OpenCharities

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator.

← The Science Council

2023-12-31-accounts

Science Council Annual Report and Financial Statements

For the year ended 31[st] December 2023 Registered Charity no. 1131661

Science Council Reference and administrative details

Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

Contents

Page Title Page Number
Reference and administrative details 2
Chair’s report 3-4
Chief Executive’s foreword 5
Board of Trustees’ Annual Report
Structure, governance and management 6-14
Achievements, performance and plans for future periods 15-24
Financial review 25-26
Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities 27
Independent auditor’s report 28-32
Statement of Financial Activities 33
Balance Sheet 34
Statement of Cash Flows 35
Notes to the financial statements 36-45

1

Science Council Reference and administrative details

Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

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

2

Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

Chair’s report

Welcome to the Science Council’s Annual Report 2023. This will be my last Chair’s report as my term in office comes to an end in September and I will be stepping down from the board, having served four years as a trustee and a further three years as Chair. I have hugely enjoyed my time on the board and would encourage members of the Science Council community to stand for election to the Board. There is an excellent governance culture at the Science Council, with a diverse mix of committed trustees, ably supported by the Science Council staff. I have particularly valued learning more about scientific disciplines from outside of my field of environmental sciences and getting to know the Chief Executives and other staff of the Member Bodies. I would like to thank my fellow trustees, members of the sub committees, the past Chair, Helen Pain, and the two Chief Executives with whom I worked, Helen Gordon and Della Freeth, for the support they have given me as Chair.

Welcoming new faces and departures

This has been a year of significant change for the Science Council. In August 2023 we said goodbye to Helen Gordon, who stepped down as Chief Executive after nearly 5 years in the role. In her time at the Science Council, Helen transformed the organisation into a much stronger organisation, working tirelessly to reset our relationship with Members and the community. At the same time, we welcomed Professor Della Freeth into the role. Della joined us from the Royal College of Physicians, where she was Executive Director of Education. Della's strong grounding in science and academia combined with significant managerial experience made her the ideal person to lead the Science Council into its next stage of growth.

This year we also said goodbye to three trustees, Rachel Lambert-Forsyth, Philippa Martinelli and Dr Paula Haynes, all of whom contributed a huge amount to the Science Council during their time on the Board. I would like to thank them for their commitment to the Science Council over the last three years. We welcomed two new trustees to the Board: Sallie Bailey and Matt Davies, both of whom bring a wealth of experience in policy and knowledge of the scientific community.

My highlight of the year was welcoming everyone to our Workforce Skills Conference. It was great to see so many of our Members and people from the wider community come together on a topic of such national importance. It epitomises the value of the Science Council: convening the community around big policy issues. Thank you to UKRI and everyone involved for making it a successful event.

Recognising our stakeholders

I would like to offer my thanks to colleagues across our membership who continue to provide much-needed support to Registrants and the wider membership community. The Board is ever-mindful that the Science Council is its Members and, as we work together to deliver our strategy, we will continue to listen to and engage with our Members and the communities they support, using the feedback we receive to make decisions that meet the needs of the community.

I also want to say a big thank you to staff at the Science Council for their hard work and dedication through the year. The team has collectively risen to meet challenges admirably.

As always, I want to express my sincere thanks to the outstanding work of all our volunteers who have given their time to support the Science Council. Our work would not be possible without your dedication and support. I would like to express thanks to the Gatsby Charitable Foundation for its continued support for our work in raising the profile and value of the technician workforce.

3

Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

Future challenge

The Science Council’s long-term financial sustainability continues to be a live issue and was a primary focus for the Board during 2023, particularly looking at the impact of our investment in policy and events activities. These new activities – important additions to the Science Council membership offering – have been well-received by Members over the past three years, and I would like to thank all the Members who have provided venues, assisted with feeding into policy discussions, and who supplied speakers for our events.

We will continue to resource these areas in 2024 and have moved these activities into core funding to provide a space for the community to share knowledge and collaborate. Surplus reserves will continue to be used to support many of the activities that are beneficial to the community. We have identified several ways to diversify income, and these will be rolled out throughout 2024.

With the support of our Members, the Science Council can continue to grow in stature and influence. I have enjoyed my time on the Board and will continue to support the Science Council over the coming months and years.

Acting as Chair has been a privilege and a fantastic learning experience, and I am confident that under the new CEO and incoming Chair, the organisation will reach new heights in the pursuit of its mission.

Adam Donnan, Chair of the Board of Trustees

4

Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

Chief Executive’s foreword

I was delighted to join the Science Council in August 2023 and I would like to thank my predecessor, Helen Gordon for a very thorough and supportive handover period, both before and after I took up post. This was enormously helpful in enabling me to ‘hit the ground running’.

During my early weeks in post, I enjoyed meeting key role holders from across our diverse Member community and listening to the things they value about the Science Council, and the changes they would like to see. This interdisciplinary community brings together small and large professional bodies and learned societies, enabling them to collaborate and gain greater traction in areas where they have common interests. Through a multiplicity of Science Council forums and events, and other ways in which we connect people, our Member community can share ideas, insights and challenges while gaining from both similarities and differences in their disciplinary perspectives and sector contexts. This has always been central to the purpose and activities of the Science Council, which was established under Royal Charter in 2003 as the formalisation of a growing and increasingly influential network of professional bodies and learned societies in a range of sciences, Twenty years on, the Science Council community continues to change and evolve, as one would expect. In 2023, we welcomed the British Blood Transfusion Society into membership.

From its inception, a key part of the Science Council’s work has been to hold and promote interdisciplinary professional registers for the science workforce. These now include Chartered Scientist (CSci), Chartered Science Teacher (CSciTeach), Registered Scientist (RSci) and Registered Science Technician (RSciTech). These professional accreditations signify workplace competencies in the areas of: applying scientific knowledge and understanding; accepting and demonstrating personal responsibility in the workplace; effective interpersonal skills; sound and incrementally improving professional practice and service delivery; and professionalism, including continuing professional development and adherence to a code of professional conduct which includes, among other things, regard for the public interest, honesty, embedding equity, diversity and inclusion within their work, and minimising their impact on the environment. As part of the Science Council’s support for diversity and inclusion, and our desire for a thriving science workforce that meets the needs of today and tomorrow, we pay substantial attention to the technician workforce – a large and sometimes undervalued part of the science ecosystem. In 2023 we stepped up our activities around technical pathways into the science workforce, including expanding our capacity to offer streamlined processes and shortened routes to registration at RSciTech and RSci levels for people who complete apprenticeships through which a high proportion of the competencies required for these registrations can be demonstrated. We now have 30 mapped apprenticeships linked to shortened routes to registration and I am sure more will follow.

