It is with great pride and a sense of responsibility that I present the Trustee Report for Your Voice in Health and Social Care (YVHSC) for the year 2024/2025.
This year has been one of significant transformation and strategic realignment for our organisation. In the face of continued pressures across the health and social care sectors—including funding reductions, shifting commissioning priorities, and increased demand for efficiency—YVHSC has responded with resilience, innovation, and a clear focus on sustainability.
We have undertaken a comprehensive review of our operations, governance, and strategic direction. This has included a restructuring of our directorates, a renewed focus on securing larger, more sustainable contracts, and a commitment to reducing overheads while maintaining the high quality of service delivery that our communities expect and deserve.
Our success in securing the Hillingdon Healthwatch contract, the largest in our portfolio to date, is a testament to the strength of our vision and the dedication of our staff. At the same time, we have continued to invest in digital infrastructure, volunteer development, and data insight—ensuring that we remain agile, evidence-led, and responsive to the needs of those we serve.
I would like to extend my sincere thanks to our staff, volunteers, partners, and fellow trustees for their unwavering commitment during this period of change. Together, we are building a stronger, more sustainable YVHSC—one that is well-positioned to champion the voices of patients, carers, and communities for years to come.
We look forward to the year ahead with confidence, clarity, and a renewed sense of purpose.
The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025.
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 charitable company'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 Trustees' Report and financial statements include the results for the charity and its wholly owned subsidiary, Carers Lewisham.
Since the group and the charitable company qualify as small under section 383 of the Companies Act 2006, the Group Strategic Report required of medium and large companies under the Companies Act 2006 (Strategic Report and Directors' Report) Regulations 2013 has been omitted.
The objects of the charity (the "Objects") are:-
The advancement of health and the relief of those in need by reason of youth, age, ill-health, disability or financial hardship by:
a) Providing information and advice to the general public about local health and social care services;
b) Making the views and experiences of members of the general public known to health and social care providers;
c) Enabling local people to have a voice in the development, delivery and equality of access to local health and care services and facilities; and
d) Providing training and the development of skills for volunteers and the wider community in understanding, scrutinizing, reviewing and monitoring local health and care services and facilities.
In setting these objectives, the Trustees have had due regard to public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission, in accordance with their duty under section 17 of the Charities Act 2011.
Activities Undertaken
The charity has now been established and funded for eleven full years. During 2024/25 the charity continued to successfully deliver services by:
1) Engaging with the views of people about their needs and experience of local care services;
2) Continuing to manage YVHSC as an effective operation;
3) Scrutinising local care services;
4) Ensuring the promotion of continuous improvement of health and social care services;
5) Making the views of residents and their experience of care known to Healthwatch England and the Care Quality Commission (CWC);
6) Ensuring the care services meet the long-term care needs of the people of London and reduce inequalities in care;
7) Supporting the needs of carers, promoting wellbeing, information, advice and signposting to carers and the cared for;
8) Supporting families and carers of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) to access education and social care support; and
9) Promoting and providing opportunities for volunteers, inters and work placement students with a view to increasing employability and providing skills and training required for the workplace.
Achievements and performance
Strategic and Organisational Review
During the 2024/25 financial year, YVHSC undertook a comprehensive review and restructuring of all Directorates across the organisation. This was in direct response to significant changes in the health and social care landscape, including reductions in funding, efficiency drives across local authority and healthcare budgets, and evolving strategies for patient representation.
A strategic shift was implemented to prioritise the pursuit of larger, more sustainable contracts over smaller ones that place a disproportionate burden on central resources. As a result, contracts that do not meet a minimum contribution threshold will no longer be pursued or retained.
Service Expansion and Carers Support
YVHSC continued to expand its Carers Hub provision through:
Sport England funding for short breaks,
Warm hub funding to support vulnerable individuals,
Grant programmes targeting older carers, and
Increased integration with national carers network initiatives.
These developments reflect YVHSC’s commitment to enhancing support for carers through diverse and sustainable funding streams.
Contract Management and Retention
The organisation successfully secured contract extensions in Lewisham, Bromley, and Ealing, and conducted a thorough review of all contracts to identify cost savings and ensure high-quality, efficient service delivery.
Major Contract Acquisition
YVHSC secured the Hillingdon Healthwatch contract, the largest in its portfolio, valued at £155,000 over an eight-year term. This contract is co-located with other YVHSC services and aligns with the organisation’s strategic focus on securing larger, long-term contracts that offer financial stability and operational synergy.
Digital Infrastructure and Data Insight
Investment continued in the development of an in-house digital feedback platform and the recruitment of a YVHSC Evidence and Insight Manager. This initiative has significantly reduced reliance on outsourced digital services and enhanced internal capacity for data analysis across Healthwatch, SEND, and Carers services.
