The Christie Foundation Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22

The Christie NHS Foundation Trust Annual Report & Accounts 2021-22

Annual governance statement

Capacity to handle risk The Board of Directors pay close attention to the risk management processes of the Trust. The Board has approved a three year Risk Management Strategy and Framework and annually in September they receive an outcome report against the achievement of the milestones within the strategy. On a monthly basis, the Board of Directors reviews the corporate risk register and the Board Assurance Framework in the public meeting. At each of the formal Board Committees, which are the Audit and Quality Assurance Committees and which are wholly Non Executive Director led, they carry out a review of the Board Assurance Framework and they escalate any concerns directly to the Board of Directors. The reporting of incidents and near misses is encouraged and the Trust is viewed as being a high reporting low harm organisation. We have a training needs analysis that is reviewed annually and sets out the training requirements for risk management training. During corporate induction all staff have an introduction to risk management and health and safety. With regards to more advanced training in Root Cause Analysis following incidents, the clinical staff trained include, for example, medical consultants, senior nursing staff from ward managers and above and for non-clinical staff the training is for service managers and above. The training to all staff is delivered in a range of ways from face to face training to specific e-learning modules.

Scope of responsibility As Accounting Officer, I have responsibility for maintaining a sound system of internal control that supports the achievement of the NHS Foundation Trust’s policies, aims and objectives, whilst safeguarding the public funds and departmental assets for which I am personally responsible, in accordance with the responsibilities assigned to me. I am also responsible for ensuring that the NHS Foundation Trust is administered prudently and economically and that resources are applied efficiently and effectively. I also acknowledge my responsibilities as set out in the NHS Foundation Trust Accounting Officer Memorandum. The purpose of the system of internal control The system of internal control is designed to manage risk to a reasonable level rather than to eliminate all risk of failure to achieve policies, aims and objectives; it can therefore only provide reasonable and not absolute assurance of effectiveness. The system of internal control is based on an ongoing process designed to identify and prioritise the risks to the achievement of the policies, aims and objectives of The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, to evaluate the likelihood of those risks being realised and the impact should they be realised, and to manage them efficiently, effectively and economically. The system of internal control has been in place in The Christie NHS Foundation Trust for the year ended 31 st March 2022 and up to the date of approval of the annual report and accounts.

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