About our Board
The Board of Directors and employees of the Trust operate in accordance with the agreed Standing Financial Instructions and Scheme of Delegation , which are reviewed annually. Read our latest Board papers.
See the Board Members’ Declaration of Conflicts of Interests.
The Board is committed to conducting its business in an open and transparent way. The majority of Board business will therefore be carried out in public. Items will automatically be listed for inclusion in the public agenda unless the test outlined below indicates debate in a closed session is required.
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The Board is the body legally responsible for the day-to-day management of the Trust and is accountable for the operational delivery of services, targets and performance, as well as the definition and implementation of the Trust strategy. It has a duty to ensure the provision of safe and effective services for service users and carers. It does this by having in place effective governance structures and by:
- Establishing and upholding Trust values and culture.
- Setting the strategic direction.
- Ensuring the Trust provides high quality, safe and effective service user and carer focused services.
- Promoting effective dialogue with the Trust’s local communities and partners.
- Monitoring performance against Trust objectives, targets, measures and standards.
The Chair is responsible for ensuring that the Board of Directors focuses on the strategic development of the Trust and that robust governance and accountability arrangements are in place. The Chair is also the meeting Chair of both the Board of Directors as well as the Council of Governors ensuring there is effective communication between the two bodies and that, where necessary, the views of the Governors are considered by the Board.
The Board sets out the Trust’s vision, values and standards of conduct, whilst ensuring that its obligations to Trust members and the wider public are understood, clearly communicated and met. This is achieved by ensuring that the Board is made up of individuals who have the appropriate balance of skills, experience, independence and knowledge to enable the Board to discharge its duties and responsibilities effectively. The Board provides entrepreneurial leadership in a 76
transparent manner, supports Trust colleagues in accordance with the Trust’s values and accepted standards of behaviour in public life, including the Nolan Principles
- Providing effective financial stewardship.
- Ensuring high standards of governance are applied across the Trust.
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The Board comprises seven Non-Executive Directors (including the Chair of the Trust), six Executive Directors (including the Chief Executive Officer) and two Associate Director (Chief Information Officer and Director of Transformation, Improvement and Productivity). Considering the wide experience of the whole Board, the Board believes that its membership is balanced, complete and appropriate and that no individual or group of individuals dominate the Board.
Whilst the Executive and Associate Directors individually are accountable to the Chief Executive for the day-to-day operational management of the Trust, they, along with the Non-Executive Directors, are part of the unitary Board. They all share corporate responsibility and liability for ensuring that the Trust operates safely, effectively and economically. They do this by making objective decisions in the best interests of the Trust. The Non-Executive Directors will assure themselves of performance by holding the Executive Directors to account for the achievement of the agreed goals, objectives, targets and measures.
Non-Executive Directors including the Chair, are appointed by the Council of Governors. Following the Trust Constitution and national guidance on Board 77 appointments, including the NHS Code of Governance. Where there is an incumbent Non-Executive Director who is eligible for re-appointment by virtue of the number of years they have served and where they wish to be considered for re-appointment, this would be done based on a satisfactory appraisal and approval by the Council of Governors.
The Board of Directors considers that it is balanced, complete and appropriate and this can be seen in the biographical details of Board members as set out in this Annual Report. All the Non-Executive Directors are independent in both judgement and character, and the Board has confirmed there are no relationships or circumstances which are likely to affect, or could appear to affect, judgment in this respect.
There is a clear division of responsibilities between the Chair and Chief Executive which ensures a balance of power and authority. The Board has a wide range of skills and a significant number of members have a medical, nursing or other health professional background. Non-Executive Directors have wide-ranging expertise and experience with backgrounds in finance, audit and regulation, business and organisational development, healthcare, human resources, commercial, legal, and third sector.
Further details about the role and responsibilities of the Board are included in Annex seven of the Trust’s Constitution (Standing Orders of the Board of Directors). All Non-Executive are considered to be independent (demonstrated through annual appraisals, declarations of interest and independence, and Board and Committee minutes).
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Meetings closed to the public will be to consider items that are not suitable for debate in public at the time of the meeting, or at all, such as, but not limited to:
- Issues which are commercially sensitive or may negatively impact upon the trust’s commercial interests.
- Reports containing personal information that would breach the Trust’s duty of confidentiality e.g identification of patients or staff.
- Information obtained or provided in confidence.
- Items which are professionally or legally privileged.
- Reports of serious untoward incidents will routinely be taken in private sessions. Minutes of private Board meetings held will not be published.