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DIOCESE OF CHICHESTER ACADEMY TRUST GOVERNANCE STATEMENT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2019
Scope of responsibility
As trustees we acknowledge we have overall responsibility for ensuring that Diocese Of Chichester Academy Trust has an effective and appropriate system of control, financial and otherwise. However, such a system is designed to manage rather than eliminate the risk of failure to achieve business objectives, and can provide only reasonable and not absolute assurance against material misstatement or loss.
The board of trustees has delegated the day-to-day responsibility to the chief executive officer, as accounting officer, for ensuring financial controls conform with the requirements of both propriety and good financial management and in accordance with the requirements and responsibilities assigned to it in the funding agreement between Diocese Of Chichester Academy Trust and the Secretary of State for Education. They are also responsible for reporting to the board of trustees any material weaknesses or breakdowns in internal control.
Governance
The information on governance included here supplements that described in the Trustees' Report and in the Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities. The board of trustees has formally met six times during the year. Attendance during the year at meetings of the board of trustees was as follows:
Trustees Meetings attended
The Venerable LT Irvine-Capel (Chair) (Appointed 13 September
2019) 0
Mr T Cristin (Appointed 28 September 2018)
Mrs A F Hamill (Appointed 20 November 2018)
Mr T J Manly (Appointed 20 September 2018)
MrsKASims 5
Out of possible
0 5 5 5 6 6 1 6 2 1 5
Mrs M E Surgeon
Mr N Taunt (Appointed 20 June 2019)
Mrs C E Williamson
Canon DrC A WCane (Resigned5 January 2019) Canon Dr K A Holt (Resigned 19 September 2018) Revd T J Ward (Resigned 12 May 2019)
5 3 3
6 1 6 2 1 5
TherehavebeenchangestotheChairoftrusteesduringtheyear.TheChairoftrusteeswasDrCanonCAW Cane until 5 January 2019, when Mrs M E Surgeon was appointed. She was the Chair until 13 September 2019, when the current Chair Archdeacon L T Irvine-Capel was appointed.
The board and its committees meet regularly to discharge their responsibilities and ensure robust governance and effective management arrangements. There are additionally a suite of corporate policies in place which are all approved by the Board and subject to regular review. The policies include:
• Finance policy;
• Competitive tendering policy;
• Conflict of interest and related party transactions policy;
• Pay policy;
• Directors' expenses policy;
• Whistleblowing;
• Hospitality and gifts;
• Risk management.
The Trust's policies are supplemented by a wide range of operational policies at an individual academy level.
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