~ [[130 - Governance]]
# Salford SU Scheme of Delegation of Authority
Approved at the [[2025-04-16 - Board of Trustees]] meeting. Follows the [[Salford SU Risk Appetite]] approved in February 2025 and develops the principle discussed when [[2024-11-20 - Board of Trustees|the Board approved the HR delegation model in November 2024]].
## Core Principle: Subsidiarity
Decisions should be made at the lowest appropriate level within the organisation. The Board focuses on strategic leadership and oversight — not operational management. Controls should be proportional to risk.
## What Requires Board Approval
- Strategy: approval of the strategy and amendments requiring resource
- Articles of Association: amendments (subject to All Student Meeting and University Council approval)
- Byelaws: approval of new or substantially altered byelaws
- Budget: annual income/expenditure and capital expenditure budgets
- Audit: sign-off on annual audited accounts and Trustees' Annual Report; approval of external auditors
- CEO: recruitment, appointment, dismissal, and performance management
- Major restructures: significant organisational changes or redundancies
- Risk Register: annual approval
- Health & Safety: approval of H&S policies and procedures
- Trustee appointments: confirmation of external and student trustees
## What SLT Can Approve Without Board
- **Policy changes** that do not add organisational risk and do not involve new matters of legal compliance — these can be agreed by SLT
- Monthly management accounts (reported to Board but approved operationally)
- Staff appointments below Senior Manager level
- Day-to-day management of all departments
- Minor departmental restructures (no significant changes or redundancies)
- Regradings, subject to Pay Policy and agreed budgets
- Business continuity planning
## Key Delegated Roles
| Decision Area | Board | SLT | CEO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strategy approval | ✓ | | |
| Policy changes (no added risk) | | ✓ | |
| Annual budget | ✓ | | |
| Monthly management accounts | | | ✓ reports |
| CEO performance | Board | | |
| Staff appointments | | | ✓ |
| Risk Register | ✓ annual | | Manage |
## Relationship to Risk Appetite
The delegation framework explicitly links to the [[Salford SU Risk Appetite]]. The SLT has delegated authority to take "Tolerant" and "Neutral" risk decisions. Decisions requiring "Seeking" appetite sit with the Board. The CEO reports major incidents to the Board; the SLT manages and reports actions against the Risk Register.
## Source Document
`Salford SU Scheme of Delegation of Authority_2025.docx` — Board of Trustees Meetings / 2024-25 Year / 2025.04.16