Charity registration number 1090616
Company registration number 04139974 (England and Wales)
ELMORE COMMUNITY SERVICES
ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
ELMORE COMMUNITY SERVICES
LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Trustees
Ms P Scully
Dr N Wager
Ms V Odlin
Ms B Willis
Ms L Challis
Ms S Morrison
Mr G Kenworthy
(Appointed 30 May 2023)
Mr J McManners
(Appointed 20 May 2023)
Mr N Chapman
(Appointed 20 January 2024)
Charity number
1090616
Company number
04139974
Registered office
213 Barns Road
Oxford
Oxfordshire
OX4 3UT
Auditor
Shaw Gibbs (Audit) Limited
264 Banbury Road
Oxford
OX2 7DY
ELMORE COMMUNITY SERVICES
CONTENTS
Page
Trustees' report
1 - 6
Independent auditor's report
7 - 9
Statement of financial activities
10
Balance sheet
11
Statement of cash flows
12
Notes to the financial statements
13 - 24
ELMORE COMMUNITY SERVICES
TRUSTEES' REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
- 1 -

The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2024.

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the financial statements and comply with the charity's Articles of Association, the Companies Act 2006 and "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) (effective 1 January 2019)".

Objectives and activities

Elmore Community Services is a charity set up in 1989. We provide high quality, flexible services in the community to marginalised and disenfranchised people who would otherwise fall between the gaps in Oxfordshire services due to their multiple and complex needs.

Elmore’s clients are people aged 16+ with multiple and complex needs. Clients will have multiple separate support needs such as mental health issues, homelessness and rough sleeping, substance misuse, offending, difficulty in forming and sustaining relationships, physical disability, self-harm, learning difficulties, domestic abuse, sex working or experience of abuse and neglect. Elmore deals with some of the most complex clients in Oxfordshire. The lives of Elmore clients are typically punctuated by various traumatic events which have led to an inability to process emotions in a conventional fashion.

Crises and escalating difficult behaviours can punctuate people’s lives, and in times of crises, multiple agencies may be contacted by or involved in the life of an Elmore client, often at the same time. These contacts can be multiple as well as simultaneous, and without clearer communication and join-up, they can risk overwhelming agencies and, indeed, an overall system that is not designed for such behaviour.

With such needs, clients do not fit easily into services, can be hard to engage, and often they are not getting the services that they need when they need them. Elmore’s flexible approach seeks to engage with people who may have slipped through the net of mainstream services, and to make a positive and lasting impact on their lives.

Elmore clients typically benefit from longer-term interactions. Initial approaches may be rejected. The Elmore worker will persevere, trying out different tactics to engage the client and building up their trust, possibly for the first time, in an agency. The build-up of trust delivers positive outcomes for the individual and the system in the longer-term, which means work can go at a slower pace. Our impact is a ‘slower-burn’ impact of increased time needed to achieve useful outcomes with clients.

We persistently try to engage people and make all potential avenues for treatment and support open and accessible. It is routinely our distinct role to make sense of the range of agencies that might be able to offer a relevant service, and to support people to access them. We occupy a disproportionately large position in the network of agencies across Oxfordshire to define and arrange support from a range of agencies to meet the needs of our clients.

The trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the charity should undertake.

ELMORE COMMUNITY SERVICES
TRUSTEES' REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) (CONTINUED)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
- 2 -
Achievements and performance

During the financial year 2023/2024 (April 2023 to March 2024 inclusive), Elmore Community Services has supported over 1,100 people across Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire.

Elmore’s work became increasingly embedded across the Thames Valley during this period, with new contracts in Buckinghamshire and Berkshire supporting increasing numbers of clients in these areas.

The Berkshire complex needs project in particular has grown rapidly during the financial year 2023/24 and has had particular success supporting very complex clients leading to an expansion of the current year contract in October 2024.

The Buckinghamshire High Intensity project has seen similar growth to Berkshire and, even though a new project this financial year, has supported over 60 clients. This project also uncovered a need for longer term intervention for some clients leading to the creation of the Buckinghamshire Floating support project which has continued into financial year 2024/2025 and is already showing steady growth.

