Minutes of the Governing Body Meeting – 19 March 2026

View this document in Welsh

STEAM Academy Conference Room and via Google Meet – 4:30pm

PRESENT:

Emma Adamson – Chair
Hatti Bluff – Student Governor
Viv Buckley – Principal/CEO
Joe Castle
Jo Creeden
Trish D’Souza
Ceri Dixon
Lisa Dobbs – Staff Governor
Claire Marshall
Tomos Owen
Lloyd Powell
Stephne Puddy
Emma Roblin – Student Governor (arrived 4.55pm, delayed train)
Susan Smith
Helen Verity
Mihindi Wimalasoma – Student Governor

IN ATTENDANCE

Joe Baldwin – Deputy Principal (Future Generations)
Nicola Eyre – Clerk
Claire Flay-Petty – Interim Director of Quality
Andrew Gibbs – Deputy Principal (Resources)
Catherine Luff – Interim Assistant Principal (People)
Catherine Pickett – Observer (new Staff Governor from 1 April 2026)
Kevin Punter – Interim Director of Finance
Catrin Sullivan – Interim Assistant Principal (Curriculum)

The meeting opened at 4.30pm.

Generative AI (Google Gemini) was used to help draft these minutes.

The presentation on Sustainability at Bridgend College was made after agenda item 5.

1. CHAIR’S WELCOME AND APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting and a special welcome was given to Catherine (Cath) Pickett and Claire Flay-Petty at their first Governing Body meeting.

Apologies for absence were noted from Marion Evans (Staff Governor), Jo Oak, Neil Robinson, Gemma Carr-Evans (Interim Assistant Principal (Curriculum)), Matthew Rees (Interim Chief Operating Officer), Hayley Thomas (Vice Principal (Curriculum & Quality)) and Chris Long (Head of Sustainability).

A roundtable introduction was held.

This would have been Marion Evans’ last Governing Body meeting as her four year term of office as a staff governor was ending on 20 March. Marion was unable to attend due to illness but had sent a note which was read out which reflected on her growth in confidence and understanding of the College’s strategic operations, particularly valuing discussions around the new campus and its challenges. Marion described the Governing Body as strong, supportive and respectful, and welcomed Cath Pickett to her new role. Marion advised Cath to remain true to herself and speak up, emphasising that every voice matters.

2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

None

3. COLLEGE POLICIES

3.1 Data Management (including GDPR)

The Deputy Principal (Future Generations) presented this policy which had been recommended for approval by the Resource Planning Committee.

The members noted the following:

The policy was a complete rewrite and was prompted by:
- the resignation of the Information Services Manager who previously served as the Data Protection Officer (DPO) about two years prior; and
- an internal audit in this area which made recommendations to strengthen the policy.
The Deputy Principal (Future Generations) became the DPO until January 2026 when the Interim Assistant Principal (People) took on this responsibility.

The revised policy ensures alignment with the Data (Use and Access) Act introduced in 2025.
A key addition is Section 2, detailing the principles of data and defining the College’s lawful basis for processing data, clarifying what data is captured, why, how it is processed, and its usage.
The complaints element has been included, which is required under the new Data (Use and Access) Act and links to Information Commissioner’s Office requirements.
A Data Governance Group has been established to ensure the complete oversight of data held by the College. The Group’s immediate role is to address the two audit recommendations
- Establishing the record of processing activity; and
- Setting up the Information Asset Register.
The policy is a Bridgend College Group policy covering all subsidiaries.

There were no questions from the members.

The Governing Body APPROVED the Data Management (including GDPR) Policy.

3.2 Redundancy

The Interim Assistant Principal (People) presented the Redundancy Policy that had been recommended for approval by the Resource Planning Committee.

The members noted the following:

The policy was updated to bring it up to date and make the language more “people-centered” and inclusive.
The changes to the content of the policy were minimal.
The policy update includes the upcoming Employment Rights Bill changes which may lead to further revisions in the future.
The procedure guidelines have been made much clearer, including notification methods and appeal processes.
A Quick Reference guide has been included to help staff navigate the process.

