CHILDREN'S LAW CENTRE (NORTHERN IRELAND) TRUSTEES, REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS, REPORT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023 The trustees present th8ir annual report and financial ststements for the year ended 31 March 2023. The financlal statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting pollcies set out In note 1 to the financial statements and comply with the Companies Act 2006 and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: ststement of Rernmended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounls in accordan with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Iland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019)" ObJectlve8 and actlvlUe8 The Children's Law Centre (CLC) was established to help children or young people In need and to promote the human rights of children and young people. CLC provides information, advice, advocacy, assistsn¢e and representation for children and young people, their parents and carers and others working with and on behalf of children and young people. We raise public awareness of children and young people's rights and provide training to Children, parents and ¢arer5 and others working with and on behalf of children and young people. CLC give V01¢8 to children by facilitsting and supporting a children and young person's advisory and peer advocacy group, youth@clc. In partnership with youth@¢lc we raise children and young people's rights with duty bearers. The trustees have paid due regard to guldance Issued by the Charity Commlsslon In declding what actlvities the chaflty should undertake. Achlevements and performance The envlronment in whlch Children's Law Centre operated in 2022-23 has been particularly challenglng. As wa emerged from Covid, Ihe Centre continued to deal with multiple issues of denial of children's rights as a result of actions taken by duty holders In response to the pandemic. The situation was further aggravated by the ongoing impact of Brexit, the socio-8¢0nomi¢ crisis resulting in cuts to children's services and the absence of a devolved administration in this jurisdiction. The Nl Assembly was dissolved in February 2022 and as the year progressed the dlssolutlon would begin to have serious adverse impads on decision-making, access to servlces and funding. Thls was exacerbated by the war in Ukraine and the autumn budget whith resulted in interest rises. 8nergy rises and a cost of living crisi8. Against thi5 backdrop CLC has experienced an Sncrease in demand for our services and the complexily of the case work presenting is unprecedented. In the absence of a willingness or inability on the part of duty bearers to resolve cases, we IneasInglY were required to issue proceedings lo secure effective remedies for our ¢lient8. Unsurpfisingly given the scal8 of need, vlsltors to the REE Rights Responder chatbot more than doubled from Ihe prevlous year wlth 36,817 sessions by 31,226 users getting direct access to legal infomiatlon. Demand for advice also continued to rise. CHALKY, CLC'S Freephone Advice Line dealt with 2,836 issues, with many, given the growing complexity of queries, requiring more detailed advice andlor representation. Whilst the number of new judicial reviews had decreased from the 'Covid-high' number In the previous Iwo years, they are still much higher than the pre-covid norm. We issued proceedings in nin8 new Judiclal reviews and continued to work on eleven that had cA)mmenced during 2021-22. This significant number again refle$ the complexity of the issues we are dealing with. th a new Policy and Public Affairs Manager in place, drawing on our case work, we have been working to improve legislation, policy and practice for the benefit of all childr8n in the jurisdiction. This included working in partnership with the Committee on the Administration of Justice, Amnesly International and Include Youth on the use of spit and bite hoods on children and strip searching of children and young people. In response to this work, the Independent Human Rights Advisor to the Nl Policing Board undertook a Human Rights Review of the Strip Searching of Children and Young People in Custody with recommendations published in June 2023. The Policing Board have also committed to undertake a human rights review of policing and Ghildren and young peopl6. In preparation for the Nl Assembly elections in May 2022 we developed our 'Close the Gap, publication to highlight our key priorities to improve the lives of children in Nl. Despite the ongoing suspension of the Assembly we hosted a number of m88tings with MLAS across the political spectrum and We encouraged by the positive résponse.
