GB-Wellingborough: The Provision of an Independent Governance Support Service

NOTE: This notice was updated on 04 February 2019 for the following reason: The Selection Panel concluded, following the interview stage, that there was no consensus on the winning supplier so we have decided not to award the contract on this occasion.

Overall we found that there was no supplier who was able to demonstrate a full understanding of our requirements and the way WH Board wish to be supported.

We have therefore taken the opportunity, as a result of this outcome, to reassess our approach to this contract and how this might be managed in future.

A tender exercise for Governance Support Services will be published again at a later date.(The consultancy appointed will have to: •Carry out the 3 year independent review of governance, including board and committee remit and structure, as specified in the NHF Code of Governance 2015 •Provide support for the annual review of board effectiveness including annual appraisals, skills assessments against our matrix, identifying skills gaps and developing collective and individual training and development plans for Members •Review the Codes of Governance currently in use across the sector and assess the most relevant for WH and recommend the most appropriate to adopt •Provision of ad-hoc support and guidance required.

Current Corporate Governance arrangements are: We have adopted the NHF Code of Governance 2015 and are fully compliant; WH is governed by a Board of Management supported by the Audit and Risk Committee and Remuneration and Selection Committee; the Board is currently made up of ten Non-Executives; we have over the past 2 years, following our last independent review in 2016, moved to skills based board.

The Housing and Planning Act (HPA) 2016 enabled this transition to take place and we have now removed reserved places for councillors and customers.

This has been a period of change and transition and as a result of these changes, 5 new members joined our Board in September 2018.

In addition our previous Chair retired having reached the maximum 9 year term and a new Chair, John Lewis, who has been on the Board since 2014 was appointed.

Our current board members are: •John Lewis (Chair) •Yvette Morgan (Vice Chair) due to retire in February 2019 •John Welch (Chair of Audit and Risk Committee) •Martin Wheatley (Chair of Remuneration and Selection Committee) •Cheryl Armatrading •David Beale •Simon Brooksbank, •Ian Hill •Doug Livingstone •Martin Lord.

We have an Executive Management Team of four: Jo Savage, Chief Executive, Denise Lewis, Director of Asset and Development, Mandy Meanwell, Director of Housing and Support Services; and Company Secretary, Julie Robinson, Director of Resources.

We recently had an IDA and the result of this was G1V1.

Since the last independent review of our governance arrangements in 2016 we have in place arrangements for an annual review of skills required on the board, annual appraisal and skills assessment that informs succession planning, recruitment training and development of Members on a collective and individual basis.

Our Governing instruments are supported by the Governance and Delegations Framework which has specific detailed documentation relating to: •Collective purpose and functions of the Board and our committees through terms of reference •Role of our Board Members, skills required and how they are recruited and appraised •Code of Conduct for Board Members •Terms of reference for and the role of our Executive Management Team and detailed delegations from Board to EMT •Terms of reference for and the role of our SMT.

PLEASE SEE ATTACHED ITT FOR FULL INFORMATION)