Council of Governors' Elections

The Council of Governors is a key mechanism by which the trust is accountable to local people. It is an important link between the Trust Board and Foundation Trust members. It meets formally at least four times a year in public. In addition, committees and working groups established by the Council of Governors provide governors with the opportunity to assist and advise on the work of the Trust and to develop plans for the future.

The Council of Governors is made up of 27 Governors which includes 23 elected Governors and 4 appointed Governors.

Governors are members (patients, parents / carers, members of the public and staff) who have nominated themselves to sit on the Council. They were elected by their fellow members from their Foundation Trust constituency.

The Trust holds elections every year for roughly 1/3 of the Council. The election process starts in November each year - Governors are elected for three years and may serve for a total of six years if they are re-elected or re-appointed

To find out more about our current Governors and why they stood for election see their biographies.

This year there are ten seats up for election as follows:

• One Parent/Carer from London
• One Parent/Carer from Rest of England and Wales
• One Patient from Home Counties
• Two Patients from London
• One Patient from Rest of England and Wales
• Two Public: London
• One Public: Rest of England and Wales
• One Staff

Governors must be members of the Trust and be aged 16 years or over. Formal qualifications are not required and support and training will be provided to help Governors carry out their role. If you are considering standing for election, broadly speaking this is what a Governor will need to do:

• Commit a minimum amount of time (approximately one day a month).
• Attend meetings and present the views of the members and general public.
• Read and interpret the content of papers and reports to be able to make informed recommendations and decisions.
• Communicate with members to find out their views and concerns.
• Help recruit new members by attending public and community events.

Other important points to note:

• You must live in the constituency you wish to stand in (the constituencies are London, the Home Counties and the Rest of England and Wales) - we can inform you which constituency you are in.
• In order to be eligible to be a member of the Patient and Parent / Carer Constituencies, you or your child need have to have attended the hospital within 10 years prior to your application to become a member.
• Candidates for a staff Governor seat must work for the Trust on a permanent contract or on a fixed term contract of 12 months or more - if you satisfy this criteria as a member of staff, you may not stand as a Governor in any other constituency.

Governors are supported in their role through a formal induction, can attend development sessions throughout their tenure and have access to an online document library.

The Corporate Affairs Team and the Lead Governor can also offer support and answer any questions.

If you would like to see what kind of information you would receive as a governor have a look at some previous Council papers.

You may find the information booklet 'Thinking of becoming a GOSH Governor' useful. It contains summaries of all the information you may need to consider before standing as a GOSH Governor.

If you have any further questions, then please do not hesitate to contact the Corporate Affairs Team on foundation@gosh.nhs.uk