Board Committees

Dorset HealthCare's Trust Board approves, annually, a schedule of matters which it reserves to itself. These include the power to set the vision, strategic aims, objectives and budget for the Trust.

Other matters are delegated to Board Committees, which operate within defined terms of reference. The Trust's Board Committees are:

Audit Committee

Comprising independent Non-Executive Directors, the Committee provides the Trust with the means of independent and objective review of all internal control systems and risk management.

The Committee discharges its responsibilities through the consideration of reports generated by management and also from independent sources including internal audit services provided by BDO and external audit services provided by KPMG.

Quality Governance Committee

The Committee acquires and scrutinises assurances that the organisation has a combination of structures and processes at and below Board level that equip it to deliver high-quality services.

The Quality Governance Committee (QGC) focuses on providing assurances in respect of quality governance in the Trust. In doing so, this approach takes account of both the Quality Governance Framework and the Well-Led Framework. It meets six times a year. It seeks assurance that internal controls over quality are designed well and operating effectively.

Mental Health Legislation Assurance Committee

In January 2015, the Board established this committee as a specialist arm of the Quality Governance Committee.

The Trust operates a clear separation of the Non-Executive role in acquiring and scrutinising assurances as to quality governance in mental health services (by the committee) and that of conducting the review process for detained patients in accordance with the required provisions of Mental Health legislation, undertaken by Mental Health Act Panel Members. Four Non-Executive Directors have been trained, alongside other independent lay people, in mental health legislation, and will act as a pool, from which a panel of three will be drawn to consider any individual case.

Appointments and Remuneration Committee

The Board has an Appointments and Remuneration Committee which, as its core role, appoints senior staff and considers recommendations on Executive Director remuneration.

All Non-Executive Directors are members of the committee. The Chief Executive has a right to be in attendance as a member of the committee when other Executive Director appointments are being determined, and may be invited to attend when the remuneration of the other Executive Directors is under discussion.

Charitable Funds Committee

The Board is the Corporate Trustee of the Trust charity. The Charitable Funds Committee has been established by the Board to make and monitor arrangements for the control and management of the Charitable Fund investments of the Trust and to allocate funds to appropriate projects.