Governance Partner

**Governance Partner**

**20 - 37.5 hours per week (**part-time **or **full-time **hours)**

**Term Time + 2 weeks OR Full Time**

**£14,560 - £27,300 (FTE) per annum**

**£13,328 - £24,990 (Term Time) per annum**

Berry Education is a support service specialising in governance development for academy trusts in the education sector; providing a holistic service in the areas of educational leadership, governance and business management offering support options ranging from advice, guidance, coaching and mentoring to hands on reviews, administration support, audits and a diverse range of training and development options.

Our core focus is to support schools to keep abreast of their governance and business compliance functions. We are expertly placed to provide support, with a robust understanding of both academic and business requirements in an educational setting, and how they must be streamlined to promote best practice and continued development.

**What we can offer**
- Support, including financial provision to achieve sector specific professional qualifications.
- Access to professional subscriptions for research and knowledge development.
- An excellent working environment and ethos with friendly and supportive colleagues.
- Flexible working arrangements with an emphasis on maintaining a positive work/life balance with an enhanced holiday package.
- Career enhancement with proactive progression opportunities.

We are an expert team working with Academy Trusts across the Northeast region with an expanding client base looking for specialist academy governance support. As part of our growth we are seeking to appoint motivated, proactive and enthusiastic Governance Partners. You will work with a team of governance partners providing specialist academy governance and compliance support including meeting preparation, attendance and accurate recording at Board and/or Local Governance level, the provision of advice and guidance including knowledge of complex areas such as complaints, exclusions and admissions and the preparation of governance newsletters and timely updates.

**Please note**:

- Hold a relevant Level 3 (minimum) or equivalent qualification.
- Be confident communicators who can utilise a range of communication methods with a personable approach.
- Take a proactive and flexible approach to work, with the capability to work as both part of a team and through self-initiative.
- Have excellent time management and organisation skills understanding the importance of detail and accuracy.
- Demonstrate the ability to produce high quality minutes of meetings and provide an ongoing responsive service.
- Be keen to undertake training and development and learn new skills.

**Job Title**:Governance Partner

**Location**:The Old Brewery, Castle Eden, County Durham, TS27 4SU
- (must have the ability to travel to Trusts/Academies within the Northeast region)_

**Those who are based in the Yorkshire area will have access to a hybrid**

**working arrangement.**

**Reporting to**:Company Director

**Purpose of the role**

Berry Education works with a diverse range of single and multi-academy trusts. Our academy governance partners are responsible for overseeing all aspects of governance effectiveness and compliance within our academy portfolio ensuring governance adheres to good practice and meets all statutory and regulatory requirements. This is achieved by:

- supporting the efficient and effective operation of the trust board and/or its committees/local governance arrangements
- ensuring governance at all levels is carrying out its functions
- leading on development of the trust’s governance framework and driving improvements to its systems, processes and structures
- managing and coordinating the delivery and ongoing improvement of governance support across the trust

You will be responsible for working with clients where we are contracted to provide support at trust board and/or local governance meetings and will provide effective organisation and administration of meetings, ensuring these enable the successful delivery of strategic objectives.

As such, you will have a key role in:

- keeping the board focused on its core strategic priorities.
- setting the a cycle of meetings and preparing focused agendas.
- ensuring all meetings are inclusive and well structured.
- satisfying all aspects of meeting compliance as stipulated in the trust/academy articles of association and the Academy Trust Handbook, and in accordance with arrangements agreed by the board of trustees/directors.

As part of the Berry Education team you will support our clients with advice and guidance on queries relating to all governance related matters, proactively providing updates relating to:

- the respective roles of members, directors/trustees and academy committee/local governance members as required, including their duty to maintain the highest professional standards of conduct and ethics.
- strategic leadership responsibiliti