HealthwatchBath and North East Somerset Advisory Group
Governance Structureand Terms of Reference
- Healthwatch Advisory Group
The Healthwatch Advisory groupwill be responsible for the strategic direction, operational priorities and planning for Healthwatch Bath and North East Somerset.
It will:
- set the annual work plan;
- identify areas that require further research and / or information and will set up sub groups (task and finish groups) to undertake the work, or use the community pot to task a voluntary group to undertake the work;
- agree the priorities of communicating to the Health and Wellbeing Board;
- sign off the annual report to Healthwatch England;
- agree by consensus where possible, if this is not possible agreement will be made by a voting ballot. If after consensus and voting, a decision cannot be reached by the Healthwatch Advisory group, the decision will be taken by The Care Forum board of trustees.
- A Healthwatch Advisory group member will be elected to join the Care Forum Board of Trustees
- Membership:
The group will consist of the following members:
5x Healthwatch volunteer champion representativesselected for their skills and will represent one of the following interests:
Children and young people
Enter and View
Quality
Equality
Representation on the Health and Wellbeing Board
Healthwatch volunteer champions, champion the health and social care issues of their constituent group. Healthwatch volunteer champions can take up roles to represent Healthwatch Bath and North East Somerset on NHS and Local Authority meetings and/or become authorized representative to enter and view services.
1 x CCG public and patient involvement representative
2x VCS rep – Common Places and Age UK
1 x Advocacy–SEAP
2 x The Care Forum staff (General Manager and Project Co-ordinator)
A TCF trustee can observe and take any unresolved decision to TCF Board of Trustees
- Accountability
Membership of the Healthwatch Advisory group will be for one year and will be ratified at TCF Annual General Meeting.
The chair and deputy chairs will be elected by the Advisory group membersat its first full meeting based on an agreed skills set for the roles and thereafter each year following the TCF Annual General Meeting.
The chair will not have a casting vote. If and when this is necessary the casting vote will be exercised by The Care Forum’s Board of Trustees (see section 1 above).
- Meetings
Meetings will be called and organised by the chair of the Healthwatch Advisory group and TCF staff.
TCF will provide the secretariat for the Healthwatch Advisory group.
The meetings will be meetings in public and there will be an agenda slot for a submission by a member of the public. Any resident of Bath and North East Somerset may address the meeting to present information to the Advisory group. There is a 24 hour notice period for the submission of an item on the agenda. It will be at the chairs discretion to accept any submission that has not been notified for the agenda.
Topics for the meetings other than those agreed in the annual work programme will be generated by issues arising from the voices of people in Bath and North East Somerset, the Health and Social Care network of networks and the health inequalities identified.
Initially the meetings will be held monthly. Members of the Healthwatch Advisory group can agree to change the frequency thereafter.
Papers will be circulated at least five working days before the meeting.
The Healthwatch Advisory group can request that one or moreHealthwatch Volunteer Champion representativescan bring information to the group.
- Task and Finish Groups
The Advisory group will ask the community to undertake task or set up task and finish group to progress specific tasks, aspects or issues in the agreed work programme.
Members of the task and finish groups will be self selecting from the group of Healthwatch Volunteer Champions.
A task and finish group must agree by consensus, or where this is not possible must elect a chair and deputy chair of the group.
The task and finish group must work within an agreed budget from TCF and report any variance that occurs to TCF Finance Officer.
The task and finish group must report back to each meeting to the Healthwatch Advisory group meeting.
Task and finish groups meetings will be announced at least seven working days in advance and keep records of all decisions and why they were made will be kept and communicated to the Healthwatch Advisory group.
The task and finish group will provide evidence for the local authority monitoring and reporting and for the Healthwatch Annual Report.
- Volunteer champions
There will be up to 50 x volunteer representatives with diverse skills and a wide range of different interests and localities, recruited to role descriptions. They will act as HealthwatchBath and North East Somerset champions, with a key role as Healthwatch communicators and have channels of communication with their constituent group.
- Code of Conduct
All those who attend Healthwatch meetings will be bound by TCF’s code of conduct and its policies on health and safety, equalities, safeguarding and confidentiality
Draft: 6th June 2013
Agreed:
Reviewed:
Appendix – Role of the Chair ( Deputy Chair person who will take responsibility in the absence of the Chair)
The Chairperson has a strategic role to play in representing the vision and purpose of HealthwatchBath and North East Somerset. The Chairperson ensures that the Advisory group functions properly, that there is full participation at meetings, all relevant matters are discussed and that effective decisions are made and carried out.
Ensure the management committee functions properly.
To plan and run meetings in accordance to the Terms of Reference document.
To ensure matters are dealt with in an orderly, efficient manner.
To bring impartiality and objectivity to meetings and decision-making.
To facilitate change and address conflict within theAdvisoryGroup.
To review governance performance and skills.
To plan for recruitment and renewal of the volunteers on the Advisory Group.
Ensure that the work programme of Healthwatch Bath and North East Somerset is managed effectively.
To liaise with the Care Forum Manager, as appropriate, to keep an overview of the
Healthwatch Bath and North East Somerset business.
To co-ordinate the Advisory group to ensure responsibilities for particular aspects of both health and social care are addressed.
To facilitate change and address conflict within theHealthwatch Advisory group, liaising with the Care Forum manager to achieve this.
Provide support and supervision toAdvisory group members.
To communicate effectively the vision and purpose of Healthwatch Bath and North East Somerset
To be aware of current issues that might affect theHealthwatch Bath and North East Somerset.
Qualities and Skills Required.
Good leadership skills.
Good communication and interpersonal skills.
Impartiality, fairness and the ability to respect confidences.
Ability to ensure decisions are taken and followed-up.
Good time-keeping.
Tact and diplomacy.
Understanding of the roles/responsibilities of a management committee.
Experience of organisational and people management.
Time Commitment: The role of Chair requires an estimated commitment of 10 hours a week
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