Home-start Causeway
Trustees, Report
The tsustees, wbo are directors for the purpose5 of company law, present the aDm￿l report togethff with the
financial statements and auditors, report of the charitable company for the year ended 31 March 2023.
Objectives and activAttes
Objects andaln
The objects of the charity are:
a) to safegu8rd, protect and preserve the good heal￿ both mentsl and physical of children and parents of
children-
b) to prevent cwelty to or mahrcatment of childrnffj.
c) to relieve sickness. poverty and need amongst children and parents of children"
d) to promote the education of the public in better standards of child &gre'
princially but not exclusively within the area of Causeway Coast & GleLs and its environs.
ObJeci1v￿, strategles and acilvlileJ
The charity provides a wide rdnge of support for familie5 experiencing difficulties or suffering stress and who
have at le&st one child undeT the age of five. Home-start volunte￿5 he]p families facing Isolatio￿ the effects of
post-natsl il]ness. disability or Tnentsl health issues, beTeavemenL multiple birtbs. poverty or fllwicial
difficlllties, or a whole rdnge of otheT challenges.
After meeting with the famity to disc￿ their specific needs. Home-S12rt will mat¢h the famity to a volunteer.
The help we give each famity depends entirely on their circumstan¢e4 requirements and what they want help
with. Support will ￿ given through core home visitin& family group activitie4 outings and training
opportunities:
Publ1¢ beneJ7t
The direct benefits that flow from the tharitys activities include:
- improved health outcomes and improved uptake of health appointments.
- happier safer chIld￿tt and happier safer hornes. resulting in fewer children sufferÈng cruelty or maltreatment.
- parents and children feel less marginalised. Families make better use of local services and are less isolated and
have wider hoiizons. Families are better able to cope with their needs.
- families develop improved coping strntegies and parents become more confident through increased education
in childcare standards.
Trustw and officers
The tr￿$te¢S and offic¢rs serving during th¢ year alld since the year end were &s follows:
Tn￿¢$.
Mr A. McGarvey
Mrs M. McCaugb8n
Mrs K. Millar
Mrs Ann Gault (appointed l January 2023)
Mr G. Pctersen (retired J January 2023)
Mr i. Dunn (rdited 19 Juty 2022)
Mrs D. Henry (resigned 14 July 2022)
Secretary:
Mrs G. Kelly
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Home-stsrt Causeway
Trustees, Report
Struetur@ governance 2nd m4D¥gement
Major rtsks andnwiaganenl ofthose rts&T
Covid-19
In response to Covid-19, changes were mad¢ to service delivery at Home-stsrt Causeway. Thankfully, w¢ have
been able to resume the running of llOrn￿l service. Indoor l¥)me visits have resumed with volunteers and staff
tsking precaution5 such as hand hygiene. Play sessions and family groups attendance have been increased to
allow a greater number of families to access these services at one time. The groups are kept small to allow
for s(xial distancing and a less crowded room.
Rising infl￿10n andcos¢ ofliving
Whilst rising inflation and energry bills have had some itnpact on Home-start Causeway it would be remiss not
to consider the potential impact this nthy have over the next year. Funders have reached out to organisations to
see how best they can support Organi￿tiOnS with Tising costs with uplifts, and we have availed ourselves of tbis
&8SiStan¢e. We also have been more fle￿I)le with budgets to h¢lp addr¢5s increased wsts. We will continue to
monitor the impact of rising costs on our service. W¢ foresee increased financial difficultie5 Within the families
we support as they struggle with rising f￿d and energy costs. We will do what we can to support our families
througb the servic£ we provide and also to signpost to appropriate services.
Str￿s andFr￿sure in the NHS
Northern Ireland's Health Service is under increasing stre&s and pressure. This l]as impacted the number of
families needing assistance. as well as the complexity of their needs. We will coniinue to carefully balance our
tesponse to the needs presented with the level of &55iStance our volunteers can provide.
Financial instrnments
Objecilvu ondpolkl
The charitys activities expose it to a number of financial risks in¢luding credit risk. c&sh flow risk and liquidity
Cashfvw Tlsk
The cE)arity's activiti¢s exposc it primarily to the financial risks of rhanges in Government fjjnding and third
party support of the clwity.
Credh risk
The charity's PTin¢ipal financial assets are bank balances and ¢L8ty trad¢ and other receivables. The charity's
credit risk is primarily attributable to its trade receivables. The amounts Presented in the balance sheet are net of
allowances for doubthl reeeivables. An allowance for impairnient is made where there is an identified loss
event which. based on previous experience, is evidenc¢ of a Teduction in the Tecovernbility of the cash flows.
Liq#idity risk
In order to maintain liquidty to ensure that sufficient fimds ar¢ available for ongoing operations and future
developments, the charity uses cash reserves.
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Home-start Causeway
Trustees, Report
Ststernent of tn￿tee$, responsibilfities
Th¢ tNstees (who are also the directors of Home-start Causeway for thc purpose5 of company law) are
responsible for preparing the trustees, report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and
United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generdlly Accepted Accounting Practice), including
FRS 102 "The Financial Reporting Stsndard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland".
Company law requires the trustees to prepare finaD¢ial statements for each financial year. Under company law
the trustees must not approve the financial slatements UDles5 they are satisfied that they give a t￿e and fair view
of th¢ State of affairs of th¢ charitable Company and of the incoming resources and application of resources,
in¢luding its income and expenditUTe. of the clwitable company for that period. In preparing these f]nancial
statements. the trustees are required to:
select suitable accounting policies and appty them consistrntly.
observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP.
make judgements 2nd estimates that are reasonable and pnmlenl
state whether applicable accounting standard& wmprising FRS 102 bave been followeit subject to any
material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements. and
prepare the fmancial statements on the going concern basis unless it 1$ inappropriate to presume that the
charitable company will continu¢ in b￿]neSS.
The tsustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that can disclose with rA8onable accurdcy at
any time the fll]ancial position of the charitable ¢ompany and enable them to ensure that the fmancial statements
comply with th¢ Compani¢s Act 2006. They are also responsil)le for safeguarding the assets of the chaTitsble
company and bence foi tsking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
The trustees are responsible for the maintenaDce and integryity of the corporate and financial iDforniation
included on the charitable ¢ompanYs website. Legi51*ion governing the preparation and dissemination of
f]nancial Statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdirtions.
Diselosutt of information to auditor
Each trustee has takcn steps that they ought to have taken as a tr￿C in order to make themselves aware of any
relevant audit inforn]ation and to establish that the charitys auditor is aware of that iDfornMtion. The trustees
onfirni that there is no relevant infornlation that they know of and of whi¢h they know the auditor is w￿vare.
Reappointment of *uditor
In accordance with section 485 of the Companies Act 2006. a re501ution for the re-appointment of D T Carson
& Co. as auditors of the Ch￿lty is to be proposed at the fortbcon]ing Annual G¢n¢ral Meeting.
Thc anmMI report was approved by the In￿eeS of the cbarity on 26 Octob¢r 2023 aad signed on its behalf by:
TnLStee
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