Quarterly report to the board, July to September 2026, Tidewell Youth Housing

Quarterly board report template with a dashboard and decisions requested

A quarterly board report exists so directors can test performance against plan and make the decisions only they can make, without wading through operations. This six page report from the chief executive of a youth housing charity puts the four decisions on page one, then backs them with a ten measure dashboard, a finance summary and chart, and the top five risks.

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Report to the board
13 October 2026

Quarterly report, July to September 2026

First quarter of the 2026 to 27 year. For the board meeting of Tuesday 20 October 2026.

Prepared by
Hannah Okafor, Chief Executive
Date
13 October 2026
Tidewell Youth Housing · Quarterly report to the board · Q1 2026 to 27 · Board in confidencePage 2 of 6
Tidewell Youth Housing · Quarterly report to the board · Q1 2026 to 27 · Board in confidencePage 3 of 6
Tidewell Youth Housing · Quarterly report to the board · Q1 2026 to 27 · Board in confidencePage 4 of 6
Tidewell Youth Housing · Quarterly report to the board · Q1 2026 to 27 · Board in confidencePage 5 of 6
Tidewell Youth Housing · Quarterly report to the board · Q1 2026 to 27 · Board in confidencePage 6 of 6
1. The quarter in brief

Tidewell housed 64 young people aged 16 to 24 this quarter across 70 beds in six houses, against a target of 60. Occupancy averaged 92 percent and 11 of the 14 young people who left moved into stable housing. The quarter closed with an operating surplus of $38,200, $7,200 better than budget, because donations ran ahead of plan while staff costs ran over.

Two measures are off track. Case plan reviews completed on time fell to 81 percent against a 95 percent standard, and annualised staff turnover reached 22 percent. Both trace to the same cause: five youth workers left in the quarter, and their caseloads were spread across the team while roles were filled. Section 6 asks the board for four decisions, two of which respond to this.

64
Young people housed
92%
Average occupancy
$38,200
Operating surplus
4.1
Months of cash
Decisions requested at this meeting
D1 approve $46,000 from reserves to replace the roof at Elm Street house. D2 approve a youth worker retention allowance costing $29,400 a year. D3 endorse the approach to the contract renewal tender. D4 note the case plan recovery plan. Detail is in section 6.
2. Performance dashboard

The dashboard carries the same ten measures every quarter so the board can compare like with like. Status is On track when the measure meets target, Watch when it is within ten percent of target, and Off track otherwise.

Measure
Target
Q1
Prior qtr
Status
Housing and outcomes
Young people housed
60
64
58
On track
Average occupancy
90%
92%
88%
On track
Exits to stable housing
75%
79%
71%
On track
Young people in study or work
70%
66%
68%
Watch
Practice and safety
Case plan reviews on time
95%
81%
93%
Off track
Incidents reported
n/a
9
13
Reported
Complaints resolved in 20 days
100%
2 of 2
3 of 3
On track
People and money
Staff turnover, annualised
15%
22%
14%
Off track
Operating result against budget
$31,000
$38,200
$12,600
On track
Months of cash held
3.0
4.1
3.9
On track
Measure
Target
Q1
Prior qtr
Status
Housing and outcomes
Young people housed
60
64
58
On track
Average occupancy
90%
92%
88%
On track
Exits to stable housing
75%
79%
71%
On track
Young people in study or work
70%
66%
68%
Watch
Practice and safety
Case plan reviews on time
95%
81%
93%
Off track
Incidents reported
n/a
9
13
Reported
Complaints resolved in 20 days
100%
2 of 2
3 of 3
On track
People and money
Staff turnover, annualised
15%
22%
14%
Off track
Operating result against budget
$31,000
$38,200
$12,600
On track
Months of cash held
3.0
4.1
3.9
On track
Measure
Target
Q1
Prior qtr
Status
Housing and outcomes
Young people housed
60
64
58
On track
Average occupancy
90%
92%
88%
On track
Exits to stable housing
75%
79%
71%
On track
Young people in study or work
70%
66%
68%
Watch
Practice and safety
Case plan reviews on time
95%
81%
93%
Off track
Incidents reported
n/a
9
13
Reported
Complaints resolved in 20 days
100%
2 of 2
3 of 3
On track
People and money
Staff turnover, annualised
15%
22%
14%
Off track
Operating result against budget
$31,000
$38,200
$12,600
On track
Months of cash held
3.0
4.1
3.9
On track

Study or work participation slipped to 66 percent, inside the Watch band. Four young people finished a hospitality certificate in August and are job seeking; the measure counts them as not in study or work until they start. The nine incidents include no serious injury and no police attendance; all were reviewed by the practice lead within 48 hours.

