The Charities Regulator recently published a number of new guidance documents and templates designed to help charity trustees effectively implement the Charities Governance Code.
2020 will be the first year that registered charities are expected to comply with the Code.
2021 will be the first year that registered charities are expected to report on their compliance with the Code.
The Charities Governance Code explains the minimum standards a charity should meet to effectively manage and control the charity. The Charities Governance Code Toolkit provides guidance notes and templates to assist charities and charity trustees to meet all of the core standards outlined in the Code.
The toolkit includes a useful graphic which outlines the legal duties of charity trustees. It includes practical advice and tips on minute taking at board meetings. A guidance note sets out the content that should be included in board minutes and the standard format that minutes should take. The guidance note also contains a list of common mistakes that minute takers should be aware of before entering a meeting. There is also a guide which will be of practical benefit to chairpersons. The guide sets out the role of the chairperson in a number of areas.
The toolkit includes a guide on risk management for charities which outlines what a risk is, the categories of risk which may affect a charity and how to implement an effective risk management system. Accompanying this guide is a template risk register which provides a template for logging, ranking and mitigating risks that could impact a charity.
Finally the toolkit provides helpful advice on the recruitment and induction of prospective charity trustees. A guidance note outlines what needs to be considered when recruiting new charity trustees and how to make sure they receive a proper induction. An induction pack checklist sets out the materials that should be included in the induction pack for each charity trustee. A guidance note is also made available to assist charity trustees in developing a code of conduct for trustees.