Volunteer Hub Development
The YVHSC Volunteer Hub has expanded to provide placements and support across the organisation, including Carers Lewisham. The hub now offers:
Training opportunities,
Careers advice through employment and college fairs,
Enhanced social value contributions, and
Reduced reliance on external recruitment and interim staffing.
Specialist Advisory Work
YVHSC has continued to provide expert advice in key areas to promote the patient voice, including:
Safeguarding
Mental health
Sexual health
These contributions have strengthened the organisation’s role as a trusted advisor in health and social care.
Governance and Operational Efficiency
A full strategic and Board-level review was completed to reduce overheads, identify efficiencies, and eliminate surplus expenditure. Key outcomes included:
Restructuring of central and corporate services,
Reduction in physical office locations and associated costs,
Relocation of the Head Office, and
A comprehensive review of all staff roles to maximise impact and broaden skill coverage across the organisation.
In 2024/25, YVHSC undertook a strategic review to ensure the long-term sustainability of the organisation. This included a focus on reducing expenditure and growing reserves in response to financial challenges experienced in the previous year.
The business development strategy has been revised to prioritise the acquisition of larger, more secure contracts, while minimising engagement with smaller contracts that require disproportionate central resource allocation. A minimum central cost contribution threshold has been established and will be maintained across the organisation for the next three years.
The Trustees consider that the maximum level of reserves should be approximately three months of total recurring expenditure, equating to £350,381 in 2025 (2024 - £327,525). As part of the organisation's financial review and restructure YVSHC will be seeking to increase reserves to 6 months of total recurring expenditure. In line with Charity Commission recommendations, we will focus on making provisions for unrestricted reserves and ensuring the levels adequate to ensure the following:
A. Continuity of service across Healthwatch, Carers and SEND Directorates.
B. Funding of the on-going business and its sustained long-term future.
C. Funding of new projects.
D. Funding for specific proposed capital expenditure.
E. Protection of employees' jobs.
F. Provision for rises in statutory changes i.e. NI and Business Rates.
In addition, there are certain underlying needs identified by the Trustees, which are explained below. The Trustees deem it necessary to set aside cover for the loss or reduction of statutory or other funding of specific projects and to provide for any such project that suffers accordingly. Generally, projects are funded on a two-year basis, and it will be our policy to set aside reserves for where funding is not renewed. The Trustees, aware of the responsibility, have taken, and will continue to take, every step available to obtain, where possible, the increased funding necessary to continue their operation or provide for closure costs. i.e. statutory redundancy payments in the case of failed or insufficiency funding. The board of Trustees will continue to monitor the levels of all reserves and reviews will be made on a quarterly basis, using, where available, the latest budget information.
As at 31 March 2025, the group (YVHSC and Carers Lewisham) held reserves of £220,763 (2024: £463,657) of which £nil (2024: £nil) related to restricted funds.
Remuneration of key management
The remuneration of management is benchmarked against other comparable organisations identified both on income and accountability; special attention is given to the organisations responsibilities as a deliverer of statutory responsibilities. In the case of the Chief Executive the salary is adjusted on previous experience and incorporates a bonus structure based on performance.
Fundraising
The charity does not undertake fundraising activities.
Risk Management
The board has instructed the Chief Executive to conduct a review of the major risks to which the charity is exposed. A risk register has been established and will be updated annually. The key risks faced by the charity include the cessation of the Healthwatch Hounslow agreement on 1 April 2025. Where appropriate, systems or procedures have been established to mitigate the risks the charity faces. This has led to the organisation implementing a system of emergency procedures and contingency plans. Procedures are in place to ensure compliance with health and safety of staff, volunteers and clients. The Board is committed to ensuring consistent qualify of delivery for all operational aspects of the charity. A key element in the management of financial risk is the continued working with an independent accounting services and the setting of the reserves policy and its regular review by the Trustees Board.
Due to the financial pressures prevalent across the Health and Social Care sector YVHSC are seeking to secure contracted work programmes focused on engagement and be less reliant on spot purchase commissioned research activity.
The charity plans to:
Bid for further Carers contracts through the Carers Lewisham subsidiary and Your Carers
Bid for Healthwatch contracts through the Healthwatch Directorate.
Bid for and develop the YVHSC SEND Directorate to offer greater support to Parents/Carers of children with SEND and diversify the YVHSC offer.
