acie annual conference: glasgow 19th October 2023

Confirmed Conference Programme

9-10am Registration and Refreshments

9:15 Welcome: Mark Heaton, FCIE and Chair

9:30 ACIE conversion to CIO: Tony Clarke, N. Ireland Convenor and Mark Heaton, Chair.

10:00 Keynote:    OSCR, Laura Anderson, the Scottish Charity Regulator, Charity regulation in Scotland - what's been happening and what is coming up?

The session aims to be informative about what has been happening at OSCR and what is on the horizon in terms of improvements and priorities.

Laura is the Senior Manager for Higher Risk Cases and Quality Assurance at the Scottish Charity Regulator where she leads teams dealing with a range of complex and challenging casework as well as accounting and annual reporting matters. Laura is also one of the joint-chairs of the UK Charities SORP Committee and has been involved with the Committee for many years. Laura trained and qualified as a Chartered Accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers and worked in private practice until 2007 when she joined OSCR. She is an active member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Scotland.

10:30 Networking break

11:00  Fundraising Regulator, Celia Currie, Stakeholder and Policy Manager for N. Ireland.

Current issues for the Fundraising Regulator including its review of the Code of Fundraising Practice

Attendees will hear about the role of the Fundraising Regulator, its current work to create a more principles-based code and how they can contribute to the ongoing consultation on the Code of Fundraising Practice

Celia joined the Fundraising Regulator as its NI Stakeholder and Policy Manager in June 2022 and is based in Northern Ireland. With over twenty years’ experience she has held a variety of governance, policy, and planning roles in the public, charitable and private sectors. In the past decade she has worked extensively with a number of charities to develop policy and engagement strategies to ensure that the voices of stakeholders are heard and reflected in regional and national policy.

11:30 VAT: What Charities Should Consider, Tamara Habberley (VAT People).

Informative and help identify issues or opportunities for clients.

Tamara Habberley (Tamara) is a VAT consultant with a wide range of experience in assisting clients as diverse as arts and theatre companies, charities,  property developers, construction companies, e commerce suppliers and sports clubs to understand and deal with the complexities of VAT. Tamara is based in the North West of England but has clients throughout the UK and EC. Tamara has experience working as a VAT inspector for HMRC (then HM C&E) before jumping ship to join Deloitte and then BDO in the West Midlands, thus having the valuable ability to understand VAT issues from both a HMRC and tax payer’s perspective

12:00 Amsel Page von Spreckelsen (Blackbird Charity Finance), Trustees Annual Report and the Accounts: Two Sides of a Coin.

This will be a reflective and informative session looking at the two parts of statutory reporting - the words and the numbers - and asking what they need to do to support each other, so that the whole is as good as it can be. We'll be looking at what the purpose of the Annual Report is, and what it can be. Good examples and less so will be talked about and attendees should come away with a sense of what they can do to support trustees and enhance their practice.

Amsel has been an accountant working in the not-for profit and social enterprise sector for over 15 years, is part qualified with a CIMA Diploma in Management Accounting and qualified by experience. They have had a varied career across employed roles, freelance and voluntary posts, and currently trade as BCF Consulting, specialising in management accounting services for small and medium charities.

12:30 Networking lunch including a presentation from Keegan & Pennykid

What are the Insurance challenges right now?

The current economic climate has created numerous financial constraints on all of us. Insurance it not immune from those and this session will raise awareness of those keys factors and what considerations arise from cover adequacy, rising premiums and those benefits of having a broker work on behalf of their Clients to source the most competitive terms.

13:30 Keynote:  Steve Grozier, SCVO Access to audit and independent examination

Prompted by reports from SCVO members of difficulty in accessing auditors, we included a question in the Scottish Third Sector Tracker on this issue.  This presentation will introduce you to the Tracker and its general findings, before focussing on access to audit and independent examination.

 

Steve has been with SCVO since 2020, leading work on the Scottish Third Sector Tracker, a longitudinal panel survey tracking trends in issues within the operating environment for Scotland’s voluntary sector.

14:00 Best Practice: planning an examination, Margaret Birse (Tangram Accounting).

Attendees should leave the session with enhanced practical skills and increased knowledge of the planning and recording of an Independent Examination.

Margaret has been an Independent Examiner for around 15 years, and a Fellow of ACIE for over 10 years. Having been a volunteer for most of my adult life, an employee of a charity, a trustee of a number of charities and an independent examiner, gives me a well rounded view of charities from both inside and outside. I am passionate about passing on knowledge and previously worked as a lecturer in further education.

14:30 Networking break and presentation of the 6th Edition of the Charity Treasurer's Handbook by Elaine Alsop.

15:00 Mark Heaton, KMM Accounting, Chair of ACIE,  Anti Money Laundering Update

What responsibilities does an independent examiner have for AML and Client Due Diligence?

Mark Heaton is a practicing accountant in Burnley, Lancashire. He is currently trustee and chair of ACIE and trustee of ACAT.

15:30  Board Discussion: what do we need to do differently, led by Isabel Harland