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34.
As the board has delegated responsibility for day to day management of the organisation to the Chief Executive, instructions to staff should come from the Chief Executive and not from trustees. Communication between trustees and staff should generally be copied to the Chief Executive.
35.
To ensure there is a single person managing the Chief Executive, he/she should report to the board through the Chair.
36.
If at any point a trustee wishes to apply for a central staff post, the trustee should stand down from the board in advance of applying and take up the position only with the permission of the Charity Commission. If unsuccessful, they should not be eligible to re-join the board for 12 months.
4.4.3 Behaviour in meetings
37.
Led by the Chair, all board members should share responsibility for ensuring that board meetings focus on strategic matters.
38.
While the board should have robust discussions in meetings, these should be conducted with respect. Board members should be committed to taking subsequent collective responsibility for decisions.
39.
The proposed governance audit (see recommendation 17) should monitor the nature and tone of contributions to meetings and the interaction amongst board members and with staff. These communications should fully reflect the organisational value 'to have respectful and professional working relationships internally and externally'.
40.
The board has on several occasions sought guidance from advisers, including lawyers, on challenging matters. This should continue. If advice is sought and not accepted, then the board should be very sure this is the right legal, ethical and organisational course.
4.4.4 Behaviour outside meetings
41.
Board members who are both operational volunteers and trustees should be clear about these separate roles. When acting as trustees they should be accountable to the board through the Chair for their activities and actions.
Compass Partnership
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