REGISTERED NUMBER: 04668278 (England and Wales)

REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS AND

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

FOR

THE NATIONAL CARE FORUM

Page

Company Information

1

Report of the Directors

2

Report of the Independent Auditors

5

Income Statement

8

Balance Sheet

9

Notes to the Financial Statements

10

DIRECTORS:

M E H J Espley

A J Cole

D Hayes

O M Goldsworthy

S A Clarke-Kuehn

R Martin

B D James

M J Rix

A L Waller

M K Mills

R E Dodgson

J R Kane

SECRETARY:

V Rayner

REGISTERED OFFICE:

1st Floor

Friars House

Manor House Drive

Coventry

West Midlands

CV1 2TE

REGISTERED NUMBER:

04668278 (England and Wales)

SENIOR STATUTORY AUDITOR:

Gregg Olner MPhil BA(Hons) FCA

AUDITORS:

HB&O Ltd

Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditor

Highdown House

11 Highdown Road

Leamington Spa

Warwickshire

CV31 1XT

The directors present their report with the financial statements of the company for the year ended 31 March 2025.

PRINCIPAL ACTIVITY

The principal activity of the company in the year under review was that of furthering the interests of people in care and the persons providing care in the United Kingdom and to increase the profile and role of its members (who are not for profit organisations in the care sector).

REVIEW OF BUSINESS

The Year in Context

2024/25 has been an extraordinarily busy year for NCF and our membership. The start of the financial year heralded a surprise announcement of a general election to be held in July 2024. This led to several months of intensive activity within NCF and our membership in order to ensure our core themes developed within the membership were presented to all the major parties who were developing their manifesto pledges at pace. Having worked extensively with members, we identified that the five core areas we needed a future government to incorporate were: think social care first when identifying and developing policies; address the inequity in the pay, terms and conditions of care staff; focus on the economic contribution of social care; prioritise people not profit in the delivery of care; and finally, to develop a care covenant that reframes the narrative about care across all communities.

The July election heralded an historic victory for the Labour party, and a new government began, having made a number of explicit commitments with a direct bearing on social care. These included the development of a National Care Service, the introduction of a Fair Pay Agreement to address care workers pay, terms and conditions which was to be brought in alongside a raft of changes to employment rights, a strong focus on social housing and reform to mental health services.

The pace of change since the election has been intense, and NCF have worked with members to respond to a myriad of consultations, speak directly to parliamentarians and ministers, produce detailed briefings and engaged directly with the government to shape policy.

The King's speech in Autumn 2024 heralded over 40 new bills which covered a vast array of additional legislation that will shape the future landscape of social care including bills relating to employment law, local government re-organisation, changes to the shape of ICBs and much more.. The government has not stopped at introducing new legislation, it has also turned its attention to regulation, shaking up the Care Quality Commission through a series of reviews and seeking to abolish NHS England, amongst other radical analysis of the way in which established structures and services operate. The fall out from these changes has a direct impact on NCF members and we have re-directed our work to ensure that members get both the latest information and a meaningful opportunity to have their say.

During the year, the Chief Executive of NCF has carried out several other leading roles in the care sector including Chair of the Global Ageing Network and Chair of the Care Provider Alliance, as well as coordinating a review of the CQC Single Assessment Framework. Whilst carrying out these pivotal roles at a period of such intense national and international change, our team remained focused and resilient. We successfully fulfilled our broader sector responsibilities, consistently placing our members' concerns at the centre of our work and decision-making.

These additional roles indicate the influence that NCF can have both nationally and internationally and they have presented significant opportunities to shape the care sector. Most notably in the UK these have included working with colleagues across all parts of social care, to raise the huge concerns about the impact of unfunded increases in National Insurance on care providers and have been instrumental in informing policy development related to government ambitions for a Fair Pay Agreement for the care sector.

