FIRST STEPS WOMEN'S CEIYTRE Independent Auditor's report to the members of First Steps Women's Centre Opinion on financial stateDJents We have audited the financial statements of First Steps Women's Centre (the 'charity') for the ycar ended 31 March 2023 which comprise the statement of Financial Activities, statement of fll]ancial position, and related notes including a surnmary of significant accoullting 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 Finai7cialReporting Standard applicable in ihe UKandRepublic ofIreland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). In my opinion the financial statements.. give a true and fair view of the state of the charity's affairs as at 31 March 2023 and of its incoming resources and application of resources for the year then ended. have been properly prepared in accordance witb United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice. have been prcpared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006. Basis for opinion 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 responsibilitics for the audit of the accounts section of our report. We are independent of the charity in accordance with ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the accounts in the UK, including the FRC'S Ethical Standard. in the circumstances set out in note 22 to the financial statements, and we have fulfilled our ethical responsibilities in accordan¢e with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to pmvide a basis for our opinion. Conelusions relating to going concern Jn auditing the fll]ancial statements, we have concluded that the Trustees, use of the going concern basis of a¢countillg in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate. Based on the work we have perfomied, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditiolls 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 Trustecs with respect to going concern are sections of this report. Other Information The other information comprises the information included in the annual report, other than the accounts and our auditor's report thereon. The Trustees are responsible for the other inforn]ation contained within the annual report. Our opinion on the fmancial statements does not cover the other inforntIon and, except to the extent othenvise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any forn] of assurance conclusion thereon. Our responsibility is to read the other inforniation and, in doing so, consider whether the other infonnation is materially inconsistent witb tbe accounts 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 deterniine whether there is a material misstatement in the accounts or a material misstatement of the otber infonnation. If, based on the work we have 15
FIRST STEPS WOMEN'S CENTRE Indepejjdent Auditor's Report (Continued) perfonned, 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. Opinion 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 for th¢ financial period for which the accounts are prepared is consistent with the accounts. and the Trustees, Report has been prepared in accordance with applicablc legal requirements. Matters on which we are required to report by exception In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the Trustees and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the Trustees, Report. We hav¢ nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Compani¢s Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion: adequate accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for my audit have not been received from branches not visited by us. or the fmancial statements are not in agreement with th¢ accounting records and the returns" or certain disclosures of directors, remuneration specified by law are not made. or we have not received all the inforn]ation and explanatlons I require for our audit. the Trustees were not entitled to prepare the financial statements in accordance with the small companics, regime and take advantage of the small companies, exemptions in preparing the Trustees, report and from the requirement to prepare a strategic report. Responsibilities of Trustees As explained more fulky in the Statement of Trustees, Responsibilities, the Trustees, who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of company law, are responsible for the preparation of the fmallcial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the directors deterniine necessary to enablc the preparation of accounts that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. In preparing the fllmncial statements, the Trustees are responsible lor assessing the 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. Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the fmancial statements as a whole are free from material misstatelnent, whether due to fraud or TOr, 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 16
FIRST STEPS WOMEN'S CENTRE Independent Auditor's Report (Continued) 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 ill the agegate, they could reasonably be expected to infiuence tILe economic decisions of users taken on the basis of th¢se financial statements. The extent to wl]ich our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, is dctailed below. Extent to which the Audit was considered capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud The objectives of our audit in respect of fraud, are: to identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements due to fraud. to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence regarding the assessed risks of material misstatement due to fraud, through designing and implementing appropriate responses to those assessed risks. and to respond appropriately to instances of fraud or suspected fraud identified during the audit. However, the primary responsibility for the prevention and detection of fraud rests with both management and those charged with govemance of the charitable company. Based on our undcrstanding of the charitable company and its operating environment, we detennined that the most significant frameworks which have a direct impact on the preparation of the financial statements are those related to the reporting frameworL (FRS 102, the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008, The Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations (Northern Lreland) 2015, the Charity SORP and the Companies Act 2006). Additionally, we concluded that there are significant laws and regulations in relation to the company's charitable status and activities of which non-compliance may have a matcrial effect on the fllwicial statements. We assessed the susceptibility of the charitable company's financial statements to material misstatement, including how fraud n]ight occur, including evaluating management's in¢eiitives and opportunities to manage earnings or influence the reported results. From the resulis of our assessment, we detennined that the principal risks of fraud relate to posting inappropriate journal entries and usc of clwity ftmds for PULyoses outside of restrictions imposed by the donor. In common with all audits under ISAS (UK), we are required to perforn] specific procedures to respond to the risk of management oVeIde. Audit response to risks identified As part of an audit in accordance with ISAS (UK) we exercise professional judgement and maintain professional scepticism throughout the audit. Audit procedures perfornied by the engagement team included: We obtained an understanding of the charitable company's internal control systems in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the puryoses of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the charitable company's internal control. We obtained an understanding of how the charitable company complies with relevant laws and regulations, including those as a result of its registration with the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland and charitable status with HM Revenue & Customs , by making enquiries of management and those Charged with goven]ance. Enquiry of mallagement, those charged with governance and the entity's solicitors around actual and potential litigation and claims. Enquiry of entity staff to identify any instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. Perforn]ing analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected relationships t}t tnay indicate risks of material misstatement due to fraud Reviewing minutes of meetings of those charged with governance 17
FIRST STEPS WOMEN'S CENTRE Reviewing financial statement disclosures and testing to supporting documentation to assess compliance with applicable laws and regulations. We test the completelless of income to address the risk of fraud in relatioll to revenue recognition Auditing the risk of management override of controls, including t}OUgh testing journal entries and other adjustments for appropriateness, and evaluating the business rationale of significant transactions that are unusual or outside the nonnal course of business. Auditing the risk of use of charity ndS outside of restrictions imposed by the donor by review of funding letters of offer to identify restrictions, and review of funding claims prepared by management to check ¢onLpliance with restrictions. We communicated relevant laws and regulations and potential fraud risks to all engagement teani members, and remained alert to any indications of fraud or non-compliance with laws and regulations throughout the audit. There are inherent limitations in the audit procedures described above and the further removed non-compliance with laws and regulations is from the events and transactions reflected in the fmancial statements, the less likely we would become aware of it. Also, the risk of not detecting a material misstatement due to fraud is higher than the risk of not detecting one resulting from error, as fraud may involve deliberate concealment through collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations or the oveIde of internal control. A fvrther description of our responsibilities for the audit of the accounts is located on tbe Financial Reporting Council's website at: htt :/lwww.frc.or .uklaudilorsres onsibililes. This description forms part of our auditor's report. Use of our report This report is llde solely to the charitable company's members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 (Section 495) of the Companies Act 2006 and regulations made under that Act. 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 auditors, report and for no other puoSe. To the fullest extent permitted by kaw, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charitable company and its members as a body. for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have fornied. Ethna Grim cy (Senlor Statutory Auditor) for and on behalf of E A Grimley & Co Litllited Dated 22. November 2023 Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditor 16 Clonoe Village Park 98 Washingbay Road, Clonoe, Dungannon, Co. Tyronc, BT714PU 18