The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2026.
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 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)” (as amended for accounting periods commencing from 1 January 2016)
Essex Carers Support exists to relieve physical, mental and material distress experienced by people who provide unpaid care to someone living in Essex. We do this by offering flexible support, advocacy and high-quality information tailored to carers’ needs.
Our work aims to improve carers’ quality of life by:
enabling carers to have greater choice, control and confidence in their caring role and everyday life;
reducing feelings of isolation and loneliness among carers;
supporting carers to maintain and improve their general health and wellbeing.
These objectives continue to guide all operational and strategic decisions across the organisation.
The Trustees remain confident that Essex Carers Support is well placed to deliver effective, community-based support to carers across Essex. We are committed to ensuring that all services are delivered efficiently, professionally and with a strong value base that keeps carers’ needs at the centre of everything we do.
We believe partnership working is essential to achieving meaningful impact. We are therefore pleased to continue our close collaboration with Action for Family Carers in delivering the Local Authority’s core commissioned offer for family carers across North East and West Essex.
Performance Against Commissioned Outcomes
Our continued delivery of the commissioned service continues to be exceptionally successful. All Key Performance Indicators were achieved, with several targets exceeded. Carers and commissioners consistently report high levels of satisfaction with our personalised, strengths-based conversations, underpinned by the Carers Star.
We look forward to building on this strong foundation in future years, using our learning and experience to shape and influence the development of carer support across Essex.
Influence and Voice
Essex Carers Support continues to:
contribute to the design and improvement of public services;
ensure carers’ views, expertise and lived experience inform policy and commissioning decisions;
reach carers who are not currently accessing support, widening inclusion and reducing hidden need.
Governance and Strategic Development
The Trustees provide strong and active governance, ensuring the organisation remains resilient, forward looking and responsive to emerging needs. We continue to plan and develop a long-term strategy that enables Essex Carers Support to meet the challenges carers face now and in the future.
The trading surplus on the Income and Expenditure account for the year amounted to £17,129 (2025: £24,213). The total funds of the company as at 31 March 2026 were £252,724 (2025: £235,595).
The trustees remain conscious of the need to keep costs to a minimum and provide an efficient and professional service dedicated to the clients of the charity.
The Executive Committee intends that:
Reserves are maintained at a level sufficient to ensure that core activity could continue for a minimum of twelve months in the event of unforeseen difficulty.
Reserves include provision for redundancy liabilities and building maintenance.
The required level of reserves is reviewed as part of the organisation’s planning, budgeting and forecasting cycle.
At least 50% of required reserves are held in a readily realisable form.
Budgeting and forecasting take account of:
risks associated with each income and expenditure stream;
planned activity levels;
organisational commitments.
At the balance sheet date the value of unrestricted reserves amounted to £252,724. Of this amount £1,366 is tied up in fixed assets, which are not readily convertible to cash.
Essex Carers Support is a charitable company limited by guarantee, governed by its Articles of Association. The charity was incorporated on 28 February 2011 and registered on 3 January 2012.
The Articles specify that at the first Annual General Meeting after incorporation (held on 10 July 2012), all Trustees retired before the appointment of a new Board. Staff representation is included at Board meetings where appropriate.
The trustees, who are also the directors for the purpose of company law, and who served during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were:
Appointment and induction of trustees
New Trustees receive a full induction covering:
legal responsibilities under charity and company law;
the Memorandum and Articles of Association;
governance and decision-making processes;
the business plan and strategic priorities;
recent financial performance.
The Executive Committee considers required skills when co-opting Trustees. A comprehensive induction pack and relevant training are provided.
Risk management
The Executive Committee regularly reviews major risks facing the charity and ensures appropriate mitigation measures are in place. Internal risks are minimised through robust financial controls, authorisation procedures and quality assurance processes. These systems are reviewed periodically to ensure they remain fit for purpose.
Public benefit
The Trustees have considered the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit when reviewing the charity’s aims and planning future activities. All activities are designed to improve the wellbeing of carers and are undertaken wholly in pursuit of our charitable purposes.
The trustee's report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of Essex Carers Support (the charity) for the year ended 31 March 2026.
Having satisfied myself that the financial statements of the charity are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s financial statements carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act). In carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or
the financial statements do not accord with those records; or
the financial statements do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or
the financial statements have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the financial statements to be reached.
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
Essex Carers Support is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Imperial House, 20-22 Rosemary Road, Clacton on Sea, Essex, CO15 1NZ.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity's Memorandum and Articles incorporated 28 February 2011, 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)” (as amended for accounting periods commencing from 1 January 2016). The charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.
The charity has taken advantage of the provisions in the SORP for charities applying FRS 102 Update Bulletin 1 not to prepare a Statement of Cash Flows.
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.
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.
Cash donations are recognised on receipt. Other donations are recognised once the charity has been notified of the donation, unless performance conditions require deferral of the amount. Income tax recoverable in relation to donations received under Gift Aid or deeds of covenant is recognised at the time of the donation.
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.
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:
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.
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.
Provision of carer support
Unrestricted
Rent
Insurance
Motor and travel costs
Telephone
Other office costs
Subscriptions
Training
Staff welfare
Bank charges
Legal and professional fees
The average monthly number of employees during the year was:
No employee received employee benefits of more than £60,000 during the year (2025: Nil).
The remuneration of key management personnel during the year amounted to £43,856 (2025: £42,825). There was one employee deemed to be key management personnel during the period.
The charity is exempt from taxation on its activities because all its income is applied for charitable purposes.
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.
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 the charity purchased bookkeeping services from Jaygate Management Limited at a cost of £2,400 (2025: £2,400). Jaygate Management Limited is controlled by R Smith, a trustee of the charity.
The company is limited by guarantee of £10 per member. There were six members at the balance sheet date.