Governance

Citizens Advice BCP is an independent charity governed by a Board of Trustees, whose primary role is to oversee the governance of the organisation’s activities.

Our Trustees make sure that procedures and policies are adhered to, and that documents and management arrangements are in place for the way the organisation is administered and controlled, including its finances and delivery of what it has been set up to achieve. They also have responsibility for the relationships with the stakeholders and the aims and objectives of the organisation.

The Trustee Board operates in much the same way as any company board of directors and is answerable to Charity Commission rules and Legal requirements.

Ensuring compliance – Trustees must ensure that their charity complies with:

• Charity law, and the requirements of the Charity Commission as regulator; in particular that the charity prepares reports on its work and submits annual returns and accounts as required by law.
• The requirements or rules, and charitable purpose and objects, set out in the charity’s own governing document, which all Trustees should be familiar with.
• The requirements of other legislation and other regulators (if any) which govern the activities of the charity.
• The requirements for trustees to act with integrity and avoid any personal conflict of interest or misuse of charity funds or assets.

Duty of prudence – Trustees must:

• Ensure that the charity is and will remain solvent; making sure they are kept informed of the charity’s activities and financial position.
• Use charitable funds and assets wisely, and only to further the purposes and interests of the charity.
  Avoid undertaking activities that might place the charity’s property, funds, assets or reputation at undue risk.
• Take special care when investing funds of the charity or borrowing funds for the charity to use.

Duty of care – Trustees must:

• Exercise reasonable care and skill as trustees, using personal knowledge and experience to ensure that the charity is well-run and efficient.
• Consider getting external professional advice on all matters where there may be material risk to the charity, or where trustees may be in breach of their duties.