2025-03-31-accounts

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The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

My little granddaughter Indy has truly blossomed under the care she has received since moving to The Children’s Trust in the last five years. Knowing that she’s safe and her welfare is important to you all gives us as a family the greatest comfort. Thank you all so much for everything you do for all the children under your care. Annie, Indy’s grandmother

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||| |---|---| |Introduction| |A message from our chair|4| |A message from our chief executive|6| |About us|8| |Highlights and achievements|10| |Trustees’ report including strategic report| |Our services|18| |Quality visits and regulatory inspections|30| |2024/25: progress against our strategic objectives|33| |Our strategy and goals|39| |Trustees’ duty to promote the success of the charity|41| |– section 172 Statement| |How we work|44| |How we generate income|47| |Financial performance and position|49| |Principal risks and uncertainties|52| |Environmental, social and governance|57| |Statement of Trustees’ responsibilities|63| |Further information|64| |Independent auditor’s report|66| |Financial statements|69|

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Message from our chair

A message from our chair

Welcome to The Children’s Trust Annual Report 2024/25. I am delighted to share that it’s been a year of real progress, and we are moving forward with a renewed sense of purpose.

Our team has continued to deliver award-winning rehabilitation, innovative education and specialist care for the children and young people we support, who are always at the heart of everything we do.

Our finances are more stable reporting a surplus of £1.5m, which helps us to lay stronger foundations for the future. We have invested in staff wellbeing and development and shaped a new five-year strategy from 2025 - 2030 to maximise our impact.

Our highly specialist work is more vital now than ever. Across the UK, the healthcare sector is under real strain, marked by workforce pressures, funding challenges, and rising demand. Families are often left navigating long waits and limited support, and while thousands of children sustain a brain injury each year, only a small number can access the kind of specialist services we provide.

This challenging landscape reinforces how important it is that we keep doing what we do while continuously improving and innovating how we do it. Our team of rehabilitation specialists, doctors, nurses, carers, psychologists, therapists, play specialists and teachers support children, young people, and families to live the best lives possible.

national specialist centre. Children and their families often share their challenges and aspirations and how the team at The Children’s Trust have helped them to achieve their goals. A particular highlight was at our annual Comedy Night when those attending were treated to an inspiring presentation from Zac, a young man who has continued to go from strength to strength after his brain injury, thanks to the support he received from The Children’s Trust. He continues to be a passionate advocate for our work and has expressed “I am where I am today as a result of the hard work and effort of all of the staff at The Children’s Trust. I hope that my story will inspire other kids going through similar circumstances as I know how difficult the journey can be.”

The difference we can make when we all work together is remarkable. I couldn’t be prouder of our frontline teams who tirelessly support children and families with the expert care and compassion they each deserve. I am equally proud of our colleagues across the whole organisation. Often working in the background, their contributions are just as essential, and I would like to thank them for everything they do.

I am often touched by the real-life stories we hear at Board meetings and when walking around our

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

I also want to thank our Chief Executive, Mike Thiedke, and the Senior Leadership Team for leading the organisation with clarity, stability and compassion. The momentum we’re now experiencing is the result of their thoughtful and determined approach.

My fellow Trustees give their valuable time freely bringing energy, challenge, support and broad experience. The Children’s Trust is lucky to have such a great team, and I thank them for their commitment. This year, as we continue to develop the Board, we welcomed two new Trustees, Helen Farmer and Helen Hewitt, whose experience across health and education adds to the wealth of knowledge in the Board of Trustees.

I want to say a particular thank you to the hundreds of volunteers who give their time, energy and skills. Volunteers are an integral part of who we are as a charity. Whether they’re supporting in education services, raising funds in our shops, supporting at events or helping drive children and young people to enriching and memorable outings, they help make our work possible. Their contributions reflect the best of our values as an organisation and as a society, and we are enormously grateful for them.

None of the work we do is possible without the support of our commissioners and our regulators, and we are grateful for their support, their challenge and their advice. This year, we’ve strengthened the way we work with others across health and education, building even better partnerships. We’ve also continued to improve the consistent quality of what we do, working closely with our regulators, commissioners and funders to make sure we’re meeting the highest standards of therapy, care and education. We have embraced the learning and feedback from regular audits, inspections and quality visits.

But the most important partnerships are the ones we create with the children, young people, and families we support. We’ve changed the way we work together to set goals by shifting away from professional and clinical goals to a shared understanding of what is most important to them. This is part of a continued investment in strengthening relationships with families.

Looking ahead, I feel confident and hopeful. After a period of financial uncertainty and necessary change, we have entered a new phase – one shaped by a clear strategic direction and a commitment to do even more for the children and families we serve. Our new five-year strategy is sustainable and realistic – founded on the needs of babies, children and young people with brain injury and neurodisability, and in our conviction in the life-changing work we deliver. It sets out how we will grow our neurorehabilitation services, strengthen the future of our school, and invest in the people and partnerships that underpin everything we do.

This progress will take collective effort. Our success relies on people – including our expert team, volunteers, trustees, funders, supporters, partners and families – all working together towards a shared purpose. That sense of unity and belief is what makes The Children’s Trust so special. To everyone who’s supported us this year – thank you. Whether you’ve donated, volunteered, championed our work, or simply placed your trust in us – we are deeply appreciative. I’m proud of everything we’ve achieved and know we will do more incredible work in the years ahead.

Steve Flanagan Chair of Trustees

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/2 5025

Message from our chief executive

A message from our chief executive

This past year has marked a transformative chapter for The Children’s Trust. Following a challenging few years and amidst an everchanging external environment, we have come to a place of stability and strength thanks to the unwavering dedication of our brilliant team and supporters. We are now ready to begin a new chapter – one that builds on firm foundations and keeps us focused on what matters most, helping more children and young people with brain injury and neurodisability to live the best life possible.

Moving forward with great confidence and focus is only possible because of the progress we’ve made. Over the past year, we’ve supported 406 children and young people across our residential rehabilitation, school and community rehabilitation services. We’ve strengthened our clinical and educational offer, increased our engagement with the wider healthcare system to focus on safe and effective care, continued to invest in our people and stayed focused on the outcomes that really matter.

We were proud to be named winners of the Rehab Outcome of the Year at the 2024 Neuro Rehab Times Awards. We delivered the first paediatric trial of the ROBERT® robot in the UK, bringing cutting-edge neurotechnology into our therapy spaces. We were shortlisted for the Innovation Award by the National Association of Special Schools for our Sensory Careers Project. Additionally, we presented valuable research and insight at conferences across the country, including those of The International Paediatric Brain Injury Society and British Paediatric Neurology Association.

This year, we continued to make time and space to look after our team. We asked our colleagues for feedback and listened to the areas they highlighted to improve the experience of working at The Children’s Trust. We have made a commitment, having analysed our staff survey results, to invest more in wellbeing, leadership and development, and have appointed our first Freedom to Speak Up Guardian to support our focus on a safe and inclusive culture. We’ve kept investing in the people who make The Children’s Trust special.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Message from our ch airief executive

Everything we’ve achieved this year – and everything we plan to do – has been made possible by the incredible people around us.

We’ve continued to see, every day, what the work we do really means. One morning I met a young parent while their little daughter was undergoing rehabilitation at The Children’s Trust after a stroke. At the beginning of their stay, they were full of worry and sadness, felt overwhelmed and could not see how the future for their daughter would pan out. This changed dramatically in a matter of weeks. I started to see a positive, motivated parent, full of energy and optimism, confident to tackle whatever challenges may lie ahead. When I asked what it was that really helped, they responded: ‘The Children’s Trust! It is not only the enormous dedication and compassion the clinical experts show for our daughter. It is also the time you all take for the families. Simply asking how we are, what we are going through and how we can find a way forward as a family is immensely helpful. Nobody asked us that question before we got here.’ Those moments are why we’re here. They remind us of what’s possible when children with brain injuries and their loved ones get the rehabilitation and care they need.

Now, as we turn to the future, we’re motivated by the impact we’ve had – and we’re stepping into the future with clarity, energy and direction. We will launch our new five-year strategy, setting out a clear path for a sustainable organisation. At its core will be a commitment to extend our leading neurorehabilitation services to meet growing demand.

We’re also working to future-proof our school, ensuring it can flourish as part of the wider education system. We’re investing in our people, evolving how we work, and building strong partnerships that can amplify our combined impact. We remain focused on growing and funding the services that help us deliver the greatest possible difference for the children we support and their families.

Everything we’ve achieved this year – and everything we plan to do – has been made possible by the incredible people around us. Thank you to our staff, volunteers, and wider community for showing up, every day, with care, skill and compassion. To our corporate partners, ambassadors, and the families and funders who place their trust in us – thank you. And to all our supporters across the UK and beyond – your belief in us means we can keep doing this work. This next chapter won’t be without its challenges, but we’re ready to meet them – together. More importantly, we’re excited about what’s ahead. Thank you for being part of the journey.

Mike Thiedke Chief Executive

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/2025

About us

Our mission and

purpose

The Children’s Trust is the UK’s leading charity for children with brain injury and neurodisability. Our purpose is to support children, young people, and their families so they can live the best life possible.

What we believe in

We believe that all children have the right to be children, regardless of health conditions, physical challenges or life circumstances. They have the right to play, to laugh, and to learn. They have the right to make connections with each other, with their families, and with the world around them. The Children’s Trust exists to create these opportunities, specifically for children with brain injury and neurodisability.

What we do

Every year we provide rehabilitation, education, care and community services to thousands of children, young people and their families across the UK.

Our national specialist centre in Tadworth, Surrey is home to the largest children’s neurorehabilitation service of its kind in the UK.

We help children through play, exploration, laughter and having fun; things that are often absent when a child has limited mobility or has had a challenging time. When therapy, healthcare and education are combined with music, arts and crafts, day trips and other fun activities, children are encouraged to focus not on their limitations, but on the goals that matter to them – and to enjoy themselves along the way.

Our aim

Every year, 40,000 children in the UK are left with a brain injury. About 350 children sustain a severe acquired brain injury needing rehabilitation. Only one in four of those children can currently come to The Children’s Trust. We aim to increase our impact and reach through enhancing and expanding our neurorehabilitation services over the next five years and we are committed to supporting as many children and their families as we possibly can.

88% of school-aged children who underwent rehabilitation at The Children’s Trust were able to return to their previous educational setting.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

About us

Residential Neurorehabilitation

Through residential rehabilitation we help children restore lost skills or develop new ways of doing things, all the time supporting the family with their child’s newly acquired disability, transition home and plan for the future.

The Children’s Trust School and residential care

The Children’s Trust School is a residential, non-maintained special school, supporting children and young people aged 2-19 with a wide range of needs, including complex education, health, therapy and care requirements.

Community Rehabilitation Service

Our Community Rehabilitation Service offers digital resources, national virtual advice and consultation, as well as community rehabilitation and outpatient packages, for children with acquired brain injury. The service provides a range of support across a tiered model, with increasing levels of support based on the level of need and identified goals.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Highlights and achievements

Celebrating 40 years

In 2024, we proudly marked 40 years since The Children’s Trust became a registered charity. But our story goes back even further.

Tadworth Court was first purchased in 1927 by Great Ormond Street Hospital to become its country branch, thanks to a generous £20,000 legacy from Mr Peter Reid. With more than 100 beds, it became an important training facility for nurses and a valued place of recovery for patients.

By 1982, the future of Tadworth Court was under threat. With only 40 beds remaining, the site faced closure. But the local community – including nurses, parents, children, and celebrities – joined together to fight for its future.

National media took up the cause and a ‘Save Tadworth’ campaign raised £80,000 in just five months. Tadworth Court was saved, and in 1984 The Children’s Trust was established.

Since then, we’re proud to have helped thousands of children with brain injury and neuro disability. Over the past forty years, thanks to the continued support of our community, partners and donors, we’ve become the UK’s leading centre for children with acquired brain injury.

We’ve also invested in new residential rehabilitation accommodation for children and parents. These are spaces that are designed to feel safe and homely, where families can focus on recovery and preparing for the next stages of their journey. Last year was no different. We continued to build on our long history by investing in our future – and the futures of the children, young people and families we support.

Innovation that puts children first

The children we work with are at the centre of everything we do at The Children’s Trust, and our expert teams are always working on ways to make our rehabilitation and education services better.

This year we introduced the ‘F -Words and Life Wheel’ framework into our therapy programme. By using this tool, our teams can better understand what is meaningful to a young person and their family, shifting away from professional and clinical goals to a shared

understanding of what is important for them now and in the future.

We were also proud to be shortlisted for the Innovation Award by the National Association of Special Schools (NASS) for our work in Sensory Careers Project. This project allows students with profound and multiple learning difficulties to explore their abilities, connect with their communities, and experience work. It includes hands-on activities like making candles, and visits to places such as local hair salons, where students can take part in everyday experiences in ways that suit their needs. The project builds confidence and practical skills, creating thoughtful and empowering opportunities for every young person involved.

Highlights and achievements

Award winning rehabilitation

The Children’s Trust was awarded the ‘Rehab outcome of the year’ award at the Neuro Rehab Times Awards 2024. These awards celebrate innovation, dedication and leadership in the neuro-rehab world, shining a light on excellence in a wide range of categories and recognising the many factors that shape a child’s rehabilitation journey.

The award also recognises our work with the children and young people we support, many with lifechanging injuries, to achieve and exceed their goals and lead the best life possible. Our work was praised for our use of evidencedbased tools and approaches, including by Professor Nick Alderman, a member of the judging panel, who said: “The clear winner in my opinion is The Children’s Trust whose entry undoubtedly demonstrates a prolific range of improved rehabilitation outcomes.”

Cutting edge technology

Innovation in technology continues to play a central role in our work. This year, we scoped and identified new technologies that we aim to fund and embed into practice.

We secured voluntary funding towards our growing neurotechnology programme, which meant in 2025, we were able to install anti-gravity hoists (by Guldmann) which allow children to move more freely and comfortably by reducing or stopping the impact of gravity. It also helps them to feel more autonomous – a crucial element of their rehabilitation journey.

The new hoists make it easier for therapists to work with greater ease by lightening the physical load and reducing the need for multiple therapists to support a child at the same time.

We’ve already seen incredible results, including young people taking steps earlier than they would have been able to and experiencing freedom of movement in new ways.

Additionally, we took part in the first paediatric national trial for a new piece of neurotechnology – the Robert® robotic device – used to support upper and lower limb early rehabilitation after brain injury. The results suggest the new technology could be a helpful tool in the very early stages of rehabilitation, enabling a passive range of motion when active movement isn’t yet possible.

Staying at the forefront of rehabilitation

Our staff and young people continued to play an important role in shaping the national dialogue around paediatric brain injury. Our expert colleagues were delighted to have their article, ‘Revolutionizing paediatric neurorehabilitation: integrating innovation and contemporary practice’, published in “Paediatrics and Child Health”.

This paper explores how children’s brain injury care is changing, the new causes of brain injury we’re seeing in children, and the inequalities that affect access to support. It highlighted the need for wider changes to help tackle differences linked to background, location and culture.

We also took part in the Child Brain Injury Conference hosted by the Brain Injury Group in January 2025, where:

Georgia Thorpe, our Head of Business Development, attended as a panellist discussing ‘Transition pathways’;
Dr Valeria Lowing, our Clinical Psychologist, was one of the speakers in a session about supporting siblings and families after a child experiences a brain injury;
And Tara, a young person we supported after a brain injury in 2021, spoke movingly about her experiences.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Our impact in numbers

Our impact in numbers 2024/25

Overall reach 406 65 children and young people children on average at our Tadworth accessed one or more services site per day across both our school and rehabilitation service

92% of families would recommend us to their friends, family and other parent if they needed similar care or treatment

Supporting more children to get home, and back to what matters

Every year, children’s lives – and the lives of their families – are turned upside down by a sudden brain injury. We help give them their futures back – restoring lost skills, developing new ways of doing things, and supporting children to rebuild their confidence, independence and joy.

In 2024/25, we supported 406 children and young people through our national specialist centre, school, therapy and community

programmes. There were 65 children on average at our Tadworth site per day across both our school and rehabilitation service (compared to 61 the previous year).

With personalised support, we helped children learn to walk again, find their voice, eat independently, and adjust to a new way of life. Together with families, we focused on real-life progress and meaningful outcomes.

Our impact in numbers

Rehabilitation: Personalised progress, measurable results

88% 200 of school-aged children returned to goals were achieved ‘as their previous educational setting expected’ or above

83%

of the children and young people we support were able to return to their family home with no or only minor adaptations

247 goals were set using the Goal Attainment Scale (GAS)

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GAS 100%
of school age children discharged from
rehabilitation had an education
placement confirmed for their next step
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In 2024/25, 98 children and young people received intensive neurorehabilitation at our national centre. Each child followed a bespoke programme designed to improve function, communication, mobility and independence, supported by our expert multidisciplinary team.

The average (median) length of stay for a child or young person receiving rehabilitation was eight weeks.

83% of the children and young people we support were able to return to their family home with no or only minor adaptations
100% of school age children discharged from rehabilitation had an education placement confirmed
88% of school-aged children returned to their previous educational setting (compared to 81% in 2023/24)

We tracked progress through individual goals and clinical tools:

247 goals were set using the Goal Attainment Scale (GAS)
200 goals were achieved ‘as expected’ or above in 2024/25 compared to 187 goals in 2023/24.
16% exceeded expectations significantly
18% showed more progress than anticipated

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Our impact in numbers

FIM+FAM 2024/25

To understand change in day-to-day abilities, we used two national measures:

FIM+FAM assesses practical and cognitive skills on a scale from 1 (complete dependence) to 7 (fully independent). The biggest gains were in:

Toileting (45% improvement)
Climbing stairs (44%)
Dressing (39%)
Writing (32%)

Northwick Park Dependency Score 2024/25

Northwick Park Dependency Scores measure how much help a child needs for daily tasks. The largest reductions in support needs were seen in:

Faecal incontinence (27%)
Tube feeding (26%)
Dressing (25%)
Washing and grooming (24%)

Together, these outcomes show the tangible impact of our rehabilitation – helping children take real steps toward greater independence.

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30. Safety
awareness 1. Eating 2. Swallowing
7
29. Concentration 3. Grooming
28. Orientation 6 4. Bathing
27. Memory 5 5. Dressing upper
body
4
26. Problem 6. Dressing lower
solving 3 body
25. Leisure 7. Toileting
activities 2
24. Adjustment to 1 8. Bladder
limitations
0
23. Emotional
9. Bowel
status
21. Social 10. Bed, chair,
interaction wheelchair
transfer
21. Speech
intelligibility 11. Toilet transfer
20. Writing 12. Tub, shower
transfer
19. Reading 13. Car transfer
18. Expression 14. Locomotion
17. Comprehension 15. Stairs
16. Community
mobility
Discharge Admission
Bigger the better
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Mobility
Behaviour 5 Bed transfers
4 Toileting:
Communication bladder
3
Urinary
Safety 2 incontinence
awareness
1
Skin pressure 0 Toileting:
relief bowels
Faecal
Enteral feeding
incontinence
Drinking Wash – Groom
Eating Bath – Shower
Dressing
Discharge Admission Maximum possilble dependency
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Smaller the better
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The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Our impact in numbers

The F-Words Life Wheel:

A New Approach to Goal-Setting

Partway through the year, we introduced a new way to help children and families set their own goals: the F-Words Life Wheel. As a result, we’re reporting this year’s outcomes using both approaches. Early results of the new method have been promising.

