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2020-12-31-accounts

Science Council Annual Report and Financial Statements

For the year ended 31[st] December 2020 Registered Charity no. 1131661

Science Council Reference and administrative details

Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

Contents

Page Title Page
Number
Reference and administrative details 2
Chair’s report 3-5
Chief Executive’s foreword 6-7
Board of Trustees’ Annual Report
Structure, governance and management 8-20
Achievements, performance and plans for future periods 21-35
Financial review 36-38
Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities 39
Independent auditor’s report 40-43
Statement of financial activities 44
Balance sheet 45
Statement of cash flows 46
Notes to the financial statements 47-58

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Science Council Reference and administrative details

Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

Reference and administrative details

Registered Office Fora Space, 71 Central Street, London, EC1V 8AB Charity number 1131661 Bankers HSBC 39 Tottenham Court Road London W1T 2AR Accountants Excluserv Limited 1 Fore Street Avenue London EC2Y 9DT Legal advisers Bates Wells Braithwaite 10 Queen Street Place London EC4R 1BE Auditors Kreston Reeves LLP 37 St Margaret's Street Canterbury Kent CT1 2TU Website www.sciencecouncil.org

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Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

Chair’s report

Welcome to the Science Council’s Annual Report 2020.

In the introduction to my report last year, I commented that the government had just announced sweeping measures to manage the impact of COVID-19 and that the world was looking to the scientific community to rise to the challenge that had been presented. I hope I speak for all of us when I say that the community went above and beyond, for example, creating a range of vaccines in a matter of months which are now being rolled out at pace in the UK and across the world. I am extremely proud of the science community, globally, for the collective effort to address the pandemic.

Safety first

As the impact of COVID-19 caused disruption to the Science Council’s business operations, the priority for the Board was to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of our staff and volunteers. From the beginning of the first lockdown staff moved to remote working, ceasing all non-essential travel and attendance at events and moving all our meetings online. The Board and its committees have also adapted well to a new way of working and although we are not currently meeting in person, this has not detracted from our ability to meet regularly and make important decisions regarding future investments in projects and activities to serve the community.

I am extremely proud of the way that staff, under Helen Gordon’s excellent leadership, have adapted to new working patterns while juggling home-life commitments. It is a testament to their professionalism and commitment that they have kept core services going and established new opportunities for Members to come together to share information. I would also like to praise the efforts of our Members who, in uncertain times, have continued to support registrants and the wider membership community. The long-term impact of COVID-19 on our Members and the wider scientific workforce will no doubt be significant, and the Science Council will continue to champion the profession and provide the space for the community to come together.

Financial investment

During 2020, our focus was on planning for the future with the Board approving a two-year investment package to enable increased support for Members and registrants, and to enhance the visibility and awareness of the Science Council, the work of scientists and the benefits of professional registration. This will also help to raise our profile and impact among employers, policy makes and other key stakeholders. More information about these initiatives will be communicated in due course. The Science Council Board will keep the financial impact of COVID-19 under review over the course of 2021.

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Science Council Reference and administrative details Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

Almost business-as-usual

On behalf of the Board, I am grateful to the Gatsby Charitable Foundation for the continued support for our work to raise the profile and value of technical education routes for the technician workforce. Although activity in this area has been hampered by COVID-19, we have worked hard to put in place the infrastructure over the last 12 months so we can continue to advance this important work over the coming years.

COVID-19 has given us the impetus to think more creatively about the shape and delivery of our activities to support Members and registrants. I know from speaking to a number of Members that the new networks created in the wake of the pandemic have been greatly appreciated. Our ability to bring the community together in such times demonstrates the unique value that professional bodies receive from membership of the Science Council.

Future focus

2020 was a year that elevated equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) within social and political agendas. There is still so much more that the Science Council and its Members can do to make the profession more inclusive. I was pleased therefore that the Board strongly reaffirmed its commitment to EDI as a priority for the Science Council and established an EDI steering group to lead on reviewing the Science Council’s own progress and goals. The group is being expertly chaired by trustee and diversity champion, Rachel Lambert-Forsyth.

Departures and welcoming new faces

This year we said goodbye to three trustees; Dr David Boyce, Professor Patrick Kniveton and Dr Pantea Lotfian, all of whom have enabled the Science Council to move forward with vision and purpose and have been part of a collective effort to re-engage with our Members and the wider science community in recent years. We also said goodbye to Nick Whitaker, who served as Chair of the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee for five years. Nick contributed a tremendous amount to the Science Council during his time with us. I would like to extend a personal thank you to them all for their support during my time as Chair.

In 2020, we welcomed three new trustees to the Board: Catherine Ross, Dr Paula Haynes and Philippa Martinelli. I am confident that they will be strong additions to the Board and will bring a valuable range of skills and expertise over the coming years. In September, the Board appointed Dr Chris Westcott to succeed Nick Whitaker as Chair of the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee. As a former trustee of the Science Council, Chris’s understanding of the Science Council and community that it serves means that he is well-placed to take the Committee forward.

Thank you

As always, and on behalf of my fellow trustees, I would like to thank all our Members, volunteers and the Gatsby Charitable Foundation for their support for the Science Council over the past year. I look forward to working together over the next year to help continue to deliver our strategy. I look forward to seeing many of you in person later in the year.

This is my final report as Chair of the Board of Trustees as my term of office will come to an end in September 2021, having been elected to the Board in 2016 and taking over as Chair in 2018. I would like to personally thank my fellow trustees, both current and past, for the support they have given me during my

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Science Council Reference and administrative details Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

time as Chair and for their commitment to the Science Council. Thank you to all Members who have had the confidence in me to lead the Science Council over the past three years.

It has been an eventful few years for the Science Council and I envisage that it will continue to grow in stature and influence and I believe this can be achieved by working in concert with the community that it serves. I have enjoyed every moment and I hope my successor can take the charity on to bigger and better things.

Dr Helen Pain, Chair of the Board

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Science Council Reference and administrative details Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

Chief Executive’s foreword

2020 was undoubtedly a year to remember as responding to the pandemic coincided with a busy year of development at the Science Council. It was a year of unprecedented challenge for many across our membership network and yet a time when a greater understanding of the contribution of science and the science workforce to humanity, grew.

With a clear sense of purpose driving activities, the team successfully switched to remote working in March 2020 and ensured continuity of services to Members and registrants, with all services moving online. A year of working remotely has prompted us to think differently about how we work and when it is important to come together, online and face to face. With this new insight and mindset of adaptability, we are best placed to flex with further challenges, and indeed take advantage of opportunities, and to build on what we do for and with Members. Remote working also led to some savings during 2020, which, in addition to previous years’ retained income, is being put to good use in 2021 across a range of activities such as development of policy, events management and marketing and communications activity, plus a much-needed survey of registrants to inform our activities going forward.

New opportunities for Members to come together for support and exchange of ideas and information around topics such as events, policy and membership plus marketing and communications, were rapidly put in place and ran regularly through the year. These networks were warmly received and so these additional benefits for Members will continue.

In a year where the spotlight has been firmly on science, and with so many fantastic case studies to draw on across our community of registrants, our social media presence increased, the aim being to promote the value of registration and the contribution of science to society.

The Science Council continued with its review of standards and associated documentation and completed this on time, for implementation through 2021. License reviews were suspended for a year to give our licensed bodies more time to deal with immediate pressures arising from the pandemic. The Board also considered the pilot of a new “license lite” model which has proved successful and is the precursor to a new Development License due to be launched in 2021.

The Science Councils’ commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion remains strong, particularly evidenced in our support for the use of the EDI progression framework across our Membership community. But there is much more to do as we aim to move from being reactive to a more anticipatory organisation. Our newly formed EDI group has an ambitious agenda for action through 2021.

We are grateful for ongoing support from the Gatsby Foundation for the Technician Commitment programme which continues successfully, and for supporting the new Technical Pathways programme which commenced at the start of 2020. A warm welcome to Richard Holliday, Varshini Rajkumar and Tom Cheek who were appointed to lead the Technical Pathways work.

The Science Council works with and for its Members. Our work is dependent on your engagement and support and we are grateful for all that you do in collaboration with us.

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Science Council Reference and administrative details Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

A final thank you to the team, the Board and our volunteers for unending energy, resilience, commitment and vision.

Helen Gordon, Chief Executive

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Science Council Reference and administrative details Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

Trustees’ Annual Report

The Board of Trustees presents its annual report and the audited financial statements for the year ending 31[st] December 2020.

Structure, governance and management

The Science Council was established under Royal Charter in October 2003 and was registered as a charity with the Charity Commission in September 2009. Amended Bylaws received a Privy Council seal in January 2021.

Our Purpose

The Science Council’s charitable purpose as stated in its Royal Charter is to promote the advancement and dissemination of knowledge of and education in science, pure and applied, for the public benefit. To fulfil this purpose, the Science Council advances professionalism in science through the professional registration of members of the scientific workforce who meet a high professional standard and competence, and follow an established code of conduct, and provides a forum to connect members for discussion and information exchange, and for joint action where appropriate. This supports our Members in furthering their own commitment to advance science for the public’s benefit.

