Corporate Governance

Corporate Governance is the term used in the NHS to mean the system by which an organisation is directed and controlled, at its most senior level, in order to achieve its objectives and meet the necessary standards of accountability, probity and openness.

 

The NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership (NWSSP) is hosted and governed by the Velindre NHS Trust Shared Services Regulations 2012(2012/1261(w.156)) and the Shared Services Partnership Committee (SSPC), which is representative of the ten Local Health Boards, Velindre NHS Trust and Welsh Government and are responsible for monitoring governance and performance. The required standards for effective governance are outlined within the Committee’s standing orders, values and standards of behaviours framework, and associated policies. The ten NHS bodies (the Partners) in Wales participate in the SSPC and take collective responsibility for the delivery of the services through a Hosting Agreement between the Partners. The independent committee Chair is Mrs Margaret Foster and the committee meets 6 times per year.

 

 

The NWSSP produces an Annual Governance Statement demonstrating publicly the management and control of resources and the extent to which it complies with its own code of governance, including how we have monitored and evaluated the effectiveness of our governance arrangements. The statement brings together, in one place, all disclosures relating to governance, risk and control. Annual Governance Statement

 

 

The organisation uses the Doing Well, Doing Better: Standards for Health Services in Wales as its framework for gaining assurance on its ability to fulfil its aims and objectives for the delivery of safe, high quality health services. This involves self assessment of performance against the standards across all activities and at all levels throughout the organisation. NHS Wales Governance e-Manual

 

 

The NWSSP receives audit advice from its Audit and Assurance Services, who undertake Value for Money studies and provide independent appraisal of internal control systems, and also from the External Auditors (Wales Audit Office) who provide an independent assessment of the financial stewardship of the organisation.

 

The Audit and Assurance Arrangements process is overseen by the Velindre NHS Trust Audit Committee for NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership whose terms of reference are set out in the Standing Orders of the organisation.

 

The independent committee Chair for the Velindre NHS Trust Audit Committee for NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership is Mr Martin Veale accompanied by two other independent members: Janette Pickles and Gareth Jones. The committee meet 5 times per year.