Work in Oxfordshire expanded to cover additional defined roles such as Dual Diagnosis workers. Additionally, the role of South Asian Support Worker was created in Buckinghamshire to focus on a group of people who are all too often disenfranchised and hard to engage. These roles will facilitate access to mental health support and other relevant services (including domestic violence, benefits and housing, amongst others).

A net increase of 11 staff was needed to cover this increased workload and specific training was provided to create the skillsets required to deliver the diverse and increasingly complex services Elmore is able to offer.

Elmore’s longstanding connection with the Oxfordshire Mental Health Partnership (OMHP) continued, with the start of a two-year contract extension. Work within the OMHP has already started to develop services beyond the end of FY25 and is key to facilitating Elmore’s work throughout Oxfordshire.

Elmore has also been working with commissioners to extend Elmore’s current Domestic Abuse service to increase provision for victim/survivors and perpetrators for individuals engaged under children’s social care, with additional trauma informed interventions being provided as part of this and a significant expansion of this service in 2024/2025.

Internally, some new roles were developed to cope with the increased demands of our expanded teams including a new Head of HR and a new Administration team providing essential back-office support. Our financial function was also strengthened during the year with improved processes saving both time and money on the financial running of the organisation.

Our ability to take advantage of recent innovations in technology and automation, data capture and analysis, have made reporting our KPIs quicker and more accurate. Elmore has also made significant steps forward in terms of data security, including multi-factor authentication for client data and auditing all our data systems. This work continues at pace in this financial year, leading to increased data security and a significant reduction in the risk of data loss.


ELMORE COMMUNITY SERVICES
TRUSTEES' REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) (CONTINUED)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
- 3 -
Financial review

This part of the report supports the audited Accounts of Elmore for the 12-month period to 31st March 2024 and provides more commentary on the statements contained in them. The Accounts conform to statutory requirements and this report is intended to provide further interpretation and explanation.

Income and Expenditure

Elmore finished the year with a with a net loss, expenditure higher than income, of £137k. This means that the charity is drawing on some of its historic reserves (its buffer) to bridge the gap. This is a reasonable financial strategy, in the short term, to manage uncertainty, address cost pressures and allow for investment. However, it is not sustainable in the medium term. The cause of the 2023/24 loss is that Elmore’s income from its commissioners is not keeping pace with the increased inflationary pressures, particularly around staff salaries, that have been seen across the country.

Elmore works with vulnerable people and needs to ensure continuity in service provision to help safeguard them from hardship and uncertainty. Management efforts are underway to ensure an improvement in Elmore’s financial position, targeting long-term viability by increasing and diversifying its sources of income.

The charity’s income for this year was £2.265m, a decrease of £18k on the prior year (2022-23, £2.283m).

Almost all of Elmore’s income, £2.251m (99.4%) comes from commissioners of our services. These commissioners are the NHS and Local Authorities. Page 16 of the accounts sets these out.

Elmore’s expenditure for the year was £2.454m, an increase of £93k (4%) on the previous year. Of this there was an increase of £86k in our ‘direct’ costs, from £1.992m in 2022/23 to £2.078m in 2023/24. Direct costs are those that are incurred in delivery of the charity objectives and the services for clients provided under our contracts. Note that headcount increased from 56 to 67 in the year with a corresponding increase in costs from £1.937m in 2022/2023 to £2.066m in 2023/2024 which accounts for most of the increase in direct costs.

Client support costs (another direct cost) decreased from £100k in 2022/23 to £71k in 2023/24.

Support and governance costs (non-direct) showed a small increase of £7k from £365k in 2022/23 to £372k in 2023/24.

The charity holds a proportion of its (unrestricted) reserves in investment. In 2023/24 the income (interest) from investments was £8,718 with £3,654 spent on investment management. There was an upwards revaluation of the investment assets at year-end leading to a £51k gain. The performance of the investment and value for money will be the subject of review by Trustees.

ELMORE COMMUNITY SERVICES
TRUSTEES' REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) (CONTINUED)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
- 4 -

Financial review (continued)

Balance Sheet

Elmore finished the year with £634k of fixed assets, the majority of which are its investment assets. These totalled £612k at the end of the year, an increase on the value in the previous year of £563k. This reflects an upwards revaluation of these assets of £51k (note 14). This has then impacted on the Income and Expenditure position as set out above.

