HGI Board – Terms of Reference

Being reviewed – and date added at bottom

1. Purpose of the Board

1.1. The Human Givens Institute Board is responsible for:

a. Setting strategy and policy for the Institute;
b. Setting and reviewing standards of education, professional practice, assessment and criteria for entry onto the HGI professional register to ensure that the integrity of the human givens approach is maintained;
c. Ensuring due administration and financial management of the Institute;
d. Ensuring management arrangements are in place to deliver the key activities of the Institute;
e. Appointing other committees and boards as required to carry out functions.

1.2. The Human Givens Institute Board is the top level Board of the Institute; all other committees will be accountable to the HGI Board. For some subordinate committees/boards a separation of duties will be required, for example, for the Registration and Professional Standards Committee (RPSC). In these cases, the HGI Board will be responsible for policy but will not oversee or involve itself in case detail.

2. Membership of the Board

2.1. All Directors of the Institute are full members of the HGI Board.

2.2. The Directors will appoint from within their number, a Chair and a Deputy Chair of the Board.

2.3. The Directors will appoint a Company Secretary who will maintain the definitive record of Board membership and decisions.

2.4. The Directors may co-opt other members, either as full members of the Board or advisers. Advisers to the Board will not take part in decision making.

3. Board procedure and decision-making

3.1. The Board will meet regularly in order to take key decisions.

3.2. The Board will be quorate for decision purposes if four or more full members are present.

3.3. Decisions will generally be summarised by the Chair on the basis of the discussion. If there is no clear consensus a vote will be taken. Only full members of the Board will vote.

3.4. By exception, outside of the schedule of meetings, the Chair or Deputy Chair may call for a decision by correspondence. In this case, quorum rules apply in that a minimum of four members must agree the decision.

3.5. The Board in order to discharge its decision making responsibilities will take papers, reports and financial information from the Institute staff, professional advisers and other members of the Institute.

3.6. The Chair or Deputy Chair will commission papers and agree the agenda for Board meetings. Officers or other members may attend to present or hear the discussion on the invitation of the Chair.

4. Required Sub-Committees

4.1. The board will establish two sub-committees as a minimum:

a. Registration and Professional Standards Committee
b. Finance and Audit Committee

4.2. Both committees will have separate terms of reference defining membership and function.

4.3. In the case of the Registration and Professional Standards Committee, the HGI Board will take reports from the Committee concerning:

• any matters pertaining to the HGI professional register; particularly the maintenance of standards for entry onto the register and standards of professional practice set by the HGI board;
• ethical policy and clarifications;
• numbers and progress of complaints against practitioners;
• details of any concluded cases which raise questions of policy for the HGI Board;
• details of any concluded cases which result in removal of a practitioner from the HGI register;
• summary details of all other concluded complaints.

4.4. In the case of the Finance and Audit Committee, the HGI Board will require an annual report from the committee monitoring revenue and expenditure, balance sheet, risks and liabilities and audit status.

4.5. Other committees and boards established on an ad hoc basis should have terms of reference agreed by the HGI Board on inception, (including details of decisions reserved to the HGI Board).