# Board Director - role and responsibilities

### **The Role of the Board**

In general, the Board's role is:

* To set the values, ethics and culture of the organisation
* To set the strategy and direction
* To provide accountable leadership
* To oversee business performance
* To determine and direct the organisation’s risk 
* To oversee the management team
* To ensure compliance with rules and statutory requirements
* To set policies and procedures and oversee their implementation
* To be accountable to members
* To vet new board members

The Committee is not there to:

* To become involved in day-to-day management
* To represent other roles ie personal business, job role, interest group etc. People are there to represent interests of the coop alone

### **The Role of a Board member**

There is no formal job description for a Board member, but it includes:

* Providing your attention and commitment
* Challenging other board members and staff
* Being able to represent the membership – as a whole
* Having a basic standard of financial literacy
* Having good people skills – being part of a team
* Being able to listen, reflect and when required make difficult decisions
* Valuing different types and levels of commitment
* Being honest and open
* Showing accountability and transparency
* Accepting majority board decisions – even when disagreeing
* Bringing life experience and skills from outside
* Being patient and persistent

The Signalise Co-op Board welcomes people with all kinds of skills, experiences and backgrounds.

### **Board member responsibilities**

Signalise Co-op will provide training on Board on legal responsibilities. 

The legal responsibilities of a Board member are laid down in Society Law and Company Director Law also applies to Board members.

#### **Society law on directors**

* Obey the law
* Duty of good faith
* Duty to take care

#### **Company duties – in Company Law**

* Duty to act within powers
* To promote the success of company
* Duty to exercise independent judgment
* Duty to exhibit reasonable skill, care and intelligence
* Duty to avoid conflicts of interest
* Do not accept benefits from third parties
* Duty to declare interest in proposed transactions with company

If you want to become a Director of Signalise Co-op, please complete the [Expression of Interest form](https://forms.gle/jciVPojpcd1f5dGP8).

Information taken from Co-op UK resources, our Board Handbook and Carbon Co-op's [Committee Member Roles and Responsibilities](https://carbon.coop/community-benefit-society-board-members-roles-and-responsibilities/).