Directors’ report

Our Trust Board, consisting of our Chair, five non-executive directors, the CEO and four executivedirector members, is the corporate decision-making body of the Trust. Being accountable for all strategic, operational, and financial decision-making, and has powers to delegate and make arrangements to exercise any of its appropriate functions through a sub-committee.

Our Trust Board and Sub-Committee structure 2022-23:

Assurance Committees

Audit

Auditing compliance
Internal/external audit
Financial systems
Internal control (standing orders, scheme of delegation, reservation of powers)
BGAF
Risk assurance
Process for monitoring compliance-regulation, legislation
Security management
Systems and processes
Annual Report/Account including charity
Declarations
Information governance
Counter fraud
Assurance of Board Sub-committees
Data quality and security

Remuneration

Determining arrangements for remuneration, terms and conditions and performance criteria for the CEO and Executive team
Non-Contractual payment arrangements
CEO and Executive Directors' succession planning
Trust Board structure, size and composition
Appointments panel for Executive Directors

Quality Governance

Clinical quality, safety and effectiveness
Patient experience
Clinical Audit
Research and innovation
Ethics
Quality account
CQC registration and compliance
Learning from experience
Serious Incidents
Medicine management
Infection prevention and control
Safeguarding
Mandatory clinical training
Private ambulance oversight
Patient involvement

Performance and Finance

Delivery of objectives for finance and performance
Capital development
Quality Cost Improvement Programmes (QCIP)
Financial statements and investments
Activity and performance analysis
Information management and technology
Patient transport services provision

People

Culture
Workforce performance and development
Recruitment and retention
Vetting and barring
Health, safety and wellbeing
Employee relations casework and employment tribunals
Training and education
OFSTED compliance
Gender Pay Gap
Equality Act compliance
Staff engagement and inclusion
Staff survey
Vision and values assurance

Transformation

Programme and project management
Strategy development oversight
Programme delivery
Sustainable transformation plan progression in line with the NHS Long Term Plan
Strategy progression assurance
Digital strategy progression
Estates, fleet, make ready strategy suite progression

Our Board and Sub-Committee Evaluation

The Board and its sub-committees review their effectiveness formally on a yearly basis through an approved evaluation process. Within the 2022/23 year, the effectiveness reviews were undertaken in March and reported to the audit committee in May 2023. The effectiveness review identified many significant improvements across the Board and sub-committees, and future improvement themes were identified, supported by action plans.

In accordance with the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960, the Board holds its meeting in public every other month. The agenda and reports for the Board are published on the website and available to the public ahead of the meeting.

Voting Directors
Nicola Scrivings Trust Chair	Wendy Thomas Senior Independent Director	Mrunal Sisodia Chair of Audit Committee	Alison Wigg Chair of Transformation Committee
Neville Hounsome Chair of Quality Governance Comittee	Julie Thallon Chair of Performance and Finance Committee	Tom Abell Chief Executive Officer	Kevin Smith Director of Finance
Marika Stephenson Director of People Services	Melissa Dowdeswell Director of Nursing	Marcus Bailey Chief Operating Officer (until Aug 2022)	Carolan Davidge Chair of Remuneration Committee (Until Dec 2022)

Voting Directors

Nicola Scrivings
Trust Chair

Wendy Thomas
Senior Independent Director

Mrunal Sisodia
Chair of Audit Committee

Alison Wigg
Chair of Transformation Committee

Neville Hounsome
Chair of Quality Governance Comittee

Julie Thallon
Chair of Performance and Finance Committee

Tom Abell
Chief Executive Officer

Kevin Smith
Director of Finance

Marika Stephenson
Director of People Services

Melissa Dowdeswell
Director of Nursing

Marcus Bailey
Chief Operating Officer
(until Aug 2022)

Carolan Davidge
Chair of Remuneration Committee
(Until Dec 2022)

Non-Voting Directors
Dr Simon Walsh Medical Director	Emma De-Carteret Director of Corporate Affairs and Performance	Hein Scheffer Director of Strategy, Culture and Education
Kate Vaughton Director of Integration and Deputy CEO	Kiran Mahil Associate Non-Executive Director	Victoria Corbishley Associate Non-Executive Director