The President

The President is the public face of the Science Council with key stakeholders, representing the Science Council at the highest level with governments, parliaments, industry, universities, scientific and engineering institutions and other public and voluntary bodies. The President uses their experience to champion the science profession; promote the value of professional body membership and registration; and amplify the collective voice of our Members. Following Bylaw changes approved by Members at the 2020 Annual General Meeting, the President is now elected by Member Bodies for an initial two-year term and is eligible for election for one further consecutive term of up to two years. Previously the President was elected for a four-year term with no option for re-election. Professor Sir Keith Burnett FRS retired as President at the end of 2020. Following an extensive recruitment process Professor Carole Mundell was elected as President in April 2021.

The Board of Trustees

The Board is collectively responsible for the long-term success of the Science Council, and in partnership with the Council’s constituent members it sets the charity’s values, standards, aims and objectives and oversees their delivery in line with the Objects of the Royal Charter. The Board is responsible for ensuring that the organisation functions within the legal, regulatory and financial requirements of a registered charity, but delegates close scrutiny of its governance policies and activities to the relevant subcommittees.

Trustees are not remunerated for their role. Each trustee submits a Register of Interest form on appointment and submits an updated form annually and declares any potential conflicts of interest at each Board meeting. The Code of Conduct for Trustees sets out the most common types of conflict and how the Board manages any direct or indirect financial and non-financial conflicts.

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Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

The Board met six times during 2020, all but once online. Unsurprisingly, the Board spent more time than usual on risk assessment, and on supporting the Chief Executive and staff in continuing to deliver on our strategic objectives, supporting Members and ensuring the welfare of staff. Of particular importance this year was a review of the Science Council’s progress and goals for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion; updating the registration standards and licensing documentation; development of a new licensing model; and succession planning for the President, Chair of the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee, and Vice Chair of the Board.

One of the most significant decisions made by the Board was to approve a two-year strategic investment programme to invest in activities to support growth in the Science Council’s effectiveness and impact. The investment will be resourced by our reserves in excess of our reserves target of £250,000.

Membership

Chair

Dr Helen Pain CSci CChem (appointed September 2018) New Members

Continuing Members Catherine Ross (appointed June 2020) Adam Donnan, Vice Chair (elected June 2017) Dr Paula Haynes (elected September 2020) Jonathan Gorvin (elected June 2017) Philippa Martinelli (elected September 2020) Simon Toms (elected June 2017) Departures Ruth Kaufman (elected September 2018) Dr David Boyce ( retired April 2020 ) Mark Finnie, Honorary Treasurer (elected September 2018) Professor Patrick Kniveton (retired September 2020) Dr Arthur Nicholas (elected September 2018) Dr Pantea Lotfian (retired September 2020)

Dr Arthur Nicholas (elected September 2018) Joan Ward (elected September 2018) Rachel Lambert-Forsyth ( elected June 2019 )

Trustee recruitment

The Board ensures that at least 60% of Elected Trustees are employees or members of Member Bodies and no more than 40% are elected from outside the membership. Trustees are elected by Members. The Nominations Committee ensures that the process for the recruitment of trustees is open, transparent and follows the procedures set out in the Bylaws and Regulations. It also leads on the process to identify nominees and potential appointments and co-options to fill skills gaps. At any one time the Board may have a maximum of twelve Elected Trustees and three Appointed Trustees. Appointed Trustees are appointed by the Board if it considers that there is a need for additional skills and expertise. They serve for a term of one year, which can be renewed annually up to three consecutive terms. The Board can also coopt members to fill up to two Elected Trustee vacancies that may arise between General Meetings.

Trustees are elected to serve in their capacity as individuals, not as representatives of organisations, interest groups or sectors. Following amendments to the Bylaws in 2020, Elected Trustees now serve

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Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

three-year terms, with the opportunity to seek re-election for a further three-year term. The Chair of the Board is a trustee and is appointed by the Board of Trustees for an initial three-year term, with the opportunity to seek re-appointment for a further three-year term. At the end of 2020, in addition to the Chair of the Board, there were ten Elected Trustees and one Appointed Trustee.

In May, the Board appointed Professor Patrick Kniveton as Vice Chair of the Board to support Dr Helen Pain in her role. Following Professor Kniveton’s retirement from the Board in September 2020, Adam Donnan was appointed as Vice Chair of the Board. In September, Rachel Lambert-Forsyth was appointed as the Board’s Diversity Champion. While all trustees take responsibility for ensuring that the impact on diversity is fully considered in all decisions by the Board, the Diversity Champion has particular responsibility for promoting, encouraging and embedding EDI across Science Council activities and ensuring that consideration of diversity matters remain a priority for the Board and subcommittees. Rachel Lambert-Forsyth will also chair the EDI steering group, which the Board established towards the end of the year to review the Science Council’s progress, goals, and activities on EDI matters.

Board Diversity

The Board firmly believes that a diversity of views and perspectives is vital to making informed decisions, and it places great value in the knowledge and insight that individuals from within and outside of our membership bring to Board-level discussions. The Board seeks to have a diverse range of individuals on its Board and committees in terms of protected characteristics, backgrounds and experiences. Trustees come from a variety of different scientific and other professional disciplines and hold or have held a variety of responsibilities across industry, public sector and civil society. The Board is currently 58% female. To identify the skills and knowledge it needs and inform future recruitment, the Board conducts an annual skills audit.

Trustee induction and training

All new trustees are expected to participate in trustee induction sessions; all current trustees have completed an induction session. Throughout the year, trustees are encouraged to attend subcommittee meetings, undertake training, and attend conferences and events to equip them with the knowledge needed to discharge their duties. However, trustees’ attendance at external events was severely curtailed this year due to COVID-19.

Charity Governance Code

The Board is committed to assessing its performance to identify its strengths and areas in which improvements are needed. To this end, over the course of 2021, the Board will be reviewing its performance against the small version of the Charity Governance Code. Following the review, an action plan will be created, which will identify areas where the Science Council performs well so that good practice can be maintained, as well as areas where improvements in performance and effectiveness can be made.

The Trustees believe they have fully complied with their duty in the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to guidance published by the Charity Commission.

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Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

Sub-committees of the Board

Finance, Audit and Risk Committee

The Board is advised on matters relating to the adequacy and effectiveness of the Science Council’s arrangements for accountability, risk management, control and governance by the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee (FAR). The Committee is responsible for overseeing the Science Council’s relationship with its external auditor and annually reviewing its role and performance. The Board has full responsibility for the Science Council’s system of internal control; however, oversight for this is delegated by the Board to the FAR. The Committee reports on its work to trustees at every Board meeting.

The Committee is chaired by independent Chair, Dr Chris Westcott, who was appointed in September 2020, succeeding Nick Whitaker, who retired in January 2021 after 5 years in the role. Dr Westcott was appointed to the Committee as an independent member in May 2019, prior to which he served on the Board of Trustees and FAR Committee from 2016 to 2019. Membership comprises of trustees (who are considered independent members if they are neither an employee nor member of a Science Council Member Body) and non-trustee independent members. Non-trustee independent members must have recent, relevant financial, accounting or risk management expertise. The Chair and members of the Committee are appointed by the Board for an initial three-year term. The Honorary Treasurer is an exofficio member of the Committee.

The Committee held five meetings during 2020 and has undertaken each of its principal responsibilities, carrying out a number of reviews and receiving relevant reports from the external auditors, external accountants and management. The Committee dedicated significant time to reviewing the specific risks posed by COVID-19 to the Science Council’s operations and financial sustainability. A dedicated COVID19 risk register was created at the beginning of the year, which identified the risks posed by COVID-19 to key operations and mitigations in place, which, towards the end of the year was integrated into the Science Council’s corporate Risk Register as the immediate impact of the pandemic became known. The corporate risk register itself underwent a root and branch review to ensure that it aligned more with our current strategy and annual corporate objectives.

The Chair of the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee is not a trustee but attends Board Meetings in their capacity as Chair of the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee.

Membership

Membership
Chair New Members
Dr Chris Westcott_(appointed September 2020)_ Dr Paula Haynes_(appointed November 2020)_
Continuing Members Dr Arthur Nicholas_(appointed May 2020)_
Professor Patrick Kniveton_(appointed February 2020)_ Departures
Ian Bong_(appointed Nov_ 2018) Nick Whitaker_(retired September 2020)_
Mark Finnie_(appointed July 2019)_ Dr Ray Kemp_(retired September 2020)_
Ruth Kaufman_(appointed September 2019)_

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Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

Nominations Committee

The Nominations Committee ensures that the Science Council has formal, rigorous and transparent procedures for appointments and re-appointments to the Board and its committees, appointment of the President and the Chief Executive. The Committee reports on its work to trustees at every Board meeting.

Membership is comprised of trustees appointed by the Board. The Committee held seven meetings during 2020 Its work focusing primarily on succession plans for the next President of the Council; the Chair of the Board of Trustees; the Chair of the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee; the Vice Chair of the Board; and the Board’s Diversity Champion. In the New Year, the Committee will be focusing on the recruitment of the next Chair of the Board to succeed Dr Helen Pain who retires in September 2021.

Membership

Chair

Simon Toms (appointed Dec 2018)

Continuing Members

Departures

Dr Pantea Lotfian (retired September 2020) Professor Patrick Kniveton (retired September 2020)

Rachel Lambert-Forsyth (appointed February 2020)

New Members

Jonathan Gorvin (appointed September 2020)

Catherine Ross (appointed September 2020)

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Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

Registration Authority

The Board is advised on matters relating to the professional registers by the Registration Authority. It is responsible for upholding the standards of the professional registers, ensuring that all scientists and science technicians meet high professional standards. The Committee is chaired by Dr Hilary Jeffreys. Membership comprises of employees and volunteers from Licensed Bodies. The Chair and members of the Committee are appointed by the Board and serve for initial terms of four and three years, respectively. Representatives from the Engineering Council and the Society for the Environment attend as observers.

