Trustees’ responsibilities
Contents
- Welcome from the Chair
- Different thinking for a different world
- Safety first
- Our purpose and method
- Vision and strategic objectives
- Skills for Life: Our plan to prepare better futures 2018–2025
- Growth
- Inclusivity
- Youth Shaped
- Community Impact
- Three pillars of work
- Programme
- People
- Perception
- Theory of Change
- Theory of Change (diagram)
- The impact of Scouts on young people
- Our finances
- Trustees’ responsibilities
- Independent Auditor’s Report to the Trustees of The Scout Association
- Consolidated statement of financial activities
- Balance sheet
- Statements of cash flows
- Our members
- How we operate
- Governance structure and Board membership – 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021
- Our advisers
- Our thanks
- Investors in People
Trustees’ responsibilities
Trustees are responsible for preparing the annual report, including ‘How we operate’ on page 62, and the financial statements (in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 and United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). They’re also responsible for making sure the financial statements give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the group and charity, and of the incoming resources and application of resources of Scouts for the year. In preparing these financial statements, Trustees must:
– select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently
– make judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent
– state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements
– prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis, unless it’s inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business.
Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that show and explain the charity’s transactions, disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity, and that enable them to make sure that the financial statements comply with any applicable charity laws and, in particular, the Charities Act 2011. Trustees are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity, and for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Financial statements are published on The Scout Association’s website in accordance with legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements, which may vary from legislation in other jurisdictions. The maintenance and integrity of the group’s website is the responsibility of the Trustees. The Trustees’ responsibility also extends to the ongoing integrity of the financial statements contained there.
Our controls include:
– a strategic and operational plan and budget regular consideration by the Board, Finance Committee and Senior Leadership Team of financial results, variances from budget and other (non-financial) performance indicators
– delegation of authority and segregation of duties identification and management of risks by the Board, its Committees and Senior Leadership Team
– the Finance Committee monitors the effectiveness of any external audits.
Trustees believe that the system of internal controls has been adequate to provide reassurance against material misstatement or loss.
Ann Limb
Chair, Scouts
On behalf of the Board of Trustees,
23 July 2021