiaries, we know that doing this successfully means balancing different needs. We strive for value for money in everything we do, including how we pay our staff, while offering a wage that enables us to attract, retain and motivate people with the right knowledge, experience and skills.
In line with NCVO recommendations, the annual salaries of our chief executive and other executive board members are disclosed on our website, no more than two clicks away from the homepage. The table on the next page shows the annual remuneration of the executive board as at 31 March 2021, including defined contribution pension and other benefits.
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## Executive board annual remuneration as at 31 March 2021
|||**Annual**|||**Paid in year**||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Executive**
**board director**|**Responsibilities**|**salary* **
**£’000**|**_FTE~_**|**Salary**
**£’000**|**Benefts**
**£’000**|**Pension**
**£’000**|
|**Chief executive**|Leading the organisation, which has an|173|_1.0_|173|1|22|
|Peter Wanless|annual income of £122 million and employs||||||
||around 1,900 staff, delivering services||||||
||across the UK and Channel Islands.||||||
|**Director of**|Manages the directorate responsible for all|115|_1.0_|95|–|7|
|**Communications**|communication initiatives; ensuring that all||||||
|David Hamilton|communication on behalf of the organisation||||||
|(appointed|is appropriate, consistent with our brand and||||||
|1 June 2020)|key messages, and of a high standard. Also||||||
||works on behalf of the whole organisation||||||
||promoting the NSPCC’s work, policies,||||||
||campaigns and publications.||||||
|**Director of**|Manages the directorate responsible for|139|_1.0_|139|1|17|
|**Corporate Services**|ensuring that the NSPCC has effective||||||
|David Roberts|fnancial controls; robust and enabling||||||
||technology infrastructure and systems;||||||
||a ft-for-purpose property portfolio; and||||||
||appropriate information to support the||||||
||effcient use of resources.||||||
|**Director of**|Manages the directorate responsible for|138|_1.0_|138|1|8|
|**Income Generation**|generating the fnancial resources we||||||
|Josephine Swinhoe|need to help end cruelty to children.||||||
||Responsible for managing the NSPCC’s||||||
||supporters and delivering income from||||||
||donations, legacies and other trading||||||
||activities of around £107 million.||||||
|**Director of People**|Manages the directorate responsible for|105|_1.0_|105|1|4|
|Brett Terry|recruitment, development, and retention for||||||
||around 1,900 NSPCC staff and thousands||||||
||of volunteers across the NSPCC.||||||
|**Director of**|Manages the directorate responsible for|115|_1.0_|114|1|12|
|**Services**|providing our services including Childline,||||||
|Claire Johnson|Schools Services and all of our direct services||||||
||that we provide across the UK.||||||
|**Director of Strategy**|Manages the directorate responsible for the|110|_1.0_|37|–|1|
|**and Knowledge**|organisational strategy, and for developing||||||
|Maria Neophytou|and testing activities that will help us to||||||
|(appointed 30|achieve our strategic objectives. Responsible||||||
|November 2020)|for our research programme, the evaluation of||||||
||our services and our policy infuencing work.||||||
|**Director of**|Leads our new Technology Directorate which|115|_1.0_|19|–|1|
|**Technology**|consolidates our Data, Digital and Technology||||||
|Greig Sharman|functions across the organisation. Focused||||||
|(appointed|on supporting our ambitious strategy by||||||
|2 February 2021)|enabling a step change in the tech-enabled||||||
||experiences of our service users, staff,||||||
||volunteers, donors and every other community||||||
||under the diverse NSPCC umbrella.||||||
_*Annual salary refers to annual salary excluding benefits in kind at 31 March 2021. Differences between salaries paid in year and annual salary arise due to annual pay rises that take effect in July each year and as a result of individuals joining or moving into an executive board role during the reporting period._
Our policy is to pay at rates that are competitive within the charity sector, reflect the nature and complexity of roles, take account of contribution by rewarding strong performers the most, and are consistent with our charitable objectives and what we can afford. To demonstrate this, and in collaboration with our recognised Trade Union Community, we made a pay promise to our employees in 2019, to pay salaries that are at least comparable with the median salaries in the UK top charities, with the overall aim being to ensure our median earner at the NSPCC is on a comparable salary to the median salary paid in the wider charity sector. Our commitment has been to move towards this over time and within the parameters of affordability. To enable progress we have identified and committed to a series of targeted activities. These include, lifting the bottom of our pay bands to ‘track’ the median and to stay at 85 per cent of the charity sector median, aligning our annual performance related pay awards to increases in the charity sector median, and uplifting the salaries of those longer serving (five years+) people who have consistently met expectations over the last three years, to the current charity sector median. In addition to this, we continue to ensure our lowest rates of pay are not just above the national minimum wage but at the real living wage.
The pandemic has impacted on our ability to progress against all of the pay activities planned. We remain committed to the direction set but our pace has slowed. However, while being prudent, in 2020 we were able to deliver on some key commitments for our people. We awarded salary top ups to those longer serving individuals who consistently meet performance expectations but whose salary had fallen behind the external median, and we also introduced a new discounts portal for our employees and volunteers; enabling all of our people to make real savings on everyday goods and services.
Alongside these targeted activities, pay is also reviewed when existing staff take on additional responsibilities. New recruits are usually paid between the minimum and mid-point of the relevant pay band, as below, depending on their experience and skills. In exceptional circumstances,
where it is required, they may be paid at a higher rate, but not more than the pay range maximum. For some roles that are difficult to recruit for, a market premium of up to 10 per cent above the pay ranges may be paid. The reasons for recruiting at market premium rates must be explained in a business case, which must be approved by the relevant executive board director and the Director of People. We also have 55 staff who are paid at ‘spot rates’ outside these ranges, including our executive board whose annual remuneration details are shown on the previous page.
To ensure our pay practices are still fit for purpose and ensure the appropriate use of our limited financial resources we also undertake routine work which, this year, included our use of market premiums and our allowances.
**We have pay ranges based on six grades as follows:**
|**Grade**|**Min £**|**Mid £**|**Max,**
**including**
**market**
**premium £**|
|---|---|---|---|
|P2|17,290|17,570|21,485|
|P3|19,000|20,315|28,951|
|P4|24,000|27,241|36,631|
|P5|29,500|33,245|44,903|
|P6|34,000|39,898|51,993|
|P7|41,500|46,863|62,629|
_Pay ranges exclude any regional allowances that may be given._
In compliance with the Pensions Act 2008, we operate an auto-enrolment pension scheme, in which all eligible employees are automatically enrolled following a postponement period of three months, with employer contribution rates set in line with legislative requirements. Staff are also offered a salary exchange defined contribution pension scheme, where employer contribution rates match employee contributions, ranging from four per cent to a maximum of seven per cent. We continue to operate a historic defined contribution pension scheme, now closed to new entrants.
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Our staff based in the Channel Islands have different pension arrangements in compliance with local legislation.
## **At 31 March, the ratio between the highest paid and median salaries is as follows:**
||**2021**|**2020**|
|---|---|---|
|Highest paid salary (£’000)|173|173|
|Median (£’000)|33|33|
|Ratio|5.3|5.3|
Members of the defined pension contribution scheme receive life assurance cover equivalent to five times their annual salary. Non-members, those auto-enrolled and our staff based in the Channel Islands receive life assurance cover equivalent to one times their annual salary.
The spread of annual salary entitlements for all our staff, excluding executive board members, is detailed in the graph below.
## **Annual salary entitlements (full time equivalent basis) for all NSPCC staff, excluding executive board, employed at 31 March 2021**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Male
Female
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## **Gender Pay Gap**
Over the past few years we have taken a number of actions to improve our Gender Pay Gap, and we are pleased to report that we are beginning to see the positive impact of a number of these measures. Earlier this year, the UK Government announced that while they were not going to suspend Gender Pay Gap (GPG) reporting, as they did in April last year, they were going to offer an extension to the reporting deadline until October 2021. Given this opportunity, we have taken the decision to use the extra time to create a more integrated gender pay gap report and action plan, joining up our plans to further reduce our gender pay gap within the wider Equality Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I) action plan we are currently developing. This also aligns with the integration of GPG reporting in our new EDI Charter in which we commit to ‘publish wider diversity pay gaps including but not limited to Black and Minoritized Ethnic, disability, sexuality and gender identity’.
While we will only publish the 2020 Gender Pay Gap in the autumn, we are pleased to say that both the Gender Pay Gap median and mean as at 5 April 2020 have reduced from previous years. These also remain noticeably lower than the Office for National Statistics gender pay gap figures. Gender pay information is also available on our website in line with The Equality Act 2010.
## **Expenses policy**
Our expenses policy is applicable to trustees, staff and volunteers. The policy highlights each claimant’s obligation to only incur costs if necessary, and to always choose the most economical option. Use of video conferencing and teleconference facilities is encouraged, to further reduce expenditure on staff travel and to save staff time. Expenses are only reimbursed when authorised by the relevant line manager, up to maximum limits set in the expenses policy.
We make use of a travel management company, who provide bookings for rail, air, hotel accommodation, conference and event venues and vehicle hire, in order to reduce travel costs and promote value for money. These bookings are paid for directly by the organisation.
All of our trustees give their time on a voluntary basis; they receive no remuneration or other benefits. Trustees’ expenses incurred in furtherance of their duties are detailed in note five of the accounts. Executive board directors’ expenses incurred on our business are disclosed in this table. Note that fewer expenses have been incurred in 2021 due to reduced travel due to the global coronavirus pandemic.
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Staff numbers
Annual salary £’000
**----- End of picture text -----**
**Executive board directors’ expenses incurred on NSPCC business, and reclaimed or paid directly by the charity in the year – for directors in post at 31 March 2021.**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
2021 2020
£ £
Chief Executive – Peter Wanless – 3,173
Director of Communications – David Hamilton 77 –
(appointed 3 June 2020)
Director of Corporate Services – David Roberts – 3,267
Director of Income Generation – Josephine Swinhoe – 1,769
Director of People – Brett Terry 15 1,114
Director of Services – Claire Johnson – 1,715
Director of Strategy and Knowledge – Maria Neophytou – –
(appointed 30 November 2020)
Director of Technology – Greig Sharman – –
(appointed 1 February 2021)
Total 92 11,037
**----- End of picture text -----**
**NSPCC Annual Report and Accounts 2020-21**
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## **Equality, Diversity and Inclusion**
Our employee diversity breakdown at the NSPCC is as captured in the table below. These percentages denote the average proportion of our workforce, per demographic, for the 12 months ending 31 March 2021.
||**NSPCC**|**People Count**|
|---|---|---|
|||**benchmark**|
|Female %|83%|64.0%|
|LGBQ+ %|7%|3.5%|
|BAME %
Disability %
Average Age|12%
6%
41|10.7%
7.5%
43|
We are in the process of building our next NSPCC Equality, Diversity and Inclusion action plan. All our actions will centre around three main areas of focus:
- diversifying our workforce
- creating an inclusive culture of safety and belonging
- inclusive leadership.
One key input into our action plan is our EDI Charter (which is available to view on our website). In addition, we have also carried out an inclusion survey with all of our volunteers and staff. This too will be a key input into the action plan, along with an independent assessment of our workforce and service user diversity data. We will publish the action plan in the autumn and will report against our progress to the Board and to our people. We will publish in our next annual report our workforce demographic data, comparing it with the data published in the above table. We feel certain that the action plan will yield positive results in our data set and in our engagement and inclusion survey scores, as we continue our endeavours to attract and recruit a more diverse workforce and create the conditions and culture where every member of the NSPCC family feels they don’t just fit but belong.
## **Procurement policy and modern slavery statement**
We are committed to acting ethically and with integrity both internally and in our business relationships, and we expect the same high standards from the organisations we work with. Our ethical values and procurement principles are communicated to our suppliers, and new suppliers are asked to evidence that they share our values. We will never knowingly support or do business with
organisations in any way connected with slavery, human trafficking or child labour.
Our procurement process aims to ensure we achieve value for money and that preferred suppliers meet or exceed our requirements in respect of ethical procurement. Suppliers are asked to demonstrate that they embrace diversity, understand the risks within their own supply chain and remunerate their staff fairly.
Our supply chain is predominantly UK-based and is compliant with UK legislation. We take a risk-based approach to purchasing, applying increased levels of scrutiny to high risk supply categories, such as goods sourced from overseas. We focus our scrutiny on the policies, procedures and controls demonstrated by our direct suppliers, recognising that it is not always possible for us to have a close relationship with all parties in a supply chain.
## **Our relationship with donors and funders**
**The NSPCC subscribes to the Fundraising Regulator’s fundraising promise, which is available to download on our website. And, in addition, we have published our promise to you as follows:**
## **Our promise to you**
- We will tell you about the amazing ways you’re helping to change children’s lives for the better.
- We will follow the highest standards in fundraising.
- We will always keep your personal information safe.
- We will share with you the ways you can keep the children in your life safe.
- We will let you know about new ways that you can help support children.
- We will always give you the power to decide how we contact you.
We receive around 90 per cent of our funding from generous supporters. We raise funds from individuals through one-off donations, regular donations by direct debit, payroll giving, gifts in wills and gaming products, such as raffle and lottery. We communicate with our supporters through a selection of mailings, telephone calls, email, and SMS.
Throughout 2020/21, we regularly shared with supporters how their donations allowed us to continue to meet the changing needs of children, and enabled the NSPCC to adapt its services and continue it’s vital work throughout the pandemic. We also shared resources with supporters to help them to support the children in their lives through this period.
We have also recruited new donors during 2020/21 through online activity; inserts; television advertising; payroll giving; legacy promotion activity; contactless and direct debit payment collections. As a fundraising charity, we incur expenditure in order to raise income. The expenditure on raising funds incurred in 2020/21 not only resulted in income being raised in the year, but will also generate future income, particularly through ongoing regular donations and future legacy gifts, which are our largest sources of income.
During 2020/21, we had external agencies fundraising directly with the public on our behalf, including outbound calls to existing supporters; and handling calls from the public to make a donation in response to television advertising.
We strictly adhere to the Fundraising Regulator’s code of fundraising practice and all relevant Institute of Fundraising rulebooks, as well as guidance on fundraising activity including the _Treating Donors Fairly_ guidance. All fundraisers representing us, including external agencies, are required to adhere to these standards and receive rigorous training to ensure they understand the standards we expect when they are speaking to members of the public on our behalf, and to ensure a positive experience for the people they talk to. Above and beyond industry guidance, we also have additional levels of protection built into our contracts and the training and guidance we provide to all fundraisers. Our donors do not receive more than two financial asks in any fundraising interaction. Nobody who appears to be in potentially vulnerable circumstances is asked to commit to giving and those highlighting any form of diminished financial circumstances are offered an opportunity to give at lower value or alternative ways of supporting our fight for every childhood, such as volunteering and campaigning.
**We also voluntarily subscribe to the following fundraising bodies and uphold their standards:**
|**Body**
Fundraising
Regulator|**Standards**
The Fundraising Promise
The Code of
Fundraising Practice
Rulebooks for street
fundraising, private site
fundraising and door
fundraising|
|---|---|
|Institute of
Fundraising
(IoF)|IoF Rulebooks
Treating Donors
Fairly Guidance
Compliance and
monitoring pilot schemes -
we are one of the charities
working with the IoF during
the development of a
compliance and monitoring
framework for the sector.|
|Direct
Marketing
Association|The Direct Marketing
Code of Practice|
|Cabinet
Offce /
Department
for Culture,
Media and
Sport|National Exemption
Order operational
guidance|
We have a complaints policy published on our website, which includes reference to inappropriate or improper fundraising methods. We are committed to dealing with all complaints constructively, impartially and effectively and will make every effort to ensure that all complaints receive a complete, accurate and timely response. No complaint is ever disregarded. During this financial year, we received (either directly or through a person acting on our behalf) a total of 572 complaints relating to individual giving and 160 complaints relating to other fundraising. We define a complaint as ‘any expression of dissatisfaction’ and we actively encourage members of the public to share with us their views on our work to resolve problems and to improve our performance.
All agencies we worked with were closely monitored while carrying out fundraising on our behalf. For telephone agencies, we listened to a random selection of calls each week to ensure compliance with regulatory and legislative standards, and that our supporters have been offered a positive experience. All complaints received are tracked and discussed with our agencies on a weekly basis to ensure anything highlighted that could be improved upon is addressed and developed where needed.
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## Governance
**How we’re Good governance is fundamental to our sustained success as a charity. organised With good governance in place, we and are best placed to deliver on our mission and achieve our objectives, governed fighting for every childhood. It enables all our people to use their skills, together with our resources, to best effect. It helps ensure we are compliant with all relevant legislation, constantly reviewing the risks we are facing, ensuring we provide safeguarding standards of the highest quality, and supporting a positive culture for all of our people, including our volunteers. We review our charity governance using the Charity Governance Code.**
## **Our board of trustees**
Our board of trustees (the board) has collective responsibility for everything that we do, including the legal responsibility to ensure the charity is controlled and properly managed. In discharging their collective responsibilities our trustees:
- exercise their powers in accordance with our Royal Charter, other legal requirements and the principles of good governance
- act in the best interests of the organisation and our work to protect children and young people
- ensure that we are and will remain solvent and that there is proper financial management
We were initially founded as The London Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children in 1884. We then became the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), incorporated by Royal Charter in 1895. We are also a charity registered with the Charity Commission in England and Wales, the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, the Jersey Charity Commissioner and with the relevant authorities in Guernsey. Our charitable purpose, as set out in our Royal Charter, the governing document, is to prevent the public and private wrongs of children and the corruption of their morals. We achieve this by fighting for every childhood, and this annual report sets out the main activities undertaken in furthering our charitable objectives and purpose.
- approve our strategic plans, budgets and reserves policies and monitor and evaluate our progress against those planned objectives and financial targets.
The board delegates responsibility for operational management to the chief executive, who leads a senior management team – the executive board. The executive board develop most of the organisation’s plans, policies and processes, and are responsible for their implementation, following the board’s advice and approval.
## **Board composition**
Our board currently comprises 18 trustees who have a broad range of skills and experience.
Trustees usually serve an initial term of three years. This can be extended once up to a maximum of six years, and in very exceptional circumstances there may be a further extension, in accordance with the Charity Governance Code. (Trustees elected prior to 2016 were able to serve for three terms.) The board has plans to reduce its size to twelve, however this cannot be achieved without causing instability for some years.
We are still the only UK children’s charity with statutory powers that enable us to take action to safeguard children at risk of abuse.
Working in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the Channel Islands, our services for children and young people are adapted appropriately in the light of relevant regional and local interests.
