Meeting of the Charities SORP-making body

Conference call - 26 February 2020

Present:

Joint Chairs:
Laura Anderson, Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR)
Nigel Davies, Charity Commission England and Wales (CCEW)
Myles McKeown, Charity Commission for Northern Ireland (CCNI)

In attendance as observer(s):
Jelena Griscenko, Charities Regulator (CR)
Jenny Carter, Financial Reporting Council (FRC)

Purpose of the call:

To consider the next steps in the engagement strategy and implementation of the SORP governance review recommendations.

Agreed actions from the meeting:

• Agreed to publish the tracker for governance review recommendations with last reviewed date clearly visible (CCEW).
• Engagement strands are intended to be inclusive and so it was agreed accept organisations which are from accountancy firms. Agreed to consider with the Charities SORP Committee before settling our final approach (CCEW).
• There are issues upon which the advice of the Charities SORP Committee is needed. Strands that have few applicants - government and public bodies, proxies, funders and donors. Trustees, academics and regulators better but not across jurisdictions. Ideally 10 or so individuals ideally cross jurisdiction. Suggest re-open process with opportunity to approach potential participants with a fresh appeal of SORP engagement partners. Also look to the audit Firms operating in more than one jurisdiction to convene local workshops. Organisations - agreed to offer more than one engagement strand. Organisations - offered. Two caveats that need to be confirmed regarding eligibility for appointment would be: to accept the legitimacy of the new SORP development process and having completed an application.
• Agreed to hold off any appointments until the outcome of the meeting of 12 March 2020. Wording for holding reply to be agreed (CCNI).
• Inclusion and future campaigns merit consideration and so seek ideas from the advisory SORP-making body about other opportunities to engage (OSCR).