Based on the World Health Organisation’s International Classification of Functioning (ICF), the six F-Words Life Wheel offers a framework for setting goals that reflect what matters most to children and their families, going beyond clinical priorities to reflect real-life hopes and priorities.

The six F-Words are:

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Function Everyday skills at home, school or in the
community.
Family Relationships and the support network
around a child.
Fitness Being physically and mentally active and
healthy.
Fun Doing the things that bring joy and
meaning.
Friends Having opportunities to connect and build
relationships.
Future Setting sights on goals and dreams, from
school to long-term ambitions.
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Children and families co-create their goals, talk through what’s important to them, and rate how they feel about each area at the start and end of their stay.

Early Results

Since Autumn 2024, we’ve used the F-Words Life Wheel approach to set and review goals with 27 children. Of those, 16 have completed rehabilitation and shared both entry and exit scores.

The initial results have been encouraging; children who have been discharged from rehabilitation have reported an average improvement of 103% across all F-Word categories, with the most significant gains seen in ‘Future’ (178%) and ‘Friends’ (107%).

Average improvements across the F-Words:

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Area % Improvement
Function (school) 169%
Future 161%
Function (home) 140%
Friends 123%
Fitness 112%
Family 100%
Fun 85%
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The F-Words framework is now fully embedded in our therapy programme. Our teams received specialist training, trialled the tools with families, and developed resources to support goal-setting conversations. Every new rehabilitation admission now uses the F-Words Life Wheel to shape their journey.

Real-Life Goals: Violet’s Story

By the end of her stay, Violet was walking with a splint, using her right arm more confidently, and, most joyfully, riding her pony again – one of her biggest passions.

Eight-year-old Violet came to The Children’s Trust after a stroke left her unable to walk, speak clearly, or use the right side of her body. During her nine-week rehabilitation, she helped set her own F-Words goals focusing on what mattered most to her. These included: “To hold my baby cousin” (Family) “To walk around soft play with a friend” (Friends)

“The [rehabilitation] sessions were a revelation – the whole time she was there she was making really clear leaps,” Violet’s dad Rob said. “This is something I never thought I’d say, but she’s able to canter again... She was so happy. We were all very emotional.

“To brush my teeth and get dressed on my own” (Function) “To be a Paralympic horse rider” (Future)

“The Children’s Trust gave Violet her future back.

Our impact in numbers

The Children’s Trust School

46 children and young people attended our school

11 85% families attended our parent-child of therapy goals were achieved group Taddies ‘As expected’ or above at the end of the academic year

The Children’s Trust School helps children and young people with special educational needs to live the best life possible. Every pupil is supported through a highly personalised curriculum that reflects their individual strengths, needs, and aspirations helping them to learn, express themselves, and enjoy everyday life in the ways that matter most to them.

This year, 46 children and young people attended The Children’s Trust School. There were 30 residential learners and 10 day pupils who followed our bespoke ImPACTS curriculum, which is designed to support complex learning and development needs. Six babies and young children attended our Early Years Foundation Stage. The early years curriculum provides a nurturing environment where children engage in childinitiated learning, guided by the Developmental Early Years Outcomes.

This year’s results:

100% of children met or exceeded goals in communication and cognitive development within the ImPacts curriculum
20 therapy goals were set for children and young people attending The Children’s Trust school using the Goal Attainment Scale (GAS).
85% of these goals were achieved ‘As expected’ or above at the end of the academic year
72% of communication goals were exceeded or rated exceptional

Beyond these key outcomes, children also made meaningful progress in everyday skills that support confidence and independence, including:

Environmental control technology, for example, tools to operate lights, TVs or doors (+14%)
Fine motor skills (+14%)
Self-help skills (+12%)

Our impact in numbers

Community Rehabilitation Services

Our community-based services supported children and families right across the UK, offering advice, therapy and practical tools both in person and online. 269 125

40,814 people accessed our online resources via the Brain Injury Hub and Bumps Happen

received follow-up guidance during key transitions like returning to school

services delivered providing tailored support to 257 individual children at home, school or remotely

In 2024/25:

40,814 unique visitors accessed support and information on our Brain Injury Hub and Bumps Happen pages and the number of people interacting with the chatbot feature has doubled from 2023/24
269 services were delivered to children and young people through our Community Rehabilitation team.
30 children and young people were supported through an Integrated Care Board (ICB) funded ‘Tier 3’ package, delivered in home, school, community settings and outpatient settings.
114 children and young people were supported with advice and consultation virtually through our voluntary funded ‘Tier 2’ package.
125 children and young people were supported with follow-up support and advice at key transition stages through being part of the Community Rehabilitation Service’s long-term register.

This flexible support model means we can stay connected to families throughout their recovery, wherever they are, and whenever they need us.

Our services

The work our frontline teams do every day is at the heart of our mission to support children and families through expert care, therapy, and education. Our teams work with skill, compassion, and dedication. Whether at our national specialist centre in Tadworth or in communities across the UK, these services are where life-changing progress happens.

Residential neurorehabilitation

The largest service of its kind

The residential neurorehabilitation we provide at our national specialist centre in Tadworth is the largest service of its kind in the UK. Our multidisciplinary team work closely together to offer joined-up, holistic therapy, education and care that supports children and their families.

Setting goals together

Each child has different goals set collaboratively with them and their families – whether it’s relearning skills, building strength and regaining movement, or improving their communication. Our teams tailor therapy sessions to what matters most to them, and help families prepare for their return home, to school, and community life. We also help parents learn key skills, such as tracheostomy care, so they feel confident and ready for the journey ahead.

Our expert team

Our highly skilled team consists of doctors, nurses, carers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, music therapists, psychologists, play specialists and multidisciplinary technicians. We also have specialist expertise such as moving and handling advisors and assistive technology practitioners. Together our team helps each child build confidence, develop

independence and take part in everyday, meaningful activities that are active, engaging and fun.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Our services

Supporting complex needs

We support children with a wide range of needs – from helping them to eat, drink, and swallow safely again, to providing support for their breathing and posture, managing complex movement, ensuring safe moving and handling, and supporting their psychological wellbeing. We also support children to use assistive technology – including tools that turn speech into text, read words aloud, or track eye movements – to help them communicate, learn, and build their independence.

Pioneering technology

We continue to pioneer the use of

neurotechnology alongside traditional therapy with a range of innovative equipment, giving children access to specialist tools that support their early recovery. This includes tools like robotic arms that help rebuild movement, devices that respond to brain signals and thought, and electrical stimulation that reawakens muscles. Evidence is growing around how the use of neurotechnology to enhance rehabilitation programmes can drastically improve outcomes, opening up new opportunities for progress and enabling children to achieve far greater rehabilitation goals than ever imagined.

By using technology, we can increase the intensity and precision of rehabilitation programmes. A critical success factor of rehabilitation is repetition, the more repetitions the better the outcome. This repetition trains the muscles to move and make new connections in the brain, which may mean that one day, a child can make those small movements for themselves.

We believe that the development of neurotechnology equipment to support therapy as part of neurorehabilitation programmes will play a vital role in transforming the future lives of children and young people who have suffered an acquired brain injury.

Our approach includes high intensity therapy when needed that is tailored to each child’s goals. Alongside this, our psychologists provide vital emotional and mental health support – including brain injury education and trauma-informed care – which helps children manage their recovery, build resilience, and feel more confident about the future.

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19
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The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Our core services

Rehabilitation in action: Siddique’s story

Siddique was three years old when he fell from a firstfloor window and sustained a brain injury. His mum Shaheena shares their story.

“The worst day of my life started as a lovely day at home. We’d just come back from the shops, and I popped Sid into the front room. I closed the safety gate behind me and went to make us lunch. Out of sight, he managed to open the gate and climb the stairs to a first-floor window ledge. From the open window, he fell onto the concrete below.

Working towards his goals

When the family arrived at The Children’s Trust, they worked with the team to set his rehabilitation goals. Shaheena and Siddique wanted to get him to a place where he could walk independently and be able to play with his siblings and friends. The team of physiotherapy and occupational therapy therapists worked together to help him improve his mobility so he could reach these goals.

“What happened next is a blur. There was a lot of blood. Sid was having a seizure, and the right side of his body was moving, but his left wasn’t. The shape of his face had changed. I was terrified, and in that moment, I was sure I’d lost my baby boy.

His therapy sessions were made as fun as possible to engage him and often involved his favourite toys, which were cars and balls. Therapists used toys, ramps, soft play equipment, walking aids and standing frames to help him progress along the way.

“Once we got to hospital, the doctors took over, and Sid was taken straight into surgery to treat two skull fractures. They told me they weren’t sure he was going to make it, and although I was grateful for their honesty, I was really panicking inside. I was more worried than I’d ever been in my life.”

Anusha, Highly Specialised Physiotherapist at The Children’s Trust, tells us: “He was soon shuffling around independently and pulling himself up to stand. There was no stopping him!”

Starting rehabilitation

During his placement at The Children’s Trust, Siddique improved so that he was able to move independently. He loved swimming, could walk holding hands and was starting to take a few steps unaided. Through singing nursery rhymes in all of his therapy sessions, he was able to say words and communicate what he wanted, which built his confidence and enabled him to play with other children.

After two weeks in a coma and an extended hospital stay, Siddique was transferred to The Children’s Trust to begin neurorehabilitation.

Shaheena shares how she was feeling uncertain about the new environment when she arrived, but that they quickly settled in when she started meeting the teams: “When I saw how [the staff] worked with Siddique and how they used to adore him so much, they made me feel so confident about my son. And I felt like you know what, my son can just do anything.”

The next step

Shaheena tells us: “I can’t really put into words the difference The Children’s Trust has made for my son and just saying ‘thank you’ doesn’t seem big enough. Our next goal is for Sid to walk again unaided, and one day, I’d like him to be a doctor – but I always want him to know that his future is in his own hands!”

Siddique, who has always been an active and engaged child, loved being surrounded by people, and threw himself into his daily timetable of physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, hydrotherapy and more. He also enjoyed the sport, play and art activities that took place around his therapy timetable.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

The Children’s Trust School and residential care

The Children’s Trust School is a residential, non-maintained special school for children and young people aged 2–19 with complex needs, including neurodisability. Located on the same site as our specialist neurorehabilitation centre in Tadworth, it brings together education, health, therapy and care to support every pupil to live the best life possible.

With both day and residential placements available, we offer age-appropriate education and activities, from dedicated early years classes for the youngest children, to further education-style classes for older teenagers.

‘Outstanding’

Rated ‘Outstanding’ by OFSTED Education since 2023, the school is a creative, joyful and inclusive place. The students are supported by a dedicated team using communication technology, music and the arts to help them flourish. Every child follows a personalised learning journey developed with them and their families, with clear goals and high aspirations.

The integration of education, health, therapy and care on one site makes the school and our seven residential houses a unique environment, where every moment can support learning and progress. Children benefit from tailored programmes shaped by therapists, teachers and families working together.

National recognition of excellence, innovation and success

This year, the approach has continued to attract national recognition. The school holds Artsmark Platinum status, a national award recognising excellence in arts and cultural education, and has been highlighted by Challenge Partners, a UK-wide network of schools, as an example of curriculum innovation and success. Pupils regularly take part in creative learning opportunities, from drama and dance to enterprise projects like Platinum Candles, building confidence, communication, and independence in ways that matter to them.

We’ve continued to build on this strong foundation. Our school development plan sets out a structured, long-term approach to improvement, led by expert staff and grounded in what’s best for children. Initiatives like our subject specialist teams help ensure each area of teaching is continuously improving, supporting staff to take ownership of curriculum areas and share expertise across the school.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

The Children’s Trust School and residential care

Rated ‘Outstanding’ by OFSTED Education since 2023

The integration of education, health, therapy and care on one site makes the school and our seven residential houses a unique environment, where every moment can support learning and progress.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/2025

Our services

Harvey’s story

Harvey’s story is a powerful testament to what meaningful, personalised education and care can achieve.

Harvey’s School Journey – A Celebration of Progress, Belonging, and Quality of Life at The Children’s Trust School

One of Harvey’s favourite ways to engage with his environment is through his ‘happiness bag’, a collection of textured sensory items he selects and explores. This simple yet powerful tool reflects his growing ability to make choices for himself and to enjoy the world around him. He now participates in yoga sessions, tracking the singing bowl with his eyes, and holds longer periods of eye contact, showing deeper connection with those around him.

Since joining The Children’s Trust School in 2014, Harvey has grown in ways that beautifully reflect the school’s mission: to support children and young people with complex needs to live the best life possible with excellent education, health, therapy, and care.

Harvey arrived at the school at age seven, experiencing significant sensory sensitivities. Eye contact was fleeting, and he often rocked in his chair to regulate his emotions in response to sounds and textures that he found overwhelming or difficult to process. Through a respectful, age-appropriate, and highly personalised approach, anchored in routine, consistency, integrated therapy, and meaningful engagement, Harvey began to flourish.

A particularly profound milestone in Harvey’s journey has been his progress with eating. Initially, Harvey had difficulty eating and was reliant on a feeding tube. But in 2016, Harvey began messy food play sessions to build tolerance and curiosity. With the right support from therapists and educators, he now enjoys a variety of warm, pureed meals and independently reaches for his favourite crisps, Wotsits and Monster Munch!

Now 18, Harvey is a cherished member of the Sixth Form’s Platinum class and is known and loved throughout the school.

“It’s not just about what he eats,” says Launa. “It’s about his participation, his enjoyment of food, and his progress. It’s about quality of life.”

“He’s one of those young people who is known by all,” says Headteacher Launa Randles. “He has a truly captivating smile, and over the years, he’s grown into a deeply valued and connected member of our school community.”

That focus on quality of life is central to Harvey’s experience. He has developed the strength to sit independently on a bench, earned a Trinity College qualification in Music Development, and most importantly, learned to express his preferences and communicate when he needs a break.

“Before, he might have been passive,” says Phil, Harvey’s teacher. “Now he tells us, in his way, what he wants and needs. That’s huge.”

It’s not just about what he eats. It’s about his participation, his enjoyment of food, and his progress. It’s about quality of life.

“At The Children’s Trust School, we focus on what matters most: quality of life,” says Launa. “Harvey has taken our offer and flourished. He’s not just part of the community, he’s an inspiration within it.”

Harvey’s story is a powerful testament to what meaningful, personalised education and care can achieve. Over his years at The Children’s Trust School, he has made remarkable developmental progress, found joy and connection, and become an active participant in his world.

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The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Community Rehabilitation Service

Our Community Rehabilitation Service supports children across the UK after a brain injury, offering a flexible three-tiered approach, harnessing the power of digital information and remote rehabilitation, alongside intensive rehabilitation in the community.

Tier one

Bumps Happen is our online resource for families, schools, and professionals. It provides clear information, which helps parents understand how to spot a concussion, what to do next, and how to support their child in returning to school and other activities after a bump to the head. It’s also a first-step resource for general practitioners (GPs), teachers and other professionals working with children who’ve had a concussion.

Tier two

Our national virtual Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) team offers tailored advice and education adapted to each family’s needs, including in areas where in-person therapy isn’t available. Support might include multiple sessions with parents, children, or school staff – delivered in a flexible way that fits around busy lives. Families don’t need to know what to ask – we’re here to guide them through it

Tier three

Some children need more hands-on or intensive therapy to help them reach their goals. Our team offers home- or school-based sessions within an hour’s drive from our specialist centre in Tadworth, or families can visit our site for outpatient support. We also offer virtual assessments and ongoing support for families further afield.

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Tier 3:
Community rehabilitation
Tier 2:
Advice and consultation
Tier 1:
Digital information
Increasing levels of support
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26 The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Community Rehabilitation Service

The community service at The Children’s Trust has been a lifeline for us the last 2 years since leaving residential rehab , where our local community team have failed to deliver and support ongoing rehabilitation needs which is the same for many in our shoes The Children’s Trust community team have ensured my son gets what he needs in order to keep progressing in his recovery. We are so grateful for this service and the ongoing support it provides.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Our services

Community rehabilitation: helping Orion thrive after brain injury

Orion, now aged four, was just two years old when he acquired a brain injury through meningitis.

Orion was diagnosed with pneumococcal meningitis and septicaemia, which is blood poisoning caused by large amounts of bacteria entering the bloodstream. The meningitis had left him profoundly deaf, and he received cochlear implants.

Continued support

Care plan for Orion, and then again with his transition to his school.

A year later, the family reached out to the team again as Orion was struggling to manage the fatigue that came with his brain injury. The impact of this fatigue meant that Orion was unable to attend school for a full day and was missing out on fun activities.

Tricia, Orion’s mum, remembers: “We were told that no one knew what the outcome would be, whether he would make it or what life would be like afterwards. When Orion was finally able to return home, he was not able to crawl or roll over and needed help to hold himself up in a sitting position. He was two years old and had lost all of these skills. The whole experience had been such a nightmare whirlwind that we didn’t know what we were looking for.”

Lois, Community Rehabilitation Coordinator at The Children’s Trust, supported the family with further virtual sessions with Orion’s parents, school and network of occupational therapists and physiotherapists.

Lois tells us: “I spoke to Orion’s parents in October to see how his return to school had gone. It was wonderful to hear how he had turned a corner with his fatigue. He is waking excited to attend school, and his attendance has increased to five days a week. He is also managing some activities after school like swimming, as well as some outings at the weekend. He is self-managing his fatigue and those around him are able to support him with this, which is fantastic progress.”

Starting the rehabilitation journey

The hospital referred Orion and his family to The Children’s Trust Community Rehabilitation Service.

Tricia remembers: “We didn’t know what questions to ask as everything was still so new to us. Our world had been turned upside down.”

Nicola, Community Rehabilitation Nurse at The Children’s Trust, sent out some information straight away and called the family to see how they were coping. She then supported the family by providing brain injury education. She also supported Orion’s return to nursery by working with his nursery and professional health network and carrying out a series of virtual education sessions with them and his parents.

Tricia explains what the ongoing support has meant: “There are so many unknowns with meningitis and acquired brain injuries long-term, it feels like a relief to know that The Children’s Trust is always there; whether it’s because Orion is transitioning somewhere new or because something has changed and we need advice.”

Tricia said: “The Community Rehabilitation Service support was invaluable. The team helped us to know where to turn and what questions to ask. They provided training to Orion’s nursery so that when he was well enough to return, they understood how to support him.”

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Quality visits and regulatory inspections

Aiming high

We aim to run our charity to the highest standards and to always work in an open and transparent way. Our continued progress on improving the quality of our work is subject to internal audit, external regulatory inspection from both OFSTED Care and the Care Quality Commission, and multi-agency oversight.

Our regulators

In 2024/25 our residential neurorehabilitation services and residential houses supporting children and young people who attend The Children’s Trust School remained registered with both OFSTED Care and the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Our regulators provide valuable feedback from different perspectives, helping us to keep improving and providing assurance that our measures are safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well-led. The Children’s Trust School is regulated by OFSTED Education. We are also regulated by the Charity Commission, the Fundraising Regulator and the Gambling Commission.

Learning from unexpected deaths

Their loss has had a profound impact on our team and the way we care for, support, and involve the children and families we work with today.

In October 2024 and May 2025, The Children’s Trust received Prevention of Future Deaths reports in relation to their deaths in 2023. Both reports have been formally responded to, detailing the significant additional actions we have taken.

We fully acknowledge the coroners’ concerns and have responded with urgency, transparency and a deep commitment to change. These heartbreaking experiences have led to significant change over the past year to drive lasting improvements in how we care for children and support families. Further detail of what we’ve done to strengthen care and safety is outlined in our progress against objectives on page 33.