The value of the charity’s tangible (those that can be seen and touched) fixed assets reduced in year to £22k (from £23k) as those items were depreciated (their residual value reducing over time as they are used).

The money owed to the charity (debtors) reduced from £346k in 2022/23 to £200k in this year as more contract income from commissioners was received promptly.

In addition to its investment asset, the charity also holds a significant cash balance of £846k, a decrease of £205k on last year’s cash balance of £1.051m.

There has been a significant fall in the value owed by the charity to its creditors from £430k in 2022/23 to £264k in this year. The majority of this (£102k) is the use (in 2023/24) of funding received in the previous year but intended to be spent in the current year. This is called deferred income and is treated as ‘owed’ from one year to the next or back to the commissioner if not used. The accounts show that the charity reflected it in the correct accounting year and used it as intended.

The charity had reserves at the year-end 31 March 2024 of £1.415m. This constitutes a reduction from £1.553m at the year-end 31 March 2023. This reflects the in-year loss in Income and Expenditure. The value of reserves (including cash) is such that it can manage such adverse performance in the short term. Reserves have been increased significantly from £679k as at the year-end 31 March 2020.

The Board of Trustees reviews the level of reserves of the charity on a regular basis, ensuring the provision is in line with the guidance issued by the Charity Commission and is sufficient to safeguard the core services for as long as possible through periods of risk or uncertainty.

Plans for future periods

As in recent years, Elmore seeks to renew existing contracts, secure new services, extend existing ones and successfully implement new services. In particular we are:

Structure, governance and management

Elmore Community Services (Elmore) is a charitable company registered in England that is limited by guarantee and governed by its Articles of Association, which were last updated in March 2016. The company was incorporated on 11 January 2001 (number 04139974) and registered as a charity on 15 February 2002 (number 1090616).

The principal office and registered office of the charity is 213 Barnes Road, Cowley, OX4 3UT.

The following persons served as Directors throughout the year unless otherwise stated below. They are also Trustees under charity law and have a beneficial interest in the charitable company.

 

 

ELMORE COMMUNITY SERVICES
TRUSTEES' REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) (CONTINUED)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
- 5 -

The Trustees guarantee to contribute an amount not exceeding £1 to the assets of the charitable company in the event of winding-up.

Ms P Scully
Dr D Louw
(Resigned 15 December 2023)
Ms E Jones
(Resigned 15 December 2023)
Dr N Wager
Mr L Bowles
(Resigned 24 September 2024)
Mr C Nolan
(Resigned 26 March 2024)
Ms V Odlin
Ms B Willis
Ms L Challis
Mr M Rowley
(Resigned 16 April 2024)
Ms S Morrison
Mr G Kenworthy
(Appointed 30 May 2023)
Mr J McManners
(Appointed 20 May 2023)
Mr N Chapman
(Appointed 20 January 2024)

Elmore’s governance is the responsibility of the Trustees and the sole Members of the company. The terms of the Articles of Association specify a minimum of three Trustees and no maximum, though we aim for 8-12 Trustees to be an effective working group while also providing sufficient capacity, diversity, skills and knowledge.

The Board of Trustees has traditionally met six times per year (regular quarterly meetings plus two strategy meetings) and there is a Finance Subcommittee and Quality Subcommittee which meets in between the quarterly meetings.

Other working groups take place as required, focusing on topics such as Reducing Elmore’s Floating Support Waiting List or other specific work to be undertaken with the support of Trustees.

Authority from the Trustees is delegated to a Chief Executive who is also the company secretary and is responsible for the day to day running of the charitable company. In 2023-24, the Chief Executive was Tom Hayes, in his fourth year in the role, and the charity has been supported operationally by three Service Managers, fifteen Team Managers, and an Administration Team, which together co-ordinate the 51 multiple needs workers who undertake the direct charitable activities.

ELMORE COMMUNITY SERVICES
TRUSTEES' REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) (CONTINUED)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
- 6 -
Statement of trustees' responsibilities

The trustees, who are also the directors of Elmore Community Services for the purpose 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 trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that year.

