ESNEFT structure and further candidate information

ESNEFT Trust structure and governance

The Trust is organised internally into eight clinical divisions, supported by a series of corporate services. The clinical divisions are:

• Cancer and Diagnostics
• Integrated Pathways
• Medicine Ipswich
• Medicine Colchester
• Musculoskeletal and specialist surgery
• Women and Children’s
• North East Essex Community Services
• Surgery, Gastroenterology and Anaesthetics

The Divisions are responsible for general business within a delegated portfolio and budget.
They report monthly to Divisional Accountability Meetings against performance metrics which are set out within an accountability framework (AF). They also have responsibility for governance: safety, clinical effectiveness, safeguarding and patient experience.

Each Division is subdivided into a number of clinical delivery groups which also hold their own specialty/department meetings.

The Management Teams are part of the Executive Management Committee (EMC), operating as the senior management-level decision making group, a Committee of the Board of Directors.

The Board Committees and their remits are as follows. All provide Key Issues Reports to the Board following each of their meetings:

• Performance and Finance Committee provides assurance regarding financial and operational performance, and considers the impact of workforce and patient safety and quality issues.
• Quality and Patient Safety Committee provides assurance on the quality and safety of care the Trust provides.
• Audit and Risk Committee provides the Board with independent and objective advice in relation to its financial and governance obligations and compliance with all relevant legislation and guidance.
• People and Organisational Development Committee oversees delivery of the Trust’s People Strategy, and has oversight of the support to staff, volunteers and others providing services.
• Remuneration and Nomination Committee appoints the Chief Executive and other Executive Directors and agrees their remuneration.
• Charitable Funds Committee oversees the operation and development of the Trust charity and use of funds in its role as Corporate Trustee, and to meet the requirements of the Charity Commission.

The Board of Directors meets on a monthly basis and is supported by the assurance and performance committees that it has established. The Board and its committees have formal minutes and the Executive Leadership Team provides strategic and operational support to the Board of Directors and its Committees.

Information relating to the NED Role

Time commitment
The expected commitment is 3-4 days per month on average. Directors are expected to attend the Board meetings and informal Board Seminars, and are likely to be appointed to sit on one or two Committees. We continue to operate a combination of in person and virtual meetings.

Induction and training
A detailed induction programme has been developed for newly appointed Board members. In addition, there is access to a number of nationally-organised training events.

Remuneration
Remuneration is set at £13,000 per annum taxed through payroll under PAYE. It is not pensionable.

Non-Executive Directors are eligible to claim allowances, in line with the Trust’s policies, for travel and subsistence costs necessarily incurred on Trust business.

Appointment, tenure and termination of office
Non-Executive Directors are appointed by the Council of Governors for an initial period of three years, subject to a satisfactory appraisal. They are eligible to be considered for a second term, but there is no expectation of automatic re-appointment. Only in exceptional circumstances would a further extension of 12 months be considered.

These posts are statutory offices, and are not subject to the provisions of employment law: a Non-Executive Director is an office-holder, not an employee. To ensure that public service values are maintained at the heart of the NHS, all Chairs and Directors of NHS Boards are required, on appointment, to agree to comply with Standards for members of NHS boards and Clinical Commissioning Group governing bodies in England, published by the Professional Standards Authority.

Criteria for disqualification (including Fit and Proper Persons Test)
It is a statutory requirement that all Directors meet the ‘Fit and Proper Person’ test set out in Regulation 5 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. This means that:

a) You are of good character
b) Have the qualifications, skills and experience necessary to undertake your Trust role
c) Your health enables you (after reasonable adjustments, if required) to undertake the role
d) You have not been involved with or aware of any serious misconduct or mismanagement in
relation to the provision of services regulated by the Care Quality Commission
e) You are not subject to certain other matters related to bankruptcy, being on a Barred Person’s List, or having been struck off by a health or social care regulator.