Role Profile

Role title:
Independent Member of Audit and Assurance Committee

Responsible to:
The office holder will consult regularly with the Chair of Audit & Assurance Committee, Chair of CH Board, and other members of the relevant Committees, Chief Executive and Executive Directors.

Overview:

To ensure that Community Housing has formal and transparent arrangements for ensuring financial viability, maintaining a sound system of internal controls, identifying and managing risk, ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements and maintaining an appropriate relationship with external and internal auditors and regulators.

Key relationships:

Internal

Members of the Committee need to maintain effective working relationships with the Committee Chair, other members of the Committee, other businesses, the CH Board, other Committee Chairs, the Executive Team, relevant senior managers and internal auditors.

External

Members play a key role in maintaining good relationships with the regulator, the external auditors and other relevant advisors, external bodies and other stakeholder partners.

Main Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership

  • Play an active role in working with the Committee Chair to develop and ensure implementation of the Company’s values, strategies, objectives, policies and culture, in accordance with the Rules and legal and regulatory requirements.
  • Providing constructive challenge; a critical friend able to provide an independent perspective whilst prioritising the interests of our customers and the organisation.

Effective Governance

  • Upholds the NHF Code of Governance and seeks to ensure that governance best practice is maintained.
  • Take part in reviews of governance effectiveness. This will include individual appraisals, collective Committee appraisal and the Committee Chair’s appraisal, as well as any peer assessments.
  • Undertake any appropriate learning and development opportunities available to Committee members.

Financial Reporting

  • To review, and challenge where necessary, financial performance, stress testing and the Annual Report and Accounts before submission to the Board, including the VFM self-assessment and Statement.

Audit

  • To protect the independence of Internal and External Auditors, ensuring that they can report directly to the Committee, Board and the Chair of the Board where necessary.
  • To regularly review, and make recommendations to Board, in respect of the appointment, re-appointment, and removal of the Company’s external and internal auditors.

Risk Management

  • To oversee development of the Company’s Risk Management Framework, processes and procedures. Ensure it remains relevant, proportionate and fit for purpose.
  • To promote excellence in risk management throughout the organisation and to drive continuous improvement in Community Housing’s approach to strategic risk management.
  • To ensure that appropriate risk management training for Board and Committee members is available and effective.

Compliance

  • To review, and challenge where necessary, the Company’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements including those relating to Data Protection, Health and Safety and Equality and Diversity and those contained within Homes England and other Regulatory Frameworks.

Fraud and Whistleblowing

  • To ensure appropriate policies and procedures are in place relating to fraud prevention and whistleblowing.

Relationships

  • Establish a constructive working relationship with the Committee Chair and other Committee members, the member of staff for the Committee and other members of staff, as appropriate.
  • Encourage constructive relationships and good communication between the Committee and other parts of the governance structure.
  • Role model good governance practices and behaviours.

Adding Value

  • Apply personal expertise, skills and knowledge with due regard to the Committee’s business.
  • Develop knowledge and understanding of, and keep up to date with, sector issues.
  • Whilst maintaining independence, attend ‘strategy sessions’ thereby ensuring a clear understanding of the organisation’s strategic direction and priorities.

Person Specification

Core Competencies:

  • Leadership – has a successful track record of leadership and strategic management having operated and contributed effectively at a senior level in the private, public, voluntary or community sector.
  • Strategic Thinking – understands clearly the organisation’s overall strategy and has the ability to stay abreast of trends in the external environment; considers cross-functional, organisational and business implications before making decisions.
  • Judgement - proven track record of providing clear, balanced advice and guidance on strategic issues as a member of a board, committee or senior executive management team. Has the ability to challenge constructively and hold people to account.
  • Influence – has inner confidence, demonstrates effective persuasion and possesses the personal impact to influence a wide range of stakeholders/partners.
  • Team working - experience of working in collaboration with a wide range of individuals, external bodies and stakeholders, developing a positive personal and organisational profile, and building partnerships that add value and achieve shared objectives.

Knowledge and Experience:

  • Substantial experience in Risk, Compliance, Governance and Audit.
  • Recent and relevant financial experience at a strategic level; a financial qualification is desirable.
  • Experience of operating in a regulated environment.
  • Experience of board membership or involvement in meetings of committees.
  • Relevant business knowledge and commercial experience, including business planning and performance management.
  • Experience of operating effectively at a senior level in a similarly complex organisation and an ability to manage personal and corporate relationships.
  • Detailed understanding of the complimentary importance of financial and operational issues.

Skills and Abilities:

  • Strong strategic planning skills, able to develop strategic vision, working with others.
  • Developed financial reasoning and an ability to assess risk and promote risk awareness without being risk averse.
  • Strong understanding of risk assessment, management and mitigation techniques.
  • Able to self-manage, participate fully as a Committee Member and have effective questioning and debating skills in order to make informed judgements on both written and oral information.
  • Listens to others and provides decisive decision making when it is required.
  • Able to challenge appropriately and hold senior staff to account; with a wider vision to raise standards across the organisation.
  • Able to work collaboratively, building consensus, and taking collective responsibility for decisions made.
  • Strong negotiating and influencing skills, able to work intuitively and liaise effectively with a wide range of people and stakeholders.

Style and Behaviour:

  • Acts with integrity, actively promotes and supports the values, ethos and aims of the organisation and the services it provides.
  • Ability to create a culture of collective responsibility, encouraging debate and consensual decision making.
  • Committed to the values of accountability, openness, and transparency.
  • Demonstrates strong commitment to equality and diversity.
  • Possesses excellent communication and decision-making skills.
  • Embraces learning and development and promotes this with the Committee, the Board, The Executive Team and the organisation as a whole.
  • Personal and professional credibility that will command confidence at all levels across the organisation and with our wide range of stakeholders.
  • Well-organised, manages time well and able to assimilate and comment on complex information and reports.
  • Keeps up to date and informed about relevant issues.