For the financial year ended 31 March 2026 the company was entitled to exemption from audit under section 480 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to dormant companies.

The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year in question in accordance with section 476.

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 and delivered in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.

The directors of the company have elected not to include a copy of the income and expenditure account within the financial statements.true

The Trading Standards Institute is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is 1 Sylvan Court, Sylvan Way, Southfields Business Park, Basildon, Essex, SS15 6TH.

During the prior period, the company changed its accounting reference date from 31 December to 31 March. The comparative figures cover the extended 15 month period ended 31 March 2025. Consequently, the comparative amounts presented in the financial statements (including the related notes) are not entirely comparable.

The reason for the change of accounting reference date was to more closely align with the trading cycle of the company and its fellow group entities.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” (“FRS 102”) and the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 as applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime. The disclosure requirements of section 1A of FRS 102 have been applied other than where additional disclosure is required to show a true and fair view.

The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the 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 the revaluation of freehold property. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.

Revenue comprises sales of goods or services provided to customers net of value added tax and other sales taxes, less an appropriate deduction for actual and expected returns and discounts. Revenue is recognised when performance obligations are satisfied and the control of goods or services is transferred to the buyer. Where the performance obligation is satisfied over time, revenue is recognised in accordance with its progress towards complete satisfaction of that performance obligation.

When cash inflows are deferred and represent a financing arrangement, the promised consideration is adjusted for the effects of the time value of money, which is recognised as interest income.

The nature, timing of satisfaction of performance obligations and significant payment terms of the company's major sources of revenue are as follows:

Revenue from contracts for the provision of professional services is recognised by reference to the stage of completion when the stage of completion, costs incurred and costs to complete can be estimated reliably. The stage of completion is calculated by comparing costs incurred, mainly in relation to contractual hourly staff rates and materials, as a proportion of total costs. Where the outcome cannot be estimated reliably, revenue is recognised only to the extent of the expenses recognised that are recoverable.

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 credited or charged to surplus or deficit.

Cash and cash equivalents are basic financial assets and 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 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 company's balance sheet when the 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.

Other financial assets, including investments in equity instruments which are not subsidiaries, associates or joint ventures, are initially measured at fair value, which is normally the transaction price. Such assets are subsequently carried at fair value and the changes in fair value are recognised in surplus or deficit, except that investments in equity instruments that are not publicly traded and whose fair values cannot be measured reliably are measured at cost less impairment.

Financial assets, other than those held at fair value through surplus and deficit, are assessed for indicators of impairment at each reporting end date.

Financial assets are impaired where there is objective evidence that, as a result of one or more events that occurred after the initial recognition of the financial asset, the estimated future cash flows have been affected. If an asset is impaired, the impairment loss is the difference between the carrying amount and the present value of the estimated cash flows discounted at the asset’s original effective interest rate. The impairment loss is recognised in surplus or deficit.

If there is a decrease in the impairment loss arising from an event occurring after the impairment was recognised, the impairment is reversed. The reversal is such that the current carrying amount does not exceed what the carrying amount would have been, had the impairment not previously been recognised. The impairment reversal is recognised in surplus or deficit.

Financial assets are derecognised only when the contractual rights to the cash flows from the asset expire or are settled, or when the company transfers the financial asset and substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership to another entity, or if some significant risks and rewards of ownership are retained but control of the asset has transferred to another party that is able to sell the asset in its entirety to an unrelated third party.

Financial liabilities and equity instruments are classified according to the substance of the contractual arrangements entered into. An equity instrument is any contract that evidences a residual interest in the assets of the company after deducting all of its liabilities.

Basic financial liabilities, including creditors, bank loans, loans from fellow group companies and preference shares that are classified as debt, 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 business 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.

Derivatives, including interest rate swaps and forward foreign exchange contracts, are not basic financial instruments. Derivatives are initially recognised at fair value on the date a derivative contract is entered into and are subsequently re-measured at their fair value. Changes in the fair value of derivatives are recognised in surplus or deficit in finance costs or finance income as appropriate, unless hedge accounting is applied and the hedge is a cash flow hedge.

Debt instruments that do not meet the conditions in FRS 102 paragraph 11.9 are subsequently measured at fair value through profit or loss. Debt instruments may be designated as being measured at fair value through profit or loss to eliminate or reduce an accounting mismatch or if the instruments are measured and their performance evaluated on a fair value basis in accordance with a documented risk management or investment strategy.

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

The costs of short-term employee benefits are recognised as a liability and an expense, unless those costs are required to be recognised as part of the cost of stock or fixed assets.

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 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 company’s accounting policies, the directors 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.

The average monthly number of persons (including directors) employed by the company during the year was:

The company previously operated a defined contribution pension scheme. The assets of the scheme were held separately from those of the company in an independently administered fund.

Defined benefit schemes

Certain former employees of the company were members of the Local Government Pension Scheme (the LGPS).

The LGPS is a defined benefit statutory scheme administered in accordance with the Local Government Pension Scheme Regulations 2013 and currently provides benefits based on career average revalued earnings. Full details of the benefits are as set out in the Regulations and summarised on the LGPS website (www.lgpsregs.org/) and the Fund's membership booklet (www.lgpsmember.org/).

The Pension Fund Committee oversees the management of the Fund whilst the day-to-day fund administration is undertaken by a team within the administering authority (Essex County Council). Where appropriate, some functions are delegated to the Fund's professional advisers.

Scheme cessation

Following an extended period of the scheme being in a deficit position, changes in stock market performance meant that the scheme was in a surplus position at 31/12/2023. At this point, the Board made the decision to limit the risk to the Institute of pension fund volatility, which at one point in 2018 meant a pension deficit of £3.037 million, and consulted on closing the LGPS.  Specific arrangements were made to support the sole member of the scheme who agreed to the changes and the Board made the decision to settle any outstanding figure, noting that the market conditions were favourable. 

The LGPS was closed with a final settlement figure of £199k and the Institute no longer carries the pension fund volatility risk.  The settlement figure was derived based upon an actuarial valuation prepared by Barnett Waddingham LLP, an independent firm of actuaries. For the purposes of a scheme cessation, the actuarial valuation is prepared using assumptions that are more prudent than an on-going basis due to all future risk being transferred from the employer to the Fund. Under a full cessation approach, as no other employer is responsible for the residual liabilities and therefore no employer is available to cover the cost of any future underfunding, it is appropriate to use a discount rate that is more prudent than the ongoing funding basis. This is to reduce the risk that insufficient funds are collected to pay for the residual liabilities.

It should also be noted that, as a multi-employer scheme, an "asset ceiling" applies to the LGPS, such that there was no prospect of the Institute having an unconditional right to a refund or benefit from future contribution reductions on any surplus that might arise on the scheme.

The company is limited by guarantee, not having a share capital and consequently the liability of members is limited, subject to an undertaking by each member to contribute to the net assets or liabilities of the company on winding up such amounts as may be required not exceeding £5.

The company has taken advantage of the exemption from the requirement to disclose transactions with wholly owned group companies.

The sole member of The Trading Standards Institute is Chartered Trading Standards Institute, a Royal Charter company registered under number RC000879. Its registered office is 1 Sylvan Court, Sylvan Way, Southfields Business Park, Basildon, Essex, SS15 6TH.