3. Chief executive commentary
What went well

The sixth house, on Elm Street, reached full occupancy in its second quarter of operation, and it is the main reason housed numbers rose from 58 to 64. The partnership with the regional technical college produced the four certificate completions above, and the September appeal raised $41,800 against a target of $25,000, the best result in five years.

What did not

Five of 23 youth workers resigned this quarter, three of them to better paid government roles. Vacancies were covered by casual staff and by spreading caseloads, and case plan reviews fell behind as a result. Exit interviews named pay and the overnight roster as the main reasons. All five roles have now been filled, but new workers take about three months to carry a full caseload.

I would have stayed for an extra two thousand a year. The work is the reason I came and the roster is the reason I am going.
Youth worker, exit interview, August 2026, shared with consent
4. Finance summary

Income for the quarter was $541,700 against a budget of $528,000, and expenditure was $503,500 against $497,000. The government housing contract was paid in full. Donations and grants beat budget by $16,300 on the strength of the September appeal; staff costs overran by $13,600 because casual cover was paid at higher rates while roles were vacant.

Quarter to 30 September 2026
Actual
Budget
Variance
Income
Government housing contract
$412,000
$412,000
$0
Rent contributions
$58,400
$61,000
-$2,600
Donations and grants
$71,300
$55,000
+$16,300
Total income
$541,700
$528,000
+$13,700
Expenditure
Staff
$388,600
$375,000
-$13,600
Property and maintenance
$62,400
$66,000
+$3,600
Program costs
$31,800
$34,000
+$2,200
Administration
$20,700
$22,000
+$1,300
Total expenditure
$503,500
$497,000
-$6,500
Operating surplus
$38,200
$31,000
+$7,200

Variances are shown as favourable with a plus sign and unfavourable with a minus sign. The chart shows income and expenditure month by month. The gap widened in September, when the appeal income landed, and staff costs started to ease as permanent workers replaced casual cover.

Income and expenditure by month, $
  • Expenditure
  • Income
JulyAugustSeptember050K100K150K200K

Cash and term deposits stood at $688,000 on 30 September, equal to 4.1 months of average monthly expenditure of $167,800, above the board reserves policy of three months. If the board approves D1, cash falls to $642,000, or 3.8 months, still above policy.

5. Risks

The five risks below are the top of the risk register. Ratings combine likelihood and consequence on the board approved matrix; the change column compares with last quarter.

Risk
Rating
Change
Mitigation
Owner
Housing contract not renewed in June 2027
High
Same
Tender response planned from November; outcome data kept current
Chief Executive
Youth worker turnover stays above 15%
High
Up
Retention allowance (D2) and a revised overnight roster
Operations Manager
Roof failure at Elm Street house
Medium
Up
Replacement before summer storms (D1)
Property Officer
Reliance on one funder, 76% of income
Medium
Same
Two philanthropic grant bids lodged this quarter
Chief Executive
Personal information breach
Medium
Same
Client file access reviewed in July; staff training in November
Practice Lead
6. Decisions requested
D1
Approve the Elm Street roof replacement
Approve $46,000 from reserves to replace the roof at Elm Street house. Two quotes were obtained, at $46,000 and $51,500; the lower includes guttering. The October inspection found rusted sheets over two bedrooms. Cash after the payment is 3.8 months, above the three month policy.
D2
Approve a youth worker retention allowance
Approve a retention allowance of 3 percent of base pay for youth workers after twelve months of service, from 1 January 2027. On the current youth worker payroll of $980,000 a year the cost is $29,400 a year, or $14,700 in the rest of this financial year, funded from the donations surplus.
D3
Endorse the approach to the contract renewal tender
Endorse a tender response that bids for the current 70 beds and offers an option for 10 more at Elm Street, using the outcome data in this dashboard. The draft response comes to the December board meeting for approval before lodgement.
D4
Note the case plan recovery plan
Note that overdue case plan reviews will be cleared by 30 November 2026, with the practice lead taking six reviews a week until then and weekly progress reported to the chair. No board decision is required beyond noting.

