Good governance starts with you.

All charities working with children or vulnerable adults must have a safeguarding policy. The Charity Commission treats safeguarding as a core trustee duty. Your policy must identify risks, name a designated lead, and set out clear reporting procedures.

Your financial controls policy sets out who can authorise spending, how accounts are maintained, and how the board oversees financial management. Weak financial controls are one of the most common areas of regulatory concern.

Every charity must have a process for identifying and managing conflicts of interest. Trustees must declare conflicts, and in some cases must withdraw from decisions where a conflict exists. A written policy makes this process clear and consistent.

As a controller of personal data, your charity must comply with UK GDPR. Your policy should cover what data you hold, how long you keep it, how individuals can access it, and how data breaches are handled.

Trustees must decide how much money the charity should hold in reserve, document their reasoning, and explain it in the annual report. A good reserves policy balances financial resilience against the pressure to spend on charitable purposes.

A structured approach to recruiting new trustees and inducting them properly ensures your board stays skilled and diverse. The Charity Governance Code recommends regular skills audits and planned succession.

A whistleblowing policy creates a safe channel for staff and volunteers to report concerns about serious misconduct without fear of reprisal. It signals the board's commitment to integrity and accountability.