 

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 Charities SORP;

 

- make judgements and 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; and

 

- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.

 

The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that 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 assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Auditor

The auditor, Shaw Gibbs (Audit) Limited, is deemed to be reappointed under section 487(2) of the Companies Act 2006.

Disclosure of information to auditor

Each of the trustees has confirmed that there is no information of which they are aware which is relevant to the audit, but of which the auditor is unaware. They have further confirmed that they have taken appropriate steps to identify such relevant information and to establish that the auditor is aware of such information.

The trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.

Mr N Chapman
Trustee
6 January 2025
ELMORE COMMUNITY SERVICES
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT
TO THE TRUSTEES OF ELMORE COMMUNITY SERVICES
- 7 -

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of Elmore Community Services (the ‘charity’) for the year ended 31 March 2024 which comprise the statement of financial activities, the balance sheet, the statement of cash flows and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

In our opinion, the financial statements:

-

give a true and fair view of the state of the charitable company's affairs as at 31 March 2024 and of its incoming resources and application of resources, for the year then ended;

-
have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and
-

have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charitable company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Conclusions relating to going concern

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.

 

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charitable company’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

 

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

Other information

The other information comprises the information included in the annual report other than the financial statements and our auditor's report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.

 

We have nothing to report in this regard.

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 require us to report to you if, in our opinion:

-

the information given in the financial statements is inconsistent in any material respect with the trustees' report; or

-

sufficient accounting records have not been kept; or

-

the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records; or

-

we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.

ELMORE COMMUNITY SERVICES
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT (CONTINUED)
TO THE TRUSTEES OF ELMORE COMMUNITY SERVICES
- 8 -
Responsibilities of trustees

As explained more fully in the statement of trustees' responsibilities, the trustees, who are also the directors of the charitable company for the purpose of company law, are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charitable company’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

We have been appointed as auditor under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 and report in accordance with the Act and relevant regulations made or having effect thereunder.

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, is detailed below.

 

  1. Reviewing the controls set in place by the trustees;

     

  2. Making enquiries of the trustees as to whether they consider fraud or other irregularity may have taken place, or where such opportunity might exist;

     

  3. Challenging the trustees’ assumptions with regard to accounting estimates;

     

  4. Identifying and testing journal entries, particularly those which appear to be unusual by size or nature.

Because of the inherent limitations of an audit, there is a risk that we will not detect all irregularities, including those leading to a material misstatement in the financial statements or non-compliance with regulation. This risk increases the more that compliance with a law or regulation is removed from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, as we will be less likely to become aware of instances of non-compliance. The risk is also greater regarding irregularities occurring due to fraud rather than error, as fraud involves intentional concealment, forgery, collusion, omission or misrepresentation.

A further description of our responsibilities is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: https://www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor's report.

ELMORE COMMUNITY SERVICES
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT (CONTINUED)
TO THE TRUSTEES OF ELMORE COMMUNITY SERVICES
- 9 -

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the charitable company's trustees as a body, in accordance with Part 4 of the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charitable company's trustees those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor's report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charitable company and the charitable company's trustees as a body, for our audit work, for this report or for the opinions we have formed.

Samantha Daniels (Senior Statutory Auditor)
for and on behalf of Shaw Gibbs (Audit) Limited
7 January 2025
Chartered Certified Accountants
Statutory Auditor
264 Banbury Road
Oxford
OX2 7DY

 

