L.A.S.T Sure Start Company Limited by Guarantee Independent Auditor's Report to the Members of L.A.S.T Sure Start Year ended 31 March 2024 Opinion We have audited the financial statements of L.A,S.T Sure Start (the 'charity') for the year ended 31 March 2024 which comprise the statemeTbt of financial activities (including income and expenditure account), statement of financial position, statement of cash flows and Ihe related notes, including summary of significant accounting policies. Th8 financial reporting framework that has been applied In their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including FRS 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland {United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). In our 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, including its income and expenditure, for the year then ended", have been properly prepared in accordance wilh United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice: have been prepared in accordance wilh the requirements of the Companies Act 2006. Basis for oplnion We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing {UKI {ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the auditor's responsibilities for the audit of Ihe financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the Charity in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant lo our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC'S Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirèments. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide 8 basis for our opinion. Conclusions relating to going concern In auditing the financial statements, we have 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 performed, we have not idenlified any material uncertainties relating lo events or conditions Ihal, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charity's ability lo 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 trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report. L.A.S.T Sure Start Company Limited by Guarantee Independent Auditor's Report to the Members of L.A.S.T Sure Start (contlnued) Year ended 31 March 2024 Other informatlon The other infom)ation comprises the information included in the annual report. other than the financial statements and our auditor's report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other information. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any fomi of assurance ¢onclusion Ihereon. In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is to read the olher information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with th8 financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwlse appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistències or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether there is a rnaterial misstatgrnent In the financial statements or a material misstatement ofthe other information. If, based on the work we have perforrned, we conclude that there is a material misslalement of this other Informatlon. we are required to report that fact. We have nothing to report in this regard. Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006 In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in Ihe Course of the audit: the information given in the trustees, report for the financial year for which the financial slatements are prepared is consislent with the financial statements.. and the trustees, report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements. Matters on which we aro rèquired to report by exception In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the charity and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have nol identified material misslatements 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 lo report to you if, In our opinion: adequate accounting records have not been kept, or retums adequate for our audit have not been receivéd from branches not visited by us; or the financial ststemenls are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns., or certain disclosures of trustees, remuneration specified by law are not made., or we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit. L.A.S.T Sure Start Company Limited by Guarantee Independent Auditor's Report to the Members of L.A.S.T Sure Start (eontlnued) Year ended 31 March 2024 Responslbllltles of trustees As explained more fully in Ihe tNstee5' responsibilities statement, the trustees (who are also the directors for the purposes of company law) are responsible for Ihe preparation of the financial ststsrnents and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view. and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statemgnts that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charity's ability to continue as a going concem. disclosing, as applicable. matters related to going conceFn and using the going concem basis of accounting unless the trustees eilh8r Intènd to liquidate the charity or to cease operations, or have no reallstic allernative but to do so. Auditor's responsibilitles for the audit of the financial statements Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assuranc8 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 includes our opinion. Reasonable 8ssurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAS (UK) will always delect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considefed material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic d8clsions of users laken on the basis of these financial stalemenls. Irregularities, including fraud. are inslances of non-compliance with 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 procedures are capable of detecting Irregularities, including fraud is detailed below.. We identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due lo fraL]d or error, and then design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, including obtaining audit evidgnce that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. In identifying and assessing risks of material misstatement in respect irregularities, including fraud and non compliance with laws and regulations, we considered the following.. -the ability of management to overri(fe controls -the nature of the industry and sector, together with the performance of the enlity-the use of estimates and judgements in the preparation of financial statements As a result of the above we have considered the opportunities that may exlst within the entity for fraud and identified the greatest potential for fraud to be management overridé of controls. In cornmon with all audits under ISAS (UK) we are required to perform specific procedures to respond to the risk of management override. In response to the above potential risks we have responded by.. -we review minutes of meelings for reference lo any breaches in laws and regulations and past instances of fraud -we discuss risk of fraud al the audit team meeting, including fraud relating to revenue recognition, related parties, and management ove￿Ide and financial statement disclosures -we discuss with management as to how they access, identify and respond lo fraud risk within the company. L.A.S.T Sure Start Company Limited by Guarantee Independent Audltor's Report to the Members of L.A.S.T Sure Start fcontinuedj Year ended 31 March 2024 As part of an audit in accordance with ISAS (UK). we exercise professional Judgment and maintaln professional scepti¢ism Ihroughout the audit. We also.. Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error. design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidence Ihat is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. The risk of not detecting a matertal misstatement resulkn'ng from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error. as fraud may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions. rnisrepresentalions. or the override of internal control. Obtain an understanding of internal control relevant to the audit in order lo design audit procedures Ihat are appropriate in the circumstances. but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the internal control. Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates 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 audil evidence obtained. whether a material uncertainly exists related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the charity's ability to continue as a going concern. If we conclude that 2 material uncertainty exists. we are required lo draw attention in our auditor's report to the related disclosures in thè financial statements or, if such disclosures are inadequate, to modify our opinion. Our conclusiotjs are based on Ihe atsdit evidence obtained up to the date of our auditor's report. However. future events or conditions may cause the charity to cease to continue as a going concern. Evaluate the overall presentation, structure and content of the financial statements, including the disclosures, and whether the financial statements represent the underlying Iransactions and events in a manner that achieves fair presentation. L.A.S.T Sure Start Company Limited by Guarantee Independent Auditor's Report to the Members of LA.S.T Sure Start (eonttnu8d) Year ended 31 March 2024 We communlcale with those charged with govemance regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and tlming of the audit and signfficant audit findlngs. includlng any significant deficiencies in Internal control that we identify during our audll. U59 of our report This report is made solely to the charitys members, as a body. in accordanGe with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charity's members those matters we are required to slate to them in an auditorfs report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charity and the charity's members as a body, tor our audit work. for this report, or for the opinkns we have formed. Gary Thompson