The Christie NHS FT Annual Report & Accounts 2019-20

Council of governors

We hold an annual joint time out session with the full council of governors and the board of directors. This half day event focuses on the strategy of the organisation and is a great opportunity for both groups to work together on the future direction of the Trust. This interaction is invaluable and enables the governors to review how well the board is working, challenge the board in respect to its effectiveness and ask the board to demonstrate that it has sufficient quality assurance in respect of the overall performance of the trust. The governors receive regular newsletters which keep them informed and updated on items of interest. The Chairman also hosts a number of Chairman’s lunches which are attended by our non-executive directors to offer governors a more informal opportunity for interaction. In situations where any conflict arises between the Board of Directors and the Council of Governors, the Trust’s internal processes will be followed ( Annex 7 paragraph 10 of the Trust’s Constitution ). The constitution states that the council of governors has three main roles: • Strategic – to use the breadth of experience of the governors to help determine the trust’s future direction and support it in delivering its plans. • Advisory – to act as a critical friend providing support, feedback and advice. • Representative – to use the views of their electorate or organisation to enhance and inform the work of the trust. The board of directors, however, has overall responsibility for running the affairs of the trust. In circumstances where a conflict cannot be resolved the Chair can initiate an independent review (normally led by the Senior Independent Director) to investigate the concerns and make any recommendations.

receiving the annual report, accounts and auditors report

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In addition, the Health and Social Care Act 2012 introduced two new legal duties: • Hold the Non-Executive Directors, individually and collectively, to account for the performance of the Board • Represent the interests of the members of the Trust and public in general In order for Governors to fulfil their statutory duties and responsibilities, it is important to ensure that they can connect with the Board of Directors. Therefore the chair of the board is also the chair of the council of governors. It is the chair's responsibility to ensure that the board and council work effectively together and that they receive the information they need to undertake their respective duties. To this end, the Council of Governors meeting is attended by Executive Directors. The Senior Independent Director (who is the designated link between the Council of Governors and the Board of Directors) also attends. The other non-executive directors are invited to the meetings but attendance is not mandatory unless requested to do so by the council of governors; this power has not been exercised during the course of this financial year. Non-executive directors are also assigned to sit on one of the governor sub-committees. Governors have a rota for attendance at board meetings where they can observe the Non Executive Directors carrying out their duties. The rota is a guide only with governors able to attend as many board meetings as they wish. Governors receive a copy of the agenda prior to the meeting and also receive copies of the Chief Executive’s report and summary performance report following each Board meeting; they also have access to all board minutes.

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