What does the Governors’ Council do?

A Council of Governors will be set up, with the majority of Governors elected by members who are patients or local residents. In addition there will be staff governors and governors nominated by partner organisations.

The main function of the Council of Governors will be to work with the Board of Directors to ensure that the Trust delivers services that reflect the needs of the local community.

It is the responsibility of each Governor elected/appointed onto the Council of Governors to ensure that they represent their particular constituency or organisation. Each Governor will act as the focal point for all members within their constituency, through which members should be able to voice their opinions, ideas or concerns. Governors are eligible to serve for a term of up to three years after which they can stand for re-election.

Governors will:

• Be consulted on proposals for substantial service developments and change

• Receive the annual report and accounts

• Represent the views of members

• Develop the membership of the Trust

• Hold the Board of Directors to account for the performance of the Trust.

Formal duties include:

• Appointing the Chair and Non Executive Directors

• Approving the appointment of the Chief Executive

• Appointing the Trust’s financial auditors.

• Representative Governors

We have allocated seats for appointed representatives of key partnership organisations on our Council of Governors. These governors will be appointed by our partner organisations rather than be elected like the other

governors.

The following organisations will be asked to nominate a governor:

• Anglia Ruskin University

• NHS Mid Essex (PCT)

• Essex County Council

• Chelmsford Borough Council

• Braintree District Council

• Maldon District Council

Staff

We want as many staff as possible to be involved in the direction of their Trust. Anyone who is employed by the Trust under a contract of employment with the Trust may become a member provided:

• You have a contract of employment which has no fixed term or has a term of at least 12 months

• You have been continuously employed by the Trust under a contract of employment for at least 12 months

To ensure that all areas of our workforce have representation on the Council of Governors, the staffconstituencies have been sub divided into:

• Medical and dental

• Nursing and midwifery

• Other

How many governors will we have?

The Council of Governors must be large enough to truly represent all of our stakeholders but not be so large as to be unwieldy.

The Council of Governors will work with the Board of Directors. The governance arrangements and the composition of appointed governors will need to be reviewed once the impact of the national system reforms are known, particularly in relation to the dissolution of PCTs and the formation of GP consortia.