Our Policy team works with government, regulators and other influencers in our various markets. Our aim is to promote the highest standards of governance and reporting, positioning ICSA as ‘the’ professional centre of excellence and thought leadership on governance and compliance.
Our work
We respond to formal and informal consultation, to new legislation and regulation, and to market developments. We engage with a variety of market participants to ensure that we stay in touch with the latest developments and are able to influence their activities. We seek to share our activities with members and potential members through ICSA guidance notes, through Governance and Compliance, the ICSA magazine, through technical briefings, other member communications and through our own discussions with members.
We are always happy to discuss issues with members. Find our contact details in the team section above.
Research
The Policy team has a rolling programme of reviewing and updating guidance notes across all sectors and welcomes input and assistance with this and, in fact, all of its other work. Policy runs consultations – setting up steering groups, organising meetings and analysing comments, writing of final reports and recommending good practice. Recent work includes:
Latest research
- A View at the Top: Boardroom Trends in Britain's top 100 companies
- Building a Balanced Board: Thoughts on the Challenges of Board Composition
- The Future Board: Geting in Shape for Tomorrow's Challenges
- The Future of Governance: Untangling Corporate Governance
- The FT-ICSA Boardroom Bellwether survey - winter edition
- The FT–ICSA Boardroom Bellwether survey - summer edition
- The Company Secretary: building trust through governance
- Report of a senior practitioners' workshop on identifying indicators of corporate cultures
- IBE ICSA Mazars Survey Report - The pros and cons of Culture by Committee
- The nomination committee - coming out of the shadows
- Corporate governance content of MBA courses
Please contact us if you would like to know more or contribute in any way.
Guidance
We have a wide range of guidance to support and advise governance professionals. Search our resource centre for the following:
- guidance notes – a members-only collection of guidance and exemplar materials packed with expert advice for company secretaries and other governance professionals.
- reports – fresh thinking on contemporary issues in governance, risk and compliance from the ICSA policy and research team.
- professional reference books and e-resources from ICSA to develop your knowledge and skills.
Visit the resource centre
Can't find what you're looking for? Please contact us for help.
Consultations
The Policy team responds to regulatory consultations, for example, from the FRC, BIS, the EU and the NHS, amongst others. This includes a continuous engagement with the authorities in order to influence and inform consultations even before they are launched.
We always welcome the input of our members on these consultations – please contact us if you would like to know more or to contribute to this work.
| Date | Type | Title | Download |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22/11/19 | BSI |
PAS - A code of practice for charities |
|
| 11/10/19 | CIIA |
Internal audit code of practice |
|
| 30/09/19 | Department for Education |
Financial transparency of LA maintained schools and academy trusts |
|
| 27/09/19 | FRC |
Post implementation review of 2016 auditing and ethical standards |
|
| 24/09/19 | The Pensions Regulator |
Future of trusteeship and governance |
|
| 13/09/19 | BEIS |
Market study on statutory audit services |
|
| 05/08/19 | BEIS |
Corporate transparency and register reform |
|
| 05/07/19 | ICSA for BEIS |
Review of the effectiveness of independent board evaluation in the UK listed sector |
|
| 11/06/19 | BEIS |
Independent review of the Financial Reporting Council |
|
| 10/06/19 | HM Treasury |
Transposition of the Fifth Money Laundering directive |
|
| 07/06/19 | BEIS |
Independent review into the quality and effectiveness of audit |
|
| 30/04/19 | FRC/FCA |
Building a regulatory framework for effective stewardship |
|
| 25/04/19 | NHS |
NHS long term plan: proposal for possible changes to legislation |
|
| 01/04/19 | Scottish Government |
Consultation on Scottish charity law |
|
| 29/03/19 | FRC |
Proposed revisions to the UK Stewardship Code |
|
| 27/03/19 | FCA |
Proposals to improve shareholder engagement |
|
| 04/02/19 | Sorp Committee |
Guiding the development of the charities SORP |
|
| 21/01/19 | CMA |
Statutory audit services market study, update paper |
|
| 11/01/19 | BEIS |
Ethnicity pay reporting |
|
| 07/12/18 | Takeover Panel |
Asset valuations under Rule 27 |
|
| 30/10/18 | CMA |
Statutory audit market - invitation to comment |
|
| 26/09/18 | NCVO |
Draft Charity code of ethics |
|
| 21/09/18 | OSCR |
Charity investments: guidance and good practice |
|
| 07/09/18 | FRC |
Corporate governance principles for large private companies |
|
| 19/08/18 | UK Sport |
Public consultation on future funding of elite sport |
|
| 06/08/18 | BEIS |
Independent review of the FRC: call for evidence |
|
| 03/08/18 | Scotland Third Sector Governance Forum |
Scottish governance code for the third sector |
|
| 21/07/18 | AELP |
Draft code of good governance for independent training providers |
|
| 17/07/18 | FCA |
TN 506.2 Periodic financial information and insder information |
|
| 11/05/18 | BEIS |
Insolvency and corporate governance |
|
| 10/04/18 | BEIS committee |
Inquiry on executive pay and the gender pay gap in the private sector |
|
| 22/05/18 | Office for Civil Society | Civil Society Engagement Exercise | |
| 15/05/18 | Charity Commission | Maintaining your charity's separation and independence | |
| 12/03/18 | Committee of University Chairs | Higher education remuneration code | |
| 05/03/18 | Charity Commission | Charity trustee welcome pack | |
| 28/02/18 | FRC | Proposed revisions to the UK Corporate Governance Code | |
| 12/02/18 | Department for Education | Insolvency regime for further education and sixth-form colleges | |
| 24/11/17 | Charity Commission | Annual return for 2018, information collected from charities | |