All of our trustees give their time on a voluntary basis; they receive no remuneration or any other benefits. Any out-of-pocket expenses along with other costs paid directly by the charity, which the trustees have incurred in furtherance of their duties, are set out in note five to the financial statements. Our trustees are recruited through a variety of means, including open advertising. We have a trustee recruitment policy in place that was approved during 2019. We place particular emphasis on ensuring that we have the appropriate balance of skills, diversity of background and experience that we need so will use more targeted recruitment searches where necessary and keep under review the balance of trustees with regard to gender and diversity. There are currently eleven male trustees and seven female trustees.
Our nominations and governance committee recommend prospective trustees for approval to the full board, and they are then elected formally by members of the NSPCC Council at our Annual Council Meeting. The board recognises the importance of diversity, and has recently undertaken a skills and diversity audit, and is actively working to improve the diversity of the board and its trustees when recruiting to fill future vacancies. Recognising the importance of ensuring that young people are at the heart of decision making, the board recruited two trustees under the age of 25. These trustees link with the Young People’s Board for Change, which comprises 15 young people between the ages of 13 and 16 recruited in January 2021.
Our trustees undergo a comprehensive induction programme and are offered training and development opportunities throughout their trusteeship. The induction typically consists of training in charity trusteeship and safeguarding, as well as induction meetings with the Chair, Chief Executive and Directors, as well as visits to Childline bases, service centres and visits to _Speak out. Stay safe._ assemblies in schools. Trustees will also have induction meetings with the chairs of the committees on which they will sit.
Trustees have adopted the Charity Governance Code and the nominations
and governance committee seeks continual improvement in our governance.
During 2021, the board undertook an evaluation exercise with an external facilitator in accordance with the Charity Governance Code. An evaluation report was produced that contained 14 recommendations. An action plan was produced to implement the recommendations. At the time of writing, 13 of the recommendations have been fully implemented. One recommendation about rebalancing the board’s membership will be achieved over time, as the current trustees retire at the end of their terms of office. This is being monitored by the nominations and governance committee.
## **Board meetings**
Our board meets six times a year; we also hold an annual board away day, which enables trustees and the executive board to focus on key strategic issues in more depth. During the pandemic of 2020, board and committee meetings started to take place by videoconference to ensure that the board and its committees were able to meet their constitutional responsibilities. In 2020, the trustees did not have an additional away day, however a number of briefing sessions were held for trustees and co-opted members of the committees.
There are certain matters that the board reserves to itself through a written schedule. These include approval of our annual plan and budget, and our overall strategic direction. The matters reserved for the board statement makes clear the trustee board’s responsibilities and where there are clear delegated authorities to act on their behalf. Delegated authorities are discharged through the committees of the trustee board or through the Chief Executive. The Chief Executive is accountable to the trustee board for the day to day running of the NSPCC and the execution of the day to day strategy and policies agreed by the board and/or its committees.
Each board committee has defined terms of reference, detailing the delegated authorities where appropriate.
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## Committees of the board
**Audit and risk** Oversees our systems for quality, **committee** performance, risk management and internal controls ensuring that our systems are robust, effective and fit for purpose. Maintains an overview of the financial aspects **Finance** of our strategy, and reviews and monitors our **committee** policies, processes and standards in order to secure effective financial management. Reviews the NSPCC income generation **Income** strategies, their relationship with wider brand **Generation** positioning and marketing activities, impact **committee** on NSPCC’s reputation and where appropriate, recommend relevant strategies to the board. **Nominations** Ensures that we comply with our Royal **and governance** Charter and bye-laws as well as best practice **committee** in governance, and reviews the role and membership of the board of trustees and its committees. Responsible for identifying key issues on **Policy** which we must have a public policy position **committee** and reviews our work with UK Government and other agencies. Decides on the appropriate level of **Remuneration** remuneration for our Chief Executive and **and People** reviews recommendations for remuneration of the executive board. Further information **committee** on executive board and other senior staff remuneration is included earlier in this report. Reports to and advises the board on the **Service** development and impact of our services for children and young people, ensuring that **development** services meet the needs of children and **committee** families based on local need. **Volunteer** Provides oversight, leadership and critical **Engagement** friendship to the executive in ensuring we **committee** create an environment in which volunteers feel valued and able to be their best. It has oversight of a programme of activity whereby senior leaders, including trustees, engage directly with volunteers across the country in a reasonably systematic way.
Co-opted members, who are not themselves trustees, serve on some of our committees and we are very grateful for the expertise, skills and experience that they bring.
## NSPCC Directorates
Our activities are organised under the following directorates:
**Communications and Marketing**
**Finance**
**Income Generation People Services Strategy and Knowledge Technology**
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## Environment & Sustainability 2020/21
## **Energy and Carbon Emissions**
The NSPCC is fully compliant with the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS). The aim of ESOS is to identify opportunities to reduce energy consumption, emissions and costs accordingly.
We continue to ensure that energy supplied to our properties are from green energy sources.
In moving to green energy supplies, there has been a significant decrease in Co2 emissions across the whole portfolio. An example of this is demonstrated below with details of Weston House in London, our largest property, where we have seen our Co2 emissions from combined gas and electricity usage reduced by 44.4 per cent over the last 4 years.
**Weston House CO Emissions in Tons**
Electricity Co2/e Gas Co2/e
Recycled Anaerobic digestion Waste to energy
## **Materials Collected (kgs) April 20 to March 21**
## **Waste Management and Recycling**
## **leaner:**
Again, at Weston House, our largest property, 78 per cent of waste is recycled (overall London only recycles 33 per cent of waste which is less than the national average of 43 per cent). The chart above shows the monthly breakdown of the waste collected in kilograms and how that waste is then utilised.
reducing hazardous materials improved overall efficiency reduced storage.
## **greener:**
reduced transportation weight reduced deliveries reduced plastic waste overall reduction in Co2 emissions.
## **Our recycling at Weston House has:**
saved 266 trees saved 33 tonnes of Co2
## **External Working Relationships**
generated 387kwh of energy
Over the coming year, the NSPCC will be working with representatives from CBRE who will provide support in assisting us to increase our environment and sustainability credentials.
In the coming year, we plan to focus on how all properties within the portfolio can further reduce energy usage and carbon emissions, while increasing the amount of waste recycled.
## **NSPCC Environment and**
## **Cleaning Products**
## **Sustainability Team (NEST)**
We are currently working with our external cleaning supplier to introduce a new range of cleaning products across the property portfolio. This product range uses bio hygiene technologies and is:
An NSPCC staff network (NEST) has been established to ensure that environmental sustainability is central to the organisation and is considered in everything we do. The team is passionate about ensuring that current and future generations of children and young people are safeguarded against the harmful impacts of the climate and environmental crisis.
## **cleaner:**
with the use of enzymes microbes plant extracts.
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## Principal risks and uncertainties
## **Risk environment**
(based upon the status of controls currently in place). A ‘Target Score’ is given to each risk. This ‘Target Score’ is the level of risk acceptable to the board of trustees. As a rule, each risk will meet its ‘Target Score’ once all the right controls are in place and are working effectively. All three scores are calculated by multiplying the probability of a risk occurring by the impact of that risk occurring in line with agreed organisation wide criteria.
The NSPCC works in a high-risk environment. Most of the children we work with are at some level of risk. What’s more, to target our resources effectively, we choose to focus our more intensive face-to-face work in areas of the UK where need is great. Working in this way increases our level of risk. This is something the NSPCC board of trustees accepts as a consequence of our strategy.
**The key controls to manage the NSPCC’s principal risks and uncertainties are assessed and monitored using the three lines of defence model, defined as follows:**
Added to the risks that are part of our frontline work, there are fundraising challenges. Our services are mainly funded by the generosity of supporters through voluntary donations. It is important for us to retain our financial independence so that we can encourage others to act in the best interests of children. However, reliance upon voluntary donations in a competitive and highly regulated environment heightens levels of uncertainty. A reduction in financial support could hinder our ability to deliver.
**a) The first line of defence (teams that own and manage risks):** the first line is formed by managers and staff who are responsible for identifying and managing the relevant risk - part of their day-to-day responsibility for achieving objectives through the delivery of services.
**b) The second line of defence (directorate-level leadership teams that oversee the first line of defence or dedicated functions specialising in compliance, data protection etc.):** the second line provides the policies, frameworks, tools, techniques and support to enable risk and compliance to be managed by the first line. It also conducts monitoring to judge how effectively they are doing it.
## **Measuring, monitoring and reporting risk**
The board of trustees has agreed how our risks are to be measured. We score all risks by considering the impact of the risk and the probability of the risk occurring. Assessing the impact of a risk on the NSPCC includes consideration of the following factors: corporate objectives; harm to a child or young person or vulnerable adult (includes adult at risk); service provision; reputation; health & safety; financial and people.
**c) The third line of defence (functions that provide independent assurance):** in the NSPCC, the third line is chiefly provided by the internal audit and inspection unit. Sitting outside the operational management processes of the first two lines of defence, their main role is to ensure that the first two lines of defence are
The NSPCC’s risk framework measures each identified risk on the basis of its ‘Inherent Score’ (the risk that an activity would pose where few - if any - controls are in place) and its ‘Current Score’
operating effectively and advise how they could be improved. Reporting to the Audit and Risk Committee, they provide an assurance that appropriate controls and processes are in place and are operating effectively, and that policies, standards, internal procedures and external regulations are being complied with.
All three lines of defence are responsible for providing assurances on the effectiveness of the controls in place or under development. Key to the effectiveness of the NSPCC’s risk management system is the annual review of the Strategic Risk Register by the board of trustees and the reviews of risk by the Audit and Risk Committee. Risks are also reviewed at each Directorate’s quarterly business review with the Chief Executive.
There is an established process for identification of risks, involving senior management leadership teams, risk owners and risk champions in the regular review of the NSPCC’s strategic and operational risks.
## **The coronavirus pandemic**
In March 2020, at the commencement in the UK of the Coronavirus pandemic, risks were reviewed and updated with particular focus on the implications of COVID-19. The Business Continuity Risk was reassessed. Due to the nature of this national emergency, we faced a unique challenge that business continuity plans had not prepared for. Nevertheless, on the whole, many of the actions and controls remained relevant although certain changes in respect of working practices and the use of technology needed to be, and were, addressed quickly. The way that the organisation has responded to COVID-19 has demonstrated the strength of business continuity plans. While business continuity plans have been in place and have proved effective throughout the pandemic, with the increased level of infection from the new strain of COVID-19 there was an increased risk that staff and volunteers would be contacted by NHS Track and Trace and required to isolate for 10 days. The consequences of this happening during January 2021 in two NSPCC sites meant that some services could not operate, while other services operated on a much reduced capacity. The Services directorate
therefore reviewed their own business continuity plan to see if the risk could be further mitigated. The current score was increased to ‘16’ from ‘6’ and this risk was reinstated on to the Strategic Risk Register at the Audit and Risk Committee meeting in March 2021.
## **Some of the key mitigating actions are explained below:**
**• Business continuity plans and testing –** these were up to date and sufficient to deal with most scenarios involving the loss of a single site and the need to redeploy our staff / volunteers to another site or for them to work at home. At the commencement of the pandemic, prior to the lockdown, a test had been arranged to ensure there was sufficient capacity for the entire organisation to work remotely. However, events moved so quickly there was no time for the test and at extremely short notice remote working had to start nationwide with immediate effect. The technology that we had in place in terms of software applications and hardware could support the continued operation of the organisation.
## • **NSPCC helpline and Childline** – business
continuity scenarios were on the basis that if a site(s) were out of action, the function would relocate to another site, but this was not possible with the pandemic. In addition, even where access to a site was still feasible and travel was permitted due to key worker status, social distancing significantly constrained the number of staff and volunteers in a building at any one time. As such, immediate changes were made to the helplines’ software applications to allow remote access for certain functions that previously could only be carried out in an NSPCC base, such as responding to NSPCC helpline and Childline emails. Initially, there was a significant reduction in contacts to the NSPCC helpline about concerns in relation to the safety of children as children were less visible due to the lockdown. However, as a result of a Government funded awareness campaign, contact levels have returned and increased to pre-lockdown volumes;
## • **Children’s Services face-to-face**
**sessions** – it was never envisaged that face-to-face sessions with service users would not be able to take place. Our service centres were closed during the first lockdown, there was initial disruption to some face-to-face work
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and most group work was significantly disrupted. However, face-to-face work was resumed within two weeks with new guidance and technology in place, and some group work also gradually resumed. In addition, we found that referring agencies stopped or significantly reduced the number of children and young people referred to our services in the early weeks of the lockdown.
had never been envisaged. Our special events like the Childline Ball and mass participation events like the London Marathon are key to our fundraising. Our most significant income stream is where members of the public make monthly donations to the NSPCC. There are challenges around being able to continue previous models to sign up new donors, such as having stands in shopping centre venues or airports. However, there was no significant increase in our attrition rate during the period of lockdown.
**• Income** – A scenario where people could not partake in activities together
**Strategic risks** The Strategic Risk Register (SRR) defines those risks that, if they were to occur, could threaten the NSPCC’s ability to deliver the strategy.
There were 12 risks on our Strategic Risk Register as of 31 March 2021. The following two have controls in place to sufficiently mitigate the risks but remain on the Strategic Risk Register while mitigation is being monitored.
|**Risk**|**Examples of controls in place:**||
|---|---|---|
|**Weaknesses**|• Effective recruitment|• Review of the recruitment|
|**in staff recruitment**|process in place supported|process to ensure it continues|
|**and retention**|by accessible recruitment|to remain effective, safe and|
||policies, protocols and|is consistent with the on-line|
||guidance.|recruitment system:|
||• Non-mandatory training|– supporting recruitment|
||for managers of staff in the|policies, protocols and|
||recruitment and selection skills.|guidance.|
||• Value Based Interviewing|– training for managers in|
||(VBI) Training for trainers|recruitment.|
||for Services.||
||• Value Based Interviewing
(VBI) Training for trainers
for Services.|– training for managers in
recruitment.|
|---|---|---|
||• Staff induction to ensure all||
||employees are clearly informed||
||of their responsibilities as||
||NSPCC employees.||
|**Reputational**|• Appropriate level of|• Privacy impact assessments|
|**damage through**|knowledge of media law|are undertaken.|
|**adverse social**
**media and failure to**
**respond adequately**|including ‘defamation’ across
the external relations teams
and activities.|• A full time, social media
manager responsible for social
media platforms is based in|
||• Guidelines for the|Communications and works|
||maintenance of social|with other staff across the|
||media accounts including|organisation. Out of hours|
||password changes and other|moderation is in place.|
||IT security issues.||
||• A security awareness and||
||training programme relating||
||to social media is provided for||
||staff and volunteers involved||
||in creating and maintaining||
||social media accounts on||
||behalf of the NSPCC.||
The following 10 risks had yet to reach their target score. Each risk is actively managed, has mitigations in place and further controls which need to be fully implemented and tested prior to the risk reaching its target score. The Chief Executive reviews progress regularly to ensure that the risk will meet its target score according to plan.
|**Risk**|**Examples of controls in place:**||
|---|---|---|
|**Insuffcient**|Annual confrmation|• The BIA is shared with those|
|**business continuity**|Directorate Business|responsible for strategic|
|**and resilience**|Continuity leads have reviewed|recovery capabilities (e.g.|
||business continuity plans|IS and Property) who will be|
|**The risk score**|and that they remain valid.|tasked with ensuring that all|
|**increased from**
**6 to 16 during**
**2020/21 as a result**|Annual test of business
continuity plans (BCPs) for
business critical activities.|BCPs are coordinated and do
not “double count” resource
allocations.|
|**of the pandemic.**|Review the Business|BCPs in place for all business
critical activities.|
||Impact Analysis (BIA),||
||and communicate:|Regime of testing in place to|
Regime of testing in place to confirm that all mission critical applications and technologies continue to run in the event of a major technology issue.
- Business Continuity Plans to reflect the revised BIA.
• Business Continuity Plans are amended to identify those individuals whose absence might lead to a “Single Point of Failure”. Contingency arrangements for the absence of all such individuals will be included in plans. **Weaknesses** Effective recruitment Volunteer induction and **in: recruitment** process in place supported training programme in place **systems, processes** by accessible recruitment to ensure all volunteers are **and supporting** policies, protocols and clearly informed of their **guidance, training** guidance including: responsibilities and have **and volunteering** • Documented recruitment sufficient skills to conduct **proposition lead** policies and procedures. their role. **to inability to** Integrated systems improve **effectively (and** • Processes to ensure that the the volunteer experience **safely) recruit and** requirements of a particular and efficiency of processes. **retain volunteers.** position – particularly in relation to safeguarding - Recruitment marketing to **The risk score** are clearly established as attract new volunteers is the basis for evaluating targeted and effective. **remained unchanged** subsequent applicants. **during 2020/21** Internal communications **at 16.** • Disclosure & Barring Service to current volunteers are (DBS) checks in place. effective, consistent and inclusive. • All volunteer recruitment panels have a VBI trained interviewer. **Safeguarding** Understandable, accessible • ‘Safeguarding and child and effective safeguarding protection policy’ - that **The risk score** and child protection processes sets out the NSPCC’s **remained unchanged** in place supported by approach to safeguarding **during 2020/21 at 9** accessible policies, protocols, and child protection, and guidance and training that all key responsibilities. managers, staff and volunteers must read/undertake and • ‘What to do if you have a concern about a child understand (or should be familiar with and action where procedure’ - which includes the NSPCC’s resolution necessary). Mandatory reading for all staff and volunteers is: and escalation procedure.
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|**Risk**|**Examples of controls in place:**||
|---|---|---|
|**Safeguarding**|• ‘Safeguarding code of|Effective recruitment|
|**(continued)**|conduct and guidance on|process in place for volunteers|
||appropriate behaviour’.|supported by accessible|
|**The risk score**
**remained unchanged**
**during 2020/21 at 9**|• ‘Safeguarding adults at
risk of abuse policy and
procedure’.|recruitment policies,
protocols and guidance.
