Council of Governors
Oxford Health’s Council of Governors represents the main stakeholders of the Trust – public, patients and carers, staff and local partner organsiations, and it helps inform the Trust’s priorities based on the views of the Trust’s members.
Non-urgent advice: What is a governor?
A foundation trust governor is a member of the Trust who has been elected by their fellow members to sit on the Council of Governors.
Different governors represent the voice of the public, patients, carers and staff members from different geographical areas: see our Governors page for more information. Governors are elected for a term of three years and can stand for further terms after this.
As well as governors directly elected by trust members, we also have governors who are appointed by partner and stakeholder organisations (such as local mental health charities and other local health organisations) that we work closely with. These are known as appointed governors.
Similar to other governor positions, such as school governors, NHS foundation trust governors are volunteers and unpaid although they can claim reasonable expenses.
You need to be a member of the Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust in order to be considered for election as a governor.
What does a governor do?
As a foundation trust, governors play an important role. By law, governors:
- appoint, remove and decide terms of office (including remuneration) of the Chair and other Non-Executive Directors
- approve the appointment of the Chief Executive (CEO)
- appoint or remove the Trust Auditors
- review the Trust’s annual accounts, Auditor’s Report and Annual Report and hold an Annual General Meeting
- present views on the Board of Directors’ future plans.
Governors can also:
- represent the interests and views of Trust Members in their constituency
- play an ambassadorial role, representing the interests of the Trust and adhering to its values
- assist with Member recruitment
- contribute content for our Member communications, surveys and consultations
- attend Member meetings, events and talks
- attend local events on behalf of the Trust
- provide an important link with the local community.
Read more about the guides and duties of NHS foundation trust governors on the gov.uk website.
Council of Governor meetings
The Council of Governors meet in public (either in-person or online), and anyone is welcome to attend to observe the meeting. Details of the meetings, including agendas, minutes and reports may be found on our council meetings page.
Annual General Meeting
The Trust’s Annual Members’ and General Meeting (AGM) is held once a year. It includes the presentation to the Trust’s Governors of the annual report and statutory accounts. It provides governors, members and others with the opportunity to ask questions. See our Annual Members’ and General Meeting page for more information on previous AGM meetings.
Find out more
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