Governance
A vibrant, transparent, well governed and resourced organisation
Goal Five in our Strategic Plan 2022-2027 is to be ‘a vibrant, well governed and resourced organisation’. Under this Goal, we have five objectives to ensure we continue to meet this commitment year on year.
EPIC is committed to conducting its work and services with transparency and accountability, and as such complies with the regulatory frameworks that support good governance and practice. Our COO and Finance Officer maintain detailed financial records and controls and make our audited financial statements available publicly each year.
Goal Five
1. Maintain good governance and effective ways of working at staff and Board level.
2. Build the capacity of staff through continued professional development.
3. Protect existing resources and identify opportunities for growth in line with our Strategic Plan.
4. Ensure the EPIC team is diverse and inclusive at all levels.
5. Undertake frequent reviews of EPIC’s primary task and cohort for the duration of the Strategic Plan.
EPIC is governed by a Board of Directors, with a minimum requirement of five members. The Directors sit for a three-year term and may be re-elected for a second, and final, term. The Directors serve on the Board on a voluntary basis and are not remunerated. A total of €191.70 was paid to Directors by way of re-imbursed expenses in 2022 (nil in 2021).
The Directors work through a series of Sub-committees and formal Board meetings. In addition, they are committed to holding an annual strategy review workshop and participate in EPIC public events.
In 2022, the Board held six formal Board meetings, in addition to the Annual General Meeting, as well as consultations and workshops for our strategic planning process.
Sub-Committees
The Board of Directors re-structured the Board sub-committees to align with our new five-year Strategic Plan, that was launched in September 2022.
Formal Sub-committees include: Strategy and Purpose, Governance and Risk, Finance and Fundraising. Ad-hoc Sub-committees are formed as need arises and include HR and Research Ethics.
Each Sub-committee has a Terms of Reference approved by the Board, an elected Chairperson, and programme of work on which they report to the Board as a whole.
Board Recruitment
Board recruitment is an ongoing process, which involves members of the Governance and Risk Committee in partnership with the Chair and Vice-Chair.
New Board members are invited to participate in an induction process on a targeted basis to ensure that the skills and experiences of the Board are relevant and strategic.
Each Director is encouraged to improve their knowledge of EPIC and the sector through formal and informal training. All Board members must complete Children First Training within six months of joining the Board.
Conflict of Interest
As part of our Board Handbook, EPIC has a Conflicts of Interest Policy. The Board of Directors are required to complete a conflicts of interest declaration when taking up their position on the Board.
At the beginning of each board meeting, members are invited to disclose any conflicts of interest which may arise before any agenda items are considered by the board.
Any instances which may arise can be recorded in the minutes. Board members are invited to update this declaration annually.
Governance Code
All Community, Voluntary and Charitable Organisations have a responsibility to provide and follow a code of good practice when it comes to how their organisations are run.
EPIC have embarked on a continuous improvement plan to ensure that ongoing maintenance and improvement of our standards.
This plan is formally reviewed by the Board twice a year to review progress and add further work. Visit www.governancecode.ie for more information.
Our Constitution
Our Financial Statements