We have made significant progress, but we know this work is never finished. The changes we’ve made are embedded into our everyday practice, and external assurance from our regulators is helping us to drive continuous quality improvement.

As reported in our 2023/24 accounts, we were deeply saddened by the unexpected deaths of two children in our care during 2023 and we continue to extend our sincere condolences to the children’s families and carers.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Quality visits and regulatory inspections

External assurance

Both the Care Quality Commission and OFSTED Care have conducted targeted inspections over the last 12 months providing The Children’s Trust with significant assurance that quality improvement work including our focus on monitoring and

observation levels and incident management is embedded within practice. We continue to receive positive feedback from regulators and inspectors, reflecting the dedication, skill and compassion of our staff.

Ofsted Care Inspection, October 2024 ‘Good Rating’

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: Good rating.
How well children and young people are helped and protected: Good rating.
The effectiveness of leaders and managers: Good rating.
Staff provide genuine, nurturing care to children and look after them in a way that is thoughtful and kind... Staff talk with passion and enthusiasm about how much they enjoy spending time with children, and this contributes to a culture where the needs of children are always central to care practice.

The report notes that children, alongside their families, are actively involved in their care planning, giving them a sense of ownership in their lives. One family member said: “I’m on a high when I come here. Staff are so supportive. I feel like I belong and have a sense of purpose.”

“The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.” OFSTED Care also inspected in January 2025 and in July 2025 with no change to our rating.

The report highlighted two areas for improvement which have been addressed:

“Ensure that children’s plans are explicit in relation to the expectations of staff in relation to the supervision and support that children need.”

“Ensure that all employees receive formal supervision at the frequency outlined in the providers policy.”

CQC Visit, March 2025

CQC no longer provide a rating for services or organisations that are defined as being a children’s home and are dual registered with Ofsted.

However, in March 2025 CQC carried out an overnight targeted unannounced visit focused on monitoring and observation levels and incident management.

The report recommended that The Children’s Trust: “strengthen their recording of equipment checks in children’s records when there is equipment in children’s bedrooms.”

We welcome and are addressing the feedback from our regulator.

The The report stated that they:

We found areas of good practice from the revised policy of monitoring and observation as well as an improved and rigorous approach to the recording, management, investigation of and learning from incidents.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Quality visits and regulatory inspections

Ofsted Education Inspection September 2023 – ‘Outstanding Rating’

The Children’s Trust School was rated outstanding across all areas that were assessed in our most recent Ofsted Education inspection in September 2023.

Ofsted inspectors praised the dedication, skill and passion of our staff who are driven to ensure all children and young people with neurodisability and complex needs experience life in all its richness.

Pupils flourish at this school. Their individuality is recognised and nurtured. One parent told us “This school opens up a whole new world for its pupils.

At time of writing, it is worth noting that there are planned regulatory changes impacting The Children’s Trust and three of our seven houses. Whilst we will remain as a dual-registered provider, in 2025/26 CQC will become the sole regulator for rehabilitation houses. OFSTED Care will no longer regulate these houses, and they will be de-registered with OFSTED Care. Rehabilitation is a health-focused service, and this aligns regulatory compliance and inspections more closely with the children and young people who access this service.

There are no changes to how the residential houses supporting children and young people who attend The Children’s Trust School are regulated – OFSTED Care will retain primary regulatory oversight of these houses, with CQC continuing in a secondary health regulation capacity. A smooth handover process is in place, with all three parties working closely together to act in the best interests of the children and young people.

Progress against our strategic objectives

2024/2025: progress against our strategic objectives

We supported 406 children and young people in 2024/25 through our national specialist centre, school, therapy and community programmes. You can read more about our impact on pages 16-17.

This has been a year of steady progress and renewed focus for The Children’s Trust. While continuing to deliver the high-quality care, education and rehabilitation that children and families rely on, we’ve also laid important foundations for the future. We stabilised our finances, engaged and listened to staff across the organisation, and strengthened how we work together.

In last year’s report, we set out four strategic objectives to guide our work in 2024/25. Over the past year, as outlined below, we’ve made meaningful progress across all areas – from strengthening safety and financial resilience, to embedding our organisational values and setting a clear direction for the future through our new strategy.

Objective one:

Enhance the safety and quality of our services for children and young people and their families

Embedding a consistent culture of continuous improvement and patient safety

As outlined on page 30, the past year has prompted deep reflection, meaningful change, and sustained action across The Children’s Trust. Following two unexpected deaths of children in June and September 2023, we undertook extensive work to understand what happened, what we could learn and to support the coronial process. We took substantial steps to strengthen the safety, responsiveness, and culture of care across our organisation. We focused on learning from what went wrong, listening to families and staff, and embedding improvements into everyday practice.

We have significantly strengthened our monitoring and observation protocols, increased frontline staffing, and introduced 24/7 on-site clinical leadership. We have made a number of improvements to how we listen to families and respond to their feedback, and raised the level of clinical oversight in every house. We also introduced stronger handover and communication processes to ensure staff have the information they need to provide the high standards of care detailed in individual care plans.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Progress against our strategic objectives

Our thoughts remain with the families of the two children. Their tragic loss has driven significant and lasting improvements in how we care for, support, and involve the children and families we work with at The Children’s Trust. The changes we’ve made go beyond policies and procedures; they reflect a meaningful and lasting shift in our culture and the way we work.

Implementing the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework

As part of this work we continued to embed the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) across the organisation, which shifts the focus away from individual fault and towards understanding broader systemic issues. Teams from different departments worked together to improve how we report, learn from, and respond to incidents. In March 2025, we updated our internal policy and guidance to reflect this approach. We also reviewed and closed past incidents, helping us to identify important lessons and focus staff training where it’s most needed.

Quality improvement through experience and feedback

Our Friends and Family Test showed that 92% of the families who responded to the survey said that they “would recommend our service to friends, family or other parents if they needed similar care or treatment”. At the same time, feedback highlighted areas where we could improve day-today experiences.

In response, we addressed these suggestions in practical ways – for example, one of the key themes raised was food provision for the children and young people. We set up a working group to better understand concerns and implement changes for example around portion sizes and menu options, particularly for younger children.

We also introduced personalised “Hello, my name is...” badges after hearing that some families weren’t always sure who was caring for their child. These small but meaningful changes have helped strengthen communication, improve mealtime experiences, and build trust between families and staff.

Developing the Clinical risk register and board assurance

This year we introduced simpler, more joinedup ways of tracking clinical risks and providing oversight across the organisation. We regularly bring together key issues from different teams

so they can be reviewed and addressed quickly. We also designed an updated Board Assurance Framework to provide assurance over the management of the charity’s biggest inherent risks; a number of which relate to safety and quality of care. Its implementation is in progress starting with identifying the key controls and assurance activities already in place and where there may be overlaps or gaps.

Implementing the Electronic Patient Records System

In 2024, we completed the rollout of electronic patient care records across our rehabilitation services. This means that staff can now access and update children’s care plans more easily, helping to ensure that everyone involved in a child’s care has the most up-to-date information. It’s made communication between team members more consistent and reduced the risk of important details being missed. We’re now investing in mobile equipment so that staff can update records at the bedside, making it easier to keep information accurate and up to date in real time.

Enhancing safety and clinical governance

We made changes to our nursing and care team structure to strengthen clinical leadership and enhance the safety and quality of our services. Each of our seven houses now has a senior clinical lead and round-the-clock clinical support on site, helping us to provide safer, more consistent care and to respond quickly when needed.

Investing in neurotechnology to improve rehabilitation outcomes

With generous voluntary support, we invested in our neurotechnology programme. This has enhanced our service offer to provide high intensity and increased dosage of therapy. Several pieces of neurotechnology have been introduced to improve rehabilitation outcomes for children and young people. This game-changing equipment used alongside traditional therapy enables children to benefit from high-intensity rehabilitation and regain everyday functions. The Diego and Pablo systems have supported higher intensity upper limb rehabilitation for the re-gaining of everyday tasks such as brushing hair, online gaming and managing dressing fastenings. The Innowalk has provided many children with the opportunity to stand again, when this hasn’t been possible with traditional therapeutic equipment such as standing frames.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Progress against our strategic objectives

Objective two:

Strengthen financial stability and sustainability

Financial performance

Financial KPIs	31/3/2025 £’000	31/4/2024 £’000
Total income	36,006	33,613
Total expenditure	34,524	33,070
Year end trade debtors	3,127	3,398
Year end trade creditors	1,230	1,202
Cash and investments balance	6,103	4,325

We ended the year with a surplus, increasing our income by £2.4m to £36m, and limiting the increase in total costs to £1.4m. Our balance sheet position has improved with debtors reducing and strengthening our cash reserves to £6.1m. Careful financial management meant we have not needed to draw down further on our loan facility. This stability puts us in a stronger position to invest in our services and continue supporting children and families who rely on us.

Improved financial governance

This year we strengthened how we manage money and risk across the organisation. We updated key policies to reflect best practice, identify efficiencies, and support long-term stability. These include a new Reserves Policy, which provides a more dynamic view of how the Charity approaches its reserves; and updated Anti-Fraud, Bribery and Anti-Money Laundering policies which will be utilised as part of the Charity’s overall fraud risk assessment.

Undertake a strategic property review and options appraisal

We have engaged with a partner to assess the options for the optimal use of the Tadworth estate both in the short and long-term. Consideration was given to the challenges that are inherent in the upkeep of Tadworth manor and surrounding grounds, however it was agreed that with the focus on the delivery of the new strategy there was no urgent need to make any significant changes at this time.

Enhance the transparency of service financial performance

As part of the strategic analysis, a new financial model was created to identify cost to income ratio

at a service-level, including a more considered methodology for allocating support costs. This is now being refined to enable it to be used in a more dynamic fashion.

Improve financial reporting and working capital management

The monthly reporting process has been reengineered to highlight key financial drivers and give users of the reports greater insight into trends and risks. Through the year there has been an increased focus on cashflow management and on engaging with debtors to improve working capital. There is also more of a focus on looking ahead to allow the charity to understand future impact more readily.

Identify and implement process efficiencies

There has been a dedicated focus on several efficiency projects through the year, this includes a significant upgrade to the Fixed Asset Register to provide a more efficient and accurate process and the staff expense process has been updated to be simpler and more efficient.

Develop new voluntary fundraising propositions

We have developed our legacy proposition The Gift of Possible and mailed over 5,000 supporters to inspire them to consider leaving a gift in their will. We have developed our case for support for our neurotechnology appeal and secured a lead gift and multi-year pledge. Our Christmas Appeal – Make Christmas Magical was a positive step towards closer integration and provides important learning as we build our strategic appeals framework.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Progress against our strategic objectives

Objective three: Continue to develop an inclusive, transparent ‘one team’ culture at The Children’s Trust

Thanks to feedback through our staff surveys and active engagement with colleagues in working groups, we committed to three areas of focus as we continue to develop an inclusive, transparent ‘one’ team culture.

Embedding our promises

We launched a leadership development programme for 80 of our leaders and managers, focused on bringing our organisational promises to life in everyday practice. These sessions are helping our leaders deepen their shared sense of purpose and strengthen the values-led approach that underpins how we work together across The Children’s Trust. Our five promises – Child First, Aim High, Care Deeply, Be Open and Own It – guide how we lead, collaborate and make decisions at every level.

Introduce a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian

The organisation recruited and welcomed its first Freedom to Speak Up Guardian in March 2025. This independent role gives staff a safe and confidential way to raise issues and suggestions to the organisation and to feel heard. The role is linked to the National Guardian’s Office, an

independent service which supports the Freedom to Speak Up Guardians and shares best practice in creating open and transparent cultures. The guardian also ensures issues and suggestions raised are followed up with actions, recognising the importance of taking action to resolve issues and improve safety, as well as listening. Key themes and trends will be shared with the Senior Leadership Team each quarter and trustees on a six-monthly basis to support organisational learning.

Wellbeing and engagement

We took a closer look at how we support staff wellbeing and engagement, carrying out a comprehensive review led by a cross-organisational working group. The review focused on the tools and systems we use to support staff – including wellbeing resources, internal communication channels, and ways for staff to give feedback – with the aim of addressing key issues raised in previous staff surveys. The resulting recommendations are now with the Senior Leadership Team, who will prioritise and implement changes ahead of our next staff survey in October 2025.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Progress against our strategic objectives

Objective four: Setting The Children’s Trust up for the future

Thanks to the dedication, professionalism and tenacity of all staff and volunteers, The Children’s Trust has pulled through some very difficult times. In 2024/25, the Senior Leadership Team and trustees, with the support of a dedicated strategy taskforce, developed options for the charity’s future. We have started wider engagement with colleagues and key stakeholders who will play a crucial role in shaping our operational plans further as we start to implement the new strategy from 2025/26 onwards.

In developing our new strategy and vision for 2030, our promises were at the forefront of how we approached this work. The needs of children and young people with brain injury and neurodisability and the support needed for their families are at the heart and will determine the pace of change we will deliver in the next five years.

Engaging children, young people and their families

We set out to engage children, young people, and their families in developing what we stand for. A range of methods are used within the organisation to obtain regular feedback on what we do and how

we do it which shapes our thinking at a strategic level. These include the School Council, School Parent Forum and the ‘Have Your Say’ group. We have a Children and Young People Experience Forum which looks at all the feedback we receive, identifies themes and learning.

Funding was received from Surrey Youth Focus to undertake the Unheard Voices project to shine a light on the voices of children, young people and families that are temporarily resident in Surrey whilst undergoing neurorehabilitation. Learning has identified the need for the organisation to provide more information to families about the local area, especially local places that are known to be accessible in a way that meets their child’s needs and transport options. It has also shown that there is considerable scope for collaboration with the local community in finding or putting on accessible activities that would benefit the children, young people and families at The Children’s Trust and those in the community with disabilities and additional needs.

Activate specialist expertise and insight to shape our new strategy

Our Board of Trustees and co-opted members to our Board Committees have provided specialist expertise and insight throughout the year to challenge our thinking in developing the strategy, including introductions to other relevant organisations in the wider sector who have provided advice and insights.

Progress against our strategic objectives

Analyse our operating environment

The environment we operate in is constantly changing. We have seen significant external changes over the past year that have informed our need for a dynamic and agile approach. Funding, regulation, inflationary pressures and other external factors will continue to impact our work at pace. In developing the new multi-year organisational strategy, our teams conducted in-depth analysis of our current business model, and the wider health and education landscape. Through this work we have identified opportunities for The Children’s Trust to adapt to deliver the biggest impact for children and young people with acquired brain injury and neurodisability.

As the external environment continues to change, we are adapting and flexing our approach, including aligning our work with the NHS’s Fit for the Future 10 Year Health Plan, ensuring our strategy reflects national ambitions around community care, digital transformation, health equity, and partnership with the third sector.

Seek external input to challenge our thinking

In 2024, The Children’s Trust convened a Risk Summit under the NHS England framework to seek support and guidance from the wider health and social care system. The summit focused on reviewing and strengthening the medical model of care within our residential settings, as well as examining the monitoring and observation practices in place for children and young people. This collaborative initiative proved to be a valuable exercise, helping to identify and address systemic barriers while facilitating access to expert advice. As a result, we have initiated ongoing engagement with key partners, fostering continued dialogue and shared learning to ensure the highest standards of care and clinical oversight.

In The Children’s Trust School, we have proactively engaged colleagues, parents and carers, as well as external stakeholders, and our challenge partners are helping us to develop the school curriculum in readiness for changes in the regulatory framework.

We continue to horizon scan and gather market intelligence as part of our engagement with the wider system and on potential opportunities for collaboration as well as any competition for new service offerings. Throughout the process, we have continued to engage with our regulators, partners, statutory and voluntary funders to understand their objectives and how we can best work together to support children, young people and their families.

During the year, the Board has been engaged in and approved the charity’s 2030 strategic vision.

The business plan being developed will ensure resources are directed to those areas which will have the biggest impact on the achievement of our strategic objectives, including the effective management of internal and external risks. Each strategic objective will have a clear owner, and an executive steering group to oversee strategic execution and operational delivery.

Our strategy and goals

As we look to the year ahead, we are entering a new phase for The Children’s Trust – one that will shape the way we respond to the growing and complex needs of children with brain injury and neurodisability across the UK.

Thanks to the resilience and dedication of our staff, volunteers and supporters, over the past year, we have achieved financial stability, strengthened our foundations, and created the conditions for real progress. We are now poised to take our next steps with confidence and ambition.

Too many children across the country still miss out on the specialist rehabilitation they need. This year, we are launching a new five-year strategy that sets our direction to 2030. It is grounded in need, informed by experience, and shaped by the insight of those who deliver and receive our services every day.

Our vision is clear:

to be the UK’s leading provider of neurorehabilitation for children with brain injury and neurodisability, delivering world-class outcomes for children, young people and their families through our innovative technology, compassion and expertise.

To help us get there, we will focus our energy on five goals:

Goal 1 Delivering safe, effective and high-quality services Goal 2 Enhance and expand our neurorehabilitation services

Goal 3 Future-proofing our education offer

Goal 4 Investing in our people Goal 5 Strengthening our finances

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Our strategy and goals

Goal one

Delivering safe, effective and high-quality services

We will continue to provide personalised, child-centred care for children, young people and their families.
Continuous learning and improvement will remain central to how we work.
We will strive for clinical excellence in line with best practice and regulatory requirements.
We will seek strong relationships with external stakeholders and partners to ensure that our services benefit from integration with the wider health and social care systems.
Design and strengthen integrated end-to-end pathways for children and young people with acquired brain injury and neurodisability that help families transition from hospital to home.

Goal two

Enhance and expand our neurorehabilitation services

We will increase our impact and reach through enhancing and expanding our neurorehabilitation services.
We will invest in neurorehabilitation, testing and seeking out where we can have the greatest impact.
We will grow our capacity at our National Specialist Neurorehabilitation Centre to ensure we are supporting the children who need us most.
We will manage the natural transition (at 18/19 years) of the children and young people we currently support in school residential placements (‘our Children’s Home’) so that we can create greater capacity for much needed neurorehabilitation placements.
We will explore, test, and develop new services where we are well placed to use our expertise.
We will continue to invest in and provide unrivalled access to the most innovative neurotechnology to improve outcomes for children and young people.
We will strengthen our communitybased rehabilitation.

Goal three Future-proofing our education offer

The Children’s Trust School provides outstanding education to children with complex needs. To help the school to continue to flourish and thrive in the future, we will:

Explore options so that The Children’s Trust School may operate independently in the future.
Work together with suitable partners to put in place a fit-for-purpose business model and funding arrangements that allow the school to connect to the wider education system and infrastructure.

This will allow the school to grow its reach and impact in the years to come.

Goal four Investing in our people

Our ability to deliver exceptional rehabilitation, care, and education relies on our people. Together, we will create a culture of excellence and inclusivity to be an employer of choice.

We will continue to invest in staff
development to ensure we attract and retain a skilled, supported workforce ready for our future service model.
We will invest in the mental health and wellbeing of our colleagues.
We will roll out leadership development programmes, create opportunities for learning and progression, and nurture a culture of openness, inclusion, and ambition.

Goal five Strengthening our finances

To sustain and scale our work over the next five years, we will strengthen our finances by ensuring our services are fundable and our resources focused on growing and developing services where we can make the greatest impact to children, young people and their families.

We will:

Grow our income through business development of health-funded, specialist neurorehabilitation placements, growing existing services and testing and developing new services.
Deliver targeted communications to promote and support the wide range of our work and deliver strategic fundraising appeals to grow our income over the next five years.
Launch an appeal to support our ambition around neurotechnology – offering children the chance to move, communicate and connect in new and meaningful ways.

