"Invest in and deliver good governance"
Good governance continues to underpin the resilience and success of English Rural, providing a robust foundation for our strategic objectives, operational stability, and ongoing financial health. This year, we advanced several critical governance initiatives, reflecting our ongoing commitment to transparency, accountability, and effectiveness.
Our governance approach was externally validated once again, maintaining our highest regulatory grading (G1) from the Regulator of Social Housing. This grading affirms the strength and effectiveness of our governance arrangements and highlights the robust processes we have in place to manage organisational risk, ensure regulatory compliance, and maintain stakeholder confidence.
During the year, we completed the final phase of recommendations from our external Board effectiveness review, including an extensive update to our Standing Orders and Financial Regulations. This significant exercise reinforced clarity around delegation, decision-making authorities, and strengthened internal controls. These refinements ensure our governance framework remains responsive to emerging risks and reflective of best practice.
Board succession planning remained a priority, successfully managed through targeted recruitment aligned with identified skill gaps and organisational needs. New Board Members brought fresh insights and strengthened our collective capabilities, maintaining the Board’s effective balance of strategic oversight and practical experience. Particularly notable was our progress towards recruiting resident Board Members, enhancing our resident-led decision-making framework and increasing the diversity and inclusivity of our governance structures.
Reflecting recommendations from the Board effectiveness review, we also agreed to introduce modest remuneration for Board Members from September 2025. This change has broadened interest during recruitment rounds, enhancing our ability to attract high-calibre governance talent. However, alignment with English Rural’s values and purpose remains the most critical factor in Board recruitment and retention.
The simplified governance structure established by previous subsidiary consolidations continued to deliver benefits, streamlining operational and financial oversight. This structural clarity enables a sharper focus on strategic priorities and core business delivery.
Additionally, our annual self-assessment against all regulatory standards, scrutinised by both the Audit & Risk Committee and the Board, provided robust internal assurance. The assessment identified targeted improvements in areas such as data management and transparency, which are already being actively addressed.
Effective governance is fundamental to English Rural’s continued success, enabling us to confidently navigate an increasingly complex regulatory and operational environment. By investing in robust governance processes and maintaining high standards of transparency and accountability, we ensure that our decision-making remains responsive, informed, and always aligned with our core purpose of serving rural communities.
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Maintained highest regulatory governance grading (G1), affirming the strength and effectiveness of our governance arrangements.
Successfully implemented final recommendations from the external Board effectiveness review, including a comprehensive update to our Standing Orders and Financial Regulations.
Effective Board succession planning, attracting high-calibre Board Members and the recruitment of resident representatives.
Introduced modest Board remuneration from September 2025, supporting our ability to attract skilled Board Members.
Strengthened internal scrutiny processes through comprehensive annual self-assessment against regulatory standards.
Martin Collett, Chief Executive
>> Introducing modest remuneration broadened Board recruitment interest, but the most significant factor for prospective Board Members remained alignment with English Rural’s core purpose, mission, and values.
>> Direct reporting of regulatory self-assessment at both committee and Board level significantly enhanced internal scrutiny, ensuring continuous improvement and targeted action on identified weaknesses.
>> Effective Board succession planning remains critical, requiring ongoing monitoring of skills, diversity, and experience to sustain high standards of governance and leadership within an increasingly regulated environment.
