How governance appointments are made

Three members of National Trust staff having a conversation in an office — Staff at Heelis | © National Trust Images/James Dobson

The National Trust recognises that one of the most important means by which openness, transparency and accountability can be achieved is through the appointment, selection or election, as appropriate, of high-calibre volunteers capable of overseeing the governance arrangements of the Trust, ensuring that it remains focused on achieving its mission efficiently and effectively.

Principles underlying governance appointments

The Appointments Committee of the Board of Trustees and the various Nominations Committees of the Council, play a key role in the process of governance appointments. They ensure adherence to the principles and standards set out in this handbook in making governance appointments. An external member sits on each of these committees to strenghten the appointments procedures.

The selection process

Before an appointment, selection or election process is initiated for any of the bodies in the governance structure, the relevant committee will take into account:

the aims and purposes of the body concerned
the knowledge, skills and experience required for the position in question
the intention to create a diverse and effective body
the intention to meet standards of good governance
the intention to avoid conflicts of interest

These aims will be pursued in a manner proportionate to the nature of the positions to be filled.

The Committees will ensure that selection, appointment and election processes are:

conducted in an open and transparent way
applied in a fair, equitable, objective and impartial manner
designed to be thorough, robust and expeditious
applied consistently
fully explained and readily comprehensible

A young volunteer room guide — Everyone is welcome at the National Trust | © National Trust Images/John Millar

Equality and diversity

The Trust is committed to ensuring that the principles of equality and diversity remain at the forefront of the selection, appointment and election processes.

Equality is about creating a fairer society where everyone can participate and has the opportunity to fulfil their potential. It can be summarised in terms of equal access, treatment, shares and outcomes and is backed by legislation designed to address unfair discrimination.

Diversity is about the recognition and valuing of difference in its broadest sense. It is about creating a working culture and practices that recognise, respect, value and harness difference for the benefit of the organisation and the individual.

Read our equality and diversity policy

At appropriate stages in the selection, appointment and election processes, candidates will be invited to familiarise themselves with the Trust's Equality and Diversity Policy, outlined in Appendix A of the handbook. The policy, which has been written for the purpose of internal staff processes, applies equally to all governance appointments.