As a provider of support you will have everyday experience of how good governance plays a critical part in the health and success of an organisation. However, it is all too easy to overlook the importance of good governance within your own work and organisation.

Good governance is at the heart of a sustainable and effective organisation, and the sector is increasingly under scrutiny to demonstrate its professionalism and accountability. It is also essential that we represent good practice in the sector so we can champion the importance of good governance with those organisations we support and work alongside.

It is important for you to consider what good governance is for you as a Volunteer Centre. Good Governance - a Code for the Voluntary and Community Sector is the sector’s leading standard on what good governance means. You may want to consider how you as a VC can comply with the standards and how it can help you maximise your potential. The code is flexible and is designed as a way to help your organisation implement good practice however you are run.

There are many ways in which you can work to improve your governance. Whether you discuss issues in bite size chunks or conduct a more large scale review, understanding and reviewing your governance helps ensure you are effective in your work and vision. Good governance can unlock the potential in your organisation, and when it is done right it can create confident forward thinking organisations, where trustees are abreast of their duties and services are planned and well managed.

The key considerations in reviewing your VC’s governance are:

There is a wide range of useful information and materials to support you further in considering how you can improve your governance.

• Good Governance- a Code for the Voluntary and Community Sector is a Governance Hub publication and sets out best practice in trusteeship. It is the leading code of governance in the sector and can be downloaded for free from the NCVO website at http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/publications/publication.asp?id=3837. There is also an accompanying toolkit to help you apply the code in a practical way.

• Trustee and Management Committee Members National Occupational Standards is a Governance Hub publication and provides a framework of good practice for trustees and management committee members. The document can be downloaded for free from the NCVO website at http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/publications/publication.asp?id=3815. There is also a supporting toolkit to help you apply the standards in a practical way.
  
• The Good Trustee Guide is an NCVO publication and provides comprehensive information about a trustee’s role and guidance on developing an effective trustee board. The Guide can be purchased from NCVO at http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/publications/showall.asp?id=1451

• Better Governance- an Introduction to Measuring and Improving Board Effectiveness is a Governance Hub publication and provides a practical introduction to how voluntary and community organisations can improve their governance. The document can be downloaded for free from the NCVO website at http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/publications/publication.asp?id=9186.

• The A-Z of Good Governance is a Governance Hub publication and is a set of work cards which help to explore key issues in good governance. They aim of the cards is to help you and your board reflect on your organisation. The document can be downloaded for free from the NCVO website on http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/publications/publication.asp?id=3836.
  
• Tending your Board – a seasonal guide to improving how your board works is a Governance hub publication which recognises that many organisations struggle to find the time to review their board’s performance, so suggestions are grouped into monthly themes in order to help busy trustees make inroads into improving the work they do. It can be downloaded for free from the NCVO website at http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/publications/publication.asp?id=3845