2024-03-31-annual-report - The Prison Service Trust

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THE PRISON SERVICE TRUST Financial Statements For The Year Ended 31 March 2024

THE REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS OF THE COMPANY

We, the directors of The Prison Service Trust , present our report below. The Audited Financial Statements for the year ended follow on page 9, and they are preceded by the Report of the Auditors.

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS FOR PRISON SERVICE TRUST:

The registered name of the organisation is Prison Service Trust. It is both a Northern Ireland registered company limited by guarantee and a registered charity. The company registration number is NI 43324 and the registered charity number is NIC107071. Whilst this is our registered name, we are also known as PST.

We are based at Hydebank Wood, Hospital Road, Purdysburn, Belfast, BT8 8NA and this is the registered office of the company.

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

Objectives of Prison Service Trust

The objects of The Prison Service Trust are the relief of poverty of serving members of the Northern Ireland Prison Service and their dependents, former members of the Northern Ireland Prison Service who are medically retired and their dependents, and the widows, widowers, family members and dependents of those members of the Northern Ireland Prison Service who died in service.

Mission Statement

Prison Service Trust are seeking to improve the lives of those whom they serve. Services include: 1) health care – incorporating physical and emotional wellbeing
2) life planning – incorporating education, career and financial planning and
3) support services – incorporating welfare, family and social development.

The Secretary of State authorised the setting up of the charity, with funding available outside the budget of the Northern Ireland Prison Service. The Prison Service Trust aims to help our clients reintegrate back into the community following bereavement and exit from employment from the Northern Ireland Prison Service. When the Prison Service Trust was established, we were advised by the (then) Minister, Jane Kennedy, to take on the format of a private limited company.

Key Objectives & Achievements for the year 2023-2024

In the year 2023-2024 Prison Service Trust made progress towards achieving its objectives set at the beginning of the year:

1) On-going contact with clients who would otherwise be isolated and alone
2) Rehabilitation of clients by encouraging them to broaden themselves and engage with the wider community
3) Assisting clients who continue to suffer hardship, both physical and mental

James Fulford and Co. Ltd Chartered Accountants

THE PRISON SERVICE TRUST Financial Statements For The Year Ended 31 March 2024

THE REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS OF THE COMPANY (Continued)

Significant activities, achievements and performance

The total number of clients has grown from 427 at the time the PST was established to 801 today. We have established procedures to ensure all clients are contacted and we encourage them to avail of our services, including:

1) health care – incorporating physical and emotional wellbeing
2) life planning – incorporating education, career and financial planning and
3) support services – incorporating welfare, family and social development.

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Prison Service Trust was incorporated as a Limited company on 28[th] May 2002 as a not-for-profit organisation.

The Memorandum and Articles of Association of Prison Service Trust specify the objects of the company are to relieve the need, hardship and distress of members of the Northern Ireland Prison Service or ex-members who are in necessitous circumstances, and the widows, family members and dependents of deceased prison staff.

Directors of the organisation are elected at the annual general meeting and they can serve for four years before being eligible for re-election. Any additional directors appointed to the Board after the annual general meeting has taken place retire at the next annual general meeting. The Chairman is appointed by the Directors and has responsibility for the management of the staff of the organisation; the Board determine the organisational structure of the company. Changes affecting senior staff or any major programme of the organisation involves a consultation process by the Board of Directors of the company before approval for changes is given. Annual budgets are prepared and presented to the Directors for approval before the start of each financial year.

The company has a policy for the induction and training of new Directors. They are provided with an induction package giving details of the history of the organisation, the memorandum and articles of association, responsibilities of Directors, previous year accounts, the organisational structure and the major programmes of the organisation. This is accompanied by a briefing by the Chairman on current activities of the organisation, introduction to senior staff and existing Directors and an overview of the current financial situation of the company.

RISK MANAGEMENT

Prison Service Trust carries out regular risk management reviews of all aspects of its operations. Two areas are identified as key areas of risk management; Health & Safety and the issue of client confidentiality. Extensive steps have been taken to establish procedures and appropriate training in the organisation to manage these risks. The Directors review these procedures on an annual basis.