Mandatory safeguarding|
||Understandable, accessible
and effective processes are
in place to protect vulnerable|induction training for all
new starters and managers
(including trustees) is
available online or as a|
||people and other members of
the public from fundraising
practice that:|hard copy to ensure all
employees understand their
responsibilities and know how|
||• Is an unreasonable intrusion|to take action if they have a|
||on a person’s privacy.|safeguarding concern.|
||• Is unreasonably persistent.|Safeguarding information
for all new volunteers is|
||• Places undue pressure|available online or as a|
||on a person to give|hard copy to ensure all|
||money or other property.|volunteers understand|
||Related contracts where
appropriate specify
compliance with the
NSPCC’s safeguarding|their responsibilities
and know how to take
action if they have a
safeguarding concern.|
||policies.|Practice Standards|
||Effective recruitment
process in place for
employees supported by
accessible recruitment|aligned with the Inspection
grading which are clear in
their requirements and
outcome focused.|
||policies protocols and|Child protection policies|
||guidance.|and procedures in place|
||DBS, Access NI and PVG|for all Services Directorate.|
||checks in place for all|Childline Practice Standards|
||relevant roles.|and procedures, including|
|||the counselling model and|
|||confdentiality policy.|
|**Failure to**|Encryption of all mobile|Company 85 contract|
|**provide adequate**|devices and laptops.|for IS Security Monitoring|
|**information security**
**for information**|Information security|Services in place.|
|**systems (IS)**
**resulting in data**
**being accessed**
**by unauthorised**
**personnel or**
**inappropriate**|policy and IS Acceptable
Use policy in place and
communicated.
Regular patching of
all PC servers and
infrastructure to ensure|Day to day monitoring
of content to ensure
inappropriate posts to
websites or message
boards are removed in
a timely manner.|
|**content being**
**posted on IS systems,**|up to date with latest
release.|Regular monitoring
of the NSPCC sites is|
|**digital websites or**
**social media.**|Annual penetration|undertaken by the Social
Media team and ICIU.|
||testing and formal||
|**The risk score**|progression of issues||
|**remained**
**unchanged during**
**2020/21 at 12.**|identifed.||
|**Risk**|**Examples of controls in place:**||
|---|---|---|
|**The NSPCC’s**|Reputational damage|Annual confrmation by|
|**actions fall short**|considered as part of|management in the Statement|
|**of stakeholder**|the ‘impact’ assessment|of Assurance that all|
|**expectations leading**|of all risks.|employees understand and|
|**to an erosion of**
**confdence in the**
**NSPCC which, if**
**not corrected, could**|Key-stakeholder engagement
exercise/s that gauge/shape
stakeholder expectations by:|comply with all NSPCC policies
and procedures – including
those based upon legal and
regulatory requirements.|
|**undermine its work**
**for children.**|i) Actively encouraging
feedback.|Annual confrmation
by management in the|
|**The risk score**
**remained unchanged**
**during 2020/21**
**at 12.**|ii) Promoting and embedding
the NSPCC’s values and
behaviours into organisational
policies, procedures and
processes.|Statement of Assurance
that expenditure made with
Procurement Cards and the
receipt of Gifts & Hospitality
(G&H) is monitored effectively.|
||iii) Promoting the services
and achievements of the|Designated contract
“owners” assigned|
||NSPCC to build trust in the|responsibility for ensuring|
||organisation and its aims.|the protection of the
NSPCC’s interests and|
||iv) Reinforcing the importance|reputation (particularly|
||placed by the NSPCC upon|where contractors interact|
||its stakeholders.|on the NSPCC’s behalf|
||v) Seeking-out and resolving|with the wider public).|
||any source of dissatisfaction||
||– particularly in relation to the||
||NSPCC’s business practices||
||and its standards of integrity||
||and ethical behaviour.||
|**One or more of**|Data Privacy Champions|Data breach identifcation|
|**the six principles**|(DPCs) in place across|and reporting procedure|
|**of the UK General**|directorates to ensure that|exists which enables the|
|**Data Protection**|data protection laws are|Data Protection Offcer to|
|**Regulation and the**|understood and issues|report appropriate breaches|
|**Data Protection Act**|identifed and addressed.|to the ICO within 72 hours.|
|**2018 are infringed**
**due to poor data**
**practices at the**
**NSPCC.**
**The risk score**|Mandatory data protection
and information security
training for all staff, refreshed
annually, highlighting the
importance of good data|This includes:
• identifying a breach
• internal reporting and
management of breaches|
|**remained unchanged**
**during 2020/21**|handling.
NSPCC volunteers receive|• communications with ICO
by Data Protection Offcer.|
|**at 12.**|induction guidance on
NSPCC data protection|Access to personal data is
limited to those who require|
||policies and practice.|such access for work purposes.|
|**Failure to**|Project Co-ordination Group|All people change|
|**deliver multiple**|(PCG) is in place to have|consultations are required to|
|**organisational**|oversight of all projects|include a survey that asks for|
|**change programmes**|together with identifying and|feedback for those affected|
|**effectively results**|monitoring risks.|by change in order to learn|
|**in a loss of service**
**or reputation.**|PCG has clear terms of
reference and reports to|from those affected by
change programmes.|
|**The risk score**|EB monthly.|NSPCC has a recognised|
|**remained unchanged**
**during 2020/21 at 9.**|An approvals process by EB
for the sign off of signifcant
change programmes.|trade union with a clear
working agreement that
is reviewed regularly.|
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**Risk Examples of controls in place: Not optimising** Digital and IT investments **digital channels,** and resource planning are **approaches and** discussed and agreed as **mindsets effectively** part of the directorate **and quickly** business plans. **enough in pursuit of commercial, income** Proposed new digital investments are discussed **generation and** and approved by a cross- **fundraising goals at the NSPCC.** functional group that meets bi-monthly.
Head of Digital (HOD) actively horizon scans best digital practice in the external market and identifies lessons and ideas for consideration.
HOD and digital team build external profile as digital thought leaders and leading digital practitioners in the charity sector to help build profile and reputation for recruitment.
**The risk score** A senior data specialist recruitment. **remained** expert recruited to address **unchanged during** skills gap identified. **2020/21 at 12. There is a shortfall** Processes in place for Clearly defined roles and **in NSPCC budgeted** budget setting and budget responsibilities on NSPCC **income leading to** maintaining including: Schedule of Authority for **a fall in planned** Income Generation, and **fundraising revenue** • quarterly budget Finance. **of more than 5%** variance analysis Monthly Ops meeting to **in-year and/or 15%** • monthly forecast review current and projected **over a 5- year period.** variance analysis income and expenditure **The risk score** • quarterly re-forecasting levels to identify any fall in **increased from** income, both at directorate • weekly monitoring of and department level. **8 to 12 during 2020/21 as a result** legacy income Regular reporting on **of the pandemic.** • departmental KPIs performance to the Finance
Regular reporting on performance to the Finance and Income Generation Committees that highlights any foreseeable fall in income and/or why a fall may have occurred.
- annual business planning
- monthly monitoring of budget risk and contingency
- risk scenarios for COVID-19 to overlay budget.
Long term income generation strategic plan agreed.
Rapid response fundraising appeal (highly visible, fast turnaround public appeal for funds to tackle a specific issue) launched and running through 2020 to mitigate budget shortfall.
**NSPCC Strategy** An implementation plan **2021-2031 is not** will be developed, outlining **implemented.** major change programmes, costs and order.
The Project Management Office will support the initial specification of programmes and projects of work, and track updates and progress of all the major strategic change programmes.
An annual planning process will agree the priority activities required to deliver the strategic implementation plan for the organisation and each directorate and track these through the year.
Project Initiation Documents (PIDs) are in place for key projects.
A process is in place to discuss financial, people, risk, and impact results at a directorate level on a quarterly basis.
Quarterly Business Reviews in place.
## Public benefit and how our activities deliver it
significantly through Childline, our free confidential helplines and our range of services for children and families. We deliver projects in local communities for children who have experienced or are at risk of abuse as well as those in care, focusing on children who most need help. We also provide advice to adults and professionals who are concerned about children and work with other organisations that come into contact with children to ensure that they protect children, challenging those who do not. We visit schools, providing young people with the knowledge and resilience to keep themselves safe. And we campaign to make children safer and improve the child protection system across the UK and Channel Islands.
We have a duty to have due regard to the Charity Commission’s public benefit guidance, under Section 17 of the Charities Act 2011. We are confident that we meet those public benefit requirements having taken Charity Commission guidance into consideration.
**Our vision is to end cruelty to children in the UK; although such a vision may take many generations to be fulfilled. We believe cruelty to children is preventable and that through having our strategy in place we can achieve much more: ‘every childhood is worth fighting for’.**
We believe we meet the public benefit requirements through the range of activities we undertake, most
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Trustees’ responsibilities statement
## Patrons, trustees, officers and professional advisors
The trustees are responsible for preparing the trustees’ annual report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice) including FRS 102 (The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland).
## **Royal Patron**
HRH The Countess of Wessex
## **President**
HRH The Countess of Wessex
## **Board of trustees**
## **Royal Patron of Childline**
HRH The Countess of Wessex
## **President of Childline**
Dame Esther Rantzen DBE
## **Dr Joanna Begent** _**MBBS**_
- Trustee since 2015
The law applicable to charities in England, Wales and Scotland 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 incoming resources and application of resources 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 the charities SORP
- make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent
- state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed
- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business.
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 Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008, the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005, the Charity Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended) and the provisions of the Royal Charter. 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 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.
## **Subsidiaries and related parties**
NSPCC Trading Company Limited and Childline are both wholly owned subsidiaries of the NSPCC, and their accounts are consolidated in the accounts presented on pages 108 to 133.
The principal activities of NSPCC Trading Company Limited are corporate sponsorship, fundraising events, sale of goods – including Christmas cards, and income from promotional activities. The company has seen a decrease in income this year due to reduced recycling income. Despite this, the company had a profitable year and continues to develop its activities to support our work. The profit before tax of £0.6 million (2020: £1.4 million) was donated under Gift Aid to the NSPCC.
Childline continues as a separate legal entity in order to receive legacy income not otherwise receivable by the NSPCC. In the year ending 31 March 2021, it received £0.9 million legacy income (2020: £0.3 million). This is paid by way of a grant to the NSPCC towards the operation of the Childline service for which the funds were received.
- Lead trustee with responsibility for safeguarding (since 2 October 2020)
## **Neil Berkett**
- Trustee since 4 October 2018[1]
- Policy committee (member)
- Chair since 2 October 2019
- Finance committee (member)
## **Elizabeth Brash**
- Nominations and Governance committee (chair)
- Trustee from 1 October 2015 to 31 May 2021
- Policy committee (member)
- Income Generation committee (member)
- Remuneration committee (chair)
- Volunteer Engagement committee (member)
## **Pippa Gough** _**MA MSc PGCEA RN RM HV FQNI FRSA**_
- Trustee since 4 October 2018
## **Andy Briggs** _**FIA**_
- Vice-chair since 12 December 2019
- Trustee since 2016
- Policy committee
- Income Generation committee (chair)
- (chair since 2 September 2019)
## **Clem Brohier** _**ACMA CGMA FRSA**_
- Nominations and Governance committee (member since 4 December 2019)
- Trustee since 2016
- Audit and Risk committee (chair)
- Remuneration committee
## **Professor Tanya Byron** _**PsychD**_
- (member since 12 December 2019)
- Trustee since 2016
- Policy committee (member)
## **Sarah Ridgway**
- Trustee since 4 October 2018
## **Fiona Curteis**
- Vice-chair since 12 December 2019
- Trustee to 1 October 2020
- Nominations and Governance committee (member since 12 December 2019)
- Lead trustee with responsibility for safeguarding
- Audit and Risk committee (member)
- Remuneration committee
- Volunteer Engagement committee (member)
- (member since 12 December 2019)
- Service Development committee (member)
## **Eithne Daly**
- Trustee since 1 October 2020
- Volunteer Engagement committee (chair since 12 December 2019)
- Service Development committee (member)
## **James Bailey**
## **Ifeoluwapo (Ife) Grillo**
## _**Chartered FCSI NASD Series 7**_
- Trustee since 1 October 2020
- Trustee since 2013
- Audit and Risk committee (member)
- Volunteer Engagement committee (member)
- Volunteer Engagement committee (member)
1. Neil was also previously an NSPCC Trustee from 2010 to 2017
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## **Albert Heaney**
- Trustee since 13 May 2021
- Service Development committee (member)
## **Andrew Kerr**
- Trustee since 4 October 2018
- Policy committee (member)
- Service Development committee (member)
## **Tarek Khlat** _**MBA**_
- Trustee since 2015
- Income Generation committee (member)
## **Lady Brenda McLaughlin**
## _**CBE Dip Soc Stds**_
- Trustee to 1 October 2020
- Volunteer Engagement committee (member)
- Service Development committee (chair to 11 June 2020)
## **Derrick Mortimer**
- Trustee since 4 October 2018
- Finance committee (member)
- Volunteer Engagement committee (member)
- Service Development committee (chair since 11 June 2020)
## **Sheanna Patelmaster**
- Trustee since 1 October 2020
- Finance committee (member)
## **Thomas Toumazis MBE**
- Trustee since 4 October 2018
- Income Generation committee (member)
- Audit and Risk committee since 19 November 2020
## **John Worth FCA**
- Trustee since 2016
- Honorary treasurer
- Audit and Risk committee (member)
- Finance committee (chair)
- Remuneration committee (member)
## **Co-opted members**
_We thank the following for the support on our committees, recognising the expert advice they give:_
## **Catherine Baxendale FCIPD**
- Service Development committee
## **David Barker**
- Finance committee to 30 September 2020
## **Angela Cha**
- Audit and Risk committee since 11 March 2021
**Mark Corbidge**
- Finance committee
## **Gavin Dein**
- Income Generation committee
## **Steve Hart**
- Audit and Risk committee
## **Estelle Lloyd**
- Income Generation committee
## **Mark Luboff**
- Finance committee
## **Jonathan Middup FCA**
- Audit and Risk committee
**Professor Helen Minnis**
- Policy committee
## **Hywel Peterson**
- Income Generation committee
## **Andrew Ross**
- Income generation committee
## **Gavin Sanderson FCA**
- Finance committee
## **Paul Snell**
- Service Development committee
## **Rajesh Tugnait** _**MBA CIM**_
_**Diploma in Professional Marketing**_
- Income Generation committee
## **Francesca Valli**
- Income Generation committee
_We also thank the trustees of the NSPCC Pension Scheme Limited:_
## **Lynne Stewart-Brindle**
(chair since 22 September 2020) **Steve Delo** (chair to 21 September 2020) **Alex Camm**
**Tracey Dawkins** (to 17 December 2020) **Clare Murray** (to 9 December 2020) **Philippa Webster**
**Senior management (the executive board)**
## **Chief Executive**
- Peter Wanless
## **Director of Children’s Services**
- Sherry Malik (to 31 July 2020)
**Director of Communications and Marketing**
- David Hamilton (since 1 June 2020)
- Steve Hughes (Interim Director from 1 February 2020 – 30 May 2020)
## **Director of Corporate Services**
- David Roberts (to 31 March 2021)
## **Director of Finance[2]**
- Paul Taylor (since 1 April 2021)
**Director of Income Generation, Fundraising and Engagement**
- Jo Swinhoe
## **Director of National Services**
- Claire Johnson (to 31 July 2020)
## **Director of Services[2]**
- Claire Johnson (since 1 August 2020)
**Director of People**
• Brett Terry
**Director of Strategy, Policy and Evidence**
- Kate Stanley (to 24 April 2020)
• Maria Tuck (Interim Director from 25 April 2020 to 29 November 2020)
## **Director of Strategy and Knowledge[2]**
• Maria Neophytou (since 30 November 2020)
**Chief Technology Officer[2]**
• Greig Sharman (since 2 February 2021)
**Bankers and professional advisers**
**Bankers**
**Barclays Bank Plc** 1 Churchill Place London, E14 5HP
**The Co-operative Bank Plc** 9 Prescot Street London, E1 8BE
## **NatWest Plc**
250 Bishopsgate London EC2M 4AA
## **Auditor**
**Deloitte LLP**
Registered Auditor Hill House, 1 Little New Street London, EC4A 3TR
**Investment managers**
**Credit Suisse (UK) Limited** 1 Cabot Square London, E14 4QJ
**J.P. Morgan International Bank Ltd.** 25 Bank Street, Canary Wharf London, E14 5JP
**Legal advisors**
## **Bates Wells & Braithwaite**
10 Queen Street Place London, EX4R 1BE
**Carbon Law Partners** 89 Eastgate Cowbridge, CF71 7AA
## **Carson McDowell LLP**
Murray House, Murray Street Belfast BT1 6DN (who also advise us on a pro-bono basis)
2. This post was created in 2020/21
## **Wilson’s Law**
4 Lincoln’s Inn Fields London, WC2A 3AA
## **Withers worldwide**
20 Old Bailey London, EC4M 7AN (who also advise us on a pro-bono basis)
_We would like to thank the following firms for their pro-bono work:_
## **Baker & McKenzie**
100 New Bridge Street London, EC4V 6JA
**CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP**
Cannon Place 78 Cannon Street London, EC4N 6AF
## **Devereux Chambers**
Devereux Court, Temple London, WC2R 3JH
**DLA Piper** 3 Noble Street London, EC2V 7EE
**Drystone Chambers** 35 Bedford Row London, WX1R 4JH
## **Gowling WLG**
3 Waterhouse Square 142 Holborn London, EC1N 2SW
## **Herbert Smith Freehills LLP**
Exchange House Primrose Street London, EC2A 2EG
**Matrix Chambers** Griffin Building, Gray’s Inn Road London, WC1R 5LN
**Mayer Brown International LLP** 201 Bishopsgate London, EC4V 6JA
**Simmons and Simmons** CityPoint, 1 Ropemaker Street London, EC2Y 9SS
## **Walker Morris**
Kings Court, 12 King Street Leeds, LS1 2HL
## **Weil, Gotshal & Manges**
110 Fetter Lane London, EC4A 1AY
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**NSPCC Annual Report and Accounts 2020-21**
## Financial review
Our goal is always to do the most for children with the limited resources that we have. In 2016, we set ourselves an ambition to make five million children safer in five years. We’re proud to report that we’ve helped make over 6.6 million children safer in five years. And we helped make over 1.5 million children safer in 2020/21 alone.
## **Summary**
The global coronavirus pandemic brought immediate implications for child protection and welfare, and operational challenges to our organisation. One of our priorities coming in to 2020/21 was to mitigate, as far as possible, income lost as a direct result of the pandemic due to cancelled or postponed fundraising activity, so that we were able to keep our essential services open for children. You can read more about how our services adapted over this period throughout this report.
As anticipated, there have been decreases in our underlying income streams, particularly from fundraising events; however, we have received additional support in response to the pandemic. Although we have received less income from supporters this year (donations and legacies*, and other trading activities), this still makes up over 80 per cent of total income received (2020: around 90 per cent), which continues to illustrate the clear mandate we hold to act on behalf of the public to protect children. We would like to thank everyone who has stood with us in the fight for every childhood over the past year, and who continue to support our work. We have provided a detailed section on our relationship with donors and funders on page 76.
