Governance

Good governance advice for the further education sector

Good governance is essential for all colleges and further education institutions, however they are constituted and however complex their organisation. The increasing pressure on colleges to become larger and more commercial organisations has only led to greater pressure on college governing bodies.

• How we can help
• Our governance expertise
• Training for Governors

Quick Enquiry

How can our further education lawyers help?

Good governance requires clear and workable governance structures and an understanding of the different legal and regulatory regimes that apply. Our experienced team of lawyers support further education colleges in all aspects of governance, constitutional reform and charity regulation.

The new flexibilities that allow general further education colleges to amend their instrument and articles of government presents interesting opportunities for governing bodies to consider more carefully their governance structures and make changes that fit the individual needs of their college. Our further education lawyers can help you identify these opportunities to put in place effective governance structures.

Our governance expertise

Our further education lawyers work with colleges in all aspects of their governance arrangements, including:

• All aspects of charity law as they apply to colleges that are exempt and those that are registered charities
• All aspects of company law
• Governance structures, including delegation and terms of reference for committees
• The rights and duties of board members
• Constitutional change, including amendments to Instrument and Articles of Government and Articles of Association
• Obtaining Charity Commission Schemes and Orders as required for exempt charities and registered charities
• Joint ventures, collaborations and mergers
• Trading issues
• Serious incident reporting
• Investment and borrowing
• Endowment
• Fundraising, including alumni programmes and fundraising foundations
• Dealing with regulatory issues, including with the Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills and Welsh Government

Governance training for governors

We also offer cost effective training to further education governing bodies on their duties and responsibilities and would be happy to discuss any governance training requirements you may have. 

For further information regarding good governance and how our further education lawyers can help, please contact a member of our Charity Law team, or complete the form below