FIRST STEPS WOMEN.'S CENTRE Independent Auditor's report to the members of FirJt Sleps Women's Cenlre Opinion on financial statements Wc havc auditcd the financial statemeDts of First Steps Women's Centre (the 'charity') for the year ended 31 March 2024 which comprise the statement of Financial Activities. statement of fmancial sItion, and related notes including a summary of significant accounting policie5. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards. including Financial Reporting SLindard 102 The Financial Reportingsiandard applicable in the UKandRepublic oflreland (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 2024 and of its incoming resources and application of resources for the year then ende&. have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice. have been prepared 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 rcsponsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor, s responsibilities for the audit of the accounts section of our report. We are independent of the clwity 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 lfilled our ethical responsibilities in accordance with these rcquiTements. We believe that the audit evidence we havc obtained is 5UtTicicnt and appropriatc to provide a basis for our opinion. Conclusions relating to going concerD In auditing the fmancial statements, we have concluded that the Trustees, use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate. Based on the wotk we have perforn]& we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that individually or collectively, may cast SI1fIcant doubt on the charity's ability to continue as a going conccrn for a PCTiod of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue. Our responsibilities and the resp)nsibilities of the Trustees with respect to going coocern are sections of this report. Other InforniAtion The other inforn]ation comprises the inforntIon included in the annual report, other than the accounts and our auditor's report thereon. The Trustees are resFK)nsible for the other infornlltion contained within the annual report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover tbe other infonnation and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly statcd in our rcport, 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 inforn]ation is materially inconsistent with the accounts or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be maleTially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to detemiine whether there is a material misstatement in the account5 or a material misstatement of the other inforntion. If. based on the work we bave 16
FIRST STEPS WOMEN'S CENTRE Independent Auditor's Report (Continued) performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other infornyation, we are required to report that fact. We have nothing to report in this regard. Opinion on other matters prescrRbed by the CompanRes Aet 2006 In our Opinio based on the work undertaken in the course of our audit: the inforniation given in th¢ Trustees. report for the financial period for which the accounts are prepared is consistent with the accounts; and the Trustees, Rew)rt has been prepared in accordanL* With applicable legal requirements. Matters OD wbieb we are required to report by exceptioD jn the light of the knowledge and understanding of the Trustees and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified materia] misstatements in 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 accounting records have not been kepi. or returns adequate for my audit have not been received from brancbes not visited by us: or the funCIal statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and the returns; or certain disclosures of directors, remuneration specified by law are not made; or we have not received all the inforniation and explanations I require for our audit. tbe Trustees were not entitled to prepare the financial statements in accordance with the small companies, 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 fully 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 fanCIal stalements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view. and for such internal control as the directors detemine necessary to enable the preparation of accounts that are free from material misstatement. whether due to frdud or error. In preparing the fmancial ststements, the Trustees are responsible for assessing the charity's abijity to continue as a going concern. th'sclosing as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the Trustees either intend to liquidatc thc clwitsble company or to cease operations, or havc no realistic a]ternative but to do so. Auditor's responsibilities for tbe audit of the financial statements Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatanent, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditorfs report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance b'ut is not a guardntee that an audit conducted in accordance with 17
FIRST STEPS WOMEIY'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 in the aggregate, they could Teasonably be expected to infiuence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting IgUlarItieS, including fraud. is detailed below. Extent to wbich the audit was Considered capvable of detecting irregularities, intludiDg 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 evidcnce rcgarding the assessed risks of material misstatement due to fraud, through designing and implementing appropriate responses to those assessed risks" and to respond appropriately to inslances of frdud 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 governance of ihe charitable company. Based on our understanding of the cbaritable company and its operating environment, we deterniined that the most significant frameworks which have a direct impact on the preparation of the financial statemenls are those related to the reporting framework. (FRS 102, the Cbarities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008, The Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015. the Clwity SORP and the Companies Act 2006). Additionally, we concluded that there are significant laws and regulations in relation to the company's cbatitable status and activities of which non-compliance may have a material effect on the fmancial statements. We assessed the susceptibility of the charitable company's financial stsiements to material misstatement, including how fraud might occur. including evaluating management's incentives and opportuniiies to manage earnings or influence the reported results. From the results of our asse&sment, we deternlined that tbe principal risks of fraud relate to posting inappropriate journal entries and use of charity fuDds for Purposes outside of restrictions imposed by the donor. In cojnmon with all audits under ISAS (UK). we are required io perfonn spccific procedurcs to respond to the risk of management override. Audit respoDse to risks identified As part of an audit in accordance with ISAS (UK) we exercise professional judgement and D)aintain professional scepticism throughout the audit. Audit pr(K&lures perfornled 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 purposes of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the clwitable 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 Clwity Commission for Northern Ireland and charitable status with HM Revenue & CUoMS . by making quirIeS of management and those charged with governance. Enquiry of management, those charged with governance and the entity's solicitors around actual and p)tential litigation and claims. Enquiry of entity staff to identify any instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. Perfonning analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected relationships that may indicate risks of material misstatement due to fraud Reviewing minutes of meetings of those charged with governance 18
FIRST STEPS WOMEN'S CENTRE Reviewing financial statement (h'sclosures and testing to supporting documentation to assess compliance with applicable laws and regulations. We test the completeness of income to address the risk of fraud in relation to revenue recognition Auditing the risk of management oveIde of controls. including through testing journal entries and other adjustments for appropriateness, and evaluating thc business rationale of significant transactions that are unusual or outside the nornlal course of business. Auditing the risk of use of charity fimds outside of restrictions imposed by the donor by revAew of funding letters of offer to identify restrictions, and review of funding claims prepared by mana8ement to eheck eompliaJ)ce with restrictions. We communicated relevant laws and regulations and potential fraud risks to all engagement team members, and remained alert to any indications of fraud or noD-cornpliance with laws and regulations throughout the audit. Thcrc are inherent limitations in the audit procedures described above and the further removed non-compliance with laws and regulations is from thc events and transactions reflected in the financial statcments. the Icss likely wc would become aware of it. Also, the risk of not detecting a material misstatement due to fraud is higber than the risk of not detecting one resulting from em)r. as fraud may involve deliberate concealment through collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations or the oveIde of internal ntrOl. A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the accounts is located on the Financial Reporting Council's website at: htt ://www.frc.or .uklauditorsre onsibilites. This description forms part of our auditor's report. 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 (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 pern)itted by law, 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 fonned. Ethna Griml (Senior St tutory Auditor) for and on behalf of E A Grimley & Co Limited Datd 16 October 2024 Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditor 16 Clonoe Village Park 98 Wasl]ingbay Road, Clonoe. Dungannon, Co. Tyrone. BT714PU 19