Although services have had to adapt, we have maintained the percentage spent on directly helping children and families at close to 80 per cent, at 77.2 per cent (2020 79.7 per cent). This means that for every pound we spend, nearly 80 pence** goes on charitable activities. We also maintained funds over five months’ forward expenditure, which will provide resilience against the continued impact of the pandemic, providing more certainty in the short-term that we can maintain the services we deliver going forward into next year.
- Income from supporters included income from donations and legacies (excluding statutory non-performance related grants) and other trading activities.
- ** Expenditure on charitable activities is 77.2 per cent (2020: 79.7 per cent) of total expenditure excluding other expenditure. Excluding donated services of £5.8 million, expenditure on charitable activities would be 81.1 per cent (2020: 79.9 per cent) of total expenditure excluding other expenditure. Donated services are recognised within raising funds £5.4 million and charitable activities £0.4 million.
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## **How we helped children**
Despite the challenges of this year, we spent a total of £83.3 million on charitable activities, which was £3.5 million lower than last year (2020: £86.8 million) with, the amount spent to directly help children and families remaining close to 80 per cent of expenditure.** This year we received £5.8 million in donated services, primarily for advertising costs (2020: £0.6 million), which you can read about more on page 99. Excluding these costs would increase the percentage spent to directly help children and families from 77.2 per cent to 81.1 per cent (2020: from 79.7 per cent to 79.9 per cent), indicating that even more of what we spend is more directly targeted at our charitable activities.
Expenditure on services for children and families reduced by £2.6 million to £36.5 million (2020: £39.1 million). There was initial disruption to some of our face-to-face and group work at the start of the year during the first lockdown of the pandemic. However, service centre teams were able to successfully adapt many of our services to virtual or online delivery. The virtual delivery of some services has been so successful we will continue with this model post pandemic.
Expenditure on Childline and our schools service reduced by £0.4 million to £21.2 million (2020: £21.6 million). With lockdown measures and school closures across much of the UK, the year started with a number of challenges for our Childline service. Childline is predominantly delivered by volunteers, who through our 12 bases provide support to children and young people via telephone, chat messaging and email. In response to the pandemic and resulting restrictions, Childline launched emergency activity to raise awareness of the service and the support available, which includes a range of online tools such as our message boards, mood journal, newly developed coronavirus content and the Calm Zone. This year we delivered fewer counselling sessions through Childline, almost 205,000 (2020: almost 240,000), as we experienced a continued increase in the number of children and young people who contact us online. Online counselling sessions take longer as the young person needs time to think about what they want to say, and the counsellor
needs time to read and respond to what the young person has written. Although the pandemic impacted our ability to deliver our _Speak out. Stay safe._ programme through school assemblies, we were able to deliver virtual assemblies to over 1,600 schools (2020: over 7,000). You can read more about our Childline service and _Speak out. Stay safe._ on pages 37 and 40.
Expenditure on child protection advice and awareness increased by £0.2 million to £21.3 million (2020: £21.1 million). In March 2020 when schools were closed because of the pandemic, one of the concerns the NSPCC had was that children at risk of harm were now hidden from sight. We rely on adults in schools and communities to be there for children and to contact the NSPCC helpline for help and advice when they are worried about a child. In response to these concerns the NSPCC secured funding from the Department for Education to deliver a huge awareness campaign, the biggest one that the service has delivered in many years, and saw our helpline respond to over 87,000 contacts (2020: nearly 69,000). This increased spend was offset by reduced expenditure on faceto-face activity with the general public to talk about our work. You can read more about our helpline on page 35.
Expenditure on child protection consultancy reduced by £0.7 million to £4.3 million (2020: £5.0 million), primarily due to training being unable to take place. However, there have been almost 2 million recorded visitors to the NSPCC Learning website this year, where we have our range of online courses that help organisations and individuals working with children and young people to gain the knowledge and skills they need to keep them safe. You can read more about this service on page 44.
Expenditure on raising funds increased by £2.5 million to £24.6 million (2020: £22.1 million). This includes increased advertising costs for our awareness and fundraising campaigns. Although £4.4 million of these services were donated, partly offset by reduced expenditure on our fundraising events as many events were cancelled or postponed due to the pandemic. And those events that were able to go ahead were either scaled down or took place virtually.
Our efforts over the years to streamline all that we do have enabled us to continually reduce support costs, and to reduce the percentage of our total expenditure from seven per cent in 2012 to just four per cent in 2019, which has been maintained at this level since. This year we have maintained this level of expenditure at £4.6 million, 4.1 per cent (2020: £4.7 million, 4.2 per cent). Support costs include expenditure on governance activities of £0.4 million (2020: £0.4 million). Governance costs include the cost of internal audit, legal advice, costs associated with meeting constitutional and statutory requirements and strategic planning.
## **The support we received**
Despite the challenges faced this year our total income has increased by £4.2 million to £121.8 million (2020: £117.6 million). As anticipated, there have been decreases in our underlying income streams, particularly from fundraising events, however we have received additional support in response to the pandemic.
Overall income from donations and legacies increased by £9.1 million to £102.6 million (2020: £93.5 million). Income from individual giving, including regular donations, reduced by £0.6 million to £50.8 million (2020: £51.4 million), continuing the trend of decline in the number of committed regular giving relationships. Although despite the economic hardships that many people have faced over the last 12 months, there have been fewer cancellations than last year, reducing by 24,000 to 465,000 (2020: reducing by 33,000 to 489,000). This year we have not been able to perform face-toface fundraising due to the pandemic, which has resulted in a lower number of new regular donors joining in the year, 6,000 (compared to 20,000 in 2020). However, we’ve seen many donors give additional financial support during the height of the pandemic, in direct response to our Still Here for Children appeal.
Legacy income decreased by £0.2 million to £22.4 million (2020: £22.6 million), with 11 gifts over £250,000 (2020: 14). We experienced a second year of decline in legacy notifications, which is likely to impact income in the coming financial year.
As well as our Still Here For Children campaign we also received other additional income during the global coronavirus pandemic. We received £3.9 million through the coronavirus job retention scheme and £3.6 million in other coronavirus support, including £2.1 million from the Department for Education to support the helpline and Childline, and £1.4 million from the Association of British Insurers to support the helplines domestic abuse project. Since the introduction of lockdown measures, the number of contacts to the helpline from people concerned about children living in homes with domestic abuse rose by 35 per cent. You can read more about domestic abuse on page 27.
Income from corporates, trusts and major donors increased by £4.2 million to £11.9 million (2020: £7.7 million). This is primarily due to increased donated services of £5.2 million (2020: £0.1 million), including £2.7 million of media donated by the Financial Times to support our 100 Unforgettable Days campaign, asking people to donate £30,000 to fund the running of all 12 UK Childline bases for one day, and £1.6 million for the Still Here for Children campaign from various corporate partners, including £0.5 million from Calpol. Excluding donated services, income from corporates, trusts and major donors has reduced by £1.0 million, primarily due to a reduction in employee fundraising and company donations from our corporate partners.
Income from schools fundraising decreased by £1.6 million to £0.3 million (2020: £1.9 million) as the pandemic impacted our ability to deliver assemblies, although we were able to deliver virtual assemblies to over 1,600 schools (2020: over 7,000).
Other voluntary income streams decreased by £0.2 million in aggregate.
Income from trading activities decreased by £4.5 million to £4.5 million (2020: £9.0 million), due to a reduction in fundraising event income to £0.7 million (2020: £3.7 million), as many events were cancelled or postponed due to the pandemic and those events that were able to go ahead in 2021 were either scaled down or took place virtually. Sales of goods
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and other activities also reduced to £3.8 million (2020: £5.3 million), primarily due to less income from the People’s Postcode Lottery.
Income from charitable activities, received primarily from government and other statutory sources, through grants and contracts, reduced by £0.3 million to £13.3 million (2020: £13.6 million). Due to the pandemic, we were unable to deliver face-to-face training, however we saw an additional £0.4 million in elearning sales through NSPCC Learning, which was launched in 2019, with our range of online courses that help organisations and individuals working with children and young people to gain the knowledge and skills they need to keep them safe.
Although we have received additional coronavirus support this year, income from supporters (donations and legacies*, and other trading activities) remains above 80 per cent of total income received, which continues to illustrate the clear mandate we hold to act on behalf of the public to protect children. We would like to thank all our supporters for their commitment to the cause and their passion for what we do, which leads them to give generously in so many ways. This support is as vital as it’s ever been, and we simply could not reach the children who need us without our supporters standing with us.
## **Reserves**
Total funds now stand at £80.0 million, a reduction of £0.2 million compared to last year. We aim to retain sufficient general funds in a range equivalent to approximately three to five months’ forward expenditure. We hold these general reserves in case of any sudden decline in income, so that we can honour our commitments to children and young people by ensuring contractual obligations to staff, premises and funding partners can be met with some confidence. At 31 March 2021, unrestricted general funds were £86.9 million (2020: £66.6 million). The actuarial valuation of our closed defined benefit pension scheme has resulted in a pension deficit and a negative pension reserve of £32.0 million an increase of £18.4 million against last year (2020: £13.6 million). Further details on pensions are given in the pensions section later in this report. Our combined
unrestricted general funds, including the pension reserve, total £54.9 million (2020: £53.0 million) and are equivalent to 5.9 months forward expenditure (2020: 5.4 months), maintaining cover above our reserves cover range in order to provide resilience against the continued impact of the pandemic, and providing more certainty in the shortterm that we can maintain the services we deliver going forward into next year.
At 31 March 2021, designated funds were £15.3 million (2020: £17.6 million). Designated funds are funds set aside by the trustees out of general funds to cover the value of property fixed assets held, which includes freehold and leasehold properties, or to fund specific future purposes or projects. Currently the designated fund balance relates to property fixed assets, with a land value of £1.3 million, an investment property value of £0.9 million and depreciating property assets of £13.1 million. The remaining average depreciation time for these property assets is 25 years.
At 31 March 2021, restricted funds were £8.4 million (2020: £8.3 million). Restricted funds are funds received for undertaking an activity specified by the donor when making the gift, or may result from the terms of an appeal for funds. Of the restricted funds represented by tangible fixed assets, £4.7 million relates to freehold and leasehold property, with a land value of £0.8 million and depreciating assets of £3.8 million with a remaining average depreciation time of 35 years, and £0.1 million relates to computer hardware with a remaining average depreciation time of four years. A further £0.4 million relates to development software intangible fixed assets with a remaining average depreciation time of one year. The remaining balance of restricted funds at 31 March 2021 represents unspent restricted income of £3.3 million, including £1.3 million from the Association of British Insurers to support the helplines domestic abuse project, £0.3 million received for The Lighthouse and £0.4 million for Harmful Sexual Behaviour as well as £0.8 million with other regional restrictions and £0.5 million restricted to programmes, which will be used to fund future activities.
At 31 March 2021, total cash and investments totalled £95.1 million (2020: £74.3 million). Fixed asset investments totalled £86.2 million (2020: £61.4 million) of which £25.9 million was held in equities (2020: £23.1 million), £32.4 million was held in fixed income bonds (2020: £32.3 million) and £27.0 million was held in bank deposits (2020: £5.1 million). A total of £71.1 million is held by Credit Suisse and JP Morgan (2020: £59.5 million), the Society also holds £14.2 million in fixed notice bank deposits (2020: £1.0 million) and £0.9 million in investment property (2020: £0.9 million).
## **Investments and cash**
The trustees have wide investment powers set out in the Royal Charter and bye-laws. The trustees have delegated their responsibilities for investments to the Finance Committee.
JP Morgan and Credit Suisse act as our investment managers, with each investment manager actively managing a mixed portfolio of Equities, Bonds and cash deposits with the aim to limit the level of market volatility, and apply a set of ethical screens using industry recognised screening tools provided by MSCI ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) Research and ECPI Research.
**The table below shows the performance of our investment managers at 31 March 2021:**
|**Fund**
**manager**|**Benchmarks used**|**Fund value**
**31 March 2021**
**£’000**
**Inception**|**Performance**
**since Inception**
**%**|
|---|---|---|---|
|**JP**
**Morgan**|46.5% Bloomberg
Barclays Sterling
Corporate 1-10 Years
45% MSCI World Net
Total Return USD Index
8.5% SONIA Interest
Rate Benchmark|Equities
16,528
Bonds
13,320
Deposits
7,044
1st
October
2018
**Total**
**36,892**|Performance 25.05
Benchmark
17.75|
||||**Variance**
**7.30**|
|**Credit**
**Suisse**|61% Citigroup GBP
AAA/AA/A Bonds
31% MSCI World Idx
TR Net Hdg into GBP
8% GBP
1 Month Deposit|Equities
9,409
Bonds
19,080
Deposits
5,742
2nd July
2018
**Total**
**34,231**|Performance 16.37
Benchmark
16.06|
||||**Variance**
**0.31**|
in current investments and cash, which is broadly equivalent to one month’s expenditure, in order to manage the uncertainty caused by the global coronavirus pandemic. The overall return on cash investments for the year ending 31 March 2021 was 0.2 per cent (2020: 0.8 per cent). We also earned rental income of £0.1 million (2020: £0.1 million) from our investment property.
Investments generated investment gains of £10.7 million compared with losses of £2.4 million last year. Losses last year were due to the immediate economic impact of the global coronavirus pandemic, which subsequently recovered in early 2021.
Current investments and cash were £8.9 million (2020: £12.9 million), comprising operational cash held plus overnight money market investments. The charity choses to hold this amount
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## **Pensions**
We provide a group personal pension, which is a defined contribution pension scheme available to all staff, operated by Aviva. We also operate a defined benefit scheme. The non-contributory section was closed to new members on 1 July 2002, and the contributory section was closed to new members on 1 July 2008. The full scheme was closed to future accrual on 31 December 2009; on closure, members of the scheme had the opportunity to join the defined contribution scheme.
The most recent triennial actuarial valuation showed a deficit of £25.2 million. Based on this valuation the society has agreed with the trustees that, in addition to the £2.0 million annual contribution and £3.5 million lump sum paid in the year to 31 March 2019, it will aim to eliminate the deficit over a period of five years and six months from 1 April 2019 by the payment of annual contributions of £2.0 million. In addition to the annual contributions a lump sum of £3.5 million will be paid by 31 March 2022 and a lump sum of £4.2 million will be paid by 30 September 2024 subject to the scheme remaining in deficit on the technical provisions set of assumptions. In addition, and in accordance with the actuarial valuation, the Society has agreed with the trustees that it will pay £0.5 million per annum to meet expenses of the scheme and levies to the Pensions Protection Fund. The society trustees consider that the pension deficit is recoverable from future cash flows.
The basis of calculating a pension surplus and deficit for funding purposes is different to the basis that needs to be adopted to determine an accounting valuation under FRS 102. The FRS 102 valuation as at 31 March 2021 showed assets of £176.8 million with liabilities of £208.8 million giving a deficit of £32.0 million (2020: a deficit of £13.6 million). This increase can be principally attributed to:
- •a reduction in UK corporate bond yields and higher inflation expectations since the previous year end which, taken together, place a significantly higher value on the pension scheme liabilities; offset by:
- •strong returns achieved by the Scheme’s investments over the year; and
- •the adoption of the latest mortality
assumptions which result in slightly lower life expectancies (and lower liabilities as a result).
The Society and the pension scheme trustee have continued to work together to reduce the level of risk associated with the pension scheme. The key action during the last financial year has been to increase the level of interest rate and inflation hedging.
## **Going concern**
We have outlined the charity’s financial position and performance in the financial review above. 2020/21 was a challenging year, with the COVID-19 pandemic bringing significant and rapid change to our operating environment and income generation opportunities. As we head into the new year, these challenges have not been removed, and there remains a relatively high level of uncertainty around the degree to which the pandemic will continue to impact both our service delivery and our income.
In setting the 2021/22 budget, we have taken a bottom-up, conservative approach, underpinned by the broad assumption that social distancing restrictions and economic growth will lift slowly, and that many larger events may not be possible. We have then overlaid ‘worst case’ assumptions around what may happen if the pandemic situation, and associated economic conditions were to decline.
Having assessed projected future income, expenditure and cash flows over the period to 31 March 2023, including additional downside scenarios and analysed the strength of the charity’s reserves, liquid assets and its ability to withstand a shortterm material fall in income we have concluded that there is a reasonable expectation that the charity and its subsidiaries have adequate resources to continue their activities for the foreseeable future. Therefore, we have continued to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements.
**Neil Berkett** _Chair_
15 July 2021
## Independent auditor’s report
to the trustees of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC)
## **Report on the audit of the financial statements**
are further described in the auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report.
## **Opinion**
We are independent of the group and of the parent charity in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the Financial Reporting Standard’s (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.
In our opinion the financial statements of statements of NSPCC (the ‘charity’) and its subsidiaries (the ‘group’):
- give a true and fair view of the state of the group’s and the parent charity’s affairs as at 31 March 2021 and of the group’s incoming resources and application of resources for the year then ended;
- have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland”; and
## **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.
- have been prepared in accordance with the Charities Act 2011, the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005, and regulations 6 and 8 of the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 and the Royal Charter.
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 group’s and parent charity’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least 12 months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.
We have audited the financial statements which comprise:
- the NSPCC Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities;
Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.
- the NSPCC and Consolidated Balance Sheets;
- Consolidated Cash Flow Statement; and
- the related notes one to 25.
## **Other information**
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).
The other information comprises the information included in the annual report, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.
## **Basis for opinion**
Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards
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statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of 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 this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. 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.
**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 group’s and the parent charity’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 group or the parent charity or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
**Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements**
We have been appointed as auditor under section 151 of the Charities Act 2011, and section 44(1)(c) of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and report in accordance with those Acts and relevant regulations made or having effect thereunder.
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.
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.
**Extent to which the audit was considered capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud** 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.
We considered the nature of the group’s industry and its control environment, and reviewed the group’s documentation of their policies and procedures relating to fraud and compliance with laws and regulations. We also enquired of management, internal audit, human resources and legal about their own identification and assessment of the risks of irregularities.
We obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory frameworks that the group operates in, and identified the key laws and regulations that:
•had a direct effect on the determination of material amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. These included the Charities Act, Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008, pensions legislation, and tax legislation; and
•do not have a direct effect on the financial statements but compliance with which may be fundamental to the group’s ability to operate or to avoid a material penalty. These included Charity Commission for England and Wales (Charity Commission) regulations, the Scottish Regulator (OSCR) regulations, Gambling Commission regulations, and Fundraising regulations.