ELMORE COMMUNITY SERVICES
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES
INCLUDING INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
- 10 -
Unrestricted
Restricted
Total
Unrestricted
Restricted
Total
funds
funds
funds
funds
2024
2024
2024
2023
2023
2023
Notes
£
£
£
£
£
£
Income from:
Donations and gifts
3
5,708
-
5,708
38
-
38
Charitable activities
4
1,584,068
667,041
2,251,109
1,415,120
865,652
2,280,772
Investments
5
8,718
-
8,718
2,806
-
2,806
Total income
1,598,494
667,041
2,265,535
1,417,964
865,652
2,283,616
Expenditure on:
Raising funds
6
3,654
-
3,654
3,802
-
3,802
Charitable activities
7
1,798,345
652,631
2,450,976
1,307,068
1,050,356
2,357,424
Total expenditure
1,801,999
652,631
2,454,630
1,310,870
1,050,356
2,361,226
Net gains/(losses) on investments
12
51,258
-
51,258
(50,576)
-
(50,576)
Net income/(expenditure)
(152,247)
14,410
(137,837)
56,518
(184,704)
(128,186)
Transfers between funds
(12,757)
12,757
-
(17,510)
17,510
-
Net movement in funds
9
(165,004)
27,167
(137,837)
39,008
(167,194)
(128,186)
Reconciliation of funds:
Fund balances at 1 April 2023
1,149,495
403,581
1,553,076
1,110,486
570,776
1,681,262
Fund balances at 31 March 2024
984,491
430,748
1,415,239
1,149,494
403,582
1,553,076

The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.

ELMORE COMMUNITY SERVICES
BALANCE SHEET
AS AT
31 MARCH 2024
31 March 2024
- 11 -
2024
2023
Notes
£
£
£
£
Fixed assets
Tangible assets
14
22,039
22,643
Investments
15
612,125
563,701
634,164
586,344
Current assets
Debtors
16
199,763
345,780
Cash at bank and in hand
845,755
1,051,190
1,045,518
1,396,970
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
17
264,443
430,238
Net current assets
781,075
966,732
Total assets less current liabilities
1,415,239
1,553,076
The funds of the charity
Restricted income funds
20
430,748
403,582
Unrestricted funds
984,491
1,149,494
1,415,239
1,553,076

The company is entitled to the exemption from the audit requirement contained in section 477 of the Companies Act 2006, for the year ended 31 March 2024, although an audit has been carried out under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011.

The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 with respect to accounting records and the preparation of financial statements.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.

The financial statements were approved by the trustees on 6 January 2025
Mr N  Chapman
Trustee
Company registration number 04139974 (England and Wales)
ELMORE COMMUNITY SERVICES
STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
- 12 -
2024
2023
Notes
£
£
£
£
Cash flows from operating activities
Cash absorbed by operations
25
(202,484)
(579)
Investing activities
Purchase of tangible fixed assets
(10,848)
(6,346)
Investment income received
7,897
2,466
Net cash used in investing activities
(2,951)
(3,880)
Net cash used in financing activities
-
-
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents
(205,435)
(4,459)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year
1,051,190
1,055,649
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year
845,755
1,051,190
ELMORE COMMUNITY SERVICES
NOTES TO THE  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
- 13 -
1
Accounting policies
Charity information

Elmore Community Services is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is 213 Barns Road, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 3UT.

1.1
Accounting convention

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity's governing document, the Companies Act 2006 and "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) (effective 1 January 2019)". The charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.

The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention, modified to include certain financial instruments at fair value. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.

1.2
Going concern

At the time of approving the financial statements, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.

1.3
Charitable funds

Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of their charitable objectives.

Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors or grantors as to how they may be used. The purposes and uses of the restricted funds are set out in the notes to the financial statements.

1.4
Income

All monetary donations are included in full in the statement of financial activities when receivable, provided that there are no donor-imposed restrictions as to the timing or the related expenditure, in which case recognition is deferred until the pre-condition is met.

Revenue grants are credited as incoming resources when they are receivable, provided conditions for receipt have been complied with, unless they relate to a specified future period, in which case they are deferred.

Investment income is accounted for in the period in which the charity is entitled to receipt of the income.

1.5
Expenditure

Expenditure, which is charged on an accruals basis, is allocated between:

ELMORE COMMUNITY SERVICES
NOTES TO THE  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
1
Accounting policies
(Continued)
- 14 -
1.6
Tangible fixed assets

Tangible fixed assets are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost or valuation, net of depreciation and any impairment losses.

Depreciation is recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases:

Fixtures and fittings
25% straight line
Computers
25% straight line

The gain or loss arising on the disposal of an asset is determined as the difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying value of the asset, and is recognised in the statement of financial activities.

1.7
Fixed asset investments

Fixed asset investments are initially measured at transaction price excluding transaction costs, and are subsequently measured at fair value at each reporting date. Changes in fair value are recognised in net income/(expenditure) for the year. Transaction costs are expensed as incurred.

