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ISLINGTON PEOPLE’S RIGHTS

1. General background

Islington People’s Rights (IPR) is a registered charity, number 1077688, and a company limited by guarantee, number 01753440. It operates from one office in Islington at 6-9 Manor Gardens, London N7 6LA, (known as the Manor Gardens Centre.)
IPR provides advice sessions in a number of locations across Islington, and runs an advice line three afternoons a week.
IPR operates as an Independent Advice Agency and specialises in welfare benefits and debt advice. More information can be found at IPR’s website on www.ipradvice.org.uk
IPR has 8 permanent members of staff (all part-time other than 1 full time Specialist Caseworker), 6 of whom are Specialist Caseworkers. The other two are the Chief Executive and Administrative Support Officer. There are 2 other locum caseworkers and 1 fixed term support worker.
The Finance Manager would be responsible to the Chief Executive of the organisation and liaise with them on a day-to-day basis. They would also liaise with the Treasurer and other key members of the Board of Trustees.
IPR employees an Administrative Support Officer two days per week, who undertakes bookkeeping tasks for the organisation, as well as other roles. The Finance Manager will not be expected to do basic book-keeping (payments and receipts ledgers) except in their absence. They will need to provide oversight and review the financial tasks undertaken by the Administrative Support Officer.
The Finance Manager will produce reports for the board of trustees (number of trustees is currently 11), who meet regularly on a quarterly basis
IPR’s previous years accounts are available for inspection on the Charity Commission’s website: http://apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/Accounts/Ends88/0001077688_AC_20140331_E_C.pdf
IPR currently banks with the Co-operative Bank and the CAF Bank. IPR is not VAT registered.
IPR reserves and funds are held in these bank accounts, plus an account with the London Capital Credit Union
IPR uses Sage accounting system, we do not use the projects or department modules.

2. Internal accounting procedures

The Finance Manager produces management accounts for the Board of Trustees, Chief Executive and Treasurer.
The Finance Manager oversees and reviews the bookkeeping and financial tasks undertaken by the Administrative Support Officer.
IPR has an office manual, incorporating financial procedures. These are regularly reviewed by the Treasurer and Board of Trustees.
Since the Covid 19 pandemic IPR has moved to online banking for all payments which are now done online, together with receipt of bank statements. Income is either directly credited to our bank account or paid in via the post office and a paying in book. Electronic approval processes are in place, and for payments two signatories are required. IPR is also set up for telephone banking.
IPR’s average transactions volumes, over the period of a year are
- Circa 60 suppliers and 12 staff whose expenses are processed via the purchase ledger
- Circa 250 invoices and credit notes received and processed via the purchase ledger and 300 bills processed as cash payments (salaries, standing orders or direct debits)
- We process circa 30 invoices and receipts, some of them via the sales ledger
IPR does not hold petty cash
IPR manages its payroll externally and also its pensions contributions.

3. Funding and Funders

In 2024/25 our turnover was £509,000, a decrease over the previous two years when it was £676,000. This year it is expected to be down to around £484,000.
Our largest funder is the London Borough of Islington, who provide a core grant for welfare benefits and debt advice and casework.
We have a contract to deliver services to users of mental health services from the North London NHS Foundation Trust
We receive grants from charitable trusts. The 2 most significant grants are from Trust for London, and from the local charity Cloudesley.
We are often involved in joint partnership bids, and our key partners are Islington Law Centre and Islington Citizens Advice, the other major Advice Agencies in Islington.

4. Key Tasks of Finance Manager

Ensuring invoices and payments are correctly recorded onto Sage Line 50
Preparing salary information for payroll agency on a monthly basis
Drawing up management accounts information as required, including
- Budget v actuals and projections for income & expenditure
- Balance sheet
- Cashflow
- Written report
- Other financial information, as required
Preparation of schedules and file for Independent Examination.

5. Budgeting

Prepare 1^st Draft
Discussion with Chief Executive and Treasurer
Update Draft
Prepare written report to Board
Attend and present budget to Board

6. Management Accounts and Forecasting

Make workbook and links
Update forecast and download to workbook
Run a P&L and enter data to workbook
Identify Income in Arrears/ Advance
Look for accruals, check all invoices
Make provision for costs not posted
Post Accruals
Rerun P&L on SAGE
Review further and make and final postings and journals
Review Forecast in light of monthly accounts and adjust forecast if needed
Copy updated forecast to Management Accounts workbook
Make sure SAGE and Excel workbook balance
Run Month end on SAGE
Discuss with CEO and Treasurer
Prepare Quarterly Management Accounts for the 4 Board meetings
Attend Board meetings to present the Management Accounts

7. Bank Reconciliation

Bank Reconciliations ensure that all aspects and items of Income and Expenditure are recorded fully to SAGE
Bank Reconciliations
- Co-op Community Direct Plus two statements a month
- Co-op Instant Access
- CAF Gold
- CAF Cash
- CAF Platinum
- London Capital Credit Union (annual statement)

8. Year end procedures

The Annual Audit takes the form of an Independent Examination, which is appropriate given our turnover. Our financial year runs from the 1 April to 31 March.
An audit file is prepared in house by the management accountant which covers the following:
- All creditors and copies of those not on the purchase ledger
- All debtors and copies not on the sales ledger
- A reconciliation of the salary nominal accounts to the payroll
- Allocation of salaries and other expenses to any restricted funds
- An annual review, comparing the current year’s income and expenditure to the previous years’
- Year end management accounts
Please note that in the last two years there were no points raised by our existing auditors in their Management Letter, denoting a high standard of preparation.

Islington People’s Rights has turned fifty

Concluding the 50th anniversary programme is an exclusive screening of the 1969 BBC drama Cathy Come Home directed by Ken Loach, followed by a Q&A with the critically acclaimed director himself.

Cathy Come Home + Ken Loach Q&A

To mark 50 years of tackling poverty, Islington People’s Rights (IPR) is delighted to have organised a special screening of the BBC drama Cathy Come Home, followed by Q&A with the film’s acclaimed director, Ken Loach. First broadcast on television in 1966, it was watched by 12 million people, and had a major impact on its audience. 54 years on, homelessness and poverty continue to be issues worthy of attention and discussion. You can book tickets here.

Tuesday 10th March 2020, 6.30pm
Rio Cinema
107 Kingsland High Street
London E8 2PB

Exhibition at Islington Museum

Islington People’s Rights (IPR) has been working for half a century to improve the lives and futures of people in the borough. By offering specialist, independent advice on welfare benefits and debt, IPR seeks to tackle problems which, if left unchecked, can dramatically affect people’s lives.

From 2 November 2019 – 21 January 2020, an exhibition at Islington Museum charted IPR’s development over the past five decades in the context of ongoing welfare reform and its continuing work to meet the needs of local residents. Today, over a third of Islington’s population live in poverty meaning that there remains a continued and growing need for IPR’s services.

Download the accompanying commemorative booklet (PDF).

Oral Histories

In order to capture the stories of founding members and Islington residents and organisations that have come into contact with IPR, a series of oral histories was recorded. Listen to them here:

Carol O’Brien – IPR’s early years