Hannah Okafor, Chief Executive. Questions on this report can be raised with the chief executive before the meeting or taken at the meeting under item 4.

Section by section

What each section is for, so you can keep the ones you need and drop the rest.

Cover
Executive cover with the quarter, the meeting date, the author and the date of the paper.
1. The quarter in brief
Housing, money and the two off track measures, four headline figures and the decisions callout.
2. Performance dashboard
Ten measures in three groups with target, quarter, prior quarter and a rule based status.
3. Chief executive commentary
What went well, what did not and an exit interview quote on turnover.
4. Finance summary
Income and expenditure against budget, a monthly bar chart and cash against the reserves policy.
5. Risks
Five top risks with rating, change since last quarter, mitigation and owner.
6. Decisions requested
Four numbered items, three for decision and one to note, each with its cost.

How to adapt this document

First, rebuild the dashboard around your own purpose: a disability service would track support hours delivered and plan reviews, a sports club membership and volunteer hours, but keep the three groups of outcomes, safety and money. Second, if your board meets monthly, drop the commentary to half a page and carry the finance table year to date rather than for one month, because a single month moves too much to read. Third, for a company board rather than a charity, add a line for compliance with lending covenants and a short section on any matters for the next shareholder meeting, and keep the decisions page exactly as it is.

What makes this document work

The decisions are on page one

A callout under the headline figures lists D1 to D4 before any detail: the $46,000 roof, the $29,400 retention allowance, the tender approach and a recovery plan to note. Directors read the rest of the report knowing what they will be asked to decide.

Status follows a rule, not a mood

The dashboard says On track means at target and Watch means within ten percent, so study or work at 66 percent against 70 is Watch and case plan reviews at 81 against 95 are Off track. Nobody can soften a red into an amber.

Every decision carries its cost and its effect

D1 shows both quotes and that cash falls from 4.1 to 3.8 months, still above the three month reserves policy. D2 gives the full year cost and the part year cost and names the surplus that funds it.

Questions people ask

How long should a quarterly board report be?

Long enough to support the decisions and the board's oversight, and rarely more than ten pages plus appendices. This one runs to six including the cover. If a section is there only because it always has been, move it to an appendix or drop it. Directors read the first two pages closely and skim the rest, so put what matters there.

What is the difference between a decision and a noting item?

A decision asks the board to approve something it has the authority to approve, such as spending reserves or a pay change, and the minutes record the resolution. A noting item informs the board of something management is handling, like the case plan recovery plan in D4. Labelling each one stops the board debating operational detail it does not own.

Which measures belong on a board dashboard?

The few that tell directors whether the organisation is delivering its purpose and staying safe and solvent: outcomes for the people served, quality and safety, people and money. Ten is plenty. Keep the same measures every quarter, show the prior quarter beside each one, and agree targets with the board in advance so status is not argued at the meeting.

Should risks appear in every board report?

Yes, at least the top of the register, with any change since last quarter. The board is responsible for oversight of risk even when management runs the register. Showing direction of travel matters more than the full list: here two risks moved up this quarter, turnover and the roof, and both connect to a decision being requested.

When should board papers be sent out?

Most boards ask for papers about a week before the meeting, enough time for directors to read and send questions in advance. This report is dated Tuesday 13 October for a meeting on Tuesday 20 October. Papers that arrive the day before push directors to approve what they have not read, which is the opposite of oversight.

Can a staff quote go in a board report?

It can, when it is relevant, short and shared with consent, and nobody can be identified from it. Here one line from an exit interview shows the board why turnover rose in a way a percentage cannot. Avoid quotes that name or describe individuals, and never include anything about the young people the charity houses.

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