In November 2023 we were able to celebrate the achievements of some outstanding (current and former) apprentices at our joyful Celebration of Science at the Birmingham Science Museum. We also made awards to registrants who had demonstrated exemplary continuing professional development: each was nominated by their professional body, and it was great to bring together recipients from across our Member community. The Science Council also made awards to some of its volunteers.

The Science Council could not do its work without a large community of volunteers who contribute to governance, outreach, events, registration and licensing processes and quality assurance. We value and thank our volunteer community.

As noted by the Chair in his report, during 2023 we reviewed the Science Council’s fixed term investments in increasing work around policy, influence and engagement. It was clear that these activities have become an important part of what the Science Council offers. During 2024 we will structure the team to respond more effectively to this demand and we will begin to embed sustainable delivery models.

Della Freeth, Chief Executive

5

Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

Trustees’ Annual Report

The Board of Trustees presents its annual report and the audited financial statements for the year ending 31[st] December 2023.

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 Object 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. Our role as a Membership organisation, provides professional bodies in science with access to a unique network of like-minded organisations to share information and knowledge.

As part of the work to refresh our strategy for the current period, we reviewed our purpose with our Members, aiming to better articulate an ambitious purpose that is shared across our Membership, one that unites but also challenges, and that our key partners and stakeholders can clearly identify with. Following consultation with our Members, we set out a clear purpose for this strategic period.

Our purpose is to strengthen the collective impact of the science community for public benefit. We do this by connecting the science professions to foster knowledge exchange and, through our professional registers, offer interdisciplinary recognition for scientists across the world. Through our collective drive to uphold interdisciplinary standards we inspire and empower the science workforce to strive towards professional excellence. Our ambition is to see a diverse and growing science profession that is trusted, respected and is equipped to deliver national ambitions.

The President

The President is the ambassadorial face of the Science Council, engaging with key stakeholders, at the highest level with governments, parliaments, industry, universities, scientific and engineering institutions, and other public and voluntary bodies. The President uses their experience and influence to champion the science profession; promote the value of professional body Membership and registration; and amplify the collective voice of our Members. The President is elected by Members for an initial two-year term and is eligible for election for one further consecutive term of up to two years.

In March 2023, Professor Carole Mundell took up a new role as Director of Science at the European Space Agency (ESA). Due to the high demands of this role, Professor Mundell did not put herself forward for reelection in April 2023, after serving as President from April 2021. As the President plays no direct role in the charity’s governance, the Science Council can continue to operate without a President. However, as the President plays a key role in engaging the wider science community with the work of the Science Council, it is important that we fill the post as soon as possible. The Nominations Committee has been tasked with identifying the next President.

6

Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

The Board of Trustees

Trustees are elected by Members to serve in their capacity as individuals and not as representatives of organisations, interest groups or sectors. Trustees are not remunerated for their role, although reasonable expenses are paid in service of their role as trustees. Every trustee is required to submit a Register of Interest form on appointment and submits an updated form annually. 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. Actual and potential conflicts of interest are declared at each Board meeting.

Elected Trustees serve 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 2023, in addition to the Chair of the Board, there were 10 Elected Trustees and 1 Appointed Trustee. The Board of Trustees formally met 4 times during 2023.

Membership

Chair

Adam Donnan (elected September 2021)

Continuing Members

Continuing Members New Members Dariel Burdass (elected July 2021) Matthew Davies (elected July 2023) Mark Finnie, Honorary Treasurer (appointed July 2021) Sallie Bailey (elected July 2023) Jade Hall (elected September 2022) Departures Ruth Kaufman (re-elected July 2022) Dr Samantha Cheung (March 2023) Daljeet Kaur Sandher (elected September 2022) Dr Paula Haynes (July 2023) David Wells (elected September 2022) Alison Hemsworth (March 2023) Jane Pritchard (elected July 2021) Philippa Martinelli (July 2023) Catherine Ross (appointed June 2020) Rachel Lambert-Forsyth ( July 2023 ) Lorraine Turner (elected July 2021)

Trustee recruitment

The Board aims to ensure that at least 60% of Elected Trustees are employees or individual members of the Science Council’s Members, with no more than 40% of elected trustees coming from outside our 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.

7

Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

Trustee induction and training

All new trustees are expected to participate in trustee induction sessions; all current trustees have completed an induction session. A Trustee Handbook that includes essential information is made available to all trustees in electronic format. 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. In 2023, the Board received training from Thea Longley, Partner, Head of Charity & Social Enterprise Department at Bates Wells Braithwaite on trustees’ collective responsibilities and Board decision-making in tough times.

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, in 2024, the Board will be reviewing its performance against the small version of the Charity Governance Code and an action plan will be created to improve performance and effectiveness where appropriate.

The Trustees believe they have fully complied with their duty in the Charities Act 2022 to have due regard to guidance published by the Charity Commission.

8

Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

Sub-committees of the Board

There are three Board sub-committees: Finance Audit and Risk Committee, Nominations Committee and the Registration Authority.

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 financial 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 held 4 meetings during 2023.

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. The Committee is chaired by independent Chair, Dr Chris Westcott. Membership of the Committee comprises of trustees 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 ex-officio member of the Committee.

Membership

Chair

Dr Chris Westcott (appointed January 2021) Ruth Kaufman (appointed September 2019) Continuing Members Dr Paula Haynes (appointed May 2023) Ian Bong (reappointed September 2021) Lorraine Turner (appointed Dec 2021) Dariel Burdass (appointed Dec 2021)_ Departures* Mark Finnie (appointed July 2019) Professor Patrick Kniveton (September 2023)_

*Paula Haynes was appointed to the Committee as an independent member following the end of her trusteeship.

