We are looking for a policy or statement on conflict of interest in relation to board members and staff. Can you help?

Our organisation is constituted as a Company Ltd by Guarantee and has 5 directors. Our Chair also works for a company which provides PR Services to us under contract. We have a register of directors' interests under which her other company is stated and we also have an agreement that if any discussions arise regardign PR issues in Directors' Meetings, Anna will take no part in the discussion so as not to have any influence. Anna has been told by third parties that she's in a potentially "difficult" position. I don't want to lose this very good supportive director. What can I say to reassure her?

Our committee is a 'family affair', is this ok ? We have the Chair, who's the mother-in-law of the treasurer; the vice chair is the chair's sister; they 'run' the whole operation themselves, we have no regular meetings, the chair takes it upon herself, with the treasurer, to recruit staff & handle other staffing issues, keep the accounts, annual returns, etc.... Oh and the chair is also employed by the 'committee' too,... so basically she (as part of the committee) employs herself, while they supervise her issues (i.e performance management) so we don't get a say if she, let's say 'starts to slack' in her role, she's just left to get on with it & god forbid if any of the committee dare to try & speak up against it.......... Do you have any suggestions ??

We are a registered charity providing studio space to artists since 1977. We and have just been informed that our Trustees (or their relatives/associates) can't lease studio space from us at below market rent. Is this true? I hope so because having these beneficiaries on our Board is not a positive thing! This affects 4 out of 9 Trustees.

What exactly are the legal limitations of influence that members of a company may have on the board? The organisation in question has all of its new board members nominated from a very strong membership, then voted for by the same group. There are potential issues over conflict of interest when the elected members become board directors too. Any advice on legal limitations?

I am concerned over the governance of a charity which has a major contract to provide services to the Council of which I am an elected member. The charity was established last year, specifically to take up this contract, and is a 'local offshoot' of a previously established charity which already existed to supply similar services to another Council. There are now three separate bodies - charities for each of the 2 contracts, plus a holding company which is linked to both. The Managing Director of the holding company (ie the boss of the whole organisation) was made a trustee of the charity serving my Council - and is incidentally also a trustee of the charity serving the other Council. I find this all very strange - that the 'head of paid service' can also be a trustee, especially in circumstances where presumably the individual was involved in the appointment of (other) trustees. Also, in response to a recent written question to the company from a member of the public about the existence and role of the 'local trustees', the MD responded with some info about the other trustees but added that as she was also a trustee any comments or complaints to trustees could be directed to her ! I have been unable to see a copy of the charity's governing documents, so I don't know what they say about allowing payments, and nor do I know whether the organisation has cleared this issue with the Charity Commission. However, i am concerned about governance, accountability and conflict of interest issues and would welcome your comments.