RESULTS FOR 2023 - 2024

In the period there was a net excess of income over expenditure, as shown in the statement on page 9. This surplus has been added to reserves brought forward.

James Fulford and Co. Ltd Chartered Accountants

THE PRISON SERVICE TRUST Financial Statements For The Year Ended 31 March 2024

THE REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS OF THE COMPANY (Continued)

PLANS FOR 2024 – 2025

The work required in the incoming financial year is the same as the year just completed i.e.

1) On-going contact with clients who would otherwise be isolated and alone
2) Rehabilitation of clients by encouraging them to broaden themselves and engage with the wider community
3) Assisting clients who continue to suffer hardship, both physical and mental

Budgets have been prepared and we are continuing to streamline operations so that overheads and costs of delivery are appropriate for the level of activity we are able to provide. Funding by The Department of Justice has been agreed for the 2024-2025 financial year.

VOLUNTEERS

Prison Service Trust is dependent on the generosity of the volunteers who provide support at various levels of the association’s activities.

The Board of Management of the organisation is comprised of volunteers meeting monthly to oversee the management of the organisation, and several of these Directors provide financial or personnel oversight at a more detailed level.

Clients are also supported directly by a group of volunteers. The volunteers are suitably trained and supported and they are able to act as our eyes and ears to a much greater extent than we would otherwise be able to achieve. This is why we are able to service such a high number of clients with only one full time member of staff.

This represents approximately another 5000 hours of volunteer service carried out on behalf of The PST each year. As a result our clients are given positive encouragement and development each week. The financial value of this voluntary service would be in excess of £100,000 each year. We are very grateful to each and every volunteer who gives of their time to contribute to the personal development and wellbeing of all our clients.

FIXED ASSETS

The change in the fixed assets is shown in note 5 to the accounts.

TAXATION STATUS

The company is a recognised charity, and we have therefore claimed exemption from tax.

DIRECTORS

The directors of the company are also the trustees of the charity. The board members during the year ended 31 March 2024 were:

Finlay Spratt (Chairman) Samuel Jameson Tanya Spratt (Vice Chair) Stephen Kerr June Robinson (Secretary) Mary Marley (appointed 23/06/23) Moira Kerr (resigned 26/05/23) Simon Marshall Chris Brown Jill McArthur Len Duddy Ronald White Pamela Hegarty

James Fulford and Co. Ltd Chartered Accountants

THE PRISON SERVICE TRUST Financial Statements For The Year Ended 31 March 2024

THE REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS OF THE COMPANY

(Continued)

As part of the constitution of the company all Board members who have served four consecutive years or more retire at the Annual General Meeting of the company, together with those directors appointed during the year. The directors due to retire at the Annual General Meeting offer themselves for re-election.

STATEMENT OF DIRECTORS' RESPONSIBILITIES

The directors are responsible for preparing the Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations.

Company law requires the directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the directors have elected to prepare the financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable law). Under company law the directors must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company and of the profit or loss of the company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the directors are required to:

select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently;
make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and
prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company will continue in business.

The directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the company's transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

STATEMENT OF DIRECTORS’ CONFIRMATIONS

In the case of each of the persons who are directors at the time when the report is approved, the following applies:

a) so far as each director is aware, there is no relevant audit information (information needed by the company’s auditors in connection with preparing their report) of which the company’s auditors are unaware; and
b) each director has taken all the steps that he ought to have taken as a director in order to make himself or herself aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the company’s auditors are aware of that information.

FUTURE SUPPORT

We are very grateful for all of the support, both financial and otherwise, which we have received. Please continue to help us in any way you can, or contact us if you would like further information about the Prison Service Trust.

SMALL COMPANY PROVISIONS

This report has been prepared in accordance with the small companies regime under the Companies Act 2006.

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD

June Robinson COMPANY SECRETARY

26th April 2024

James Fulford and Co. Ltd Chartered Accountants