North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION COMMITTEE
TERMS OF REFERENCE
Version:
1.0
Ratified by:
Trust Board
Date ratified:
July 2013
Name of originator/author:
Board Secretary
Name of responsible committee/individual:
Workforce Development and Education
Committee
Name of executive lead:
Director of People and Organisational
development
Date issued:
August 2013
Review date:
August 2014
Target audience:
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AUTHORITY
1.1
The Workforce Development and Education Committee is constituted as a
Standing Committee of the Board. Its constitution and terms of reference shall
be as set out below, subject to amendment by the Board.
1.2
The Committee derives its powers from the Board and has no executive
powers, other than those specifically delegated in these Terms of Reference.
1.3
The Committee may not delegate powers to any sub-committees unless
expressly authorised to do so by the Trust Board.
1.4
The Committee is authorised by the Board to investigate any activity within its
terms of reference. It is authorised to seek any information it requires from
any member of staff and all members of staff are directed to co-operate with
any request made by the Committee.
1.5
The Committee is authorised by the Board to request the attendance of
individuals and authorities from outside the Trust with relevant experience and
expertise if it considers this necessary.
1.6
The Committee is authorised by the Board to engage the services of a
specialist advisor where it is deemed necessary.
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PURPOSE
2.1
The purpose of the Committee is to maintain a strategic overview of the
Trust’s workforce, educational and organisational development arrangements
of the Trust with a view to assessing their adequacy to provide a positive
working environment for staff, to enable the provision of high quality care and
good clinical outcomes for patients.
2.2
As part of its role the Committee will oversee and where appropriate
challenge and scrutinize:
2.3
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The statutory and regulatory compliance assurance and monitoring
arrangements pertaining to workforce, education and Research Strategy
Development
The assurance to support the Trust’s compliance with Foundation Trust
requirements relating to workforce
The development and delivery of the Trust’s Workforce, organisational
Development and Education Strategies
The staff engagement initiatives and the associated measures of
effectiveness from one annual period to another.
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MEMBERSHIP
3.1
The Committee shall be appointed by the Board, and shall be composed of :
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Two non-executive directors
The Director of People and Organisational Development
Medical Director
The Director of Operations
Deputy Director of Finance
Deputy Director of Human Resources
Deputy Director of Organisational Development
Director of Medical Education
3.2
The Chair of the Committee shall be a Non- Executive Director appointed by
the Trust Chairman in discussion with the Board of Directors. If the Committee
chair is absent from the meeting, another Non executive Director will preside
as chair.
3.3
The Chair will on occasions where it is deemed appropriate, invite other Non
Executive Directors to attend meetings.
3.4
Other Directors or officers of the Trust may be requested to attend all or part
of any meeting as and when appropriate.
3.5
The Board Secretary will ensure the Committee is properly constituted and
advised, enabling it to fulfil its collective responsibility.
3.6
Non Executive appointments to the Committee shall be for a period of up to
three years, which may be extended for a further three year period, subject to
agreement of the Board Chairman.)
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REPORTING RESPONSIBILITIES
4.1
The committee will report to the Board through a Chair’s assurance report
which will also incorporate matters for escalation to the Board, where
appropriate.
4.2
The committee shall make whatever recommendations to the Board it deems
appropriate on any area within its remit where action or improvement is
needed.
4.3
The Committee will receive regular assurance reports from its subgroups as
part of a mechanism of ensuring the sub- Committees are discharging their
roles effectively. The following Groups shall report to the Workforce
Development and Education Committee:
o Trust Policy and Terms and Conditions Group
o Trust Health, Work and Wellobeing Group
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o Trust Education, Learning and development Group
o Equality and Diversity Promotion Group
4.4
The sub-committee assurance reports will incorporate progress against the
annual workplan, details of risks reviewed as well as matters for escalation
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QUORUM
5.1
The Quorum necessary for the transaction of business shall be four members,
including one non executive director and the Director of People and
Organisational Development, (or their nominated deputy) and one other
member.
A duly convened meeting of the Committee at which a quorum is present
shall be competent to exercise all or any of the authorities, powers and
discretions vested in or exercisable by the Committee.
5.2
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FREQUENCY OF MEETINGS
6.1
The Committee shall meet on a bi-monthly basis and otherwise as required.