Our promises – to put children first, to care deeply, to aim high, to be open, and to own it – will guide us through this next chapter. Reaching our new goals will be a gradual journey. But with a clear vision, a shared sense of purpose, and incredible people behind us, we will shape a stronger future for the children and families who need us most.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Section 172 statement

Trustees’ duty to promote the success of the charity – section 172 Statement

Trustees have a duty to act in good faith to promote the success of the charity for the benefit of its stakeholders and in doing so are required by section 172 of the Companies Act 2006 to have regard for various specific factors including:

decisions supported by careful financial planning and oversight to make sure that our services stay strong, stable, and sustainable. This ensures that every step we take today strengthens our ability to support children and families far into the future.

The likely consequences of any decision in the long-term

All the work we do at The Children’s Trust is designed to support children, young people, and their families to live the best life possible – today, and in the future. In 2024/25, we began shaping our new five-year strategy. This process is helping us respond to a changing external landscape – from growing demand for our services and pressures in the wider healthcare sector, to advances in rehabilitation and education – so we can focus our resources where they’ll have the greatest long-term impact.

Our values and organisational ‘Promises’ guide how we work and the decisions we make. Our trustees and Senior Leadership Team regularly review strategic plans to make sure our direction is sustainable and in line with what matters most to the children and families we support – and that our organisation is financially and operationally equipped to meet our future needs. We make

Decisions about our future strategy

Having restored financial stability in 2023-24, a key focus for trustees and the Senior Leadership Team this year has been to define and develop our new, longer-term vision and strategy. Although our finances are in a much stronger position now, we know we need to address some of the underlying challenges in our business model that pose a threat to longer-term sustainability. Simultaneously, we are passionate about finding ways to increase our reach and social impact.

Throughout the year, the trustees and Senior Leadership Team have held many discussions, examining the external threats and opportunities alongside the strengths and weaknesses of our current business model and services. In agreeing our risk responses, including those opportunities we wish to pursue, our primary concern has been, and will continue to be, the care, safety and wellbeing of the children, young people and their families who depend on us.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Section 172 statement

We have also committed to investing in the future of our ‘outstanding’ education provision, The Children’s Trust School. Our new strategy envisages the school may operate independently from the charity going forward. We believe this will give the school greater operational freedom and access to wider resources from across the education sector, helping it to thrive. It will also allow the charity to reduce regulatory complexity and to focus on the growth of new and existing services.

The interests of the charity’s employees

A key focus of our strategy is our approach to our people – how we look after, motivate, and develop our employees and volunteers and create a sense of being part of something special.

In developing our new vision for 2030, a strategy task-force was established inviting members of the operational leadership team to input into the process and providing an opportunity to raise any concerns. We also wanted to test our new vision with the wider workforce before agreeing concrete objectives and business plans. We convened a series of ‘all-staff’ meetings and engagement opportunities to share our strategic thinking and to seek feedback. Overall, employees were receptive and enthused by what they heard. However, for some colleagues, particularly in our school, we acknowledge there is greater uncertainty at this time, and we are committed to engaging, listening and supporting as we explore the options to future-proof the school.

During 2024/25 we also undertook a significant restructure of the nursing and care directorate with the objective of ensuring the right level of support, leadership and governance is in place to meet the needs of the children and young people in our care. We consulted with staff on the changes, listened to feedback and amended our plans as appropriate. We worked hard to ensure that the decisions we made on staffing and services were taken with our promises in mind.

We continue to offer a range of communication channels to ensure staff are kept up to date and can raise any concerns they may have. Notably in March 2025, we appointed a new Freedom to Speak Up Guardian. The guardian is committed to identifying and addressing barriers to speaking up, to support an open and transparent culture where everyone feels safe to raise concerns and make suggestions for improvements, without fear of reprisal. The Freedom to Speak Up Guardian follows up to ensure that concerns are listened to and that there is appropriate learning from cases.

We know that organisational change can introduce uncertainty for our colleagues and takes time to implement effectively. We would like to thank all our staff and volunteers for their continued commitment, professionalism, and resilience.

The need to foster the charity’s relationships with suppliers, customers, and others

We recognise that the charity can only succeed if our relationships with referrers, funders, donors, and key suppliers continue to thrive.

We remain thankful to our loyal supporters and philanthropists who continue to show their generosity through funding our vital work or giving their valuable time and expertise. Their dedication to the charity means we can continue to be here for children and young people with brain injury and neurodisability.

Our partnerships with local authorities and other funders are extremely important to us too. We have engaged with our partners on our new strategy and appreciate their support and commitment as we embark on this period of organisational change. We are proud of the difference our services make to our beneficiaries and are grateful to our funders for recognising our unique proposition and the value we bring.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Section 172 statement

The impact of the charity’s operations on the community and the environment

We operate from our national specialist centre in Tadworth, nestled among 26 acres of mature trees and gardens. We are a service organisation which relies heavily on the NHS supply chain and employs a primarily local workforce. As such we have an inherently low carbon footprint and low environmental effect on the local community. Our retail portfolio adds social value providing volunteering opportunities that create a sense of purpose and community. It prevents thousands of preloved items from going into landfill, helping financially stretched families to buy clothing, toys, books and baby equipment. We are committed to minimising the environmental impact of our activities wherever we can. The charity’s impact on the local community and wider environment will remain a key consideration as we roll-out our new strategy.

The desirability of the charity maintaining a reputation for high standards of business conduct

We believe that maintaining a reputation for high standards of service delivery and business conduct is fundamental to the long-term success and viability of the charity. We keep this in mind in everything we do from recruitment and training,

the setting of policies and procedures, the choice of suppliers and partners we work with, the level of risk we are prepared to accept to the governance and monitoring arrangements we put in place. We are committed to organisational learning and improvement whenever we fall short of our own standards.

In 2024/25, 92% of families who completed our ‘Friends and Family test’ would recommend The Children’s Trust to friends, family and other parents who needed similar care or treatment. This year we have introduced a new Clinical Governance Department which includes a Patient and Family Experience and Patient Safety role. The department is responsible for ensuring that the voices of both children and families are embedded at all levels of the organisation and that there is a consistent process for making sure feedback and concerns are escalated and acted upon.

The need to act fairly between members of the charity

The organisation, being a charitable company limited by guarantee, does not have shareholders and its members are limited to the trustees, who are directors of the company. All trustees have an equal voice in key decision-making.

How we work

The people who work and volunteer with us are the heartbeat of The Children’s Trust. Whether providing specialist care, supporting services, running events or helping in shops, their dedication makes everything we do possible.

Our staff

In 2024/25, we increased the number of frontline staff and employed 641 people compared to 623 people in the prior year. Like many in health, education and care, we face ongoing challenges in recruiting and retaining skilled staff. We’ve successfully responded by expanding recruitment – including international hires – and invested in training, apprenticeships and career development.

Over the year, we welcomed more than 55 sponsored staff, mainly in nursing, care and therapy roles. We’ve also supported staff to grow their skills through on-the-job training and formal qualifications. Some are working towards nursing or therapy roles through apprenticeships, while others are developing their careers in areas like finance and administration.

Staff engagement and wellbeing remains a key priority, and to strengthen a positive and supportive working environment, we introduced a Wellbeing Working Group alongside a new Leadership Development Programme for managers, which launched in April 2025. We also appointed a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian to help foster a culture of openness and support. All staff are now required to complete FREDIE and neurodiversity training. FREDIE stands for Fairness, Respect, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement and helps build an inclusive culture and aims to promote a respectful working environment.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

How we work

Our volunteers

Volunteers are a vital part of our work. In 2024/25, 1,519 volunteers supported us in roles ranging from fundraising and retail to school-based and behind-the-scenes support.

Retail and event volunteers alone contributed over 3,600 hours each month. Others helped with driving, admin and activities such as our Pets as Therapy programme. We welcomed 30 school work experience students and continued to support Duke of Edinburgh placements.

1,519 volunteers supported us in roles ranging from fundraising and retail to school-based and behind-the-scenes support.

> 3,600 hours were contributed by retail and event volunteers alone.

Samuel received rehabilitation at The Children’s Trust in 2015, and this inspired him to volunteer and give back. Samuel’s mum, Karen, shared: “Being part of something bigger is essential for all of us. While I can’t speak for Samuel, as the patient, he has always been the centre of attention – but volunteering shifted the focus to someone else, creating a sense of shared purpose.

Since he was four, everything has revolved around his treatment and recovery. Volunteering allows him to be part of something bigger – a small piece in a much larger effort, working alongside others to make a positive impact. That’s something truly special.”

“Volunteering allows him to be part of something bigger”

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

How we work

Our culture and Promises

Our values, known as Promises, reflect the kind of organisation we strive to be – caring, open, ambitious and child-focused. Created with staff, volunteers and families, they guide our everyday work and relationships.

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Our Promises help ensure The Children’s Trust remains a place where people are proud to work, volunteer and receive care.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

How we generate income

Statutory income

In 24/25 £29.1 million (23/24 £27.4 million) of the charity’s income came from:

Rolling, multi-year contracts for the residential and day school children who can be supported by us from the age of two to 19 years
Our block contract with NHS England for the rehabilitation of children with the most complex needs following their brain injury.
Placements funded primarily by Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), foreign embassies or, in some cases, privately.

We also receive a grant from NHS England (‘NHS England Children’s Hospice Grant’) to contribute to the operating costs of delivering palliative care services to children and young people. In 2024/25 we received £320k (2023/24 £314k).

We also received a capital grant of £21k in 2024/25 (£20k in 2023/24) from the Department for Education in respect of The Children’s Trust School.

Voluntary income

We are so incredibly grateful to everyone who gives their support to The Children’s Trust. Donors, organisations and volunteers, through gifts of money and time or by donating goods to our charity shops, raised a total of £6.1m in voluntary income in 2024/25 (£5.4m in 2023/24).

The generosity and kindness of our supporters makes our work helping children and young people with brain injury possible.

This year our fundraising and retail shops, accounted for 12% and 6% (2023/24: 10% and 7%) respectively of total income generated by the charity (total of 18%) despite continuing financial pressures and high inflation.

Each and every one of our supporters is important to us whether you have given for the first time this year or have been supporting our work for many years. We appreciate every gift no matter how large or small.

Fundraising and retail income enables us to fund core costs and to invest in our future through funding capital expenditure that is critical to providing a safe and nurturing environment for children and young people with brain injury

and neurodisability. This helps us to create a unique and homely environment and purchase specially adapted equipment and lifechanging neurotechnology. Thanks to our supporters we can continue providing services such as accommodation for parents so they can stay with their child, play and music therapy, and adapted transport so children can attend hospital appointments and access the outside world. We also rely on voluntary funding to provide our critical online information service and UK-wide Community Rehabilitation Service.

Thanks to our incredible supporters our fundraising income was a total of £3.9m in 2024/25 (£3.0m in 2023/24). Thousands of people got involved in so many ways from giving donations, to taking part in fundraising activities including clay pigeon shooting, Morris dancing and our squad of 50 runners taking on the London Marathon.

Our 14 retail shops across Surrey, Sussex and Kent raised £2.2m (£2.4m in 2023/24). Over 500 volunteers helped to accept, sort and sell thousands of preloved items. From fashion, bric-a-brac and children’s toys, our team helped find items a new home and prevented tonnes of goods from going into landfill. Our income saw a reduction from 2023/24 with significant loss of trading in Sevenoaks due to a fire, and staff shortages and shop repairs leading to lost trading opportunities across the portfolio.

Our principal fundraising activities are focused across seven areas:

A chain of shops and online retail selling new and
1 donated goods;
Soliciting gifts from trusts, foundations, and
2 statutory partners;
The solicitation and stewardship of donations from
3 supporters or as entries to our lottery or raffles being paid either by regular gifts or as cash gifts;
4 Leaving a legacy, supporters leaving a gift in their Will; Running our own events and entering individuals into
5 third party events and activities;
Building partnerships with businesses, schools,
6 community groups and other organisations to support them in raising money on our behalf; Supporting individual members of the public to
7 conduct their own fundraising activities in aid of The Children’s Trust.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

How we generate income

Significant donations from foundations & philanthropists

We are sincerely grateful for both the financial contributions and the enduring relationships we have built with our public and private foundation and philanthropic supporters. During the year we have been able to call on these relationships when needed. We are continually inspired by our supporters’ generosity. This year many extended their impact through matched giving appeals, and one donor showed exceptional support by converting an earlier loan into a donation, waiving all planned repayments.

We are delighted to share that The Steel Charitable Trust has continued to support us with a grant towards core running costs across the organisation. Gifts like this mean we can keep the engine of the organisation running - from the front-line staff to the back office, every part has kept moving.

The Peter Harrison Foundation released the final £30k instalment of a three-year grant towards our music therapy programme which helps children and young people enjoy music whilst developing or regaining skills such as eating, talking, and walking following a brain injury. Multi-year commitments from donors like these are critical to us achieving our strategic goals. They ensure consistent resources, support long-term initiatives and strengthen our organisation resilience. We continue to value and be thankful for these relationships.

A lasting legacy

The Children’s Trust was founded on a legacy. Caring for children at Tadworth Court in Surrey began in 1927 when Peter Reid left a legacy of £20k to create a country branch of Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital. Gifts in Wills are incredibly important to us, and we would not survive and grow without the thoughtfulness of those who leave these gifts. In 2024/25 we received £442k from generous supporters who left a lasting legacy so that we can continue to be there for the children who need us.

Supporter highlights

We are very grateful to all the companies who supported our work across the year through donations, employee volunteering, gifts in kind and raising awareness of our work. In 2024/25 we were delighted to have been supported by Fidelity and its employees, they raised and donated £31k in 2024/25 and we look forward to continuing to work together in 2025/26. We were also thrilled to be supported by Bucher Municipal, who as part of their centenary celebrations, raised

an incredible £95k through auctioning off one of their road sweepers. We also thank all our supporters who came to our Winter Festival, took part in our Elf Fun event, Christmas Raffle or donated to our Christmas Appeal, through these activities we raised £107k.

Kingswood Supporter Group

The Kingswood Supporter Group was established in 2000 by a group of three local women and has since grown to 12 members. Every year they have organised a fundraising event for the benefit of The Children’s Trust from fashion shows and sponsored walks to lunches and gala dinners. In 2011 their Savoy Ball was attended by over 350 people and raised a staggering £66k and in 2014 a black-tie dinner at the Shard raised almost £34k. The Kingswood Supporter Group’s 2024 Spring Lunch raised an impressive £6k. They have raised over £300k since they began fundraising for us and we are extremely grateful for their ongoing support. With their 25th year in 2025, we were delighted to celebrate their silver anniversary at a spring lunch at the Kingswood Golf Club.

The Friends of The Children’s Trust

Established 40 years ago as an independent charity, The Friends of The Children’s Trust stemmed from the original fundraising team of The Children’s Trust. Their dedicated committee has worked tirelessly to raise money through events, and by inspiring the local community to get involved.

In 2024/25, The Friends of The Children’s Trust agreed to merge with The Children’s Trust. We’re incredibly grateful for everything the volunteers on the committee and all those who supported them have achieved, most recently they have generously funded summer outings for the children and young people we support.

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The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Financial performance and position

Overview

The charity concluded the financial year in an improved position, reporting a net surplus of £1.5m. This outcome not only exceeded initial expectations but also marked a notable £3.5 million improvement compared to the previous financial year. The result not only allows us to move towards our target level of reserves but also represents a tangible milestone in the charity’s improvement plan, which was implemented to address both operational efficiency and long-term financial sustainability.

The core Charitable Services delivered income of £36.0m, an increase of £2.4m from the previous year, highlighting not only the ongoing high demand for our services but also the continued efforts of the Business Development team in securing essential fee increases. These negotiated increases were critical in ensuring that the charity could continue to provide its services at the expected quality level, despite broader economic pressures and rising operational costs.

Fundraising income, including from the charity’s retail portfolio, increased by £0.6m to £6.1m in the year. This upward trend in fundraising income reflects the ongoing efforts of the Fundraising team, as well as public support for the Charity’s mission and its demonstrated impact.

Expenditure remains tightly controlled, balancing the need to deliver high quality and safe services whilst aiming to build back up the charity’s reserves. Total expenditure has only increased 4% in the year, to a total of £34.5m. Due to the nature of the work that the charity undertakes, staff costs will always represent a high share of the total cost base and as such is susceptible to increases in wage inflation and payroll taxes. In order to retain and attract staff the Charity is required to align to professional pay scales (e.g. NHS, Teaching) for the majority of the workforce, which therefore means externally applied increases need to be recouped through negotiated fee increases.

Reserves

As of 31 March 2025, the charity’s reserves stood at £19.4m (2023/24 £17.9m), these reserves are made up of several distinct components. £0.1m (2023/24 £0.06m) relates to Restricted Funds, £0.07m relates to Endowment Funds, and £15.4m is designated to represent Fixed Assets. With no revaluation needed in year of the Tadworth Court estate, the Revaluation reserve remains as £1.3m.

In the year it was agreed that the £1.8m figure that represents the balance on the Department of Health and Social Care grant made in 1995 in relation to Tadworth Court was not restricted and instead is part of the unrestricted total. Overall, the Charity’s Free Reserves are now £2.5m, an increase of £1.3m in the year.

The current target range of free reserves is £3.9m to £7.5m, as such the 2024/25 figure of £2.5m remains below the target, with our intention to move into this range over the course of the 5-year strategic period.

Reserves Policy

The Reserves Policy outlines the purpose, calculation, and management of the charity’s reserves. The reserves are held to meet working capital needs, cover unexpected expenses, manage income shortfalls, and invest in future opportunities. We define free reserves as unrestricted funds available for general use, excluding fixed assets, designated funds, and restricted or endowment funds. The Finance, Investment & Resources Committee oversees reserve levels, ensuring they align with the charity’s financial strategy.

Our policy sets out a structured approach to calculating reserves, dividing them into two levels. Level 1 reserves cover operational risks, including income shortfalls, budgeting errors, and financial uncertainties such as staffing costs and property maintenance. Level 2 reserves focus on strategic investments necessary for future growth. The charity considers external economic conditions, contractual funding risks, and unexpected financial pressures when determining its target reserve levels. The Trustees review and adjust reserve targets based on financial assessments and external factors.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Financial performance and position

Going concern

Background

In accordance with the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (FRS 102), the Trustees are required to assess the charity’s ability to continue operating as a going concern. This assessment ensures that the financial statements are prepared on a realistic basis and reflects management’s confidence in the charity’s future viability.

As part of this assessment, Trustees have considered all available information about the charity’s financial position, strategic direction, and operational capacity for at least 12 months from the date the financial statements are signed.

In response to previous financial challenges, the charity entered into a recovery plan in the 2022/23 financial year. The plan was designed not only to safeguard the continuity of essential services but also to improve the long-term sustainability of the charity. Key actions included securing necessary increases in service fees and undertaking a comprehensive internal restructure to reduce inefficiencies and enhance the effectiveness of the operational model.

Cash Flow Analysis

A future cashflow forecast has been completed to support the development of the charity’s future strategy. This forecast incorporates anticipated changes in residential care services, projected growth in residential rehabilitation, and the related staffing requirements.

The analysis demonstrates positive cash generation for at least 12 months after the date of signing the accounts, and indeed across the strategy period. However, it highlights a sensitivity to fee increases, which are necessary to offset projected wage inflation – the primary driver of cost increases in future years.