In 2020 the Registration Authority met five times. Its key activities over the year included reviewing and updating the existing licence documentation into an Evidence Framework, reviewing the standards for each Register and for CPD requirements and developing a new model of licence (the ‘Development Licence’) to enable smaller professional bodies to access the registers where they do not have the infrastructure to undertake a full licence.

The Chair of the Registration Authority is not a trustee but attends Board Meetings in their capacity as Chair of the Registration Authority.

Membership

Chair

Dr Hilary Jeffreys CSci (appointed May 2019)

Continuing Members

Kevin Bown CSci (appointed July 2015)

Dr Peter Barrett CSci (appointed Dec 2018)

Dr Jason Owen CSci (appointed Dec 2018)

Dr Glynn Skerratt CSci (appointed July 2018)

Jocelyn Price CSci (appointed July 2018)

Dr Samantha Cooper CBiol (appointed December 2018)

Joan Ward (appointed October 2018)

New Members

Richard Needham CSciTeach (appointed May 2020)

Departures

Corinne Stevenson (retired May 2020)

Professor Neville Punchard CBiol (appointed July 2018)

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Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

Sub-committee of the Registration Authority

Registration Assessment Committee

Reporting to the Registration Authority, the Registration Assessment Committee advises on matters relating to quality assurance for the assessment of applications that come through the online application process (CAP), and on the training and development for assessors, trainers and applicant supporters to ensure consistency of standards across the Science Council’s registers. To ensure that the Registration Assessment Committee has expertise across all science disciplines and registers, the Registration Authority began the process of recruiting additional members to the Committee.

In 2020, the Registration Assessment Committee met four times. Areas of work covered over the year included, but were not limited to, volunteer and assessor recruitment and training requirements for each of the different registers and implementing a more robust quality assurance process which included the recruitment of a Quality Assurer, Bob Windmill, who is a former member of the RAC.

Membership

Chair

Kevin Bown CSci (reappointed August 2018)

Continuing Members

Matthew Wood RSci (appointed November 2019) Dr Steven Hale CSci (appointed November 2019) Lee Shunburne CSci (appointed November 2019)

New Members

Richard Warhurst RSci (appointed September 2020) Sheri Scott CSci (appointed September 2020) Dr Hayley Tripp CSci (appointed September 2020) Samantha Gaunt RSci (appointed September 2020) Sumant Gadge RSci (appointed September 2020) Bob Windmill CSci (appointed September 2020)

Departures

Dawn Alderson CSci (retired December 2019) Alan Harper CSci (retired August 2020) Nick Hubbard CChem (retired August 2020) Claire Pollard CSci (retired August 2020) Ann West CSci (retired August 2020) Adam Workman CSci (retired August 2020) Bob Windmill CSci (retired January 2021)

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Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

Management

Office location

The Science Council is located at Fora Space, 71 Central Street, London, EC1V 8AB.

Science Council staff at year-end

e Council staff at year-end e Council staff at year-end e Council staff at year-end e Council staff at year-end
Bob Windmill
Professional Registration Quality Assurer
Brian Wagenbach
Member Engagement		 Manager
Charlie Cantwell
Marketing and Communications Officer
Hayley McNeil
Senior Registration Officer
Helen Gordon
Chief Executive
Jane Banks
External Relationships Manager
Kelly Vere
Higher Education Engagement Manager
Mary Murray
Registration and Licensing Team Administrator
Oliver O’Hanlon
Governance Manager
Richard Holliday
Head of Technical Pathway Development
Richard Prescod
Corporate Services Manager
Simon Breeden
Associate Lead for Technician Commitment
Tanya Vina
Registration and Licensing Manager
Tom Cheek
Apprenticeship Lead
Varshini Rajkumar
T-level/HQT Lead

As part of the work being supported by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation grant, Kelly Vere, Director of Technical Skills and Strategy at the University of Nottingham, continues to be seconded as Higher Education Engagement Manager, working to encourage higher education and research institutions to grow the community of Technicians Commitment Signatories and Science Council Employer Champions. Kelly was awarded an MBE in the 2021 New Year Honours list, recognising her services to Higher Education.

In January 2020, Richard Holliday was appointed as Head of Technical Pathway Development on secondment from the Royal Society of Chemistry, to lead on the Gatsby-funded project seeking to enhance technical routes into the sciences by further integrating professional registration standards into apprenticeships, T Levels, and higher technical qualifications. In 2020, Tom Cheek and Varshini Rajkumar were appointed Apprenticeship Lead and T-level/HTQ Lead respectively to support the delivery of the Technical Pathways programme.

In January 2021, Senior Registration Officer, Hayley McNeil left the Science Council to return to New Zealand. Following a formal recruitment process, Yasmin Finch was appointed as the new Senior Registration Officer.

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Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

The number of staff increased in 2020, predominantly due to recruitment to support the Technical Pathways project. Despite this, and in response to COVID-19, we reduced our office space by over half in October, making significant in-year savings. There are no immediate plans to increase office space, and longer-term we envisage that most staff will work remotely on a permanent basis, only meeting in-person for formal meetings and when face-to-face meetings are necessary. This will pose its own challenges, particularly relating to the health and safety of staff, but we envisage that this will help with staff retention and when necessary, will enable us to recruit from a far wider talent pool than hitherto.

The Science Council also works closely with several outsourced staffing functions. Human resources, IT and finance are all provided by specialist companies which support the charity to reach its objectives.

Health and safety

The health and safety (H&S) of our staff and volunteers is paramount at all time, no more so than during a global pandemic. Day-to-day responsibility for H&S is delegated to the Chief Executive, with oversight of arrangements for H&S delegated by the Board to the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee. In 2020, staff reported no incidents or near-misses while working in the office or working at home. At the start of the first lockdown, staff were equipped with the necessary office equipment to enable them to perform their roles and there has been regular contact with staff to ensure as much as possible that working conditions at home are appropriate. We continue to pay for eye tests and contribute to the cost of glasses for work purposes if needed. Our landlord, Fora provides information on health and safety measures it has put in place for individuals working on premises.

Regarding mental health and wellbeing, staff are encouraged to discuss their concerns at team meetings and in one-to-one meetings with their line manager or the Chief Executive. As part of their annual appraisal, staff are asked for their views on whether their working environment is having an impact on their mental and physical health and well-being. Two members of staff are trained Mental Health First Aiders. Acknowledging that some staff may not be comfortable discussing mental health issues with colleagues, we will be providing staff with more information about where they can go to access professional and confidential information and support.

Up to this point we have not implemented a formal H&S reporting format, but one will be introduced in 2021 to give staff the confidence to raise any concerns they have about their working arrangements to the relevant person. The Finance, Audit and Risk Committee will continue to have oversight of H&S arrangements and will report twice-yearly to the Board.

Data protection

In October, a data protection consultant was employed to undertake an audit of our policies and documented systems against the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018. Significant improvements have been made across all departments since the last audit, which was conducted in April 2019. There were some outstanding issues highlighted by the consultant, particularly around volunteer management and training, and records management that we will be taking forward in 2021. All new staff members undergo GDPR training, and all staff undergo refresher training every two years. At the end of the year, all staff had completed GDPR training.

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Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

In February 2021 we received accreditation from the National Cyber Security Centre, which demonstrates to those organisations and individuals with which we work, particularly our Members and registrants, that we have taken essential precautions to protect ourselves and the data that we hold against cyber threats.

Appraisal and remuneration

Employees’ performance is appraised annually, and executive pay is reviewed annually. Increases are normally linked to inflation. In setting executive pay, the Board benchmarks against similar bodies including Member Bodies. This process recognises that, while the Science Council itself is a small organisation, its role as a membership body creates additional skill demands.

Science Council volunteers at year-end

The Science Council draws on the support of volunteers for its committees, licensing and registration activities, and events; over 200 individuals have given their support in this way during 2020. We are always grateful for the time and dedicated service that our volunteers give to us, particularly this year.

In addition to trustees and committee members, there are two volunteer programmes managed by the Science Council: Registration Assessors and License Reviewers. Assessors are skilled professionals who give their time and experience to assess applications for professional registration through the Common Application Process. They are recruited through an open application process and undergo induction and training before becoming Assessors. License Reviewers are staff and volunteers of Licensed Bodies with expertise in the operation of the Science Council’s licenses; they are trained to act as peer reviewers, helping to carry out the license review process under the guidance of the Registration Authority. The Registration Authority ensures that License Reviewers do not review licenses of any Licensed Body of which they are an employee or member.

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Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

Member Bodies of the Council

Full Council and General Meetings

The Board of Trustees is answerable to the Council of Member Bodies. Member Bodies elect the President and Elected Trustees; receive and consider the Annual Report and Financial Accounts; appoint and determine the remuneration of the auditors; approve applications for membership: approve amendments to the Bylaws and Charter: and approve amendments to the membership fee. The Science Council normally holds three General Meetings per year and Members are entitled to send two representatives to General Meetings.

The first General Meeting of the year was due to be held in late March. However, owing to the impact of COVID-19 and social distancing measures that were put in place, it was not possible for this Meeting to be held in person. Members met as the full Council only once during 2020. This was the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in September, where proposed amendments to the Bylaws were approved. Professor Sir Keith Burnett FRS attended his last AGM as Science Council President and provided his insight and perspective on the likely long-term challenges for UK science and the role of professional bodies in meeting those challenges.

