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Council of Governors Elections

Would you like to become a Governor?

Nominations opened on Friday 6 January 2023 and closed at 5pm on Monday 23 January for the following Public and Staff Governor constituencies:

Public Constituencies

  • Arun - 1 seat
  • High Weald Lewes Havens - 1 seat
  • Worthing - 1 seat.

Staff Constituencies

  • Allied Health Professionals including Therapists - 1 seat
  • Support Staff - 1 seat.

If you would like to register your interest to stand in future governor nominations/elections and would like to discuss the governor role, please contact paul.somerville@nhs.net or call 01273 696011 ext. 1520 for a friendly chat.

* Please note you must live in or work for a relevant constituency when making a nomination.

Eligible members are contacted via email or post when vacancies arise and are encouraged to apply.

View the Notice of Election.


Help to promote our governor vacancies

Help spread the word and increase awareness. Download and print A3 or A4 copies of this poster.

You may need to obtain permission from the venue to put the poster up in public places i.e. local hospital, GP practice, health centre/clinic, library or leisure centre.


How to register your interest - available from Friday 6 January 2023

If you would like to know more about making a nomination please contact Civica Election Services (CES), the independent organisation we have appointed to manage this process. Full contact details are below.

To contact CES:

Or you will be able to complete the online nomination form 6 January. Nominations closed Monday 23 January.

If more people put themselves forward to be a Governor in each constituency than the number of Governors seats available in that constituency, elections will be held in those constituencies in February. These will be run independently by CES. Ballot papers will be distributed to all members directly with details of the candidates standing.

If the same number of eligible candidates has put themselves forward in a constituency with the same number of seats available, they will be elected without a vote.

Thank you for your interest.

About Sussex Community

Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust (SCFT) is the main provider of community health and care in West Sussex, Brighton & Hove and adult community services in High Weald Lewes Havens. Established in 2010 and authorised as a Foundation Trust in 2016, we care for over 9,000 people a day, mostly in their own homes.

We aim to keep the communities and individuals we serve healthy and independent and we care for people right across the age range, from new born babies to people at the end of their life.

The majority of NHS care is provided in the community. Caring for people at home rather than in acute hospitals requires a different and innovative set of skills and approaches. The Trust is forward thinking and proud of the quality of care it delivers.

In 2017 we were inspected by the healthcare regulator, the Care Quality Commission, and achieved a rating of ‘Good’ with outstanding features for the quality of our services in January 2018.

We aim to continually improve and part of our strategy to do this is to:

  • Involve local people and staff more directly in decisions about the way services are planned and delivered.
  • Be more accountable to the public we serve for the services we provide.
  • Develop stronger links with our local communities through our members.

What does a Governor do?

Individually and collectively, Governors play an important role in the work of the Trust. Some of the ways in which they make a real difference are:

  • Representing members on key issues and consulting them on important matters such as service developments.
  • Helping shape our future strategy and the services we provide.
  • Participating in the selection and appointment of the chair of the Trust Board and its non-executive directors.
  • Engaging with and recruiting members to help us grow our membership base.

The role of Governor requires a degree of commitment, as a minimum attending four formal meetings each year, but many of our Governors choose to be more involved and the level of involvement is entirely up to you. The positions are voluntary, but reasonable expenses are paid.

Anyone can be a Governor

Our Governors come from all walks of life and have a great variety of experience and knowledge. If you are interested, but unsure if it is for you, we know anyone who can answer yes to the following questions would make a great Governor:

  • Are you passionate about the health and wellbeing of people?
  • Would you like to develop your understanding of community health services?
  • Would you like to meet people living or working in your area, who receive care from the Trust, and to share their thoughts and ideas?
  • Are you able to give time to come to meetings?

Full training will be provided both on induction and regularly throughout your term of office.

How many people are on the Council of Governors?

The Council of Governors represent the people we serve, the staff who provide our services and the partners we work with. It consists of three groups:

  • Public Governors elected by members of the Trust from their own area (constituency) who form the majority - 15 out of 28 Governors.
  • Five Staff Governors elected by our staff.
  • Eight Appointed Governors who are decided by the Trust and the organisations we work closely with.

Current Governor vacancies

The following Governor seats will be available for nomination/application from Friday 6 January to Monday 23 January 2023:

PUBLIC GOVERNORS*

Constituency

Number of seats

Arun

1

Total

1

* Please note you have to be a public member and live in the constituency in which you are applying for.

 

PUBLIC GOVERNORS*

Constituency

Number of seats

High Weald Lewes Havens

1

Total

1

* Please note you have to be a public member and live in the constituency in which you are applying for.

 

PUBLIC GOVERNORS*

Constituency

Number of seats

Worthing

1

Total

1

* Please note you have to be a public member and live in the constituency in which you are applying for.

  

STAFF GOVERNORS*

Constituency

Number of seats

Allied Health Professionals including Therapists

1

Total

1

* Please note you have to be a staff member and work in the constituency in which you are applying.

 

STAFF GOVERNORS*

Constituency

Number of seats

Support Staff

2

Total

2

* Please note you have to be a staff member and work in the constituency in which you are applying.


Governor terms are three years in duration
.

The election timetable

Below are the details of the key dates:

Nomination Stage

Date

Nominations invited

From Friday, 6 January 2023

Final date for nominations

Monday, 23 January by 5pm

Election Stage

Date

Issue of ballot papers (where required)

Friday, 10 February

Close of election (where required and final receipt of ballot papers)

Thursday, 2 March

Notification of results to the Trust

Friday, 3 March

Announcements to the Board, Council of Governors, Members and the public

From Monday, 6 March

 

How to register your interest

Members in the relevant constituencies will shortly be invited to vote in the elections but first we invite relevant members and the public to consider putting themselves forward as a candidate to become a Governor.

The deadline to register your interest is: 5pm Monday 23 January 2023.

If you’d like to know more/register your interest please contact Civica Election Services (CES), the independent organisation we have appointed to manage this process. Full contact details are below:

To contact ERS:

CES will send you a nomination form, which details how you put yourself forward for nomination, who to contact for guidance and where to return your form.

If more people put themselves forward to be a Governor in a constituency than the number of Governors seats available in that area, we will hold elections in that constituency.

These will be run independently by CES. Ballot papers will be distributed to all members directly with details of the candidates standing.

If the same number of eligible candidates has put themselves forward in a constituency with the same number of seats available, they will be elected without a vote.