9

Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

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 3 meetings during 2023.

Membership

Chair New members

David Wells (appointed September 2023) Daljeet Kaur Sandher (appointed September 2023) Continuing Members Departures Jane Pritchard (appointed February 2023) Philippa Martinelli (July 2023) Catherine Ross (appointed September 2020) Rachel Lambert-Forsyth (July 2023)

Registration Authority

The Board is advised on matters relating to the professional registers by the Registration Authority (RA), which is responsible for upholding the standards of the professional registers, ensuring that all scientists and science technicians meet high professional standards. The Chair of the RA is not a trustee but attends Board meetings in their capacity as Chair of the RA.

Membership comprises of employees and volunteers from Licensed Bodies and external experts. The Chair and Members of the Committee are appointed by the Board and serve for initial terms of four and three years, respectively. To ensure that it has the right skills mix, the RA can appoint up to two individuals to the Committee without Board approval. Representatives from the Engineering Council and the Society for the Environment attend as observers. In 2023 the RA met five times.

Membership

Chair

Dr Hilary Jeffreys CSci (re-appointed May 2022)

Continuing Members

Dr Peter Barrett CSci (appointed December 2021)*

Paul Ashford CSci (appointed January 2022) Vicky Collett CSci (appointed June 2021)

Dr Samantha Cooper CBiol, Vice Chair (appointed December 2018)

Katy Grundy (appointed January 2022)

Tahmina Hussain, CSci (appointed June 2021)

Leisha Watson (appointed January 2022)

Jocelyn Price CSci (appointed July 2018) Brenda Peters, CSci (appointed June 2021) Matt Wood RSci (appointed March 2022) Lorraine Turner (appointed December 2022)

New Members

Sophie Dunajko (appointed September 2023)

Departures

Kevin Bown CSci (May 2023)

Richard Needham CSciTeach (Sept 2023)

*Members appointed to the RA without the need for Board approval.

10

Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

Sub-committee of the Registration Authority

Registration Assessment Committee

Reporting to the RA, the Registration Assessment Committee (RAC) advises on matters relating to quality assurance for the assessment of applications that come through the Common Application Process (CAP), and the training and development for assessors, trainers and applicant supporters to ensure consistency of standards across the Science Council’s registers. In 2023, the RAC met four times.

Membership

Chair Joanne Copping RSci (appointed November 2022) Matthew Wood RSci (appointed March 2022) Jemma Lonsdale CSci (appointed November 2022) Continuing Members Brenda Peters CSci (appointed June 2022) Lee Shunburne CSci, Vice Chair (appointed Nov 2019) New Members Sumant Gadge RSci (appointed September 2020) David Hassell CSci (appointed March 2024) Samantha Gaunt CSci (appointed September 2020) Anthony Vencatasamy RSciTech (appointed March 2024) Richard Warhurst RSci (appointed September 2020) Departures Robert Cast, RSciTech (appointed March 2022) Dr Hayley Tripp CSci (June 2023)

Routes to Registration (RTR) Committee

Reporting to the RA, the purpose of this Committee is to oversee the various routes to registration to ensure consistency of standards across the Science Council registers. The Committee was established in 2022 and is due to run for an initial period of five years. The RTR met 4 times in 2023.

Membership

Chair

Paul Ashford, CSci (appointed March 2022) Pat Kingston RSci (appointed June 2022) Members James Prince RSci (appointed June 2022) Katie Dryden-Holt (appointed June 2022) Andrew Spowage CSci (appointed June 2022) Dorota Ferguson CSci (appointed June 2022) Russell Wilson RSci (Vice Chair appointed March 2022) Matthew Garland RSciTech (appointed June 2022) Departures Mike James CSci (appointed June 2022) Valerie Gordon RSci (May 2023)

11

Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

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 e Council staff at year-end
Jane Banks
External Relationships Manager
David Cameron
Technical Pathways		 programme lead
Tom Cheek
Apprenticeship Lead
Mauro Falcon Martini Hallett Registration Coordinator
Yasmin Finch
Senior Registration Officer
Della Freeth
Chief Executive
Liz Gill
Events Coordinator
Hamid Habib
Finance and Corporate Services Executive
Jennifer Larwood
Registration and Licensing Manager (maternity cover)
Ryan Mercer
Policy Officer
Tanya Murrell
Registration and Licensing Manager
Edyta Nowicka
Senior Registration and Licensing Officer
Oliver O’Hanlon
Governance and Corporate Services Manager
Emma Smith
T level Lead
Brian Wagenbach
Member Engagement		 Manager
Peigu Zhao
Marketing and Communications Officer

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.

Chief Executive

Della Freeth joined as Chief Executive in August 2023 following the departure of Helen Gordon in the same month.

Appraisal and remuneration

Employees’ performance is appraised annually, and executive pay is reviewed annually with any increases normally linked to inflation. In setting executive pay, the Board benchmarks against similar bodies including Members. This process recognises that, while the Science Council itself is a small organisation, its role as a Membership body creates additional skill demands. An unconsolidated sum was awarded to staff in 2023 (except the Chief Executive and seconded staff) to help them with in-year cost of living pressures. A review of employees’ non-financial benefits was undertaken in 2023. The Board of Trustees is aware that the Science Council needs to offer a competitive benefits package that will attract the best candidates to the

12

Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

Science Council. Given the Science Council’s current financial position, no changes to the current benefits package were made in 2023.

Health, safety and staff wellbeing

Day-to-day responsibility for Health and Safety (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 2023, staff reported no incidents or near-misses while working in the office or working at home. At the end of 2023, one member of staff was a trained Mental Health First Aider. Throughout the year, most staff continued to work exclusively from home with some staff visiting the office as needed and all reasonable steps were taken to meet remote working needs. Most staff will continue to work remotely on a permanent basis, only meeting in person for formal meetings and operational development activities. Remote working will continue to pose challenges, but we expect that these will be outweighed by improved staff retention and, when necessary, recruiting from a far wider talent pool than hitherto.