Membership fee

Member Bodies pay an annual membership fee to the Science Council, which normally rises in line with inflation. The fee is calculated based on the number of paying members in a Member Body’s membership. From this figure students, overseas members who are not registrants and retired members are excluded. The fee in 2020 was £0.81 (2019: £0.81) per qualifying individual member. In January 2021, the fee increased to £0.82 and will increase in 2022 from £0.82 to £0.83. Up to and including 2021, the maximum membership fee will remain capped at 30,000 qualifying individual members. The minimum membership fee will remain at £750, which is charged if a member has fewer than 943 qualifying members. From 2022, the upper and lower membership fee cap will also rise in line with inflation. This means that Members with 30,000 or more individual paying members will pay £24,450 per annum; Members with fewer than 943 individual paying members will pay £756 per annum.

Membership criteria

The Regulations set out the criteria for membership of the Science Council. The criteria are as follows:

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Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

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Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

At the end of 2020, the total number of Member Bodies was 34.

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Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

Achievements, performance and plans for future periods

Strategy 2019-2022

Registers and Licenses

The Science Council acts as guardian of the registration standards, managing the registers on behalf of members and licensing them to award professional registration. In order to promote high standards of professionalism across all areas of science, the Science Council works with members to make the registers available as widely as possible.

Our goals are to administer the professional registers in a manner in keeping with the culture of peerreview, maintaining standards and supporting accessibility, and to promote the value of professional registration and grow the number of registrants, with a particular focus on technicians and increasing awareness of professional registration options for technicians.

Community and Membership

The Science Council’s strength comes from its broad membership across disciplines and professions and an ability to be multi- and inter-disciplinary in its approach. We take an inclusive approach to membership and welcome all qualifying organisations committed to high professional standards in science.

Our goal is to support the collective work of members for the benefit of science and the profession.

Policy and Influence

Collectively the Science Council’s members connect to a broad community of scientists, technicians, science teachers, students and trainees. Many member bodies actively engage with policy makers, lending their expertise to maximise the value of science to society. The Science Council can coordinate, showcase and amplify these voices to increase impact.

Our goal is to maximise the influence of all members and create an inclusive and professional culture in science.

Our values and guiding principles

The Science Council aims to meet the highest standards in all that it does. Our values and guiding principles define how the Science Council engages with its employees, volunteers, members, registrants, the wider science community and society in general. The Science Council operates with four key values and guiding principles in mind.

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Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

Statement on Public Benefit

The Board of Trustees is mindful of its responsibility to ensure that the Science Council, as a charity, acts for the benefit of the public. The Science Council provides public benefit[1] as a charity by advancing science and science education, and advancing equality, diversity and inclusion in science. Trustees always ensure that the activities undertaken by the Science Council are in line with its charitable objectives and believe that they have complied with their duty in accordance with the UK Charities Act 2011 to follow the Charity Commission’s guidance on the operation of this public benefit.

Investment for long-term sustainability

The Science Council launched the Chartered Scientist (CSci) register in 2003. By 2004 nearly 10,000 individuals had become Chartered Scientists, the majority of which were individuals professionally registered with other professional bodies, who, by extension qualified for CSci. Since 2006, the registrant acquisition rate has plateaued to around 600 per year. There was a small spike in registrant numbers after we launched the technical registers in 2011. However, the longer-term trend has not been one of an overall increase in the number of registrants.

One of the primary risks facing the Science Council is our dependency on three income sources: membership fees, license fees and registration fees, with registrant fees representing a significant proportion of annual income. Within that income from Chartered Scientist registration is around 60% of total annual income. However, the age profile of these registrants is older that other registers, with many reaching an age over the next decade or so at which chartership becomes less of a requirement. Without attracting young and young-in-career scientists to become professionally registered, and maintain their registration, the age profile of our register will continue to increase.

To achieve financial sustainability, a significant step-change in registrant acquisition is needed. This includes raising the Science Council’s profile and working in concert with our Members and other organisations to attract more people to the registers and embed registration into technical education routes.

To achieve this, in December, the Board approved a two-year investment package, funded from retained earnings to increase our support for Members and registrants to enhance the visibility and awareness of the Science Council, the work of scientists and the benefits of professional registration. One of the most significant activities that we will be undertaking in 2021 for the first time is a comprehensive survey of registrants to inform the development of our services and marketing strategy. Establishing a clearer understanding as to the value of registration will be vital in providing us with the information, we need to shape our longer-term marketing and communications. With greater understanding of the potential market,

1 https://sciencecouncil.org/about-us/strategy/public-benefit/

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Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

we can develop clearer and more targeted content and marketing, and new services that enhance the value that registrants and Members get from the Science Council.

Other key features of our investment plans include, increasing our brand and digital marketing activity to enhance support for promotional campaigns in collaboration with our Members and Employer Champions; enhancing our programme of online networks for registrants and Members in service of the delivery of our value proposition; escalating our policy and influence work to increase our influence at the national level; and continuing to place equality, diversity and inclusion at the heart of all that we do.

With a more compelling membership offer we expect to be able to attract more professional bodies into membership, which, in turn will help increase our registrant pool.

All of this work is of course not a short-term fix, and in economically tougher times, there is always a risk that returns on investment may take longer than envisaged. However, the opportunities offered to us to further our objectives and improve long-term sustainability and impact are well worth pursuing.

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Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

Registers and licensing

Licensing

Licensing and professional registration are central to the Science Council’s aim of advancing professionalism in science. By bringing together professional bodies, the Science Council connects the science community, creating opportunities to share learning around registration and professional development, encouraging a culture of professionalism, and promoting the value of continuing professional development.

The Science Council grants licences to professional bodies within its membership to admit their own individual members to the professional registers. A licence is granted by the Board of Trustees when a Member Body can demonstrate that it meets the required criteria and standards. Licensed Bodies are subject to periodic review by the Registration Authority. The reviews provide the Board with assurance that Licensed Bodies are upholding the standards for the award of the professional designations for which they have been licensed.

One new licence was awarded in 2020, with the Institute of Physics being awarded a licence to award its members Chartered Scientist. One licence review took place at the beginning of 2020, but due to the impact of COVID-19 and expected difficulty in carrying out licence reviews online, the Registration Authority took the decision to extend all licences by 12 months to reduce the burden on Licensed Bodies at a time when many were experiencing significant financial and administrative pressures across their business activities. Given the importance that the Science Council places on the maintenance of licensing standards, the Registration Authority required all Licensed Bodies to submit an annual report in 2020. The report was used to provide the Registration Authority with assurances that Licensed Bodies continued to administer their licence appropriately and identify where Licensed Bodies required additional support. Licence reviews will recommence from April 2021.

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Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

Inspired by the success that other membership organisations in science have had in piloting online license reviews, the Science Council will be conducting online licence reviews in 2021. It is hoped that this will increase Licensed Bodies’ engagement and participation in the process, as well as reduce travel costs and environmental impact at a time when the Science Council and its Members are looking at ways to reduce operational costs, but not at the expense of operational delivery. Over the course of 2021, licence reviewers will undergo additional training to prepare them to be able to conduct online reviews.

In 2020 the licence fee was at £2,500 for one licence, £3,500 for two or three licences, and £4,500 for four licences. From 2021, the licence fee will increase to £2,535 for one licence, £3,549 for two/three licences, and £4,563 for four licences.

In 2020 the licence fee was at £2,500 for one licence, £3,500 for two or three licences, and £4,500 for four
licences. From 2021, the licence fee will increase to £2,535 for one licence, £3,549 for two/three licences,
and £4,563 for four licences.		 In 2020 the licence fee was at £2,500 for one licence, £3,500 for two or three licences, and £4,500 for four
licences. From 2021, the licence fee will increase to £2,535 for one licence, £3,549 for two/three licences,
and £4,563 for four licences.		 In 2020 the licence fee was at £2,500 for one licence, £3,500 for two or three licences, and £4,500 for four
licences. From 2021, the licence fee will increase to £2,535 for one licence, £3,549 for two/three licences,
and £4,563 for four licences.		 In 2020 the licence fee was at £2,500 for one licence, £3,500 for two or three licences, and £4,500 for four
licences. From 2021, the licence fee will increase to £2,535 for one licence, £3,549 for two/three licences,
and £4,563 for four licences.		 In 2020 the licence fee was at £2,500 for one licence, £3,500 for two or three licences, and £4,500 for four
licences. From 2021, the licence fee will increase to £2,535 for one licence, £3,549 for two/three licences,
and £4,563 for four licences.
Licensed Body
RSci Tech
RSci
CSci
CSciTeach
Association of Anatomical Pathology Technology
Association for Clinical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine
Association for Science Education
Association of Neurophysiological Scientists
Association for Simulated Practice in Healthcare
British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences
British Psychological Society
British Society of Soil Science
Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management
College of Podiatry
Geological Society
Institute of Biomedical Science
Institute of Corrosion
Institute of Food Science and Technology
Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology
Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining
Institute of Mathematics and its Applications
Institute of Physics
Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine
Institute of Science and Technology		 ✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓		 ✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓		 ✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓		 ✓

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Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

Institute of Water
Institution of Chemical Engineers
Institution of Environmental Sciences
Nuclear Institute
Operational Research Society
Royal Society of Biology
Royal Society of Chemistry
Royal Statistical Society(left membership April 2020)
The Organisation for Professionals in Regulatory Affairs		 ✓
✓
✓
✓		 ✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓		 ✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓		 ✓
✓

Developing new license models

Building on findings of the 2018 task and finish groups, the Registration Authority oversaw the start of the Licence Lite pilot. Licence Lite is aimed at smaller organisations that do not yet have the infrastructure to administer their own licence but provide them with the ability to offer their individual members professional registration. Through support from the Science Council, organisations will develop their internal

infrastructure and progress to a full licence after no more than two years. The pilot was conducted with the Association for Simulated Practice in Healthcare and Association of Anatomical Pathology Technology and ended in November 2020, with the Board approving the new model in December 2020. From January 2021, the model will be promoted as a ‘Development Licence’, priced at £1,000, only available to new Members, with progression after two years to a full licence.