YVHSC will not be bidding on contracts that fail to meet a minimum central cost contribution threshold so as to support efficiency and enable growth of adequate reserves.
a. Constitution
The charity is a charitable company limited by guarantee was incorporated on 11 February 2013. It is also a registered charity and become registers with the Charity Commission on 20 November 2023.
b. Governing Document
The charitable company is controlled by its governing document, the memorandum and articles of association adopted on 11 February 2013 and as amended by a special resolution registered at Companies House on 13 November 2013.
c. Recruitment and appointment of Trustees
New Trustees are introduced to the charity by meetings with the Chair and Chief Executive where they are briefed on the workings of the charity and their responsibilities. They are then invited to attend a committee meeting as an observer.
d. Trustees induction and training
Trustees are then given an induction pack that includes details on:
- Role description
- Organisation Chart
- Organisation Work plan
- Code of Practice
- Introduction of Board Members
- Budget List of forthcoming meetings
- Guide to Healthwatch
- Policies and Procedures
- Insurance Coverage
- Declaration of Commitment
- Legal Responsibilities & Forms
In accordance with the company's articles, a resolution proposing that Kirk Rice LLP be reappointed as auditor of the company will be put at a General Meeting.
We, the directors of the charitable company who held office at the date of approval of these Financial Statements as set out above each confirm, so far as we are aware, that:
- there is no relevant audit information of which the charitable company's auditors are unaware; and
- we have taken all steps that we ought to have taken as directors in order to make ourselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the charitable company's auditors are aware of that information.
In preparing this report, the Trustees have taken advantage of the small companies exemptions provided by section 415a of the Companies Act 2006. Preparing the accounts for a small company does not require the preparation of a Strategic Report, although much of the typical content is included within the Trustees' report.
The trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
The trustees, who are also the directors of Your Voice in Health & Social Care 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 charitable company 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; and
- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company 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 charitable 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 charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Opinion
We have audited the consolidated financial statements of Your Voice in Health and Social Care (the 'charitable company') and its subsidiary (the 'group') for the year ended 31 March 2025 which comprise the consolidated statement of financial activities, the consolidated and charity balance sheet, the consolidated statement of cashflow and the 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 consolidated financial statements:
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 group and charitable company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the consolidated 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.
In auditing the consolidated 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 group's or the charitable company’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the consolidated 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 consolidated 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 consolidated 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 consolidated 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.
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.
As explained more fully in the statement of trustees' responsibilities, the trustees, who are also the directors of the charitable company for the purposes of company law, are responsible for the preparation of the consolidated 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 consolidated financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. In preparing the consolidated financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the group's and 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.
We have been appointed as auditor under section 151 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 consolidated 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 consolidated financial statements.
The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, is detailed below.
Our audit approach was developed by obtaining an understanding of the group's and the charitable company's activities, the key functions undertaken on behalf of the Board by management and by service organisations, and the overall control environment. Based on this understanding we assessed those aspects of the group's and the charitable company's transactions and balances which were most likely to give rise to a material misstatement and were most susceptible to irregularities including fraud or error. Specifically, we identified what we considered to be key audit risks and planned our audit approach accordingly.
We gained an understanding of the legal and regulatory framework applicable to the group and the charitable company and the industry in which it operates, and considered the risk of acts by the group and charitable company which were contrary to applicable laws and regulations, including fraud. These included but were not limited to compliance with Companies Act 2006, Charities Act 2022 and FRS 102.
We designed audit procedures to respond to the risk, recognising that the risk of not detecting a material misstatement due to fraud is higher than the risk of not detecting one resulting from error, as fraud may involve deliberate concealment by, for example, forgery, misrepresentations or through collusion.
We focused on laws and regulations that could give rise to a material misstatement in the charitable company's consolidated financial statements. Our tests included, but were not limited to:
- Agreement of the financial statements disclosures to underlying supporting documentation;
- Enquiries of management;
- Considering the effectiveness of control environment in monitoring compliance with laws and regulations.
There are inherent limitations in the audit procedures described above and the further removed non-compliance with laws and regulations is from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, the less likely we would become aware of it. As in all of our audits we also addressed the risk of management override of internal controls, including testing journals and evaluating whether there was evidence of bias by the trustees that represented a risk of material misstatement due to fraud.
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.
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 charity's trustees as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
Kirk Rice LLP is eligible for appointment as auditor of the charitable company by virtue of its eligibility for appointment as auditor of a company under section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006.
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
The charitable company's net movement in funds for the year was a deficit of £242,894 (2024: deficit of £53,564).
Your Voice in Health & Social Care is a charitable company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales. In the event of the charity being wound up, the liability in respect of the guarantee is limited to £1 per member of the charity. The address of the registered office is given in the charity information detailed at the start of these financial statements.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity's governing document, the Companies Act 2006, FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” (“FRS 102”) and the Charities SORP "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 charitable company is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charitable company. 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 items at fair value. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.
The Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) and Consolidated Balance Sheet consolidate the financial statements of the Company and its subsidiary undertaking. The results of the subsidiary are consolidated on a line by line basis.
