Annual Report 17-18

Our purpose at Young Epilepsy is to help create a society in which children and young people living with epilepsy can thrive and fulfil their potential, have their voices listened to and respected, and their ambitions realised.

Young Epilepsy's annual review looks at the range of work we have carried out over the course of the year. It explains how donations, contracts and fundraising activities have helped pay for our services. 

In the past year, we have continued to see excellent and improving outcomes for the young people at our school and college, as well as those accessing our national support services which we continue to develop.

Our Key Achievements

Education and Care Services

  • St Piers School, College, and residential services were all rated ‘Good’ by OFSTED and the CQC.
  • St Piers School was rated ‘Outstanding’ by Challenge Partners and received the Quality in Careers Standard.
  • 95% of EHCP targets were met at the College, and over 80% of school students met targets in English, Maths, and Science.
  • We supported 451 young people through outreach, with 90% reporting improved confidence in managing their condition.
  • Our helpline supported 356 young people, and 256 accessed our health services.

Research

  • We launched 8 new research projects, bringing the total to 27.
  • Highlights include:
    • Advances in neuroimaging for better diagnosis and surgical outcomes
    • Clinical trials on ketogenic diets and Cannabidiol for epilepsy
    • Completion of our education research programme focusing on practical interventions

Investing in Our People

  • We supported staff with vocational qualifications and mandatory training.
  • Managers undertook Level 5 Diplomas and communication training.
  • Staff completed postgraduate and diploma courses in neuropsychology, autism, yoga therapy, and health care.
  • Our staff attrition rate dropped from 30% to 18%, thanks to our development efforts.

Financial Overview

  • Total income: £25.2m, with £21.1m from local authority fees.
  • Donations and legacies rose by £1.6m, including two major legacies.
  • Total expenditure: £23.6m, down from the previous year.
  • We ended the year with a £2.5m surplus, restoring our free reserves to above target levels.

Looking Ahead

Our goals for next year include:

  • Improving student outcomes and aiming for ‘Outstanding’ OFSTED ratings
  • Managing the impact of Brexit, especially staffing
  • Launching a new national digital support service
  • Continuing our research into early interventions
  • Transforming our fundraising strategy to raise £1m+ in unrestricted income
  • Developing a new five-year strategy