1.8
Impairment of fixed assets

At each reporting end date, the charity reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss (if any).

1.9
Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.

1.10
Financial instruments

The charity has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instruments Issues’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.

 

Financial instruments are recognised in the charity's balance sheet when the charity becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.

 

Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.

Basic financial assets

Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.

ELMORE COMMUNITY SERVICES
NOTES TO THE  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
1
Accounting policies
(Continued)
- 15 -
Basic financial liabilities

Basic financial liabilities, including creditors and bank loans are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.

 

Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.

 

Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of operations from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.

Derecognition of financial liabilities

Financial liabilities are derecognised when the charity’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.

1.11
Employee benefits

The cost of any unused holiday entitlement is recognised in the period in which the employee’s services are received.

 

Termination benefits are recognised immediately as an expense when the charity is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.

1.12
Retirement benefits

Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due.

1.13
Leases

Rentals payable under operating leases, including any lease incentives received, are charged as an expense on a straight line basis over the term of the relevant lease.

2
Critical accounting estimates and judgements

In the application of the charity’s accounting policies, the trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

 

The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.

3
Income from donations
Unrestricted
Unrestricted
funds
funds
2024
2023
£
£
Donations and gifts
5,708
38
ELMORE COMMUNITY SERVICES
NOTES TO THE  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
- 16 -
4
Charitable activities

Support

Support

2024
2023
£
£
Performance related grants
2,251,109
2,280,772
Analysis by fund
Unrestricted funds - general
1,584,068
1,415,120
Restricted funds
667,041
865,652
2,251,109
2,280,772
Performance related grants
Oxford City Council - Tenancy sustainment
17,815
35,630
Oxfordshire County Council - New Beginnings
111,252
125,000
Oxfordshire Mental Health Partnership
1,766,814
741,572
Oxfordshire County Council- FSP DA
326,250
455,004
Oxfordshire Mind - FSP MH
-
109,778
Other
28,978
813,788
2,251,109
2,280,772
5
Income from investments
Unrestricted
Unrestricted
funds
funds
2024
2023
£
£
Income from listed investments
821
340
Interest receivable
7,897
2,466
8,718
2,806
6
Expenditure on raising funds
Unrestricted
Unrestricted
funds
funds
2024
2023
£
£
Investment management
3,654
3,802
ELMORE COMMUNITY SERVICES
NOTES TO THE  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
- 17 -
7
Expenditure on charitable activities
Charitable expenditure
Charitable expenditure
2024
2023
£
£
Direct costs
Staff costs
1,968,805
1,843,576

Client welfare

10,706
24,194

Client support

71,514
100,767

Office costs

27,939
23,610
2,078,964
1,992,147
Share of support and governance costs (see note 8)
Support
341,666
340,024
Governance
30,346
25,253
2,450,976
2,357,424
Analysis by fund
Unrestricted funds
1,798,345
1,307,068
Restricted funds
652,631
1,050,356
2,450,976
2,357,424
8
Support costs allocated to activities
2024
2023
£
£
Staff costs
84,774
81,721
Depreciation
11,452
13,449
Insurance
15,003
11,519
Office costs
230,437
233,335
Governance costs
30,346
25,253
372,012
365,277
Analysed between:
Charitable expenditure
372,012
365,277
2024
2023
Governance costs comprise:
£
£
Staff costs
12,175
11,269
Audit fees
14,640
9,810
Share of support costs
3,531
4,174
30,346
25,253
ELMORE COMMUNITY SERVICES
NOTES TO THE  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
- 18 -
9
Net movement in funds
2024
2023
£
£
The net movement in funds is stated after charging/(crediting):
Fees payable for the audit of the charity's financial statements
14,640
9,810
Depreciation of owned tangible fixed assets
11,452
13,448
10
Trustees

None of the trustees (or any persons connected with them) received any remuneration or benefits from the charity during the year.

