Trust Board committees and sub-committees

The Trust Board appoints committees of the Trust to perform certain functions agreed by the Trust. Each committee is chaired by a non-executive director, nominated by the Chair of the Board.

The terms of reference of committees and sub-committees are available on request.

Audit Committee

The Audit Committee provides the Trust Board with an independent and objective view of its governance and internal control arrangements.

The Committee is comprised exclusively of non-executive directors, with a minimum of three, of which one has significant, recent and relevant financial experience.

The Audit Committee meets on at least four occasions per year.

Chair of the Audit Committee: Paul Douglas

Remuneration Committee

The Remuneration Committee advises the Trust Board about appropriate remuneration and terms of service for the Chief Executive and other senior executives including: all aspects of salary (including any performance-related elements/bonuses), provisions for other benefits, including pensions and cars; and, arrangements for termination of employment and other contractual terms.

The Remuneration Committee is comprised exclusively of the Chair and at least two non-executive directors, who meet on at least two occasions per year.

Chair of the Remuneration Committee: Anne O’Reilly

Outcomes and Assurance Committee

The Outcomes and Assurance Committee provides the Trust with an independent and objective review of the systems and processes in place to support individuals, teams and officers in discharging their individual accountability for the delivery of patient centred, safe and effective high-quality services.

The Committee is comprised of all non-executive directors, excluding the Chair, and attended by service directors and other key staff, and meets on at least four occasions per year.

Chair of the Outcomes and Assurance Committee: Carol Diffin

The work of the Outcomes and Assurance Committee is assigned through three steering groups and a Programme Board:

• Safety and Care Quality Steering Group: provides assurance that appropriate structures, systems and processes are in place to deliver best possible care, ensuring the culture and associated processes are embedded to promote continuous quality improvement.
• Good Governance Steering Group: maintains oversight of key aspects of governance on behalf of the Executive Team and Trust Board. The focus of this steering group is on those functions of the Trust that support the delivery of good clinical and social care.
• Standards, Compliance and Regulation Steering Group: provides oversight and assurances on behalf of the Executive Team and Trust Board, and to ensure that there are systems and processes in place to achieve compliance with extant guidelines and standards or where this is not possible, that controls are in place to mitigate risks.
• Reform and Quality Improvement Programme Board: supports the delivery of the strategic agenda for transformational change, innovation and continuous quality improvement. In achieving this, it will ensure engagement with communities and stakeholders. This Committee will work to the principles of co-design and co-production.

Charitable Trust Funds Advisory Committee

The Charitable Trust Funds Advisory Committee is tasked with overseeing the administration of Charitable Trust Funds in line with the Trust’s Statutory Financial Instructions and in accordance with the requirement of the Charities Commission for Northern Ireland. This includes oversight of the banking arrangements and the investment and disbursement of charitable funds. The Committee is chaired by a non-executive director and is comprised of three non-executive directors in total. The Director of Finance and other senior staff are in attendance to provide advice and support as appropriate.

Chair of the Charitable Trust Funds Advisory Committee: Anne O’Reilly

Northern Partnership and Population Health Committee

The Northern Partnership and Population Health Committee aims to progress a shared vision for population health with partners external to the organisation, ensuring oversight and accountability for the Trust’s focus on population health and wellbeing, health and social inequalities and support for carers. This committee, on behalf of the Executive Team and Trust Board, seeks assurance that the Trust is compliant with Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, the Human Rights Act 1998, Section 49a of the Disability Discrimination Act and the Rural Needs Act 2016. In doing so, it is tasked with providing assurance that all aspects of Trust business, staff, the public, service users and other stakeholders are properly engaged in the design, delivery and oversight of services. The committee is chaired by a non-executive director and has two non-executive members in total.

Chair of Northern Partnership and Population Health Committee: Anne O’Reilly

Resources Committee

The Resources Committee provides detailed in-year scrutiny on behalf of the Board, on the Trust’s progress on delivering on its statutory responsibility to ‘break-even’; on the performance and service improvement targets required under service and budget agreements in place with commissioners; on the issues escalated within the Support and Intervention Framework; and on strategic capital and ICT development. The committee is chaired by a non-executive director and is comprised of three non-executive directors in total. The Director of Finance, Director of Operations, Director of Strategic Planning and ICT and the Director for Infrastructure are also in attendance. Other senior staff are invited to attend to provide advice and support for particular areas of responsibility.

Chair of the Resources Committee: Scott Armstrong

Team North People and Culture Committee

The Team North People and Culture Committee advises and assures the Board on all matters relating to staff within Team North. The committee also considers plans to enhance the environment that supports and values staff in order to engage the talent; nurture the leadership capability of individuals; and build teams working together to drive the desired culture throughout Team North to deliver safer better and high-quality health and social care. The committee also provides advice and gives assurance to the Board in relation to the direction and delivery of all people related strategies and frameworks to drive continuous improvement, and to achieve the objectives of the Trust. The committee is chaired by a non-executive director and has two non-executive members in total.

Chair of the North People and Culture Committee: Paul Turley

Adoption Panel

On behalf of the Trust Board, the Adoption Panel is tasked with the implementation of Regulation 10 of the Adoption Agencies Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1989. The panel carries out a rigorous quality assurance function and promotes thorough assessments, support and training for adopters and prospective adopters. The panel is responsible for reviewing and making recommendations regarding potential adoptive families, assessing their suitability to adopt a specific child, and ultimately deciding whether to approve a child placement.  This must be done whilst considering the child’s needs and the prospective parents’ capabilities; their key roles include thoroughly reviewing case files and providing expert opinions on the best interest decisions and final adoption placements for children. The Adoption Panel includes two non-executive directors.

Chair of the Adoption Panel: Lee Wilson, Assistant Director, Children’s Services
Anne O’Reilly and George Platt are members of the Adoption Panel.