PERFORMANCE AND GOVERNANCE
Governance
Strong governance is at the heart of the Group’s ongoing success and is critical to our future direction and our ambitions to grow. It sets out clearly the parameters and controls in which we operate and ensures that the leaders of our organisation operate within them.
Strong governance is at the heart of the Group’s ongoing success and is critical to our future direction and our ambitions to grow. It sets out clearly the parameters and controls in which we operate and ensures that the leaders of our organisation operate within them.
The Group Board, supported by robust processes and procedures, makes sure that the organisation operates effectively, providing specialised expertise and genuine diversity of talent. By delegating areas of additional scrutiny to our committees, the Group ensures that the organisation is well resourced and holds the right skills to navigate the challenges faced by both the Group and the wider sector as well as ensuring we can grow and achieve continued success.
The Group Board, supported by robust processes and procedures, makes sure that the organisation operates effectively, providing specialised expertise and genuine diversity of talent. By delegating areas of additional scrutiny to our committees, the Group ensures that the organisation is well resourced and holds the right skills to navigate the challenges faced by both the Group and the wider sector as well as ensuring we can grow and achieve continued success.
How we’re governed
Board and Committee structure
The Group Board and our committees lead the organisation to ensure we deliver against our corporate ‘Improving Lives’ strategy. By role modelling the values of the Group and providing clear direction, the Board’s wealth of experience, skills and insight support our Executive Leadership team to deliver their responsibilities as well as providing robust challenge and scrutiny. The Group and subsidiary boards, committees and Executive Leadership team work closely together to ensure the Group holds the highest standards of governance, has rigorous and robust control systems and operates efficient services. The Board is clear that governance isn’t just about the rules and systems in place, good governance is also about ensuring the culture of the organisation is right and reflected in the behaviours of our colleagues. To ensure that the Group’s objective can be delivered in the most effective way, we review the Group’s structure annually to ensure it remains fit for purpose both for now and the future. Board Members are appointed to the governance structure based on skills and experience. As of 31 March 2024, the Group Board has nine Board Members and three Co-optees. Board Members are Non-Executive Directors, with the exception of the Group Chief Executive.
Diversity
Having a wider range of experiences and perspectives enables the Board to remain innovative and agile to changing environments and ensures that decision making is made with the needs of the customer in mind. A diverse Board contains a broad mix of skills, knowledge and experience, which provides flexibility to overcome challenges and spot opportunities. The Group operates over a large geography and therefore having diversity is imperative to ensure that a wide variety of customers and communities are represented. Diversity, both in terms of protected characteristics and diversity of thought, is a key part of the Group’s Board and Committee recruitment process as well as ongoing annual Board composition reviews.
How we’re governed
Board and Committee structure
The Group Board and our committees lead the organisation to ensure we deliver against our corporate ‘Improving Lives’ strategy. By role modelling the values of the Group and providing clear direction, the Board’s wealth of experience, skills and insight support our Executive Leadership team to deliver their responsibilities as well as providing robust challenge and scrutiny. The Group and subsidiary boards, committees and Executive Leadership team work closely together to ensure the Group holds the highest standards of governance, has rigorous and robust control systems and operates efficient services. The Board is clear that governance isn’t just about the rules and systems in place, good governance is also about ensuring the culture of the organisation is right and reflected in the behaviours of our colleagues. To ensure that the Group’s objective can be delivered in the most effective way, we review the Group’s structure annually to ensure it remains fit for purpose both for now and the future. Board Members are appointed to the governance structure based on skills and experience. As of 31 March 2024, the Group Board has nine Board Members and three Co-optees. Board Members are Non-Executive Directors, with the exception of the Group Chief Executive.
Diversity
Having a wider range of experiences and perspectives enables the Board to remain innovative and agile to changing environments and ensures that decision making is made with the needs of the customer in mind.
A diverse Board contains a broad mix of skills, knowledge and experience, which provides flexibility to overcome challenges and spot opportunities.
The Group operates over a large geography and therefore having diversity is imperative to ensure that a wide variety of customers and communities are represented.
Diversity, both in terms of protected characteristics and diversity of thought, is a key part of the Group’s Board and Committee recruitment process as well as ongoing annual Board composition reviews.
Group Board and Executive Leadership
Longhurst Group’s Board has ultimate responsibility for the governance and performance of the Group and its subsidiaries. Its role is to determine the strategic direction of the organisation and to oversee and control risks and opportunities, thus allowing the Group to meet our objectives. Each Board and committee is provided with terms of reference so that decision making is clear and transparent. There are some decisions that only the Group Board will undertake. These are set out within the Group Board’s terms of reference.
Board Chair
The Group Board Chair leads the Board and is supported by the Senior Independent Director, who operates as a sounding board for the Chair as well as, if needed, acting as an intermediary for all other Board Directors. The Chair is responsible for ensuring that the Board performs well, overseeing a regular, robust appraisal and supporting good relationships as well as succession planning and development activities. All Board and committee members undergo an annual appraisal and annual development plan which forms the basis of individual and group training and development sessions.
Board membership
Each Board and committee member is selected for their role based on merit and the skills and experience they possess. An important part of the recruitment process is to ensure clear understanding of the communities which the Group serves. Roles and responsibilities are set out in a role and person specification document. Members are provided with opportunities for training and development, in addition to opportunities identified during their annual appraisal. This means that each member is clear on their fiduciary duties as well as what’s happening in the wider sector in terms of risk and opportunities. Members are also encouraged to attend conferences and webinars for this reason.
Group Board and Executive Leadership
Longhurst Group’s Board has ultimate responsibility for the governance and performance of the Group and its subsidiaries. Its role is to determine the strategic direction of the organisation and to oversee and control risks and opportunities, thus allowing the Group to meet our objectives. Each Board and committee is provided with terms of reference so that decision making is clear and transparent. There are some decisions that only the Group Board will undertake. These are set out within the Group Board’s terms of reference.
Board Chair
The Group Board Chair leads the Board and is supported by the Senior Independent Director, who operates as a sounding board for the Chair as well as, if needed, acting as an intermediary for all other Board Directors. The Chair is responsible for ensuring that the Board performs well, overseeing a regular, robust appraisal and supporting good relationships as well as succession planning and development activities.
All Board and committee members undergo an annual appraisal and annual development plan which forms the basis of individual and group training and development sessions.
Board membership
Each Board and committee member is selected for their role based on merit and the skills and experience they possess.
An important part of the recruitment process is to ensure clear understanding of the communities which the Group serves.
Roles and responsibilities are set out in a role and person specification document.
Members are provided with opportunities for training and development, in addition to opportunities identified during their annual appraisal.
This means that each member is clear on their fiduciary duties as well as what’s happening in the wider sector in terms of risk and opportunities.
Members are also encouraged to attend conferences and webinars for this reason.
Board member profiles
Executive Leadership Team
Rob Griffiths Deputy Group Chief Executive and Chief Financial Officer
Lynn Stubbs Executive Director of People and Performance
Marcus Keys Executive Director of Assets, Growth and Development
Guv Dhaliwal Chief Information Officer
Board member profiles
Executive Leadership Team
Rob Griffiths Deputy Group Chief Executive and Chief Financial Officer
Lynn Stubbs Executive Director of People and Performance
Marcus Keys Executive Director of Assets, Growth and Development
Guv Dhaliwal Chief Information Officer