Governors are elected representatives of service users, carers, staff, partners and the public. They hold the board of directors to account, as well as carrying out many other duties.

Our Council of Governors

Governors are elected by members of the Trust including service users, carers, staff and the public. They hold the board of directors to account, as well as carrying out many other duties. We have a very strong and vocal Council of Governors who work very closely alongside the Board of Directors and services. Our Council of Governors is made up of people from the following membership and constituency groups:

  • 7 Public Governors
  • 7 Carer Governors
  • 7 Service User Governors
  • 7 Governors from each council that we have services in
  • 7 Staff Governors
  • 2 Governors from Community and Voluntary Organisations
  • 2 Governors from Local Universities 

What does being a Governor involve?

To be a Governor, you must be a member of the Trust and be aged 16 or over.

There are some things that Governors must do to make sure that our Board of Directors are doing their job well. There are important rules about what Governors must do in their job. These are:

  • Governors must represent members of the Trust and the Public.
  • Governors must think about CNTWs work and how it will affect people across all areas.
  • Governors must decide whether CNTW is doing its best for everybody.
  • Governors are required to attend the Council of Governor meetings 4 times per year, this can be in person or online through Microsoft Teams video calling.
  • The Board of Directors and other people in the Trust write reports and plans that Governors are required to read/discuss/approve at the Council of Governors meetings.

The Council of Governors can also get involved in other activities including:

  • Taking part in Governor and Board Committees and activities. These Committees meet to discuss important things in more detail that the normal Council of Governor Meetings do not allow time for, but everything is then fed back to the full Council of Governors, so no one is ever excluded from any information they need to see.
  • Governors can visit CNTW services with Staff members and help us make sure the environment in which they are working from is good and stable.
  • Governors choose and vote for a Lead Governor for the Council who works with the Chairman to make sure the Council of Governors works well. The Lead Governor takes up this role for 3 years at a time.

Becoming a Governor, the election process and support provided

You can nominate yourself to be a Governor when we announce our elections. If more than one person puts in a nomination for a post, then the members of your constituency vote for who they wish to represent them. If you are the only nomination, you will automatically be elected to the Council. Once elected, you will serve a term of three years. After this you could stand again if you wish to continue, or choose to step down. You can be elected up to three times, as long as you are still eligible.

If you decide to become a Governor, and are successful, you will be invited to an induction with all the other new Governors. Sometimes current Governors will come along to meet you. Here you will meet the Corporate Affairs Team, learn more about the Governor role, receive any resources you need and you will be asked to sign our Code of Conduct. This is important as it will help you to understand how you should behave when representing the Trust as a Governor and what you can and cannot do in the role.

You will be supported in your Governor role. As a Trust we will make sure that you have all the information, advice and support you need to do your role well. The Corporate Affairs Team is the first point of contact for our Governors. If you wish to contact the team or have any questions you can reach them by emailing corporateaffairs@cntw.nhs.uk