Happy Days Community Childcare Centre Company Limited by Guarantee Trustees, Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) Year ended 31 March 2023 The trustees, who are also the directors for the purposes of company law, present their report and the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2023. Reference and administrative details Registered charity name Charity registration number Company registration number N1603898 Principal office and registered 14 Garryduff Road office Ballymoney BT53 7AF Happy Days Community Childcare Centre 105710 The trustees Pastor J Payne Mrs H Kyle Mr J Mccrellis Mrs H Patterson Mrs J Muldoon M¢Closkey Mrs H Kyle (Resigned 24 October 2022) Company secretary Auditor Aubrey Campbell & Company Chartered Accountants & statutory auditor 631 Lisburn Road Belfast BT9 7GT Happy Days Community Childcare Centre Company Limited by Guarantee Trustees, Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) (continued) Year ended 31 March 2023 Structure, governance and management Happy Days is a Company Ltd by Guarantee (N16038981 and was established by Ballymoney Church of God on 21st July 2010. We are registered with the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland {NIC105710). For the purposes of Company Law, the Trustees also act as Directors. Our Board meets on a regular basis in line with our governing document, the Memorandum and Articles of Association. All members are provided with updates including operational and financial reports and minutes are kept of all meetings. During the year our parent representative Johann-muldoon Mccloskey stood down and steps have been taken to recruit a replacement. The day-to-day management of the centre is undertaken by Lyndal Speers, (Centre Manager), and Jeni Caldwell (Deputy Manager). We are registered by the Northern Health & Social Care Trust and the current registration allows us to have 80 under 5s and 24 school aged children at any given time.. Room 1- Little Treasures 12 Room 2= Precious Pearls 12 Room 3: Gems of Genius 16 Room 4.. Ready Rubies 16 Room 5.. Little Learners- including Sessional Playgroup am only 24 Room 6.. Wise Owls- Church (pm term time & all day holiday time) 24 Social Services conducted our Annual Inspection in De￿mber 2022, they assessed our Compliance with the DHSSPS Minimum Standards for Daycare (2012) in terms of Safeguarding and Quality of Care. The outcome of the inspection was very positive with no issues highlighted as compliance requirements. We have a full range of policies in place which provides a robust framework for the strategic and operational activities of the Centre. All policies are kept under review and updates circulated to parents and staff. Happy Days complies with all Recruitment & Employment regulations, ensuring that new staff are selected on merit and that the principles of fairness and equity underpin day to day management of the staff team. All relevant records are kept and statutory returns completed and submitted as required. As a Daycare Centre, we recognise the extensive responsibilities we have to the children in our care and to our staff team. We adhere to all relevant legislation and place great emphasis on strict Health, Hygiene and Safety practice. We have extensive Employer and Public Liability Insurance provided by Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Ltd. Our'child Protection & Safeguarding, Policy complies with the Regional Safeguarding Child Protection Policy and Procedures as issued by the Safeguarding Board N.1. All staff receive training in line with the Minimum Standards and a number of staff act as Designated Officers. Happy Days Community Childcare Centre Company Limited by Guarantee Trustees, Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) (continue Year ended 31 March 2023 Objectives and activities Purposes Our charity's purposes are set out in the objects clause contained in the Memorandum and Articles of Association as follows.. 1. To enhance the development and education of young children by encouraging parentslguardians to understand and provide for the needs of their children by: (a) Offering appropriate play and educational facilities, with the right of the parentslcarers to take responsibility for and to become involved in the activities of Happy Days, ensuring that Happy Days offers opportunities for all children, regardless of ability, religion, culture, race or means; (b) Encouraging the study of the needs of such children and their families and promoting public interest in and recognition of the needs of such children and their families in the local community., (cl Providing the necessary facilities for the daily care, recreation and education of children during out of School hours and school holidays; {d} Advance the education and training of the persons who provide such care, education and recreational facilities. 2. To promole such other charitable purposes as may from time to time be determined. Activities and Public Benefit In planning our activities, the Trustees have considered the Charity Commission for Northern Irelands guidance on public benefit to ensure that the activities have helped fulfil the overall purposes and provide benefit to the children and families who use our services. Happy Days provides day care for children aged from 6 weeks to age 11. The main activities include- Parents and families have benefited from a 'One Stop Shop, with a flexible affordable service tailored to their needs. this includes.. half day care, full day care, Pre-school Playgroup, After Schools Club, wrap around care, Nursery & School drop offs and pickups where required and holiday care for school aged children. The children are provided with inclusive, sensory, fun and stimulating learning experiences which support and nurture all areas of learning and development. The children learn through structured and unstructured play building on individual abilities and specifically developed to maximize and encourage age appropriate developmental milestones. Children's confidence and skills are enhan￿d thereby building foundations for a happy, secure childhood. The children benefit from physical play activities where their confidence and coordination are enhanced- they also learn the importance of adopting a healthy diet. Children learn about tolerance, respect, diversity and inclusion through the use of appropriate Happy Days Community Childcare Centre Company Limited by Guarantee Trustees, Annual Report (Incorporating the Directorfs Report) (continuedj Year ended 31 March 2023 resources and activities. Staff are provided with training opportunities that enable them to develop individual capabilities, competences, skills and understanding in order to support the children's learning and development. Strategic report The following sections for achievements and performance and financial review form the strategic report of the charity. Happy Days Community Childcare Centre Company Limited by Guarantee Trustees. Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) (continue Year ended 31 March 2023 Achievements and performance During 202212023, Happy Days has continued to provide the highest quality of care to children that we possibly can. The first-class facilities make the best use of space and provide a welcoming and stimulating environment for all children. All aspects of children's needs are catered for and we treasure each and every child entrusted to our care. Once again, our staff team have done a tremendous job in helping us fulfil our objectives. We are blessed to have such dedicated and professional praclitioners who always give of their best to ensure that all the children are well cared for. Their qualifications exceed what is required in the Minimum Standards for Daycare and ongoing professional development is encouraged. At 31st March 2023, we employed 38 members of staff. The Happy Days family is a diverse one., children come from a wide cross-section of backgrounds including working families, single parents. foster families. parents in education, socially disadvantaged families and those of mixed racelculture. Some children have SEN statements, others have additional needs and we regularly provide respite care through Social Services placements. Happy Days lakes a holistic approach to each child's care thus ensuring that we minimise barriers to participation and fully support a child's right to develop social relationships and learn new skills in an inclusive environment. At 31st March 2023, there were 116 children registered in our daycare-. 0-2 32 2-3 22 3442 4+20 Our self-funded Playgroup was in great demand during the year, wilh 20 children attending,. we have continued to lobby the Education Authority for funded places. In Happy Days each child is cherished and treated as an individual. We provide a sensory, fun and stimulating learning space for children of all abilities and ages. We recognise that every child's learning journey is unique and we offer a nurturing environment to encourage and support the children to reach their developmental milestones and potential. All the rooms are packed with lots of exciting age-appropriate materials and equipment and all children have an opportunity for outside fun and activity on a daily basis. During 202212023, we continued to adopt a cautious approach regarding Covid-19 and did all we could to minimise disruption to our seNices. We reviewed and updated our policies and protocols as necessary to ensure we responded to the ongoing challenges of operating the Centre whilst managing the implications of Covid-19. In October 2022. we invited all our families registered at that time to complete a brief s￿￿eY about important aspects of our childcare service. Of the 95 families (representing 113 children) invited to participate 56 completed the brief questionnaire, representing a 59% response rate. We were delighted that from the total responses 99.20/0 were positive and only 0.80/0 negative. There's nothing more satisfying than being part of a child's growth and development as they progress through their formative years. In Happy Days we want to ensure children have the skills needed to build a firm foundation for life. when it's time for them to say goodbye, we hope to have left an imprint of love in their lives and helped create happy memories for curious mindsl Happy Days Community Childcare Centre Company Limited by Guarantee Trustees, Annual Report {Incorporating the Director's Report) (continued) Year ended 31 March 2023 Financial review Good govemance practice is embedded in day-to-day financia5 management and we operate robust controls in order to fulfil all our obligations. We always seek suppliers that offer the best value for money and detsiled financial records are maintained. Invoices are issued on a rolling monthly basis so families pay Ihe same amount each month across the year. Accounts updates are presented at each Board meeting. The results for the year are outlined on page 15. Overall income for the year was £668,663 (2022: £668,995) On occasions where staff were absent due to Covid-19 and we were unable to maintain the minimum stafflchild ratio, we had no other option than to close the affected room. Any family impacted by Room closures received an account credit for the relevant period. £3,660 was granted from the Childcare Recovery Fund administered by the Early Years Organisation in respect of these room closures. We were grateful to have received this funding which was of crucial importance to the Centre. We implemented our annual fee increase in April 2022. The increase introduced was calculated to ensure we adhered to the requirements relating to increased rates of Living Wage. While this was a significant rise, we acknowledge that for some families the rising cost of childcare is becoming prohibitive. Some are relying more on family members and have reduced the number of days they require childcare. We recognise the importance of acting in the best interests of our staff and were able to add £10,000 to our reserves during the year. We re￿iVed grant assistance of £4,121.48 from the HSCB which allowed us to continue to provide one to one care for a child with complex needs from April to August 2022. A further small grant of £2,000 was secured from HSCBINorthern Childcare Partnership allowing us to purchase a multisensory resource for outdoor play. £1,890.38 was claimed under the 'Free milk scheme, administered by HSC Business Services Organisation. We also received £600 from Power Nl in respect of an energy rebate. We review potential funding opportunities on an ongoing basis but do not apply for any Lottery grants- no further grants were received within the year. Expenditure for the year was £675,652 (2022: £627,710). We operate a staff pension scheme with NEST. At 31st March 2023 the total funds of the charity amounted to £33,351. Having reviewed all the relevant financial infomiation, the Trustees are satisfied that Happy Days continues to be a viable enterprise. Happy Days Community Childcare Centre Company Limited by Guarantee Trustees. Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) (conlinuedl Year ended 31 March 2023 Plans for future periods Happy Days is committed to the delivery of the charity's key objectives across future periods.. providing day care services for children aged from 6 weeks to age 11 and ensuring that the activities help fulfil the overall purposes and provide benefit to the child and families who use our seNices. Trustees. responsibilities statement The trustees, who are also directors for the purposes of company law, are responsible for preparing the trustees, report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). Company law requires the charity trustees to prepare financial statements for each year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to.. select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently; observe the methods and principles in the applicable Charities SORP-, make judgments and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent; state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed. subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business. The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the charity's transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the a5seÉs of the charity and hence for laking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. Auditor Each of the persons who is a trustee at the date of approval of this report confimis that= so far as they are aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the charity's auditor is unaware., and they have taken all steps that they ought to have taken as a trustee to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the charity's auditor is aware of that infomalion. The auditor is deemed to have been re-appointed in accordance with section 487 of the Companies Act 2006. Happy Days Community Childcare Centre Company Limited by Guarantee Trustees. Annual Report (Incorporating the Directorfs Report) (continued) Year ended 31 March 2023 The trustees, annual report and the strategic report were approved on 28 November 2023 and signed on behalf of the board of trustees by: Pastor J Payne Trustee Mrs H Kyle Charity Secretary