The annual declaration of interests exercise is now under way for 2021/22. Please complete your return by 31 October 2021 via the appropriate route as listed below.
Please note that you are only required to make one return for the year, although you should keep that return up to date as the year progresses.
This exercise is undertaken in the interests of transparency. If you have any interests which raise concerns in relation to your work for the University, you will also need to actively inform the person responsible for oversight of the relevant area, so that measures can be agreed on the ground to avoid potential conflicts of interest.
Routes for returning your annual declaration of interests:
(a) Members of Council and UEB: you will have already been contacted separately by the Governance & Assurance Office. Once you have submitted a return via that route, no further action is required (other than to keep your return up to date in the course of the year).
(b) If you fall into one or more of the following groups, you are required to make a return to the University’s central Register of Interests:
- Heads of Department/PSS and their senior decision-making teams
- Anyone who sits on a University Committee (for these purposes, Senate plus all subcommittees of Council and/or Senate)
- Any staff who are on the board of directors or who act as company secretary for the University’s wholly or majority owned subsidiary companies or joint ventures
- Staff who in their normal role are involved in negotiating or have a material influence on, or have access to highly sensitive and commercial information (including contracts for goods or services) or partnerships on behalf of the University (e.g. Finance, Procurement, Legal Services, OPPA).
The online form for 2021/22 is available here.
You only need to complete the form once, even if you hold multiple roles. There is an option within the form to make a ‘nil return’ as necessary.
Your return will be available for your Head of Department/PSS and/or Committee chair to review once the 2021/22 round is complete.
(c) For all other staff, if you have interests to declare which are relevant to your work for the University, please make your declaration via this Google form.
Please use this form to declare any gifts/hospitality, given or received over £40 per person (including cumulative value over a short period), and anything declined, regardless of value.
Decisions re whether to offer/accept:
- Seek advice from line manager in first instance
- If you can’t refuse without causing offence, agree to donate to department or
charity
Registering exchanges:
- Record at departmental level
- All gifts/hospitality given or received over £40 per person (including cumulative
value over a short period) - Anything declined, regardless of value
- Inform line manager
What can I keep?
- Modest items e.g. pens, keyrings, food and drink
- Consider sharing/donating where appropriate
- Symbolic corporate gifts to be retained by the University/department and location
noted in register
In order to avoid misunderstanding or offence, consider introducing a standard messaging to your students from the outset that gifts and offers of hospitality to staff are not expected.