We discussed among the audit engagement team including relevant internal specialists such as pensions
regarding the opportunities and incentives that may exist within the organisation for fraud and how and where fraud might occur in the financial statements.
As a result of performing the above, we identified the greatest potential for fraud in the following area, and our specific procedures performed to address it are described below:
•Revenue recognition which is related to the cut-off of legacy income: we obtained an understanding of the key processes and relevant controls around the cut-off of legacy income; and performed detailed substantive tests on legacy income and the related accrual as at year-end, on a sample basis, to verify that they are recognised within the correct accounting period and have been appropriately included in the financial statements.
In common with all audits under ISAs (UK), we are also required to perform specific procedures to respond to the risk of management override. In addressing the risk of fraud through management override of controls, we tested the appropriateness of journal entries and other adjustments; assessed whether the judgements made in making accounting estimates are indicative of a potential bias; and evaluated the business rationale of any significant transactions that are unusual or outside the normal course of business.
In addition to the above, our procedures to respond to the risks identified included the following:
•reviewing financial statement disclosures by testing to supporting documentation to assess compliance with provisions of relevant laws and regulations described as having a direct effect on the financial statements;
- •performing analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected relationships that may indicate risks of material misstatement due to fraud;
- •enquiring of management and in-house and external legal counsel concerning actual and potential litigation and claims, and instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations;
- •reading minutes of meetings of those charged with governance, and reviewing internal audit reports.
## **Report on other legal and regulatory requirements**
## **Matters on which we are**
**required to report by exception** Under the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 we are required to report in respect of the following matters if, in our opinion:
- the information given in the financial statements is inconsistent in any material respect with the trustees’ report; or
- sufficient and proper accounting records have not been kept by the parent charity; or
- the parent charity financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or
- we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.
We have nothing to report in respect of these matters.
## **Use of our report**
This report is made solely to the charity’s trustees, as a body, in accordance with Part 4 of the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and regulation 10 of the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charity’s trustees 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 charity and the charity’s trustees as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
**Deloitte LLP Statutory Auditor London, United Kingdom 15 July 2021**
Deloitte LLP is eligible for appointment as auditor for the charity by virtue of its eligibility for appointment as audit of a company under section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006.
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## The support we received
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Donations and legacies
£102.6 million (84.2%)
Voluntary donations made by
our supporters on a regular or
one-off basis, including grants
which do not have performance-
conditions attached.
(£93.5 million in 2020)
Total income
£121.8 million
**----- End of picture text -----**
## **Income from carrying out our charitable work** £13.3 million (10.9%)
**Other trading activities** £4.5 million (3.7%)
## **Investment income**
£1.4 million (1.2%)
Income received from our bank accounts and investment holdings.
Activities undertaken for the purpose of raising funds to support our charitable work. For example dinners and balls, auctions, challenge events, sale of Christmas cards and allowing commercial organisations to use our name and logo in their marketing activity.
Income which we receive in the course of carrying out our charitable work. For example, income received from service level agreements with local authorities; government grants; and income received from provision of training and education in child protection to professional groups.
- _(£1.5 million in 2020)_
_(£9.0 million in 2020)_
_(£13.6 million in 2020)_
## How we helped protect children
## **Charitable expenditure**
## £83.3 million (77.2%)
The cost of undertaking direct charitable activities which are defined under the following headings: (£86.8 million in 2020)
- Services for children and families £36.5 million
**Total expenditure** £107.9 million*
- _(£39.1 million in 2020)_
- Childline and the Schools Service £21.2 million
**----- Start of picture text -----**
(excluding other costs)
**----- End of picture text -----**
- _(£21.6 million in 2020)_
- Child protection advice and awareness £21.3 million
- _(£21.1 million in 2020)_
- Child protection consultancy £4.3 million
- _(£5.0 million in 2020)_
## **Raising donations and legacies** £21.7 million (20.1%)
## **Other trading activities**
## **Investment**
**management costs** £0.3 million (0.3%)
£2.6 million (2.4%)
The cost of managing our investments.
The cost of receiving voluntary donations, attracting new supporters and ongoing supporter care.
The cost of fundraising events, attracting support for our weekly lottery and other trading activities to raise funds to support our work.
- _(£0.3 million in 2020)_
- _(£17.4 million in 2020)_
- _(£4.4 million in 2020)_
## **Other***
£4.6 million
Costs outside business as usual activities, such as restructuring and impairments.
_(£2.4 million in 2020)_
_*Total expenditure was £112.5 million (£111.3 million in 2020) including other expenditure of £4.6 million (£2.4 million in 2020). These costs have been excluded from the figures presented above as they are outside business as usual activities._
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NSPCC and consolidated balance sheets as at 31 March 2021
## NSPCC consolidated statement of financial activities for the year ended 31 March 2021
|||||**Year**|**Year**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||**Restricted &**|**ended**|**ended**|
|||**Unrestricted**|**endowment**|**31 March**|**31 March**|
|||**funds**|**funds [i]**|**2021**|**2020**|
||**Notes**|**£'000**|**£'000**|**£'000**|**£'000**|
|**Income from:**||||||
|Donations and legacies|3|83,984|18,597|102,581|93,518|
|Charitable activities|4|5,207|8,116|13,323|13,610|
|Other trading activities|3|4,083|407|4,490|8,959|
|Investments|3|1,421|6|1,427|1,515|
|**Total income**||**94,695**|**27,126**|**121,821**|**117,602**|
|**Expenditure on:**||||||
|Raising donations and legacies|5|21,552|175|21,727|17,396|
|Other trading activities|5|2,588|10|2,598|4,377|
|Investment management costs|5|319|6|325|323|
|**Raising funds**||**24,459**|**191**|**24,650**|**22,096**|
|**Net income available for charitable application**||**70,236**|**26,935**|**97,171**|**95,506**|
|**Expenditure on:**||||||
|Services for children and families||27,005|9,463|36,468|39,051|
|Childline and the Schools Service||12,136|9,036|21,172|21,560|
|Child protection advice and awareness||18,603|2,736|21,339|21,122|
|Child protection consultancy||3,625|681|4,306|5,048|
|**Charitable activities**|**5**|**61,369**|**21,916**|**83,285**|**86,781**|
|Other|5|3,465|1,103|4,568|2,437|
|**Total expenditure**||**89,293**|**23,210**|**112,503**|**111,314**|
|||||||
|**Net income before investment gains /(losses)**||**5,402**|**3,916**|**9,318**|**6,288**|
|Net gains /(losses) on investments|13|10,508|193|10,701|(2,436)|
|**Net income**||**15,910**|**4,109**|**20,019**|**3,852**|
|||||||
|**Transfer between funds**|22|**3,889**|**(3,889)**|**–**|**–**|
|**Other recognised (losses)/gains :**||||||
|Actuarial (losses)/gains on|20|(20,239)|–|(20,239)|777|
|defned beneft pension scheme||||||
|**Net movement in funds**||**(440)**|**220**|**(220)**|**4,629**|
|**Reconciliation of funds:**||||||
|Total funds brought forward||70,562|9,692|80,254|75,625|
|**Total funds carried forward**||**70,122**|**9,912**|**80,034**|**80,254**|
[i] The net gains on investments shown under restricted & endowment funds are attributable to permanent endowment investments and along with the allocation of investment management fees are the only movements on the permanent endowment fund. All other income and expenditure relates to restricted funds. Details of the permanent endowment fund are given within notes 22 and 23.
|||**Group**||**Charity**|**Charity**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**2021**|**2020**|**2021**|**2020**|
||**Notes**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|
|**Fixed assets**||||||
|Tangible assets|11|20,107|23,906|20,107|23,906|
|Intangible assets|11|2,430|3,019|2,430|3,019|
|Investments|13|86,215|61,411|86,215|61,411|
|**Total fxed assets**||**108,752**|**88,336**|**108,752**|**88,336**|
|**Current assets**||||||
|Debtors|14|10,809|9,699|10,910|9,691|
|Investments|15|8,450|12,000|8,450|12,000|
|Cash at bank and in hand|15|471|859|208|678|
|**Total current assets**||**19,730**|**22,558**|**19,568**|**22,369**|
|Creditors – amounts falling due within one year|16|(12,201)|(12,944)|(12,069)|(12,785)|
|**Net current assets**||**7,529**|**9,614**|**7,499**|**9,584**|
|**Total assets less current liabilities**||**116,281**|**97,950**|**116,251**|**97,920**|
|Creditors – amounts falling due after one year|17|–|(8)|–|(8)|
|Provisions for liabilities|18|(4,219)|(4,137)|(4,219)|(4,137)|
|**Net assets excluding pension scheme liability**||**112,062**|**93,805**|**112,032**|**93,775**|
|Defned beneft pension scheme liability|20|(32,028)|(13,551)|(32,028)|(13,551)|
|**Total net assets**||**80,034**|**80,254**|**80,004**|**80,224**|
|**Total funds**||||||
|Endowment funds|22|1,532|1,345|1,532|1,345|
|Restricted income funds|22|8,380|8,347|8,380|8,347|
|_Unrestricted funds:_||||||
|Designated funds|22|15,285|17,572|15,285|17,572|
|General funds|22|86,865|66,541|86,835|66,511|
|_Unrestricted funds excluding pension liability_||**102,150**|**84,113**|**102,120**|**84,083**|
|Pension reserve|22|(32,028)|(13,551)|(32,028)|(13,551)|
|_Total unrestricted funds_||**70,122**|**70,562**|**70,092**|**70,532**|
|**Total funds**||**80,034**|**80,254**|**80,004**|**80,224**|
The accompanying notes form part of these accounts. Approved by the Board of Trustees on 15 July 2021 and signed on its behalf by
**Neil Berkett** Chair
**John Worth** Treasurer
There were no other recognised gains and losses other than those listed above and the net income for the year. All income relates to continuing operations.
The Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities with fund comparatives is detailed within note 2.
**108**
**109**
**NSPCC Annual Report and Accounts 2020-21**
## Consolidated cash flow statement for the year ended 31 March 2021
## Notes to the consolidated accounts for the year ended 31 March 2021
## **1. Accounting policies**
|||**2021**|**2020**|
|---|---|---|---|
||**Notes**|**£’000**|**£’000**|
|**Cash fows provided from operating activities:**||||
|Net cash provided by operating activities|a|10,159|9,550|
|**Cash fows from investing activities:**||||
|Dividends and interest from investments||1,427|1,515|
|Purchase of tangible and intangible fxed assets||(1,421)|(1,766)|
|Proceeds from sale of investments||46,105|65,833|
|Purchase of investments||(60,208)|(66,862)|
|**Net cash used in investing activities**||**(14,097)**|**(1,280)**|
|Change in cash and cash equivalents in the reporting period||(3,938)|8,270|
|Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the reporting period|b|12,859|4,589|
|**Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the reporting period**|**b**|**8,921**|**12,859**|
|**Notes to the cash fow statement**||||
|||**2021**|**2020**|
|||**£’000**|**£’000**|
|**a. Reconciliation of net income to net cash fow from operating activities**||||
|Net income||20,019|3,852|
|Adjustments for:||||
|Depreciation and amortisation charges||3,371|3,514|
|Impairments||2,438|–|
|(Gains)/losses on investments||(10,701)|2,436|
|Dividends and interest from investments||(1,427)|(1,515)|
|(Increase)/decrease in debtors||(1,110)|2,155|
|(Decrease)/increase in creditors||(751)|500|
|Increase in other provisions||82|57|
|Difference between pension contributions paid and charges made||(1,762)|(1,449)|
|**Net cash provided by operating activities**||**10,159**|**9,550**|
|||||
|**b. Analysis of cash and cash equivalents**||||
|Cash at bank and in hand||471|859|
|Current investments||8,450|12,000|
|**Total cash and cash equivalents**||**8,921**|**12,859**|
## **1.1 Basis of accounting**
The NSPCC is a public benefit entity. The financial statements are prepared under the historical cost convention, in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice “Accounting and Reporting by Charities (SORP 2019)” applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102), effective 1 January 2019; and applicable UK law. The accounts are prepared under the historical cost convention as modified for the revaluation of investments.
After making enquiries, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity and its subsidiaries have adequate resources to continue their activities for the foreseeable future. 2020/21 was a challenging year, with the COVID-19 pandemic bringing significant and rapid change to our operating environment and income generation opportunities. As we head into the new year, these challenges have not been removed, and there remains a relatively high level of uncertainty around the degree to which the pandemic will continue to impact both our service delivery and our income. In setting the 2021/22 budget, we have taken a bottom-up, conservative approach, underpinned by the broad assumption that social distancing restrictions and economic growth will lift slowly, and that many larger events may not be possible before the end of the year. We have then overlaid ‘worst case’ assumptions around what
may happen if the pandemic situation, and associated economic conditions were to decline. Having assessed projected future income, expenditure and cash flows over the period to 31 March 2023, including additional downside scenarios and analysed the strength of the charity’s reserves, liquid assets and its ability to withstand a shortterm material fall in income we have concluded that there is a reasonable expectation that the charity and its subsidiaries have adequate resources to continue their activities for the foreseeable future. Therefore, we have continued to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements.
## **1.2 Consolidated accounts**
The results of NSPCC Trading Company Limited (the “Trading Company”) and Childline, which are wholly-owned subsidiaries, have been consolidated on a line-by-line basis in the Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) and Balance Sheet. A summary of the results of the parent charity are given within note 10.
Where Childline is used to describe part of charitable income or expenditure by activity, this does not refer to the results of the statutory entity. Childline the entity exists to receive legacy income otherwise not receivable by the NSPCC. Childline the charitable activity provides support and advice to ensure that every child is listened to and protected.
NSPCC Pension Scheme Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary, has not been consolidated as it is a dormant entity with no assets or liabilities.
The company acts solely as a corporate trustee of the NSPCC Pension Scheme and does not trade on its own behalf.
## **1.3 Principal accounting estimates and judgements**
In the application of the Charity’s accounting policies, management is required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources.
The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from those estimates and the estimates, along with their underlying assumptions, are continually reviewed. The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised if the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods if the revision affects both current and future periods.
The following critical judgements have been made in the process of applying the charity’s accounting policies and that has the most significant effect on the amounts recognised in the financial statements:
- Legacy income recognition: Income from pecuniary and residuary legacies are recognised when there is entitlement and the income is measurable and probable as detailed within accounting policy 1.5.
- Expenditure allocations: Expenditure is apportioned
**110**
**NSPCC Annual Report and Accounts 2020-21**
**111**
## **1. Accounting policies (continued)**
## **1.5 Income**
where it relates to more than one cost category as detailed within accounting policy 1.6.
All income is accounted for in the SOFA when the charity is legally entitled to the income, it is probable that the income will be received, and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy.
The following are the key sources of estimation uncertainty:
• Actuarial assumptions: See detailed disclosure within note 20.
For pecuniary legacies the recognition point is normally when notification of the grant of probate is received, and residuary legacies are normally recognised when draft estate accounts are available or other suitable information which allows the legacy to be measured with reasonable accuracy. Income is not recognised for legacies which remain subject to a life interest.
• Property impairments: See detailed disclosure within note 11.
**1.4 Financial instruments and financial liabilities** Financial assets and financial liabilities are recognised when the Society becomes a party to the contractual provisions of the instrument. All financial assets and liabilities are initially measured at transaction price (including transaction costs). Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value, with the exception of fixed asset investments, as detailed within accounting policy 1.9.
Income received from
fundraising activities organised by volunteer groups operating under the charity’s control is in many cases received net of related expenditure. An estimate of the expenditure has been calculated according to payments made out of the branch bank accounts and returns sent from the volunteer groups. Income and expenditure have been increased by this amount. The trustees have concluded that this is a reasonable estimate to use given the cost and administrative effort involved to account for the actual gross branch income.
Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any discount offered and net of the bad debt provision. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due. Creditors and provisions are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.
Gifts in kind and donated services have been included at the lower of their value to the Society and their estimated open market value. No amount has been included for services donated by volunteers.
All grants and contractual payments are included on a receivable basis. Contract income is recognised as performance obligations are satisfied. Grant income with performance related
conditions received in advance of delivering specified goods and services, or income with a time restriction placed on it by the donor, is deferred until the donor stipulated criteria are met. Income is also deferred if it is probable it could become refundable. Income from contracted services and performance related grants generated through the delivery of goods and services furthering the objects of the charity is included under income from charitable activities. This policy applies to both non-government and government grants, including coronavirus job retention scheme.
## **1.6 Expenditure**
Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and allocated to the appropriate heading in the accounts.
Charitable activities expenditure enables the Society to meet its charitable aims and objectives. Expenditure on raising funds includes expenditure incurred in raising donations and legacies, other trading activities and investment management costs. These costs are regarded as necessary to generate funds that are needed to finance charitable activities.
Expenditure is apportioned where it relates to more than one cost category, such as communication with the public around child protection advice and awareness with the parallel purpose of encouraging potential donors to contribute funds to the Society. The method of apportionment uses the most appropriate basis in each case. Marketing activities with the dual purpose of generating funds and informing the public about child protection are allocated based on content. An analysis of the split between directly attributable costs and allocated costs incurred for fundraising
## **1. Accounting policies (continued)**
SOFA on the basis of materiality but are detailed within note 22. Income received from endowments is added to the appropriate fund in accordance with any restriction placed upon it. Any capital gains or losses arising on the investments form part of the fund.
activities and child protection advice and awareness is detailed within note 6.
Support costs are those costs which enable raising funds and charitable activities to be undertaken. These costs include finance, human resources, information systems, communications, property management, legal costs, and governance costs. All support costs are apportioned on the basis of full time equivalent staff numbers, except costs relating to information systems which are apportioned based on the number of computers and laptops in use.
Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is detailed within note 22.
## **1.8 Tangible and intangible fixed assets**
Tangible and intangible fixed assets are stated at cost. Depreciation and amortisation is calculated to write off the cost of fixed assets by equal annual instalments over their expected useful lives as follows:
Redundancy costs are recognised when there is a legal or constructive obligation. Employment related costs and redundancy costs are detailed within note 8.
_Freehold property_ – 50 years
_Leasehold property_ – the shorter
of the lease term or 50 years
_Furniture, fittings and equipment_ – 2 - 5 years
Any irrecoverable VAT is included as part of the cost to which it relates. The amount suffered in the year is detailed within note 5.
_Intangible assets –_ 2 - 5 years
No depreciation is provided on freehold land.
## **1.7 Fund accounting**
_General funds_ - these are funds given freely to the organisation that can be applied at the discretion of the trustees in accordance with the Society’s charitable objects.
