MID & EAST ANTRIM COMMUNITY ADVICE SERVICES LTD INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF MID & EAST ANTRIM COMMUNITY ADVICE SERVICES LTD Oplnlon We have audited the financial statements of Mid & East Anlrim Community Advice Services Ltd (the 'charity') for the year ended 31 March 2024 which comprise the slatemenl of financial activities, the balance sheet and the 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 FRS 102 Th8 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 Ihe slate of the charitable company's affairs as at 31 March 2024 and of its incoming resources and application of resources, for the year Ihen ended; have been properly prepared in accordance wilh United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practi. and have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006. Basls for oplnlon 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 Auditorfs responsibilities for the audil ol the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charity in accordance wilh the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial slatements in Ihe UK, including the FRC'S Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other elhical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have oblained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. Concluslons relatlng to golng concern In audiling the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees, use of the going concem 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 uncerlainties relating to evenls or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charity'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 relevanl sections of this report. other Informatlon The other information comprises the information included in the annual report other than the financial statements and our audilor's report Ihereon. The trustees are responsible for the other informalion contained within the annual report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsislenl with Ihe financial slatements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required lo report Ihat fact. We have nothing to report in this regard. Matters on whlch we are requlred to report by exception We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Charities (Accounts and Reports> Regulations 2008 require us to report to you if, in our opinion.. the information given in the financial statements 15 inconsistent in any material respect wilh the trustees, report., or sufficient accounting records have not been kept., or the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records., or we have not received all the informatior¢ and explanations we require for our audit.
MID & EAST ANTRIM COMMUNITY ADVICE SERVICES LTD INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT {CONTINUED) TO THE TRUSTEES OF MID & EAST ANTRIM COMMUNITY ADVICE SERVICES LTD Responslbllltles of trustees As explained more fully in the statement of trustees, responsibilities, the Irustees, who are also the directors of the charity for the purpose of company law, are responsible for Ihe 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 statemenls, the trustees are responsible for assessing Ihe charity's ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so. Audltor's responslbllltles for the audit of the financial statements We have been appointed as auditor under section 65 of the Charities Act {Northern Ireland} 2008 and report in accordance with the Act and relevanl regulations made or having effect thereunder. Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance bul is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAS (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements. Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line wilh our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent lo which our procedures are capable of delecting irregularities, including fraud, is detailed below.
MID & EAST ANTRIM COMMUNITY ADVICE SERVICES LTD INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT (CONTINUED) TO THE TRUSTEES OF MID & EAST ANTRIM COMMUNITY ADVICE SERVICES LTD Extent to whSch the audlt was considered capable of detectlng irregularities, includlng fraud We identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error, and Ihen design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, including obtaining audit evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. In identifying and assessing potential risks of material misstatement in respect of irregularities, including fraud and non-compliances with laws and regulations, we considered the following.. The nature of the industry and sector, control environment and business performance, including the company's remuneration policies for direclors, bonus levels and performance targets, if any., Resulls of our enquiries of management about their own identification and assessment of the risks of irregularities-, Any matters we identified having obtained and reviewed the company's documentation of their policies and procedures relating to: Identifying, evaluating and complying with laws and regulations and whelher they were aware of any instance of non-compliance., Detecting and responding to the risks of fraud and whether they have knowledge of any actual suspected or alleged fraud,. and The internal controls established to mitigate risks of fraud or non-compliance with laws and regulations., The matters discussed among the audit engagement team regarding how and where fraud might occur in the financial statements and potential indicators of fraud. As a result of these procedures, we considered the op.portunities and incenlives that may exist within the company for fraud and identified the greatest potential for fraud in income recognition. In common with all audits under ISAS (UK) we are also required lo perform specific procedures to respond to the risk of management override. We also obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory frameworks that the company operates in, focusing on provisions of those laws and regulations that had a direct effect on the determinalion of material amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. The key laws and regulations we considered in this context included the Companies Act 2006, and local tax legislation. In addilion, we considered provisions of other laws and regulations that do not have a direct effect on the financial statements but compliance with which may be fundamenlal to the company's ability to operate or to avoid a material penalty. Audit response to risks identified Our procedures to respond to Ihe risks identified included the following.. Reviewing the financial statement disclosures and testing to supporting documentation lo assess compliance with provisions of relevant laws and regulations described as having a direct effect on the financial statements. Enquiring of management concerning actual and potential litigalion and claims,. Performing analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected relationships that may indicate risks of material misslatemenl due to fraud., Reading minutes of meetings of those charged wilh governance and reviewing correspondence with tax authorilies., and In addressing the risk of fraud Ihrough management override of controls, testing the appropriateness of journal entries and other adjustments,. assessing whether the judgments made in making accounting estimates are indicative of a potenlial bias., and evaluating the business rationale of any significant transactions that are unusual or outside Ihe normal course of business. We also communicated relevanl identified laws and regulations and potenlial fraud risks to all engagement leam members and remained alert to any indications of fraud or non-compliance with laws and regulations throughout the audit. Owing to the inherent limitations of an audit, there is an unavoidable risk that we may nol have detected some material misstatements in the financial statements, even though we have properly planned and performed our audit in accordance with auditing slandards. In addition, as with any audit, there remains a higher risk of non-detection of irregularities, as they 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 wilh all laws and regulations. A further description of our responsibilities is available on the Financial Reporting Council's website at.. hltps'.11 www.frc.org..uklauditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor's report.
MID & EAST ANTRIM COMMUNITY ADVICE SERVICES LTD INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT (CONTINUED) TO THE TRUSTEES OF MID & EAST ANTRIM COMMUNITY ADVICE SERVICES LTD 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 charitalJe company's members those matters we are required to stale to them in an auditorfs 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 forthe opinions we have formed. Slmon Hopper FCA (Senior Statutory Audltor) for and on behalf of MBS Chartered Accountants statutory Audltor 3 High Street Larne Co. Antrim BT40 1JN MBS Chartered Accountants is eligible for appointment as auditor of the charity by virtue of its eligibility for appointment as auditor of a company under of section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006.