I am considering being a Governor
Questions & Answers | January 2017
Who are the Membership?
Our Trust has two types of members: 'Public' and 'Staff'.
Public members are people who live in Essex or Suffolk and
have signed up to become a member. We have about 6,000
Public members. Staff members are automatically
registered when they join the Trust and include any
employee (with a 12 month or more contract) of our NHS
Foundation Trust. But 'Staff' also includes volunteers at the
hospitals too. We have more than 4,500 Staff members.
What is a governor and how are they
elected or selected?
What do governors do?
Governors listen to ideas and views from public and staff.
They attend meetings of the Council of Governors,
representing their local communities, working together to
advise and influence how the Trust develops its services to
meet the needs of local people.
Their influence evolves through dialogue with the Board of
Directors. Governors have no operational influence but are
instrumental in bringing a local perspective to planning and
development of services.
How long is a governor's term of office?
26 governors represent their own constituency at the
Council of Governors (below). Members vote for the
person standing from their own constituency, for example:
• Tendring members vote for Tendring governor
• Support staff vote for Support staff governor.
Stakeholder governors are appointed.
A governor will stand for three years and may stand again
for another term, for a maximum two terms. However, the
term of office for a governor appointed in a by-election is
that they will stand until the next full election.
Who are the Council of Governors?
What influence and power does the
Council of Governors have?
Fifteen elected public governor posts
• 5 representing Colchester
• 5 representing Tendring
• 3 representing Halstead & Colne Valley
• 1 for Rest of Essex
• 1 for Suffolk.
Six elected staff governor posts
• 1 representing Medical and Dental
• 1 for Allied Health Professionals and Healthcare
Scientists
• 2 for Support Staff
• 2 for Nursing and Midwifery.
Five appointed stakeholder governors
• Colchester Borough Council
• Colchester Garrison
• Essex County Council
• Tendring District Council
• Anglia Ruskin University / Essex University
What is the Board of Directors?
The Board of Directors has a Chair (the same person as the
Council of Governors Chair) and non-executive and
executive directors. The Board is responsible for the dayto-day running of the NHS Foundation Trust, including very
important issues such as providing quality services,
compliance with guidance and the assurance of good
governance and public accountability. As well as sharing a
Chair, the Board has six Executive Directors and six NonExecutive Directors. Non-Executive Directors are appointed
by the Council of Governors for a term of three years, and
they can stand for a maximum of two three year terms.
Governors do not receive remuneration; however,
travelling expenses will be reimbursed.
Their influence evolves through dialogue with the Board of
Directors. They have no operational influence but are
instrumental in bringing a local perspective to planning and
development of services.
The Council of Governors appoint the Chair and nonexecutive directors and approves the appointment of the
Chief Executive. It appoints the Trust’s Auditors and make
recommendations for the revision of the Constitution
(www.colchesterhospital.nhs.uk/our_constitution.shtml)
It receives and comments on the Trust’s Annual Plan and
votes on significant transactions affecting the future of the
Trust (such as, mergers, acquisitions, separation or
dissolution). Finally, the Council of Governors hold Board
of Directors to account based on the above.
Who can become a governor?
Only members of our NHS Foundation Trust may become
elected governors. If a governor has been removed from
the Council of Governors, they will not be eligible to
reapply. Applicants must be at least 16 years of age at the
date they are nominated. They are eligible for re-election
or re-appointment at the end of that term but can serve
only two terms.
What sort of person are you looking for
to be a governor?
You don't need any special skills or qualifications to be a
governor. The most important thing you need is
enthusiasm and the willingness to represent not just your
own views but also the views of the people in your
community or staff group. If you have some understanding
of the NHS or one of our NHS hospitals, that's great, but
not essential. A basic knowledge of computers would be
advantageous, as correspondence will be sent via email by
the Trust and constituents. Access to a computer in the
Trust can be provided if required.
How much time will I have to give?
You will need to attend between 1-4 meetings a month,
including the Council of Governors (see below), interest
panels and Board Assurance Sub-Committees. There may
also be groups, shared workshops and projects that
governors will be invited to attend. Governors also take
part in walkabouts with the Non-Executive Directors,
where they observe wards and working areas of the
hospital, reporting their observations into the Quality and
Patient Safety Board Assurance Committee. New governors
will be required to attend some training events, so that
they are up to date with what is happening in the NHS and
can learn more about their role.
What do I have to do to be elected?
Nomination forms will be available from Electoral Reform
Services (ERS) for any member who wants to put
themselves forward. Members receive a statement about
each candidate standing in their constituency as part of the
postal ballot. They then decide who they wish to vote for.
Will there be governor support?
The Trust’s Company Secretary and her team are able to
give support and advice to the 26 governors.
When and where do the Council meet?
The Council of Governors itself hold up to six meetings a
year, usually at Colchester General Hospital.
Will there be any training?
Yes and there will always be people on hand to offer advice
and support (including current governors). The Trust will
work with the newly-elected governor to agree their
personal induction into the role.
Would provisions be made for anyone
who has a disability?
Yes. The Trust is determined to do all it can to promote
equality and diversity, not only within the organisation but
with its patients and the wider community. We aim to
break down barriers for disabled people, improve access to
services and improve outcomes. More on our web page:
www.colchesterhospital.nhs.uk/equality_diversity.shtml
What is the Code of Conduct ?
Candidates will sign up to a Code of Conduct for Governors,
agreeing to work to a set of principles, such as actively
supporting the Trust. It is on our website:
www.colchesterhospital.nhs.uk/governor_types.shtml
Tell me about the by-election process
Electoral Reform Services run the elections to guarantee
the integrity and independence of their ballot process.
Read more here: www.electoralreform.co.uk
Members who stand for election are required to make a
declaration confirming their eligibility and any potential
conflicts of interest. Elections are by secret ballot and are a
‘first past the post system’. Any member wishing to
nominate him/herself for representing their constituency
will be asked to submit an election statement of up to 250
words. The information that is received about all the
candidates will be put together and sent to members with
a ballot paper. Members will then vote for the candidate
they choose. If only one candidate comes forward there
will be no need for a vote. Candidates will need to give
some information about themselves and why they think
they would be good at being a governor.
What is the 2017 by-election timetable?
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Thursday 2 March – Nominations open.
Thursday 30 March – Nominations deadline. All
persons wishing to make a nomination must be
registered as a Trust member prior to 30 March.
Friday 31 March – Publication of statement of
candidates.
Tuesday 4 April – Final date for candidate
withdrawal.
Friday 7 April – Electoral data to be provided to
ERS by the Trust.
Monday 24 April – notice of poll published and
voting packs dispatched on Tuesday 25 April 2017.
Friday 19 May at 5pm – Close of election.
Monday 22 May – Declaration of results published
Why is it not a full election?
The last full elections were held in April 2014 and so were
due again in April 2017. But the announcement in May
2016 of a long-term partnership between our Trust and The
Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust means that it would be
beneficial to have the same governors present for the
duration of this process. Therefore at the December 2016
Council of Governors it was agreed to extend its members’
term of office for 12 months and to run a by-election
where there were vacancies.
How many vacancies are there?
There is one public governor vacancy for each of the
following public constituencies: Colchester, Tendring, and
Halstead & Colne Valley. There is currently a vacancy for a
staff governor to represent doctors. During the by-election,
the Trust’s medical workforce will have an opportunity to
vote to fill this post.
I have more questions!
Please feel free to ask questions during office hours to
Shane Jarvis, Committee Coordinator, 01206 742347.
Visit our Election 2017 web page: http://bit.ly/election17 | Email: [email protected]