For many of our customers and advisors, the year was characterized by continued financial challenges. Over the past year we have made real gains, both in terms of our generalist advice and consolidating the new Citizens Advice consumer helpline, which took more than 1.2 million calls. It is a great privilege for our service and will allow us to strengthen our work and make more of our potential.
A relentless focus of our effort over the past year has therefore been to bring our service together as a more cohesive service, working in partnership to develop better ways to help our customers. As we look back at our proud history, we are confident that the future of our service is in good shape. 86 percent of our clients report a positive impact of advice on their lives2 84 percent say their understanding of rights and responsibilities has improved2 82 percent say we have helped them to be treated fairly or challenge discrimination2 95 percent would recommend us2.
In our 2013/2014 Making the Case report, we valued the social benefit of our services at at least £750 million3, based on a conservative estimate that we solve the problems of one in three customers. We planned to conduct in-depth strategic reviews of our approach in six strategic areas: digital services, telephone services, people development, training, revenue generation and network development.
More influential on the right issues
Our major successes in 2013/14 included
Our plans for the future include
We campaign for positive changes to the policies and
We use evidence and insight from our clients' experiences and combine it with independent research to spot emerging trends and advocate for positive change in policy and. Citizens Advice works with offices and partners across England and Wales to develop and deliver the best possible service to people who need our help.
One service, working together to deliver more effectively
A good employer
We understand that
At Citizens Advice we are committed to valuing diversity, promoting equality and challenging discrimination as we strive for a fairer society. We work with agencies and others to achieve our equity outcomes for our clients and communities. 27 percent of clients disclosed gender violence and abuse issues as part of our ASK pilot.
Counselors are trained to ask questions about gender-based violence and abuse, provide relevant information and act on these issues. Citizens Advice fulfills all its legal responsibilities and welcomes employees from all parts of the community. We have an equality and diversity policy in place to ensure full and fair consideration and treatment of all staff, including disabled persons, during their recruitment, training and career development.
The Equality Committee advises the board and the service on equality and diversity issues relating to all aspects of the service's work. They meet quarterly and members include a representative from Disabled People Creating Change – a self-organised group for disabled staff and volunteers in the service.
A champion for equality and against discrimination
We are committed to valuing diversity, promoting equality
Financial review
Our strategic approach
Summary financial performance
Income
Charitable expenditure
Efficiency savings
Balance sheet
Pensions
Reserves policy
Going concern
Investment policy
An aim of the investment strategy is to invest only in those institutions with a high credit rating. The investment strategy will be reviewed again in light of the current financial climate.
Risk management and internal control
Our Trustee Board
How we are governed
Jonathan Rees is a non-executive director of Ombudsman Services, the Lending Standards Board and the Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion. As a civil servant, Jonathan was Director General of the Government Equalities Office and led consumer and competition policy at BIS. John Woodman is the non-executive chairman of BATS Trading Ltd and a lay member of the higher tribunal, the Tax and Chancery Chamber.
He is a trustee of Northumbrian Citizens Advice Bureau and vice-chairman, Northumberland Citizens Advice Service and a County Councillor.
The following retired as trustees during 2013/14
Our Executive Team
Ensuring good governance
Statement of trustee responsibilities
Employee involvement
Responsibility towards the environment
Authorisation
We have audited the financial statements of the Advisory Bureaus of the National Association of Citizens for the year ended 31 March 2014, which include the Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities, the Group and Company Balance Sheets, the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows and the related notes to numbers 1 to 25. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is the applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice), which requires a specific treatment for schemes of multi-employer pensions that is defined and explained in the report of the Trustees. and note 22 of the financial statements. Our audit work is undertaken so that we can state to members of the charity those matters which we need to present to them in an auditor's report and for no other purpose.
To the extent permitted by law, we accept or assume no responsibility to anyone other than the charity and the members of the company as a whole, for our audit work, for this report or for the opinions we have formed.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and auditor
Scope of the audit of the financial statements
Opinion on financial statements
Independent auditor’s report to the members of National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux
Opinion on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006
Matters on which we are required to report by exception
Consolidated statement of financial activities
Consolidated cash flow statement
Notes to the financial statements
Accounting policies
Accounting policies (continued)
Unrestricted funds may be expended at the trustees' discretion to further the charity's purposes. Unrestricted funds represent collected funds or grants for a specific project where expenses have not yet been incurred. Citizens Advice's Management Statement and Financial Memorandum limit the level of BIS funding that can be carried forward to future years.
Limited resources are allocated for a specific project, which is indicated by the funder, or is limited by their authority or by a limitation created by a legal process, although the scope of the project is still within the broader objectives of the charity. Provisions for future obligations are recognized when Citizens Advice has a legally enforceable or constructive financial obligation that can be estimated reliably and for which payment is expected to occur. o) Consolidation. Citizens Advice Ltd, a trading subsidiary controlled by Citizens Advice, was also consolidated on a line-by-line basis in the accounts.
A separate statement of financial activities or income and expenditure account for the charity itself is not presented because the charity has benefited from the exemptions provided by section 408 of the Companies Act 2006 and section 397 of the SORP 2005.
Voluntary income
Grants
Grants (continued)
Information regarding directors and employees
Information regarding directors and employees (continued)
Pension contributions for those executive directors in the scheme are paid at the same rate as for all other staff. Citizens Advice does not pay any other superannuation contributions (including personal contributions) on behalf of any senior management.
Grants payable
Grants payable (continued)
Total resources expended
Support cost breakdown by activity
Governance costs
Corporation tax
Net expenditure
Fixed assets: tangible assets
Debtors
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
Investments
Cash at bank and in hand
Provisions
Statement of funds
March
- Statement of funds (continued)
- Analysis of net assets between funds
- Citizens Advice Bureaux
- Operating lease commitments
- Capital commitments
- Pension scheme
- Pension scheme (continued)
- Related party transactions
- Company Limited by Guarantee
- Operating statement for the year ended 31 March 2014
Individual Citizens' Advice Bureaux are not consolidated within these accounts as they are independent legal entities financed directly and indirectly from their own resources and are accountable to their members and funding bodies. Citizens Advice's defined benefit pension scheme was closed to new entries and future service accrual in March 2008. It is therefore not possible to separately identify the assets and liabilities relating to Citizens Advice for the purposes of IAS 17.
In accordance with the recovery plan following the actuarial valuation of April 1, 2013, contributing employers will pay the total annual contributions to which Citizen Advice contributes. Reconciliation of opening and closing balances of the present value of plan liabilities Period ending March 31, 2014. Reconciliation of opening and closing balances of the fair value of plan assets Period ending March 31, 2014.
Citizens Advice and its affiliates are not required to prepare a statement of total recognized gains and losses. Citizens Advice Limited is a subsidiary of Citizens Advice and all non-charity dealings of Citizens Advice are conducted through it. During the year, Citizens Advice had no material transactions with BIS other than the receipt of grants and the grant for infrastructure financing and transition financing to absorb Consumer Futures functions.
During the year, Citizens Advice completed a number of transactions with Citizens Advice Scotland, which are also sponsored by BIS. The Friends of Citizens Advice Bureaux Trust is a charity set up to raise funds for the benefit of Citizens Advice Bureaux. The fund ceased operations on 5 July 2005 when the fund's activities were transferred to Citizens Advice.
A subsidiary was created in 2008/09, Citizens Advice Management Services, to provide management services to agencies. No expenses incurred by Citizens Advice on behalf of Citizens Advice International have been charged during the year. Citizens Advice International is not consolidated in the accounts as it is a separate entity and Citizens Advice does not have the power to control it.
Thank you to our supporters
Other
Government grants
Public bodies
Advisers
Auditor
Internal auditor (from April 2013)
Bankers
Solicitors
Pension Scheme Actuary
Our legal status
No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission, except for review or reference purposes.
Our principles