A member enquired about the consultation process for policy review and whether trade unions are consulted. The Interim Assistant Principal (People) confirmed that there is regular dialogue and meetings with the trade union and this includes any changes to policies affecting people at the College.

A clarification was sought on clause 2:10 about whether a staff member who has accepted voluntary redundancy could ever be re-employed by the College. It was explained that if a person was to be re-employed at some point in the future, it would be in a different way to their original employment.

Another member commended the rewording of the policy and asked about the implications of the impending six-month unfair dismissal rule. The Interim Assistant Principal (People) commented that that is currently unknown but the College’s approach will remain open, transparent and inclusive.

A question was asked about the Equality Impact Assessment and Home Office Sponsored Staff. The Interim Assistant Principal (People) confirmed that the College is not permitted to allow sponsors so this doesn’t apply. However, there are staff with visas in place and this is managed by a different process.

The Governing Body APPROVED the Redundancy Policy.

3.3 Whistleblowing Policy

The Interim Assistant Principal (People) presented the Whistleblowing Policy that had been recommended for approval by the Audit Committee.

The members noted the following:

This is a Bridgend College Group policy.
A Briefing Note has been created to ensure familiarity when needed as this policy is used very infrequently.

Key changes include incorporating new legislation to fully capture protections for workers, addressing staff reticence in coming forward and aligning with worker protection legislation implemented in 2025.
The policy now includes a broader group of people beyond staff, such as agency workers, volunteers and work placements, ensuring that they can access the policy and make a claim.
High-level whistleblowing issues will now go directly to the Clerk, offering a non-biased viewpoint.
The policy updates have been driven by legislative changes regarding sexual harassment and preventing detriment.

The Governing Body APPROVED the Whistleblowing Policy.

A query was raised about how staff are informed of new and changes to policies like Redundancy and Whistleblowing. The Interim Assistant Principal (People) explained that new staff are informed during onboarding, all updated policies undergo a 30-day consultation period which staff are made aware of on Happeo (staff portal), trade unions are informed in the Joint Trade Union meetings and HR surgery drop-ins are also run.

One of the student governors asked what whistleblowing is. The Interim Assistant Principal (People) explained and gave examples to help with their understanding.

4. MEDR PRESENTATION

The Principal reported the following:

A second consultation has concluded and the new regulatory framework is due to be published in April, having been delayed from March.
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The Chair thanked the Principal for the overview and the work that the SLT and Clerk has done on this.

5. MINUTES OF THE GOVERNING BODY MEETING HELD ON 11 DECEMBER 2025

The minutes of the Governing Body meeting held on 11 December 2025 were approved as an accurate record of the meeting.

PRESENTATION – SUSTAINABILITY AT BRIDGEND COLLEGE

The Interim Assistant Principal (People) gave the presentation on behalf of the Head of Sustainability due to him being unavailable.

The following were noted:

The Head of Sustainability is an international expert in this field.
‘Planet’ is now one of the four Ps in the 2025-30 Strategic Plan which demonstrates the College’s commitment to sustainability.
A deep dive into every course has been undertaken where their green credentials and alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Accord were examined. Every course was allocated a one, two or three leaf print based on its alignment with the SDGs.
A staff and learner survey found that over 85% of staff and learners were interested in the work being done around sustainability and many learners expressed an interest in working in this field in the future.
The College can obtain the Carbon Literacy Standard for Education which is a tiered accreditation system from Bronze to Platinum levels. The plan is for all of the College Operational Group (COG) and staff who are interested in sustainability to receive the training in the coming months. (Governing Body members were invited to attend this – see below).
Sustainability is built into every department’s Quality Improvement Plans and annual reviews.
The College is considering how to use AI to positive benefit and to support areas that are not leaf-rated or are only one-leaf rated.
On the Belonging site on Happeo, there are a whole range of blended-learning resources for staff.