In 2022, the Science Council was awarded a People, Culture and Wellbeing Quality Mark by the Association for Accredited Learning. In March 2023, an appraisal of progress was undertaken, reviewing the 4 principles of People and Teams; Wellbeing through Collaboration & Engagement; Strategy & Vision; and Wellbeing Activities, Resources and Agencies. From this appraisal and wider team activities, new online resources were created that enables staff to share experiences and approaches to healthy approaches to work, covering areas such as: ergonomics and routine; working from home practice; enhancing working environment; physical and mental health activities; and other factors impacting on stress and anxiety. Another appraisal will take place during 2024.

Data protection and cyber security

The Science Council realises the importance of data protection and follows UK GDPR. All volunteers including trustees are required to undergo GDPR refresher training every two years. All staff members must complete data protection training when they join and undergo refresher training every two years. An action plan has been implemented to meet the recommendations of the audit carried out in October 2023. We continue to be Cyber Essentials accredited by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). We undertake regular phishing training throughout the year and all staff have completed the NCSC’s cyber security training.

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 250 individuals have given their support in this way during 2023. We are always grateful for the time and dedicated service that our volunteers give to us. All new volunteers are required to complete data protection training through the Science Council or demonstrate that they have completed formal data protection training with another provider.

13

Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

Members of the Council

At the end of 2023 the total number of Members was 37.

General Meetings

The Board of Trustees is answerable to its Members. General Meetings provide Members with an opportunity to hold the Board to account and provide the Science Council with an opportunity to keep Members informed on achievements, the progress of activities and highlight where there are opportunities for them to engage more closely in our work. The Science Council held three online General Meetings in 2023, one of which was the Annual General Meeting.

Membership fee

Members 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 individual paying members within a Member’s membership. From this figure members in the student member category, overseas members who are not Registrants and retired members are excluded. The fee in 2023 was £0.87 (2022: £0.83) per qualifying individual member. Members with 30,000 or more individual paying members paid £25,770. Members with fewer than 943 individual paying members paid £796.

14

Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

Achievements, performance and plans for the future

Strategy 2022-2025

The Science Council’s strategy focuses on four core strands: Registers and Licences, Community and Membership, Policy and Influence, and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

The core objectives of our four strands are as follows:

Registration & Licensing: Continue to commit to maintaining and improving professionalism in the science workforce through professional registration.

Membership & Community: Bring our Members together to facilitate knowledge exchange and identify areas of common interest.

Policy & Influence: Develop our role as a collective voice for our diverse membership on issues that impact the sector.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: EDI is intrinsic to all we do and we will support Members to share and learn from one another. A more representative and diverse science workforce is beneficial for society.

These strands serve as valuable platforms for increasing our engagement with our Members and the wider scientific community on professionalism in science.

The full version of the Strategy 2022-2025 can be read on our website.

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. We believe that these values and guiding principles continue to influence and align to all that we do, with and for, Members, Registrants and the wider science community.

15

Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

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 equity, 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 2022 to follow the Charity Commission’s guidance on the operation of this public benefit.

Investing for long-term financial sustainability

Our current business model relies heavily on a positive trend in registrant numbers, particularly income from the Chartered Scientist register, which provides around 60% of total unrestricted income. The age profile of Chartered Scientists is increasing, with many reaching retirement age within the next decade or so, but the current pipeline is not enough to compensate for the rate of attrition. Key to our financial sustainability will be our ability to reverse the long-term trend in declining registrant numbers and attract more scientists and science technicians into registration.

In 2020, the Board recognised that a significant step-change in Registrant acquisition and retention was needed to arrest the decline. Free reserves have been used to fund a development programme over the past three years, which focused on increasing our support for Members and Registrants, enhancing the visibility and awareness of the Science Council, the work of scientists and the benefits of professional registration and building up our long-term financial sustainability. Investment in these areas has done much to raise our profile and standing within the sector and beyond and has increased engagement and collaboration with Members. However, these activities continue to be funded through the use surplus free reserves and it will take time for these activities to make a demonstrable impact in registrant numbers. To supplement our investment in policy, events and marketing, in 2023, we looked at opportunities to develop additional income streams to support our long-term sustainability. We revised our membership criteria to remove potential barriers to organisations that may be interested, but not currently eligible for membership. Removing barriers to membership will, in the long-term, help to increase the number of Members and Registrants. We will continue to resource these areas in 2024 and have moved these activities into core funding to provide a space for the community to share knowledge and collaborate. There is no short-term fix, and in challenging economic times, there is always a risk that the returns take longer than envisaged. However, the opportunities offered to us to further our charitable objects and improve long-term financial sustainability and impact are well worth pursuing.

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

16

Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

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 by 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. Licences are awarded by the Board when a Member Body can demonstrate that it meets the required criteria and standards and are typically awarded for 5 years. To ensure that standards are being maintained, Licensed Bodies are subject to periodic review by the RA. 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.

All licence reviews are now conducted online which has helped to increase Licensed Bodies’ engagement and participation in the review process and reduce the financial burden and environmental impact faced by the Science Council and its Members. In 2023, 12 licence reviews were undertaken. To ensure that online reviews maintain the standard and efficiency that Licensed Bodies have come to expect from in-person reviews, we provide our licence reviewers with periodic training to help them conduct reviews in the digital space. Licensed Bodies not subject to a licence review in 2023 were required to submit an annual report which was used to provide the RA with assurances that each of them continued to administer their licence appropriately and identify which, if any, Licensed Bodies required additional support.

The Development Licence

The Development Licence is aimed at providing smaller organisations that do not yet have the infrastructure to administer their own licence the ability to offer professional registration to their individual Members. Through support from the Science Council, organisations are required to develop their internal infrastructure and progress to a full licence after no more than two years. The Science Council worked with two of its Members in 2023 to progress from a Development Licence to a Full Licence.

The Licence Fee

In 2023, the licence fee was £2,555 for one licence, £3,577 for two or three licences, and £4,600 for four licences.