Tangible and intangible fixed assets costing less than £2,000 are not capitalised, and are written off in the year of purchase.
Impairment reviews on fixed assets are conducted on an annual basis and if found to have a carrying value materially higher than its recoverable amount, it is written down accordingly. As part of the impairment review, an assessment is performed to record properties at the lower of net book value and recoverable amount. Fair value is estimated through property valuations which are conducted triennially by an independent valuer. The valuation, which conforms to International Valuation Standards, was arrived at by reference to market evidence of transaction prices for similar properties.
_Designated funds_ - these are funds set aside by the trustees out of general funds, to cover the value of property fixed assets and investment property held, or to fund specific future purposes or projects.
_Restricted funds -_ these are funds received for undertaking an activity specified by the donor when making the gift, or may result from the terms of an appeal for funds.
_Endowment funds_ - these are funds where the assets must be held permanently by the Society, principally in the form of investments. Endowment funds are not shown separately on the
## **1.9 Investments**
Other than investments in subsidiaries, which are stated at cost, and donated shares as in the paragraph below, investments are stated at fair value (market value) through the SOFA.
Investment properties are held by the Society to earn rentals or for capital appreciation, or both rather than for use by the entity. Investment properties are initially recognised at cost which includes purchase cost and any directly attributable expenditure. They are subsequently held at fair value with the fair value assessment being conducted triennially by an independent valuer. The valuation, which conforms to International Valuation Standards, was arrived at by reference to market evidence of transaction prices for similar properties.
No depreciation is provided on the investment properties and changes in fair value are recognised in the SOFA.
Rental income from operating leases is recognised as income from investments in the SOFA on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease.
Donated shares that come with a requirement that they be held for a fixed period or are infrequently traded are included in the balance sheet at the lower of market value if available and a value assessed by the trustees. This value is reviewed by the trustees at each balance sheet date.
Realised and unrealised
gains and losses are combined in the appropriate section in the SOFA.
**112**
**113**
**NSPCC Annual Report and Accounts 2020-21**
## **1. Accounting policies (continued)**
## **1.10 Pension costs**
The amounts charged in expenditure are gains and losses on settlements and curtailments. These are included as part of staff costs together with losses and gains due to benefit changes which are recognised immediately if the benefits have vested. The net amount of interest cost and the discount rate applied to the assets are included within other expenditure. Actuarial gains and losses are recognised immediately under other recognised gains and losses.
The NSPCC defined benefit scheme is closed to new entrants and to further accrual. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those in the group, in a separate trustee administered fund. Pension Scheme assets are measured at fair value and liabilities are measured on an actuarial basis using the projected unit method and discounted at a rate equivalent to the current rate of return on a high quality corporate bond of equivalent currency and term to the scheme liabilities. The resulting defined benefit asset or liability is presented separately after other net assets on the face of the balance sheet. Whilst the scheme includes a provision to allow the Society to claim a refund after the payment of all outstanding benefits, the scheme trustees retain full discretion over whether to grant such a refund and may instead apply any balance of assets to augment members’ benefits. As such, the Society does not recognise an asset in respect of potential future refunds. Full actuarial valuations are obtained triennially.
Costs incurred in relation to the defined contribution scheme are included in staff pension costs. Costs recognised are equivalent to the contributions in the year and are recognised on an accruals basis and any unsettled amounts are included in other creditors.
## **1.11 Operating leases**
Rentals under operating leases are charged on a straight-line basis over the lease term, even if the payments are not made on such a basis. Benefits received and receivable as an incentive to sign an operating lease are similarly spread on a straightline basis over the lease term.
## **1.12 Tax**
The NSPCC as a registered charity is exempt from tax under Chapter 3 of Part 11 to the Corporation Tax Act 2010 or Section 256 of the Taxation for Chargeable Gains Act 1992, to the extent surpluses are applied to its charitable purposes. No corporation tax charge has arisen in the Charity’s subsidiaries since all their profits are gifted to the NSPCC.
## **1.13 Cash flow**
The Society meets the definition of a qualifying entity under FRS 102 and has therefore taken advantage of the disclosure exemption in relation to presentation of a cash flow statement in respect of its separate financial statements, which are presented alongside the consolidated financial statements.
## **2. Consolidated statement of financial activities with fund comparatives**
|||**Restricted &**|**Year ended**||**Restricted &**|**Year ended**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Unrestricted**||**endowment**|**31 March**|**Unrestricted**|**endowment**|**31 March**|
||**funds**|**funds**|**2021**|**funds**|**funds**|**2020**|
||**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|
|**Income from:**|||||||
|Donations and legacies|83,984|18,597|102,581|81,721|11,797|93,518|
|Charitable activities|5,207|8,116|13,323|5,348|8,262|13,610|
|Other trading activities|4,083|407|4,490|6,486|2,473|8,959|
|Investments|1,421|6|1,427|1,501|14|1,515|
|**Total income**|**94,695**|**27,126**|**121,821**|**95,056**|**22,546**|**117,602**|
|**Expenditure on:**|||||||
|Raising donations and legacies|21,552|175|21,727|16,886|510|17,396|
|Other trading activities|2,588|10|2,598|4,372|5|4,377|
|Investment management costs|319|6|325|320|3|323|
|**Raising funds**|**24,459**|**191**|**24,650**|**21,578**|**518**|**22,096**|
|**Net income available**|**70,236**|**26,935**|**97,171**|**73,478**|**22,028**|**95,506**|
|**for charitable application**|||||||
|**Expenditure on:**|||||||
|Services for children and families|27,005|9,463|36,468|28,849|10,202|39,051|
|Childline and the Schools Service|12,136|9,036|21,172|11,403|10,157|21,560|
|Child protection advice & awareness|18,603|2,736|21,339|20,256|866|21,122|
|Child protection consultancy|3,625|681|4,306|4,293|755|5,048|
|**Charitable activities**|**61,369**|**21,916**|**83,285**|**64,801**|**21,980**|**86,781**|
|Other|3,465|1,103|4,568|2,437|–|2,437|
|**Total expenditure**|**89,293**|**23,210**|**112,503**|**88,816**|**22,498**|**111,314**|
||||||||
|**Net income before investment**|**5,402**|**3,916**|**9,318**|**6,240**|**48**|**6,288**|
|**gains/(losses)**|||||||
|Net gains/(losses) on investments|10,508|193|10,701|(2,384)|(52)|(2,436)|
|**Net income**|**15,910**|**4,109**|**20,019**|**3,856**|**(4)**|**3,852**|
||||||||
|**Transfer between funds**|**3,889**|**(3,889)**|**–**|**(60)**|**60**|**–**|
|**Other recognised (losses)/gains :**|||||||
|Actuarial (losses)/gains on|(20,239)|–|(20,239)|777|–|777|
|defned beneft pension scheme|||||||
|**Net movement in funds**|**(440)**|**220**|**(220)**|**4,573**|**56**|**4,629**|
|**Reconciliation of funds:**|||||||
|Total funds brought forward|70,562|9,692|80,254|65,989|9,636|75,625|
|**Total funds carried forward**|**70,122**|**9,912**|**80,034**|**70,562**|**9,692**|**80,254**|
**NSPCC Annual Report and Accounts 2020-21**
**114**
**115**
## **3. Analysis of income from raised funds**
|**3. Analysis of income from raised funds**|||
|---|---|---|
||**2021**|**2020**|
||**£’000**|**£’000**|
|**Donations and legacies:**|||
|Individual giving including regular donations|50,750|51,446|
|Legacies|22,390|22,586|
|Regional and community fundraising|8,878|9,391|
|Corporates, trusts and major donors|11,853|7,661|
|Coronavirus job retention scheme|3,889|–|
|Other coronavirus support|3,620|–|
|Schools fundraising|267|1,907|
|Other donations and gifts|934|527|
|**Total**|**102,581**|**93,518**|
|**Other trading activities:**|||
|Fundraising events|658|3,683|
|Sale of goods and other activities*|3,832|5,276|
|**Total**|**4,490**|**8,959**|
|**Investments:**|||
|Dividends - UK|286|341|
|Interest|996|1,043|
|Rents from investment property|145|131|
|**Total**|**1,427**|**1,515**|
*Other activities include sponsorship, promotions, training, sundry sales, lotteries and rental income, none of which are individually material.
Donated goods and services amounted to £5,752,000 (2020 £592,000), of which £5,154,000 (2020 £83,000) has been recognised within Corporates, trusts and major donors, £425,000 (2020 £271,000) within Other donations and gifts, £173,000 (2020 £125,000) within Regional and community fundraising and £nil (2020 £113,000) within Individual giving including regular donations. Corporates, trusts and major donors includes donated media of £2,874,000 for the One Unforgettable Day campaign, and £1,594,000 for the Still Here for Children campaign. Donations and legacies includes £259,000 (2020 £nil) income received for a capital purpose recognised within Other donations and gifts.
Income from donations and legacies includes £10,741,000 from non-performance related grants (2020 £3,433,000), of which £6,895,000 are government grants (2020 £624,000). This includes £7,509,000 received as additional coronavirus support, of which £6,127,000 are government grants: £3,889,000 from the HMRC for the coronavirus job retention scheme; £2,100,000 from the Department of Education to support the helpline and Childline; and £138,000 from the Scottish government, and £1,382,000 non-government grant from Association of British Insurers to support the helpline. There were no unfulfilled conditions or other contingencies relating to government grant income recognised in the year. None of the income received from government grants has been used to fund political campaigning.
Although required to disclose the aggregate donated by trustees the Society recognises that all of our trustees give their time on a voluntary basis and make valuable non-financial contributions. Total trustee donations of £105,000 (2020 £191,000) have been received in the year, of which £64,000 (2020 £54,000) was restricted. Included in fundraising events is £2,000 (2020 £14,000) income reflecting trustee support for other trading activities (such as the purchase of tickets).
## **3. Analysis of income from raised funds (continued)**
## **Lottery income**
During the year the NSPCC received the proceeds of lotteries held by People’s Postcode Lottery (PPL). The NSPCC has no ability to alter the price of tickets, determine the prizes or reduce the management fee. As such, PPL is treated as acting as the principal, and therefore only the net proceeds due to the NSPCC are recognised within Sale of goods and other activities above. The NSPCC also runs its own lottery, with proceeds reported gross of prize monies and other expenditure. This income is also recognised within Sale of goods and other activities above. The net proceeds received from PPL are analysed as follows:
||**2021**|**2020**|
|---|---|---|
||**£’000**|**£’000**|
|Ticket value|4,164|7,583|
|Prize fund|(1,665)|(3,033)|
|Third party administration fee|(1,167)|(2,123)|
|**Net lottery income received by the NSPCC**|**1,332**|**2,427**|
## **4. Analysis of income from charitable activities**
Income raised by the following child protection activities:
||**Statutory funding**|**Statutory funding**|**Non-Statutory funding**|**Non-Statutory funding**|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Contracts||Performance|Contracts Performance||**Total**|**Total**|
||and fees|related grants|and fees related grants||**2021**|**2020**|
||**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|
|Services for children and families|2,194|4,924|331|–|7,449|7,859|
|Childline and the Schools Service|–|1,964|1|10|1,975|1,977|
|Child protection advice and awareness|
9|333|80|–|422|350|
|Child protection consultancy|103|649|2,725|–|3,477|3,424|
|**Total**|**2,306**|**7,870**|**3,137**|**10**|**13,323**|**13,610**|
Statutory funding includes income received from government, government agencies and similar bodies whether local, national or international.
Income from charitable activities includes £7,880,000 from performance related grants (2020 £8,350,000), of which £7,870,000 are government grants (2020 £8,268,000). There were no unfulfilled conditions or other contingencies relating to government grant income recognised in the year. Other forms of government assistance include income from statutory contracts and fees of £2,306,000 (2020 £2,242,000). None of the income received from government grants has been used to fund political campaigning.
Statutory contracts and fees include donated services and facilities under service level agreements (SLAs) of £19,000 (2020 £19,000) in respect of premises and other facilities which have been recognised as gifts in kind.
**116**
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**117**
## **5. Analysis of total expenditure**
|**5. Analysis of total expenditure**||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**Direct**|**Support**|**Total**|**Total**|
|||**Costs**|**Costs**|**2021**|**2020**|
||**Notes**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|
|**Expenditure on raising funds:**||||||
|**Expenditure on raising donations and legacies:**||||||
|Individual giving including regular donations||4,820|142|4,962|5,210|
|Legacies||1,661|47|1,708|1,678|
|Regional and community fundraising||5,114|223|5,337|5,255|
|Corporates, trusts and major donors||8,543|169|8,712|3,740|
|Schools fundraising||867|54|921|1,358|
|Other donations and gifts||83|4|87|155|
|**Total**||**21,088**|**639**|**21,727**|**17,396**|
|**Expenditure on other trading activities:**||||||
|Fundraising events||1,226|58|1,284|2,954|
|Sale of goods and other activities||1,284|30|1,314|1,423|
|**Total**||**2,510**|**88**|**2,598**|**4,377**|
|Investment management costs||325|–|325|323|
|**Total expenditure on raising funds**|**6**|**23,923**|**727**|**24,650**|**22,096**|
|**Expenditure on charitable activities:**||||||
|Services for children and families||34,800|1,668|36,468|39,051|
|Childline and the Schools Service||20,073|1,099|21,172|21,560|
|Child protection advice and awareness|6|20,407|932|21,339|21,122|
|Child protection consultancy||4,117|189|4,306|5,048|
|**Total expenditure on charitable activities**||**79,397**|**3,888**|**83,285**|**86,781**|
|**Other expenditure:**||||||
|Dilapidations||760|–|760|473|
|Restructuring||621|–|621|804|
|Impairments||2,438|–|2,438|–|
|Defned beneft pension costs (see note 20)||749|–|749|1,160|
|**Total other expenditure**||**4,568**|**–**|**4,568**|**2,437**|
|**Total expenditure**||**107,888**|**4,615**|**112,503**|**111,314**|
Included in total expenditure is irrecoverable Value Added Tax of £3,514,000 (2020 £3,827,000).
Included in total expenditure are grant payments of £2,845,000 (2020 £2,405,000) which are grants to Blackpool council for delivery of services for the Big Lottery funded ‘Better Start’ programme.
The Society undertakes annual property impairment reviews, comparing the properties’ net book value to value in use. Properties identified with a net book value in excess of value in use are written down to the higher of market value or value in use. An independent valuation was carried out as at 31 March 2021 and as a result impairments were put through against six of our properties.
During the year the Society completed a full review of the potential liability to dilapidations at the end of the leases on occupied buildings. The provision is calculated based on average historic landlord claims received. The movement on the provision reflects both changes in the average landlord claims and changes in properties occupied by the Society. The restructuring costs relate to the cost of redundancies and onerous contracts.
## **5. Analysis of total expenditure (continued)**
## **Child protection consultancy** -
24-hour helpline (telephone, online and automated text services) for children and young people to access advice and support from trained counsellors; and work with primary schools to educate children about how to protect themselves.
## **The activities underlying the costs above under each heading are:**
work with organisations, networks and professionals that come into contact with children, challenging them to ensure that children are protected from harm. This includes the provision of training and consultancy services; use of the NSPCC’s authorised person status; work in partnership with other bodies; and representation on boards and committees where the NSPCC can influence change.
## **Services for children and**
**families** - work with children, young people, families and communities throughout Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands to provide preventive, therapeutic and assessment services across the United Kingdom. The services work in partnership with local authorities and Local Safeguarding Children Boards, health services and other statutory and voluntary agencies; and children and young people’s participation activities.
## **Child protection advice and**
**awareness** - work in partnership with adults across the UK, empowering them to take action on behalf of children. This includes the NSPCC helpline (telephone and online services) providing advice and support to adults; the Child Trafficking Advice Centre (CTAC); the provision of comprehensive and expert information services; public campaigning and government lobbying; and activities to raise awareness and influence behaviour within adult audiences.
## **Expenditure on raising**
**donations and legacies** - promoting the awareness of the NSPCC and its work to create the income flow needed to support our activities.
## **Expenditure on other trading**
## **Childline and the Schools**
**activities** - investing in products and organising events to create the income flow needed to support our activities.
**Service** - work to provide accessible support and advice to ensure that every child is listened to and protected. Childline includes a free
||**2021**|**2020**|
|---|---|---|
|**Total expenditure is stated after charging:**|**£’000**|**£’000**|
|**Operating lease rentals:**|||
|Land and buildings|1,344|1,563|
|Other|78|498|
|**Fees payable to the Charity’s auditor for:**|||
|Statutory audit of the Charity and Group accounts|112|104|
|Statutory audit of the Charity’s subsidiaries’ accounts|8|7|
|**Total audit fees**|**120**|**111**|
|Other assurance services|12|12|
|**Total non-audit fees**|**12**|**12**|
|**Charges on owned assets:**|||
|Depreciation and amortisation|3,371|3,514|
|Impairment|2,438|–|
|**Trustees’ expenses:**|||
|Trustees’ travel, subsistence and other expenses|–|13|
Our trustees are based all over the United Kingdom and give their time on a voluntary basis; the trustees are not entitled to and did not receive any remuneration or other benefits during the year (2020 £nil).
Total trustee expenses under £500 (2020 £13,000) were incurred in the year, in respect of two trustees (2020 ten). In addition the Society paid indemnity insurance in respect of the trustees of £8,000 (2020 £8,000).
The trustee expenses disclosed above were incurred solely in furtherance of their duties. Trustee expenses include travel, subsistence and other incidental expenses reclaimed or paid directly by the charity.
**118**
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**NSPCC Annual Report and Accounts 2020-21**
## **6. Child protection advice and awareness**
• informs the public and fellow professionals about the NSPCC’s own action to protect children and young people through its services for them and their families.