The Company has taken advantage of the exemption allowed under section 408 of the Companies Act 2006 and has not presented its own Statement of Financial Activities in these financial statements.
The Charity has taken the exemption from presenting a statement of cash flows in its individual financial statements. The charity is a parent entity and prepares publicly available consolidated financial statements, which are intended to give a true and fair view and include a consolidated statement of cash flows.
At the time of approving the financial statements, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charitable company 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.
In order to assess whether the group and charitable company is a going concern, management have reviewed cashflow forecasts. Incoming resources are based on agreements to provide Healthwatch services to several borough councils. Whilst these agreements are not all ratified with signed contracts, this is not unexpected when dealing with council organisations and these services have been provided for a number of years. Management therefore consider the renewal and ongoing nature of these contracts to be virtually certain and this included these resources in their future cashflow analysis.
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 costs of raising and administering such funds are charged against the specific fund. The purposes and uses of the restricted funds are set out in the notes to the financial statements.
Grants are included in the Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities on a receivable basis. The balance of the income received for specific purposes but not expended during the period is shown in the relevant funds on the Balance Sheet. Where income is received in advance of entitlement of receipt, its recognition is deferred and included in creditors as deferred income. Where entitlement occurs before income is received, the income is accrued.
Income tax recoverable in relation to investment income is recognised at the time the Investment income is receivable.
Other income is recognised in the period in which is is receivable and to the extent the goods have been provided or on completion of the service.
Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to transfer economic benefit to a third party, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement, and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.
Expenditure is classified by activity. The costs of each activity are made up of the total of direct costs and shared costs, including support costs involved in undertaking each activity. Direct costs attributable to a single activity are allocated directly to that activity. Shared costs which contribute to more than one activity and support costs which are not attributable to a single activity are apportioned between those activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources. Central staff costs are allocated on the basis of time spent, and depreciation charges are allocated on the portion of the asset’s use.
Expenditure on charitable activities is incurred on directly undertaking activities which further the Group's objectives, as well as any associated support costs.
All expenditure is inclusive of irrecoverable VAT.
Tangible fixed assets are initially measured at cost (with the exception of leasehold properties which are carried at valuation) and subsequently measured at cost or fair value, 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:
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.
At each reporting end date, the charitable company 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).
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.
The charitable company 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 charitable company's balance sheet when the charitable company 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, 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.
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.
Financial liabilities are derecognised when the charitable company’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.
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 charitable company is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.
Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due.
In the application of the charitable company’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.
£3,073 of the income above (2024: £42,783) was attributable to unrestricted funds and £nil (2024: £nil) was attributable to restricted funds.
£1,156,809 of the income above (2024: £1,193,437) was attributable to unrestricted funds and -£1,250 (2024: £20,321) was attributable to restricted funds.
Volunteer costs
Counselling
Training and development
Professional services
Sundry
None of the trustees (or any persons connected with them) received any remuneration or benefits from the charitable company during the year (2024: £nil).
None of the trustees (or any persons connected with them) had expenses incurred paid to them during the year (2024: £nil).
The average monthly number of employees during the year was:
The remuneration of key management personnel was as follows:
The charity is exempt from taxation on its activities because all its income is applied for charitable purposes.
On 25 September 2024, Carers Lewisham completed the sale of the leasehold property located at Waldram Place, London SE23 2LB for £520,000. The carrying amount of the property at the date of sale was £508,182.
As the property was disposed of during the year, the previously recognised revaluation surplus (2024: £460,548) has been reversed and transferred from the revaluation reserve to unrestricted funds. Accordingly, no revaluation surplus relating to this asset remains at the year-end.
Your Voice in Health and Social Care is the sole member of Carers Lewisham, a charitable company registered in England and Wales (Company Registration number 03681548; Charity Registration number 1073592).
The results of Carers Lewisham Consolidated within these financial statements are as follows:
The charitable company operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the charitable company in an independently administered fund. The pension cost charge represents contributions payable by the company to the fund and amounted to £27,155 (2024: £27,088), amounts totalling £2,368 (2024: £3,040) were payable to the fund at the balance sheet date and are included in creditors.
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.
During the year, Tim Spilsbury, a former director of Your Voice in Health & Social Care and current director of the subsidiary, loaned £14,000 to the charity to assist with cash flow needs. The loan was unsecured, interest-free, and repaid in full before the year-end.
At the balance sheet date Tim Spilsbury owed £1,154 to Carers Lewisham in relation to an overpayment of wages. This amount was unsecured and settled post year end on 20 July 2025 in full.
The group has taken advantage of the exemption not to disclose transactions entered into between group companies as the subsidiary is wholly owned.
The Trustees consider that there is no controlling party.