17

Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

Licensed Body
RSci Tech
RSci
CSci
CSciTeach		 Licensed Body
RSci Tech
RSci
CSci
CSciTeach		 Licensed Body
RSci Tech
RSci
CSci
CSciTeach		 Licensed Body
RSci Tech
RSci
CSci
CSciTeach		 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
Royal 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
Institute of Water
Institution of Chemical Engineers
Institution of Environmental Sciences
Nuclear Institute
Operational Research Society
Royal Society of Biology
Royal Society of Chemistry
Society of Cosmetic Scientists
The Organisation for Professionals in Regulatory Affairs		 ✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓		 ✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓		 ✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓		 ✓
✓
✓

18

Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

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.

Registrant numbers at Year End 2021 2022 2023
Chartered Scientist (CSci) 8,757 8,567 8,446
Chartered Science Teacher (CSciTeach) 269 221 221
Registered Scientist (RSci) 1,085 1,108 1,156
Registered Science Technician (RSciTech) 541 512 510
Total 10,652 10,408 10,353

Total Registrant numbers at year-end were 10,353, down from 10,408 at 2022 year-end. Despite the decline, we welcomed 246 new registrants onto the register in 2023. The decline over the last three years is the continuation of a long-term downward trend in registration numbers and can be attributed to several factors, including the long-term economic impact of COVID-19, ongoing cost of living pressures and the retirement of older Registrants who were grandparented on to the register between 2003 and 2004.

The primary channel for promoting the Science Council’s registers continues to be through our Licensed Bodies. Alongside promotion through Licensed Bodies, employers’ perceptions of professional registration are an increasingly key driver of registration, so working more closely with employers through the Employer Champion scheme has helped to stimulate some growth in registrant numbers. The Common Application Process (CAP) 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. A review of the CAP was undertaken in 2023 to identify where efficiency savings could be made and provide a more streamlined service to applicants. The new system launched in January.

Mapping Chartered Chemist to Chartered Scientist

In 2023 the Science Council conducted a pilot with the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) to map the standards for Chartered Chemist to those of Chartered Scientist with the aim of providing a more streamlined route to Chartered Scientist status to the RSC’s Chartered Chemists, while continuing to uphold the register’s standards. The pilot involved 51 Chartered Chemists, 20 of which went on to make a successful application for Chartered Scientist status. Feedback from participants assessors, and the RSC was overwhelmingly positive, praising the simplicity and support of the process. Following the successful pilot, the RSC will administer the process as business as usual from 2024. The Registration and Licensing team will be working with other Licensed Bodies in 2024 to map other registers to those held by the Science Council.

19

Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

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

Twenty twenty-three was the ninth year that the CPD Awards have been held. The Awards are designed to celebrate the 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 this year’s winners can be found on our website.

Enhancing Technical Pathways

In January 2020 we embarked upon an ambitious project, funded by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation (‘Gatsby’), to build the prestige of technical education in the sciences and embed professional registration, particularly RSci and RSciTech, into technical education pathways. Focused on science-related apprenticeships, T Levels and Higher Technical Qualifications, the project aims to raise learners’ awareness of the benefits of professional registration and engagement with professional bodies, and to use their developing knowledge and skills to work towards professional registration with the Science Council.

Tom Cheek continued his excellent work as Apprenticeship Lead this year and we were delighted to secure an extension of project funding from Gatsby to December 2024. In late 2023, Dr David Cameron and Emma Smith joined the Science Council as the new Technical Pathways Project Lead and T Level Lead respectively, generating fresh momentum for the project’s activities.

We commissioned research to get a better understanding of apprentices’ awareness of professional bodies and professional body membership and the potential barriers to engagement with professional bodies. A key objective is to understand the challenges that apprentices face in their learning and development journey to identify what support and resources they need from the professional body community continue their journey into registration. To support greater take-up of professional registration, we continued to map shortened application routes for science apprenticeships. By the end of 2023, we successfully mapped 28 apprenticeship standards to our registration requirements. As a result, graduating apprentices can apply for professional registration without having to provide evidence of meeting the competences that have already been evidenced through their apprenticeship. A new technical education website was launched the summer to promote the apprenticeship shortened application route and our wider technical education activity. In September, we supported the Science Apprenticeship Forum alongside other Members of the Science Council in in the planning and delivery of the first National Science Apprentice Conference.

The project continues to be overseen by the Technical Pathways Programme Board and is chaired by Adam Donnan, CEO of the Institution of Environmental Sciences. The Board is comprised of key stakeholders including professional bodies, training providers and employers. In 2024, we will continue to

20

Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

work with the professional body community to enhance the standing of science apprenticeships and T levels.

The Employer Champion programme

The Employer Champion Programme is designed to promote the benefits of professional registration and support employers to support the professional growth of the scientific workforce. At the end of 2023 there were 34 Employer Champions. The scheme has the potential to support a significant increase in the number of registrants, and a review took place in 2023 to get a better understanding of its visibility and impact across the Employer Champion cohort.

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. In July 2023, the Technician Commitment was absorbed into the Institute of Technical Skills and Strategy to drive forward the work relating to the technical workforce in industry, higher education and research. The Science Council will continue its involvement with the Technician Commitment, given its long-standing interest in the technical workforce.

21

Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

Community and Membership

Member engagement

Member networks continued to meet online, providing opportunities to share good practices, gain mutual support and take action on behalf of the community. The CEO & Leaders Forum, Events Manager Network and Policy Forum are a few of these networks which meet regularly.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)

A core strand of our current strategy is to become more equitable and inclusive as an organisation, leading to better equality of outcomes, while also supporting our community to do the same. Equity has therefore replaced equality in our consideration of EDI matters. Our strategies and plans have been reviewed to align with the corporate objectives, including consulting with and updating the Declaration on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. Our EDI Strategy and Action Plan focuses on support for staff, trustees, Members and scientists and Registrants.

Limited progress was made in some areas which suggested that the overall plans and its ambition needed to be reviewed. The EDI Steering Group reviewed the strategy and recommended a renewed focus on engaging under-represented groups and sharing best practices across the community as priorities.

Membership Diversity Data

The 2017 and 2021 Progression Framework Benchmarking Reports highlighted the need for wider data collection to inform strategies and plans. In 2021, as part of the annual Membership return, we began requesting diversity data for each Members’ Membership.