External Factors

The external operating environment remains complex. The restructuring of NHS national bodies and the continued delegation of responsibilities are expected to create administrative challenges. Nonetheless, these changes also present opportunities for closer collaboration with the Integrated Care Boards, which will be integrated into the charity’s evolving strategic priorities.

Future Expectations

Operational Performance and Position

These interventions have proven effective, with the charity delivering two consecutive years of surplus: £0.6 million in 2023/24 and £1.5 million in 2024/25. The performance has strengthened the charity’s financial base, resulting in increased Free Reserves and improved overall liquidity. As of 31 March 2025, the charity also remains in compliance with its loan covenants and retains access to a £1.5 million loan facility from Charity Bank and Big Society Capital, which provides an additional layer of financial contingency. Strategic cash flow projections indicate ongoing compliance with covenant requirements over the next five years.

For 2025/26, the charity has budgeted for a modest surplus of £0.1 million, reflecting the anticipated early impact of the new strategy. This conservative projection demonstrates the charity’s commitment to financial realism while remaining forward-looking.

Conclusion

Taking into account current financial performance, cash flow projections, strategic planning, and external conditions, the Trustees are satisfied that the charity has adequate resources to continue operating for the foreseeable future. Accordingly, the financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis.

Financial performance and position

Investment Policy

The charity maintains a carefully considered Investment Policy, which guides the investment of surplus reserves. The overarching objective of the policy is to at least preserve the real value of the charity’s assets over time. This is achieved by targeting a total return (capital growth plus income) of Consumer Price Index (CPI) + 3.5% per annum, net of fees.

Rather than focusing on short-term income generation, the charity takes a balanced approach that aims to deliver both income and long-term capital appreciation. The investment horizon is set as long-term, defined as more than five years. This allows the charity to invest in a diversified portfolio that is more likely to yield stable, sustainable returns while managing risk prudently.

The day-to-day responsibility for managing investments rests with external investment managers, currently Rathbones. However, strategic oversight lies with the Finance, Investment & Resources Committee, which ensures that investment decisions align with the charity’s ethical guidelines, financial goals, and mission-driven purpose. Performance reports from Rathbones are reviewed regularly, and adjustments to the portfolio are made as needed in response to market developments and changes in the charity’s financial outlook.

In the year to 31 March 2025 our investment assets rose by 3.5% (2.6% after charges). This was in line with the average charity return from the ARC Steady Growth Universe of 2.7%. The return can be split into capital and income with 2.5% coming from income. Over the period we received £55k in income and there were no withdrawals. Over the last three years our fund has gained 8.8% (6.3% net) which was just behind the average return from the ARC Steady Growth Universe of 7.8%.

US equities initially led markets driven by the technology sector but much of this was given back towards the end of the period following competition from the Chinese company Deep Seek in Artificial Intelligence and on fears of Tariff proposals from President Donald Trump. At the same time European equities picked up on the prospect of increased spending by European governments on armaments and infrastructure.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Principal risks and uncertainties

The following sets out the Board’s assessment of the charity’s principal risks at the time of writing, alongside the control measures and mitigations in place to manage them to within an acceptable level.

Our approach to managing risk

Risk is characterised as the effect of uncertainty on objectives. Uncertainty can arise from many sources including internal compliance breaches, system failures and human error, and external disruption. At The Children’s Trust, we care for some of the most vulnerable and medically complex children and young people in society, many of whom have life-limiting conditions. Our number one objective is to provide high-quality, safe and effective services to these children and young people. Our approach to managing risk is to strive for excellence in all aspects of care and service delivery, achieving the highest levels of externally validated assurance, and ensuring we learn and improve if we fail to meet our high standards.

Another fundamental objective is the long-term sustainability of the charity. Being able to fulfil our purpose and increase our reach and impact is conditional on us maintaining a highly skilled, highly motivated workforce and on ensuring our services are financially viable. There are a number of risks arising in the external environment which threaten these core objectives. Our approach to managing these risks focusses on increasing organisational preparedness, agility and resilience.

Our risk governance framework

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Board of Trustees
Audit & Risk Committee Risk & Governance
Risk management oversight
Quality & Finance, Investments Educational
Commercial
Safeguarding & Resources Governance
Committee
Committee Committee Committee
Management risk reporting & assurance
Senior Leadership Team
Top operational & strategic risks
Single central register
• principal risks • plus top directorate/ business unit risks
Directorate level / business unit risks
Working party Regulatory /
Incidents meetings / operational Projects external
committees environment
Risk identification, assessment & mitigation
Escalation, reporting & assurance
Risk policy & framework, risk appetite, risk response & monitoring
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The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Principal risks and uncertainties

Our risk governance framework

The Board is ultimately accountable for the management of the charity’s principal risks but it delegates some of its risk management oversight to its sub-committees for specific areas of risk which are outlined in their respective terms of reference.

The Audit & Risk Committee provides assurance and oversight to the Board on the continued development of the overall system of internal control in line with the Board’s risk appetite and supported by the Risk & Governance team.

Risk assurance

During the year, the Audit & Risk Committee has supported the Board in understanding how risk might change as the new strategy moves into implementation and what level of mitigation and assurance may be appropriate. With an evolving risk landscape and bold new strategy, it’s increasingly important that our Senior Leadership Team and trustees have reliable, evidence-based assurance that the charity’s responses to risk are robust and effective.

Risk management and reporting

In 2024, the Risk & Governance team developed a new SharePoint-based risk management tool enabling senior and operational leaders to identify and assess risks and capture the controls and risk mitigations using a common framework. The Risk & Governance team meet regularly with the senior leadership to discuss existing and emerging risks and the effectiveness of controls in place to mitigate them. Those risks with a high residual score are escalated for review at meetings of the Senior Leadership Team and presented at each board sub-committee meeting. Each risk recorded in SharePoint is assigned a risk category which allows risks to be aggregated, informing the reporting of principal risks to the Audit & Risk Committee and Board.

As part of the development of our new strategy we undertook SWOT and PEST analyses examining risks in the internal and external environment and evaluating potential risk responses.

The Board Assurance Framework has been reviewed and internal assurance activities assessed to identify areas where the level of assurance may need to be strengthened.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Principal risks and uncertainties

External Risks

Delivering safe, effective and high-quality services Goal 1
Enhance and expand our neurorehabilitation services Goal 2
Future-proofng our education offer Goal 3
Investing in our people Goal 4
Strengthening our fnances Goal 5

Objective of risk response:

increase agility, preparedness and resilience

Key: Risk is increasing Risk is static Risk is decreasing

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Risk
Political and macro-economic HIGH
Further increases in employment taxes or public sector pay
awards will increase financial pressure and, if unfunded by our
commissioners, may lead to operational deficits. Changes in
immigration policy and the hiring of overseas workers could
adversely impact our ability to recruit or retain our valued
international nurses and carers.
A deterioration in the economy could lead to a decline in voluntary
income, increases in procurement costs and reduced referrals from
those who commission our services in the NHS and Local Authorities.
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Mitigations Link to goals We closely monitor changes in government policy and seek to recoup associated cost through our income contract negotiations. Our Reserves Policy, approved by the Board, sets ranges of financial contingency and uses for reserves. Our financial planning budgetary control and forecasting processes are aligned with and monitored against this policy. We have robust financial controls to limit overspends and to provide early warning indicators of risks to cash and liquidity.

NHS strategy and commissioning landscape MOD

Link to goals

The delegation of national specialist commissioning to ICBs and the recently announced reshaping of NHS national bodies of NHS England could impact the volume of referrals we receive and/or the income we can achieve. There could also be adverse impacts on cash flow due an increase in aged debt and on central support costs as more resource is needed managing and responding to more ICBs.

We are developing a clear and coherent commissioning and ICB engagement strategy and will focus on demonstrating the charity’s value proposition and social impact through powerful impact data and reporting. We have robust controls in place around billing and credit control and maintain sufficient levels of cash to manage peaks and troughs in receipts.

Market disruption and new service providers MOD

Link to goals

We are aware of some potential disruption to the market in which we operate from a potential new, privately funded service provider. This may increase risk around the recruitment and retention of highly-skilled clinical staff, which in turn would directly impact the ability to maintain a safe service for the children who need us. Opportunities may include collaboration for mutual benefit.

We will continue to monitor developments closely and develop strategies to retain our workforce. Our focus will be on establishing the charity’s competitive point of differentiation and investing accordingly. We will also seek to diversify income streams as far as possible.

Principal risks and uncertainties

Internal Risks

Objective of risk response: reduce the likelihood and potential impact

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Risk Controls / Mitigations
Avoidable safety/ safeguarding incidents MOD Link to goals
Delivering safe, effective quality services is our primary objective. We regularly review and update our policies, procedures, training,
We want to avoid failures in our policies, practices and governance and competency-based assessments to ensure they are aligned
that cause harm to children and young people or to our staff. with clinically accepted best practice and are fully embedded.
In the long-term, the effect of the transition away from residential Our frontline staff receive regular competency-based training
care and successful implementation of the new strategy is satisfying all mandatory training requirements and clinical
expected to reduce clinical risk overall. However, we also want to competencies specific to the cohort of children and young people
avoid any increase in risk to children and young people during this at The Children’s Trust.
period of organisational change.
We held a Risk Summit in 2024 to seek external system input into
our clinical policies and practices, and we welcome external
challenge through regulatory inspections and quality assurance
visits from our partners and commissioners.
During the year we undertook a nursing and care restructure
focussed on strengthening leadership, supervision and support for
staff. We have also increased frontline staffing levels and tightened
up our policies and practices around monitoring and observations.
Recruitment, Retention & Well-being MOD Link to goals
Whilst many staff are excited about the new strategic direction, for There are regular management meetings to monitor establishment
others it will be another significant period of organisational change and anticipate workforce shortages in a timely manner. We have
and uncertainty, in particular for our school staff. processes in place to manage and minimise attrition including
learnings from exit interviews.
A number of the existing workforce risk factors around pay and the
scarcity of paediatric healthcare professionals with a specialism in We adopt an international recruitment strategy when we cannot fill
neurorehabilitation remain. Some of the new services may vacancies from the local market and this has proved very successful
introduce new critical dependencies but these are expected to be historically.
low in number. Positively, the increased specialism creates an
We have an outsourced Occupational Health Service and refer staff
opportunity for the charity to think creatively about its recruitment
to this service when needed. We also offer an Employee Assistance
and retention strategy in future.
Programme and have in place a Mental Health Crisis Procedure.
Separately, aligned with the broader national picture, we have seen
We are working at pace to agree a strategy for the school and to
a rise in the number of complex mental health cases. Investing in
provide certainty for staff.
the well-being of our staff and volunteers and ensuring we have
adequate policies and processes in place, is critical to avoiding
harm and to the achievement of our wider strategic objectives.
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Financial Control and Liquidity MOD

In the long-term we expect that our new strategy will reduce risks to financial sustainability from the levels we see today. However, our modelling does anticipate deficit years, earlier on as we make the transition.

One longer term change to inherent risk is greater income volatility. Our new business model will be more reliant on short-term placements and spot contracts, albeit the reduction in predictability of income is off-set by higher expected margins.

Link to goals

Key financial controls include clear delegation of authority from the Board to the Senior Leadership Team, clear budgetary accountability, monthly management accounts, 12-month cash-flow forecasting and quarterly reforecasts.

As part of our strategy development and financial modelling we undertook sensitivity analysis and have reviewed our reserves policy to ensure we maintain sufficient liquidity throughout the transition to our new service model.

We expect demand and available funding for our specialist rehabilitation services to remain strong and have identified a number of opportunities for growth in new services.

At the time of writing the future educational offer is uncertain but options are being actively identified and explored. This could present both risks and opportunities for our financial modelling.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Principal risks and uncertainties

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Risk Controls / Mitigations
Strategic execution and organisational change MOD Link to goals
The new strategy will require significant change across the entire Our business plan will include key milestones and KPIs which will be
organisation. There is a risk that we won’t have sufficient capacity regularly monitored by management and trustees.
or the capability to deliver such significant strategic change
Our Workforce Plan which is in development, will identify key people
effectively alongside day-to-day operational activities.
dependencies and skills gaps and will ensure there is sufficient
Conversely, we need to ensure that the focus on strategy and organisational capacity and adequate capability to deliver strategic
organisational change does not undermine the quality of our projects whilst maintaining high-quality operational standards.
systems, processes controls and governance for maintaining safe
The Quality & Safeguarding Committee will lead on the oversight of
and effective services.
safe, effective, high-quality care during our strategic transition.
Cyber Security MOD Link to goals
The level of cyber threat facing organisations globally remains We have a suite of information security and data protection
high. A major cyber-attack impacting the charity either directly or policies in place, overseen by our Information Governance
indirectly, could lead to loss of confidentiality, integrity or Committee.
availability of critical personal, financial and business data and
In 2024 the Director of Resources commissioned an external,
subsequently major business disruption and reputational damage.
pro-bono Cyber Essentials Plus assessment. We continue to invest
in security measures and cyber defences, proportionate to the
level of risk we face, including anti-virus and malware detection
software, multifactor authentication across our corporate network
and systems, regular vulnerability scanning and penetration testing,
system back-ups and disaster recovery plans, due diligence on IT
suppliers and data processors.
We have an outsource arrangement in place with a specialist firm
for 24/7 security, incident and event management services.
Major Business Interruption MOD Link to goals
We operate from a single, campus-style site in Tadworth. Prolonged During the year, the Risk & Governance team have reviewed and
outages of critical services such as power and telecommunications, updated our Business Continuity Plan, Major Incident Plan,
or local major incidents (including pandemics) affecting the Emergency Procedures File and Contacts. Post-year end the team
ability of our staff to come in to work, have the potential to cause has also facilitated two desktop crisis simulations with some of the
significant business disruption, undermining the quality and safety Senior Leadership Team and other staff members to test our
of our services. planning and preparedness.
We have made significant investment in upgrading our back up
power generators, improving resilience in the event of a major,
prolonged outage.
Our focus for 2025 will be to strengthen our relationships with
external partners so that in the rare but plausible event that we
needed to urgently evacuate our entire site, or that there was a
local major incident, arrangements for a coordinated, system-wide
response would be in place.
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The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Environmental, social and governance

The Environmental, Social and Governance section of this annual report outlines the charity’s commitment to sustainable and responsible practices. In a rapidly evolving regulatory landscape, we recognise the critical importance of managing our environmental impact. This section outlines our achievements in energy efficiency over the year 2024/25.

Streamlined energy and carbon report (SECR)

Reporting period: 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025. Methodology: All the SECR data requirements for unquoted ‘large’ companies have been met,

and the energy consumption and emissions are reported below.

This includes UK consumption of electricity, gas and transport fuels where the organisation is responsible for the fuels. The methodology used to calculate emissions is the GHG Reporting Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard (2022). UK Government greenhouse gas emissions conversion factors for 2022 have been applied. Scope 2 emissions from purchased electricity have been calculated using reported consumption data from our energy provider.

Third party verification

No third party data verification of the emissions data has been carried out

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Reported emissions (and carbon offsets) tonnes CO2e
2024/25 2023/24 2022/23
Total gross emissions (scope 1, 2 and 3) 403.2 395.3 422.3
Total direct and indirect emissions (scope 1 and 2) 393.2 382.5 413.3
Total direct (scope 1) emissions 160.6 181.9 193.2
Direct emissions (scope 1) stationary combustion 139.2 131.0 137.6
Direct emissions (scope 1) mobile combustion 21.4 50.9 55.6
Direct emissions (scope 1) from transport mobile combustion 21.4 50.9 55.6
Direct emissions (scope 1) from other mobile combustion 0.0 0.0 0.0
Direct emissions (scope 1) from agricultural sources 0.0 0.0 0.0
Total indirect emissions (scope 2) 232.6 200.5 220.1
Indirect emissions (scope 2) from electricity 232.6 200.5 220.1
Total other indirect emissions (scope 3) 10.0 12.8 9.0
Other indirect (scope 3) emissions from business travel 10.0 12.8 9.0
Other indirect (scope 3) emissions from business travel where company is 10.0 12.8 9.0
responsible for purchasing fuel
Energy consumption kWh
Total energy consumption used to calculate emissions 1,909,410 1,954,528 2,071,267
Energy consumption, combustion of gas 685,696 655,072 668,162
Energy consumption, electricity 1,089,586 1,031,077 1,132,085
Energy consumption, combustion of transport fuel 134,128 268,379 271,020
Energy consumption, other 0 0 0
Intensity ratio tCO2e/sqm tCO2e/sqm tCO2e/sqm
Intensity ratio 0.028 0.027 0.029
The reported emissions intensity ratio is the total gross emissions (scope 1, 2 and 3) per Square Meter of Total floor area.
Intensity ratio based solely on mandatory data True
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The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Environmental, social and governance

Energy efficiency action report

1 Our total energy consumption has seen further reductions against the previous two years. Our owned fleet remained static in the year with one addition of an ev car in the last two months 2 of the year. 3 Lighting replacement/ upgrades to LED continued under operational expense during the period. 4 Accommodation has run at nearly full capacity throughout the year. 5 We have maintained 14 retail units throughout the year. 6 While our grey fleet usage has increased, overall transport fuel usage had seen a significant drop. Gas usage has increased against the previous year which is attributed to a greater heat requirement 7 with June to September recording cooler temperatures against the previous year.

8 Electricity consumption has seen a slight increase on the previous year. 9 The intensity ratio is reflective of the total floor area of the estate. 10 The data in this report is understood to be accurate at time of writing. 11 Electrical consumption data for Redhill is estimated due change in unit data is currently not available.

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The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25
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Looking ahead our key priorities

Organisational structure and governance

The Children’s Trust is a charitable company limited by guarantee, incorporated, and registered in the UK and governed in accordance with its Articles of Association.

----- Start of picture text -----
Community
The Children’s
Services/ Children’s Home (“Houses”) Rehabilitation Trust School Fundraising Retail
Income Service
Generating Units (IGUs) Residential Residential Virtual & School & Early Giving, Events, Individual Shops in
outpatient south-east;
neurorehabilitation Care Years Trusts, Legacies,
support online
Lottery
School
Children & Family Services
(therapies & Fundraising & Communications
(nursing & quality, medical, therapies)
education)
Directorates
Support Functions (Finance, People, Estates, IT, Procurement, Risk & Governance)
Finance, Investments & Resources Committee –
Financial planning and performance, investments, resources and compliance (excl. CQC & Ofsted Care)
Commercial Committee
Quality & Safeguarding Committee – Safe & Effective Care
(Ofsted Care & CQC, Safeguarding – all services)
Main Board
Educational
Committees
Governance
Committee –
School
Governing Body
Audit and Risk Committee – Risk Management, Governance & Assurance, Internal & External
Audit, statutory Accounts & Trustees Report
Appointments Committee
Remuneration Committee
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The charity’s organisational and governance structure is designed to support the effective management and oversight of its three key income generating activities, being:

Residential neurorehabilitation and disability services at Tadworth Court, including a children’s home for pupils at The Children’s Trust School;
The Children’s Trust School
Fundraising, Retail and Communications.

a year, with the chief executive and other members of the Senior Leadership Team in attendance. Each meeting follows a core set of agenda items, allowing trustees to hear from and challenge management on business performance and outlook and to have oversight of governance, risk, and compliance matters. In addition, a rolling board agenda builds in strategic checkpoints, governance reviews, risk deep dives and operational spotlights at key points throughout the year.

Board of Trustees

The Children’s Trust is governed by the Board of Trustees who are also the charity’s directors under company law. The Board ordinarily meets six times

In line with our governing document, trustees are appointed via ordinary resolution of the Board and may serve for a period of nine years with the option to stand for re-election annually thereafter, for a maximum of three further 12-month terms. When

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Organisational structure and governance

recruiting and appointing trustees, we look for individuals who can provide strategic leadership and expertise across our key services and disciplines of nursing, care, education, therapy, and fundraising and who can support and bring effective challenges to the Senior Leadership Team on business strategy, clinical governance, quality and safeguarding, finance, governance, risk, and regulatory compliance. Like many charities, we recognise the importance of board diversity and are committed more broadly to the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion from ‘board to floor.’

All trustees follow a dedicated induction

programme and complete mandatory refresher training across key areas of risk and compliance, such as safeguarding, health and safety, infection prevention control and information governance annually. We set high standards of professional conduct and integrity for our trustees and conflicts of interest are regularly reviewed.

During 2024/25, there were two new trustee appointments, and we also appointed three co-opted, non-voting committee members to further increase the breadth and depth of knowledge and skills at our key governance meetings.

The Trustees delegate the day-to-day running of the charity to the CEO and the Senior Leadership Team.

Indemnity insurance

All trustees have the benefit of a qualifying third-party indemnity provision as defined by section 234 Companies Act 2006. The charity purchased and maintained throughout the year directors’ and officers’ liability insurance in respect of itself and its trustees (Premium 2024/25 £10k, 2023/24 £10k).

Given the breadth of sectors we operate across, the Board delegates some of its key functions and responsibilities to a number of specialist committees as follows.

Quality & Safeguarding Committee

This committee provides structured and systematic oversight of the organisation’s clinical governance, risk management and safeguarding policies and procedures. It holds management to account for compliance with key regulations and statutory guidance, including the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014; Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations

2009; and The Care Standards Act 2000, and provides assurance to the Board over the same. The committee met six times in 2024/25.

Educational Governance Committee

This committee has delegated authority to act as the de facto ‘governing body’ of The Children’s Trust School. The scope and objectives of the committee are informed by UK legislation and statutory guidance from Department for Education. The committee’s role is to hold the school leadership team to account for the educational performance, internal organisation and management and control of the school, including the performance management of staff. The committee met four times in 2024/25.

Finance, Investments & Resources Committee

The primary purpose of this committee is to support the Board in ensuring the charity manages its finances (including investments), human resources, estates and facilities and IT responsibly and ethically in pursuit of its charitable purposes. The committee met six times in 2024/25.

Commercial Committee

During the year we established a new Commercial Committee to ensure there was sufficient strategic oversight of income generation. The committee’s primary purpose is to support the Board in ensuring the Charity manages and maximises its statutory, voluntary and retail income generating activities and that the Charity’s practices are responsible, effective, efficient and compliant. The committee met twice in 2024/25.

Audit and Risk Committee

The primary purpose of the committee is to provide assurance to the Board on the adequacy of the overall system of internal control, including the risk management framework and the operation of the assurance framework. The Audit and Risk Committee is responsible for oversight of financial reporting matters and integrity of the annual report and accounts. In addition, it is responsible for the appointment and oversight of the external auditor, and for monitoring management’s responsiveness to both internal and external audit findings and recommendations. The committee met seven times in 2024/25.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Organisational structure and governance

Appointments Committee

The committee’s primary purpose is to review board composition and approve new trustee, honorary officer, and Senior Leadership Team appointments. The committee meets once per annum or as and when necessary for new appointments. Some of the committee’s business is conducted electronically.

Remuneration Committee

The primary purpose of the Remuneration Committee is to determine employment and remuneration policies and to approve the annual pay review (including the charity’s key management personnel). The committee is focussed on ensuring remuneration is proportionate and financially prudent in the context of a sustainable charity operating within the voluntary care sector. We aim to be sufficiently competitive in the employment markets through benchmarking to relevant professional pay scales in order to attract and retain the specialist skills and talent we need. We also endeavour to pay to the National Living wage as a minimum, aligned to the National Living Wage Foundation – Outside London. The Remuneration Committee met four times in 2024/25.

Merger of The Friends of The Children’s Trust at Tadworth Court with The Children’s Trust

During the year, the charity undertook a merger with The Friends of The Children’s Trust At Tadworth Court (293862) (‘The Friends’). The sole object of The Friends as set out in its Objects & Rules was “for the care, treatment, rehabilitation and relief of sick, physically and mentally handicapped children and other persons and the prevention of illness, disability, disease and infirmity by providing financial assistance and support to The Children’s Trust”. The Friends were unable to continue operating due to a lack of volunteers.

At its EGM on 16 July 2024, the board of The Friends passed a special resolution to dissolve the charity. The Friends’ assets, comprising cash of £3,492, were subsequently transferred to The Children’s Trust on 10 and 11 September 2024. The Friends had no liabilities and held no property at the time of the merger.

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

At The Children’s Trust we are committed to a culture of equality and inclusivity, and this is reflected in how we recruit, develop and support colleagues right across our organisation. We welcome applications from people living with disabilities, individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds and those from other underrepresented groups. We also make workplace adjustments where staff acquire or develop disabilities during their employment with us.

SPARK is the staff Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) network at The Children’s Trust, set up in 2020, to progress the charity’s commitment to place EDI as integral to our strategy. The group has spent the past year reflecting on and revisiting our principles, and through this process, we have assessed our existing frameworks and actively sought to enhance our initiatives. This has included inviting external speakers to run engagement sessions, an example being Mark Francis from the Uspire Group who spoke about the definitions of Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity and what they mean to The Children’s Trust. In order to take the programme forward, we are currently reviewing the resource requirements, to ensure this group has the framework to be effective.

We have introduced two new e-learnings for all staff. FREDIE (Fairness, Respect, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Engagement) and Neurodiversity in the Workplace, which aim to promote a respectful working environment.

The Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 mandates employers to take reasonable measures to prevent sexual harassment within the workplace. In light of this, ACAS has delivered in-person training Sexual Harassment Training sessions for two cohorts: the Senior Leadership Team and other senior leaders. Four additional training sessions are scheduled for June 2025. The Learning and Development team is currently piloting a more extensive presentation addressing harassment and bullying in general, with a view to rolling out across the organisation over the coming months.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Organisational structure and governance

Fundraising practices

As a member of the Fundraising Regulator scheme, The Children’s Trust operates in accordance with the Code of Fundraising Practice and is an organisational member of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising.

Fundraising programmes are compliant with the Institute and our own Vulnerable Person’s Policy, and the key tenets of the policy are incorporated in our training programmes.

At the time of writing, the Fundraising Regulator has published guidance on the updated Code of Fundraising Practice, we will be training staff and reviewing our policies to ensure compliance with the new code ahead of its implementation on 1 November 2025.

The charity also operates a whistleblowing policy and a complaints policy and process. It is also registered with the Gambling Commission for the purposes of running a lottery and conducting a supporter raffle through the post.

The charity’s Supporter Promise is available on our website and outlines our commitment to working to high standards. This confirms our commitment to abiding by the Fundraising Preference Service and the Mail and Telephone Preference Services and to comply with all relevant laws and standards.

We worked with our telemarketing partner DTV Optimise who called current and past supporters to ask them to increase their gift value or set up a new regular gift or to play our lottery to help us hit our vital fundraising targets and meet our increasing needs. Every call they made was recorded, which enabled us to monitor these calls every week – no concerns were raised during 2024/25 (2023/24 = none).

We take a robust approach to handling donor complaints and welcome feedback from supporters and the public. During the financial year 2024/25, 100% of complaints were investigated (2023/24 = 100%).

Fundraising complaints:

During 2024/25, we engaged one commercial participator; Sterling, who are the external lottery manager for The Children’s Trust lottery. We monitor their compliance and there were no incidents to report in 2024/25.

Complaints in relation to fundraising activity (those in relation to retail operations):

2024/25: 12 (retail 10)
2023/24: 10 (retail 9)

There were no instances where a complaint was required to be referred to the Fundraising Regulator, Ofcom, the Information Commissioner’s Office, or any other regulatory body.

Public benefit

The trustees confirm that they have had regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit in delivering its activities during the year and when reviewing the charity’s aims and objectives and in planning future activities. We continue to assess our work against the principles of public benefit, ensuring transparency, accountability, and alignment with our charitable purpose.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Statement of trustees’ responsibilities

The trustees (who are also directors of The Children’s Trust for the purposes of company law) 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). Statement of trustees’ responsibilities Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year that give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:

Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
Observe the methods and principles in the charity’s Statement of recommended practice (SORP)
Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent
State whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements

The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charitable company’s website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

The trustees also confirm that, in the case of each of the persons who were directors at the time of reporting and as far as each trustee was aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the charity’s auditor is unaware, and that they have taken all the steps that they ought to have taken as a trustee in order to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the charity’s auditor is aware of that information.

In accordance with Sch 7.1A of Companies Act 2006, the directors point out that they have chosen to disclose information required under Sch 7.11(1) and Sch 7.11B(1) of Companies Act 2006, within Section 172 statement in the Strategic Report (pages 41-43).

On behalf of the Board

Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the organisation will continue in business.

The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Steve Flanagan Chair of Trustees

26 September 2025

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Further information

Further information Reference and administrative details

Trustees

The following individuals were directors of the company during the reporting period:

Stephen Flanagan

Chair of Trustees Commercial Committee (Chair) Remuneration Committee (Chair) Appointments Committee (Chair)

Fiona Sheridan

Vice Chair of Trustees Finance, Investments & Resources Committee (Chair until September 2024) Audit and Risk Committee (Chair from November 2024)

Timothy Davies

Finance, Investments & Resources Committee Audit and Risk Committee Educational Governance Committee Appointments Committee

Denise Matthams

Quality & Safeguarding Committee (Chair) Appointments Committee Resigned 12 August 2025

Marian Ridley

Quality & Safeguarding Committee

Rory Litherland

Finance, Investments & Resources Committee Remuneration Committee Whistleblowing Champion Appointments Committee

Christina Brookes

Whistleblowing Champion and EDI Steering Group Resigned 29 July 2024

Trustee appointments

Helen Hewitt

Educational Governance Committee Commercial Committee Audit & Risk Committee Appointed 31 May 2024

Helen Farmer

Quality & Safeguarding Committee Commercial Committee Appointed 31 May 2024

Trustee appointments post year-end

Deborah Ralls

Toby Mullins

Educational Governance Committee (Chair)

Appointed 19 May 2025

Richard Guest

Nigel Scott

Finance, Investments & Resources Committee (Chair from November 2024) Audit and Risk Committee (Chair until September 2024) Appointments Committee Remuneration Committee Resigned 1 August 2025

Appointed 19 May 2025

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Further information

Senior Leadership Team

The following individuals were members of the Senior Leadership Team during the reporting period:

Mike Thiedke

Chief Executive

Company Secretary

Olivia Rowntree

Registered Office

The Children’s Trust, Tadworth Court Tadworth, Surrey, KT20 5RU

Advisers

Michael Maddick

Director of Resources

Sian Thomas

Director of Nursing and Quality Resigned 5 July 2024

Michelle Martin

Director of Fundraising and Communications

Steve Harris

Finance Director

Dr Vijay Palanivel

Medical Director and Senior Consultant in Paediatric Neurodisability

Melanie Burrough

Director of Therapies and Director of Education

Olivia Rowntree

Company Secretary, Head of Audit, Risk & Governance Appointed 14 May 2024

Bethan Eaton-Haskins

Interim Director of Nursing and Quality Appointed 30 July 2024

Director of Nursing and Quality Appointed 7 March 2025

Co-opted committee members

In August 2024, we appointed the following individuals as co-opted committee members (independent advisers to the Trustee Board’s sub-committees).

Helen Cook, Audit & Risk Committee Ashley Head, Commercial Committee Resigned 31 August 2025 Bidisha Lahoti, Quality & Safeguarding Committee

Bankers

Lloyds Bank, 4th Floor, 125 London, Wall London, EC2Y 5AS Charity Bank Limited, 82 High Street, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 1BE

Auditor

Crowe U.K LLP 55 Ludgate Hill, London, EC4M 7JW

Solicitors

Mills & Reeve, Botanic House, 100 Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 1PH RPC LLP, Bridgewater House, Counterslip, Bristol BS1 6BX

Investment Managers

Investec Wealth & Investment (UK), part of Rathbones Group Plc, 30 Gresham Street, London EC2V 7QP

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Independent auditor’s report

Independent auditor’s report

Independent auditor’s report to the members of The Children’s Trust

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of The Children’s Trust (‘the charitable company’) for the year ended 31 March 2025 which comprise Statement of Financial Activities, Balance Sheet and Statement of Cash Flow and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

In our opinion the financial statements:

give a true and fair view of the state of the charitable company’s affairs as at 31 March 2025 and of its income and expenditure, for the year then ended;
have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and
have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charitable company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Conclusions relating to going concern

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustee’s use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charitable company’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

Other information

The trustees are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. The other information comprises the information included in the annual report, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.

Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether 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.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Independent auditor’s report

Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

In our opinion based on the work undertaken in the course of our audit

the information given in the trustees’ report, which includes the directors’ report and the strategic report prepared for the purposes of company law, for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and
the strategic report and the directors’ report included within the trustees’ report have been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

In light of the knowledge and understanding of the charitable company and their environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the strategic report or the directors’ report included within the trustees’ report.

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

adequate and proper accounting records have not been kept; or
the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or
certain disclosures of trustees’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or
we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit

As explained more fully in the trustees’

responsibilities statement set out on page 63, the trustees (who are also the directors of the charitable company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charitable company’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charitable company or to cease

operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

Details of the extent to which the audit was considered capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations are set out below.

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 identified and assessed the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements from irregularities, whether due to fraud or error, and discussed these between our audit team members. We then designed and performed audit procedures responsive to those risks, including obtaining audit evidence sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

We obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory frameworks within which the charitable company operates, focusing on those laws and regulations that have a direct effect on the determination of material amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, including financial reporting legislation and the Charity SORP (FRS 102), and [local] tax regulations. We assessed the required compliance with these laws and regulations as part of our audit procedures on the related financial statement items.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Independent auditor’s report

In addition, we considered provisions of other laws and regulations that do not have a direct effect on the financial statements but compliance with which might be necessary to the charitable company’s ability to operate or to avoid a material penalty. Auditing standards limit the required audit procedures to identify non-compliance with these laws and regulations to enquiry of the Trustees and other management and inspection of regulatory and legal correspondence, if any.

We also considered the opportunities and incentives that may exist within the charitable company for fraud. We identified the greatest risk of material impact on the financial statements from irregularities, including fraud, to be within the timing of recognition of contract and legacy income, valuation of Tadworth Court and the override of controls by management. Our audit procedures to respond to these risks included enquiries of management, and the Audit & Risk Committee about their own identification and assessment of the risks of irregularities, sample testing on the recognition of contract and legacy income, evaluating the valuation of Tadworth Court, sample testing on the posting of journals, reviewing accounting estimates for biases, reviewing regulatory correspondence with the Charity Commission, and reading minutes of meetings of those charged with governance.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the charitable company’s members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charitable company’s members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charitable company and the charitable company’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Naziar Hashemi Senior Statutory Auditor For and on behalf of Crowe U.K. LLP Statutory Auditor London 2 October 2025

Owing to the inherent limitations of an audit, there is an unavoidable risk that we may not have detected some material misstatements in the financial statements, even though we have properly planned and performed our audit in accordance with auditing standards. For example, the further removed non-compliance with laws and regulations (irregularities) is from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, the less likely the inherently limited procedures required by auditing standards would identify it.

In addition, as with any audit, there remained a higher risk of non-detection of irregularities, as these may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal controls. We are not responsible for preventing non-compliance and cannot be expected to detect non-compliance with all laws and regulations.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Financial statements

Statement of financial activities

(incorporating an income and expenditure account) For the year ended 31 March 2025

----- Start of picture text -----
Unrestricted 2025 2024
General Restricted Endowment Total Total
Note Funds Funds Funds Funds Funds
Income and endowments from:
Charitable activities 29,117 - - 29,117 27,396
– Residential Neurorehabilitation 13,475 - - 13,475 14,013
– The Children’s Trust School and
- -
15,426 15,426 13,276
Residential Care
– Community Rehabilitation Services 216 - - 216 107
Donations and legacies 2 2,829 626 - 3,455 2,636
Government grants 2a - 341 - 341 334
Other trading activities 3 2,651 2,651 2,815
Investment income 4 128 - - 128 80
Other income 5 314 - - 314 352
Total income 35,039 967 - 36,006 33,613
Expenditure on:
Charitable activities 6 29,667 915 - 30,582 28,427
– Residential Neurorehabilitation 13,009 323 - 13,332 12,690
– The Children’s Trust School and
16,030 591 - 16,621 15,082
Residential Care
– Community Rehabilitation Services 628 1 629 655
Raising funds 6 3,943 - - 3,943 3,860
Total expenditure 86 33,610 915 - 34,525 32,287
Gain(loss) on the disposal of fixed assets 2 - - 2 (128)
Impairment - - - - (783)
Net gain/(loss) on investments 14 29 - 4 33 149
Net income 1,460 52 4 1,516 564
Transfer between funds 20a 1,758 (1,758) - - -
Other recognised gains/(losses):
- - - -
Loss on revaluation of fixed assets (2,518)
Net movement in funds 3,218 (1,706) 4 1,516 (1,954)
Reconciliation of funds:
Total funds brought forward 20 16,037 1,813 66 17,916 19,870
Total funds carried forward 20 19,255 107 70 19,432 17,916
----- End of picture text -----

The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. The accompanying accounting policies and notes form an integral part of these financial statements.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Balance sheet

As at 31 March 2025

----- Start of picture text -----
2025 2025 2024 2024
Note
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Fixed assets
Intangible fixed assets 13 250 418
Tangible fixed assets 12 16,461 16,204
16,711 16,622
Investments 14 4,732 2,109
21,443 18,731
Current assets
Stocks 20 92
Debtors 15 3,713 4,245
Cash at bank and in hand 1,371 2,216
5,104 6,553
Current liabilities
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year 16a (3,622) (3,618)
(3,622) (3,618)
Net current assets 1,482 2,935
Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year 16b (3,493) (3,750)
Net assets 19,432 17,916
The funds of the Charity
Unrestricted funds: 20a
– General funds 2,542 1,172
– Revaluation reserve 1,308 1,308
– Designated 15,405 13,557
19,255 16,037
Restricted funds 107 55
Fixed Asset Restricted Fund - 1,758
Endowment funds 70 66
177 1,879
Total funds 20 19,432 17,916
----- End of picture text -----

The financial statements on pages 69 to 89 were approved by the trustees and authorised for issue on 26 September 2025. Company Number: 1757875. Charity Number: 288018.

Steve Flanagan Chair of Trustees

Fiona Sheridan Vice-Chair

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Cash flow statement

For the year ended 31 March 2025

----- Start of picture text -----
Note 2025 2024
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Net income for the reporting period before gains/(losses)
on revaluation 1,516 564
Cash flows from operating activities
– Investment income 14 (112) (53)
– Depreciation 12 874 1,130
– Amortisation 13 178 654
– Impairment - 783
– Net (gain)/ loss in market value on investments 14 (11) (132)
– Decrease in stocks 72 185
– (Increase)/decrease in debtors 531 (2,362)
– Increase/(decrease) in creditors 496 353
Net cash from operating activities 3,544 1,122
Cash flows from investing activities
– Investment income received 112 53
– Proceeds from sale of tangible fixed assets 2 128
– Investment income reinvested 14 (112) (53)
– Capital expenditure 12, 13 (1,141) (649)
– Additional investments made 14 (2,500) -
Net cash used in investing activities (3,639) (521)
Cash flows from financing activities
– Repayment of loans 16b (250) -
– Loan converted to donation 16b (500) (250)
Net cash flow from financing activities (750) (250)
Change in cash and cash equivalents in the reporting
(845) 351
period
– Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year 2,216 1,865
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year 1,371 2,216
Analysis of cash and cash equivalents
– Cash at bank and in hand 1,371 2,216
Total cash and cash equivalents 1,371 2,216
----- End of picture text -----

The £2.5 mil additional investment made refers to a transfer into money market accounts (note 14).