Non-Voting Directors

Dr Simon Walsh
Medical Director

Emma De-Carteret
Director of Corporate Affairs and Performance

Hein Scheffer
Director of Strategy, Culture and Education

Kate Vaughton
Director of Integration and Deputy CEO

Kiran Mahil
Associate Non-Executive Director

Victoria Corbishley
Associate Non-Executive Director

Board Skill Matrix

EEAST’s Trust Board undertook a review of the skills and expertise throughout the membership during 2022. The approach was one of self-assessment, whereby a comprehensive list of both technical knowledge and leadership qualities were listed, with Board members individually self-assessing against these criteria to give a rating as well as some qualitative rationale:

Limited or no experience demonstrated
Practitioner – developing or inconsistent demonstration
Expert in the area and demonstrating

The following specific areas are recognised gaps across the Board as a collective. These are the core areas where recruitment or development was required.

Strategic IMT experience, as well as strategic application of digital improvements.
Estates/Fleet/logistics/security management
Commercial or business development

The table below highlights the skills across the full Board.

All directors	Most directors
Workforce leadership - recruitment, transactional, training/education.	Financial management and controls.
Organisational development underpinning culture change.	Strategic financial management – planning, forecasting, and strategy.
Corporate Governance, including risk management and systems of internal control.	Patient, community, volunteer engagement.
Strategic experience of staff/user/ stakeholder co-production and engagement.	User led / staff models of continuous improvement.
Demonstrates strong ambition for self and organisation. Challenges status-quo.	Strategic communication skills.
Outstanding personal communicator.	Commercial business development/ tenders/ contract management.
Confident with data, analysing to add value.	Speaking up/ whistleblowing responsivities for good governance.
Confident transformation capability – experienced in design and delivery of change.	Practitioner experience of major incidence / business continuity.
Outstanding people leadership skills. Inspiring, coaching, mentoring and guiding.	Working within a regulated industry to achieve a balanced scorecard.
Excellent attention to performance management and holding others to account.	Strategic application of organisational digital improvements.
Experience of shaping and role modelling a healthy culture.	Skilled in collaboration to influence complex and diverse stakeholder relationships.
Strong orientation towards ethical, compassionate and inclusive leadership. Values led.	Works with others to create and promote a clear vision, strategy and narrative.
Previous NED or ED experience within an organisation undergoing significant change in a regulated industry.
Resilience through set-back, commitment to learning and improvement.

Board / Sub-Committee Composition and Membership Attendance 2022-2023

Membership and attendance	Public Board meeting	Private Board meeting	Audit committee	Performance and finance committee	People committee	Quality governance committee	Remuneration committee	Transformation committee
Chair	Nicola Scrivings		Mrunal Sisodia	Julie Thallon	Wendy Thomas (from July 2022)	Neville Hounsome (from July 2022)	Mrunal Sisodia	Alison Wigg
Executive Lead	Chief Executive Officer		Director of Finance	Chief Operating Officer / Director of Finance	Director of People Services	Director of Nursing / Medical Director	Chief Executive Officer	Director of Strategy, Culture and Education
Nicola Scrivings	7/7	9/10		4/6	3/6	1/6	6/6	2/4
Alison Wigg	7/7	10/10		6/6			5/6	4/4
Carolan Davidge	5/5	7/7	3/3	3/4	3/4		3/3
Julie Thallon	7/7	9/10	3/4	6/6			5/6	3/3
Mrunal Sisodia	6/7	9/10	5/5			6/6	6/6	4/4
Neville Hounsome	6/7	9/10		1/1	6/6	6/6	5/6
Wendy Thomas	6/7	7/10	4/5		5/5	5/6	5/6
Tom Abell	7/7	10/10		4/6	4/6	3/6	6/6	4/4
Emma De-Carteret	6/7	8/10	5/5	3/6	5/6	4/6		4/4
Hein Scheffer	6/7	9/10			4/6			3/4
Kate Vaughton	7/7	8/9		1/1				3/3
Kevin Smith	6/7	9/10	5/5	6/6				4/4
Marcus Bailey (until 15 Aug 2022)	2/2	5/5	2/3		2/2
Marika Stephenson	7/7	8/10			6/6		6/6
Melissa Dowdeswell	7/7	10/10		4/4		5/6
Simon Walsh	5/7	6/10		1/1		3/4		2/2

Board Member Declarations of Interest for 2022 – 2023 (as at 31 March 2023)