Below is a snapshot comparison of data received over the past three years. The aim of the data collection is to build an informed picture of the level of EDI engagement and where good practices can be identified and shared. While those Members providing data for all or two+ characteristics may have better information to develop insights, particularly which groups may be under-represented in their professions, the current snapshot does not yet provide sufficient detail to develop a clear picture across the Membership community to help focus activity.

Members’ diversity figures shared with Science Council

Number of Members sharing figures of
protected characteristics		 2021 2022 2023
Organisations providing data for all
characteristics		 1 3 5
Two or more characteristics provided 20 18 18
One characteristic 4 2 1
No data on characteristics provided 11 13 12
Total Science Council Members 36 36 36*

22

Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report

Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

Membership diversity data – number of
organisations providing information beyond
age and gender		 2021 2022 2023
Disability 3 4 6
Gender identity 3 4 7
Ethnicity 4 5 8
Religion and belief 4 5 5

*Data from the British Blood Transfusion Society has not been collected owing to the fact that it joined the Science Council in the second half of 2023.

Registrant Diversity Data

In 2023 we expanded this process, asking Members to share the diversity data of Registrants. 11 Licensed Bodies provided some breakdown of the diversity characteristics of Science Council registrants, primarily for age and gender.

23

Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

Policy and influence

Convening the science policy community

In 2023 the Science Council’s policy activity reached new heights of impact and visibility, building on the progress made since the creation of a policy programme of work in 2021. Our ongoing work in this space seeks to enhance collaboration between member organisations and enable our community to speak with one voice on issues of pan-scientific interest. We organised a range of events in 2023 to raise our profile in key debates around science policy.

In June, working in collaboration with the British Science Association (BSA) and Foundation for Science and Technology (FST), we held an evening panel discussion and networking reception on equality, diversity and inclusion in science. The event which was generously hosted at the Royal Society of Chemistry, demonstrated the power of collaboration across the science community and the added value that can provide members. We were able to secure a high-level panel, notably chaired by Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE, the CEO of the Royal Academy of Engineering. Following the event, the Science Council has joined the APPG for Diversity and Inclusion in STEM, which is supported by the BSA.

In October, we held a day-long conference on the STEM workforce at the Institute of Physics. The event, which was sponsored and supported by UKRI, brought together Members and other stakeholders to discuss how effective the UK’s approach to tackling STEM skills gaps has been and what more can be done to increase impact. The conference included a keynote by Dame Angela McLean, the UK Government Chief Science Adviser. A conference report, capturing the discussions held at the conference and highlighting the wider evidence base is due for publication in early 2024.

We held our Celebration of Science event at Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum in November to celebrate the registrant community, our volunteers and recognise apprentices on their journey to become registered. We were delighted to welcome astrophysicist, author, science communicator and Royal Astronomical Society Research Fellow at the University of Oxford, Dr Becky Smethurst as our keynote speaker, who offered a unique perspective on combining being a science communicator with being an active researcher.

These high-profile events were all well attended, providing valuable opportunities for networking for Member organisations and other key stakeholders in the science policy community. The Workforce conference was particularly valuable as member organisations and other partners such as Government Science and Engineering (GSE) worked together to develop the breakout sessions. The Conference supported our aim to facilitate deeper collaborations across the membership, and demonstrate to our members, and the wider science community, the valuable role that the Science Council can play as a convenor.

We continued to contribute to relevant consultations on issues which affect the membership as a whole, most notably the charity commission’s consultation on new guidelines for campaigning, where members had concerns about how it may impact our ability to raise concerns to the Government and public on scientific challenges.

In 2024 the aim is to continue this valuable convening and engagement activity, building on the success in the workforce space while also exploring how our community approaches science policy, and what best practice we can be sharing to enhance the work undertaken by members in this space.

24

Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

Financial Review

Results for the year

Income for the year totalled £910,540 (2022 £925,103). After total expenditure of £1,026,518 (2022: £1,039,222) the year’s activities showed a deficit of £(115,978) (2022: £114,119), which when accumulated with the funds brought forward from previous years, leaves the Science Council with total funds at the yearend of £592,378 (2022: £708,356). This is represented by unrestricted funds of £580,486 (2022: £696,464) and restricted funds of £11,892 (2022: £11,892).[2]

Reserves Policy

The Science Council seeks to maintain sufficient free reserves to manage the risks to which it is exposed in the course of business, including but not limited to safeguarding against fluctuations in its income from Membership, licensing and registration. The reserves policy focuses on the level of free reserves, which excludes the net book value of the Science Council’s fixed assets. The target range for free reserves is calculated annually as part of the budget process + the financial impact of the current risks facing the Council. A significant proportion of the development programme was funded from our reserves.

During 2023, the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee reviewed the reserves level considering the funds needed to mitigate the impact of several major risks to the Science Council and the financial impact of each, as well as estimated wind-down costs. Following the review, the Board took the view that it is appropriate to maintain a minimum reserve level of at £246k for the next 12 months. The known uncertainties and risks to income and legal and contractual obligations have been taken into consideration and the Board considers this level as appropriate for the reported financial period.

The Science Council’s free reserves, less fixed assets were £576,149 at 31 December 2023 (2022: £687,882). This remains substantially higher than the target minimum. Activities that were funded as part of the development programme between 2021 and 2023 will become business as usual. The level of free reserves will continue to fall until we can find ways to achieve a breakeven budget through the success of current initiatives to increase and diversify income or by cutting activity.

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 and 2023 for the purpose of promoting professional registration for technicians.

Investment Policy

The Board approved an Investment Policy in May 2022 and delegates responsibility for overseeing investment decisions to the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee. Investment objectives are to ensure that market, credit and counterparty risks are managed, while ensuring that funds are available when they are likely to be required by the Science Council. Despite ongoing market volatility £250k of free reserves was moved into fixed term, fixed rate accounts to generate higher returns than gained hitherto.

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

25

Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

Principal risks and uncertainties

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 Members and Registrants, and our reserves policy reflects these risks. Over the course of the year the Board considered the high risks to which the Science Council is exposed, primarily relating to high inflation and cost of living pressures on Members and Registrants, 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. A review of the risk register will take place in 2024.

