Vision

The Social Audit Network will work towards becoming the foremost network organisation in the UK promoting an accessible social accounting and audit process for the community, social economy and public sectors.

Mission

The Social Audit Network seeks to promote and support social accounting and audit as the preferred means whereby organisations operating in the community, social economy and public sectors report on their social, environmental and economic performance.

Values

SAN is committed to upholding their values based around…

• Democracy
• Accessibility
• Empowerment
• Partnership
• Transparency

Principles of the Social Accounting and Audit process applied by SAN:

• Clarify purpose
• Define scope
• Engage stakeholders
• Determine materiality
• Make comparisons
• Be transparent
• Verify accounts
• Embed the process

Objectives

1.  To promote, facilitate and encourage the use of social accounting and audit through the sharing of information and experience by……

• developing and maintaining a website
• circulating information to the email list (Associate Members) and encouraging exchange of experience
• holding a regular conferences or SAN gatherings
• compiling and publishing accessible information on the social accounting and audit processes (Manual, CD, website information, etc.)
• linking social accounting to other relevant tools and methods
• running taster sessions and other awareness-raising events
• writing and publishing guidance notes on the process
• publicising and marketing the social accounting and audit process and materials
• developing and maintaining a list of approved trainers/facilitators and training organisations

2.  To lobby and influence other bodies and institutions on behalf of the Social Audit Network by…

• identifying influential bodies and building relationships with them
• writing regular articles and issuing press releases
• attending and speaking at conferences, events, etc.
• contributing to the national and international debate on social, environmental and economic accounting and audit.

3.  To establish and administer a process to approve persons who are deemed competent to act as social auditors by…

• developing and publicising good practice guidelines
• maintaining a register of approved social auditors, including a competent application and approval process.
• managing a quality control mechanism for approved social auditors

4.  To identify and arrange appropriate training and continuing personal development for social auditors and social accounting trainers/facilitators by…

• holding regular meetings for those people and organisations actively involved in social accounting and audit
• facilitating and implementing appropriate training for facilitators, trainers and social auditors
• developing a system for continuing personal development

5.  To undertake research and consultation to develop agreed common standards which may be applied in respect of i) the content of a set of social accounts; ii) the processes used in gathering information for and preparing social accounts; iii) the methods by which social accounts can be verified as trustworthy

6.  To manage SAN competently and with commitment to our values by...

• constituting SAN
• holding regular meetings
• managing staff well and being a good employer
• ensuring that SAN’s ecological footprint is as light as possible