This theme seeks to assess the quality, suitability and performance of the board and trustees.
The Group Board had 11 members from the 1st April 2024, 10 are non-executive directors (91%) and one executive director (the Chief Executive). The roles of the Chair of the Board and the Chief Executive are held by two different people.
The Group Board had 11 members from the 1st April 2024, 10 are non-executive directors (91%) and one executive director (the Chief Executive). The roles of the Chair of the Board and the Chief Executive are held by two different people.
Since adopting the NHF Code 2020 Code of Conduct and in line with best practice, all new non-executive directors are appointed for a maximum term of two three-year terms. Three non-executive directors left the Board in 2023-24 (a turnover rate of 33%).
Declarations of interest are a standing agenda item at the start of every Board and committee meeting and a register of interests is maintained and published on our website in line with the Code of Governance. If an interest is declared, the Board member may be asked to not participate in any vote on a given item and not contribute to any discussion on that item.
Three committees report to the Board. These are the Audit and Assurance Committee, the Customer Committee and the Remuneration and Appraisal Committee, as well as a subsidiary Board for Cube Homes Limited. Each Committee and subsidiary Board has membership which includes Group Board Members. The Audit and Assurance Committee includes members with significant relevant senior housing professional experience within its membership.
Our external auditors, Beever and Struthers, have been in place since November 2021, with Sue Hutchinson as our Lead Audit Partner. A policy regarding the independence of the external auditors is reviewed annually. The Remuneration and Appraisal Committee has a wide range of responsibilities, including Board succession. A succession plan is provided annually to the Board and the Remuneration and Appraisal Committee.
The Customer Committee also has a wide range of responsibilities specifically in relation to customer-facing services, policies and strategies – ensuring that these are developed and designed with the customer voice in mind.
The Board’s effectiveness is independently reviewed every three years with the latest triennial independent review being carried out between December 2023-February 2024. The review carried out by Altair included board effectiveness and remuneration and found that the organisation has robust governance arrangements in place.
Our Recruitment and Selection policy for colleague appointments has a dedicated section outlining the expectations relating to EDI and ensures that we don’t discriminate against anyone on the basis of protected characteristics, or wider characteristics. Great Places undertakes regular monitoring of equal opportunities data in respect of applications and appointments. Where data analysis indicates improvements may be required, Great Places commits to taking action to address these, which may include (but isn’t limited to) additional training, changes to policy or process or positive action.
At Board level, there is a Recruitment, Succession and Development Policy, which includes a specific section on EDI. As well as ensuring that nobody is discriminated against – this policy along with the Statement of Preferred Board Composition – aims to ensure a Board which is reflective of our customer base and the communities we serve and actively seeks to ensure there is a diverse board in terms of gender, ethnicity, disability as well as diversity of thought and lived experience.
36% of the Board are female, 18% are from an ethnically diverse background and 18% have a disability. None of the Board are residents, although we do have six residents sitting on the standing committee. Four identify as Christian, five with no religion, one as a Buddhist and one as ‘other.’ The Board ages range from 39-69 and the average age of the 11 Board members is 56. The average tenure of the non-executive directors on the Board is just over three years – largely due to there being four new non-executive directors who have recently joined the Board.