The NCF has been consistent over recent years in our focus on innovation and driving forward digital transformation. There have been a number of major developments during this year that have cemented our position. We have been successful in receiving funding to develop a new learning and development offer centred on the role of Care Technologist from the Rayne Foundation; we have built a strong training portfolio around the delivery of Digital Leadership training; we have offered another successful year of the Care Innovation Challenge - expanding the reach of the challenge into several national care shows; and we have built up a strong partnership with the University of Liverpool to develop and deliver a social care test bed for new technology innovations. These initiatives are important in ensuring that new digital solutions are conceived and designed with those drawing on care and support and the frontline workforce. We have continued our involvement with the Digital Care Hub and the Better Security Better Care Fund and have played an active part in the development of the collaborative cross sector work supporting an ethical framework for the use of generative AI in social care. This collaboration, and our work with the social care test bed in Liverpool are just two examples of how NCF support members to get involved in academic research, and this represents a huge opportunity for members to contribute to primary research across a range of key practice areas including workforce, data and pandemic preparedness.

Representing the views of members is one of our fundamental roles. This year has involved us in looking back as well as planning for the future. The Covid Inquiry dictated the need to dedicate a significant amount of time on submissions and evidence for the Inquiry module focused on the Care Sector in July 2025. In addition, following the announcement of a Commission into social care in January 2025, we have been supporting member engagement in determining what both short term changes are needed, as well as the longer-term reform ambitions to ensure a care sector fit for the future. Through both of these areas we are clearly articulating the role of not-for-profit provision, and the importance of ensuring that the community-based delivery that is the hallmark of our membership is fully understood and valued.

The National Care Forum has continued to hold a significant media profile and presence over the year, led by the Chief Executive who has become a leading spokesperson for the sector. This has shone a light on the many challenges facing those receiving care and support within our membership. Members have noted how valuable it has been to have the voice of not-for-profit care portrayed so strongly within the national and local media.

Our AGM was held virtually on 21 November 2024. As required by our constitution we had changes to our board with a strongly contested election leading to the re-election of Sarah Clarke-Kuehn, Chief Operating Officer of Sanctuary and Dan Hayes, Chief Executive of The Orders of St John Care Trust. In addition, Rachael Dodgson, Chief Executive of Dimensions and Jim Kane, Chief Executive Officer of Community Integrated Care were elected to the board for the first time. At the AGM, Sally Warren, Director General within the Department of Health and Social Care, with responsibility to deliver the government's health missions, explained the three different vehicles that the government envisage will support these plans: primary prevention, the 10 year health plan and the 10 year plan for social care which will define the roadmap to a National Care Service.

DIRECTORS

The directors shown below have held office during the whole of the period from 1 April 2024 to the date of this report.

M E H J Espley

A J Cole

D Hayes

O M Goldsworthy

S A Clarke-Kuehn

R Martin

B D James

M J Rix

A L Waller

M K Mills

Other changes in directors holding office are as follows:

M L Wanstall - resigned 30 September 2024

R K Jones - resigned 22 November 2024

R E Dodgson - appointed 21 November 2024

J R Kane - appointed 21 November 2024

The NCF Memorandum and Articles of Association include provisions to ensure that vacancies on the Board are available for election each year and "three consecutive terms is the maximum continuous period that a member CEO may hold office as a Director." This is intended to balance the need for continuity of governance with adequate representation of the membership and new opportunities.

STATEMENT OF DIRECTORS' RESPONSIBILITIES

The directors are responsible for preparing the Report of the Directors 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 surplus or deficit of the company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the directors are required to:

-	select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

-	make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

-	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 AS TO DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION TO AUDITORS

So far as the directors are aware, there is no relevant audit information (as defined by Section 418 of the Companies Act 2006) of which the company's auditors are unaware, and each director has taken all the steps that he or she 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.

This report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD:

A J Cole - Director

13 October 2025

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of The National Care Forum (the 'company') for the year ended 31 March 2025 which comprise the Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Notes to the Financial Statements, including a summary of 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 company's affairs as at 31 March 2025 and of its surplus 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 Auditors' responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the 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 directors' 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 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 directors with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

Other information

The directors are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information in the Report of the Directors, but does not include the financial statements and our Report of the Auditors thereon.

Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.

In connection with our audit of the financial statements, 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 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.

Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:

-	the information given in the Report of the Directors for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and

-	the Report of the Directors has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the Report of the Directors.

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters where the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

-	adequate accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or

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

-	certain disclosures of directors' remuneration specified by law are not made; or

-	we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit; or

-	the directors were not entitled to prepare the financial statements in accordance with the small companies regime and take advantage of the small companies' exemption from the requirement to prepare a Strategic Report or in preparing the Report of the Directors.

Responsibilities of directors

As explained more fully in the Statement of Directors' Responsibilities set out on page four, the directors 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 directors determine 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 directors are responsible for assessing the 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 directors either intend to liquidate the company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditors' responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

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 a Report of the Auditors 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:

The audit process includes an assessment of the entity's risk environment, through enquiry of and discussion with management, including an assessment of any key laws and regulations with which the company must comply in the ordinary course of its business.

Additionally, the overall risks of irregular transactions occurring are assessed following our observations and confirmation of the design and implementation of management's controls. Whilst we are mindful of these risks, our audit focus is geared towards the risk of material misstatement in the financial statements as a whole.

As such, our procedures cannot guarantee that all transactions have been fully compliant with all relevant laws and regulations, including those regulations relating to fraud, as our procedures are not designed to detect all instances of non-compliance. By definition, the risk of our detection of non-compliance is greater where compliance with a law or regulation is removed from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements. The risk is also greater regarding irregularities due to fraud rather than error, as fraud involves intentional concealment, forgery, collusion, omission or misrepresentation.

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council's website at www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our Report of the Auditors.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the company's members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the company's members those matters we are required to state to them in a Report of the Auditors and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the company and the company's members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Gregg Olner MPhil BA(Hons) FCA (Senior Statutory Auditor)

for and on behalf of HB&O Ltd

Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditor

Highdown House

11 Highdown Road

Leamington Spa

Warwickshire

CV31 1XT

13 October 2025

TURNOVER

1,380,917

1,275,901

Cost of sales

153,245

144,754

GROSS SURPLUS

1,227,672

1,131,147

Administrative expenses

1,187,708

1,105,088

OPERATING SURPLUS

4

39,964

26,059

Interest receivable and similar income

12,529

9,499

SURPLUS BEFORE TAXATION

52,493

35,558

Tax on surplus

2,381

1,964

SURPLUS FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR

50,112

33,594

FIXED ASSETS

Tangible assets

5

419

100

CURRENT ASSETS

Debtors

6

334,430

222,102

Cash at bank

881,460

823,420

1,215,890

1,045,522

CREDITORS

Amounts falling due within one year

7

425,551

304,976

NET CURRENT ASSETS

790,339

740,546

TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES

790,758

740,646

RESERVES

Other reserves

9

400,000

325,000

Income and expenditure account

9

390,758

415,646

790,758

740,646

The 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 Board of Directors and authorised for issue on 13 October 2025 and were signed on its behalf by:

A J Cole - Director

1.	STATUTORY INFORMATION

The National Care Forum is a private company, limited by guarantee , registered in England and Wales. The company's registered number and registered office address can be found on the Company Information page.

2.	ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of preparing the financial statements

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Financial Reporting Standard 102 "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland" including the provisions of Section 1A "Small Entities" and the Companies Act 2006. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention.

The accounts have been prepared in accordance with applicable accounting standards. The principal accounting policies adopted in the preparation of the financial statements are set out below and have remained unchanged from the previous year.

Income

Income is derived from members' subscriptions, sponsorship, conference fees, and grant aided and contract work, net of VAT where appropriate.. Where income is received in advance, an appropriate proportion is deferred and carried over to the subsequent accounting period.

Tangible fixed assets

Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life.

Fixtures & fittings

-

20% on cost

Computer equipment

-

Straight line over 3 years

Financial instruments

Loans and borrowings are initially recognised at the transaction price including transaction costs. Subsequently, they are measured at amortised cost using the effective interest rate method, less impairment.

Debtors and creditors with no stated interest rate and receivable or payable within one year are recorded at transaction price. Any losses arising from impairment are recognised in the income statement.

