Governance Case Study

The Organisation:

A small health-related organisation.

The Challenge:

The organisation first approached Kingston Voluntary Action because their Chair (who also was their Acting Treasurer) died and left them not only saddened, but also concerned about their future. With the Chair's death, the number of Trustees on the Board was reduced to five and since their Governing Document states that the Management Committee must consist of at least six members, there was an urgent need for governance support.

Our Support & The Results:

KVA provided guidance on how and where to advertise for new trustees and with help from Kingston Volunteer Centre, we were able to identify several possible candidates.

From these, the organisation has now recruited a local resident as a trustee who has lots of relevant experience (civil servant for over 30 years, a school governor and a chair of PTA) and enough time to devote to the committee. The Acting Chair attended KVA's training session 'Recruitment and Induction of Trustees' and there are two more people interested in joining the Board.

Our initial assessment of the organisation's governance involved looking at the Governing Document, which led to some changes being suggested. The organisation will consider these and, with our assistance, review the Constitution once the new trustees are in place and more familiar with the organisation.

We visited the organisation during one of their committee meetings and conducted a short quiz on duties and responsibilities of trustees. This revealed a need for a refresher workshop, which all participants agreed was useful. The organisation has also identified a need to strengthen their practice around the Data Protection Act.

What they said:

Their Acting Chair said "The help given by Kingston Voluntary Action, and the courses provided, have been invaluable in enabling our organisation to re-focus itself and prepare to move forward after a period of difficulty."