ISLINGTON PEOPLE’S RIGHTS

1. /

General background

  • Islington People’s Rights (IPR) is a registered charity, number 1077688, and a company limited by guarantee, number 01753440. It operates from one office in Islington at 6-9 Manor Gardens, London N7 6LA, (known as the Manor Gardens Centre.)

  • IPR provides advice sessions in the following locations in Islington:
  • Manor Gardens Centre
  • Community Mental Health venues: (North Rehabilitation and Recovery Team, South Rehabilitation and Recovery Team, Islington Crisis Resolution Team, and Complex Depression, Anxiety and Trauma Team, and iCope)
  • Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Services, and Probation Office: (Cranstoun Drug Services, Islington Drug and Alcohol Specialist Services and Probation Office)
  • Black Asian Minority Ethnic and Refugee Community Organisation Venues: (Arab Advice Bureau, Eritrean Community in the UK, Islington Chinese Association, Islington Somali Community, and Latin American Women’s Rights Service.)
  • St Luke’s Community Centre
  • Islington Carers Hub
  • And runs an advice line three afternoons a week.

  • IPR operates as an Independent Advice Agency and specialises in welfare benefits and debt advice. More information can be found at IPR’s website on

  • IPR has 8 permanent members of staff (2 part-time), 6 of whom are Specialist Caseworkers. The other two are the manager and administrator. There are 2 other caseworkers on fixed term contracts plus some locum staff.
  • The manager reports to the board of trustees (number of trustees is currently 12), who meet at regularly on a quarterly basis; often referred to as the Management Committee. There are three subcommittees for Finance, Fund-raising and Human Resources.
  • IPR’s previous years accounts are available for inspection on the Charity Commission’s website:
  • IPR currently banks with the Co-operative Bank and has a high interest account with the CAF Bank. IPR has no other financial investments and is not VAT registered.
  • IPR uses Sage accounting system, but no departments for separate projects

2. /

Internal accounting procedures

  • The Management Accountant keeps the books and produces management accounts for the Finance Subcommittee and the Management Committee

  • IPR has an office manual, incorporating financial procedures. These are regularly reviewed by the Finance Sub Committee.
  • Two signatories are needed to sign all cheques which are used for most transactions. Similar but separate procedures exist for approving online banking transactions.
  • IPR’s average transactions volumes, over the period of a year are
  • Circa 60 suppliers and 14 staff whose expenses are processed via the purchase ledger
  • Circa 250 invoices and credit notes received and processed via the purchase ledger and 300 bills processed as cash payments (salaries, standing orders or direct debits)
  • We process circa 30 invoices and receipts, some of them via the sales ledger
  • IPR does not hold petty cash

  • IPR manages its payroll externally with its current auditors

3. /

Funding and Funders

  • In 2014/15 our turnover was £430,810, an increase over the previous year when it was £383,993. This year it is expected to be around £402K.
  • Our largest funder is the London Borough of Islington, who provide a core grant for welfare benefits and debt advice and casework. They also fund a contract for advice to users of mental health services.

  • We receive grants from charitable trusts. The 2 most significant grants are a three year grant from City Bridge Trust which started in October 2013, and a two year grant from Trust for London which started in November 2014. There have been a few small charitable donations which have helped deliver an advice session geared towards disabled people in Islington.
  • We received a share in a BLF funded Islington partnership bid with 2 year funding to July 2015. We are often involved in joint partnership bids, and our key partners are Islington Law Centre and Islington CAB, the other major Advice Agencies in Islington

4. Key Tasks of Management Accountant Role

  • Entering invoices and payments onto Sage Line 50
  • Preparing salary information for payroll agency on a monthly basis
  • Drawing up management accounts information as required, including
  • Budget v actuals and projections for income & expenditure
  • Balance sheet
  • Cashflow
  • Written report
  • Other financial information, as required
  • Preparation of schedules and file for Independent Examination.

5. /

Year end procedures

  • The Annual Audit takes the form of an Independent Examination, which is appropriate given our turnover. Our financial year runs from the 1 April to 31 March.
  • An audit file is prepared in house by the management accountant which covers the following:
  • All creditors and copies of those not on the purchase ledger
  • All debtors and copies not on the sales ledger
  • A reconciliation of the salary nominal accounts to the payroll
  • Allocation of salaries and other expenses to any restricted funds
  • An annual review, comparing the current year’s income and expenditure to the previous years’
  • Year end management accounts
  • Please note that in the last two years there were no points raised by our existing auditors in their Management Letter, denoting a high standard of preparation.