Review of the Professional Standards and the Evidence Framework

Throughout 2020 the Registration Authority completed a review of the professional standards for each of the four registers to ensure that they remain rigorous and relevant. The review process involved various surveys to assessors and our Licensed Bodies and the creation of four task and finish groups that focused on each register as well as our equivalency routes. The Registration Authority will begin its next phase of the standards review in 2021 which will involve looking at other key topics such as the value of professional registration, improving our CSci and CSciTeach offer, retaining professional registration when no longer professionally active, equivalency routes with other professional registers and accreditation. In 2020 the Evidence Framework was also approved and this document will outline all the licence requirements for our Licensed Bodies.

CPD and CPD Awards

Professional registration for the scientific workforce recognises high standards of professionalism and competence; a commitment to keeping skills and knowledge up to date; and accountability to codes of conduct that ensure the responsible application of science for the benefit of society. All registrants are required to declare annually that they continue to meet the Science Council’s standards for CPD

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Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

(Continuing Professional Development), with Licensed Bodies auditing at least 2.5% of their registrants CPD records.

Formed in 2009, the CPD Learning Group brings together representatives from Licensed Bodies to develop and share good practice among Licensed Bodies in the monitoring and support of registrants’ CPD. The Learning Group is chaired by Dr Samantha Cooper CBiol. The CPD Learning Group met four times in 2020 and contributed to the review of our CPD standards. The group will transition to a Registration and Licensing Learning Group in 2021 to provide Licensed Bodies with a forum to share best practice in all areas of their licence. This group will also help Licensed Bodies to transition to the new Evidence Framework by discussing key areas of the licensing requirements.

This year also marked the sixth year of the CPD Awards which was delivered online, and the winners in each category were announced over the course of one week. The Awards are designed to celebrate the continuing professional development (CPD) efforts and achievements of registrants from across the registers and offer them recognition for their broad and diverse range of professional activities. A full list of winners can be found on our website.

Registrant numbers

Professional registration for scientists and science technicians recognises high standards of professionalism and competence; a commitment to keeping skills and knowledge up to date; and accountability to codes of conduct that ensure the responsible application of science for the benefit of society. All registrants are required to declare annually that they continue to meet the Science Council’s standards for CPD (Continuing Professional Development), with Licensed Bodies auditing at least 2.5% of their registrants CPD records.

The primary channel for promoting the Science Council’s registers is through our Licensed Bodies. Complementing this, the Common Application Process helps the Science Council to promote registration directly to individual scientists and science technicians working in the UK. This enables applicants to apply for professional body membership and registration concurrently with one of our Licensed Bodies.

Registrant numbers at Year End 2020 2019
Chartered Scientist (CSci) 8,930 9,435
Chartered Science Teacher (CSciTeach) 260 239
Registered Scientist (RSci) 1,069 950
Registered Science Technician (RSciTech) 530 533
Total 10,798 11,157

Total registrant numbers at year-end were 10,789, down from 11,157 at 2019 year-end. There will be several reasons for this decline, including the retirements and the impact of COVID-19, but there is more for us to do to better understand the drivers for this attrition.

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Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

We know that employers’ views of professional registration is a key driver of registration, so working more in concert with employers through the Employer Champion and Technician Commitment programmes can help to stimulate growth in registrant numbers. Longer-term, we envisage that the Technical Pathways project will also increase registrant numbers. The two-year investment programme agreed by the Board also aims to stimulate growth in the registers through the raising the visibility and awareness of the Science Council and the benefits of professional registration.

Enhancing Technical Pathways

In January 2020 we embarked upon an ambitious project, generously funded by the Gatsby Foundation, to build the prestige of technical education in the sciences and embed our professional registration, particularly RSci and RSciTech into technical education pathways. Working on such pathways as apprenticeships, T Levels and higher technical qualifications, we are looking to enable learners graduating from those programmes to use the knowledge and skills they have developed in those programmes to contribute towards their professional registration. We established a technical pathways programme board to provide oversight to the project, which is chaired by Vice Chair of the Board, Adam Donnan. The programme board is made up of key stakeholders including professional bodies, training providers and employers.

The first 12 months of the project focused on developing and implementing systemic and infrastructure changes to embed the registers into the pathways. The technical pathways programme board has consequently developed numerous models for achieving this, which have been refined and developed into a coherent strategy. We have also been working collectively with the professional body community and created a technical education forum to exchange ideas and foster collaboration.

For apprenticeships, we will be making a judgment as the extent to which achieving the knowledge, skills and behaviours contained within particular apprenticeships contribute to the eligibility and competency requirements of RSci or RSciTech. Where apprenticeships have been judged to fully align, we will implement a shortened application form for RSci or RSciTech making registration a much simpler process and utilising the skills and knowledge that has been verified through the apprenticeship.

For T Levels, we aim to create the environment for learners to begin their RSciTech application during the T Level with a view to submission post-T Level once more experience has been acquired. With both apprenticeships and T Levels we have the ambition of developing and promoting a co-ordinated professional body membership offer for those learners that begin on such programmes. This will enable learners to gain support from their professional body during their programme of study and introduce them to the importance of professionalism and ongoing professional development.

Our main aims for 2021 are, working with professional bodies, to begin to implement the apprenticeship and T Level models that have been developed with a view to the first apprentices applying for professional registration (under the new model) and a membership offering being in place by the autumn months. We will also be exploring further how the higher technical qualifications can lead to RSci and RSciTech and what role the Science Council along with professional bodies may have in protecting the standards of these qualifications.

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Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

The Employer Champion programme

The Employer Champion Programme is designed to grow the careers of scientists and science technicians by supporting employers to promote the benefits of professional registration to their scientific staff.

In February, we awarded Employer Champion status to the University of Edinburgh, bringing the number of Employer Champions to 30. However, employer engagement was significantly challenged this year due to COVID-19, and the award made to the University of Edinburgh was the only one made this year. Anticipating that employers would reconsider the working practices of their staff during lockdown, the Science Council moved its Professional Registration workshops online to continue to provide those interested in professional registration with the confidence and motivation to begin their professional registration journey. Between April and December 2020 over 600 delegates had attended one of our Professional Registration workshops.

In the autumn, a review of the Employer Champion Programme, 5 years after its inception, was undertaken with the aim of ensuring that the programme continues to provide value and delivers on its intended objectives. The review concluded that the best part of the Employer Champion programme is the provision of a framework that supports employers to grow the professional develop of their employees through registration with a timetable of activity. Following the review, two new activities were launched; an Employer Champion Forum to facilitate peer networking and the sharing of best practice, and a quarterly newsletter.

At the end of 2020 there were 30 Employer Champions.

Affinity Water Suez
Anglian Water Thames Water
AWE The Francis Crick Institute
Cardiff University University of Bristol
CPL Life Science University of Exeter
Element Technology Ltd (formerly Exova) University of Edinburgh
John Innes Centre University of Liverpool
Imperial College London University of Leeds
Kings College London University of Manchester
MRC Harwell University of Nottingham
National Laboratory Service University of Reading
Newcastle University University of Sheffield
Nottingham Trent University University of Strathclyde
Open University Welsh Water
Radioactive Waste Management Wessex Water

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Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

The Technician Commitment

Launched in 2017, the Technician Commitment is a university and research institution initiative, led by a steering group of sector bodies, with support from the Science Council and the Gatsby Charitable Foundation. The Commitment identifies four key areas to improve and safeguard vital technical skills in higher education and research: visibility, recognition, career development and sustainability for technicians working in higher education and research, across all disciplines. A year on from signing up to the Commitment, signatories are required to complete a self-assessment exercise and submit a two-year action plan to the Technician Commitment Steering Board.

Despite the challenges presented by COVID-19, the Technician Commitment continues to go from strength to strength and now stands at 91 signatory institutions, with a number of sector-supporter organisations. A list of signatories can be found on the Technician Commitment website.

Highlights from 2020 include:

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Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

Technician Commitment Steering Group

The Technician Commitment has a very engaged and active Steering Group with representatives from:

Advance HE Office for Students BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT Science Council Careers Research & Advisory Centre Ltd (CRAC) UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Engineering Council Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) Gatsby Charitable Foundation University of Nottingham King’s College London Wellcome Trust Medical Research Council (MRC)

The Science Council would like to thank the Gatsby Charitable Foundation for its support.

Future plans

As part of the two-year investment package agreed by the Board in December, we will be undertaking a comprehensive survey of registrants in 2021 to inform the development of our services and marketing strategy. York Consulting LLP (YCL) has been commissioned to undertake the survey, which has been prepared in collaboration with our Members. We will also be increasing our brand and digital marketing activity to enhance support for our promotional campaigns, aimed at increasing the visibility and profile of the Science Council and registration.