• makes the public aware of the incidence and effects of child abuse and everyone’s shared responsibility to act to stop it;
As part of its mission to end • makes the public aware of the cruelty to children, and in incidence and effects of child accordance with its Royal abuse and everyone’s shared Charter, the NSPCC undertakes responsibility to act to stop it; a broad range of publicity and • provides comprehensive and educational work aimed at expert advice and information on influencing adults. It aims to child protection to professionals work in partnership with adults and other relevant parties; across the UK, empowering them to take action on behalf • provides advice, guidance of children. Expenditure of and support to adults who are this nature: concerned about the welfare of a child or young person, enabling them to take appropriate action; and
• provides comprehensive and expert advice and information on child protection to professionals and other relevant parties;
## Communication with the
public through child protection advice and awareness has a parallel purpose of encouraging potential donors to contribute funds to achieve the mission of the NSPCC.
||**2021**|**2021**||**2020**|**2020**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||**Child**||**Child**|
||**Raising**|**protection**||**Raising**|**protection**|
||**funds**|**advice and**||**funds**|**advice and**|
|||**awareness**|||**awareness**|
||**£’000**||**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|
|Charged directly|12,917||9,679|9,124|8,297|
|Allocated costs|11,006||10,728|12,251|11,980|
|**Direct costs allocated**|**23,923**||**20,407**|**21,375**|**20,277**|
|Support costs allocated|727||932|721|845|
|**Total**|**24,650**||**21,339**|**22,096**|**21,122**|
Expenditure incurred each year is, where possible, charged directly to raising awareness or raising funds. Where there is more than one purpose, costs are shared between the activities in proportion to the work undertaken. For example, marketing materials are evaluated by content.
## **7. Allocation of support costs**
||**Raising**|**Charitable**|**Total**|**Total**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||**funds**|**activities**|**2021**|**2020**|
|**Type of cost**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|
|Central management and administration|512|2,768|3,280|3,088|
|Premises, infrastructure and communications|146|751|897|1,137|
|Governance|69|369|438|436|
|**Total support costs allocated**|**727**|**3,888**|**4,615**|**4,661**|
Central management and administration costs includes the relevant proportion of human resources, legal services and risk management, and central finance including procurement and transaction processing.
Premises, infrastructure and communications are costs which enable the buildings and NSPCC facilities to operate effectively, this includes provision of information system services and internal and external communications. Governance cost are costs associated with the governance arrangements of the NSPCC, including internal and external audit costs, legal advice for trustees and costs associated with constitutional and statutory requirements. Support costs are allocated on the basis of relevant full time equivalent staff numbers. Information Systems support costs are allocated on the basis of personal and laptop computers in use.
## **8. Employees**
|**8. Employees**|||
|---|---|---|
||**2021**|**2020**|
|**Total staff costs recognised in the year**|**£’000**|**£’000**|
|Wages and salaries|54,934|54,222|
|Social security costs|5,644|5,580|
|Pension costs|6,950|7,329|
|Other forms of employee benefts|581|646|
|**Total**|**68,109**|**67,777**|
Redundancy costs of £964,000 have been paid (2020 £1,003,000). The amount expensed in the accounts is £865,000 (2020 £912,000), of which £130,000 is provided for (2020 £229,000).
Included within pension costs of £6,950,000 (2020 £7,329,000) are costs relating to the defined contribution scheme of £6,201,000 (2020 £6,268,000) and costs relating to the defined benefit scheme of £749,000 (2020 £1,061,000). Pension costs in relation to the defined benefit pension scheme are detailed within note 20.
Other forms of employee benefits include life assurance, risk benefits and car allowances, where applicable.
The average number of employees on the payroll for the year was 1,896 (2020 1,918). The average number of employees, calculated on a full time equivalent basis for the year was 1,647 (2020 1,647). The NSPCC operates a family-friendly policy including part-time work and job-sharing. The above numbers include staff responsible for the management and support of the volunteers.
## **The average number of employees, calculated on a full-time equivalent basis, analysed by function was:**
||**2021**|**2020**|
|---|---|---|
||**Number**|**Number**|
|Activities to end cruelty to children|1,318|1,320|
|Raising funds|205|204|
|Support and governance|124|123|
|**Total**|**1,647**|**1,647**|
|**The number of employees whose total employee benefts (excluding employer pension and**|**2021**|**2020**|
|---|---|---|
|**national insurance costs) for the reporting period amounted to over £60,000 was as follows:**|**Number**|**Number**|
|£170,001 - £180,000|1|1|
|£140,001 - £150,000|1|–|
|£130,001 - £140,000|1|3|
|£110,001 - £120,000|1|1|
|£100,001 - £110,000|1|2|
|£90,001 - £100,000|3|2|
|£80,001 - £90,000|5|5|
|£70,001 - £80,000|22|17|
|£60,001 - £70,000|16|19|
|**Total**|**51**|**50**|
The table above does not include termination benefits paid in the year. If these were included, two additional employees would be included in banding £60,001-£70,000 (2020 one), two in banding £70,001-£80,000 (2020 two), three in banding £80,001-£90,000 (2020 one) and one in banding £140,001-£150,000 (2020 none). In 2020 two in banding £100,001-£110,000 and one in banding £120,001-£130,000. In addition, in 2021 one employee would move from banding £60,001-£70,000 to banding £80,001-£90,000, three from banding £70,001-£80,000 to bandings £100,001-£110,000, £110,001-£120,000 and £150,001-£160,000, and two from banding £80,001-£90,000 to bandings £100,001-£110,000 and £120,001-£130,000.
In addition, in 2020 for one employee the frequency of attendance at a second office meant that this was deemed as a second permanent workplace and therefore the related travel expenses became classified as a taxable benefit. If these were included, this employee would move from below £60,000 and be included in the banding £60,001-£70,000.
||**2021**|**2020**|
|---|---|---|
|**Key management personnel (Executive Board) - Group and Charity**|**£’000**|**£’000**|
|Total employee benefts* received by the Executive board for their services during the year|1,247|1,226|
*Employee benefits are all forms of consideration paid by a charity in exchange for the service rendered by employees and include all remuneration, salary, employer’s pension and national insurance contributions and any termination payments made.
**120**
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**NSPCC Annual Report and Accounts 2020-21**
## **9. Contribution from volunteers**
• Supporting our fundraising team, there are a number of Special Events Committees, Volunteer and Business Boards, each focussing on NSPCC activities they feel particularly passionate about, and where their skills and expertise can be best utilised. Our Board and Committee members use their expertise and contacts from their own fields of business, employing a range of fundraising techniques, from corporate introductions to charity event creation, securing major gifts and legacies, and raising awareness. In the year, the Boards and Committees supported our fundraising team in generating income of £4,825,000 (2020 £3,110,000).
We are very grateful to our large and hugely supportive volunteer base. Some work tirelessly to raise funds for our work, whilst others work directly with children, young people and families through our services such as being a trained volunteer counsellor for our Childline service or delivering our schools service.
• Our Childline service delivers 24/7 support to children throughout the year. Our Childline counselling service delivered almost 205,000 counselling sessions (2020 almost 240,000 sessions) with the help of over 850 volunteer counsellors (2020 over 1,400 volunteer counsellors) providing just over 133,000 hours (2020 over 153,000 hours).
• We have 152 branches and over 500 districts (2020 155 branches and over 530 districts) raising funds around the UK, with around 4,700 members (2020 around 4,600 members) who raised over £1,300,000 (2020 over £2,100,000) in the year through organising local community fundraising events.
• Our _Speak out. Stay safe._ service delivers assemblies and workshops in primary schools to equip pupils with the knowledge and resilience to protect themselves from abuse, and the confidence to seek help. This year, the global coronavirus pandemic impacted our ability to deliver assemblies, however we were able to deliver virtual assemblies to over 1,600 schools (2020 visited over 7,000 schools) reaching over 370,000 children across the UK (2020 reaching over 1,600,000 children).
• In addition there are
approximately 64 volunteers (2020 approximately 83 volunteers) working in our service centres across the country in a range of roles, primarily providing support through our young witness service in Northern Ireland.
Given the absence of a reliable measurement basis, donated services from our volunteers are not included within the financial statements. This is in line with the requirements of Charities SORP (FRS 102).
## **10. Subsidiary companies and their activities**
## **NSPCC Trading Company Limited**
A summary of the trading company results are below. The information is taken from the audited accounts for the company and therefore includes transactions undertaken with the NSPCC.
The Charity has three wholly- **NSPCC Trading** owned subsidiaries. Information **Company Limited** and financial data on Childline NSPCC Trading Company and NSPCC Trading Company Limited (NSPCC Trading) Limited are detailed below. is incorporated in the UK The NSPCC Pension Scheme (Company registration number Limited acts solely as a 00890446). The main activities corporate trustee of the NSPCC consist of mail order catalogue Pension Scheme, does not trade sales, corporate sponsorships on its own behalf and has no and fundraising events. There assets or liabilities. is a small amount of sales of donated goods from one NSPCC charity shop.
||**NSPCC**|**NSPCC**|
|---|---|---|
||**Trading**|**Trading**|
||**2021**|**2020**|
|**Proft and loss account**|**£’000**|**£’000**|
|Revenue|898|1,730|
|Cost of sales|(103)|(128)|
|**Gross proft**|**795**|**1,602**|
|Net operating costs|(217)|(164)|
|**Operating proft**|**578**|**1,438**|
|Amount gift aided to NSPCC|(578)|(1,438)|
|**Retained proft for the year**|**–**|**–**|
|**Assets, liabilities and funds:**|||
|Assets|992|1,307|
|Liabilities|(962)|(1,277)|
|**Total funds including 100 ordinary shares of £1 each**|**30**|**30**|
Profits from NSPCC Trading are gift aided to the NSPCC at the value of the taxable profits.
## **Childline**
is taken from the audited accounts for the charity and therefore includes transactions undertaken with the NSPCC.
Childline the entity exists to receive legacy income otherwise not receivable by the NSPCC. These funds are paid by way of a grant to the NSPCC.
Childline is a charitable company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales and incorporated in the UK (company registration number 2622689, charity registration number 1003758).
A summary of Childline results are below. The information
||**Childline**|**Childline**|
|---|---|---|
||**2021**|**2020**|
||**£’000**|**£’000**|
|Total income|926|271|
|Total expenditure|(926)|(271)|
|**Net expenditure**|**–**|**–**|
|**Reconciliation of funds:**|||
|Total funds brought forward|–|–|
|**Funds balance carried forward**|**–**|**–**|
|**Assets, liabilities and funds:**|||
|Assets|16|27|
|Liabilities|(16)|(27)|
|**Total funds**|**–**|**–**|
**122**
**123**
**NSPCC Annual Report and Accounts 2020-21**
## **10. Subsidiary companies and their activities (continued)**
## **NSPCC results (excluding subsidiaries)**
A summary of the results of the parent charity are below.
|**NSPCC results (excluding subsidiaries)**
A summary of the results of the parent charity are below.|||
|---|---|---|
||**NSPCC**|**NSPCC**|
||**excluding**|**excluding**|
||**subsidiaries**|**subsidiaries**|
||**2021**|**2020**|
||**£’000**|**£’000**|
|Total income|120,744|115,947|
|Total expenditure|(111,426)|(109,659)|
|Net gains/(losses) on investments|10,701|(2,436)|
|**Net income**|**20,019**|**3,852**|
|Actuarial (losses)/gains on defned beneft pension scheme|(20,239)|777|
|**Net movement in funds**|**(220)**|**4,629**|
|**Reconciliation of funds:**|||
|Total funds brought forward|80,224|75,595|
|**Funds balance carried forward**|**80,004**|**80,224**|
Total income for the NSPCC excluding subsidiaries, includes the gift aid donation from the NSPCC Trading Company Limited of £578,000 (2020 £1,438,000) and the grant from Childline of £926,000 (2020 £271,000).
## **11. Tangible and intangible fixed assets**
||||**Furniture,**|**Total**|**Total**|**Total**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Freehold**|**Leasehold**|**fttings, and**|**Tangible**|**Intangible**|**Fixed**|
||**property**|**property**|**equipment**|**assets**|**assets**|**assets**|
|**Group and Charity**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|
|**Cost**|||||||
|1 April 2020|27,977|14,291|7,677|49,945|9,370|59,315|
|Additions|2|–|355|357|1,064|1,421|
|Disposals|(61)|(739)|(218)|(1,018)|(512)|(1,530)|
|**31 March 2021**|**27,918**|**13,552**|**7,814**|**49,284**|**9,922**|**59,206**|
|**Depreciation and amortisation**|||||||
|1 April 2020|10,360|9,413|6,266|26,039|6,351|32,390|
|Depreciation and amortisation|464|627|627|1,718|1,653|3,371|
|Impairment|640|1,798|–|2,438|–|2,438|
|Disposals|(61)|(739)|(218)|(1,018)|(512)|(1,530)|
|**31 March 2021**|**11,403**|**11,099**|**6,675**|**29,177**|**7,492**|**36,669**|
|**Net book value**|||||||
|**31 March 2021**|**16,515**|**2,453**|**1,139**|**20,107**|**2,430**|**22,537**|
|31 March 2020|17,617|4,878|1,411|23,906|3,019|26,925|
Intangible assets represent the cost of software development and other computer software.
The Society undertakes annual property impairment reviews, comparing the properties’ net book value to value in use. Properties identified with a net book value in excess of value in use are written down to the higher of market value or value in use.
An independent valuation was carried out as at 31 March 2021 and as a result impairments were put through against six of our properties.
## **12. Capital commitments**
There were capital commitments of £346,000 at 31 March 2021 (2020 £350,000).
## **13. Investments**
|**13. Investments**|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||**Bank**|**Investment**|**Total**|**Total**|
||**Equities**|**Bonds**|**deposits**|**properties**|**2021**|**2020**|
|**Group and Charity**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|
|Market value at 1 April|23,101|32,309|5,101|900|61,411|62,818|
|Purchases at cost|8,201|11,229|40,778|–|60,208|66,862|
|Disposals at carrying value|(14,318)|(12,055)|(19,732)|–|(46,105)|(65,833)|
|Realised gain on investment|3,042|306|462|–|3,810|841|
|Unrealised gain/(loss) on investment|
5,911|611|369|–|6,891|(3,277)|
|**Value at 31 March**|**25,937**|**32,400**|**26,978**|**900**|**86,215**|**61,411**|
|Historical cost as at 31 March|20,469|32,282|26,976|837|80,564|63,179|
Within the financial year pooled funds have been reinvested into direct holdings held by Credit Suisse and JP Morgan. Bank deposits also include £14,192,000 of deposits held directly (2020 £1,032,000). Investments are accounted for as detailed within accounting policy 1.9.
With reference to FRS 102 properties that are held to generate rental income are included within investments properties. The space is leased to an NHS trust, however as their activities are not in line with NSPCC charitable objectives, this element of the property is classified as an investment property. An independent valuation was carried out as at 31 March 2021, with no change to the valuation. The current lease is coming to an end, however a new lease is due to be agreed on comparable terms.
Future minimum lease payments for rent receivable under
|Future minimum lease payments for rent receivable under|||
|---|---|---|
|non-cancellable operating leases on investment properties are:|**Total**|**Total**|
||**2021**|**2020**|
|**Group and Charity**|**£’000**|**£’000**|
|Less than 1 year|27|81|
|**Total**|**27**|**81**|
## **14. Debtors**
|**14. Debtors**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Group**||**Charity**||
||**2021**|**2020**|**2021**|**2020**|
||**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|
|Trade debtors|749|887|625|517|
|Amounts owed by group undertakings|–|–|829|1,118|
|Prepayments|2,543|2,687|2,005|2,061|
|Accrued income|4,388|3,050|4,388|2,991|
|Other debtors|3,129|3,075|3,063|3,004|
|**Total**|**10,809**|**9,699**|**10,910**|**9,691**|
Amounts owed to by group undertakings are non-interest bearing and repayable on demand.
Depreciation and amortisation is recognised as an expense in the SOFA. The expense is charged or apportioned to the relevant SOFA headings reflecting the assets use.
**124**
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**NSPCC Annual Report and Accounts 2020-21**
## **15. Current investments and cash at bank and in hand**
||**Group**||**Charity**||
|---|---|---|---|---|
||**2021**|**2020**|**2021**|**2020**|
||**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|
|Current investments|8,450|12,000|8,450|12,000|
|Cash at bank and in hand|471|859|208|678|
|**Total**|**8,921**|**12,859**|**8,658**|**12,678**|
Current investments represents monies invested through the NSPCC’s bankers in short-term money market instruments, and available for return on demand.
## **16. Creditors: amounts falling due within one year**
||**Group**||**Charity**||
|---|---|---|---|---|
||**2021**|**2020**|**2021**|**2020**|
||**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|
|Trade creditors|1,140|1,588|1,133|1,574|
|Accruals|6,231|7,104|6,173|7,056|
|Deferred income (see note 19)|1,433|1,170|1,366|1,073|
|Taxation and social security|1,412|1,433|1,412|1,433|
|Grants payable|1,159|1,073|1,159|1,073|
|Other creditors|826|576|826|576|
|**Total**|**12,201**|**12,944**|**12,069**|**12,785**|
## **17. Creditors: amounts falling due after one year**
||**Group**||**Charity**||
|---|---|---|---|---|
||**2021**|**2020**|**2021**|**2020**|
||**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|
|Grants payable due after one year and less than fve years|–|8|–|8|
|**Total**|**–**|**8**|**–**|**8**|
## **18. Provisions for liabilities**
|**18. Provisions for liabilities**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Dilapidations**||||
||**on leasehold**||||
||**properties**|**Restructuring**|**Other**|**Total**|
|**Group and Charity**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|
|Carrying amount at 1 April 2020|3,385|703|49|4,137|
|Additions and remeasurement|766|67|–|833|
|Amounts utilised against the provision|(118)|(394)|–|(512)|
|Unused amounts reversed|(49)|(190)|–|(239)|
|**Carrying amount at 31 March 2021**|**3,984**|**186**|**49**|**4,219**|
|**Commitments are likely to be met:**|||||
|Within one year|2,712|186|49|2,947|
|After one year and less than fve years|1,272|–|–|1,272|
|**Total**|**3,984**|**186**|**49**|**4,219**|
## **19. Deferred income**
|**19. Deferred income**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
||**1 April**|||**31 March**|
||**2020**|**Deferred**|**Released**|**2021**|
||**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|
|Statutory sources|159|291|(159)|291|
|Other non-statutory sources|242|334|(242)|334|
|Income from fundraising activities|672|741|(672)|741|
|**Total for the Charity**|**1,073**|**1,366**|**(1,073)**|**1,366**|
|Income from fundraising activities|97|67|(97)|67|
|**Total for the Group**|**1,170**|**1,433**|**(1,170)**|**1,433**|
The main reasons for deferrals are as follows:
|The main reasons for deferrals are as follows:|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Group**||**Charity**||
||**2021**|**2020**|**2021**|**2020**|
||**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|
|Performance related grant conditions not met|138|94|138|94|
|Potentially refundable income received for future events|807|770|740|673|
|Other deferrals|488|306|488|306|
|**Total**|**1,433**|**1,170**|**1,366**|**1,073**|
## **20. NSPCC Pension Schemes**
## **NSPCC defined benefit**
in addition to the £2,000,000 annual contribution and £3,500,000 lump sum paid in the year to 31 March 2019, it will aim to eliminate the deficit over a period of five years and six months from 1 April 2019 by the payment of annual contributions of £2,036,000. In addition to the annual contributions a lump sum of £3,500,000 will be paid by 31 March 2022 and a lump sum of £4,225,000 will be paid by 30 September 2024 subject to the scheme remaining in deficit on the technical provisions set of assumptions. In addition and in accordance with the actuarial valuation, the Society has agreed with the trustees that it will pay £475,000 per annum to meet expenses of the scheme and levies to the Pensions Protection Fund.