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NOTICE OF MEETINGS
7.1
Meetings of the committee shall be summoned by the secretary of the
committee (at the request of the Committee Chairman, or at the request of
external or internal auditors if they consider it necessary.) The Board
Secretary or their nominee shall undertake the role of secretary to the
Committee.
7.2
Unless otherwise agreed, notice of each meeting confirming the venue, time
and date together with an agenda of items to be discussed, shall normally be
forwarded to each member of the committee and any other person required to
attend, no later than five working days before the date of the meeting.
Supporting papers shall be sent to committee members and to other
attendees as appropriate, at the same time.
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MINUTES OF MEETINGS
8.1
The secretary shall minute the proceedings of all meetings of the committee,
including recording the names of those present and in attendance.
8.2
The secretary shall ascertain, at the beginning of each meeting, the existence
of any conflicts of interest and minute them accordingly. Minutes of committee
meetings shall be circulated promptly to all members of the committee and,
once finalised, to all members of the Board.
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DUTIES
9.1
The duties of the Committee can be categorised as follows:
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9.2
Strategic oversight
9.3
The Workforce Development and Education Committee will oversee the
development and implementation of workforce, organisational and
development strategies, with the aim of ensuring the workforce and
organisational development strategic direction is sufficiently aligned to enable
the achievement of the organisation’s objectives. In undertaking this work the
Committee will:
9.3.1 Annually review the Workforce, Organisational Development, Research and
Education strategies, taking into account national and regional strategies and
requirements.
9.3.2 Monitor implementation plans associated with the strategies on a regular
basis, requesting further actions from executive members of the Committee
where appropriate.
9.3.3 Scrutinise, challenge and receive assurance on the appropriateness of key
medium term- long term workforce planning assumptions feeding into the
integrated business plan.
9.4
Statutory compliance
9.4.1 Specifically the Committee will:
9.4.2 Scrutinise and assess the effectiveness of the organisation’s arrangements
for complying with the NHS Constitution, in relation to staff rights and pledges
9.4.3 Annually review workforce related policies and procedures
9.4.4 Regularly review the arrangements in place to evidence the organisation’s
compliance with the Equality Act in relation to the following
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Undertaking of Equality Impact Assessments
Monitoring of the Equality Delivery System Action Plan
The maintenance of a Single Equality Scheme.
9.4.5
Regularly review the assurances to support the Trust’s compliance with the
Health and Social Care Act 2008, in relation to compliance with outcomes:
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Outcome 12 – Requirements relating to workers
Outcome 13 - Staffing
Outcome 14 – Supporting workers.
Where appropriate the Committee will review assurances at Clinical Business
Unit (CBU) level, and undertake monitoring of associated action plans.
9.4.6 To monitor the organisation’s compliance with NHSLA requirements relating
to workforce and associated policies
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9.4.7 Review the action plans associated with local and national staff surveys,
tracking progress on key findings through relevant directors.
9.5
Risk and performance Management
9.5.1 The Committee will regularly review workforce information to monitor
compliance with :
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Statutory and mandatory training compliance
Sickness absence target levels
Internal staff survey results
Appraisal information
Employee relations cases i.e. disciplinary, grievance, etc
9.5.2 In the event that performance falls below accepted levels, the Committee will
request further action from Executives within a set timeframe.
9.5.3 The Committee will review the Workforce, Organisational Development and
Education risk register as a standing item, monitoring the implementation of
key controls and the delivery of action plans.
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MONITORING EFFECTIVENESS
10.1
The constitution, terms of reference and progress of the Committee shall be
reviewed annually, and revised, if appropriate, as part of the organisation’s
progression to Foundation Trust status.
10.2
The Committee will review its own performance and terms of reference to
ensure it is operating at maximum effectiveness and recommend any changes
it considers necessary to the Board for approval, on an annual basis. The self
assessment of the Committee will form part of the assurances to support the
Annual Governance Statement disclosure.
10.3
The Committee will establish an annual work programme which will be
submitted to the Board for approval as part of the assurance arrangements.
10.4
In particular, the annual programme coverage will incorporate all key areas
within the Committee’s duties, as set out in section 9 of its terms of reference.
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