Trustees' Annual Report and Financial Statements
For the Year Ended 31 March 2017
Carers Centre
Lomond House
29 Lomond Street
Helensburgh
G84 7PW
Tel: 01436 673444
Email:
Website:
Registered Scottish Charity No. SC033382
(A Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation)
1
Charting the history of services for unpaid carers in Helensburgh and LomondPrior to 2000 there were no statutory or voluntary services in Argyll & Bute offering support to unpaid carers as their primary function. However, that year, the Scottish Government made funding available to local authorities to be used, firstly, to determine what services carers living in their respective areas required and then contribute to the costs of providing those services. Within Helensburgh and Lomond a Steering Group was formed and questionnaires were distributed to carers, inviting their comments and suggestions. This confirmed the need for an advice and information support service as well as the demand for a Carers’ Centre to be established in Helensburgh.
The Steering Group initially set up an office within a room in the Royal Sailors Rest, Braeholm, Helensburgh, and later employed a Project Co-ordinator and Administrator to take matters forward. A voluntary Management Committee was formed in November 2000 to oversee the development of what was then called the South East Argyll Carer’s Project. At that time, carers were largely invisible to the statutory agencies and one of the first tasks was to identify who they were and begin to provide the level of advice and support that could be afforded with the limited resources available.
In 2001, the Project joined other local carers’ organisations to form the Argyll & Bute Carers Networking Board to share experience and best practice, as well as create a forum for discussing carers’ issues with statutory agencies and other interested parties. At the end of that year, the Project became a member of the Network of Carers Centres across the UK, operating under the umbrella of The Princess Royal Trust for Carers, which had its Scottish Headquarters in Glasgow.
As the organisation grew and developed, more formal arrangements and structures were put in place. In 2002, a written Constitution was agreed and the Project became a Registered Scottish Charity, with the legal form of a Charitable Association. In 2004, the name was changed to Helensburgh and Lomond Carers’ Project and it relocated from Braeholm to offices in East King Street, Helensburgh. However, increasing demands meant larger premises were soon required and in 2006 the Charity took occupancy of leased accommodation at 17E East King Street. This allowed the Carers Centre to be properly established and the services offered to carers to be expanded.
Following a review of the governance arrangement by the Charity's trustees, a number of amendments to its Constitution were passed at its AGM in 2010, including dropping the word ‘Project’ from its name. This was a prelude to an agreement at the 2011 AGM to seek approval from the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) to change the legal form of the Charity to a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO). This meant establishing a new and separate legal entity, which would replace the existing Charitable Association on the Scottish Charity Register. OSCR approval was secured and on 30 March 2012 the Charitable Association was removed from the Charities Register and formally dissolved on 5 April 2012.
New Beginnings
Helensburgh & Lomond Carers SCIO was entered onto the Scottish Charity Register on 30 March 2012 as a new Charity, albeit with the same Charity number and address as the Charitable Association. The staff, assets, liabilities and, undertakings of Helensburgh & Lomond Carers transferred to the SCIO on 1 April 2012 and it assumed responsibility for all operational activities from that date. These were not the only changes to take effect on 1 April 2012, as that day the Princess Royal Trust for Carers merged with Crossroads Care (England and Wales) to form a new charity called the Carers Trust. The SCIO became a member of the Carers Trust Network.
There were 4 staff posts transferred from the Charitable Association to the SCIO and these included the Manager, Administrative Support Worker and 2 Outreach Support Workers. The SCIO quickly added a Young Carers Development Co-ordinator and a Young Carers Support Worker in April 2012. In February 2013, a Carers Training Co-ordinator and Carer’s Assessment Support Worker joined the team to be followed in June 2013 by a Carers Befriending Service Support Worker. In April 2014 an Education, Training and Employment Worker was recruited to provide support to young adult carers and, in March 2015, an additional Young Carers Support Worker was employed, which brought the staff complement up to 11.
A new staffing structure was introduced on 1 April 2015, which broadened the responsibilities of the Young Carers Development Co-ordinator post to assist the Charity move towards a more integrated model of service delivery and the job title was changed to Carer Services Team Leader. In October of that year funding for the Education, Training and Employment Worker ended and the post was removed from the establishment. This meant that the number of staff employed fell to 10.
In February 2016, the Charity relocated to its current accommodation in Lomond House, which it shares with NHS Highland's Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services and Children 1st. Lomond House not only provides more space and improved facilities, it will also allow staff to work closely with health professionals and open up opportunities for joint working and the development of new services.
Unfortunately, financial restrictions meant that 2 posts dedicated to working with young and young adult carers could not be sustained in 2016/17 and these were removed from the establishment at the end of April 2016. In order to maintain a reduced level of services for younger carers, the Carer Services Team Leader had to take a more operational role in this area of work. As an interim step, until additional resources are secured, the role of one of the part-time Outreach Support Worker posts was widened to support young as well as adult carers.
