EMPLOYERS FOR CHILDCARE DIRECTORS. REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MAY 2024 The directors present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 May 2024. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in nole 1 to the financial statements and comply with the charity's Memorandum and Articles of Association, the Companies Act 2006 and 'Accounting and Reporting by Charities.. Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)" (effective 1 January 20191. Objectives and activities Employers For Childcare is established to make il easier for parents with dependent children to get into work and to stay in work. We do this by addressing childcare as an economic and a labour market issue. The Charity's purposes, as set out in our governing document, are to advance education, to prevent and relieve poverty and to relieve those in need by reason of financial hardship or other disadvantage by.. promoling the provision and use of go¢xI quality registered childcare for the benefit of children their parents providing information on all aspects of childcare and work-related issues, and raising awareness of the support available for parents including financial support wth childcare costs. and associated employment rights undertaking and publishing research into all aspects of childcare and work-related issues including parental entitlements and the provision of childcare raising awareness of issues relating to provision of childcare facilities and parental entitlements. These purposes are intended to benefit families. particularly working parents with dependent children, and those parents who are seeking to get back into work. More broadly, the public at large benefits through the economic development generated through broadening the pool of potential employees within the workforce, lifting families out of poverty and facilitating children's access to high quality eady years education and childcare. The directors have paid due regard to guidan￿ issued by the Charity Commission in decidirKJ what activities the charity should undertake. Achievements and performance Our charity works directly with parents through Ihe Family Beneffts Advi￿ SeNice, and for parents through our research, policy, and lobbying work. To achieve the charty's purposes dunng the year under review we undertook a range of activities. Our social enterprise business activities enabled us to invest in our charity during that time. We provided a Family Benefits Advisory Service offering free. impartial. and confidential advice and inforrnation on childcare and work-related issues both through operating a Freephone helpline and through delivering outreach, for example presentation5 and one to one advice sessions in community and employer settings. During the period our Family Benefits Advice Service helped 8,301 clients across the UK and identified over £12million in financial support for families. In tems of delivering impact through the Family Benefils Advice Service - 1000/0 of parents would recommend our services to other parents and 100% of parents rate the quality of the service as excellent or good. Financial review The result5 for the period are as set OLrt on pages 10 to 29. The charty returned net outgoing resources of £244,441 (2023 - £223,889). At 31 May 2024 the level of unrestricted reserves held was £2,S25,248 (2023 - £2,869,689). The Directors are obliged to ensure that sufficient reserves are available to allow the organisation to continue its work in the foreseeable future. From June 2008 the main source of income is the trading activity of Employers For Childcare Trading. The Directors would wsh to cary reseNes of six month's running costs. EMPLOYERS FOR CHILDCARE DIRECTORS. REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MAY 2024 Structure. governance and management The charity is a company limtted by guarantee and is govemed by its Memorandum arKI Artides of Association. The directors who served during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were.. Mrs J Kennedy Mrs S Mccary Prof M McHugh OBE Ms A Mervyn Mrs L Mulholland Mr J O'Neill Mr M Stevenson The Board is responsible for the overall govemance of the charity. Directors are etther elected or cc￿0p1ed and the total number of directors shall not be subject to any maximum but shall not be less than two. The Board delegates the exerase of ￿rtain powers in connection wtth the management and administration of the charity to the Audit and Risk Committee. This is controlled by regular reporting back to the Board. so that all decisions made under delegated powers can be rab.fied by the fiJll board in due course. The Chief Executive Offi￿r is responsible for the day to day management of the chartty's affairs and for implementing the policies agreed by the Board of Directors. Statement of directors, responsibilities The directors who also act as trustees for the charitable activtties of Employers for Childcare. are responsible for preparing the Directors, Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally A￿pted Accounting Practi￿). Company Law requires the directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming reSoUr￿S and application of resources, including the income and expendrture, of the tharitable company for that year. In preparing these financial statements, the director5 are required to: - select suitable accounting policies and then app￿ them consistenuy: - observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP" make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have b￿n followed, subject to any material departures disdosed and explained in the financial statements- and prepare the financial statements on the going concem basis unless rt is inappropriate to presume that the charity will contr.nue in operation. The directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose wth reasonable accuracy at any time the financial posrf(ion of the group and 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 group and charity and hen￿ for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregulartties. Auditor The auditor, GMCG LISBURN. is deemed to be reappointed under section 487(2) of the Companies Act 2006. EMPLOYERS FOR CHILDCARE DIRECTORS, REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MAY 2024 Dlsclosure of informatlon to audltor Each of the directors has confimied that there is no information of which they are aware which is relevant to the audit, but of which the auditor is unaware. They have further confirmed that they have taken appropriate steps to identify such relevant inforniation and to establish that the audilor is aware of such information. This report has been prepared in accordan￿ wrth the provision applicable to companies entitled to the small companies exemption. The directors, report was approved by the Board of Directors. Ms M Marin OBE Secretary Date..