Marsha Ingram, Head of Corporate Affairs

Transcription

1 Date of Board meeting: 26 th November 2008 Subject: Annual Cycle of Board Business Trust Board lead: Marsha Ingram, Head of Corporate Affairs Presented by: Marsha Ingram, Head of Corporate Affairs Aim of the report: To appraise the Board of the anticipated cycle of Trust Board business for the forthcoming 12-month period. Key points: Best governance practice recommends that the business of the Board and its associated sub-committees should be planned in advance as far as possible in order to ensure appropriate focus and best use of time. The paper aims to draft a plan of Board business for 2009, ensuring adequate flexibility to accommodate developing and changing circumstances. Recommendation: The Board is asked to note and approve the report, subject to regular review. Board action required (please tick) Information Approval Discussion Other (please state) Key Standard for Better Health: Financial: HR/Personnel: Community/user: Equality & Diversity: Implications: Enables better understanding and integration of financial plans.

2 1. Introduction and Background Dudley and Walsall Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust was established on 1 st October At its inaugural Board meeting on 6 th October, the following principles and issues were agreed: The Board would meet in public bi-monthly and would hold a Board development session in private in the alternating months. The formal sub-committees of the Board were Audit, Finance & Performance, Integrated Governance, Mental Health Act, Management Executive Team (MEXT) and Charitable Funds. Whilst the Board and its sub-committees are in the early stages of development, it is essential that every effort is made to ensure that Board time is effective and productive and that agenda items receive the appropriate level of discussion and challenge. A key recommendation from the Intelligent Board guidance (Dr Foster, February 2006) was that Boards should develop and discuss their annual business cycle to ensure that they allocate appropriate attention to both strategic and operational issues: Boards should discuss how they allocate their time, not only within a particular meeting but also over the year. Boards should therefore plan and agree forward agenda plans in order to provide a clear strategic purpose and ensure that there is a fully integrated annual cycle of business. The Intelligent Board (Dr Foster, 2006) 2. Principles of the Annual Cycle It is important that the following principles and factors are taken into account in consideration of these proposals: The cycle represents the current agreements and proposals including the infrastructure of sub-committees and the practice of alternating public Board meetings with development sessions. It is suggested therefore, that this plan should be reviewed and amended at regular intervals and reviewed formally again by the Board in June These proposals are not intended to be definitive nor complete. As new issues arise, developments and risks are identified and the Board itself evolves, then these proposals will be amended and updated. 3. Proposed Cycle of Business At each meeting, the agenda of the Board will consist of regular, planned and ad-hoc reports and discussions, spanning a variety of areas. 2

3 Regular reports will be presented to the Trust Board, including financial performance, the corporate performance dashboard and governance. However, of the period of a year, the cycle of Board business needs to accommodate a number of planned items and work programmes. Therefore, the proposed cycle of business (as far as it can be anticipated) is shown below, separated for presentational purposes into Board items, committee governance (to ensure appropriate accountability and reporting from Board sub-committees) and items for committee meetings: January 2009 Public Board 1 Approve Strategic Objectives 2009/10 2 Approve risk register ( inherited start-point position) 3 Review NHS Operating Framework (expected Dec 2008) 4 Ratified minutes of the Integrated Governance Committee (Nov 08 and Jan 09) 5 Ratified minutes of the Finance & Perfm Committee (Nov 08 and Jan 09) 6 Ratified minutes of the Audit Committee (Dec 08) 7 Ratified minutes of MEXT (mid Nov mid Jan) 8 Draft minutes of the Mental Health Act Committee (Dec 08) 9 To be confirmed February Board Development Session (In Private) To include consideration of Assurance Framework and Risk Register 1 Integrated Governance NHSLA baseline assessment and action plan and Standards for Better Health declaration (planning) March 2009 Public Board 1 Draft declaration for Standards for Better Health 2 Approval of Business Plan 3 Approval of Financial Plan 4 Approval of Risk Register 2009/10 5 Ratified minutes of the Integrated Governance Committee (Feb and Mar 09) 6 Ratified minutes of the Finance & Perfm Committee (Feb and Mar 09) 8 Ratified minutes of the Audit Committee 7 Ratified minutes of MEXT (mid Jan mid Mar) 9 Draft minutes of the Mental Health Act Committee (Mar 08) 10 Finance & Performance Financial plan (detailed consideration) April Board Development Session (In Private) 1 Integrated Governance Staff Survey results, Clinical Governance annual report, Complaints annual report. 3

4 May 2009 Public Board 1 Statement of Internal Control 2 Clinical Plan (first draft) 3 Clinical Governance Annual Report (2008/09) 4 Complaints Annual Report (2008/09) 5 Ratified minutes of the Integrated Governance Committee (Apr and May 09) 6 Ratified minutes of the Finance & Perfm Committee (Apr and May 09) 7 Ratified minutes of the Audit Committee 8 Ratified minutes of MEXT (mid Mar mid May) 9 Integrated Governance - Staff Survey Action Plan June Board Development Session (In Private) 1 Audit Committee receipt of Annual Accounts. July 2009 Public Board 1 Receipt of final Annual Accounts 2 Market Analysis report initial draft 3 Ratified minutes of the Integrated Governance Committee (Jun and Jul 09) 4 Ratified minutes of the Finance & Perfm Committee (Jun and Jul 09) 5 Ratified minutes of the Audit Committee 6 Ratified minutes of MEXT (mid May mid Jul) 7 Draft minutes of the Mental Health Act Committee August Arrangements to be agreed September 2009 Public Board / AGM 1 Annual General Meeting 2 Standards for Better health position statement 3 Ratified minutes of the Integrated Governance Committee (Sept 09) 4 Ratified minutes of the Finance & Perfm Committee (Sept 09) 5 Ratified minutes of the Audit Committee 6 Ratified minutes of MEXT (mid Jul mid Sept) October Board Development Session (In Private) 1 Audit Committee receipt of annual Audit Letter. 2 Integrated Governance review Standards for Better Health results 4

5 November 2009 Public Board 1 Standards for Better Health results and action plan 2 NHSLA Assessment Readiness report 3 Receipt of Annual Audit Letter 4 Ratified minutes of the Integrated Governance Committee (Oct and Nov 09) 5 Ratified minutes of the Finance & Perfm Committee (Oct and Nov 09) 6 Ratified minutes of the Audit Committee 7 Ratified minutes of MEXT (mid Sept mid Nov)) 8 Draft minutes of the Mental Health Act Committee December Board Development Session (In Private) 4. Recommendations The Board is asked to: Note the contents of the report. Approve the proposed annual business cycle for the Trust Board. Agree to review the proposals in June