 

11
Employees

The average monthly number of employees during the year was:

2024
2023
Number
Number
CEO
1
1
Team Managers
15
15
Multiple needs workers
51
40
Total
67
56
Employment costs
2024
2023
£
£
Wages and salaries
1,814,704
1,707,588
Social security costs
170,356
162,860
Other pension costs
80,694
66,118
2,065,754
1,936,566
The number of employees whose annual remuneration was more than £60,000 is as follows:
2024
2023
Number
Number
£60,000 to £70,000
1
1
Remuneration of key management personnel

The remuneration of key management personnel was as follows:

2024
2023
£
£
Aggregate compensation
64,527
60,764
ELMORE COMMUNITY SERVICES
NOTES TO THE  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
- 19 -
12
Gains and losses on investments
Unrestricted
Unrestricted
funds
funds
2024
2023
Gains/(losses) arising on:
£
£
Revaluation of investments
51,258
(50,576)
13
Taxation

The charity is exempt from taxation on its activities because all its income is applied for charitable purposes.

14
Tangible fixed assets
Fixtures and fittings
Computers
Total
£
£
£
Cost
At 1 April 2023
55,106
42,709
97,815
Additions
2,490
8,358
10,848
At 31 March 2024
57,596
51,067
108,663
Depreciation and impairment
At 1 April 2023
48,823
26,349
75,172
Depreciation charged in the year
3,802
7,650
11,452
At 31 March 2024
52,625
33,999
86,624
Carrying amount
At 31 March 2024
4,971
17,068
22,039
At 31 March 2023
6,283
16,360
22,643
ELMORE COMMUNITY SERVICES
NOTES TO THE  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
- 20 -
15
Fixed asset investments
Listed investments
£
Cost or valuation
At 1 April 2023
563,701
Valuation changes
51,258
Management fees
(3,654)
Dividend income reinvested
820
At 31 March 2024
612,125
Carrying amount
At 31 March 2024
612,125
At 31 March 2023
563,701
16
Debtors
2024
2023
Amounts falling due within one year:
£
£
Trade debtors
57,332
317,522
Other debtors
2,649
-
Prepayments and accrued income
139,782
28,258
199,763
345,780
17
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
2024
2023
Notes
£
£
Other taxation and social security
37,497
34,230
Deferred income
18
159,518
261,384
Trade creditors
20,064
81,028
Other creditors
5,672
12,623
Accruals
41,692
40,973
264,443
430,238
18
Deferred income
2024
2023
£
£
Arising from grant contracts
159,518
261,384

Deferred income is included in the financial statements as follows:

ELMORE COMMUNITY SERVICES
NOTES TO THE  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
18
Deferred income
(Continued)
- 21 -
2024
2023
£
£
Deferred income is included within:
Current liabilities
159,518
261,384
Movements in the year:
Deferred income at 1 April 2023
261,384
721,802
Released from previous periods
(261,384)
(721,802)
Resources deferred in the year
159,518
261,384
Deferred income at 31 March 2024
159,518
261,384
19
Retirement benefit schemes
2024
2023
Defined contribution schemes
£
£
Charge to profit or loss in respect of defined contribution schemes
80,694
66,118

The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the charity in an independently administered fund.

20
Restricted funds

The restricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants held on trust subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used.

At 1 April 2023
Incoming resources
Resources expended
Transfers
At 31 March 2024
£
£
£
£
£
Oxford City Council - Tenancy sustainment
3,306
17,815
(33,878)
12,757
-
Oxfordshire City Council - New Beginnings
26,284
111,252
(80,624)
-
56,912
Covid Outbreak Management Fund (COMF)
40,305
-
(360)
-
39,945
Oxfordshire County Council - FSP DA
261,121
326,251
(341,630)
-
245,742
Police and Crime Commission
3,950
-
-
-
3,950
OUH NHS Foundation Trust - HIU Project
58,840
170,346
(146,374)
-
82,812
Safe Haven OSH
9,775
41,377
(49,765)
-
1,387
403,581
667,041
(652,631)
12,757
430,748
ELMORE COMMUNITY SERVICES
NOTES TO THE  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
20
Restricted funds
(Continued)
- 22 -
Previous year:
At 1 April 2022
Incoming resources
Resources expended
Transfers
At 31 March 2023
£
£
£
£
£
Oxford City Council - Tenancy sustainment
-
35,630
(32,324)
-
3,306
Oxfordshire City Council - New Beginnings
-
125,000
(98,716)
-
26,284
Oxfordshire County Council - FSP DA
239,410
455,004
(433,293)
-
261,121
Oxfordshire Mind - FSP MH
-
109,778
(127,288)
17,510
-
Police and Crime Commission
3,950
-
-
-
3,950
OUH NHS Foundation Trust - HIU Project
28,892
98,862
(68,913)
-
58,841
Covid Outbreak Management Fund (COMF)
277,835
-
(237,530)
-
40,305
Safe Haven OSH
20,689
41,378
(52,292)
-
9,775
570,776
865,652
(1,050,356)
17,510
403,582

