Trustee Role
Our trustees have the overall responsibility for Homefield College. They work together to make decisions and lead on the strategic direction.
Trustee Responsibilities
Trustees have ultimate responsibility for directing Homefield College, and ensuring that our charity is solvent, well-run, and delivering the outcomes for the benefit of our beneficiaries.
Trustees are responsible for three main areas: Compliance, Duty of Prudence and Duty of Care.
This includes ensuring that Homefield:
- complies with, and does not breach, charity law and the requirements of the Charity Commission
- produces reports, annual returns and accounts as required by law
- acts with integrity and that there are no personal conflicts of interest or misuse of charity funds / assets
- remains solvent
- uses funds reasonably
- avoids undertaking activities that place the College at undue risk
- takes special care when investing or borrowing funds
Trustees must also:
- use reasonable care and skill in their work as Trustees, using personal skills and experience as needed to ensure that Homefield is well run and efficient
- consider getting external professional advice on all matters where there may be material risk to Homefield, or where the Trustees may be in breach of their duties
- be aware of additional governing laws and requirements, such as:
- company law
- employment law
- health & safety legislation
- the Equality Act
- requirements of the Care Quality Commission
- company law
This may mean needing to seek external advice to be sure we meet all our compliance responsibilities.
Any decision made by our trustees must be decided upon by all trustees, acting collectively and as a team. That said, decisions do not always need to be unanimous, and often a majority decision will suffice.
Code of Good Governance
The Code is intended to help governing boards meet and exceed basic governance requirements. This code has been written for general further education Colleges, sixth form Colleges and foundation Colleges rather than for independent specialist Colleges such as Homefield. However, we adopt a bespoke version of this code.
The Code adopts the values and behaviours of being:
- Respectful
- Professional
- Prudent
- Passionate about education and good governance
The ten principle responsibilities of Good Governance
Trustees and Senior Management will undertake to:
- Formulate and agree the mission and strategy including defining the ethos of the College.
- Be collectively accountable for the business of the College taking all decisions on all matters within their duties and responsibilities.
- Ensure there are effective underpinning policies and systems, which facilitate the student voice.
- Foster exceptional teaching and learning.
- Ensure that the College is responsive to workforce trends by adopting a range of strategies for engaging with employers and other stakeholders.
- Adopt a financial strategy and funding plans which are compatible with the duty to ensure sustainability and solvency of the College.
- Ensure that effective control and due diligence takes place in relation to all matters including acquisitions, subcontracting and partnership activity.
- Meet and aim to exceed its statutory responsibilities for equality and diversity.
- Ensure that there are organised and clear governance and management structures, with well-understood delegations.
- Regularly review governance performance and effectiveness.
This information has been taken from the Charity Commission. Full / further information on each area can be found by accessing the Charity Commission website.