Cymraeg

The Chair is appointed by the Home Secretary. The appointment of a person as Chair of the Board shall be for a fixed period of not longer than three years. A person whose term of appointment as Chair has expired shall be eligible for reappointment, but no person may hold office as Chair for a period which is longer than six years. The Chair may at any time resign his/her office by notice in writing addressed to the Home Secretary. If the Chair ceases to be a member of the Board, he/she shall also cease to be Chair.

The Chair of the Board is personally responsible to the National Director for ensuring that the Board works in accordance with the objectives, targets, directions and guidance established by the Home Secretary and for probity in the conduct of the Board’s affairs. Communications between the Board members and the National Director will normally be through the Chair.

The Chair has a particular responsibility for providing effective strategic leadership on such matters as:

(a) ensuring that a strategy is formulated and agreed by the Board for delivering its performance targets and fulfilling its statutory functions;
(b) ensuring that the Board, in reaching decisions, complies with directions given by the National Director acting on behalf of the Home Secretary and acts in accordance with any guidance given by him/her;
(c) encouraging high standards of propriety, and promoting the efficient and effective use of staff and other resources throughout the organisation;
(d) ensuring appropriate training for members and members of staff;
(e) representing the views of the Board in contacts with local and other agencies involved in the criminal justice system and the general public; and
(f) providing the Home Secretary with an assessment of the performance of individual Board members, on request.

The Chair should ensure that all members of the Board, when taking up office, are fully briefed on the terms of their appointment and on their duties, rights and responsibilities.

The role of the Treasurer

The Chief Officer will normally be designated as the Accountable Officer for the Board. It is the Treasurer’s duty, as the source of independent expert advice on financial matters, to support and advise the Chief Officer in that role.

It is the responsibility of the Treasurer to advise the Chair, the Board and the National Director in the event of the Chief Officer failing to meet the financial duties and requirements of the Accountable Officer role.

The Treasurer is responsible to the Chief Officer but has the right of independent access to the Chair and the Board. The Treasurer has a right to attend Board meetings and the meetings of any Committee or Group established by the Board which has devolved authority for making financial decisions or committing financial resources. The Treasurer must attend the Audit Committee.

As the source of expert and professional advice to the Chief Officer, the Board and other officers, the Treasurer shall support the Chief Officer by ensuring:

(a) the establishment of appropriate financial systems, regulations and procedures that provide for the necessary levels of controls, checks and balances to ensure the security of the Board’s assets and propriety in the Boar’s financial transactions;
(b) the assessment of the financial implications of all plans and proposals;
(c) the setting of budgets which comply with specified requirements and are within the resources available;
(d) the preparation and maintenance of such records, accounts, estimates and reports as may be required;
(e) the provision of regular, timely and reliable financial reports;
(f) that appropriate arrangements are established to review, evaluate and report on the adequacy and effectiveness of all financial systems, procedures and records;
(g) that strategies are developed and implemented to prevent and detect fraud and corruption and for receiving and investigating allegations of breaches of proper standards of financial conduct or of fraud and corruption;
(h) the achievement of value for money and efficiency savings;
(i) that appropriate arrangements and relationships are maintained with the Board’s external auditors.

The Treasurer is, together with the Chief Officer, responsible for ensuring that the accounts, which are presented to the Board for approval, are prepared under the principles and in a format directed by the Secretary of State with the approval of the Treasury. The Treasurer will, together with the Chief Officer, sign the accounts.

Regulations require that the Treasurer will be a member of an approved Accountancy body (a CCAB body). The Treasurer will be expected to attend an appropriate training course to understand the role of and relationship to the Accountable Officer.

The Role of the Secretary

The Board Secretary is directly responsible to the Chair and Board. The Secretary assists the Chief Officer on all major issues of policy and administration.

The Board Secretary’s responsibilities include:

(a) servicing the Board and it committees;
(b) ensuring that the Board and its staff operate within the terms of relevant legislation;
(c) providing the Board and Chief Officer with advice on the legal and constitutional aspects of policy and practice;
(d) where also the legal adviser providing, or where not, obtaining, legal advice;
(e) executing contracts;
(f) providing personal or private advice to the Chair and Board members on matters falling within their Board’s responsibilities;
(g) agreeing and countersigning the Chair’s expenses.

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