Northern Ireland Child Minding Association Company Limited by Guarantee Independent Auditor's Report to the Members of Northern Ireland Child Minding Association Year ended 31 March 2024 Opinion We have audited the financial statements of Norlhem Ireland Child Minding Association (the 'charity') for th8 year ended 31 March 2024 which compris8 the slatement of financial activilies lin¢luding incom8 and expenditure account). statement of financlal position, slatement of cash fflows and th8 related notes. including a Summary of significant accounting policie5. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is appllcable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, inGluding FRS 102 The Financial Reporiing Stsndard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ir8land (Uniled Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounllng Practice). In our opinion the financial statem8nts: give a tnje and falr vlew of the state of the charivs affairs as at 31 March 2024 and of its incoming resources and application of resources, includlng its income and expenditure, for the year then ended,. hav8 been properly prepared in aOrdanCe with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; have been prepared in accordance wilh the requirements of the Companies Act 2006. Basls for opinlon We conducted our audit in accordance with Intemational Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAS (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under Ihose standards are further described in the auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements SeCtn of our report. We are independent of the charity in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of Ihe financial statements in the UK. including the FRC'S Ethical Standard. and th8 provisions available for small entitie5, in the circumstances set out below. and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance wlth these requirements. We believe that the audlt evidence we have obtained Is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. In common with many other organisations of a similar size and nature, the charity uses its audltors to assist with the preparation of thelr organation'S financial statements. Concluslons relating to going concem In audltlng the financlal statements, we h8ve 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 perfomed, V have not identlfied any material uncertaintles ralating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively. may cast significant doubt on Ihe charity's ability to continue as a going concem for a period of at least iwelve months from when the fin8ncial statement5 are authorised for issue. Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant seclions of this report. 11
Northern Ireland Child Minding Association Company Limited by Guarantee Independent Auditor's Report to the Members of Northern Ireland Child Mindlng Association (conUnu8d) Year ended 31 March 2024 Other infomiation The other information comprises Ihe inforrnation included in the annual report. other than the financial statements and our auditor's report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other informalion. Our oplnion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, 8xcept to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report. we do not express any form of assurance concluslon thereon. In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and. in doing so. consider whether the other information is materially inconslstent wlth the financial stalements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otheiSe appears to be materially mlsstat8d. If we identify such material inconsistencies or appargnt material misstatements. we are required to detemiine whether there is a material misstatement in the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other information. If, based on the Work we have perfomed, we conclude that there is a materlal misstatement of this other information, we are requlred to report that fa¢t. We have nothing to report in thts regard. Oplnions on other matters prescrlbed by the Companies Act 2006 In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audiL' the Information given in the trustees, report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared Is consistent with the financial statements. and the truste8s' report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements. Matters on whlch we are required to report by exceptlon In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the charity and its environment obtained In the course of the audit. we have not identified materlal 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 oplnlon: adequate accountlng records have not been kept, relums adequate for our audlt have not been received from branches not vlsited by us; or the financlal statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and retums; or rtain dlsdosures of trustees, remuneratlon speclfied by law are not made; or we hav8 not receSved all the informallon and explanations we require for our audit: or the trustees were not entitled to prepare the financlal statements in accordance wlth the small companies regime and take advantage of the small companies, exemptions in preparing the directors, report and from the requirement to prepare a strategic report. 12
Northern Ireland Child Minding Association Company Limited by Guarantee Independent Auditor's Report to the Mernbers of Northern Ireland Child Minding Association r¢ontlnu8d) Year ended 31 March 2024 Responslbllltl8s of trustee5 As explained more fully in the trustees, responsibilities statement. the trustees (who are a150 the directors for Ihe purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparalion of the financial stat8ments and for being satisfied that they gtve a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the truslees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financlal statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. Our responsibility is to audit and express an opinion on the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and International Standards on Audiling (UK}. Those standards require us to comply wilh the Financial Reporting Council's {FRC's) Ethical Standard for Auditors,, in the Glrcumstances set out In note 23 to the financlal statements. In preparing the financial statements. the trustees are responsible for assessing the charity's ability to continue as a going concern, dlsclosing. as applicable, matters related to going concern and uslng the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charlty or to cease operations. or have no realistic alternative but to do so. 13
