In application for a licence to award the Chartered Scientist designation, Member Bodies are required to show that they have the necessary procedures in place in order to meet the standards required in accordance with Bylaw 72, to become a Licensed Body.

The Science Council’s Registration Authority has responsibility for setting standards for the award of CSci. As far as possible it aims to do this by supporting Licensed Bodies in a process of continuous improvement. One way it does this is by running a series of seminars/workshops covering key aspects of the award, from which the Registration Authority uses feedback from Licensed Bodies to inform guidance and the setting of standards.

For further information or guidance on any aspect of the Licensing process see the accompanying documentation or contact:

Ali Orr
Registration Executive
The Science Council
32 - 36 Loman Street
Southwark

London

SE1 0EH
Email Ali

Accreditation of Academic Programmes at Masters Level
Part of the remit of the Registration Authority (RA) is to ensure that quality standards met by Licensed Bodies are not just upheld but continue to be raised over time. One of the areas in which this is particularly important is in the procedures Licensed Bodies use to assess the requirement for M-Level education in their professional area, be it through formal accreditation of academic courses and workplace training schemes, or otherwise through assessing professional development.

A working party of the Registration Authority was set up to look into this and to make some recommendations to the RA to be used as guidance notes for future Licence renewals and applications. In the first instance, the AWP considered the accreditation procedures for academic programmes at Masters Level. Recently, it has produced further guidance following a review of assessment of M-Level equivalence.

CSci Revalidation through Monitored CPD
The Chartered Scientist designation is set apart from many other chartered awards in its requirement for registrants to revalidate every five years as an assurance that they are maintaining a high level of competence. This is of importance not only to their employers and colleagues, but to the integrity of the science profession as a whole, and to public perceptions of it.

The Science Council Registration Authority (RA) convened a Working Party, chaired by the RA’s vicechair, Alan Potter, to consider revalidation and how it will be monitored. It commissioned a survey of members’ attitudes to CPD and issues surrounding monitoring and setting a minimum standard, and based its discussions around the results of the survey. The Working Party has devised a set of requirements aimed at minimising the administrative burden for Licensed Bodies without diminishing the integrity of the revalidation process.

For further information, download Licensed Body Requirements for the Revalidation of Chartered Scientists (PDF).

Disciplinary Procedures
The essence of a professional institution is self-regulation: the setting and regulation by practitioner members of standards to begin and to continue professional practice. Academic entry standards are now usually met by appropriate university vocational degrees but standards for continuing professional practice, and ensuring that practitioners adhere to such standards, remain matters for professional institutions. Such standards depend on a code of professional conduct, a preliminary investigation procedure, disciplinary hearings and a right to appeal.

For further information and guidance on appropriate Disciplinary Procedures, download Guidelines for Licensed Bodies Discipline Procedures (PDF). For information on codes of conduct, download Model Codes of Conduct

Licence Review
The licensing and approval process is carried out through comprehensive reviews at the initial application and 5-year Licence renewal stage. During the 5-year period, regular contact ensures the Science Council are aware of significant changes. As well as identifying any problems early on, regular contact also allows best practice to be identified and disseminated to other Licensed Bodies appropriately.

The licensing and approval process is carried out, under the guidance of the Science Council Registration Authority, by a pool of Volunteer Peers nominated by the Licensed Bodies. These volunteers have appropriate expertise and experience and attend regular training and updating sessions.

For further information and guidance on the Licence review process, download Guidelines for Requirements and Duties of Review Panel Chairman/Members (PDF)

Applying For Licensed Body Status
The applying Member Body must agree to be assessed by the Registration Authority and to pay any specified application fee (currently £1500), and on the successful award of a licence, Bodies must agree to pay an annual license fee (currently £1000). Assessment is based on the formal submission of an application and supporting evidence/documentation. The primary function of the assessment is to examine the way in which the Member Body maintains and applies its own membership standards and how it operates its own professional development scheme with a view to the Member Body demonstrating that it would be able to apply the standards set by the Science Council.

For further information on the necessary standards and procedures, download Guidelines for Member Bodies applying for Licensed Body status (PDF)