At year-end key areas of risk identified include:

Risk area Impact Mitigations
Launch of a campaign, in partnership with
Members, to promote and raise visibility of the
Fewer resources to deliver the CSci register.
strategy, resulting in the Science
Council being viewed as less Sustainability group identified and
Failure to grow Registrant relevant, perpetuating further fall recommended the development of additional
numbers in member and registrant income streams which will come online in
numbers. 2024.
Continuation of the development programme in
2023 to continue to raise the profile and
visibility of the Science Council.
Volunteer strategy in place to focus activity and
resources in this area.
Recruitment and retention of
sufficient quantity and quality
of volunteers for Registration
and Licensing function		 Too few volunteers with the right
skills and expertise to deliver
operational and strategic
objectives.		 Moved majority of R&L work online to reduce
volunteer costs and travel time, which has led
to better volunteer retention and engagement.
Greater recognition of volunteers’ contribution
throughout the year.
Reliance on using retained
Sustainability of business
model, with particular regard
to dependency on few
income sources		 income for core business leading
to significant depletion, which,
longer-term, results in fewer funds
to meet current business activities
in the long-term and respond to		 Development of new income streams in 2023
to come online in 2024.
new needs or requirements.

26

Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

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 2022 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

Adam Donnan, Chair of the Board

Mark Finnie, Honorary Treasurer

Date: 22.05.2024

27

Science Council Statement of financial activities Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

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 2023 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 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.

28

Science Council Statement of financial activities Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

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 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 27, 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.

29

Science Council Statement of financial activities Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

Auditor responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

We have been appointed as auditor under section 1443 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. 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:

30

Science Council Statement of financial activities Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

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.

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

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.

31

Science Council Statement of financial activities Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

Auditor responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

This report is made solely to the charity’s members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charity’s members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charity and the charity’s members 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: 23 May 2024

32

Science Council Statement of financial activities Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

Statement of Financial Activities

2023 2022
Unrestricted
funds		 Restricted
funds		 Total Total funds
Note £ £ £ £
Income and endowments from:
Donations and legacies 2 172,506 - 172,506 164,223
Charitable activities 3 546,985 181,326 728,311 760,417
Investments 4 4,223 - 4,223 463
Other income 5 5,500 - 5,500 -
Total income and endowments 729,214 181,326 910,540 925,103
Expenditure on:
Charitable activities 6 845,192 181,326 1,026,518 1,039,222
Total expenditure 845,192 181,326 1,026,518 1,039,222
Net income / (expenditure) and net
movement in funds		 (115,978) - (115,978) (114,119)
Reconciliation of funds:
Total funds brought forward 17 696,464 11,892 708,356 822,475
Total funds carried forward 17 580,486 11,892 592,378 708,356

33

Science Council Statement of Cash Flow Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

Balance Sheet

Balance Sheet
Note
Fixed assets
Tangible assets
10
Current assets
Debtors
11
Cash at bank and in hand
Unlisted investments
12
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
13
Net current assets
Total assets less current liabilities
Charity Funds
Unrestricted funds
17
Restricted funds
17
Total charity funds		 2023
2022
£
£
4,337
8,582
70,889
165,363
337,464
686,133
250,000
-
658,353
851,496
70,312
151,722
588,041
699,774
592,378
708,356
580,486
696,464
11,892
11,892
592,378
708,356

These financial statements were approved by the Board on Wednesday 22[nd] May 2024 and were signed on their behalf by:

Adam Donnan, Chair Mark Finnie, Honorary Treasurer

The accounting policies and notes on pages 36-45 form part of these financial statements.

34

Science Council Statement of Cash Flow Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

Statement of Cash Flows
Note
Net cash flow from operating activities
19
Cash flow from investing activities
Payments to acquire tangible fixed assets
Interest received
Net cash flow from investing activities
Net increase / (decrease) 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		 2023
2022
£
£
(101,966)
(125,828)
(926)
(7,734)
4,223
463
3,297
(7,271)
(98,669)
(133,099)
686,133
819,232
587,464
686,133
587,464
686,133
587,464
686,133

35

Science Council Notes to the Financial Statements Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

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 2023 are the ninth accounts for the Science Council prepared in accordance with Charities SORP (FRS 102) - Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (effective 1 January 2019).

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.

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.

36

Science Council Notes to the Financial Statements Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

Investments

Current asset investments include cash or other short-term liquid investments with a short maturity of more than three months but less than one year, held for investment purposes.

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.

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.

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.

37

Science Council Notes to the Financial Statements Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

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

Several factors have been considered in concluding that the adoption of going concern as the basis for the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate, including identification and mitigation of the key risks and uncertainties facing the Science Council. While the short-term impact of COVID-19 has diminished, its lasting influence, combined with ongoing macro-economic pressures continue to make it difficult to evaluate with any certainty the long-term impact on the charity’s activities, its Members and Registrants, and suppliers and contractors. However, taking into consideration the charity’s reserves and a prudent approach to planning, the trustees have reasonable expectation that the charity will continue its activities for the foreseeable future.

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.

38

Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

Science Council

2. Donations income

Membership
Gifts in Kind		 Unrestricted
Restricted
Total
Total
Funds
Funds
2023
2022
£
£
£
£
165,206
-
165,206
157,623
7,300
-
7,300
6,600
172,506
-
172,506
164,223

All income received in 2023 and 2022 was unrestricted.

3. Charitable activities income

3. Charitable activities income
Licence fees
Registration renewal fees
New Registration fees
Other income related to professional
registration
Professional pathways / Grants / Donations /
Contracts		 Unrestricted
Restricted
Total
Total
Funds
Funds
2023
2022
£
£
£
£
93,949
-
93,949
86,806
420,244
-
420,244
420,026
18,457
-
18,457
21,318
11,335
-
11,335
11,101
3,000
181,326
184,326
221,166
546,985
181,326
728,311
760,417

Income in the form of contracts, grants, and project contribution was £184,326 (2022: £221,166), which was 98% restricted (2022 100%). Income for Professional Registration was all unrestricted in 2023 and 2022.

