In a vote taken at a general meeting in Edinburgh, CAS members backed 32 recommendations included in a governance review by the accountancy firm Deloitte, which was published in July 2016.

Among the recommendations approved were changes which allows for the appointment of an independent chair and a number of external trustees, and for these to be recruited through a competitive skills-based selection process. In addition, a strict 6-year tenure limit has been introduced as well as a mechanism for a vote of no confidence in a trustee in breach of the Code of Conduct.

The approval of these measures means that CAS should be in a position to have a new board in place by the end of March, meeting the timeline set out in its delivery plan to secure ongoing funding for the organisation.

CAS’s adoption of the Deloitte report’s recommendations comes after a turbulent 18 months at the charity. In August 2015, Margaret Lynch, the former chief executive, was suspended by the charity before being dismissed in early 2016.

The charity’s former chair, Dominic Notarangelo, also left the charity before Deloitte’s report was published, having been warned that the review would contain direct criticisms of the board’s leadership.

Agnes Robson, acting chair of CAS, said: “I am delighted that the package of governance reforms proposed by the CAS board has been so warmly endorsed by the members.

“These measures will ensure that CAS can move forward confidently, and with the necessary robust governance framework in place, to support the Citizens Advice service in delivering much-needed benefits, debt and consumer advice in communities across Scotland.”