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Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

Community and membership

Member engagement

Member engagement and our support of the Member community increased significantly across all Science Council activities last year. In response to COVID-19, new networks were established, meeting online on a regular basis. Established networks such as the CEO and Leaders Forum continued to meet, albeit online and provided a valued space for leaders across our membership to share experiences and approaches to managing during this critical time. We launched an Event Manager Network in partnership with the Institution of Environmental Sciences, which provided opportunities for Members to share their approaches to moving activities and events online, including experiences of using various online platforms, approaches to innovation, pricing and creating value.

We also launched a Membership Manager Network, members of which reported a mixed picture on the impact that COVID-19 had had on their operations. While some Members saw an increase in their membership, others saw a decrease; a clearer picture of the impact of COVID-19 will not be known until after we have received membership data in 2021. We received very positive feedback from our Members that we were able to provide them with new opportunities to stay connected across member communities. These networks will continue to be part of our membership offer moving forward.

Diversity, Equality and Inclusion

Plans were progressed to begin establishing a diversity, equality and inclusion steering group to inform and support Science Council activities for Members, trustees, and staff. We continue to work closely with and deliver support to our Members in partnership with the Royal Academy of Engineering. The Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Progression Framework was reviewed and updated ahead of being release to Members in January 2021 with further Benchmarking undertaken in the spring and reports produced in the summer. Workshops on D&I data and well as an introduction to the changes for the Framework 2.0 were held. It is

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Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

hoped more detailed quantitative and qualitative diversity data will emerge from professional body members and registrants, which will inform future strategies and plans to support the science professions to become more diverse and inclusive.

The STEMM-Disability Advisory Committee, of which the Science Council is a member, is merging with Athena Forum. The Science Council has been invited to join Athena Forum as an observer for 12 months before being invited to join as a full member.

The Science Council joined the PARN EDI SIG (Professional Association Research Network, Equality Diversity and inclusion Special Interest Group), which will be a source of information and resources to support our work in this area.

Future plans

As part of the two-year investment package we will continue to offer and enhance our programme of online networks for Members and registrants, and will be recruiting to the team to further our reach and capacity to deliver online activities that Members value.

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Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

Policy and influence

This year, as part of the suite of new networks convened to support our Members, we established a quarterly policy forum for individuals across our membership interested in policy to come together to determine the way forward for our policy activities. The forum met for the first time in the autumn 2020.

We welcomed Dr Francis Wragg from the University of Nottingham to the Science Council in the autumn. Dr Wragg undertook 8 days’ work experience to research both the external science policy landscape and engage with several of our Members to better understand the policy environment through the lens of our membership community, large and small. This activity culminated in a report produced in 2021 that will inform policy activity going forward.

The Science Council Board agreed the development of the Science Council’s policy function to grow the delivery of a cohesive policy strategy in line with the Science Council strategic plans to represent scientists and science technicians across the four nations. In February 2021, Ryan Mercer was recruited into the Policy Officer role.

The Science Council participated in the following events across 2020, exhibiting, speaking and or facilitating: Lab Innovations, the Institute for Science and Technology conference, The Times Higher Education virtual conference, and The Times Higher Education Awards. We were disappointed not to participate at the SLS Show due to COVID-19, however, we look forward to working with the team at SLS to make the 2023 Show an even bigger and better event.

Influencing and informing

As a membership organisation, our advocacy role goes beyond the aim of influencing government policy. Our social media platforms and website give us the opportunity to amplify our Members’ activities and messages, maximising the impact and reach of the community. 2020 saw an increase in activity across all

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Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

our communications channels. A number of internal reports were produced throughout the year to analyse and continue to improve our work in this area. All of our other social media channels performed very well throughout the year and our posts have consistently received a high level of engagement. Success on social media was largely driven by the Showcasing Science Campaign and Women in Science Podcast series.

As of the end of December 2020, we had:

5,305 Twitter followers 596 Instagram followers 2,093 LinkedIn followers

Our website and newsletter continue to be important channels for us. Our website has been consistently well visited throughout the year and we posted a range of news articles, blogs and event posts. The highest number of visitors we received to the site was in. We reached 416,390 total website views in 2020 (347,631 unique views), which was an increase of 12% from 2019. Views peaked towards the end of summer, again largely due to the Showcasing Science campaign and technician survey.

International Day of Women and Girls in Science

To celebrate International Day of Women and Girls in Science we produced 48 podcasts, featuring over 50 female scientists, the majority of which came from biological or healthcare industries, ranging in their career level, from trainee & apprentice level to Chief Executive.

Showcasing Science

In the summer, we launched our Showcasing Science campaign to showcase the wide-reaching impact of science behind COVID-19. The initiative was a collaborative effort from the Science Council and over 11 partner organisations collated the experiences, research and stories of scientists across the scientific industry.

Future plans

As part of the two-year investment package we will be escalating our policy and influence work, looking to increase our influence at the national level with and for our Members, and raise our profile with decisionmakers, contributing positively to the science community’s policy voice, particularly around the science workforce and professional standards.

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Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

Financial Review

Results for the year

Income for the year totalled £847,023 (2019: £795,130). After total expenditure of £780,826 (2019: £706,038) the year’s activities showed a surplus of £66,197 (2019: surplus £89,092) which, when accumulated with the funds brought forward from previous years, leaves the Science Council with total funds at the year-end of £858,641 (2019: £792,444). This is represented by unrestricted funds of £846,641 (2019: £780,444) and restricted funds of £12,000 (2019: £12,000).[2]

Reserves Policy

The reserves policy was reviewed in April 2020 and the Board has taken the view that it is appropriate to maintain a minimum reserve level of at £250,000. The known uncertainties and risks to income as a result of COVID-19 have been taken into consideration and the Board considers this level as appropriate for the reported financial period. In setting this level the Board took account of risk to income, and legal and contractual obligations. The Science Council’s reserves policy focuses on the level of free reserves, which excludes the net book value of the Council’s fixed assets. The Council seeks to maintain free reserves to manage the risks to which it is exposed in the course of its business, including but not limited to safeguarding against fluctuations in its income from membership, licensing and registration. The target range for free reserves is calculated annually as part of the budget process on the basis of the financial impact of the current risks facing the Council.

A significant proportion of the two-year strategic investment programme agreed by the Board will be funded from our reserves. During 2021, the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee will keep the reserves level under review and evaluate the efficacy of the current methodology used to calculate how the reserves level is set. The Council’s free reserves, less fixed assets were £837,795 at 31 December 2020 (2019: £780,033). This is clearly substantially higher than the target minimum.

Statement on COVID-19

The Science Council’s operations were significantly affected by COVID-19, causing some disruption to our charitable activities in service of our Members and registrants. In line with the governmental requirements, all non-essential travel and attendance at events for staff and volunteers was stopped and staff were directed to work from home. In addition, we moved all of our internal and external meetings online. Staff are planning to continue with working remotely for the majority of the rest of 2021. We envisage that all of our meetings will continue to operate online for the rest of the year and will only meet in person when it is safe to do so. On a positive note, the move to working online has increased engagement across our membership community.

It continues to be difficult to predict the true operational and financial impact of COVID-19 on the charity, but with healthy reserves and prudent financial management, we are confident that current operations are

2 The comparative split for restricted income and expenditure is shown in Notes 2 to 6.

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Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

sustainable in the medium-term. We continue to evaluate the cost and benefit of our programme of activities and adopt mitigation measures to minimise any negative impact on our operations.

Fundraising Practices

The Science Council does not fundraise directly from the general public and does not engage external fundraising support. Grant funding is occasionally sought for specific projects and such fundraising activity has been undertaken by Science Council employees. This was the case for the grant awarded by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation in 2019 for the purpose of promoting professional registration for technicians.

Investment Policy

In May 2020, the Board approved an investment policy for the Science Council. The investment objectives are to ensure funds are available when they are likely to be required by the Council; capital preservation; manage counterparty risk by investment with institutions / products with a credit rating of AAA- or above; and generate a return at least in line with inflation. Investments will be managed with the view of minimising the risk of negative returns in excess of 10% in any 12-month period. The Board has agreed that if any funds are likely to be required in the next three years, they should not be invested in products where the underlying asset value fluctuates. The Board will review this policy on an annual basis, or sooner if required, and will delegate responsibility for overseeing investment decisions to the Finance and Risk Committee. In light of uncertainties relating to the long-term impact of Covid-19, the Board will review the suitability and timing of investments when there is greater certainty in the market.

Risk Review

The Finance, Audit and Risk Committee undertakes a rolling review of the Risk Register, ensuring that all areas are covered over the course of the year. The Register aims to provide management with a comprehensive tool to identify, assess and manage real-time risks to the Science Council, including outlining steps being taken to mitigate risks and identifying further action needed to mitigate risks further. The Board is continuously mindful of the risk of a significant loss of support from Member and Licensed Bodies, as would be expected for a membership organisation. Management monitors engagement levels and continuously reviews the relationships.

The Risk Register underwent a root and branch review in 2020 and updated to align more with the current strategy and annual corporate objectives. To achieve greater involvement and ownership from staff, a risk register workshop was held in mid-October where staff members discussed current risks and mitigations, agreed a process for updating the register, and agreed ownership responsibilities. Moving forward, staff will come together quarterly to review the high-level risks and will review the register in its entirety annually.

Over the course of the year the Board considered the high risks to which the Science Council is exposed, primarily relating to the impact of COVID-19; the potential impact and probability associated with each risk; existing internal controls and accountability for them; and mitigating actions to reduce the level of risk.

37

Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

Principal Risks

At year-end key areas of risk identified include:

Risk area Risk area Steps taken to manage risk
Value Proposition agreed by Members in 2019 guides
activity; technical pathways programme underway to
support Members raise their membership offer to
The value that Members place on Science
Council registration does not attract, retain and
grow the register leasing to charity being
unable to grow and achieve strategic
objectives.		 technicians.; Employer Champions and Tech
Commitment projects working with higher education to
raise value of registration; review of registration
standards and license documentation by the
Registration Authority over 2020 with Member
involvement, and alternative license models being
piloted with interested Members; Science Council
continued promotion of registers via newsletter, social
media, new/updated print materials.
Relationship with Members and partner
organisations does not lead to registrant
growth. Science Council seen as less relevant
and inhibiting growth.		 Management completed data reconciliation exercise
to give accurate picture of registrant numbers;
Registration and Licensing team identifying registrant
trends across Licensed Bodies; delivery on the value
proposition adopted by Members; cross-membership
collaboration to improve technician pathways, raising
profile of the Science Council and value of
professional registration.
Science Council uses widely used software packages;
IT systems fails to meet operational needs and multiple corporate and personal Zoom accounts in
complete dependency on current IT providers use; electronic files stored in the Cloud; staff's IT and
means business interruption to delivery of office equipment needs are regularly reviewed and
member services and other operational and any shortfalls addressed, with all staff being given
governance requirements. corporate laptops; Emergency and Business
Continuity Plan in place and annually tested
Office downsized by 50% in 2020 and 50% reduction
in F2F meetings to reduce financial pressure; Regular
I&E forecasting by CEO / Honorary Treasurer,
reported to FAR Committee; broad Member support
Dependency on few income sources means
the business model is not sustainable		 for current membership model; new data return
template aimed at ensuring income from Members is
accurate re: data/registrant numbers; Licensed Bodies
give 12 months' notice of license termination to
mitigate sudden reduction in income; registrants given
12 months to transfer to another Licensed Body;
License Lite model agreed by the Board in December.

38

Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities

The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

The law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the Charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:

The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the Royal Charter. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The Trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the Charity and financial information included on the Charity’s website.

On behalf of the Board

Dr Helen Pain, Chair of the Board

Mark Finnie, Honorary Treasurer

Date: 12/05/2021

39

Science Council Statement of financial activities Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

Independent auditor’s report to the Trustees of the Science Council

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of The Science Council (the ‘charity’) for the year ended 31 December 2020 which comprise the Statement of Financial Activity, Balance Sheet and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 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:

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 charity 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

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charity's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

Other information

The other information comprises the information included in the trustees annual report, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. 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.

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 course of the audit

40

Science Council Statement of financial activities Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. 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.

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 require us to report to you if, in our opinion:

Responsibilities of trustees

As explained more fully in the trustees’ responsibilities statement [set out on page …], the trustees 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 trustees 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 trustees are responsible for assessing the charity’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 trustees either intend to liquidate the charity or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

We have been appointed as auditor under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 and report in accordance with regulations made under section 154 of that Act.

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.

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The specific procedures for this engagement and the extent to which these are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below:

Based on our understanding of the charity and industry, and through discussion with the directors and other management (as required by auditing standards), we identified that the principal risks of noncompliance with laws and regulations related to health and safety, anti-bribery and employment law. We considered the extent to which non-compliance might have a material effect on the financial statements.

41

Science Council Statement of financial activities Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

We also considered those laws and regulations that have a direct impact on the preparation of the financial statements such as the Companies Act 2006 and taxation legislation. We communicated identified laws and regulations throughout our team and remained alert to any indications of non-compliance throughout the audit.

We evaluated management’s incentives and opportunities for fraudulent manipulation of the financial statements (including the risk of override of controls), and determined that the principal risks were related to management bias in accounting estimates and judgemental areas of the financial statements. Audit procedures performed by the engagement team included:

There are inherent limitations in the audit procedures described above and the further removed noncompliance with laws and regulations is from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, the less likely we would become aware of it. Also, the risk of not detecting a material misstatement due to fraud is higher than the risk of not detecting one resulting from error, as fraud may involve deliberate concealment by, for example, forgery or intentional misrepresentations, or through collusion.

Because of the inherent limitations of an audit, there is a risk that we will not detect all irregularities, including those leading to a material misstatement in the financial statements or non-compliance with regulation. This risk increases the more that compliance with a law or regulation is removed from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, as we will be less likely to become aware of instances of non-compliance. The risk is also greater regarding irregularities occurring due to fraud rather than error, as fraud involves intentional concealment, forgery, collusion, omission or misrepresentation.

As part of an audit in accordance with ISAs (UK), we exercise professional judgment and maintain professional scepticism throughout the audit. We also:

42

Science Council Statement of financial activities Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

We communicate with those charged with governance regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit and significant audit findings, including any significant deficiencies in internal control that we identify during our audit.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the charity’s trustees, as a body, in accordance with Part 4 of the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charity’s trustees 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 charity and the charity’s trustees as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Kreston Reeves LLP

Chartered Accountants Statutory Auditors Canterbury

]

Date:

43

Science Council Statement of financial activities Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

Statement of financial activities

Note
Income and endowments from:
Donations and legacies
2
Charitable activities
3
Other trading activities
4
Investments
5
Total income and endowments
Expenditure on:
Charitable activities
6
Total expenditure
Net income / (expenditure) and net
movement in funds
Reconciliation of funds:
Total funds brought forward
15
Total funds carried forward
15		 2020
2019
Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
funds
Total
Total
£
£
£
£
156,746
-
156,746
166,542
545,365
144,641
690,006
627,872
-
-
-
41
271
-
271
675
702,382
144,641
847,023
795,130
636,185
144,641
780,826
706,038
636,185
144,641
780,826
706,038
66,197
-
66,197
89,092
780,444
12,000
792,444
703,352
846,641
12,000
858,641
792,444

44

Science Council Statement of Cash Flow Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

Balance Sheet

Balance Sheet
Note
Fixed assets
Tangible assets
9
Current assets
Debtors
10
Cash at bank and in hand
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
11
Net current assets
Total assets less current liabilities
Charity Funds
Unrestricted funds
15
Restricted funds
15
Total charity funds
16		 2020
2019
£
£
8,846
411
50,456
32,201
868,037
806,378
918,493
838,579
68,698
46,546
849,795
792,033
858,641
792,444
846,641
780,444
12,000
12,000
858,641
792,444

These financial statements were approved by the Board members on 12/5/2021 and were signed on their behalf by:

Dr Helen Pain, Chair Mark Finnie, Honorary Treasurer

The accounting policies and notes on pages 47-58 form part of these financial statements.

45

Science Council Statement of Cash Flow Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

Statement of cash flows

Statement of cash flows
Note
Net cash flow from operating activities
17
Cash flow from investing activities
Payments to acquire tangible fixed assets
Interest received
Net cash flow from investing activities
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents at start of period
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period
Cash and cash equivalents consists of:
Cash at bank and in hand
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period		 2020
2019
£
£
71,038
62,472
(9,650)
-
271
675
(9,379)
675
61,659
63,147
806,378
743,231
868,037
806,378
868,037
806,378
868,037
806,378

46

Science Council Notes to the Financial Statements Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

1. Accounting policies

The Science Council is a charity incorporated in England and Wales by Royal Charter (RC000784). Its registered office is Fora Space, 71 Central Street, London, EC1V 8AB. The charity meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS102.

The accounts have departed from the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 only to the extent required to provide a true and fair view. This departure has involved following the Statement of Recommended Practice for charities applying FRS 102 rather than the version of the Statement of Recommended Practice which is referred to in the Regulations, but which has since been withdrawn. The accounts are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.

Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note(s).

These accounts for the year ended 31 December 2020 are the sixth accounts of The Science Council prepared in accordance with FRS 102, The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland. The date of transition to FRS 102 was 1 January 2015.

Fixed assets

Fixed assets with a cost of up to £500 (including computer equipment) and/or those purchased in relation to a fixed term project, are written off in the year of purchase. All other fixed assets are capitalised and depreciated to write off the cost of the asset, less any residual value, over its useful economic life. Website development costs are written off in the year in which they are incurred.

Provision is made for depreciation on the following bases:

Computer equipment 33% straight line Fixtures and fittings 25% straight line Office equipment 25% straight line

Debtors

Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered and provision for bad and doubtful debts. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts etc.

Cash at bank and in hand

Cash at bank and cash in hand includes cash and short term highly liquid investments with a short maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition or opening deposit or similar account.

47

Science Council Notes to the Financial Statements Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

Creditors and provisions

Creditors and provisions are recognised where the Charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts etc.

Taxation

The Council has been granted charitable status for tax purposes with effect from 10 February 2004, therefore there is no Corporation Tax liability on surpluses arising or investment income applied for charitable purposes only. The Council has no output eligible for Value Added Tax.

Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the Board members in furtherance of the general activities of the organisation and which have not been designated for other purposes. Where a donor has specified a particular purpose for a grant or donation, the income is shown as restricted income in the Statement of Financial Activities. Any such income unexpended at the year-end is shown as a restricted fund in the balance sheet.

Incoming resources

All incoming resources are recognised by the Council during the year when the criteria of entitlement, certainty of receipt and ability to be measured have been met.

Gifts in kind

Gifts in kind received towards projects and activities are included as grant income (Note 2). The total value of such gifts during the year was £0 (2019: £7,140).

Resources expended

Expenditure is accounted for on the accruals basis. Direct costs comprise costs that are wholly attributable to that activity; support costs are apportioned to activities on the basis of analysis of staff time. Governance costs are those associated with the running of the Council itself.

Financial instruments

The Council 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 Council’s balance sheet when the Council 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.

48

Science Council Notes to the Financial Statements Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

Basic financial assets

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.

Basic financial liabilities

Basic financial liabilities, including creditors 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 receipts 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 operations 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.

Derecognition of financial liabilities

Financial liabilities are derecognised when the charity’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.

Pension scheme

The Council does not maintain a staff pension scheme but, instead, contributes to individual staff personal pension plans. The Council’s auto enrolment date was 1 February 2017.

Leasing commitments

Rentals payable under operating leases are included in expenditure on a straight-line basis over the period of the lease.

Going concern

While the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been assessed by the trustees so far as reasonably possible, due to its unprecedented impact on the wider economy, it is difficult to evaluate with any certainty the potential outcomes on the charity’s activities, its members, registrants and suppliers. However, taking into consideration the UK Government's response, its range of measures to support businesses and the charity’s own reserves and planning, the trustees have reasonable expectation that the charity will continue its activities for the foreseeable future.

49

Science Council Notes to the Financial Statements Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

Critical accounting estimates and judgements

In the application of the charity’s accounting policies, the trustees 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.

The trustees do not believe there to be judgements or estimates that would be considered critical to the financial statements.

50

Science Council Notes to the Financial Statements Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

2. Donations income

2. Donations income
Membership
Gifts in Kind		 Unrestricted
Restricted
Total
Total
Funds
Funds
2020
2019
£
£
£
£
156,746
-
156,746
159,402
-
-
-
7,140
156,746
-
156,746
166,542

All income received in 2020 and 2019 was unrestricted.

3. Charitable activities income

. Charitable activities income
Professional registration and development
Professional pathways / Grants / Donations
/ Contracts		 Unrestricted
Restricted
Total
Total
Funds
Funds
2020
2019
£
£
£
£
545,365
-
545,365
563,703
-
144,641
144,641
64,169
545,365
144,641
690,006
627,872

Income in the form of contracts, grants, project contributions and gifts was £144,641 (2019: £64,169) of which £144,641 (2019: £64,169) was restricted and £0 (2019: £0) was unrestricted. Income for Professional Registration was all unrestricted in 2020 and 2019.

4. Other trading income

4. Other trading income
Shop income
Consultancy fees		 Unrestricted
Restricted
Total
Total
Funds
Funds
2020
2019
£
£
£
£
-
-
-
41
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
41

All income received in 2020 and 2019 was unrestricted.

51

Science Council Notes to the Financial Statements Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

5. Investment income

. Investment income
Interest – deposits Unrestricted
Restricted
Total
Total
Funds
Funds
2020
2019
£
£
£
£
271
-
271
675
271
-
271
675

All income received in 2020 and 2019 was unrestricted.

6. Charitable expenditure

Activities
Professional registers and
professionalism
Professional Pathways (Gatsby
funded)
Membership support and activities
Policy, Promotion and Public
Affairs
Total resources expended 2020		 Direct
Other
Staff
Direct
Support
Total
Total
Costs
Costs
Costs
2020
2019
£
£
£
£
£
198,594
61,228
97,973
357,795
328,966
41,798
102,843
-
144,641
60,294
50,950
6,508
78,899
136,357
155,331
50,950
6,508
84,575
142,033
161,447
342,292
177,087
261,447
780,826
706,038
261,173
111,709
333,156
706,038

Expenditure on charitable activities was £780,826 (2019: £706,038) of which £144,641 was restricted (2019: £60,294) and £636,185 unrestricted (2019: £645,744).

52

Science Council Notes to the Financial Statements Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

7. Support costs

Total Total
2020 2019
£ £
Staff costs (note 8) 56,760
61,157
Other staff costs 10,333 8,710
Premises costs 65,220
96,008
Office and administration costs 51,492
68,639
Professional fees 1,785 2,309
Depreciation 1,215 2,185
Governance 74,642
94,148
261,447
333,156
Support costs are apportioned to charitable activities in relation to staff time.
Expenditure includes: 2020 2019
Auditor’s remuneration 6,570 6,372
Prior year under accrual - 2,726
6,570 9,098
. Staff costs
2020 2019
£ £
Wages and salaries 408,531
342,644
Social security costs 39,407
33,718
Other pension costs 18,451
13,759
Staff training 6,491 7,293
Recruitment 6,033 2,830
478,913
400,244

8. Staff costs

53

Science Council Notes to the Financial Statements Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

The average number of employees

The average number of employees
2020 2019
10 9
The following number of staff received emoluments in the year in the bands: 2020 2019
£100,000 - £109,999 1
£110,000 - £120,000 1 -

The Trustees and certain senior employees and consultants who have authority and responsibility for planning, directing and controlling the activities are considered to be key management personnel. As referenced in Note 13, the Trustees received no remuneration for carrying out their duties. The payments to other senior employees total £117,588 (2019: £101,460).

9. Tangible assets

Cost or valuation
1st January 2020
Additions
Disposal
31st December 2020
Depreciation
1st January 2020
Charge for year
Eliminated on disposals
31st December 2020
Net Book Value
31st December 2019
31st December 2020		 Fixtures &
Fittings
Office
Equipment
Computer
Equipment
Total
£
£
£
£
3,445
889
9,618
13,952
9,650
9,650
(1,663)
-
(3,569)
(5,232)
1,782
889
15,699
18,370
3,445
889
9,207
13,541
-
-
1,215
1,215
(1,663)
-
(3,569)
(5,232)
1,782
889
6,853
9,524
-
-
411
411
-
-
8,846
8,846

54

Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

10. Debtors

12. Leases
Between 0-1 years
Between 1-5 years
Later than five years
Debtors (subscriptions and professional registration)
Other debtors
Prepayments and accrued income
Staff loan
11. Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
Trade creditors
Deferred income and accruals
Taxation and social security costs
Other creditors		 2020
2019
£
£
9,360
38,280
-
-
-
-
9,360
38,280
2020
2019
£
£
39,101
8,817
2,600
6,380
8,755
13,814
-
3,190
50,456
32,201
2020
2019
£
£
35,661
11,477
14,905
18,993
13,019
10,520
5,113
5,556
68,698
46,546

13. Remuneration and expenses of trustees

The Trustees receive no remuneration for carrying out their duties. £1,231 (2019: £6,107) was paid to 12 Trustees (2019: 14) for expenses incurred in relation to attendance at meetings.

55

Science Council Notes to the Financial Statements Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

14. Related party transactions

Related party transactions are transactions related to Board member interests and exclude membership subscriptions, registrant fees, grants and project contributions. There were no related party transactions in the reporting period.

15. Charity Funds

Unrestricted funds

Unrestricted funds
Balance at 1 January 2020
Net movement in funds
As 31 December 2020		 2020
2019
£
£
780,444
658,314
66,197
122,130
846,641
780,444
RESTRICTED FUNDS 2020
Gatsby Professional Pathways Fund
Gareth Roberts Memorial Lecture
Total
RESTRICTED FUNDS 2019
Gatsby Professional Pathways Fund
Gareth Roberts Memorial Lecture
Total		 Balance
Brought
Forward
Net
Incoming
Resources
Resources
Expended
Balance
Carried
Forward
£
£
£
£
-
144,641
(144,641)
-
12,000
-
-
12,000
12,000
144,641
(144,641)
12,000
33,038
64,169
(97,207)
-
12,000
-
-
12,000
45,038
64,169
(97,207)
12,000

The Gatsby Professional Pathways fund relates to grant funding from the Gatsby Charitable Trust to develop and promote the Registered Scientist and Registered Science Technician professional registers.

The Gareth Roberts Memorial Lecture fund relates to a donation from Sir Gareth Roberts to support the Gareth Roberts Memorial Lecture usually held biennially. The Lecture was last held in 2015.

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Science Council Notes to the Financial Statements Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

16. Analysis of net assets between funds

2020 2020 2020 2020 2019
2019		 2019
Unrestricted
Restricted		 Unrestricted
Restricted
Funds Funds Total Funds
Funds		 Total
Fund balances at 31st
December are
represented by:
Fixed assets 8,846 - 8,846 411
-		 411
Current assets 906,493 12,000 918,493 818,015
20,564		 838,579
Creditors (Amounts
falling due within one
(68,698)		 - (68,698)
(37,982)
(8,564)
(46,546)
year)
Total 846,641 12,000 858,641 780,444
12,000		 792,444
17. Net cash flow from operating activities
2020
2019
£
£
Net income for year / period 66,197
89,092
Interest receivable (271)
(675)
Depreciation and impairment of tangible fixed assets 1,215
2,186
(Profit) / loss on disposal of tangible fixed assets -
-
(Increase) / decrease in debtors (18,255)
13,084
Increase / (decrease) in creditors 22,152
(41,215)
Net cash flow from operating activities 71,038
62,472

57

Science Council Notes to the Financial Statements Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2020

Analysis of changes in net debt
1st January 2020 Cash flow 31st December 2020
Cash at bank and 806,378 61,659 868,037
in hand

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