Since January 2026, ACoP has operated as a separate Special Interest Organisation within the PHES family of higher education associations. The move took place part way through our last financial year and was delivered at pace. I am pleased to report that the new arrangements are now firmly embedded. My sincere thanks go to the ACoP Team — Trudy, Tamsin, Fiona and Tracy — for their tireless work in making the transition smooth. PHES support has also been excellent, and ACoP is already benefiting from its expertise across IT, finance and human resources.
Last year’s audit cycle was one of our largest, and it came as we introduced both the new Code and a new management system. It was a significant undertaking, delivered through strong collaboration between members, their teams and the ACoP team. There were challenges, and we are acting on the improvement areas identified by members and the audit community. The feedback has been invaluable. Thank you to everyone who joined the roundtable or completed the questionnaire.
Tracy Altham, seconded from the University of Manchester as interim Code Manager, has made a major contribution over the past six months, especially to the new management system. Her user perspective helped strengthen its launch and first year of operation. As the secondment has now ended, we are pleased that Tracy will remain involved: she has now joined the Governance Board as one of the ASRA representatives. At the last Governance Board meeting we said goodbye to Michael Ball who has contributed to the work of The Code since its launch in 2006. We owe Mike a huge debt of gratitude for his contribution to both the CASB and GB in his role as a representative of ASRA. The Board wished Mike a well-earned and happy retirement.
At the same meeting we welcomed Vicky McDermott, Director of Housing and Communities, Newcastle City Council as the new representative of the Local Government Association.
Finally, if you would like to get more involved in ACoP, there are plenty of opportunities. You can join a roundtable, volunteer for a Task and Finish Working Group, or become a CASB Associate to support our approval audit processes. Please contact the team via
info@acop.ac.uk - they would be delighted to hear from you.
Mark Q Swales FIoL
Independent Chair of UUK/GuildHE ACoP Governance Board
12 August 2026 
Fiona Wilson, National Code Advisor
