aberlour annual review2014/15.

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At Aberlour, we are there for children, young people and families across Scotland, helping transform lives for the better. We support them through challenges like living with a disability, growing up in and leaving care, and the impact of drugs and alcohol on families. We are committed to getting it right for our children by tailoring our services to help each child, young person and family achieve their own personal goals. Giving children the best possible start in life is at the heart of everything we do.

Aberlour has a rich history of delivering vital services to vulnerable children, young people and their families. Since our inception as an orphanage in Speyside in 1875, and the formal establishment of Aberlour Child Care Trust in 1976, we continue to build our reputation for delivering quality services.

getting it right for our children

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Specialist residential and fostering services At the heart of Aberlour’s work since its inception 140 years ago, we continue to provide specialist residential support and foster care for children and young people.

Specialist services for children affected by parental substance misuseWe work with both children and families to promote positive parenting, boost life skills and resilience, and provide support for those taking steps towards recovery from drug and alcohol use.

Early years and family supportWe work with vulnerable and disadvantaged families to promote positive parenting, early years learning and social skills with families with very young children, to make sure they have the best start in life.

Disability services for children and young people with complex needsWe work to improve the lives of children and young people with complex needs, and their families, through the provision of person-centred respite, residential and community-based support options.

Early intervention for older children and young peopleWe take action quickly with services designed to tackle issues as they are emerging, to improve long-term outcomes for children and young people.

With 140 years of experience and learning behind us, we continue to reinforce our reputation as the leading Scottish children’s charity and a major force for change.

what we do

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our values

respect acting in a way that shows we care about the feelings of one another and listen to one another’s opinions.

integrity doing the right thing, even when no-one else is watching.

innovative finding new, efficient ways to do things.

challenging testing ourselves and those around us and not accepting the status quo.

our vision

is to transform the lives of the children and families we work with and, through this, contribute to building a fairer and more equal society.

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Aberlour continues to develop as a strong and sustainable organisation despite the challenging economic environment. We support Scotland’s most vulnerable children, young people and families, continually adapting our services to meet the needs of those facing the most overwhelming obstacles.

During my first year as Chair of the Board, we have worked tirelessly to strengthen our organisation and set it on a clear path. We launched our new strategy, which clearly sets out our intentions and has our people at its heart; families, staff, volunteers and stakeholders. It is ambitious and challenging, and articulates our key strategic drivers; growth, quality, sustainability and impact.

We could not provide our services without our dedicated staff team, who are experienced, skilled and committed to providing high quality care and support. I thank them all for their loyalty and hard work. Our Chief Executive plays a critical role in leading the organisation forward; passionate about making a difference for Scotland’s children and families, we are grateful for her tireless efforts as we move forward and tackle the challenges the organisation faces in these difficult economic times. This year saw us receive our Investors in Volunteering award. We are hugely indebted to all our volunteers and generous supporters whose help we receive.

It is a privilege to be an Aberlour Board member. Our Board meet regularly, giving freely of their time and expertise, and approach decisions with great care to ensure they deliver maximum impact and continue to build sustainability for the future. I would like to pay tribute to their efforts and commitment. I would specifically like to acknowledge the skills and commitment of members who moved on during the last year; Jimmy Gilchrist, Janice West, Ron Robson and John Jackson.

Looking forward, we are ready for new challenges and opportunities. The efforts of everyone at Aberlour have improved the lives of many children and young people across Scotland in the past year, and I am thankful to everyone who plays a part in our success.

Valerie Surgenor LLM, LLB, BA (Hons), DipLP, NP – Chair of the Board

Valerie Surgenor.chair of the board.

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I have enjoyed my first year as Chief Executive of Aberlour. I was appointed with a clear brief that included the development and implementation of an organisational strategy, strengthening of our profile and reputation, and ensuring our infrastructure remained fit for purpose. This allowed for a thorough examination of our infrastructure and realignment of organisational functions to help us meet future challenges.

I am pleased to report we have made considerable progress in developing our strategy. This included extensive consultation with our Board of Directors, staff, volunteers, children and families. “Our Aberlour: A Strategy for Success” reaffirms our commitment to promoting fairness and equality in society. It contains refreshed organisational values and sets out clear areas for development. We also received our Gold Investors in People award – the highest accreditation possible.

We continue to develop innovative work, such as our Perinatal Befriending Support service, and remain a respected provider of high quality residential care, fostering and disability services. We are increasingly building our reputation for delivering family support and early intervention. We have a clear commitment to person-centred practice across our organisation.

Our influencing activity has been significantly strengthened over the last year, with representatives on a range of key Scottish Government groups. We continue to influence government policy and campaign with other charities to improve the experiences of looked after children, asylum seekers and refugees, women in the justice system and families who rely on flexible child care provision. We continue to engage across the political spectrum on issues that matter to our families. This will be strengthened further over the next year with a renewed emphasis on supporting children and families to share their experiences.

