Being a governor

Our Council of Governors

What is a NHS Foundation Trust Governor? – Governors are elected by members of the Trust including service users, carers, staff and the public. They hold the board of directors to account, as well as carrying out many other duties. We have a very strong and vocal Council of Governors who work very closely alongside the Board of Directors and services. Our Council of Governors is made up of people from the following membership and constituency groups:

• • 7 Public Governors
  • 7 Carer Governors
  • 7 Service User Governors
  • 7 Governors from each council that we have services in
  • 7 Staff Governors
  • 2 Governors from Community and Voluntary Organisations
  • 2 Governors from Local Universities 

Who can be a Governor? – To nominate yourself to be a Governor you must be a Member of the Trust and be aged 16 and above.

What is expected from someone on the Council of Governors? – There are some things that Governors must do to make sure CNTW’s Board of Directors are doing their job well and there are important rules about what Governors must do in their job:

• • Governors must represent members of the Trust and the Public.
  • Governors must think about CNTWs work and how it will affect people across all areas.
  • Governors must decide whether CNTW is doing its best for everybody.
  • Governors are required to attend the Council of Governor meetings 4 times per year, this can be in person or online through Microsoft Teams video calling.
  • The Board of Directors and other people in the Trust write reports and plans that Governors are required to read/discuss/approve at the Council of Governors meetings.

The Council of Governors can also get involved in other activities including:

• • Taking part in Governor and Board Committees and activities. These Committees meet to discuss important things in more detail that the normal Council of Governor Meetings do not allow time for, but everything is then fed back to the full Council of Governors, so no one is ever excluded from any information they need to see.
  • Governors can visit CNTW services with Staff members and help us make sure the environment in which they are working from is good and stable.
  • Governors choose and vote for a Lead Governor for the Council. Our current Lead Governor is Margaret Adams. She works with the Chairman to make sure the Council of Governors works well. The Lead Governor takes up this role for 3 years at a time.

What happens if I am successful in being elected on to the council of Governors? – You will be invited to an Induction with all the other new Governors and sometimes some of the current Governors come along to meet you as well. Here you will meet the Corporate Affairs Team, learn more in depth about the Governor role, receive any resources you need and you will also be asked to sign our Code of Conduct, this is very important as it will help you to understand how you should behave when representing the Trust as a Governor and what you can and cannot do in your role. 

How can I become a Governor and how long for? – You can nominate yourself to be a Governor whenever we announce our Elections. If more than one person puts in a nomination for a post, then the members of your constituency vote for who they wish to represent them. If you are the only nomination, you will automatically be elected on to the Council. Once elected you will serve for a term of 3 years, at which point you could stand again if you wish to continue, or you can choose to step down. You can be elected up to 3 times, as long as you are still eligible.

What support will I receive as a Governor? –  As a Trust we will make sure that you have all the information, advice and support to do your role well. The Corporate Affairs Office is the first point of contact for our Governors, if you wish to get in touch with us about becoming a Governor or have any other questions please email us on corporateaffairs@cntw.nhs.uk