4. Investment income

. Investment income
Interest - deposits Unrestricted
Restricted
Total
Total
Funds
Funds
2023
2022
£
£
£
£
4,223
-
4,223
463
4,223
-
4,223
463

All income received in 2023 and 2022 was unrestricted.

39

Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

5. Other income

. Other income
Consultancy Fees Unrestricted
Restricted
Total
Total
Funds
Funds
2023
2022
£
£
£
£
5,500
-
5,500
-
5,500
-
5,500
-

6. Charitable expenditure

Activities
Professional registers and professionalism
Professional Pathways (Gatsby funded)
Membership support and activities
Policy, Promotion and Public Affairs
Total resources expended 2022		 Direct
Other
Staff
Direct
Support
Total
Total
Costs
Costs
Costs
2023
2022
£
£
£
£
£
202,628
50,117
95,605
348,350
367,486
46,338
134,987
-
181,326
229,674
165,474
36,934
92,793
295,201
221,098
101,202
7,646
92,793
201,641
220,964
515,642
229,684
281,191
1,026,518
1,039,222
516,619
246,007
276,596
1,039,222

Expenditure on charitable activities was £1,026,518 (2022: £1,039,222) of which £181,326 was restricted (2022: £229,674) and £845,192 unrestricted (2022: £809,548)

40

Science Council Board of Trustees’ Annual Report Annual Report and Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

8. Staff costs

Wages and salaries
Social security costs
Employer pension costs
Staff training
Recruitment
The average monthly number of employees
The following number of staff received emoluments in the year in the bands:
£70,000 - £80,000
£110,000 - £119,999		 2023
2022
£
£
543,045
520,996
53,091
53,478
25,539
25,017
976
7,228
19,043
34,351
641,694
641,070
2023
2022
13
13
2023
2022
1
-
-
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 14, the Trustees received no remuneration for carrying out their duties. The payments to key management personnel totalled £124,862 (2022: £118,211).

41

Science Council Notes to the Financial Statements

Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

9. Governance Costs

Audit fees
AGM and Board meeting
expenses
Trustee expenses
Staff costs
Staff training and development
Professional fees		 Unrestricted
Restricted
Total 2023
Total 2022
9,126
-
9,126
11,866
1,427
-
1,427
998
3,583
-
3,583
2,077
42,508
-
42,508
38,088
388
-
388
328
-
-
-
2,666
57,032
-
57,032
56,482

10. Tangible assets

Cost or valuation
1st January 2023
Additions
Disposals
31st December 2023
Depreciation
1st January 2023
Charge for year
Eliminated on disposals
31st December 2023
Net Book Value
31st December 2022
31st December 2023		 Fixtures &
Fittings
Office
Equipment
Computer
Equipment
Total
£
£
£
£
1,782
889
23,433
26,104
-
-
926
926
(1,782)
-
(6,049)
(7,831)
-
889
18,310
19,199
1,782
889
14,851
17,522
-
5,171
5,171
(1,782)
-
(6,049)
(7,831)
-
889
13,973
14,862
-
-
8,582
8,582
-
-
4,337
4,337

42

Science Council Notes to the Financial Statements Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

11. Debtors

11. Debtors
14. Leases
Between 0-1 years
Debtors (subscriptions and professional registration)
Other debtors
Prepayments and accrued income
12. Unlisted investments
Unlisted investments
13. Creditors: Amounts Falling Due Within One Year
Trade creditors
Deferred income and accruals
Other creditors		 2023
2022
£
£
10,800
9,900
2023
2022
£
£
20,154
93,815
6,600
6,600
44,135
64,948
70,889
165,363
2023
2022
£
£
250,000
-
250,000
-
2023
2022
£
£
32,406
47,782
32,739
100,805
5,167
3,135
70,312
151,722
10,800
9,900

15. Remuneration and expenses of trustees

The Trustees receive no remuneration for carrying out their duties. £3,583 (2022: £2,077) was paid to 3 trustees (2022:3) for expenses incurred in relation to attendance at meetings.

43

Science Council Notes to the Financial Statements Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

16. 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.

17. Movement in Funds

Unrestricted funds

Unrestricted funds
Balance at 1 January 2023
Net movement in funds
As 31 December 2023		 2023
2022
£
£
696,464
810,475
(115,978)
(114,011)
580,486
696,464
Restricted funds 2023
Gatsby Professional Pathways Fund
Gareth Roberts Memorial Lecture
Total
Restricted funds 2022
Gatsby Professional Pathways Fund
Gareth Roberts Memorial Lecture
Total		 Balance
Brought
Forward
Net
Incoming
Resources
Resources
Expended
Balance
Carried
Forward
£
£
£
£
-
181,326
(181,326)
-
11,892
-
-
11,892
11,892
181,326
(181,326)
11,892
-
229,566
(229,566)
-
12,000
-
(108)
11,892
12,000
229,566
(229,674)
11,892

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.

44

Science Council Notes to the Financial Statements

Financial statements for the year ended 31[st] December 2023

18. Analysis of net assets between funds

2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2022
2022		 2022
Unrestricted Restricted Unrestricted
Restricted
Funds Funds Total Funds
Funds		 Total
Fund balances at 31st
December are
represented by:
Fixed assets 4,337 - 4,337 8,582
-		 8,582
Current assets 646,461 11,892 658,353 839,604
11,892		 851,496
Creditors (Amounts
falling due within one
(70,312)		 - (70,312)
(151,722)
-		 (151,722)
year)
Total 580,486 11,892 592,378 696,464
11,892		 708,356
19. Net cash flow from operating activities
2023
2022
£
£
Net income for year / period (115,978)(114,119)
Interest receivable (4,223)
(463)
Depreciation and impairment of tangible fixed assets 5,171
4,781
(Increase) / decrease in debtors 94,474
(110,948)
Increase / (decrease) in creditors (81,410)
94,999
Net cash flow from operating activities (101,966)
(125,750)
Analysis of changes in net debt
1st January 2023 Cash flow 31st December 2023
Cash at bank and
in hand		 686,133 (98,669) 587,464

45