The Interim Assistant Principal (Curriculum) informed the members that it had been the Professional Learning Day that day and that one of the facilitated sessions was ‘The Great Debate’ which focussed discussions on sustainability. The Interim Assistant Principal (Curriculum) was excited to announce that the College has just been informed that it is ranked number six globally in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Teach in Pledge for 2026 (ninth in 2025). It was discussed that this is an outstanding achievement to be placed amongst HEs globally who have much larger resources and budgets to dedicate to this.

The student governors were invited to give their feedback on sustainability. Two of the student governors studying Performing Arts commented that the etiquette is that there is no food, drink or use of mobile phones in their learning environments so there’s no rubbish or digital footprint. However, the use of AI is a concern due to its impact on the environment and the people working in the sector.

The student governors complimented the College on the recycling bins in place around the campuses but sometimes students don’t always use them.

One of the members commented that the College’s work on mapping and embedding sustainability on each course is “significant, positive and mind-blowing”.

The Principal informed the members that the Head of Sustainability has posed the challenge of how much does the Governing Body and SLT know about carbon management and literacy, especially as it is a goal in the new Strategic Plan. The Principal explained that to achieve this goal, the challenge is fair and the Governing Body and SLT will need to dedicate time to consider this.

It was noted that all senior leaders and managers are going to undertake the training referred to above initially and Governing Body members are welcome to attend this. One of the Governing Body welcomed this as she had attended a recent sustainability event which used complex terminology like “language scopes” that she did not understand and felt that upskilling the Governing Body will help them understand the practical goals and their role as governors.

It was suggested that the Governing Body could assess its own carbon footprint. The Interim Assistant Principal (People) explained that work is ongoing on the Active Travel Strategy in readiness for the town centre move.

It was noted that the College has embedded sustainability into its operational processes by introducing a section into the standard trip form (required for staff and student travel) that calculates the carbon cost of the trip. This provides individuals with choices regarding offsetting this carbon cost.

It was agreed that this is a topic that could be discussed at a Governing Body Away Day (ACTION – NE).

6. MATTERS ARISING

6.1 Action Tracker

The Clerk gave an overview of the actions on the Action Tracker which was noted by the members.

6.2 Feedback from Learner Walks

The following members had taken part in the learner walks held during week commencing 9 February:

Bridgend campus and Bevan College – Susan Smith
Pencoed – Lloyd Powell, Trish D’Souza and Mihindi Wimalasoma.

Hatti Bluff was due to attend the learner walk on the Bridgend campus but was involved in rehearsals for a performance the day after the planned walk.

The members provided the following feedback:

Learner walks are one of their favourite activities as governors.
The staff at Bevan College were very committed to meet a broad range of learning needs simultaneously in the same space and there was a strong culture of inclusivity. Learners who were confident and happy to share information expressed that they loved the College and could not see themselves anywhere else. The teaching was of a high standard with lots of energy and enthusiasm. The member said that she felt reassured as a governor that the College was adhering to its Strategic Plan.
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A broad range of curriculum areas was covered in Pencoed and the students were very positive (Construction, Equine, Land-based and the Success Centre).
In the Success Centre in Penced, there was an exhibition on SDGs which reinforced the College’s overall narrative. It was noted that the staff there were very enthusiastic and gave a comprehensive overview of their work.
The least positive comment received during the walk in Pencoed was a minor complaint about speed bumps.
The experience of seeing both campuses over six months was good.
One member commented that she was extremely impressed by how talkative and engaged the learners were, contrasting with an earlier experience where she did not speak to any learners.

The Chair thanked the Interim Director of Quality and her team for their efforts in making these walks meaningful and impactful.

