Quality Students’ Unions: Good Governance Session

In this session Take a look at why good governance is important and a hot topic Briefly introduce the Good Governance framework and self assessment Explore some key questions which arise in relation to the Good Governance code and consider how unions should respond Share good practice and new ideas 2

A clear narrative around governance Over the past few years a clear narrative has emerged around charity governance – With negative headlines relating to; Governance producers High salaries of CEO Fundraising tactics Spending Political involvement What ever you make of these and other stories - This narrative resulted in; New powers to the Charities Commission - move towards becoming a more robust regulator in late 2015 As well as other measures such as the Lobbying Act This has focused attention on charity governance and the role of trustees New powers to commission include: - Extending trusteeship disqualification to include senior management positions. - More detail and stronger safeguards on the commission's new power to issue official warnings. - The introduction of a new power for the commission to direct a person not to take or to stop taking an action while a statutory inquiry is under way. - Requiring the commission to give public notice, inviting responses, of its intention to use its new power to direct the winding-up of a charity. 3

Governance in the news… The Guardian newspaper editorial wrote in August 2015… “The fall of Kids Company shows us that charitable boards need to up their game” …. “The position of trustee requires something more than a desire to be seen to be a good egg. The work demands time, commitment and ability.” Boards need those who can accurately understand a charity’s financial workings. They also require people whose minds are subtle enough to understand that charities and arts organisations are different from profit-making organisations. Diversity is critical. Without it, the skills, outlook and assumptions of boards are curtailed. 4

In the news The editorial went on to suggest the following interventions; More training for trustees as part of their roles…  There could be more ways of sharing common problems between boards Workplaces could better support and give a little time off Too often trustees tend to be drawn from a narrow sliver of society – white, male, of a certain class and bearing and type. There is more work to do in widening the pool of talent from which boards are drawn. The work of trustees needs to be better celebrated and valued… as a public-service endeavour to which any skilled person, wherever they stand in society, should be welcome to contribute. 5

The HE green paper 2015 Teaching Excellence, Social Mobility and Student Choice Green Paper November 2015 Students’ unions play an important role representing student views and promoting the provision of academic and other services The Government is currently taking steps through trade union reforms to ‘improve’ union practices and increase transparency around how funds are spent What steps could be taken to increase the transparency of student unions and strengthen unions’ accountability to their student members?

Developing good governance

NUS Good Governance code Developed and launched in 2011 as part of a project funded by HEFCE Now forms part of QSU – under the Governance strand Democracy  Openness and Accountability Clarity over the role of the board Effective trustees and board   Delivering Organisational purpose Exercising Control Behaving with integrity 4) Fully Achieved 3) Acceptable standard 2) Minimum standard. Below minimum   Unions are also asked to issue a priority level Low Level Priority Medium Level Priority High Level Priority

Some key questions

Feedback

Quality Students’ Unions: http://qualitystudentsunions.org.uk Good Governance Code: www.apps.nusconnect.org.uk/goodgovernance