LGPS governance in practice

2026 is an implementation year for LGPS funds. Governance, pooling, valuation, administration, employer risk and change management are all under greater scrutiny. Funds that start early can move beyond compliance, using the review process to improve clarity, evidence, accountability and long-term decision-making.

LawDeb's experts are well placed to support your independent person appointments, which are required by 31 December 2026 · Regulation 53A. 

• Our salaried model means no key person risk and access to deep, varied collective expertise on every appointment.
• We use our deep expertise to help committees test decisions, scrutinise administration and manage conflicts.

• No adviser tie-ins. No referral relationships with any investment consultant, actuary or administrator. We never provide those services ourselves.

Law Debenture Pensions Governance helps LGPS funds test whether their governance arrangements work in practice, not just on paper. We are not the fund actuary, investment consultant or administrator, so we bring an independent view without reviewing our own advice.

• We help funds step back from day-to-day delivery to look at whether governance is supporting the decisions that matter most: strategy, risk, pooling, valuation, administration, employer engagement and long-term outcomes.
• Reviews help the fund understand whether governance arrangements are clear, used consistently, and support the fund's long-term objectives for members, employers and taxpayers.
• We look beyond policies and structure to the way decisions are planned, discussed, recorded, challenged and followed through over time.
• Our work brings together four connected lenses: independent review, chairing and peer challenge, governance effectiveness, and implementation planning.