We remain realistic about the challenges we face, but the successful implementation of Our Aberlour will provide a firm foundation to help us grow and minimise risk. Our staff remain our greatest asset; I look forward to continuing to strengthen our commitment to them, and to the children, young people and families we support.

SallyAnn Kelly – Chief Executive

SallyAnn Kelly.chief executive.

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Adam’s mum, Nikki, says:“Adam was born prematurely, resulting in a brain haemorrhage, leaving him with epilepsy, learning difficulties and mobility problems. Later, he was diagnosed as being on the autistic spectrum.

When it was suggested Adam join Aberlour Options – Fife, I could not believe ‘strangers’ could look after my precious bundle. It was difficult to let him go, but after seeing the excitement on Adam’s face, it became apparent that he loved the service and the experiences he was able to share.

Adam has now been to his first football match, taken part in fundraising events and helped choose the Chief Executive of Aberlour! Not to mention cinema visits, and trips to IKEA and Deep Sea World.

The Options – Fife team are no longer strangers, but extended family who share the highs and lows with us. Thank you for being in our lives, and helping nurture and shape a very special young man.”

getting it right with aberlour options

adam’s story.

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“I started coming to Aberlour Family Service - Aberdeen when my daughter Carol was two.

I have learning and hearing difficulties, and I’m short sighted. I was told my baby would have to go into foster care, because I wouldn’t be able to take care of her. I had to stay in a mother and baby unit for six months to show I could. With help from support workers and my mum, I was able to leave the unit and get my own place. But my mum passed away and that was really hard for me.

At Aberlour, I learned how to cook and be safe in the kitchen. I’ve learned a lot about looking after Carol, like how to tell if she isn’t well. Before, I wouldn’t have had much confidence to do these things, but I do now. Now I am working on my confidence in playing games with her.

Life would be really hard without Aberlour. The people here feel like my friends and family.”

getting it right with aberlour family service

alison & carol’s story.

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“Some things happened in my family that meant I had to go into foster care. I thought I was just going for the weekend, but my social worker disappeared like a ghost, and I stayed with my first foster family for four years.

When my foster family went on holiday, I had to stay in respite with people I‘d never met before. I took a bag of clothes and a float away football with me. I didn’t like staying there because I was always moving and not with my proper carers.

When I came to Aberlour Sycamore, I thought I would get lost because it’s so big. I even got to pick my own room. I feel I have lots of different mumsand dads here because everyone cares for me. Sometimes that’s annoying, but it’s helped me so much.

Now I know it’s not my fault that I’m in care. I like staying where I am now.”

getting it right with aberlour sycamore

emily’s story.

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aberlour income and expenditure 2014/15

Expenditure

Charitable Activities£16,127,000

Costs of generating funds£720,000

Governance£35,000

Total£16,882,000

Income

Resources from Charitable Activities£14,489,000

Voluntary£1,984,000

Activities for generating funds£184,000

Investment£241,000

Other resources£119,000

Total£17,017,000

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Thank you to our Board of Directors. Valerie Surgenor Chair (from June 2014) and Chair of Nominations & Succession Committee

David Elder Vice Chair (from June 2014)

Tony Sinclair Chair of Finance Committee (appointed February 2015)

Professor Joyce Lishman Chair of Improvement, Audit & Risk Committee

Robert LindsayAndrew McFarlaneJanice West (resigned August 2014)

James Gilchrist (resigned November 2014)

Ron Robson (resigned February 2015)

John Jackson (resigned April 2015)

thank you

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Thank you to our generous supporters, including the many individuals, companies and community groups who continue to give so much. We are very grateful to all of our donors, particularly the following who have given over £10,000; Big Lottery Fund, Bristow, Cattanach Trust, Dinning Charitable Trust, Govan Housing Association (People and Communities Fund), Holywood Trust, Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland, McCrea Financial Services, Microsoft, Moffat Charitable Trust, National Voluntary Youth Organisation, RS Macdonald Charitable Trust, Robertson Trust, Sainsbury’s Bank, Scottish Government, STV Appeal, Tesco Bank, Third Sector Early Intervention Fund, Volant Charitable Trust, Weir Family Foundation.

thank you

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We are committed to getting it right for Scotland’s children. Are you?

Help us reach more children, young people and families by fundraising for Aberlour. There are lots of ways you can support our life-changing work.

Are you a thrill-seeker? Join Team Aberlour and sign up for one of our great challenge events.

Put the fun into fundraising by organising an activity with your club or group.

A charity partnership with your workplace can bring lots of rewards for you and your team.

Show your commitment to Scotland’s children of the future by leaving a gift in your Will.

Make a life-changing donation or give a regular gift on our website.

www.aberlour.org.uk

Aberlour Child Care Trust Scottish Charity no: SC007991 | Company reg no: SC312912 Registered Head Office: 36 Park Terrace | Stirling FK8 2JR T: 01786 450 335 | E: enquiries@aberlour.org.uk

aberlour children need your help.

Published January 2016

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/AberlourChildCareTrust @AberlourCCT

aberlour annual review 2014/15