Nurses Day! - Birmingham Children's Hospital

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Declaration of Interests of the Council
of Governors
All members of the Council of Governors are
required to make known at each meeting any
interest they have in the matters being discussed.
They also make an annual declaration of interests
which is recorded in the Register of Interests. The
Board of Directors is satisfied that the Governors
hold no material interests in organisations where
those organisations or related parties are likely
to do business, or are possibly seeking to do
business with Birmingham Children’s Hospital NHS
Foundation Trust.
The Register of Interests of the Council of
Governors is held by the Company Secretary and
can be accessed by contacting:
The Company Secretary
Birmingham Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation
Trust
Steelhouse Lane
Birmingham
B4 6NH
Governors are also involved in the governance
structure through membership of and attendance
at Board sub-committees, including the Patient
Experience and Participation Committee, the
Learning Disabilities Project group and the
Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group. The
Organ Donation Committee is chaired by a public
governor, Mr Ian-Evans Fisher, with support from
the Senior Independent Director.
In 2012/13 the Council of Governors agreed to
establish a Governors Scrutiny Committee, to
provide a forum to support the Council to meet its
new obligations under the Health and Social Care
Act 2012, in particular, to hold the Non-Executive
Directors to account.
Board of Directors
The Board of Directors is made up of the
Chairman, six Non-Executive Directors and six
Executive Directors, including the Chief Executive
Officer, with the Non-Executive members having
the voting majority.
Senior Independent Director/Deputy Chairman
Mr Keith Lester was appointed Senior Independent
Director in October 2008. When he was appointed
Interim Chairman in July 2012, Judith Green,
another Non-Executive Director was appointed
Senior Independent Director. The principal
responsibilities of the role include:
l Representing to the Board any stakeholders’
concerns when all other communication
channels have been exhausted or are
considered inappropriate
l Acting as a point of contact for Governors to
raise concerns which have not been resolved or
addressed by the Chief Executive Officer or
other Executive Directors
l Being available to the Governors through
periodic attendance at the Council of Governors
meetings.
The role of Deputy Chair is shared between Judith
Green and Colin Horwath as follows:
l Judith Green, Deputy Chair, Engagement
& Participation: Deputy Chair of the Council of
Governors
l Colin Horwath, Deputy Chair, Strategy &
Partnerships: Deputy Chair of the Board of
Directors.
Meetings of the Board of Directors
The Board of Directors met a total 11 times in
2012/13. Individual attendance at those meetings
is set out on the next page.
Relationship between the Council of Governors
and the Board of Directors
Governors’ views are shared with the Board of
Directors through the formal meetings of the
Council, which is chaired by the Chairman,
who presides over the Board of Directors. The
Executive and Non-Executive Directors are invited
to attend the meetings to present reports and
information.
In addition, the Council of Governors and the
Board of Directors hold two joint meetings a
year where the Governors contribute to the
development of the
Trust’s strategic
direction and
vision.
All the Non-Executive Directors of the Board are
considered to be independent.
The Trust also has non-voting Directors who attend
the Board for the relevant agenda item to provide
operational advice and support.
Day-to-day management of the Trust is delegated
to the Chief Executive Officer. The Chief Executive
Officer, the Chief Officers, Directors and Clinical
Directors are responsible for the effective delivery
of the strategy and annual plan. They are also
responsible for the operational management of the
organisation.
The appointment, length of appointment and
removal of Non-Executive Directors is agreed by
the Nominations Committee and approved by the
Council of Governors.
Mrs Joanna Davis was reappointed Chairman
of the Trust for a further term of three years
from 1 February 2011. This reappointment was
recommended by the Nominations Committee
and approved by the Council of Governors on 5
January 2011. In April 2012 Joanna Davis was
diagnosed with an illness that would require an
extended period of absence. Keith Lester, the
Deputy Chairman took the role of Chairman on an
acting basis until the Council of Governors formally
appointed Mr Lester as Interim Chairman on 3 July
2012.