Leadership Governance Charter

Ardenglen Housing Association’s Board and Chief Executive Officer are committed to the highest standards of governance for the benefit of our tenants, other service users and stakeholders. As a demonstration of our Leadership Team’s commitment, we have identified and agreed the following principles in our joint pursuit of excellence. This is our Leadership Governance Charter.

1. We are clear about our purpose, roles and accountability

We are clear about Ardenglen’s purpose, values, strategy and objectives and ensure that all of our people are involved in their development and vigorously pursue these.

We have a clear and participative process for reviewing and revising our strategy, monitoring progress and evaluating our achievements. This includes regular review of performance by the Board and setting out and reviewing performance expectations and achievement in appraisal for Board and Staff.

We respect each other’s’ roles, where:

• the Board (with support from the Senior Management Team) have overall responsibility and accountability for Ardenglen Housing Association’s leadership and direction, including planning and monitoring strategy and performance; and

• the Chief Executive Officer is responsible and accountable for operational delivery through the Senior Management and wider Staff team.

Everyone at Ardenglen has clear roles, remits and delegated authority and understands their responsibilities. These are contained in

• the Association’s Constitution and Rules;

• role descriptions for the Board and Office Bearers;

• job descriptions for staff;

• the Codes of Conduct for Board and Staff;

• the Scheme of Delegation; and

• Standing Orders

In our decision making, we are accountable to our members, our tenants and service users, the wider public, the Scottish Housing Regulator and everyone within or otherwise connected to Ardenglen Housing Association.

2. We are a high calibre Board where members continually learn and develop to improve our effectiveness

We acknowledge the importance of ensuring that the complement of the Board is fit to protect and promote the interests of Ardenglen Housing Association and our tenants. We recognise that some of the necessary skills to do so may best be sourced outwith the Association’s area of operation.

We regularly assess the Board’s capacity and effectiveness and succession plan effectively to recruit new members with knowledge and skills appropriate to our needs (within and outwith our community) to ensure that Board membership continues to be of the highest calibre.

We support Board members in their role with Ardenglen through:

• a regular Board Effectiveness Review

• a robust recruitment and succession plan

• an effective induction programme;

• annual appraisal; and

• identifying and delivering relevant learning and development opportunities

Through annual appraisal and regular review, we also know the strengths and development needs of our Senior Team and wider staff.

We have learning and development plans for each individual to ensure everyone can contribute to the Association to their full potential.

We have an Association wide learning and development plan focussed on achieving the Association’s strategic objectives and the Scottish Housing Regulator’s Regulatory Standards of Governance and Financial Management

We learn through actively engaging in relevant local, regional and national forums to:

• understand the external operating environment;

• strengthen our strategic and financial planning;

• reflect best practice in our products and services; and

• innovate to meet the needs of our tenants and other service users

We provide a budget sufficient to meet our learning and development needs.

3. We observe high standards of integrity and behaviour

The Leadership Team fully observes the Codes of Conduct and the SHR’s Regulatory Standards. In particular, we understand:

• The significance of collective responsibility; and

• That we act in a personal capacity, without undue influence, for the benefit of Ardenglen Housing Association in order to meet the needs of tenants, other service users and stakeholders.

We use appropriate sanctions to preserve our standards, and in doing so, we follow fair and established procedures within our Codes of Conduct.

We value voluntarism and do not pay Board members, other than for approved expenses.

4. We have robust governance systems and appropriate Board and Staff structures

We recognise that stable governance systems and organisational structures help us meet our purpose, strategy and regulatory obligations.

We review our governance instruments and systems, including our constitution, Board structure, staff structure, Standing Orders and compliance with Regulatory Standards to ensure that these are continually improved and support our purpose and the delivery of our strategy.

We approve remits and agree appropriate delegated authority throughout the Association to enable our committees, subsidiaries and staff to contribute effectively to the Association’s purpose and strategy within proper limits and controls.

5. We prepare well and contribute constructively to Ardenglen’s purpose

We properly prepare for, attend and fully participate in Board meetings.

We structure our meeting agendas to ensure that urgent matters and those requiring decision are prioritised and there is adequate time to include all Board members in discussion and decisions.

We recognise the value of our Standing Orders and will use and refer to these constructively at meetings as required.

We value and support the role of our Office Bearers in maintaining the flow for our business, particularly in preparation for Board and General meetings, supporting the Chief Executive Officer and dealing with unforeseen events.

6. We make decisions effectively

Our reports are underpinned by our respective roles and are designed to:

• Provide good quality, timely and concise information with clear recommendations

• Identify risk and other key implications arising from proposals

• Ensure proper scrutiny and challenge of proposals by the Board as well as enabling members to properly monitor progress of actions previously agreed

• Ensure effective and well informed decisions by Board that can be evidenced in the future

• Ensure that Senior Staff are accountable to the Board

Presentations are made to the Board as appropriate and not as standard.

All Board members are encouraged to participate in discussion and contribute to decisions.

We regularly review the effectiveness of our agendas, reports and meetings.

7. Our relationships are constructive, professional and supportive

We recognise and value effective working relationships between the Chair, as the leader of our Board, and the Chief Executive Officer, as our staff leader.

We maintain constructive, professional and supportive relationships within the Board, within the Staff and between the Board and Staff.

The Board and Senior Staff ensure there is sufficient opportunity for open discussion out-with formal meetings.

We foster positive and professional relationships with our tenants, other service users and stakeholders through consultation, participation and good communication, particularly about important decisions we must make.

We engage with other RSLs and strategic partners to exchange ideas and good practice as well as develop mutually beneficial initiatives on behalf of our community.

8. We review the effectiveness of our Leadership Governance Charter

In the spirit of this Charter, we will regularly review our working relationships to continue to promote the interests of the Association, our tenants, other service users and stakeholders.