Name of meeting BOARD MEETING HELD IN PUBLIC
Date and time WEDNESDAY 27 APRIL 2016
Venue RIVERSMEET LEISURE CENTRE, GILLINGHAM
Present Joyce Guest (JG), Chair
Margaret Guy (MG), Vice-Chair
David Sargent (DS), Non-Executive Director
Roger Tilley (RT), Executive Director
Chris Williams (CW), Non-Executive Director
In attendance Martyn Jewell (MJ), Board Business Manager
Martyn Webster (MW), Healthwatch Dorset Manager
Caroline Buxton (CB), Executive Manager, CAiD
Lucy Cribb (LC), Senior Administrator, Healthwatch Dorset
Members of the Public None present
1. Welcome, introductions and apologies for absenceJG welcomed everyone present to the meeting.
Apologies for absence were received from Des Persse and James Palfreman-Kay. It was noted that the meeting was therefore not quorate.
Board members present asked for it to be recorded that they have an overall concern that Board meetings are regularly not quorate. JG agreed to discuss these concerns further with relevant parties outside the meeting.
1.1 Presentation on Proposed Priorities for Healthwatch Dorset in 2016/17
MW confirmed that the proposed priorities for Healthwatch Dorset in 2016/17, developed during a Special Meeting held on 17 February 2016, had been shared with stakeholders and that feedback had been received from five organisations:
· Bournemouth Borough Council;
· Poole Borough Council;
· Dorset County Council;
· Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group; and
· Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust.
MW also confirmed that he had responded back to those who had sent responses.
After reviewing the responses received from stakeholders, the Board agreed the the priorities for 2016/17 would be as follows:
2016/17 Priorities
Areas on which Healthwatch Dorset is leading
Children and young people’s emotional health and wellbeing (mental health services)
Care Homes
NHS Complaints
Information and signposting
Community investment Projects
Areas where Healthwatch Dorset is supporting work of other organisations
Dorset Clinical Services Review and the Vanguard Projects
Mental Health Crisis Care
Home Care Services
Wessex Community Voices
Cross-cutting themes
Communication
Inclusion
Raising awareness of Healthwatch Dorset
MW agreed to compile a detailed Work Programme for 2016/17 for presentation and agreement at the next Board meeting. This would summarise the projects/investigations/activities to address each of the agreed priorities, including their proposed timelines.
2. Conflicts of interests
2.1 To note any changes to the Register of Declared Interests
CW notified the Board of a change to the register of declared interests and agreed to email the details to MJ.
2.2 To note any conflicts of interest related to items on this agenda
None.
3. Notification of any items of extremely urgent business
None.
4. Minutes of the last meeting held on 27 January 2016
The Minutes of the previous meeting were agreed.
4.1 Matters arising from the minutes of the previous meeting
MG queried if the Directors Group Email had been updated to remove Roger Browning and to include Des Persse. MJ agreed to check this.
Item 2.1: It was noted that Louise Bates (LB) had agreed to provide JG with a report on recent communication activity.
Item 5.2: MJ confirmed that he had amended the Action Log as proposed. This now only lists outstanding actions; completed actions have been removed from the Action Log.
Item 7.2: It was noted that LB had also agreed to provide an overview of the Community Investment Projects and the process used to select projects.
4.2 To note updated Action Log
The Board approved the new format of the Action Log.
MJ confirmed that the item on the Communications Strategy was now closed and that the item on Declarations of Interests would be updated at the next Board meeting.
5. Report from the Chair
5.1 To receive the Chair’s Report
In addition to the items covered in the report, JG informed the Board that she had liaised with Adnan Chaudry and informed him that Bournemouth Council were keen for Healthwatch Dorset to carry out more work with the BME community. She had also recently attended a CQC Summit Meeting at The Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and had subsequently been asked to assist with their Improvement Plan.
MG apologised for not producing a report for this meeting, as she had recently had an eye operation. She took the opportunity to inform the Board that, in February, she had attended the last meeting of the Joint Primary Care Commissioning Committee (from April, it became the Primary Care Commissioning Committee) and a Dorset Health and Wellbeing Board Workshop; and, in March, she had presented the proposed priorities for Healthwatch Dorset in 2016/17 to the Dorset Health Scrutiny Committee and attended a meeting of the Dorset Health and Wellbeing Board.