In July 2016, the Finance and Administration Officer resigned to take up employment elsewhere and the Management Committee decided not to replace the post, but to contract out the processing of the Charity's financial accounts to a Bookkeeper. In December 2016, an Administration and Reception Assistant was recruited. The post is funded under a 12 month work experience programme for young people, run by Community Jobs Scotland. This meant that the staffing structure at 1 April 2017, comprised of 8 posts.
Page
Foreword 1
Reference and Administrative Information 4
PART 1 - TRUSTEES' REPORT
Section 1 – Governance 6
Constitution 6
Charitable Purposes 6
Mission 7
Members 7
Election of Trustees 7
Office Bearers 8
Governance Framework 8
Remits and Terms of Reference 9
Sub-Groups/Working Groups10
Business Planning 10
Monitoring and Measuring Performance 10
Risk Management11
Quality Assurance Accreditation 12
Partnerships 12
The Carers Trust 13
The Argyll & Bute Carers' Network 14
Section 2 – Operational Area 15
Area of Operation15
Population/Demographics16
Section 3 - Carers Profile 17
Carers in Scotland17
Adult and Young Carers in Helensburgh and Lomond18
Transitioning 18
Impact of Caring 18
Adult Carers Register 19
Young Carers Register 19
Section 4 – Staffing and Volunteers 20
Staffing20
Staff Pensions 21
Sessional Workers21
Volunteers21
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Section 5 – Accommodation and Facilities 22
Lomond House 22
Information and Communications Technology 23
Asset Management25
Section 6 - Strategic Priorities 26
Carer Outcomes 26
Preparation of Business Plan 26
Planning Cycle 27
Aims 27
Objectives 27
Performance Indicators for 2016/17 - 2018/19 28
Governance29
Financial29
Organisational30
Operational 31
Evaluation 32
Section 7 – Service Delivery 33
Stages of Caring 33
Carers Centre 33
Information and Advice 34
Newsletters/Website 34 Carers Support Plans 35
Counselling/Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Services 37
Short Breaks 37
Respite Service 37
Holistic Therapies 37
Social Events/Activities 38
Outreach Service 38
Carers Befriending Service 38
Carers Training 39
Young Carers Service 39
Independent Evaluation of Young Carers Initiative 40
Sustaining Service for Young Carers 41
Raising the Profile of the Charity42
Section 8 – Performance 43
Milestones43
Governance 43
Financial 43
Organisational 44
Page
Operational Objectives: Indicators and Targets 47
Objective 1 - Identifying and SupportingAdult Carers47
Objective 2 - Identifying and Supporting Young Carers48
Objective 3 - Mental and Physical Health and Wellbeing of Carers49
Objective 4 - Information, Advice and Training 50
Objective 5 - Carers Rights and Entitlements52
Objective 6 - Carers Recognised and Valued 53
Measuring Progress against the Objectives 54
Evaluating Carer Outcomes55
Carer Outcomes 55
Section 9 – Finance and Funding 56
Preparing the Budget Estimates56
Balances Brought Forward56
Incoming Resources56
Expended Resources57
Fixed Assets58
Closing Balances58
Restricted and Unrestricted Funds58
Reserves58
PART 2 - FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Section 10 – Financial Statements 59
Trustees’ Responsibilities59
Approval of the Annual Report and Financial Statements59
Independent Examiner’s Report60
Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31 March 201761
Balance Sheet as at 31 March 201762
Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2017 63
1
On behalf of the Charity’s Trustees, I am pleased to present our Annual Report and Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2017. Part 1 of the Reportlooks back at the Objectives we set out in our Business Plan for 2016/17 and records the key activities, achievements and developments during that year. Part 2 contains the Financial Statements, which have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in Note 1 to the Accounts and comply with the Charity’s Constitution, the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005, the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended) and the Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) published on 16 July 2014.
In the Forewords to previous Reports, I have described how the downturn in the economic climate in recent years has created complex challenges for the charitable sector, which left the finances of many small to medium sized community based organisations in a fragile state and struggling to survive. Although there were signs of a modest economic recovery during 2016/17, attracting funding did not become any easier, partly because of the continuing constraints on public sector spending andtheflat-lining of the income from charitable giving. Whilst we were not immune to these pressures, they really started to bite into our core at the beginning of 2016. It was clear from the financial outlook for 2016/17 that the Charity would have to operate with fewer resources and a consequent reduction in its overall capacity. In particular, the Trustees knew it would be difficult to sustain services for young carers beyond April 2016, when a 4 year grant from the Big Lottery came to an end. However, whilst it was necessary to make cuts and reduce the number of staff employed, with careful planning and financial support from the Robertson Trust, the Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland and the newly established Argyll & Bute Integrated Joint Board, we were able to make adjustments to the delivery model and maintain all our services throughout 2016/17, albeit most operated at a reduced level.
We hoped these operational constraints would be relatively short-lived, as a potential solution lay on the horizon, in the form of the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016, which received Royal Assent in February 2016. This will introduce new statutory duties in relation to the support offered to both adult and young carers, but these provisions did not come into effect immediately, as regulations and guidance have to be prepared to underpin the Act. Initially, it was understood the new duties would commence on 1 April 2017, which would release additional Scottish Government funding to help meet the costs involved. However, in July 2017 it was announced the start date will be 1 April 2018. Whilst this was disappointing news for the Charity, as it meant the new investment in carer services would not be available in 2017/18, it did allow a longer period for statutory and third sector organisations to gain a better understanding of the implications of the Act and to plan for its implementation.
Within Argyll & Bute, responsibility for ensuring the statutory duties are met rests with the Integrated Joint Board, which oversees the Health and Social Care Partnership. The Board has established a multi-agency Carers Act Planning Group and all the local carer centre managers are members. We have become fully engaged with the planning processes and our Manager, Eileen McCrory, is in regular and ongoing contact with the officers of the Partnership to discuss carers' issues. Eileen also attends meeting of the Helensburgh & Lomond Locality Planning Group, which the Board established as part of its devolved structures, to ensure local needs are reflected in its plans for achieving the National Health and Social Carer Outcomes. The members of the Locality Planning Group have a good understanding of the importance of the roles fulfilled by adult and young carers and it has been particularly helpful in promoting and supporting the work of the Charity. The Trustees have also been encouraged by the efforts made by Christina West, the Chief Officer of the Partnership, to ensure there are positive outcomes for carers when the Act is implemented.
Our Management Committee met on 9 occasions during 2016/17, and the Organisational Review and Finance & Physical Resources Sub-Committees each held 8 meetings. Whilst a diverse range of issues were covered on the respective agendas, the dominant topics discussed were the provisions in the Act and how to secure sufficient funding in the interim to sustain the existing services. This will undoubtedly continue until the implementation plans are finalised anda more sustainable, longer term arrangement for supporting carers across Argyll & Bute is introduced.
A major milestone for the Charity was reached on 20 September 2016, when Lomond House was Officially Opened by Maureen Watt MSP, the Scottish Government Minister for Mental Health. We moved into the new accommodation in February 2016 and are now co-located alongside the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), Children 1st and an outreach worker for the Scottish War Blinded. Our first year in the building was effectively a settling in period, with snagging work being identified and carried out; the re-allocation of rooms and moving of furniture and equipment. This has now settled down and whilst there are some outstanding issues still to be resolved, particularly in relation to the operation of the shared reception desk, these are being tackled jointly by the occupants.
As a member of the Carers Trust Network of Carers Centres, the Charity required to operate to the quality standards specified by the Practical Quality Assurance System for Small Organisations. We were first accredited under this System in 2013 and this had to be renewed in 2016/17. This involved an independent examination and evaluation of our systems, processes and the impact of the support provided to our beneficiaries, carried out independently by an assessor appointed by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations. The assessment was completed in February 2017 and we were successfully reaccredited.
A separate independent evaluation was carried out of our Young Carers Initiative during 2016/17, to review the lessons learned and what had been achieved in the 4 years since services were first introduced in 2012. A Consultant was commissioned to conduct this review and the Report on her findings included a number of plaudits for the Initiative, as illustrated in the following extract:
"Each of the young carers interviewed spoke about the positive impact on their feelings from having been involved in the Initiative. They describedfeeling that they now had their own little support systems through the friendships they had made. That being able to escape and become a child again allowed them to be much more at ease when undertaking their caring duties. Having their own bit of normality seemed to boost mental immunity to the negative thoughts they said they used to experience prior to being involved in the Initiative."
Given the geography of Helensburgh and Lomond, we aim to ensure we identify and support both adult and young carers living in the more rural and remote parts of the area, where access to services can be difficult. Our outreach work is a critical element of this and allows our 2 part-timeOutreach Support Workers and volunteers to raise awareness of the Charity, establish partnership arrangements, identify 'hidden' carers and organise local events and activities. In order to sustain services in 2016/17, it was necessary to broaden the role of one of the Workers to support both adult and young carers. Whilst this adjustmentwas effective, it did reduce the hours committed to outreach work compared to previous years. One of the consequences of this was that the number of new carers identified and registered in 2016/17 is lower than might otherwise have been the case and the Trustees are exploring how this might be improved in 2017/18.
We did see a turnover of staff in 2016/17, which was in part caused by the uncertainty about the longer term sustainability of jobs. However, this presented an opportunity for the Trustees to review the posts of the 2 members of staff who resigned. We decided to change the Job Description and Title of one post to better match current requirements and not to fill a vacancy for a Finance and Administration Officer. Instead we covered the work of the post by other means, including outsourcing our financial processing to a local Bookkeeping Service, which has worked well.
John McLean was recruited as a new Trustee in 2016, but sadly we lost one of our longest serving Trustees when Patricia Hedger, known to all as 'Trish," died after a short illness on 7 November 2016. Trish was my predecessor as Chairperson of the Charity and held the position for 6 years, before continuing as Vice-Chairperson for a further 8 years. No one has contributed more to the work of the Charity than Trish and she was the person everyone turned to for advice when difficulties arose. Her calm and measured approach and wise counsel had a huge influence in the development and direction of the Charity andshe was a great champion for unpaid carers. Trish is greatly missed by her family and friends and all who knew and worked with her.