----- Start of picture text -----
At start of Cash Cash At end
i. Reconciliation of net debt
year Flows Flows of year
Cash 2,216 (845) - 1,371
Overdraft facility repayable on demand - - - -
-
Net cash and cash equivalents 2,216 (845) 1,371
Loans falling due within one year (750) 250 243 (257)
Loans falling due after more than one year (3,750) - 257 (3,493)
Net debt (4,500) 250 500 (3,750)
----- End of picture text -----

The accompanying accounting policies and notes form an integral part of these financial statements.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Notes to the financial statements

Notes to the financial statements – for the year ended 31 March 2025

1. Accounting policies

The Children’s Trust is a Charitable Company limited by guarantee. The address of the Trust’s principal place of business is given on page 90 of this report. The nature of the Charity’s operations is set out in the Trustees’ Report.

1.1 Basis of accounting

These financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis, under the historical cost convention, as modified by the revaluation of investments being measured at fair value through income and expenditure within the Statement of Financial Activities unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP), Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS102), together with the reporting requirements of the Companies Act 2006 and the Charities Act 2011. The presentation currency of these financial statements is sterling.

The principal accounting policies adopted in the preparation of the financial statements are set out below.

1.2 Preparation of the accounts on a going concern basis

In accordance with the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (FRS 102), the Trustees have assessed the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern. This assessment supports the preparation of the financial statements on a realistic basis and reflects confidence in the charity’s future operations. The review has considered the financial position, strategic direction, and operational capability of the charity for at least 12 months from the date the accounts are signed. There are no material uncertainties that exist that would cast significant doubt on the Charity’s ability to continue as a going concern.

In response to earlier financial challenges, the charity implemented a recovery plan during 2022/23. This plan focused on long-term sustainability and continuity of services through key actions such as increasing service fees and restructuring operations to reduce inefficiencies. These measures have delivered positive results, including two consecutive years of operating surplus: £0.6 million in 2023/24 and £1.5 million in 2024/25, which have significantly improved the charity’s financial resilience.

As at 31 March 2025, and projecting forward for the coming 5 years the charity is expected to remain in compliance with all loan covenants. Until February 2026 the Charity also continues to have access to a £1.5 million loan facility from Charity Bank and Big Society Capital. Cashflow forecasting has been carried out alongside the development of the charity’s new strategy, indicating continued positive cash generation. However, this is sensitive to the successful

implementation of necessary fee increases, particularly in light of anticipated wage inflation.

Externally, the operating environment remains challenging. Upcoming structural changes within the NHS, including the abolition of NHS England and increased delegation to Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), are expected to cause short-term disruption but may offer new opportunities for strategic collaboration in the longer term.

The charity has budgeted for a modest surplus of £0.1 million in 2025/26, reflecting the transitional phase of the new strategy. Based on the above considerations, the Trustees are confident that the charity has adequate resources to continue operating and have therefore prepared the accounts on a going concern basis.

1.3 Income

All income is accounted for in the Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) when the charity is legally entitled to the income, any performance conditions attached to the item(s) of income have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.

Income from government and other grants, whether ‘capital’ grants or ‘revenue’ grants, is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the grants have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably. Contract income is recognised in line with the delivery of the service and is accrued or deferred where required when cash is received in advance or arrears of service provision.

Legacy income is recognised in the accounts when entitlement is established, receipt is probable, and the amount can be reliably measured. For pecuniary legacies, this occurs when the charity is named as a beneficiary for a specified amount in a Will, a formal notification has been received, probate has been granted, and the estate’s value is confirmed to be sufficient to meet the gift.

For residuary legacies, income is accrued once the charity has a copy of the Will confirming it as a beneficiary, probate has been granted, and the net estate value is known. To reflect the potential for changes in asset or liability values during estate administration, 80% of the estimated value is recognised on a prudent, cautionary basis.

Specific legacies (such as gifts of property or valuable items) are accrued at 80% of the estimated valuation provided by executors, to allow for selling costs and potential market fluctuations. Conditional legacies, including life interest and contentious legacies, are only recognised when the condition for entitlement is definitively met. Until such conditions are satisfied, these legacy gifts are disclosed but not accrued.

Funds received for capital projects are accounted for as restricted income. The treatment of the assets provided

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Notes to the financial statements – for the year ended 31 March 2025

depends upon the restrictions imposed by the grant. If the fixed asset acquisition discharges the restriction then the asset will be held in unrestricted funds. A corresponding transfer of the associated restricted income will be made to the unrestricted fund.

Donated professional services and donated facilities are recognised as income when the charity has control over the item.

On receipt, donated services/goods are recognised on the basis of the value of the gift to the charity which is the amount the charity would have been willing to pay to obtain services of equivalent economic benefit on the open market. Items donated for resale or distribution are not included in the financial statements until they are sold or distributed.

1.4 Expenditure

Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been listed under headings that aggregate all the costs related to that activity. Liabilities are recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to transfer economic benefit to a third party, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.

Costs of raising funds include the costs associated with attracting voluntary income and the costs of trading for fundraising purposes.

Charitable expenditure comprises those costs incurred by the charity in the delivery of its activities and services for its beneficiaries.

Support costs, including governance costs, are those costs that, whilst necessary to deliver an activity, do not themselves produce or constitute the output of the charitable activity. Where support costs cannot be directly attributed they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of the resources. The basis of allocation has been explained in note 7 to the accounts.

Any irrecoverable VAT is included as part of the cost to which it relates.

1.5 Fund accounting

General unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of the charitable objectives of the charity.

Any capital gains or losses arising on the investments are allocated to the related fund. Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in note 20.

1.6 Fixed assets

Tangible fixed assets

Tangible fixed assets costing more than £1,000 are capitalised and stated at cost or valuation less depreciation.

During 2022/2023 the accounting policy for Tadworth Court, Freehold Land and Freehold and leasehold buildings valuation moved from a cost to a revaluation model.

Depreciation is calculated to write off the cost of tangible fixed assets by equal annual instalments over their expected useful lives as follows:

Freehold land	Not depreciated
Tadworth Court Freehold and leasehold property Plant and offce furniture and equipment	Not depreciated 4% 20%
Residential houses furniture and equipment	20%
Computer equipment	33%
Motor vehicles	25%
Motor vehicles – vans	14%
Motor vehicles – minibuses	13%

At the end of each reporting period, the residual values and useful lives of assets are reviewed and adjusted if necessary. In addition, if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable then the carrying values of tangible fixed assets are reviewed for impairment.

Assets in the course of construction are carried at cost less any identified impairment loss. Depreciation commences when the properties are ready for their intended use.

Intangible fixed assets

Intangible assets (costing more than £1,000) are initially recognised at cost and are subsequently measured at cost less accumulated amortisation and accumulated impairment losses. Assets in the course of construction are carried at cost less any identified impairment loss. Amortisation is calculated to write off the cost of intangible fixed assets by equal annual instalments over the expected useful lives as follows:

Computer software 33%

Designated funds are set aside by the Trustees out of unrestricted general funds for specific future purposes.

Restricted funds are funds subject to specific restrictions imposed by donors or by the purpose of the appeal.

Endowment funds are funds where the assets must be held by the charity, principally in the form of investments.

Income from endowments is included in income, either restricted or unrestricted, in accordance with the terms of the endowment.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Notes to the financial statements – for the year ended 31 March 2025

1.7 Tadworth Court

This balance represents the freehold of Tadworth Court. It houses our pharmacy, catering, meeting and administrative facilities. The asset is stated at its market value and is revalued every three years unless there are material reasons to revalue more regularly. The Trustees ensure that the building is carefully maintained and is fit for purpose. Any significant expenditure which is required to preserve or prevent deterioration is capitalised when it is incurred.

1.8 Investment

Listed investments are stated at market value at the balance sheet date. The SOFA includes the net gains and losses arising on revaluations and disposals throughout the year. Investments in subsidiaries are held at cost less provision for impairment if any.

It is the Charity’s policy to keep valuations up to date such that when investments are sold there is no realised gain or loss arising. As a result the SOFA does not distinguish between the valuation adjustments relating to sales and those relating to continued holdings, as they are both treated as changes in the investment portfolio throughout the year.

Movements in value arising from investment changes or revaluation and the profit on disposal of investments have been charged or credited to the funds to which they relate.

1.9 Stock

Stock is stated at the lower of cost and net realisable value. Shop stocks are held for resale.

1.10 Debtors

Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid. Income is accrued in relation to fees due but not invoiced as at year end. Other Debtors includes funds due from Gift Aid, the lottery and legacies (where no invoice will be raised). All aged debts are reviewed at the balance sheet date and any considered irrecoverable are written off, however with the large majority of counterparties being institutional bodies the rates of write-offs are very low.

1.11 Pension costs

Some clinical and teaching employees are covered by the provisions of the NHS Pension Scheme or Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS). Other staff are able to join the charity’s defined contribution pension scheme. The employer contributions are included within resources expended and represent the amount of contribution payable to the schemes in respect of the accounting period.

The TPS is an unfunded scheme. Contributions to the TPS are calculated so as to spread the cost of pensions over employees’ working lives with the Charity in such a way that the pension cost is a substantially level percentage of current and future pensionable payroll. The contributions are determined by the Government Actuary on the basis of valuations using a projected unit method. The TPS is a

multiemployer scheme but sufficient information is not available to use defined benefit accounting and therefore it is accounted for as a defined contribution scheme, with the amount charged to the Statement of Financial Activities being the contributions payable in the year. Differences between contributions payable in the year and contributions actually paid are shown as either accruals or prepayments.

1.12 Operating lease payments

Total payments under operating leases are charged to the SOFA on a straight line basis over the lease term.

1.13 Consolidation

The Children’s Trust Trading Company Limited did not trade during the year. This company has not been consolidated as in the opinion of the directors it is not material to the group’s results. Thus the information within these financial statements is presented as an individual undertaking.

1.14 Critical accounting estimates and areas of

judgement

In preparing the financial statements it is necessary to make certain judgements, estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts recognised in the financial statements. The most significant of these are: (i) Properties – Properties are revalued every 3 years using market experts. The valuation of Tadworth Court as at 30 March 2024 which was obtained from an external surveyor, the policy of revaluation means that there has been no change in this value for the year 2024/25. (ii) Cost Allocations: The allocation of support costs is made across all charitable activities, they are allocated proportionate to the total amount of direct costs from each charitable activity (iii) Residuary legacies – There is uncertainty in the value of residuary legacies recognised due to the time lapse between when probate has been granted and when the final distribution is made. Residuary legacies are accrued at 80% of total value to reflect this uncertainty.

1.15 Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand and deposits held at call with banks.

1.16 Creditors

Creditors 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 are recognised at their settlement amount. Accruals are made for late invoices and any others we are aware of incurring that relate to the period. Other creditor balances include March payroll pension liabilities due in the following month and Children’s Funds (their pocket money). Deferred income is mainly Set Up fees – the amounts we hold for each child for specific equipment, etc. plus fundraising income for events in the following financial year. Social Security and other taxation is the March payroll deductions and employer

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Notes to the financial statements – for the year ended 31 March 2025

contribution due to be paid in the following month. Loans includes any donor loan repayment instalments due in the next 12 months.

1.17 Financial instruments

The charity has applied the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments. Financial instruments are recognised in the company’s balance sheet when the company becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument. Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.

1.18 Employee benefits and redundancy

The cost of short-term benefits, such as accrued holiday, are recognised as a liability and an expense. Termination payments are comprised of voluntary and compulsory redundancy and also settlement scheme payments. Payments are recognised in staff costs once they are quantifiable and upon communication of intention to pay.

1.19 Taxation

The Company is a registered charity and as such its income and gains falling within Sections 471 to 489 of the Corporation Tax Act 2010 or Section 256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 are exempt from corporation tax to the extent that they are applied to its charitable objectives.

With the exceptions of prepayments, deferred income, social security and other taxation liabilities, all other debtor and creditor balances are considered to be basic financial instruments under FRS 102. See notes 15 and 16 for the debtor and creditor notes.

The long-term loan received from Charity Bank and Big Society Capital bearing a market rate of interest which meets the qualifying criteria set out in section 11 of FRS 102. It is recognised at its transaction value, being the principal amount advanced.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Notes to the financial statements – for the year ended 31 March 2025

2. Donations and legacies

----- Start of picture text -----
2025 2024
Unrestricted Restricted Total Unrestricted Restricted Total
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Donations 2,387 549 2,936 2,032 354 2,386
Legacies 442 77 519 250 - 250
Total donations and legacies 2,829 626 3,455 2,282 354 2,636
----- End of picture text -----

2a. Income from Government grants

----- Start of picture text -----
2025 2024
Unrestricted Restricted Total Unrestricted Restricted Total
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
NHS England Palliative Care - 320 320 - 314 314
DFE Capital Grant 21 21 - 20 20
Total Government grants - 341 341 - 334 334
----- End of picture text -----

Charity shop gift aid is included in donations.

There are no unfulfilled conditions which would require the repayments of any grants.

3. Other trading activities

----- Start of picture text -----
2025 2024
Unrestricted Restricted Total Unrestricted Restricted Total
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Events 283 - 283 293 - 293
Charity shops 2,245 - 2,245 2,410 - 2,410
Lottery 123 - 123 112 - 112
Total other trading activities 2,651 - 2,651 2,815 - 2,815
----- End of picture text -----

4. Investment income

----- Start of picture text -----
2025 2024
Unrestricted Restricted Total Unrestricted Restricted Total
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Dividends and interest 106 - 106 53 - 53
Bank interest 22 - 22 27 - 27
Total investment income 128 - 128 80 - 80
----- End of picture text -----

5. Other income

----- Start of picture text -----
2025 2024
Unrestricted Restricted Total Unrestricted Restricted Total
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Lettings - both staff and parents 135 - 135 126 - 126
Catering 127 - 127 113 - 113
Nursery 29 - 29 72 - 72
Other income 23 - 23 41 - 41
Total other income 314 - 314 352 - 352
----- End of picture text -----

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Notes to the financial statements – for the year ended 31 March 2025

6. Expenditure on

----- Start of picture text -----
Governance
Support costs costs 2025
Direct costs £’000 £’000 Total
£’000 (Note 7) (Note 7a) £’000
Charitable activities
Residential Neurorehabilitation 9,159 3,991 182 13,332
The Children’s Trust School and Residential Care 11,418 4,975 227 16,620
Community Rehabilitation Services 432 187 9 628
21,009 9,153 418 30,580
Raising funds
Costs of generating donations and legacies 1,079 470 21 1,570
Events 163 72 3 237
Charity shops 1,425 622 28 2,075
Lottery 43 20 1 64
2,709 1,183 53 3,945
Total expenditure 23,718 10,336 471 34,525
----- End of picture text -----

Previous Year 31 March 2024
	Direct costs £’000 Support costs £’000 (Note 9) Governance costs £’000 (Note 9a) 2024 Total £’000
Charitable activities
Residential Neurorehabilitation	8,356 4,174 160 12,690
The Children’s Trust School and Residential Care	9,949 4,972 161 15,082
Community Rehabilitation Services	432 215 8 655
	18,737 9,361 329 28,427
Raising funds
Costs of generating donations and legacies	870 435 15 1,320
Events	224 112 4 340
Charity shops	1,404 700 25 2,129
Lottery	47 23 1 71
	2,545 1,270 45 3,860
Total expenditure	21,282 10,631 374 32,287

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Notes to the financial statements – for the year ended 31 March 2025

7. Allocation of support costs

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2025
Care and The
rehabilitation Children’s
services Trust School Community Fundraising Retail Total
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Facilities 1,605 2,001 76 225 250 4,156
IT 621 774 29 87 97 1,609
Human resources 537 670 25 75 84 1,391
Depreciation: Other 406 506 19 57 63 1,051
Finance 336 419 16 47 52 871
Risk (insurance) 150 188 7 21 23 390
Chief Executive’s Office 178 221 8 25 28 460
Communications 158 196 7 22 25 408
Total support costs allocated 3,991 4,975 187 559 622 10,336
(note 6)
2024
Care and The
rehabilitation Children’s
services Trust School Community Fundraising Retail Total
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Communications 135 161 7 18 23 344
Facilities 1,534 1,826 79 209 257 3,905
Human resources 550 654 28 75 92 1,399
Finance 430 512 22 59 72 1,095
IT 532 634 28 73 89 1,356
Chief Executive's Office 138 165 7 19 23 352
Risk (insurance) 155 186 8 21 26 396
Depreciation: Other 700 834 36 96 118 1,784
Total support costs allocated 4,174 4,972 215 570 700 10,631
(note 6)
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Basis of allocation

Support costs are recharged relative to the proportions of direct costs. Risk (insurance) costs relate to insurance. All other Risk and Governance costs are shown in Note 7a. The 2023/24 figures have been updated in line with the changes to the allocation of direct costs.

7a. Allocation of governance costs

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2025 2024
£’000 £’000
Risk and governance 377 270
External audit 94 102
Total 471 372
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Risk and governance costs include the cost of the Governance team and Legal fees

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Notes to the financial statements – for the year ended 31 March 2025

8. Net income / (expenditure) for the year

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2025 2024
£’000 £’000
This is stated after charging:
Depreciation 1,051 1,784
Impairment - 783
Payments under operating leases:
Retail properties 286 334
Equipment 70 70
Auditor remuneration (exclusive of VAT) 94 102
Audit of the financial statements 22-23 - 30
Audit of the financial statements 23-24 24 72
Audit of the financial statements 24-25 70 -
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9. Gift Aid

For the year ended 31 March 2025, the charity received Gift Aid payments of £533k (2023: £421k).

10. Staff remuneration and pensions

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2025 2024
£’000 £’000
Salaries 21,212 19,377
Social security costs 1,994 1,993
Pension costs 1,422 1,306
Temporary staff costs 402 630
Agency staff costs 725 150
Total 25,755 23,456
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The year end head count was 641 staff (2024: 623 staff). This figure includes permanent, temporary and agency staff, and the average monthly numbers of full-time employees during the year were as follows:

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2025 2024
FTEs FTEs
Charitable activities 355 340
Fundraising 23 20
Shops 26 26
Support 95 92
Governance 3 3
Total 502 481
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Key management personnel include the Trustees, Chief Executive and the Senior Leadership Team. The total employee benefits of the charity’s key management personnel were £1,121k (2024: £1,040k). (Trustees = £nil). This comprises gross pay, employer pension contributions and Employer’s National Insurance.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Notes to the financial statements – for the year ended 31 March 2025

The total number of employees whose emoluments for the year (not including national insurance or pension contributions) exceeded £60,000 was as follows:

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Clinical & 2025 Clinical & 2024
education Executive total education Executive total
£60,001 - £70,000 14 9 23 11 7 18
£70,001 - £80,000 3 4 7 3 5 8
£80,001 - £90,000 5 1 6 3 - 3
£90,001 - £100,000 4 3 7 1 1 2
£100,001 - £110,000 1 - 1 - - -
£110,001 - £120,000 - - - - 1 1
£130,001 - £140,000 - 1 1 - - -
£220,001 - £230,000 1 - 1 1 - 1
Total 28 18 46 19 14 33
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The Chief Executive’s emoluments fall into the £130,001-£140,000 band. (2023/2024, the Interim Chief Executive’s emoluments fell into the £110,001 - £120,000 category on a full year basis).

