Corporate Governance

Good governance is not paperwork; it is the machinery through which a board directs, controls and answers for the organisation. When it works, decisions are faster and better evidenced, risks surface early, and stakeholders — investors, regulators, funders, donors — trust what they are told. When it does not, the gaps usually stay invisible until something goes wrong.

Our governance services are led by a partner who is a Chartered Member of the Institute of Internal Auditors (CMIIA) with more than 20 years of governance experience at national and mid-tier level, across companies, public bodies and charities.

Provision 29: The Board's New Internal Controls Declaration

The UK Corporate Governance Code 2024 raises the bar on internal controls. For financial years beginning on or after 1 January 2026, Provision 29 asks boards to describe how they have monitored and reviewed the effectiveness of the risk management and internal control framework — and to make a declaration on the effectiveness of the company's material controls, across financial, operational, reporting and compliance controls, as at the balance sheet date.

That declaration cannot be made on assertion alone. Boards need to identify which controls are material, evidence that they operate, and decide what assurance to rely on. We help boards define their material controls, map and test them, remediate gaps and build the monitoring rhythm that makes the annual declaration a routine statement rather than an annual scramble. The Code applies to premium-listed companies, but its expectations increasingly set the benchmark for AIM companies, private businesses with external investors, and regulated firms.

Governance Framework and Board Effectiveness Reviews

We assess whether your governance machinery actually works: governance framework structure and effectiveness, board and sub-committee composition, terms of reference and schemes of delegation, decision-making protocols, information flows and accountability mechanisms. Reviews are benchmarked against the framework relevant to you — the UK Corporate Governance Code, the Wates Principles for large private companies, or the Charity Governance Code — and conclude with practical, prioritised recommendations rather than a lecture on best practice.

Why Governance Pays for Itself

Clear reporting structures build stakeholder confidence and make regulatory compliance demonstrable rather than asserted. Defined accountability speeds up decisions and removes the ambiguity that lets risks fall between roles. Proactive oversight protects the organisation — and its directors personally — against adverse events and reputational damage. And structured decision-making means strategy is set on evidence, not the loudest voice in the room.

Who We Work With

Growing mid-tier and SME businesses, charities and not-for-profit organisations, and government bodies. Corporate and commercial experience spans banking, financial services, insurance, retail, fintech, listed companies, utilities and energy; public sector experience includes local and central government, emergency services, non-departmental public bodies, academy trusts, and further and higher education institutions.

How Engagements Run

Time-bound delivery with budget certainty and rapid mobilisation. Engagements can be a fully outsourced governance support function, a co-sourced arrangement alongside your company secretary or governance team, or a one-off review — typically completed within one to two weeks of instruction.

What You Get With Acumon

• Provision 29 readiness: material controls identified, mapped, tested and evidenced
• Governance framework and board effectiveness reviews
• Board and sub-committee composition, terms of reference and delegation schemes
• Benchmarking against the UK Corporate Governance Code, Wates Principles or Charity Governance Code
• Decision-making protocols, information flows and accountability mechanisms
• Practical, prioritised recommendations — not a lecture on best practice

Why Acumon for Corporate Governance?

• Led by a Partner who is a Chartered Member of the Institute of Internal Auditors (CMIIA)
• Partner has over 20 years of governance experience at national and mid-tier company level
• Public sector experience includes NDPBs, academy trusts, FE and HE institutions
• Ad-hoc engagements typically completed within 1-2 weeks of instruction

Get a Fixed-Fee Quote

Tell us what you need and we'll come back within one business day with a clear scope and a fixed price — no hourly-rate surprises. Call 020 8567 3451 or use the form and we'll be in touch.