Governance

Our Aims To Govern the Charity ResponsiblyOur Articles of Association provide that Family Action may have up to 15 Trustees. There are three committees of the Trustee Board - the Audit Committee, Quality Committee and the Governance Committee.

The recruitment of Trustees is steered through the Governance Committee, chaired by the Chair of the Trustee Board.  We assess the strengths of the board and skills that we need for effective governance.  To Provide Effective Governance Through the Trustee Board and CommitteesThe Trustee Board meets six times a year and holds an Annual General Meeting; the Audit Committee meets four times a year, and the Quality & Performance and Governance Committees meet three times a year.  Following a governance review, Family Action amended its Articles of Association which were agreed at its AGM in December 2010.

The day-to-day management of the charity is delegated to the Chief Executive, Helen Dent CBE. She works within guidelines, which set out her delegated authority, called Executive Limitations. To Manage Principal Advisers ResponsiblyFamily Action retains a number of advisers.  The auditors, haysmacintyre, are subject to re-appointment annually at our AGM.  The charity has banked with Coutts and Company for over 100 years, and their charges are regularly reviewed.  Receivership client accounts are held at Barclays.  We use three firms of lawyers depending on the specialist nature of the advice we need.  Our principal charity lawyers are Russell-Cooke LLP.  Our investment advisors are Barchester Green. To Provide Strategic Leadership of the CharityThe trustees agree a Strategic Plan every three years to guide the development of Family Action.