The NSPCC operates both a defined contribution and a defined benefit Pension Scheme which require contributions to be made to separately administered funds for the benefit of the employees. Further details of these schemes are provided below.
## **Pension Scheme**
The Society operates a defined benefit scheme in the UK. This is a separate trustee administered fund holding the Pension Scheme assets to meet long term pension liabilities. A full actuarial valuation was carried out at 31 March 2018 and this has been updated to 31 March 2021 by a qualified actuary, independent of the scheme’s sponsoring employer. The present value of the defined benefit obligation, the related current service cost and past service cost were measured using the projected unit credit method. The major assumptions used by the actuary are shown below.
## **NSPCC defined contribution Pension Scheme**
The pension costs for the year in relation to the defined contribution Pension Scheme were £6,201,000 (2020 £6,268,000). As at
31 March 2021, £634,000 was outstanding and included in creditors (2020 £517,000). Expenditure is allocated to the appropriate heading in the accounts on the basis of full time equivalent staff numbers.
This most recent triennial actuarial valuation showed a deficit of £25,200,000. Based on this valuation the Society has agreed with the trustees that,
The provision for dilapidations on leasehold properties relates to the estimated future cost of landlord claims at the end of the lease. The provision is calculated based on average historic landlord claims received. During the year the Society completed a full review of the potential liability. The movement on the provision reflects both changes in the average landlord claims and changes in properties occupied by the Society.
The provision for restructuring relates to the cost of redundancies and onerous contracts.
No discounting has been applied to any of the provisions as the effect of this would be immaterial.
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## **20. NSPCC Pension Schemes (continued)**
## **Present values of defined benefit obligation, fair value of assets and defined benefit asset:**
||**31 March**|**31 March**|
|---|---|---|
||**2021**|**2020**|
|**Group and Charity**|**£’000**|**£’000**|
|Fair value of plan assets|176,804|164,101|
|Present value of defned beneft obligation|(208,832)|(177,652)|
|**Defned beneft liability to be recognised**|**(32,028)**|**(13,551)**|
## **Reconciliation of opening and closing balances of the defined benefit obligation:**
|**Reconciliation of opening and closing balances of the defned beneft obligation:**|||
|---|---|---|
||**31 March**|**31 March**|
||**2021**|**2020**|
||**£’000**|**£’000**|
|Defned beneft obligation at start of period|177,652|189,137|
|Expenses|436|689|
|Interest expense|4,357|4,640|
|Actuarial losses/(gains)|33,584|(9,004)|
|Benefts paid and expenses|(7,197)|(7,810)|
|**Defned beneft obligation at end of period**|**208,832**|**177,652**|
Expenses include £117,000 Pension Protection Fund levy (2020 £98,000) and £14,000 pension regulator fee (2020 £14,000).
## **Reconciliation of opening and closing balances of the fair value of plan assets:**
|**Reconciliation of opening and closing balances of the fair value of plan assets:**|||
|---|---|---|
||**31 March**|**31 March**|
||**2021**|**2020**|
||**£’000**|**£’000**|
|Fair value of plan assets at start of period|164,101|173,359|
|Interest income|4,044|4,268|
|Actuarial gains/(losses)|13,345|(8,227)|
|Contributions by the Society|2,511|2,511|
|Benefts paid and expenses|(7,197)|(7,810)|
|**Fair value of plan assets at end of period**|**176,804**|**164,101**|
## **20. NSPCC Pension Schemes (continued)**
## **Assets:**
|**Assets:**|||
|---|---|---|
||**2021**|**2020**|
||**£’000**|**£’000**|
|UK equities|12,337|8,650|
|Overseas equities|12,214|9,566|
|Diversifed growth fund|52,610|44,677|
|Property|10,053|9,393|
|Cash|9,730|1,889|
|Insured annuities|50,054|47,856|
|Liability driven investments|29,806|42,070|
|**Total assets**|**176,804**|**164,101**|
None of the fair values of the assets shown above include any direct investments in the Society’s own financial instruments or any property occupied by, or other assets used by, the Society.
**Assumptions:**
|**Assumptions:**|||
|---|---|---|
||||
||**2021**|**2020**|
||**£’000**|**£’000**|
|Discount rate|1.95% pa|2.50% pa|
|Infation (RPI Pre 2030)|3.30% pa|2.60% pa|
|Infation (RPI Post 2030)|3.30% pa|2.60% pa|
|Infation (CPI Pre 2030)|2.30% pa|2.00% pa|
|Infation (CPI Post 2030)|3.20% pa|2.00% pa|
|Allowance for revaluation of deferred pensions of CPI or 5% pa if less (Pre 2030)|2.30% pa|2.00% pa|
|Allowance for revaluation of deferred pensions of CPI or 5% pa if less (Post 2030)|3.20% pa|2.00% pa|
|Allowance for revaluation of deferred pensions of CPI or 2.5% pa if less (Pre 2030)|2.30% pa|2.00% pa|
|Allowance for revaluation of deferred pensions of CPI or 2.5% pa if less (Post 2030)|2.50% pa|2.00% pa|
|Allowance for pension in payment increases of RPI or 5% pa if less (pre and post 2030)|3.30% pa|2.60% pa|
The mortality assumptions adopted at 31 March 2021 imply the following life expectancies:
||Life expectancy at age 65|
|---|---|
||(Years)|
|Male retiring in 2021|21.3|
|Female retiring in 2021|23.2|
|Male retiring in 2041|22.3|
|Female retiring in 2041|24.4|
The actual return on the plan assets over the period ended 31 March 2021 was £17,389,000 (2020 loss of (£3,959,000)).
## **Defined benefit costs recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities:**
|**Defned beneft costs recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities:**|||
|---|---|---|
||**31 March**|**31 March**|
||**2021**|**2020**|
||**£’000**|**£’000**|
|Expenses|436|689|
|Net interest cost|313|372|
|**Defned beneft costs recognised in expenditure**|**749**|**1,061**|
|Actuarial gains/(losses) on assets|13,345|(8,227)|
|Actuarial (losses)/gains on liabilities|(33,584)|9,004|
|**Actuarial (losses)/gains on defned beneft pension scheme**|**(20,239)**|**777**|
## **21. Operating lease commitments**
Total of future minimum lease payments for the Group and Charity under non-cancellable operating leases for each of the following periods:
||**Land and**||**Land and**||
|---|---|---|---|---|
||**buildings**|**Other**|**buildings**|**Other**|
||**2021**|**2021**|**2020**|**2020**|
|**Group and Charity**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|
|Not later than one year|838|17|1,185|23|
|Later than one year and not later than fve years|513|27|952|42|
|**Total**|**1,351**|**44**|**2,137**|**65**|
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## **22. Endowment, restricted and designated funds**
|**22. Endowment, restricted and designated funds**||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Balance**|||||**Balance**|||||**Balance**|
||**1 April**|||**Gains /**||**31 March**|||**Gains /**||**31 March**|
|**Permanent endowment funds**|**2019**|**Income**|**Expenditure**|**(losses)**|**Transfers**|**2020**|**Income**|**Expenditure**|**(losses)**|**Transfers**|**2021**|
|**Charity**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|
|Permanent endowment fund|1,371|–|(3)|(52)|–|1,316|–|(6)|193|–|1,503|
|N Knatchbull endowment fund|10|–|–|–|–|10|–|–|–|–|10|
|M Glaister fund|10|–|–|–|–|10|–|–|–|–|10|
|A Sykes fund|9|–|–|–|–|9|–|–|–|–|9|
|**Total permanent endowment funds**|**1,400**|**–**|**(3)**|**(52)**|**–**|**1,345**|**–**|**(6)**|**193**|**–**|**1,532**|
|**Restricted funds**||||||||||||
|**Charity**||||||||||||
|Childline restricted funds received by NSPCC including funding received|328|8,926|(8,839)|–|–|415|6,707|(6,853)|–|–|269|
|from the Child’s Voice Appeal for the helpline development project||||||||||||
|Activities to end cruelty to children funded by other restricted donations|1,055|5,891|(5,536)|–|60|1,470|10,358|(5,154)|–|(3,889)|2,785|
|Capital Projects, including Acquisition of Buildings|6,239|–|(234)|–|–|6,005|259|(1,335)|–|–|4,929|
|**Details are given below in respect of restricted funds where separate disclosure is required**||**by the funder:**||||||||||
|Childline and NSPCC helpline funded by the Department for Education|–|2,000|(2,000)|–|–|–|2,000|(2,000)|–|–|–|
|NSPCC helpline coronavirus support funding from the Department for Education
–||–|–|–|–|–|1,790|(1,790)|–|–|–|
|Childline coronavirus support funding from the Department for Education|–|–|–|–|–|–|310|(310)|–|–|–|
|Capital Project, Helpline Information System Transformation funded|522|–|(143)|–|–|379|–|(142)|–|–|237|
|by the Department for Education||||||||||||
|Childline Foyle helpline in Londonderry funded by the Department|–|266|(266)|–|–|–|266|(266)|–|–|–|
|of Education Northern Ireland||||||||||||
|Childline counselling staff salaries in Northern Ireland funded by the Department|
–|47|(47)|–|–|–|58|(58)|–|–|–|
|of Health, Social Services & Public Safety (DSSHPS) of Northern Ireland||||||||||||
|‘A Better Start’ project in Blackpool funded by the Big Lottery Fund|–|4,574|(4,574)|–|–|–|4,571|(4,571)|–|–|–|
|Childline’s anti-bullying work in Scotland funded by the Scottish Government|–|83|(83)|–|–|–|83|(83)|–|–|–|
|Funding for a volunteer co-ordinator in Scotland from the Scottish Government|–|32|(32)|–|–|–|32|(32)|–|–|–|
|Childline in Wales funded by the Welsh Government ‘Children and|–|90|(90)|–|–|–|90|(90)|–|–|–|
|Families Organisation’ (CFOG)||||||||||||
|Funding for the salary costs of two ‘Protect and Respect’ case workers|5|90|(95)|–|–|–|–|–|–|–|–|
|from The City of London Corporation’s charity, City Bridge Trust||||||||||||
|Northern Ireland Young Witness Support Service funded|23|438|(438)|–|–|23|414|(416)|–|–|21|
|by the Department of Justice Northern Ireland||||||||||||
|Funding for the virtual delivery of In Ctrl in Wales|–|–|–|–|–|–|56|(48)|–|–|8|
|from Wales Council for Voluntary Action||||||||||||
|Community Potential in Plymouth funded by the National Lottery Community Fund
–||–|–|–|–|–|132|(1)|–|–|131|
|Support for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse funded by the Home Offce
64||109|(118)|–|–|55|–|(55)|–|–|–|
|**Total restricted funds**|**8,236**|**22,546**|**(22,495)**|**–**|**60**|**8,347**|**27,126**|**(23,204)**|**–**|**(3,889)**|**8,380**|
|**Total restricted and endowment funds**|**9,636**|**22,546**|**(22,498)**|**(52)**|**60**|**9,692**|**27,126**|**(23,210)**|**193**|**(3,889)**|**9,912**|
|**Designated funds**||||||||||||
|**Charity**||||||||||||
|Freehold and leasehold properties|18,420|–|(972)|–|124|17,572|–|(2,289)|–|2|15,285|
|**Total designated funds**|**18,420**|**–**|**(972)**|**–**|**124**|**17,572**|**–**|**(2,289)**|**–**|**2**|**15,285**|
**130**
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## **22. Endowment, restricted and designated funds (continued)**
|**Other unrestricted funds**||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Charity**||||||||||||
|General funds|63,317|93,055|(84,782)|(2,384)|(2,695)|66,511|92,871|(84,431)|10,508|1,376|86,835|
|**Totalgeneral funds for the Charity**|**63,317**|**93,055**|**(84,782)**|**(2,384)**|**(2,695)**|**66,511**|**92,871**|**(84,431)**|**10,508**|**1,376**|**86,835**|
|**Subsidiary companies**||||||||||||
|NSPCC Trading Company Limited|30|1,730|(1,730)|–|–|30|898|(898)|–|–|30|
|Childline|–|271|(271)|–|–|–|926|(926)|–|–|–|
|**Totalgeneral funds for the Group**|**63,347**|**95,056**|**(86,783)**|**(2,384)**|**(2,695)**|**66,541**|**94,695**|**(86,255)**|**10,508**|**1,376**|**86,865**|
|Pension reserve|(15,778)|–|(1,061)|777|2,511|(13,551)|–|(749)|(20,239)|2,511|(32,028)|
|**Total funds for the Group**|**75,625**|**117,602**|**(111,314)**|**(1,659)**|**–**|**80,254**|**121,821**|**(112,503)**|**(9,538)**|**–**|**80,034**|
Income within general funds for the charity excludes the gift aid donation of £578,000 (2020 £1,438,000) from NSPCC Trading Company Limited and the grant of £926,000 from Childline (2020 £271,000).
The transfers from general funds are £3,889,000 staff costs claimed through the coronavirus job retention scheme (2020 £nil), £2,511,000 for payments in relation to pensions (2020 £2,511,000) and £2,000 to designated funds in relation to property additions (2020 £124,000).
## **23. Analysis of group net assets between funds**
Fund balances are represented by:
|Fund balances are represented by:|||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Unrestricted**||||**2021**|**Unrestricted**||||**2020**|
||**General**|**Designated**|**Restricted**|**Endowment**|**Total funds**|**General**|**Designated**|**Restricted**|**Endowment**|**Total funds**|
||**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|**£’000**|
|Tangible and intangible fxed assets|3,102|14,385|5,050|–|22,537|3,869|16,672|6,384|–|26,925|
|Investments|83,783|900|–|1,532|86,215|59,166|900|–|1,345|61,411|
|Current assets and liabilities|4,199|–|3,330|–|7,529|7,643|–|1,963|–|9,606|
|Provisions|(4,219)|–|–|–|(4,219)|(4,137)|–|–|–|(4,137)|
|**Total net assets excluding pension reserve**|**86,865**|**15,285**|**8,380**|**1,532**|**112,062**|**66,541**|**17,572**|**8,347**|**1,345**|**93,805**|
|Pension reserve|(32,028)|–|–|–|(32,028)|(13,551)|–|–|–|(13,551)|
|**Total net assets**|**54,837**|**15,285**|**8,380**|**1,532**|**80,034**|**52,990**|**17,572**|**8,347**|**1,345**|**80,254**|
Of the restricted funds represented by tangible & intangible fixed assets £4,673,000 relates to freehold and leasehold property (2020 £5,823,000) and £377,000 relates to intangible assets (2020 £561,000).
## **24. Legacies**
The NSPCC has been notified of 760 legacies (2020: 748 legacies) which have not been included within the financial statements as they do not yet meet the income recognition criteria, including legacies that are under dispute. This includes 93 pecuniary legacies which have an average value of £4,878 (2020: 86 cases with an average value of £6,138). Pecuniary legacies are only recognised once notification
of probate is received. The remaining 667 are residuary legacies, which have an average value of £45,993 (2020: 662 cases with an average value of £49,702). Residuary legacies are normally recognised once draft accounts are received or other information which allow them to be measured with reasonable accuracy. Included within the above figures are 12 pecuniary legacies (2020: 12) and 132 residuary legacies (2020:
105) which are not recognised because they are subject to a life interest.
The NSPCC has waived the rights to one legacy entitlement totalling £500 (2020: none) related to claims made by family of the deceased on the basis that the claims reflected the deceased’s wishes.
## **25. Related party transactions**
Advantage has been taken of exemptions under FRS 102 not to disclose related party transactions with and between wholly-owned subsidiaries.
Related party transactions with NSPCC Pension Scheme are disclosed in note 20. Related party transactions with the trustees are detailed within in notes 3 and 5. There were no transactions with other related parties in the year.
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NSPCC offices
## **Headquarters and registered office address**
Weston House 42 Curtain Road London EC2A 3NH Tel: 020 7825 2500
## **National and regional offices**
## **Cymru/Wales**
Diane Engelhardt House Treglown Court Dowlais Road Cardiff CF24 5LQ Tel: 02920 108 081
## **Northern Ireland**
Unit 7, The Lanyon Building Jennymount Business Park North Derby Street Belfast BT15 3HN Tel: 028 2044 1524
## **Scotland**
3rd Floor, Templeton House 62 Templeton Street Glasgow G40 1DA Tel: 0141 212 3844
## **North East and Cumbria**
Wallington House Starbeck Avenue Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 1RH Tel: 0191 227 5300
## **North West**
Quays Reach 14 Carolina Way South Langworthy Road Salford M50 2ZY Tel: 0161 393 4400
## **Yorkshire and the Humber**
Suite 1-3, 5th Floor St John’s Offices Albion Street Leeds LS2 8LQ Tel: 020 3188 3558
## **East Midlands**
Jenny Farr House 1 Cranmer Street Nottingham NG3 4GH Tel: 0115 960 5481
## **West Midlands**
3rd Floor, CIBA Building 146 Hagley Road Edgbaston Birmingham B16 9NP Tel: 0121 227 7577
## **South London and the South East**
Pear Tree House 68 West Road Gillingham ME7 1EF Tel: 01634 564659
## **South West**
Brunswick House Holborn Street Plymouth PL4 0NN Tel: 01752 422577
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Together we can help children who’ve been abused to rebuild their lives. Together we can protect children at risk. And, together, we can find the best ways of preventing child abuse from ever happening.
We change the law. We visit schools across the country, helping children understand what abuse is. And, through our Childline service, we give young people a voice when no one else will listen.
**But all this is only possible with your support. Every pound raised, every petition you sign, every minute of your time, will help make sure we can fight for every childhood.**
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) is registered with the Charity Commission under registration number 216401, and with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator under number SC037717; it is also registered as a Guernsey Registered Charity (registered number CH214) and as a charity in Jersey (registration number 384). ©NSPCC 2021. Photography by Tom Hull, Ross Bolger, Colin Baldwin, Sasha Ray, Owen Richards, Tony Hay, David Tait, Bad Madam and Shutterstock. The children and adults pictured are volunteers and models. 20211144.