SHARE’s Governance Masterclass, which takes place over four sessions, is designed to equip all committee/board members to work confidently within a challenging and evolving governance setting.

It introduces governance as a concept; what it is; why it is important and how the housing sector has arrived at the current governance landscape. It also explores the challenges that ensuring good governance presents to organisations, and how meeting regulatory requirements must run through every decision that Committee/Board members make.

The course will discuss the purpose and remit of The Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR); the transparency and accountability required of housing associations and co-operatives in serving their tenants, including addressing health & safety requirements, financial obligations and meeting regulatory requirements.

Further sessions will look at what statutory returns are required, how to analyse your organisation’s return and what to look for to ensure good governance, such as what information has to be shared with tenants and stakeholders and how returns should be devised.

Building on this knowledge, delegates will then focus on the Regulatory Standards, looking at each of the standards and what organisations need to do to comply with them. There will be an overview of each of the seven regulatory standards from the SHR and 50 guiding standards, along with discussions around compliance and materiality.

It will consider the role of Committee/Board members; what information they should expect from their senior staff; what questions they should be asking and what assurance they should be looking for that the organisation is complying with the Standards or what action is being taken to ensure compliance.

The final session of the masterclass covers all the other necessary aspects of governance such as the constitutional requirements of your organisation; legal compliance; tenants’ health and safety; complaints handling; standing orders; papers and reports; benchmarking and audit, as well as governance probity and organisational culture.

The Governance Masterclass is the most in-depth training SHARE provide for committee/board members on this topic and aims to support strong and effective governing bodies in carrying out their duties. Book your place(s) on the course HERE.