External Review of Governance

The College commissioned an external review of Governance in March 2022.  The review was undertaken by industry experts, Stone King and the final report was presented to the Board in July 2022.

The report concluded that the Corporation Board should:

• Review the operation of board and committee meetings, starting with the formation and focus of the agendas, and including sharper reporting using a consistent reporting format and providing a clear recommendation to Board members. Every Governing Board agenda should give priority to the progress of the Board’s strategic priorities, institutional financial health, strategic risks, improvement priorities, and teaching and learning.
• The conversion of the Development Plan 2021/22 one year plan, which derives from the Board’s strategic plan (3 year), into a process against which progress is reported to every Governing Board meeting. The style of the Development Plan reporting needs to be able to clearly present to Board members the degree to which each Development Plan target is being addressed and achieved.
• The Governing Board should develop further an annual board review process which includes an individual Board member and a Chair review process to ensure structured reflection and continuous improvement is embedded into governing processes and practices. Reflection on meeting the requirements of the Code of Good Governance should be included in this process. The overall outcome should lead to an annual Governing Board Development Plan. 
• Consideration should be given to how the Governing Board addresses the core purpose of Derwentside College i.e. education and training. Included in this consideration should be the potential for e.g. a Teaching and Learning Committee to assist the Governing Board.
• Board member induction and development needs to be strengthened to include a clearer and continuing focus on strategic priorities, teaching and learning, the Code of Good Governance, and the operation of the governance space.

Progress and Key Developments

Since the Stone King report was presented in July 2022 we have made significant progress in developing our Corporate Governance.  Key developments are highlighted below:

• New Chair Appointed - the College appointed a new Chair in December 2023 (David Allsop) to lead the Board.
• New Head of Governance role introduced - the College has introduced a new, full-time Head of Governance role to support the development of outstanding corporate governance (Elaine Gaines appointed February 2024).
• New Vice Chair roles introduced - the College has introduced two new Vice Chair roles and has appointed to both positions. 
• New Senior Independent Governor role introduced - we have introduced a new role of a Senior Independent Governor, who will be responsible for providing impartial advice to the Chair, Corporation Board, and Executive Team, and for conducting the Chairs annual appraisal.
• Governor Recruitment - following a rigorous skills assessment conducted by the Search and Governance Committee, the College worked with a recruitment partner (Peridot), to appoint 8 new governors to the Corporation Board and its sub-committees in 2023-24.  Induction and development procedures for new Governors have been strengthened significantly, providing new governors with a positive introduction to the College.
• New Committee Structures - the College has now introduced a new committee structure, with a Finance and Resources Committee, and Quality and Standards Committee now in place.  The new structure will allow the Corporation Board to take a more strategic view, with the Committees governing other key areas of the College's business. All Committees now operate to a progressive business cycle, covering key business agenda items throughout the year.  
• Remuneration and Performance Committee - the College has reviewed the terms of reference and function of the previous Remuneration Committee, re-focusing this to ensure that the performance of the College's Senior Post Holders is managed effectively and that remuneration is aligned to the achievement of the College's strategic priorities.  The College has adopted the AoC Remuneration Code. 
• Board Assurance Frameworks - the College has introduced board assurance frameworks to provide assurance to the Board that its key legal and regulatory obligations are being met.  The overall BAF has been linked clearly to the AoC Code of Good Governance, demonstrating how the College complies with the code.  The BAF is continually reviewed and developed by the Head of Governance to ensure it remains up to date with key developments in the sector and in corporate governance.
• Reporting - all reports presented to the Corporation Board and its sub-committees have been standardised and are subject to regular review and continuous improvement.  Executive Summaries are used well to provide key information, with recommendations, risks and implications clearly identified. 
• Board Review - annual appraisals now take place with all governors and this informs governance development planning.  The Search and Governance Committee oversee the development of corporate governance throughout the year and continue to strengthen the College's approach to self assessment.
• Engagement - significant progress has been made towards Board engagement, with Governors now actively participating in a range of events across the year involving staff, students and key stakeholders.  Additionally, the College has appointed a Lead Governor for Safeguarding and is in the process of appointing link governors in key areas.

A further independent review of governance will be commissioned towards the end of the 2024-25 academic year.