Minutes of the Meeting of the Council of Governors held in public on ...

DRAFT
<strong>the</strong> meet<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Board <strong>of</strong> Directors 29 October 2009 and <strong>the</strong> Extraord<strong>in</strong>ary
<strong>Meet<strong>in</strong>g</strong> on 26 November.
Fiona Edwards reported
1. The excellent improvement <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Healthcare Commission rat<strong>in</strong>g for <strong>the</strong>
Trust’s performance last year by mov<strong>in</strong>g from a ‘Fair’ and ‘Fair’ to
‘Excellent’ and ‘Good’. This is a significant achievement because not many
Trusts <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> country achieved such a significant shift <strong>in</strong> performance and
we are only one <strong>of</strong> two <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> south east region. We should celebrate this <strong>in</strong>
<strong>the</strong> Trust as a step <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> journey to provide excellent and outstand<strong>in</strong>g
services.
2. The f<strong>in</strong>ancial situation is tight - <strong>the</strong> forecast position is breakeven at best.
We did start <strong>the</strong> year with a f<strong>in</strong>ancial plan to achieve a £1 million surplus; at
mid year <strong>the</strong> Board agreed a reforecast. The situation changed because <strong>of</strong>
<strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>creased cost pressures <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> credit crunch and some slippage with
<strong>the</strong> expected sav<strong>in</strong>gs from <strong>the</strong> service change programme. Monitor, our
regulators, have confirmed that because our cash position is still above <strong>the</strong>
l<strong>in</strong>e, our risk rat<strong>in</strong>g rema<strong>in</strong>s at 3 for quarter 2. We have an amber
governance rat<strong>in</strong>g because <strong>the</strong> forecast is that we expect to achieve <strong>the</strong>
Healthcare core standards this year, but we are still at risk with <strong>the</strong> delayed
transfer <strong>of</strong> care target to achieve no more than 7.5% <strong>of</strong> our beds be<strong>in</strong>g
blocked with<strong>in</strong> a given period.
3. Fiona Edwards commented that as result <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> excellent partnership work
with Service Users and Carers, now is <strong>the</strong> time to take it a stage fur<strong>the</strong>r to
<strong>in</strong>clude Staff and Foundation Trust Members. The Board at its meet<strong>in</strong>g on
17 December will be requested to consider a proposal for <strong>the</strong> Trust’s
Involvement activities to be <strong>in</strong>cluded <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> strategic direction.
Fiona Edwards
Graham Cawsey <strong>in</strong>vited questions.
a) Stephenne Rhodes reported that she had attended an Equality and Human
Rights Commission (EHRC) sem<strong>in</strong>ar and emphasised <strong>the</strong> importance <strong>of</strong>
<strong>the</strong>ir work and questioned if <strong>the</strong> Trust had attended <strong>the</strong> sem<strong>in</strong>ars. Fiona
Edwards welcomed <strong>the</strong> update and commented on <strong>the</strong> value <strong>of</strong> Stephenne
Rhodes attendance as a Trust Governor.
Julie Gaze referred to:
• The work <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Trust’s Equality and Human Rights Steer<strong>in</strong>g Board.
• The Trust’s Equality and Impact Assessment screen<strong>in</strong>g tool, which is
available on <strong>the</strong> Trust’s web page and noted that Partnership People will
carry an <strong>in</strong>vitation for people to support <strong>the</strong> Trust <strong>in</strong> implement<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>
Impact assessment Screen<strong>in</strong>g Tool. Ted Pottage registered an <strong>in</strong>terest
support<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> Trust.
• The Compliance Assessment Audit Action Plan.
<strong>Governors</strong>/
Julie Gaze
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