SCOTTISH SECONDARY TEACHERS’ ASSOCAITION

Statement to members for period ended 31 December 2020

as required by section 32a of trade union and labour relations (consolidation) act 1992

Income and Expenditure

The total income of the union for the period was  £969,470 This amount included payments of £920,264 in respect of membership income of the union. The union’s total expenditure for the period was £ 885,847

Political Fund

The Association does not maintain a political fund.

General Secretary Salary and Other benefits

The General Secretary of the union was paid £102,451 in respect of salary and £17,811 in respect of benefits (superannuation contributions).

Irregularity statement

A member who is concerned that some irregularity may be occurring, or have occurred, in the conduct of the financial affairs of the union may take steps with a view to investigating further, obtaining clarification and, if necessary, securing regularisation of that conduct.

The member may raise any such concern with such one or more of the following as it seems appropriate to raise it with: the officials of the union, the trustees of the property of the union, the auditor or auditors of the union, the Certification Officer (who is an independent officer appointed by the Secretary of State) and the police.

Where a member believes that the financial affairs of the union have been or are being conducted in breach of the law or in breach of the rules of the union and contemplates bringing civil proceedings against the union or responsible officials or trustees, he should consider obtaining independent legal advice.

Independent auditors’ report to the members of
SCOTTISH SECONDARY TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of SCOTTISH SECONDARY TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION for the year ended 31 December 2020 which comprise the Cash Flow Statement, the Income and Expenditure Account, the Balance Sheet and notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice) to the extent that the standard is relevant to the association.

In our opinion the financial statements:

• give a true and fair view of the state of the association’s affairs as at 31 December 2020 and of its surplus for the year then ended;
• have been property prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice;
• have been prepared in accordance with the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (amended 2016).

Basis of opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report We are independent of the association 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 Finance Committee members‘ 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 association’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 Finance Committee members with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report

Other Information

The other information comprises the information included in the annual report other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. The Finance Committee members 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.

Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2008

In our opinion, based on the work in the course of the audit

• the information given in the undertaken Finance Committee’s report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and
• the Finance Committee’s report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the association and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the Finance Committee’s report.

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, In our opinion:

• adequate accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or
• the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or
• certain disclosures of Finance Committee’s remuneration specified by law are not made; or
• we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.

Responsibilities of the Finance Committee

As explained more fully in the Finance Committee’s responsibilities statement, the Finance Committee members 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 Finance Committee members 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 Finance Committee members are responsible for assessing the association’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 Finance Committee members either intend to liquidate the association or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

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.

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the association’s members, as a body. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the association’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 association and the association’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Stephen Grant, Senior Statutory Auditor

for and on behalf of Tindell, Grant & Co Limited

Statutory Auditors

6 Munro Road, Springkerse

Stirling FK7 7UU