Leadership Foundation

Governor Development and Governance Reviews

The Leadership Foundation has the most developed and sophisticated understanding of governance across UK higher education. Through our well developed Governor Development Programme we engage with over 100 higher education institutions to provide development, training and support to governors, chairs and professional staff who support their governing body. We regularly provide in-house training and development for governing bodies on the wider HE landscape, through to specific themes such as academic governance, the prevent agenda and unconscious bias training. We are able to draw upon a pool of experts steeped in the latest developments for governing bodies within and beyond higher education. 

The last few years in higher education have marked a considerable change for the sector, and this has seen a modernisation and refreshed approach to support for governing bodies and governors. The LF has been at the forefront of providing support to individual governors and full boards in light of the changing sector. This work includes external board evaluation, and the facilitation of board away days led by governance experts to support with strategic planning. The HE Code of Governance published in December 2014, encouraged governing bodies to regularly review their effectiveness and the LF is perfectly placed to provide an informed, light touch evaluation of strengths and areas for development for your governing body.

• Our offer to you
• Governance effectiveness
• Reviewing governing body effectiveness
• Other governing body support

Our offer to you

• Tailored in house sessions to support full governing bodies on topical governance developments in HE and beyond, to training on specific issues such as academic governance, the student experience or the prevent agenda.
• Facilitation for governing body away days, from an HE governance expert able to bring insights from elsewhere in the sector.
• Support for governing body strategic planning
• Training and induction for new governors
• Light touch or extensive board evaluations based on the needs of your institution
• Strategic planning and the governors' role given the new climate for institutions
• Effective working relationships governing bodies, executive groups and academic board/senate
• Fundraising
• Equality and diversity
• Recruitment and induction of new governors
• Recruitment of a new chair of governors
• Skills audit and analysis
• Board Development; working as a team

Governance effectiveness
In the current political and financial environment, the effective governance of education institutions has become a high-profile issue. Every governing body of an institution in the UK must undertake a review of its effectiveness every five years. We can help in two major ways:

• Through our leading edge research we have developed a framework and toolkit to support governing body effectiveness;
• We have a dedicated team of associate consultants available to help you review your governing body’s effectiveness, and facilitate its development.

Reviewing governing body effectiveness
We work hard to support and develop governing bodies:

• We can carry out an independent Governance Reviews at your institution, using our leading edge toolkit;
• Framework for Identifying Governing Body Effectiveness in Higher Education
• We can facilitate a wide range of events such as away days and planning sessions, tailored to the requirements of your governing body.

Other governing body support
Our Governance section of the website offers practical help, additional resources and support for Governors, including our popular Governor Development Programme and our Publications / Research including our 'Getting to Grips' support guides for Governors.

For more information contact: Andy Shenstone, Director of Consultancy