CHILDREN'S LAW CENTRE (NORTHERN IRELAND) TRUSTEES. REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS, REPORT) (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023 We worked with Incfude Youth, NIACRO, VOYPIC, QUB Centre for Children's Rights and the University of Nottingham to highlight the continuing failure to implement the recommendations of the Youth Justi Review and in November co-hosted a conference held in Queen's University on the Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility. In response, in January the Department of Justice launched a consultation on whether to raise the Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility,. we await the outcome of thls consultation. We undertook extensive stak8hold8r engagement across the voluntary and children's sector and academia to inform three substantial NGO reports lo the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child evidencing how rights and protections for children in Northern Ireland have regressed post-Brexil, POSt-Covid and as a result of the impacts of the economic crisis and continuing inertia with local government. Our Stakeholder Report was endorsed by 50 organisations and individual representatives before submission to the UNCRC in December 2022. We are grateful to Dr Deena Haydon for her work on compiling these reports. In preparlng these reports we worked in partnership with youth@clc, our panel of young people who advise and inform on issues Impacting on children and young people. With the financial support of the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, we were able to bring young people from youth clc, Includ8 Youth and VOYPIC to Geneva to give evidence to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in February 2023 as part of the pre-sesslonal hearlngs in advance of th8 UK Government examination which was scheduled for May 2023. The outcome from this work and in particular the Committee's Concluding Observations, will help Shap8 CLC'S work in the fulure. We worked with South Tyrone Empowerment Project (STEP) on two submisslons to the Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minoritles which informed our ongoing engagement with duty bearers. human rights institution5 and politicians on Asylum Seeker Children in Contingency Accommodation. As the year progressed we Started to receive direct contacts from famllies living in contingency accommodation in relation to living condltions and their impacts on children who have a range of disabilities and learning needs. as well a5 being trauma-experienced. Our advice and legal teams are now providing legal advice and assistanc8 lo a growlng number of children in contingency accommodation and we continue to raise the Issue wlth duty holders. After protraded negotiations in Gases, the Educatlon Authority agreed to High Court Declarations Ihat it had breached Ihe Ghildren's rights to education under Artlcle 2 of Protocol 1 of the European Convention on Human Rights {ECHR) for reasons related lo a child's disability under Article 14 ECHR, non-dis¢rimination. In one of these cases they also agreed to Declarations that th8 righl to provision under a statement of SEN under Article 16 of the Education (Nl) Ordèr 1996 had been denied and that the rlght to education °other than at school. under Article 86 of the Education (Nl) Order 1996, had been breached wh8n a child was unable lo attend school because of illness. The political vacuum curtalled CLC'S ability to effect pollcy and legislatlve changes to address the worying and Systemic diminution in the delivery of children's rights.-This is a perfect storm.. duty bearers are increasingly falling to deliver children's rights al a time when the opportunities lo effect syslemic change is limited. In these circurnstances slrate9ic litigation is an important tool to effect individual and societal access to children's rights. With no r8Storation of the Nl Assembly during the year and the huge and growing impact of the economic crisis on the restoration of pre-covld Service, CLC will continue to utilise strategic litigation and other alternative strategies to challenge the diminution of children's rights in Northern Ir81and. We celebrated our 25th anniversary in September 2022. This aligned to Welcome funding from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation which has enabled us to comprehensively review and further improve the organlsation and our governance in preparation for the next 25 years. Work commenced on th8 development of a new case management database that wlll support management of inforrnation and monitoring of advice and case outcomes. We also commenced planning for the return of training services from CLC whlch had ended a5 result of the Pandernic. As part of our Govemance review we updated our Articles of Association, continued to support our Trustees through training opportunitles and recruited a new Trustee to the Board in December. We also reviewed and updated intemal policies and procedures and commenced a salary and benefits benchmarking exercise, and continued with wellbeing interventions for staff to ensure CLC remains competitive within th8 employment market. In the final quarter of the year we successfully completed the 3-year accreditation for the Lexcel quality standard underpinning our legal case management and client support systems.
