Trustees Report

Achievements and Performance

For the year ended 30 September 2024

The year in context
This has been another trying year for social care and the charity sectors. In particular, we saw political change towards the end of the financial year but the uncertainty was felt across the year.

The cost of living crisis has not eased and this has led to a higher demand and pressure on the Foundation’s Staff Hardship Fund and Community Grants. In particular, we saw a rise in support for individuals.

Across the charity sector, demand on funders has grown significantly. The demand for funding in the UK and internationally has caused an increase in competition but also seen innovation being impacted as organisations focus on delivering existing programmes instead of expanding on their offering.

All in all, this was another incredibly tough year for the social care sector, those who work in the sector and those supported by the sector. This has meant that the need for the Foundation’s work has never been more important but the scale of the challenges we seek to address has never been as great.

In developing the Foundation’s new Strategic Plan, updating our Theory of Change and impact assessment framework, staff and trustees have been able to look at what has worked and what has not over the last few years and address the needs we want to address. As we look ahead, we have a clearer vision of our place in the sector and a renewed commitment under our new strategic aims that we will continue to grow and contribute the way we have always envisioned.

Our Objectives for this year

Trustees agreed on a set of key objectives for this reporting year, the most notable of which were as follows:

  • To finalise our updated Theory of Change and Impact Assessment Framework, in line with the new Strategic Plan, by November 2023.
  • To begin transitioning to a portfolio of Partnership Grants that consists of 3-4 Flagship Partnerships and 10-15 other partnerships, by
    – agreeing indicative criteria for ‘Flagship Partnerships’ with the Grants Committee by November 2023,
    – identifying no fewer than two Flagship Partnership by the end of the financial year, and,
    – reducing the total number of partnerships to no more than 19 by the end of the financial year;
  • ensure that the majority of Partnership Grants Fund supports innovative projects and new ideas in line with its impact areas, creating unique new collaborative partnerships;
  • ensure partnership programmes delivered locally are sharing learnings with a wider network to maximise reach;
  • increase reach of skills development training from 850 forecasted in FY22/23 to 1,000 in FY23/24.
  • ensure that partnerships focussing on employability have a dedicated focus on addressing the UK social care vacancy challenges, supporting and retaining 50 young people and refugees into social care roles (compared to 47 in FY22/23);
  • ensure that the three small grants streams operate at full capacity (ie using the full budget allocation) and deliver maximum impact in line with their objectives, with the following target number of supported applications
    – Staff Hardship Grant Fund – 250 supported applications (FY22/23 forecast – 225 applications)
    – Community Grant Fund – 80 supported applications (FY22/23 forecast – 70 applications)
    – Match Fund – 100 supported applications (FY22/23 forecast – 50 applications), of which at least 10 ‘Match it’ supported application;
  • ensure all research programmes have a strong basis in practicality and action which is tested regularly by CareTech and the wider sector for viability;
  • grow the Pakistan Special Education Initiative and recruit a permanent Project Manager, in line with project plan targets;
  • seek out co-funding opportunities with other grant-making bodies by which to increase the Foundation’s scale and reach, with the aim of securing at least two such co-funding opportunities; and,
  • ensure rigorous reporting and effective partnerships are in place for all Partnership Grants, with well-evidenced impact evaluation plans and reports, in line with updated Impact Assessment Framework.

Main achievements

In reviewing the key objectives established in the first year of the Foundation’s second Strategic Plan that concluded this reporting year, trustees are proud to be able to reflect strong progress. In the Foundation’s first Strategic plan, trustees agreed to assess the success of the Foundation against its ability to deliver the following three overarching strategic aims:

The Foundation will be a well-structured, ambitious and clear-sighted organisation, delivering meaningful impact to communities in the UK and overseas.

The Foundation has supported programmes across its grant portfolio that have directly supported some 1.91M beneficiaries over its first five years. Our Impact Reports set out a range of significant achievements of programmes that have proved ‘game changer’ investments, from transforming mental health provision in Pakistan, to creating new employment pathways in to social care, to stimulating new technologies and interventions for those living in care.

The staff of CareTech Ltd and its service users will feel proud of and be strongly engaged in the Foundation.

The Foundation is now well understood by CareTech Ltd staff, with awareness figures rising year-on-year in the company’s staff survey, reaching an incredible 79% in 2023/24. The growth in take-up by staff of grant fund nominations opportunities to support local projects and their own fundraising efforts is gratifying. The development and increase in the company’s secondment programme to the Foundation has been particularly welcome. Trustees were particularly pleased to see the public (and private!) commitment of the company and its new partners to the Foundation as CareTech Ltd returned to private ownership.

The Foundation will be delivering a unique contribution to the charitable marketplace, consistent with CareTech Ltd’s values and approach.

The Foundation continues to be recognised as being the leading grant-maker in the social care arena, playing a unique role in its focus on the sector. The numerous award nominations – and wins! – since 2017 is a welcome recommendation of the Foundation’s contribution.