Northern Ireland Child MAnding Association Company Limited by Guarantee Independent Auditorfs Report to the Members of Northern Ireland Child Minding Association (conllnuedj Year ended 31 March 2024 Audltor's responsibllltles for the audit of the financlal statements 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 includ85 our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance wlth ISAS (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when It exists. Misstatemenls can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influBnce the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements. Irregularities. including fraud. are instances of non-compliance wilh laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above. to delect material misstatements in respect of irregularities. including fraud. The extent to which our proGedures are capable of delecting Irregularities. including fraud is detailed below: In identifying and assessing risks of material misstatement in respect of irregularities. iluding fraud and non-complian with laws and regulations, we considered the following: the nature of the industry and sector. control environment and business perfomianca including tha design of the remuneration policies. key drivers for directors, remuneration, bonus levels and performance targets., results of our enquiries of management about their own identifiGqtlon and assessment of the risks of irregulariti8S- any matters we identified having obtained and reviewed documentation of their policies and procedures relating to: identifying, evaluating and complying with laws and regulatlons and whether managemont were aware of any instances of non-compliance- detecting and responding to the risks of fraud and whether management have knowledge of any actual, suspected or alleged fraud: the intemal controls established to rnitigate risks of fraud or non-compliance with laws and regulations. the matters dlscussed among the audit engagement team including significant component audlt teams and relevant intèrnal speciallsts. including lax and valuations specialists règarding how and where fraud might occur in the financlal Statements and any potential indicators of fraud. As a result of these procedures. considered the opportunllies and incentives that may exist wllhin the organisation for fraud and identified the greatest potentlal for fraud. In common with all audils under ISAS (UK), we are also required to perfomi speGific procedures to respond to the risk of management override. We also obtained an understandlng of the legal and regulatory frameworks in operation. focusing on provislons of those laws and regulations that had a direct effect on the deterrnlnalion of material amounts and disclosures in the financial slatements. The key laws and regulations we considered in this context included ongoing compliance with the UK Companies Act and tax legislation. In addition. W8 considered provisions of other laws and regulations that do not have a direct effect on the financial statements but compliance Vth which may be fundamental for their ability to operate or to avoid a material penalty. 14
Northern Ireland Child Minding Association Company Llmited by Guarantee Independent Auditor's Report to the Members of Northern Ireland Child Minding Association (contlnuedj Year ended 31 March 2024 As part of an audit in accordance with ISAS (UK), we exercise professional judgment and mainlaln professional scepticism Ihroughout the audit. We also: Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements. whelher due to fraud or error, design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks. and obiain audlt evid8nce that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. The rlsk of not detecting a materlal misstalement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error. as fraud may involve collusion, forgery. intentional omissions. mlsrepres8ntations, or the override of internal control. Obtain an understanding of internal control relevant to the audlt in order to de51gn audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expresslng an opinion on the effectiven8ss of the internal Gontrol. Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting eslimates and related disclosures made by the trustees. Conclude on the appropriateness of the trustees, use of the going concern basis of accounting and, based on the audit evidence obtained. whether a material uncertalnty exlsls related to events or conditions thal may cast significant doubt on the charity's ability lo continue as a going concern. If we conclude that a material uncertainty exists, we are Trquired to draw attention in our audltorfs report to the relaled dclOSureS in the financial slatements or, if such disclosures are inadequate. to modify our opinion. Our conclusions are based on Ihe audit evidence obtained up to the date of our auditorfs report. However. fvture events or conditions may cause the charity to cease to continue as a going wncern. Evaluate the overall presentation. Structure and content of the financial statements, including the disclosures, and whether the financial slatements represent the underlying transactions and events in a manner that achieves fair presentation. 15
Northern Ireland Child Minding Association Company Limlted by Guarantee Independent Auditor's Report to the Members of Northern Ireland Child Minding Association (continued) Year ended 31 March 2024 We Gommunicale with those charged with govemance regarding, arTMJng other matters. the planned scope and timing of the audit and significant audit findings. including any significant deficiencies in internal control that we identify during our audil. Use of our report This report is made solely to the charlty's members. as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work ha5 been underlaken so that we might state to the charlty's rnembers those matters we are required to state to them in an auditorfs report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent pem)itted by law. we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charity and the charivs members as a body. for our audit WDik, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed. Paul Dolan FCA (Senior Statutory Auditor) For and on behalf of Finegan Gibson Ltd Chartered accountants & statutory auditor Causeway Tower 9 James Street South Belfast BT2 8DN 18 December 2024 16