CHILDREN'S LAW CENTRE (NORTHERN IRELAND) TRUSTEES, REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS. REPORT) (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023 Flnanclal rnview The results for the year are set out in detail on pages 12 to 33. The Centre relumed net deficit of £100,439 (2022 net SUTpIu5 of £146,400) of which £160,894 related to a net deficit in restricted funds and £60,455 related to net increase in unrestricted funds, of which £44,835 has been transferred to designated funds leaving a net increase of unrestricted funds of £15,620. The increase in unrestricted funds includ88 exceptional mov8m8nt in penslon provlsion income of £613 (2022 - £829). At 31 March 2023, the total funds of the charty amounted to £849,511, comprising restticted funds of £472,439 and unrestricted funds of £377,072. The unrestricted fund balance includes unreslricled general funds of £341,826, designaled funds of £55.000 and a deficit on the pension reserve of £19,754. The vast majority of income received by the Cantre is earmarked by the donor for specific purposes (restrided incom8). Only sm811 amounts are received as free monies (unrestricted incom8) which can be allocated according to organisational needs, including cor8 running costs, The unrestricted fund is consSdered to be ess8nlial to the Centrg as restricted funds are not always sufflclent to meet all costs. Furthemiore, In th8 current economic envlronment, th8 lev81 of funding may fluctuale from on8 year to the nexl. The unrestricted fund will therefore be essential to finance worklng Gapital, continue the charity's activities in the short term and fulfil its legal responsibilities to employees and creditors for a three month period. Current running costs for Ihe charity are £75,000 per month and the level of free reserves at the year end, @xcluding fixed assets and deslgnated funds, was £247,172. The charity has significant funds secured for the forthcoming year and budgets have been prepared that show that the charlty has sufficient resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Restrlcted funds r8pres8nt funds which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions Imposed by donors. The balance of restricted funds at 31 March 2023 was £472,439. The trustees have assessed the major risks to which the charity is exposed, and are satlsfled that systems are In pla to mitigale exposure to th8 major risks. Plans for future perlod8 One of the long-term objectiV8s for the organisalion remains Ihe securing of mainslr8am funding for the Centre alongside diversifying and growing funding streams. Acting on financial and legal advice, the Centre is also committed to worklng to bulld unrestrlct8d financial reserves equivalent to six months with a minimum of at least three months, running costs to ensure a financial cushion in the event of future funding difficulties. The building of such reserves is viewed by the charity as prudent financial man8gemenl, in the best interest off the Centre and necessary to honour the Centre's legal and financial COTnfflitmenls.
CHILDREN'S LAW CENTRE (NORTHERN IRELAND) TRUSTEES, REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS, REPORT) (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023 Structure. governance and management The Centre is a charitable organisation and a company limited by guarantee governed by its Arti¢les of Association. The Centre is a membership organisation which Is governed by a Board of Trustees (which is also the Board of Directors) elected for one year at the organisalion's AGM. According to the Centre's constilution, additional Board members Can be Co-opted. The Board elect a Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer and Secretary. Training is provided as required. All Centre staff are answerable to the Board through the Centre Director, Ms Patricia Kelly, who is responsible for the day to day management of the Centre. The Board of Trustees ensures the good goveman¢e of the organisation by setting its strategic objectives and policy direction through the Centre's three year strategic plan and monitoring progress on thi5 through the annual operational planning process. The trustees, who are also the directors for the purpose ofcompany law, and who served during the year and up to the dale of signature of the financial statements were.. Ms Y Campb811 MSA Toal Ms A Stewart Mr D Farrell Mr J Finnegan Ms M Spence Ms S Stewart Ms T Canavan MrBDMoss (Resigned 8 Dernber 2022) (Resigned 8 December 2022) (Appolnted 8 December 2022) Statement of tru8t888' re8pon8lbllltlas The trustees, who are also Ihe direclors of Children's Law Centre (Northern Ireland) for the purpose of company law, are responsible for preparing the Trustees, Report and the financlal statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accountlng Practi1. Company Law requlres the truslees to prepare financlal statements for each financial year whlch give a Irue and falr vlew of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the Income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that year. In preparing these ff nancial statements, the trustees are required to: seleci suitabl8 a¢countlng policies and then apply them conslstently., observe Ihe methods and principles in the Charities SORP: make judgem8nts 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.. and prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unles5 It is inappropriate to presume that the arity will continue in operation. 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 wilh 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.
CHILDREN'S LAW CENTRE (NORTHERN IRELAND) TRUSTEES. REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS. REPORT) (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023 Small Companles Exemptlon In preparing thi5 report. the directors have taken advantsge of the 8rn811 companles exemptions provlded by 8ectlon 41 SA of the Comp8nles Act 2006. Dl$elo8uro of Informatlon to audltor Each of the trustees has Confflrmed that there Is no informatlon of whlch they are awar8 whlch Is relevant to the audil but of which the auditor is unaware. They have further conflrmed that they have tsken appropriate st8ps to Identify such relevant Information and to establlsh that the audltor Is aware of such Informatlon. The tru ' report Y188 approved by the Board of Trustse5. P Kelly Company Secretary Datgd: ..