Corporate Governance Policy Writers

What are Corporate Governance Policies?

Corporate governance policies outline how organisations are directed, managed and held accountable to stakeholders.

Strong governance ensures that decisions are made responsibly, risks are managed effectively and leadership acts in the best interests of the organisation and its stakeholders. A clear policy demonstrates transparency, integrity and accountability across all levels of management.

What Do Corporate Governance Policies Cover?

A corporate governance policy typically includes:

The roles and responsibilities of directors, board members and senior management
Structures for decision-making, oversight and accountability
Compliance with legal and regulatory frameworks, including the Companies Act 2006
Standards of conduct, ethics and integrity in leadership
Risk management and internal control frameworks
Reporting requirements and disclosure obligations
Procedures for managing conflicts of interest among leadership
Engagement with stakeholders, including shareholders, employees and regulators
Links to risk management, audit, conflicts of interest and compliance policies

A clear policy helps ensure that the organisation is managed fairly, responsibly and in line with best practice.

It also supports compliance with UK corporate governance requirements, including the UK Corporate Governance Code for listed companies, while providing a framework adaptable to SMEs and not-for-profit organisations.

By embedding strong governance practices, organisations can build trust, enhance decision-making and demonstrate their commitment to transparency and accountability.

Legal Basis and Standards

UK corporate governance sits across the Companies Act 2006, the UK Corporate Governance Code 2024 (premium-listed companies, comply-or-explain), the Wates Corporate Governance Principles (large private companies), and FCA Listing Rules.

The 2024 edition of the Code took effect for accounting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2025 and introduced Provision 29, a new internal-controls effectiveness declaration applicable from 1 January 2026.

The Companies (Miscellaneous Reporting) Regulations 2018 require large private companies to publish a corporate governance statement.

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, with phased commencement during 2024-2026, introduced new identity verification, accuracy duties on directors, and the corporate criminal offence of "failure to prevent fraud" for large organisations from 1 September 2025.

Common Compliance Pitfalls

Code applied without a comply-or-explain statement. Departures must be explained substantively; "we comply" without evidence is its own non-compliance.
Wates principles ignored by large private companies. Many qualifying private companies still publish nothing; a §172 statement is not a substitute.
Provision 29 not yet planned. Effective from 1 January 2026, requiring meaningful internal-controls work to be completed in 2025.
Failure-to-prevent-fraud procedures absent. The statutory defence requires "reasonable procedures"; a written framework is a minimum.
Subsidiary boards under-documented. Group-level governance often masks weaknesses in subsidiary decision-making.

Sector-Specific Considerations

Premium-listed companies: Apply the full 2024 Code; Provision 29 is the most material change for 2026.

Large private companies: Apply the Wates Principles or another suitable code; publish the corporate governance statement with the directors' report.

Charities: The Charity Governance Code 2020 (refreshed) applies; the Charity Commission expects boards to evidence its application.

Public bodies and ALBs: Apply the Cabinet Office Corporate Governance Code for Central Government Departments / Code for ALBs.

What Policy Pros Delivers

Our Corporate Governance Policy package includes the main policy, a board terms of reference suite (Audit, Risk, Remuneration, Nominations), a delegated authorities matrix, a §172 stakeholder mapping, a Provision 29 internal-controls effectiveness framework, and a failure-to-prevent-fraud procedure aligned to the Economic Crime Act 2023.

Drafted to comply or explain against the 2024 Code, the Wates Principles, or sector-specific governance codes as required.