Governance best practice

The level of support, advice, training and information for trustees has increased in recent years. There are now many sources of guidance – for example:

• Books like the Good Trustee Guide and the Russell-Cooke Voluntary Sector Legal Handbook can help provide new and existing trustees with an overview of their responsibilities in a single text
• Websites like www.ncvo-vol.org.uk and www.charitycommission.gov.uk provide trustees and those who work with boards with up to date best practice and regulatory advice
• Many local and national support agencies run workshops, events and conferences for trustees and organise trustee support networks.

The type of governance best practice implemented by a trustee board will vary depending on their size and circumstances. It should be proportionate to their needs.

A large charity that employs a chief executive to manage its operations is likely to have very different governance arrangements than a very small charity entirely run by volunteers. For example, the large charity might recruit new trustees via paid advertisements or the use of paid consultation in a way that might be too expensive for the very small charity.

However, there are some areas of best practice that are quite common to many charities, large and small: [note – all the points below link onto existing pages]

• Ensuring key documents are in place and available – for example, role descriptions for trustees and an induction pack or programme for new trustees
• Planning trustee recruitment – considering the skills or qualities that are required of new trustees (for example, via a skills audit) and using a variety of means to attract prospective candidates
• Trustee training and development – ensuring new and existing trustees have access to information, guidance and training to help them develop their role – for example, online materials, books and workshops or events
• Ensuring that the charity’s governance arrangements are effective– for example, periodically reviewing the governing document, policies and procedures and providing opportunities for trustees to reflect on their roles & responsibilities.