The role of the Council of Governors is to gain assurance on behalf of the Membership and the public, with regard to the Trust’s performance, with a particular focus on quality of care and service delivery. The role and responsibilities of the Council of Governors, as defined by The Health and Social Care Act 2012 and the preceding 2006 Act include:
- representing the interests of members and the public
- holding Non-Executive Directors individually and collectively to account for the performance of the Board
- requesting Directors to attend a Council meeting to obtain information on performance of the Trust
- approving significant transactions of the Trust, with at least 50% of Governors voting
- at least 50% of all Governors supporting any mergers, acquisitions or dissolutions
- providing a view on the Board of Directors' forward plans
- approving the appointment of the Chief Executive
- appointing and removing the External Auditor
- receiving the Trust's Annual Reports and Accounts, including any report of the financial auditor
- appointing, removing and deciding the terms of office and remuneration of the Chair and the Non-Executive Directors
It is important to emphasise that the role of Governors is fundamentally different from that of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors is responsible for the direct running of the Trust and for the strategic leadership of the whole organisation; assuring high quality performance and delivery of all services.
Governors are not directly involved in:
- operational management
- individual specific patient or staff issues
- handling complaints
- confidential patient issues