During the year the charity made payments to 13 staff in respect of redundancy and termination totalling £106k (2024: 23 staff totalling £189k).

2 of these 13 staff members, totalling £9k, were due to extended notices from a previous organisation-wide restructure and the remaining 11 staff members were due to restructures during the current year.

We currently have 3 staff members working an agreed extended notice period and £46k in relation to these redundancy payments were included in creditors at the balance sheet date (2024: £9k).

Upon review the 2023/24 figures have been updated to reflect the correct position.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Notes to the financial statements – for the year ended 31 March 2025

Pensions

The charity has contributed to both defined benefit and defined contribution schemes during the year. Defined benefit schemes are accounted for as if they were defined contribution schemes if required by FRS 102 Section 28 (“Employee Benefits”). The total cost to the charity for the year ended 31 March in respect of pension contributions, which have been allocated between resources expended categories in proportion to staff costs and charged to the Statement of Financial Activities as appropriate, is as follows:

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2025 2024 2025 2024
£’000 £’000 No. No.
TCT Group Pension Plan 847 777 488 480
Teachers' Pension Scheme 142 122 10 10
NHS Pension Scheme 433 405 94 70
1,422 1,304 592 560
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The Children’s Trust Group Pension Plan

Aviva pension is a group personal pension, the workplace pension scheme is a Smart Scheme. A Smart Scheme is a method where you are automatically entered into a salary exchange arrangement or if you earn below a certain amount you are in a non salary exchange basis, in this case contributions will be deducted net of basic rate tax.

The scheme is also used to comply with auto-enrolment requirements, which came into effect from 1 November 2013.

Teachers’ Pension Scheme

The Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) is a statutory, contributory, defined benefit scheme, governed by the Teachers’ Pension Scheme Regulations 2014. The TPS is an unfunded scheme and members contribute on a ’pay as you go’ basis – these contributions, along with those made by employers, are credited to Access.

Valuation of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme

The Government Actuary, using normal actuarial principles, conducts a formal actuarial review of the TPS in accordance with the Public Service Pensions (Valuations and Employer Cost Cap) Directions 2014 published by HM Treasury every 4 years. The aim of the review is to ensure scheme costs are recognised and managed appropriately and the review specifies the level of future contributions.

Actuarial scheme valuations are dependent on assumptions about the value of future costs, design of benefits and many other factors. The latest actuarial valuation of the TPS was carried out as at 31 March 2020. The valuation report was published by the Department for Education on 27 October 2023, with the SCAPE rate, set by HMT, applying a notional investment return based on 1.7% above the rate of CPI. The key elements of the valuation outcome are:

Total scheme liabilities (pensions currently in payment and the estimated cost of future benefits) for service to the effective date of £262 billion and notional assets (estimated future contributions together with the notional investments held at the valuation date) of £222.2 billion, giving a notional past service deficit of £39.8 billion

The result of this valuation was implemented from 1 April 2024. The next valuation result is due to be implemented from 1 April 2028.

The pension costs paid to TPS in the year amounted to £142k (2024: £122k).

A copy of the valuation report and supporting documentation is on the Teachers’ Pensions website.

Under the definitions set out in FRS 102, the TPS is an unfunded multi-employer pension scheme. The charity is unable to identify its share of the underlying assets and liabilities of the plan. Accordingly, the charity has taken advantage of the exemption in FRS 102 and has accounted for its contributions to the scheme as if it were a defined contribution scheme.

National Health Service Pension Scheme

The NHS operates an unfunded defined benefit scheme for the nursing sector, in which the charity participates. The charity is granted permission by the Secretary of State to be able to contribute to the cost of the scheme as a “Directed Employer” (an employer that can continue to have non NHS employed staff as members of the NHS pension scheme).

The cost represents the contributions advised by the NHS Pensions Agency. The charity is not liable for past service costs beyond these contributions. Employer contributions remained at 20.6% in 2025 and in 2024.

Employer contribution rates set at 28.68% of pensionable pay (including a 0.08% administration levy). This is an increase of 5% in employer contributions and the cost control result is such that no change in member benefits is needed.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Notes to the financial statements – for the year ended 31 March 2025

11. Trustee emoluments and reimbursed expenses

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2025 2024
£’000 £’000
Trustees’ expenses - -
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Trustees are encouraged to claim expenses to avoid this being a barrier to new Trustees. If Trustees don’t wish to claim expenses, then they can make a donation of a similar amount. Gift Aid can then be claimed on such a donation.

The charity purchased Management Protection insurance costing £9,968 (2024: £9,968).

12. Fixed assets

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Freehold & Plant, Assets
Tadworth Freehold leasehold furniture & Motor under
Court land buildings equipment vehicles construction Total
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Cost
At 1 April 2024 4 ,347 2,870 24,251 6,128 401 120 38,117
Revaluation - - - - - - -
Additions - - 85 574 - 472 1,131
Disposals - - - (92) - - (92)
Transfers - - 119 396 25 (540) -
At 31 March 2025 4,347 2,870 24,455 7,006 426 52 39,156
Depreciation and
Impairment
At 1 April 2024 1,380 - 15,017 5,165 351 - 21,913
Impairment - - - - - - -
Charge for the year - - 370 480 24 - 874
Disposals - - - (92) - - (92)
At 31 March 2025 1,380 - 15,387 5,553 375 - 22,695
Net book value at
2,967 2,870 9,068 1,453 51 52 16,461
31 March 2025
Net book value at
2,967 2,870 9,234 963 50 120 16,204
31 March 2024
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Tadworth Court is a Grade 1 listed mansion building. It houses our pharmacy, catering, meeting and administrative facilities.

Parts of the building and grounds are open to the public on several days in the year.

Department of Health grants in respect of the Grade 1 listed building are secured by way of a legal charge over the freehold property. (See Note 20).

During 2023/24 an independent professional revaluation of the land and buildings at Tadworth Court was carried out by Savills on the basis of an open market valuation as at 31 March 2024. The valuations were as follows: Land £2,870,800 Tadworth Court £2,965,950 and Freehold Land & Buildings £9,234,000. Under the historical cost model the carry amounts would have been: Land £753,000 Tadworth Court £2,116,000 and Freehold Land & Buildings £10,055,000.

The brought forward figures for Assets Under Construction have been reviewed and amended to eliminate a grossing up.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Notes to the financial statements – for the year ended 31 March 2025

13. Intangible fixed assets

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Computer Assets under
software construction Total
£’000 £’000 £’000
Cost
At 1 April 2024 3,090 6 3,096
Additions 10 - 10
Transfers 6 (6) -
3,106 - 3,106
Amortisation
At 1 April 2024 2,672 6 2,678
Transfers 6 (6) -
Charge for year 178 - 178
2,856 - 2,856
Net book value at 31 March 2025 250 - 250
Net book value at 31 March 2024 418 - 418
14. Investments
2025 2024
£’000 £’000
Movement:
Market value at 1 April 2024 2,109 1,924
Cash transferred 2,500 -
Dividends and Interest 112 53
Increase / (Decrease) in market value 33 149
Fees/charges (22) (17)
Market value at 31 March 2025 4,732 2,109
Historical cost as at 31 March 4,482 1,899
2025 2024
£’000 £’000
Split into:
Fixed investments 277 247
Listed equities 1,537 1,525
Property 65 64
Alternatives 152 161
Cash 2,702 112
Total 4,733 2,109
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£75,000 received originally from the Victoria Convalescent Fund is currently invested through Rathbones. The market value at 31 March 2025 was £70k (2024: £67k).

At 31 March 2025 the charity held 100% of the issued share capital of The Children’s Trust Trading Company Limited, an unquoted investment, the cost of which is £2 (2024: £2). The registered office of the subsidiary is Tadworth Court, Tadworth, Surrey, KT20 5RU. The Children’s Trust Trading Company has been dormant from April 2022.

The £2.5 mil cash transferred was invested in a money market product with Rathbones.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Notes to the financial statements – for the year ended 31 March 2025

15. Debtors

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2025 2024
£’000 £’000
Trade debtors 3,127 3,398
Other debtors - -
Prepayments and accrued income 586 847
Total 3,713 4,245
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16a. Creditors: amounts falling due within one year

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2025 2024
£’000 £’000
Trade creditors 1,230 1,202
Accruals 1,017 769
Other creditors 299 213
Deferred income 126 228
Social security and other taxation 693 456
Loan 257 750
Total 3,622 3,618
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Analysis of deferred income

Income is deferred where it relates to future events or services for which monies had been received prior to the year end. During the year £228k was released to income and £126k was deferred.

16b. Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year

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2025 2024
£’000 £’000
Loan 3,493 3,750
Amount payable:
in more than one but not more than two years 65 256
in more than 2 years but less than five years 228 187
in five years or more 3,200 3,307
Total 3,493 3,750
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During 2022/2023 The Children’s Trust entered into an agreement with Charity Bank (£4m) and Big Society Capital (£1m) to have access to a loan facility totalling £5m. Under the terms of the loan agreement the loan facility should be fully drawn down within 1 year of the signature date. As at the date of signing these accounts £3.5m has been drawn down and the facility to draw down the remaining balance has been extended for another year.

During 2022/2023 The Children’s Trust also received a loan from a longstanding donor who wishes to remain anonymous. In 2024/2025 £500k of the Major Donor 1 loan was converted to a donation.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Notes to the financial statements – for the year ended 31 March 2025

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Drawn
Amount down Interest Agreement Drawdown
Lender £’000 £’000 rate date date Term
25 years, first 3 years
Charity Bank 4,000 2,800 base plus 3.25% 17/02/2023 27/02/2023
interest only
25 years, first 3 years
Big Society Capital 1,000 700 base plus 3.25% 17/02/2023 27/02/2023
interest only
Major Donor 1 250 250 interest free 05/09/2022 07/09/2022 September 2025
5,250 3,750
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Post year-end, an agreement was signed with Major Donor 1 to convert their remaining £250k loan into a donation.

17. Financial and capital commitments and contingent liabilities

At 31 March 2025 the Trust had total commitments under non-cancellable leases/agreements as follows:

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2025 2024
£’000 £’000
Leasehold buildings – up to 1 year 303 254
Leasehold buildings – between 1 and 5 years 384 546
Other – up to 1 year 70 70
Other – between 1 and 5 years 62 81
Total 819 951
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At 31 March 2025, capital commitments authorised and contracted for (net of payments to date on account) amounted to £39k (2024: £53k).

18. Government grants

The following government grants were received:

----- Start of picture text -----
2025 2024
£’000 £’000
Total governmernt grants received 341 334
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There are no unfulfilled conditions which would require the repayments of any grants.

19. Related party transactions

There were no related party transactions during the year (2024: £3k worth of donations with no conditions attached).

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Notes to the financial statements – for the year ended 31 March 2025

20. Capital and reserves

As at 31 March 2025:

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At 1 April Gains/ At 31 March
2024 Income Expenditure (losses) Transfers 2025
a. Movement on funds £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Unrestricted general funds:
Undesignated funds:
– Undesignated 1,172 35,039 (33,610) 31 (90) 2,542
1,172 35,039 (33,610) 31 (90) 2,542
Designated funds:
– Designated fund – tangible fixed assets 13,557 - - - 1,848 15,405
reserve
– Revaluation reserve 1,308 - - - - 1,308
14,865 - - - 1,848 16,713
Total unrestricted 16,037 35,039 (33,610) 31 1,758 19,255
Restricted funds:
– Restricted fund – project funds 55 626 (574) - - 107
– Restricted fund – grants - 341 (341) - - -
55 967 (915) - - 107
Fixed Asset Restricted fund
– Restricted fund – Department of Health 1,758 - - - (1,758) -
grant
- - - -
1,758 (1,758)
Endowment funds:
– Victoria Convalescent Fund 66 - - 4 - 70
66 - - 4 - 70
Total funds 17,916 36,006 (34,525) 35 - 19,432
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Transfers reflect the movements on the Fixed Assets reserve and the update to the Department of Health grant.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Notes to the financial statements – for the year ended 31 March 2025

Previous year (31 March 2024):

----- Start of picture text -----
At 1 April Gains/ At 31 March
2023 Income Expenditure (losses) Transfers 2024
a. Movement on funds £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Unrestricted general funds:
Undesignated funds:
– Undesignated (1,695) 32,925 (32,113) 11 2,044 1,172
(1,695) 32,925 (32,113) 11 2,044 1,172
Designated funds:
– Designated fund - fixed assets - -
19,427 (3,826) (2,044) 13,557
reserve
– Revaluation reserve - - - 1,308 - 1,308
- -
19,427 (2,518) (2,044) 14,865
Total unrestricted 17,732 32,925 (32,113) (2,507) - 16,037
Restricted funds:
– Restricted fund – project funds 324 354 (623) - - 55
– Restricted fund – grants - 334 (334) - - -
324 688 (957) - - 55
Fixed Asset Restricted fund
– Restricted fund – Department of
1,758 - - - - 1,758
Health grant
Endowment funds:
– Victoria Convalescent Fund 56 - - 10 - 66
56 - - 10 - 66
Total funds 19,870 33,613 (33,070) (2,497) - 17,916
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Designated funds

The fixed asset reserve, together with the Department of Health (DoH) fund represents the charity’s investment in fixed assets.

Restricted funds

These are set out subsequently.

Endowment funds

The Victoria Convalescent Fund is a permanent endowment and represents a gift of capital to the charity, the income from which is restricted and is used to fund care for children for whom no statutory funding is available.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Notes to the financial statements – for the year ended 31 March 2025

----- Start of picture text -----
At 31 March At 31 March
2024 Income Expenditure Transfers 2025
b. Analysis of restricted funds £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Project Funds
Community 3 91 (92) - 2
Maple House non-staff budget relief 17 - (17) - -
Hawthorn House non-staff budget relief 9 15 (24) - -
Ophthalmology equipment 4 - (4) - -
Music Services 22 89 (110) - 1
Hoist replacements - 117 (117) - -
Ability Drive & DriveDeck - 8 (8) - -
Accora Beds - 6 (6) - -
Maple / Oak House non-staff budget relief - 3 (3) - -
Therapy, including Play services - 76 (76) - -
School - 2 (2) - -
Transport - 209 (105) - 104
Family Accommodation - 10 (10) - -
Sub total 55 626 (574) - 107
Grants
NHS England Palliative Care - 320 (320) - -
DFE Capital Grant - 21 (21) - -
Sub total - 341 (341) - -
Fixed Asset restricted
Department of Health 1,758 - - (1,758) -
Total 1,813 967 (915) (1,758) 107
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Project Funds represent restricted donations received for the development of the existing site as well as to provide funding for equipment and outings for the children, depending on the bequest granted by the donor.

Houses represents funds that are restricted donations for each individual house within the organisation and are used for outings for children, leisure activities and other items, depending on the bequest granted by the donor. Play and Music Service is restricted funds dedicated to the delivery of the specific service.

The Department of Health made grants in 1995 to the charity in relation to the Grade 1 listed property known as Tadworth Court. These grants, totalling £2.85m, are only repayable under certain circumstances which, in the opinion of the Trustees, are unlikely to arise. Of the total grants, £750,000 was applied to the transfer of the freehold of the site and £2.1m was applied to repairs to the building. The grants are secured by a legal charge over the freehold property. In the year it was confirmed that this is an unrestricted fund.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

Notes to the financial statements – for the year ended 31 March 2025

c. Analysis of net assets between funds

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2025
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment Total
£’000 £’000 ££’000 £’000
Fund balances at 31 March 2025 are represented by:
Fixed assets 16,711 - - 16,711
Investments 4,662 - 70 4,732
Current assets 4,997 107 - 5,104
Current liabilities (3,622) - - (3,622)
Long term liabilities (3,493) - - (3,493)
Total funds 19,255 107 70 19,432
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----- Start of picture text -----
2024
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment Total
£’000 £’000 £’000 £’000
Previous year (31 March 2024):
Fixed assets 14,864 1,758 - 16,622
Investments 2,042 - 67 2,109
Current assets 6,498 55 - 6,553
Current liabilities (3,618) - - (3,618)
Long term liabilities (3,750) - - (3,750)
Total funds 16,036 1,813 67 17,916
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21. Financial instruments

----- Start of picture text -----
2025 2024
£’000 £’000
Financial instruments measured at fair value are as follows:
Financial assets
– Investec Investment 4,732 2,109
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22. Post Balance Sheet Events

On 9 May 2025 a donor who gave the charity an interest free loan (itemised in note 16b as Major Donor 1) signalled their intention to convert the remaining balance on the loan (totalling £250k) into a donation. The Charity accepted this generous offer in May 2025.

The Children’s Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25

The Children’s Trust Tadworth Court Tadworth Surrey KT20 5RU

01737 365000 enquiries@thechildrenstrust.org.uk thechildrenstrust.org.uk

Charity registration number: 288018 Company registration number: 1757875

The Children’s Trust is registered with the Fundraising Regulator, inspected and rated ‘a Good Provider’ by Ofsted Care (for residential houses). The Children’s Trust School is rated ‘an Outstanding Provider’ by Ofsted Education. TCT_2200 09/25.

Contents

A message from our chair

A message from our chief executive

About us

Our mission and

purpose

What we believe in

What we do

Our aim

Residential Neurorehabilitation

The Children’s Trust School and residential care

Community Rehabilitation Service

Highlights and achievements

Celebrating 40 years

Innovation that puts children first

Award winning rehabilitation

Cutting edge technology

Staying at the forefront of rehabilitation

Our impact in numbers 2024/25

Supporting more children to get home, and back to what matters

FIM+FAM 2024/25

Northwick Park Dependency Score 2024/25

The F-Words Life Wheel:

A New Approach to Goal-Setting

The six F-Words are:

Early Results

Real-Life Goals: Violet’s Story

Community Rehabilitation Services

In 2024/25:

Our services

Residential neurorehabilitation

The largest service of its kind

Setting goals together

Our expert team

Supporting complex needs

Pioneering technology

Rehabilitation in action: Siddique’s story

Working towards his goals

Starting rehabilitation

The next step

The Children’s Trust School and residential care

‘Outstanding’

National recognition of excellence, innovation and success

Harvey’s story

Community Rehabilitation Service

Tier one

Tier two

Tier three

Continued support

Starting the rehabilitation journey

Quality visits and regulatory inspections

Aiming high

Our regulators

Learning from unexpected deaths

External assurance

Ofsted Care Inspection, October 2024 ‘Good Rating’

CQC Visit, March 2025

Ofsted Education Inspection September 2023 – ‘Outstanding Rating’

2024/2025: progress against our strategic objectives

Objective one:

Embedding a consistent culture of continuous improvement and patient safety

Implementing the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework

Quality improvement through experience and feedback

Developing the Clinical risk register and board assurance

Implementing the Electronic Patient Records System

Enhancing safety and clinical governance

Investing in neurotechnology to improve rehabilitation outcomes

Objective two:

Strengthen financial stability and sustainability

Financial performance

Improved financial governance

Undertake a strategic property review and options appraisal

Enhance the transparency of service financial performance

Improve financial reporting and working capital management

Identify and implement process efficiencies

Develop new voluntary fundraising propositions

Objective three: Continue to develop an inclusive, transparent ‘one team’ culture at The Children’s Trust

Embedding our promises

Introduce a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian