CONSULTUS_CARE_AND_NURSIN - Accounts

The directors present the strategic report for the year ended 30 April 2020.

Long established since 1962 family-run provider of live-in carers and nurses offering 24 hour personalised private live in care covering a wide variety of locations across the UK.

Consultus introduce fully-trained hand-picked live in carers and nurses to provide expert care and support to you or your relative needs to remain safely at home working together to determine the best needs for you or your family.

Rated by homecare.co.uk review score 9.5 out of 10.

By providing the skills required in an increasing competitive market, our award winning training centre of excellence use their wealth of knowledge and experience to provide a valuable insight into caring providing new and existing carers with a variety of courses to update and increase their knowledge and skills.

Consultus offers three live-in services such as our ‘Introductory Service’ for self employed carers, where family oversight is essential, we introduce self employed carers with qualifications, DBS checks, training to support safeguarding.

Our fully Managed Service, regulated by Care Quality Commission which is available in the South East of England and now expanding across the country is suitable for clients who live a great distance from their families. Consultus will professionally manage each aspect of care, from care plans, reviews, diary management and regular communication with healthcare professionals and nurses.

Our Nursing Service offers skilled and professional highly qualified experience clinicians who provide invaluable support to clients who want to feel safe in familiar surroundings with the reassurance of 24 hour one to one Nursing.

It is becoming more and more challenging recruiting high calibre of care and nursing staff in a competitive market.

Our responses to the COVID pandemic have been challenging, it is our duty to ensure our carers and clients continue to remain safe. We have a zero rate of cross infection of C19 between our carers and our clients to date and were determined to ensure this record is maintained. We are deploying our own underwriting testing programme so that we, our clients and our carers can be confident that every precaution has been taken to keep everyone safe during these uncertain times

The directors continue to monitor the likely effects of the UK formal withdrawal from the EU on 31 December 2020 but do not consider that this will have a material effect on the company's business.

Our introductory service is very cost effective with family support and oversight, revenue continues to grow steadily.

Consultus is also investing heavily in our fully managed service, this financial year revenue has continued to grow by 243%. Managed Area Assessors are broadening our capabilities in providing clinical care, assessing such as well being, privacy, dignity, food, cleanliness etc.

Referral agreements for live in care, we are currently networking with a franchise in respect of new client and existing referrals from domiciliary day care to Consultus live-in services.

Consultus has recently heavily invested further in our national award winning Training Centre by considerably expanding our training facilities, to maintain demand, and we also offer bespoke off-site training courses. During these challenging times we have adapted our training with a combination of virtual and e-learning to support our safe distancing practical face to face training.

New technology – Machine Learning technology is also now also being offered to our clients to move us in the direction of pre-empting conditions before they manifest. We are also investing in real time information technology to support our carers and nurses with on-site document management.

The main KPI used by the company are as follows:

- Gross Profit percentage 70% (YR 2019: 72%)

- Net Profit percentage 22% (YR 2019: 17%)

- Increase in Turnover 19% (YR 2019: 8%)

- Current Ratio 3.68 (YR 2019: 2.76)

These are all considered to be satisfactory by the directors.

On behalf of the board

The directors present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 30 April 2020.

The principal activity of the Company continued to be that of proprietors and operators of an agency providing three distinctive services :

•     The provision of introduced self-employed carers

•     The provision of managed care services

•     The provision of managed nursing services

Review of Business

The directors are pleased to report to the financial YE April 2020 in comparison to YE April 2019, continued strong underlying performance from our Care at Home Department (CHD), significant growth from our Managed Care Department (MCD) formerly known as Care at Home Plus, and comparable a performance from our Nursing at Home Department (NHD)

Overall our pre-tax profits increased by 54.6% over the previous financial YE 2019. Our net profits are re-invested in to the business to support the growth of our Company as one of the most established, and market leading care (and nursing) agencies in the UK, as well as increasing our contingency reserves.

Current levels of business are maintaining our rate of growth established in the year under review.

The directors who held office during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were as follows:

The results for the year are set out on page 9.

No ordinary dividends were paid. The directors do not recommend payment of a final dividend.

During the year, the company repurchased 10,300 of its ordinary shares. This represented 4% of the ordinary share capital. These shares were held by the company directors that retired in the year. The consideration paid for this was £342,000. These shares were then cancelled, thereby resulting in a decrease in the issued ordinary share capital of the company.

So far as each person who was a director at the date of approving this report is aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the company’s auditor is unaware. Additionally, the directors individually have taken all the necessary steps that they ought to have taken as directors in order to make themselves aware of all relevant audit information and to establish that the company’s auditor is aware of that information.

The directors are responsible for preparing the annual report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations.

Company law requires the directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the directors have elected to prepare the financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable law). Under company law the directors must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company and of the profit or loss of the company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the directors are required to:

•     select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

•     make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

•     prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company will continue in business.

The directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the company’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

We have audited the financial statements of Consultus Care and Nursing Limited (the 'company') for the year ended 30 April 2020 which comprise the profit and loss account, the statement of comprehensive income, the balance sheet, the statement of changes in equity, the statement of cash flows and notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including FRS 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

In our opinion the financial statements:

•     give a true and fair view of the state of the company's affairs as at 30 April 2020 and of its profit for the year then ended;

•     have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and

•     have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Conclusions relating to going concern

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the ISAs (UK) require us to report to you where:

• the directors' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is not appropriate; or

• the directors have not disclosed in the financial statements any identified material uncertainties that may cast significant doubt about the company’s ability to continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting for a period of at least twelve months from the date when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

Other information

The directors are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the annual report, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.

In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other information. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of our audit:

• the information given in the strategic report and the directors' report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and

• the strategic report and the directors' report have been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the strategic report and the directors' report.

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters where the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

•     adequate accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or

•     the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or

•     certain disclosures of directors' remuneration specified by law are not made; or

•     we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.

As explained more fully in the directors' responsibilities statement, the directors are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the directors determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, the directors are responsible for assessing the company's ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the directors either intend to liquidate the company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: http://www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the company's members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the company's members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor's report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the company and the company's members, as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

The profit and loss account has been prepared on the basis that all operations are continuing operations.

Consultus Care and Nursing Limited is a private company limited by shares incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is 17 London Road, Tonbridge, Kent, TN10 3AB.

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.

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 properties and to include investment properties and certain financial instruments at fair value. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.

Atruet the time of approving the financial statements, the directors have a reasonable expectation that the company has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the directors continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.

Turnover represents amounts receivable for services of nurses and carers, net of VAT.

Revenue is recognised at the fair value of the consideration received or receivable for services provided in the normal course of business, and is shown net of VAT.

Income is recognised on the basis of the period of care being provided by nurses and carers during the year.

Tangible fixed assets are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost, net of depreciation.

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:

Freehold land and assets in the course of construction are not depreciated.

No depreciation has been provided on the land and buildings as the residual value is expected to be higher than its current carrying value.

Interests in entities are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost less any accumulated impairment losses. The investments are assessed for impairment at each reporting date and any impairment losses or reversals of impairment losses are recognised immediately in profit or loss.

At each reporting period end date, the company reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss (if any).

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 profit or loss, 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 profit and loss, 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 profit or loss.

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 profit or loss.

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 profit or loss 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 though 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.

Equity instruments issued by the company are recorded at the proceeds received, net of transaction costs. Dividends payable on equity instruments are recognised as liabilities once they are no longer at the discretion of the company.

The tax expense represents the sum of the tax currently payable and deferred tax.

The tax currently payable is based on taxable profit for the year. Taxable profit differs from net profit as reported in the profit and loss account because it excludes items of income or expense that are taxable or deductible in other years and it further excludes items that are never taxable or deductible. The company’s liability for current tax is calculated using tax rates that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the reporting end date.

Deferred tax liabilities are generally recognised for all timing differences and deferred tax assets are recognised to the extent that it is probable that they will be recovered against the reversal of deferred tax liabilities or other future taxable profits. Such assets and liabilities are not recognised if the timing difference arises from goodwill or from the initial recognition of other assets and liabilities in a transaction that affects neither the tax profit nor the accounting profit.

The carrying amount of deferred tax assets is reviewed at each reporting end date and reduced to the extent that it is no longer probable that sufficient taxable profits will be available to allow all or part of the asset to be recovered. Deferred tax is calculated at the tax rates that are expected to apply in the period when the liability is settled or the asset is realised. Deferred tax is charged or credited in the profit and loss account, except when it relates to items charged or credited directly to equity, in which case the deferred tax is also dealt with in equity. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are offset when the company has a legally enforceable right to offset current tax assets and liabilities and the deferred tax assets and liabilities relate to taxes levied by the same tax authority.

Employee benefits include payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes and payments to private health care.

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.

An analysis of the company's turnover is as follows:

Professional fees for non-audit services amounted to £12,749 (2019 - £17,139).

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

Their aggregate remuneration comprised:

The actual charge for the year can be reconciled to the expected charge for the year based on the profit or loss and the standard rate of tax as follows:

Freehold land and assets in the course of construction are not depreciated.

No depreciation has been provided on the land and buildings as the residual value is expected to be higher than its current carrying value.

Listed investments included above:

The directors consider that the carrying amounts of the listed investments are carried at fair value, approximate to the market value in the financial statements.

The following are the major deferred tax liabilities and assets recognised by the company and movements thereon:

The deferred tax liability set out above is expected to reverse within [12 months] and relates to accelerated capital allowances that are expected to mature within the same period.

The company operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the company in an independently administered fund.

Non Distributable Profit Reserve represents the revaluation gain of listed investments less deferred tax on investments. The reserve relates to 'fair value' reserve on the listed investments.

The following are non-adjusting events after the reporting date but the estimate of its financial effect cannot be made:

• the coronavirus pandemic

• the brexit

The Strategic Report provides further details in connection with the above events.

The remuneration of key management personnel as at the year end is £132,139 (2019 - £326,032)