What do boards need to have?

Diversity– Boards need to have both skills and experience and diversity to be effective. This means diverse in skills, diverse in perspectives, ethnicities, abilities, ages and genders.

Lived experience– Those with lived experience may not have professional skills, but contribution is different to, not less than board members with specific skills.

A good number– With enough members to carry out its role, but not so many to impair decision making- often 6 to 12 is a good number. 

Regular turnover– Having a regular turnover of members helps to bring in new ideas and skills.