Introduction

Governance is about how we ensure that we are doing the right things, in the right way, for the right people, in a timely, inclusive, open, honest and accountable manner. Good governance leads to:

effective leadership
good management,
good performance,
good stewardship of public money,
good public engagement and,
ultimately, good outcomes for our citizens and service users.

Good governance enables us to pursue our vision and corporate objectives effectively as well as underpinning these with mechanisms for the control and management of risk. Governance must be owned by all stakeholders, including senior management and Members, thus forming the intrinsic core of the Council. It should remain embedded in the culture of the Council and applied within a transparent framework of legislative requirements, governance principles and management processes.

The Local Code defines the principles that underpin the governance of this authority. We will test our arrangements by:

Reviewing our existing governance arrangements against the Local Code.
Maintaining an up-to-date Local Code of Corporate Governance, including arrangements for ensuring its ongoing application and effectiveness.
On an annual basis, prepare an Annual Governance Statement in order to report publicly on the extent to which we comply with the Local Code, including how we have monitored the effectiveness of our governance arrangements in the year, and on any planned changes in the coming period.

Next page: Principles behind Governance

Previous page: Governance Framework

Contents