Taxation

Taxation for the year comprises current and deferred tax. Tax is recognised in the Income Statement, except to the extent that it relates to items recognised in other comprehensive income or directly in equity.

Current or deferred taxation assets and liabilities are not discounted.

Current tax is recognised at the amount of tax payable using the tax rates and laws that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the balance sheet date.

Deferred tax

Deferred tax is recognised in respect of all timing differences that have originated but not reversed at the balance sheet date.

Timing differences arise from the inclusion of income and expenses in tax assessments in periods different from those in which they are recognised in financial statements. Deferred tax is measured using tax rates and laws that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the year end and that are expected to apply to the reversal of the timing difference.

Unrelieved tax losses and other deferred tax assets are recognised only to the extent that it is probable that they will be recovered against the reversal of deferred tax liabilities or other future taxable profits.

Pension costs and other post-retirement benefits

The company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions payable to the company's pension scheme are charged to profit or loss in the period to which they relate.

Lease accounting

Assets obtained under hire purchase contracts or finance leases are capitalised in the balance sheet. Those held under hire purchase contracts are depreciated over their estimated useful lives. Those held under finance leases are depreciated over their estimated useful lives or the lease term, whichever is the shorter.

The interest element of these obligations is charged to profit or loss over the relevant period. The capital element of the future payments is treated as a liability.

Rentals paid under operating leases are charged to profit or loss on a straight line basis over the period of the lease.

3.	EMPLOYEES AND DIRECTORS

The average number of employees during the year was 16 (2024 - 14 ) .

The company distributes an amount of grant activity from its own staff. For the year ended 31 March 2025 this amounted to £37,094 (2024 - £18,289).

4.	OPERATING SURPLUS

The operating surplus is stated after charging:

2025

2024

£

£

Depreciation - owned assets

306

979

Auditors' remuneration

6,000

5,250

5.	TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS

Fixtures

Computer

& fittings

equipment

Totals

£

£

£

COST

At 1 April 2024

270

34,468

34,738

Additions

-

625

625

At 31 March 2025

270

35,093

35,363

DEPRECIATION

At 1 April 2024

270

34,368

34,638

Charge for year

-

306

306

At 31 March 2025

270

34,674

34,944

NET BOOK VALUE

At 31 March 2025

-

419

419

At 31 March 2024

-

100

100

6.

DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR

2025

2024

£

£

Trade debtors

279,308

184,524

Other debtors

55,122

37,578

334,430

222,102

7.

CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR

2025

2024

£

£

Trade creditors

156,319

125,182

Taxation and social security

61,112

42,272

Other creditors

208,120

137,522

425,551

304,976

8.	LEASING AGREEMENTS

Minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases fall due as follows:

2025

2024

£

£

Within one year

22,440

26,927

Between one and five years

-

22,440

22,440

49,367

9.

RESERVES

Income

and

expenditure

Other

account

reserves

Totals

£

£

£

At 1 April 2024

415,646

325,000

740,646

Surplus for the year

50,112

50,112

Reserve transfer

(75,000

)

75,000

-

At 31 March 2025

390,758

400,000

790,758

Other reserves represent amounts set aside to cover future projects and innovation, including our planned work around the Social Care Testbed and the Covid Inquiry. Use of reserves is agreed by the board in line with members priorities in relation to changes in policy or practice.

10.	PENSION COMMITMENTS

The pension charge of £24,622 (2024 - £25,616) represents employer's contributions to the defined contribution scheme. At the year end, there were outstanding employees' and employer's contributions totalling £4,731 (2024 - £6,781).

11.	RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES

The organisation exists to further the interests of its members who are not for profit organisations in the care sector. Accordingly, the income of the organisation is principally derived from the provision of a range of services to its membership. However, as no individual member has overall control, it is not deemed necessary to disclose details of the transactions arising between the company and its members.

12.	CONTROLLING INTERESTS

The directors are considered to be the ultimate controlling parties by virtue of their ability to act in concert in respect of the financial and operating policies of the company.