Name and position	Declaration of interest	Declarations	Term
Nicola Scrivings, Trust Chair	Nil	August 2022	18.11.2019-31.05.2023
Alison Wigg, Non-Executive Director	Partner works for BT - Trust Supplier Chair of Strategic Digital Investment and Assurance Board for Suffolk and North East Essex	December 2019 October 2021	15.01.2018-14.01.2024
Carolan Davidge, Non-Executive Director	Sole director - Carolan Davidge Ltd Trustee Arthur Rank Hospice Independent Board member at Samphire Homes Non-executive director - Hertfordshire Partnership University Foundation Trust	July 2019 July 2019 December 2021 November 2022	04.07.2019-03.12.2022
Emma De-Carteret, Director of Corporate Affairs and Performance	Student member - ICSA Husband works for BT - EEAST network provider	December 2021	01.12.2021-present
Hein Scheffer, Director of Strategy, Culture and Education	Director of Wavelengths 106 (PTY) Ltd Private Company Renate Scheffer (spouse) working at Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB Leadership fellow - College of St George's Windsor Castle Executive coach Member of NHSCC Board (dissolved)	April 2022	01.04.2022-present
Juliet Beal, Director of Nursing, Clinical Quality and Improvement	Nil	November 2020	04.11.2020-03.05.2022
Julie Thallon, Non-Executive Director	Owner and director - Meraki Interim Solutions Vice chair - The patients association East Coast Community Health Community Interest Company	October 2021 December 2022 January 2023	04.01.2021-03.12.2025
Kate Vaughton, Director of Integration	Charity trustee - Abbeycroft Leisure Trustee - St Nicholas Hospice	February 2022	14.02.2022-present
Kevin Smith, Director of Finance	Partner employee with EEAST	October 2021	01.06.2014-present
Kiran Mahil, Associate Non-Executive Director	Senior executive (Financial Services) - Nationwide	February 2022	01.04.2021-31.03.2024
Marcus Bailey (on secondment)	Education - MBA University of Lincoln Representative - National Ambulance Strategy & Transformation Directors Group (NASAT) on behalf of National Directors of Operations Representative - British Heart Foundation (BHF) Circuit on behalf of National Directors of Operations	March 2019	01.03.2019-present
Marika Stephenson, Director of People Services	Enterprise advisor - strategic support schools on careers (role approved prior to commencement - ceased 21.10.22)	January 2022	01.12.2021-present
Melissa Dowdeswell, Director of Nursing, Clinical Quality and Improvement	Nil	March 2022	08.03.2022-present
Mrunal Sisodia, Non-Executive Director	Director and co-chair- National network of Parent Cover Forums Steering group member for Bedford Borough Parent Carer Forum Chair of the NHSE parent, carer and families' transformation network Member of NHSE children and young people's transformation board Self-employed - Management consultant	April 2020 April 2020 April 2020 April 2022 April 2022	01.05.2020-30.04.2023
Neville Hounsome, Non-Executive Director	Member - NHS Pay review Body Independent lay member – Health and Care Professions Council Remuneration Committee Board member - Samphire Homes Self employed - NH transitions 0 hours associate - Chameleon People Services Associate - Lee Hecht Harrison (LHH) Associate - Gatenby Sanderson	December 2019 October 2021 December 2019 December 2019 December 2019 December 2019 December 2019	10.07.2019-09.07.2023
Simon Walsh, Medical Director (interim)	Clinical lead - Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust Deputy chair - British Medical Association’s UK Consultants Committee Consultant in emergency medicine - Royal London Hospital	December 2021 December 2021 December 2021	01.12.2021-present
Tom Abell, Chief Executive Officer	Deputy chair and trustee - NAM Aidsmap	April 2021	02.08.2021-present
Dr Tom Davis, Medical Director	Board member, Hertfordshire Independent Living Service (HILS, social enterprise) Retainer of GP status at Wendover Health Centre Club secretary - Mursley United FC	December 2019 March 2019 October 2020	02.02.2018-30.09.2022
Victoria Corbishley, Associate Non-Executive Director	Director of Health and Local Crisis Response - Red Cross Trustee and vice chair - Brandon Centre	October 2021 October 2021	01.02.2021-30.01.2024
Wendy Thomas, Non-Executive Director	Magistrate for the North Essex Bench Safeguarding adult reviewer - Essex County Council Vaccinator - Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust	October 2021	04.07.2019-03.07.2023

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