Governance4FE Podcast

A conversation with  Hayden Taylor of Unloc, on the value of student governors - how to engage them, and how to hear the wider student voice.

On this episode, Diana Steward-Brown of Nurole, shares her insights in to good practice on board recruitment, succession planning, and appointing a Chair from outside of the Board.

Many colleges now reference technology and innovation in the vision, mission, or strategic objectives. The question is, does this extend to the Boardroom? Emer Brogan from Board Intelligence shares her experience of working with multiple boards, on how to improve the provision of information coming to the Board through the leveraging of technology. 

Trudie McGuinness shares her insights into governance oversight of safeguarding, the work of the lead safeguarding governor, and how governors can add value to the Executive in this important area of work.

Heather Cross, appointed Chair in August 2023, shares the group's vision and how its work is supporting the development of governance professionals in the FE sector.

In this episode, we discuss the theoretical and practical means by which diversity and inclusion can be embedded at Board level; what we mean by diversity; the benefits of recruiting diverse talent; and how this and inclusive practices can support effective governance.

This is a hugely insightful conversation with Matt Atkinson, a finance and strategy advisor.  Matt is an accountant and insolvency practitioner working with FE & HE institutions, amongst others, and previously of the Provider Market Oversight team within the ESFA, supporting FE institutions in financial difficulty.  Matt talks about good practice in governance oversight: where governors should be focusing their attention, what questions they should be asking, and how they can best support the Executive. He also touches on the governance implications of the ONS reclassification, and what changes are coming down the line. I challenge any governor to walk away not having learned something new in this key area of governance work.

Understanding oversight of the quality of education is one of the fundamentals every governor needs to get to grips with.  This educational expert husband and wife team, consisting of 2 former Ofsted  inspectors, delivers a podcast full of insights and practical tips on how board members can have exceptional oversight of educational quality, and its impact on learners.

In this episode we hear from Eversheds solicitors on where governance professionals and governors should be focusing their attention to ensure they meet the new requirements and suitably fulfil their fiduciary duties.

As a Chair or Governance Professional, have you considered the benefits that coaching can bring? In this episode, Kay White talks about her work with Governance Professionals in FE - the emerging trends, impact from this work, and her insights to support those in the role with the challenges they face. 

In this episode, Joanna Griffiths, DfE's policy lead on governance in FE, shares her knowledge and expertise on what is meant by an exempt charity, the difference between being both a governor and a trustee on an FE college, and what the key duties of trusteeship in the FE sector involve.

In this episode, the FE Commissioner shares with us, her views on the importance of governance and the support her team can provide on developing effective governance in the  FE sector.

This frank and insightful podcast with Drew Richardson-Walsh of Peridot Partners, discusses recruitment and retention challenges for boards.  Touching on sensitive issues such as term limits, having the 'right' people around the table, diversity, skills audits and succession planning, Drew draws on his experiences from his professional role and his personal experience of being a governor and deputy-chair of governors, to share his views on these timely topics.

All organisations deserve an effective board and all organisations deserve a board worthy executive team.  Join us on this podcast as we discuss the many benefits to governor/trustee/executive development on the topic of governance, such as: keeping the organisation safe; building trust; increasing innovation; improving performance; developing the board and executive as a team, maximising effectiveness etc.,

In this session I discuss with Stephanie Mason, Head of Further Education Skills and Academies at RSM, the role, functions, and frameworks of audit committees and their oversight of controls and risk. Stephanie gives her insights on effective governance in these areas and shares some good practice, to support all governors function optimally in this area and carry out the responsibilities effectively.

In this podcast, I discuss with Charlotte Bonner (National Head of Sustainable Development at ETF) the definitions of sustainability and education for sustainable development, alongside the role of the Board in oversight of this topic - the board ultimately being accountable to stakeholders for the long-term stewardship of the organisation. Charlotte gives insight into good practice within the FE sector, what is driving this practice, and where Boards can go to find out more.

Join us to get insights into the work of the Governors' Council. Hear from Simon on his vision for the Council's role to develop further both its reach and influence; its desire to use the experience and expertise of Chairs and governors in enhancing its work; to represent more fully their views in the formulation of policy; and to continue to promote best practice in college governance.

Join us as we discuss the importance of the role of the governance professional in positively contributing to institutional outcomes.  A role that at its best, delivers strategic leadership, acting as a vital bridge between the executive management and the board, and facilitating the delivery of organisational objectives. We hear from Seamus too, on his new book, Building Better Boards – how to lead and succeed in a changing world, published by Bloomsbury Business.