I

21
Unrestricted funds

The unrestricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants which are not subject to specific conditions by donors and grantors as to how they may be used. These include designated funds which have been set aside out of unrestricted funds by the trustees for specific purposes.

At 1 April 2023
Incoming resources
Resources expended
Transfers
Gains and losses
At 31 March 2024
£
£
£
£
£
£
General funds
1,149,495
1,598,494
(1,801,999)
(12,757)
51,258
984,491
Previous year:
At 1 April 2022
Incoming resources
Resources expended
Transfers
Gains and losses
At 31 March 2023
£
£
£
£
£
£
General funds
1,110,486
1,417,964
(1,310,870)
(17,510)
(50,576)
1,149,494
ELMORE COMMUNITY SERVICES
NOTES TO THE  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
- 23 -
22
Analysis of net assets between funds
Unrestricted
Restricted
Total
funds
funds
2024
2024
2024
£
£
£
At 31 March 2024:
Tangible assets
22,039
-
22,039
Investments
612,125
-
612,125
Current assets/(liabilities)
350,327
430,748
781,075
984,491
430,748
1,415,239
Unrestricted
Restricted
Total
funds
funds
2023
2023
2023
£
£
£
At 31 March 2023:
Tangible assets
22,643
-
22,643
Investments
563,701
-
563,701
Current assets/(liabilities)
563,150
403,582
966,732
1,149,494
403,582
1,553,076

I

23
Operating lease commitments
Lessee

At the reporting end date the charity had outstanding commitments for future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases:

2024
2023
£
£
Within one year
28,000
5,891
Between two and five years
39,667
-
67,667
5,891
24
Related party transactions

There were no disclosable related party transactions during the year (2023 - none).

ELMORE COMMUNITY SERVICES
NOTES TO THE  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
- 24 -
25
Cash generated from operations
2024
2023
£
£
Deficit for the year
(137,837)
(128,186)
Adjustments for:
Investment income recognised in statement of financial activities
(8,718)
(2,806)
Fair value gains and losses on investments
(51,258)
50,576
Investment management fees
3,654
3,802
Depreciation and impairment of tangible fixed assets
11,452
13,449
Movements in working capital:
Decrease in debtors
146,017
458,563
(Decrease)/increase in creditors
(63,928)
64,441
(Decrease) in deferred income
(101,866)
(460,418)
Cash absorbed by operations
(202,484)
(579)
26
Analysis of changes in net funds

The charity had no material debt during the year.

2024-03-312023-04-01falsefalseCCH SoftwareiXBRL Review & Tag 2024.2041399742023-04-012024-03-3104139974bus:Director12023-04-012024-03-3104139974bus:Director42023-04-012024-03-3104139974bus:Director72023-04-012024-03-3104139974bus:Director82023-04-012024-03-3104139974bus:Director92023-04-012024-03-3104139974bus:Director112023-04-012024-03-3104139974bus:Director122023-04-012024-03-3104139974bus:Director132023-04-012024-03-3104139974bus:Director142023-04-012024-03-3104139974bus:Director22023-04-012024-03-3104139974bus:Director32023-04-012024-03-3104139974bus:Director52023-04-012024-03-3104139974bus:Director62023-04-012024-03-3104139974bus:Director102023-04-012024-03-31041399742024-03-31041399742023-03-31041399742022-04-012023-03-3104139974bus:FRS1022023-04-012024-03-3104139974bus:Audited2023-04-012024-03-3104139974bus:FullAccounts2023-04-012024-03-31xbrli:purexbrli:sharesiso4217:GBP