The role of the Staff Governor Presented by Kevin Finnigan 3 rd December 2012

The role of the Staff Governor

Presented by Kevin Finnigan

3rd December 2012

Staff Governor Induction

Welcome to new staff Governors

Why do we need Governors?

Why do we need Staff Governors?


Staff Governors

Boards are comprised of stakeholders and others who together can lead an education service

Staff Governors

•reflect an important part of the ‘stakeholder’ community

•elected by the staff of the College


Outline of the Programme

•The context of FE

•What will you do as a Staff Governor?

•Chair, Clerk and Principal.

•Leading the service of Education.

•Where to from here?


Your Questions?

•What do you need to know?

•What do you need to know that you are unaware of yet?

•How can you make this role work for you, your fellow governors and the success of the college?

•What does the future have in store?


The context of FE

• Before 1992/93 Colleges were part of the local authority.

• The incorporation of colleges 1993. Why did we have this

change?

• Funding bodies since 1993: FEFC LSC SFA YPLA EFA

• The current split between 16-19 and 19+ : Education Funding

Agency (EFA) and Skills Funding Agency (SFA)

Student Governor Induction

Recent key changes?

• The needs of the economy; Government priorities; commissioning

services

• The Schofield Review of Governance and Strategic Leadership in English

Further Education 2009

• The Coalition Government 2010

• Local strategic links strengthened: The Localism Act 2011

• The Education Act 2011

• The English Colleges’ Foundation Code of Governance 2011/2012

• Your college in it’s context. Are you in partnership with other providers, or

are you trying to be the best on your own?


Questions

•What is the Mission of your college?

•Are you clear about your college’s priorities?

•Are you clear about where your college is going?


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Question

What is the difference between Governance and Management?


Simplistically…..

Governors govern

Governors focus on the ends

i.e. setting expectations then monitoring managers towards achievement of those ends, holding managers to account

Managers manage

Managers focus on the means

i.e. working towards achievement of the board’s expectations, providing assurance through board reports and being held to account

Where does your Board’s framework sit on this line?


Key Documents for Governors

•Instrument and Articles of Government

•Code of Conduct

•Financial Memorandum

•Audit Code of Practice

•Strategic Plan

•Quality Strategy

•Register of Interests


Nolan Principles of Public Life

•Selflessness•Integrity•Objectivity•Accountability

•Openness•Honesty•Leadership


Roles and Responsibilities

Governors Board

Principal Chair Clerk

Committees & Steering

Groups


a) educational character and mission and oversight;

b) publishing arrangements for obtaining the views of staff and students on the determination and periodic review of the educational character and mission of the institution and the oversight of activities

b) quality strategyc) resources, solvency and safeguarding assets;d) approving income and expenditure;e) appointment, grading, suspension, dismissal

and pay and conditions of service of senior post-holders and Clerk to the Corporation

f) Staff pay and conditions framework

Some functions cannot be delegated

Board

Responsibilities of the Corporation


A key role, but undefined responsibilities within the Instrument and Articles of Government

Chair

Role of the Chair


a) proposals to Corporation re educational character and mission and implementing the decisions of the Corporation;

b) determination of academic and other activities;

c) income and expenditure and management of budget and resources;

d) College management and staff leadership;

e) pay and conditions of staff,

f) student discipline

Principal

Role of the Principal


Committees and Steering

Groups

Responsibilities:

As stated in Instrument and Articles e.g. for Audit and Search Committees

or

As determined by the Board themselves within Terms of Reference

Committees and Steering

Groups


Role of the Clerk

Article 3

Responsible for advising the Corporation on:

a) operation of its powers;

b) procedural matters;

c) conduct of its business; and

d) governance practice.

Clerk


Set your objectives??

Governors

So what are you going to do in your role as a governor?


Monitoring the strategy

•College strategic aims and current objectives

•Measures of success

•Assessment of risk


Monitoring the strategy

Do you know what the College strategic aims

and current objectives are?


Key performance indicators – Quality

•Self Assessment Report

•Ofsted Inspection Framework

•Quality Improvement Plan

•Foundation Code of Governance

•Self Regulation


Key Financial Priorities

•Enrolment/application numbers

•Budget surplus/deficit

•Budget expenditure/income

•Control mechanism


Comparators

•Previous (last year/month)and trends

•Targets/Budget

•Benchmarks

- Quality

- Finance


Support for Staff Governors

•Clerk to the Corporation

•Governor Mentors

•Skills Audit

•Training / Conferences (Networking)

•Expenses

•Say what you need


The Staff Governor at Meetings

•Attendance – and targets

•Contributions

•Declaration of Interests

•Confidentiality

•Quoracy / Voting

•Are you on a committee?

Governor Induction

Next steps

Priorities for you??