Governance arrangements
Governance is a term used to describe the system by which Local Authorities direct and control their functions and relate to their communities. It sets out how the Council ensures that it is doing the right things, in the right way, for the right people in a timely, inclusive, open, honest and accountable manner.
The Council has adopted a Local Code of Corporate Governance which is a framework based on guidance published in April 2016 by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance Accountancy (CIPFA) and the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (SOLACE) around ‘Delivering Good Governance in Local Government.’
Our Code of Governance is underpinned by the 7 core principles in the CIPFA/SOLACE framework, and is comprised of policies, procedures, behaviours and values by which the authority is controlled and governed. These documents provide the structures and guidance that our members and employees require in order to ensure effective governance across our organisation and sets out what arrangements are in place to ensure that the Council conducts its business in accordance with the law and proper standard, and that public money is safeguarded, properly accounted for and used economically, efficiently and effectively.
Code of Corporate Governance 2023/24
Code of Corporate Governance 2022/23
Governance framework responsibilities
Annual Governance Statement
Each year the Council undertakes a review of its corporate governance arrangements to assess how well they are operating in practice. An Annual Governance Statement is produced which summarises the review and includes an action plan for any areas for improvement. The action plan also includes any governance issues which need to be addressed in the coming year. This is reported to the Resource and Audit Committee in June each year.