6. Operations
6.1 To receive an update on the 2015/16 Work Programme
It was noted that an update was included in the Quarter 4 Performance Report (see below).
6.2 To receive the Quarter 4 Performance Report
MG raised a number of issues concerning the presentation of the Report and the links including in the Report to the supporting Data Sheet, which would need to be amended before the Report is sent to Commissioners.
The Board approved the Report with the suggested amendments.
MJ requested that proposed amendments be forwarded to MW as soon as possible so that the finalised Report can be sent to Commissioners well ahead of the next Contract Review Meeting in May.
CB agreed to include a paragraph on information and advice and the added value of providing personalised information in future reports.
6.3 Venue and date for Annual Report Launch
After discussion, it was agreed that the launch of the 2015/16 Annual Report will be held during the week commencing 11 July 2016. LC agreed to make enquiries to find the date on which most people are available.
The Board asked if Chris Wakefield could contact the Healthwatch Dorset Champions to see if they could recommend a suitable venue with good travel links.
7. Feedback from meeting of Audit and Risk Committee held on 26 April 2016
7.1 To receive the Quarter 4 Accounts
The Board discussed the Quarter 4 Accounts. RT drew attention to the reduction since the previous quarter in Help and Care’s underspend on staffing and the increase in the CIC’s underspend resulting from not having incurred tender costs in 2015/16.
JG agreed to query with DREC whether all the figures provided represented the actual costs incurred - DS agreed to email JG with the information that is required from DREC.
7.2 To receive the proposed CIC budget for 2016/17
RT explained the proposed budget for 2016/17 and confirmed that he is happy to recommend to the Board the budget for 2016/17.
7.3 To receive the updated Risk Register
It was noted that the Risk Register would need to be amended to include the renewal of the contract for a further three years, but with the finance only confirmed for one year. MJ agreed to amend the register accordingly.
8. Policies and Procedures
8.1 To agree the following updated policies:
i. Complaints and Compliments
ii. Confidentiality
iii. Conflicts of Interest
iv. Directors’ Expenses
v. Freedom of Information
vi. Decision Making Procedures
vii. Data Protection Policy
viii. Priority Setting Process
RT raised an issue with the Expenses Policy, which he felt should be amended to state expressly that claims for travel/mileage shall be based on the Director’s normal home address as the appropriate start/end point for journeys. This is to ensure that there is clarity on this point for the purposes of HMRC.
MJ also agreed to include version numbers on all the policies.
As the meeting was not quorate, MJ agreed to email all Directors with all the policies, amended as indicated above, requesting their approval of the policies by email (following the procedure set out in the CIC’s Articles of Association).
8.2 To receive the updated Board Business Work Plan
The Board discussed the document and suggested that any items with deadlines more than six months in the future should not be highlighted as being Red on the RAG rating.
The Board asked MJ to check if the quarterly progress reports are being added to the Healthwatch Dorset website.
The Board agreed that a new strategy would now need to be developed for the next 3 years. It was agreed that this would be discussed at the next Board Business meeting.
8.3 To receive the Policy Review Schedule
It was noted that the Whistleblowing Policy would now be discussed at the next Board meeting.
9. Board training
9.1 To agree training/development priorities
The following were agreed as still being the top priorities for Board training:
· Structure of NHS in Dorset and the National Structure of the NHS
· On line Data protection – CB agreed to forward information on such training to MJ
· Responsibilities of CIC Directors.
9.2 To agree dates and times for training
It was noted that it had been necessary to postpone the previously scheduled training session on the NHS in Dorset and the National Structure of the NHS. It was agreed that MW would now deliver this training at the next Board Business meeting on 29 June 2016.
10. Any other urgent business
None.
11. Dates of next meetings and forward plan
Board Business Meeting: 29 June 2016, 6:00pm at Help and Care
Board Meeting: 27 July 2016, time and venue to be confirmed
The Meeting closed at 19:20pm.
/ JG
MW
CW
MJ
LB
LB
MJ
MW
MG
CB
LC
CW
JG
DS
MJ
MJ
MJ
MJ
MG
MJ
JG
JG
CB
MW
Minutes signed as being a correct record: Date:
Healthwatch Dorset - Minutes of Board Meeting held in Public on 27 April 2016 Page 2 of 6
Signed as a correct record: Date: