Charity law requires trustee boards to declare any interest that could affect their impartiality when making decisions — a personal financial stake, a family connection to a supplier, or a role in another organisation that could conflict with the group's best interests. The Conflict of Interest Register in Scoutworks gives the board a permanent, audited record of every declaration.
Where to find it
Go to Group Insights in the sidebar, then click the Conflicts tab.
Filing a declaration
Click Declare Conflict in the top-right of the tab (or File First Declaration if the register is empty). Fill in the details of the conflict:
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Declared by | The trustee making the declaration — group admins can file on behalf of any trustee |
| Nature of conflict | A clear description of what the interest is and why it could affect impartiality |
| Date declared | Defaults to today; can be back-dated if needed |
| Relevant decisions | Any specific decisions or areas where this interest applies (optional) |
Click Submit Declaration to save. The entry appears immediately in the register.
Why declarations cannot be edited
Once a declaration is filed, it cannot be changed. This is deliberate — a charity's conflict of interest register is an audit trail, and the Charity Commission expects entries to be permanent. Changing the text after the fact would undermine that record.
The register shows a blue notice at the top of the tab as a reminder.
Updating a declaration — superseding
If the circumstances of a conflict change — for example, a trustee acquires a new interest or the original description needs correcting — file a new declaration using Supersede. Open the row menu for the original declaration (the three-dot icon) and choose Supersede.
This opens the declaration sheet pre-filled with the original text, which you can edit to reflect the updated situation. When you save, the new declaration becomes Active and the original is marked Expired in the Supersedes column, so the full history is preserved.
Declaration status
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Active | The conflict is current and should be considered in relevant decisions |
| Expired | This declaration has been superseded by a newer one |
Who can remove a declaration
Only Group Admins can permanently remove a declaration from the register. This is reserved for cases where an entry was filed in error (for example, a duplicate). A reason must be provided before removing, and the action is permanently logged.
To remove a declaration, open its row menu and choose Delete. You will be asked for a reason before the entry is removed.
The Compliance Health Score
The Overview tab of Group Insights includes a Compliance Health card. This shows a score out of 100 made up of three components:
| Component | What it measures |
|---|---|
| Risk reviews up to date | Whether strategic risk entries have been reviewed on schedule |
| Duties completed | How many of the annual trustee duties have been marked done |
| Conflict declarations | Whether the register is in good shape relative to the size of the board |
The score updates automatically as you work through the risk register, duties, and conflict register. There is nothing to configure — it is a read-only health indicator for the board's own use.
The conflict register in the board pack
When you export a Board Pack PDF from the Actions menu on Group Insights, active conflict declarations are included automatically. No extra steps needed.
What's next
- Getting Started as a Trustee — signing in and finding Group Insights.
- Managing the Strategic Risk Register — tracking organisational risks.
- Managing Trustee Duties and Calendar — annual statutory duties alongside the conflict register.
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Related guidesGetting Started as a Trustee
How trustees sign in to Scoutworks, find the Group Insights dashboard, and export a board pack for their next trustee meeting.
Read articleManaging the Strategic Risk Register
How trustees and group admins log, review, and track organisational risks using the 5×5 matrix — distinct from per-event risk assessments.
Read articleManaging Trustee Duties and Calendar
How to track the six standard trustee duties, mark them complete, and subscribe to the duties calendar feed in an external app.
Read article