| 24/10/17 | FRC | Draft amendments to guidance on the strategic report | Submission Consultation |
| 13/10/17 | FCA |
CP17/21 Proposal to create a new premium listing category for sovereign controlled companies |
|
| 01/08/17 | European Commission |
Company Law Consultation |
|
| 17/05/17 | European Commission |
Whistleblower protection |
|
| 17/05/17 | Scottish Government |
Good college governance |
|
| 11/05/17 | FCA |
Review of the effectiveness of primary markets, enhancement of the Listing Regime |
|
| 23/03/17 | Ministry of Justice |
Corporate liability for economic crime, call for evidence |
|
| 09/03/17 | Charity Commission |
Annual return for 2017 - information collected from charities |
|
| 20/02/17 | BEIS |
Parker; A report into the ethnic diversity of UK boards |
|
| 17/02/17 | BEIS |
Corporate governance reform |
|
| 31/10/16 | Law Commission |
Technical issues in charity law |
|
| 26/10/16 | BIS Committee |
Corporate Governance inquiry |
|
| 01/10/16 | Scottish University Governance |
Scottish Code of Good Higher Education Governance |
|
| 30/09/16 | Charity Commission |
External scrutiny of charity accounts |
|
| 23/09/16 | Charity Commission |
Official warnings to charities and trustees |
|
| 11/09/16 | CC, CCNI, OSCR |
Matters of material significance |
|
| 05/09/16 | House of Lords |
Select committee on Charities |
Submission made |
| 16/08/16 | Charity Commission |
Power to disqualify from acting as a trustee |
|
| 24/06/16 | ICSA |
The Practice of Minuting Meetings |
|
| 25/04/16 | Education select committee |
Multi-academy trusts enquiry (performance, accountability, governance) |
Submission made |
| 16/03/16 | Government Equalities Office |
Mandatory gender pay gap reporting |
|
| 15/04/16 | Takeover Panel |
Communication and distribution of information during an offer |
|
| 15/04/16 | BIS |
The non-financial reporting directive |
|
| 15/04/16 | EU Commission |
Non-binding guidelines for reporting of non-financial information by companies |
|
| 04/04/16 | GC 100 and Investor Group |
Directors' remuneration reporting guidance |
|
| 01/04/16 | BIS |
Beneficial ownership transparency (foreign companies) |
|
| 16/03/11 | NAO |
Reducing regulation: consultation for businesses and civil society organisations |
|
| 12/02/16 | Charity Commission |
Charity fundraising: a guide to trustee duties |
|
| 04/02/16 | FCA |
Implementation of Market Abuse Regulation |
|
| 23/03/16 | ESMA |
Transaction reporting, reference data, order record keeping, & clock synchronisation |
|
| 29/01/16 | FRC |
Discussion paper on Board Succession |
|
| 15/01/16 | Scottish government |
Supporter involvement in Scottish football clubs |
|
| 11/01/16 | BIS |
PSC register guidance |
The team
Peter Swabey FCIS
Peter Swabey is Policy and Research Director at ICSA. Based in London, he is responsible for developing the profile of ICSA and the governance profession with members, regulators, policymakers, employers and other stakeholders by delivering thought leadership and lobbying campaigns promoting strong governance as the vital ingredient for success in organisations.
Peter, who joined ICSA in 2013, has more than 30 years’ experience of company secretarial work. He was formerly Company Secretary and Industry Leadership Director at Equiniti and a Director of Equiniti David Venus, a Company Secretarial Services provider. Peter is a member of a number of industry committees and working parties, and is a regular speaker at conferences and events, with an industry-wide reputation as an expert on shareholder and governance matters.
Julie Bamford Msc LLB FCIS
Julie is Head of Policy, Corporate at ICSA. Before joining ICSA she spent six years with Standard Chartered PLC as Deputy Group Secretary and Company Secretary. She has more 20 years experience working as a chartered secretary in the financial services sector, initially in life assurance and pensions, then in investments, before moving into banking.
Over her career, Julie has seen many changes in company secretarial practice and corporate governance, and has experienced numerous challenges faced by the financial services industry, including the banking crisis of 2008. She has also worked through the many changes in the regulatory environment and to corporate governance best practice that followed as a consequence.
Julie joined ICSA Policy Department in 2010 to work on various projects including responses to government and regulatory consultations, to create best practice guidance, and has specific responsibility for EU issues. She is a Fellow of ICSA, has a first degree in Law from the University of London and a masters degree in Corporate Governance.
jbamford@icsa.org.uk
Sheila Doyle MSc
Sheila has worked in the Policy team for over ten years and in various different roles. She is responsible for the technical enquiries helpdesk, the Institute’s archives and provides general support to the Policy team. Questions about guidance notes and consultations – or anything else – can be directed to her via the contact us portal.
sdoyle@icsa.org.uk
Louise Thomson FCIS
Louise is Head of Policy (Not-for-Profit) at ICSA. Louise has worked at ICSA since 2001 where she is responsible for promoting, supporting, representing and developing the profession within the not-for-profit and public sectors. She has produced codes of governance for not-for-profit organisations and NHS clinical commissioning groups, research documents in NHS governance, guidance notes and best practice guides relating to governance, compliance and administration, and highlighting the pivotal role the company secretary plays in any organisation.
Louise has 18 years experience of working in, and with, charitable and NHS organisations and has gathered valuable insight into the governance challenges facing boardrooms as a charity trustee, school governor and pension trustee.
lthomson@icsa.org.uk
Lobbying
- 31 January 2017 - Response from Tracey Crouch MP, Minister for Sport on the sports governance code
- 24 January 2017 - Letter to the Prime Minister on corporate governance
- 5 January 2017 – Letter to Tracey Crouch MP, Minister for Sport on the sports governance code
- 30 August 2016 - Letter to the Prime Minister on corporate governance