7. PRINCIPAL’S UPDATE

The Principal highlighted the following from her report:

The College supported BCBC’s Santa appeal and is organising donations for the Easter Egg appeal which demonstrates the College’s commitment to be involved in its local community.
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The College has been instrumental in the Cynefin Charter initiative across Wales, driven by FE colleges wanting to publicly state that colleges are places of belonging where everyone can feel safe and heard. The Charter has been approved by all colleges and Adult Learning Wales and was published the day before the meeting. All staff were shown a copy of the Charter at the Professional Learning Day (PLD) on the day of the meeting and the upcoming Student Conference will focus on it.
Values badges have been awarded to staff for their values-based work. Lisa Dobbs was congratulated for receiving the Team Player badge, having been nominated by another staff member for her exceptional communication, reliability and accountability which aligns with the College’s focus on behaviours.
Estyn has spotlighted Bevan College in their 2024-25 report on independent specialist colleges.
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One of the members informed the Governing Body of the Principal and four learners’ radio appearance on the Today Programme on Radio 4. She commended the Principal and said that the learners spoke very well and that the presenter was very complimentary about the College environment in Pencoed.

The Principal highlighted the successes at the Wales Skills Watch Party the previous evening where 27 medals were won (20 Gold, 5 Silver and 2 Bronze) and 15 highly commended awards were achieved. Stephne Puddy was thanked for attending and she commented that it was a wonderful evening of celebration.

The Chair thanked the Principal for the update that was noted by the members.

8. SAFEGUARDING UPDATE

The Deputy Principal (Future Generations) gave an overview of the safeguarding report and the work that has taken place since Christmas. The following were noted:

The total number of student concerns and unique students is in line with expectations for the time of year.
Engagement with the student app continues to grow, which is encouraging as the College does a lot of promotion of this.
REDACTED
Belonging Week took place a couple of weeks ago, successfully engaging staff and learners and aligning with the principles of the Cynefin Charter.
A major campaign launched during Belonging Week, called ‘Flag It,’. This campaign was created by students at Gateshead College and is now being used by various colleges in Wales. The campaign aims to address challenges like peer-on-peer abuse and misogyny by promoting positive messaging and emphasising the importance of reporting incidents.

One of the members shared positive feedback from a colleague who attended Belonging Week and had amazing conversations with learners. The Deputy Principal (Future Generations) thanked the member for this and commented that this work is feeding into the College’s submission for College of Sanctuary status.

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The members noted the update.

9. GOVERNANCE MATTERS

Matters for Ratification

The Governing Body ratified the appointment of the staff governors from 1 April 2026 – Lisa Dobbs was re-elected as the non-teaching staff governor and Cath Pickett was elected as the teaching staff governor. The Governing Body approved the appointment of Cath onto the Audit Committee and Lisa onto the Curriculum & Quality Committee.

The updated committee structure was provided to the Governing Body.

Matter for Approval

The calendar of meetings for the 2026/27 academic year was presented and approved. It was noted that there might need to be changes to the calendar depending on Medr requirements.

Matters for Noting

The use of the Corporate Seal on the Deed of Surrender for one of the tenants of Brackla House was noted.
Members were asked to check the 2025/26 Training Record to ensure that all governor training has been included.
Governor meetings with Chair/Vice-Chair – it was noted that in the coming months, there will be the opportunity to meet individually with the Chair/Vice-Chair to have an informal discussion and self-evaluation.

A short comfort break was held

10. MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTS 2025/26, FEBRUARY FORECAST AND KPIs

The Interim Director of Finance presented the following highlights from the Management Accounts:

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The Chair thanked the Interim Director of Finance for the update. There were no questions from the members.

The Governing Body APPROVED the Management Accounts, February Forecast and KPIs.

11. TOWN CENTRE CAMPUS UPDATE

The Deputy Principal (Resources) presented the following highlights from the report:

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The Governing Body noted the update and no questions were asked.

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12. REDACTED

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13. COLLEGE COMPLIMENTS AND COMPLAINTS

The Governing Body NOTED the compliments and complaints. The Principal highlighted the low numbers of complaints which is believed to be a result of tightened processes.

The Principal also commented that there were only a handful of compliments included in the report but across the College, there are many compliments every week on the work done for the learners and the community.

14. BALANCED SCORECARD

REDACTED

The Governing Body NOTED the update.

15. COMMITTEE MINUTES

15.1 Audit – 9 March 2026

The Governing Body RECEIVED the minutes of the Audit Committee meeting held on 9 March 2026 and noted that it was Andrew Gibbs and Lisa Dobbs last meeting.