Minutes of the Annual Members Meeting held on Thursday 6 October 2022, at 10:45am, at the Round Auditorium, the Dukes Theatre, Moor Lane, Lancaster, LA1 1QE

Present:

An attendance register was kept

Apologies:

Steve Gratrix, Public Governor

Ken Lowe, Public Governor

Emma McGuigan, Acting Chief Operating Officer

Max Oosman, Staff Governor

Mohammad Sidat, Public Governor

John Walden, Public Governor

Sue Whittam, Appointed Governor

AMM 01/22 - Welcome and opening comments

The Trust Chair opened the 2022 Annual Members Meeting which included an overview of the day and explained that a series of short presentations would be given. There would also be an opportunity for members to ask questions. 

The meeting was confirmed as quorate.
AMM 02/21 - Minutes of the last annual members meeting

The minutes of the meeting held on 8 September 2021 were confirmed as a true and accurate record.

AMM 03/21 - Review of the year 2021/22

The Interim Chief Executive introduced the programme of presentations with an overview of 2021/22, noting the great improvements the Trust had seen in year, which was described in more detail during his presentation. The meeting noted that the Trust’s enabling Strategies included some ambitious aspirations for the Trust over the next five years, and had continued to work closely with system partners to ensure a focus on delivering integrated care, and a focus on health and equalities together with service users and carers being at the heart of the organisation.

The Trust were currently in the process of appointing a new Trust Chair and would be looking to recruit a substantive Chief Executive in the New Year. In addition, a recruitment campaign for Non-Executive Director posts, was about to commence.

The Covid-19 pandemic had continued to significantly impact service delivery for the NHS and LSCFT over the past year. The Trust has supported the delivery of the Covid vaccination programme, the Lancashire and South Cumbria Resilience Hub, multidisciplinary post Covid clinics and led on a Covid Medicines Discharge Unit.

The Trust had moved to a structure that focussed delivery around four geographically defined, clinically-led networks, and a network for our highly specialised services.

The Trust had launched locality Service User & Carer Councils, introduced more Peer Support Facilitators working on inpatient wards and within learning disability services, invested in a Change Talks programme, reaching over 60,000 young people, and had engaged a new Children and Young People’s Engagement facilitator.

The meeting noted the number of Quality Improvement targets that had been exceeded, along with the challenges the Trust faced, with a proposed programme of activity being developed for 2022/23.

The Trust Chair thanked the Interim Chief Executive and Executive Directors and all the staff on behalf of the Non-Executive Directors and Governors for the great job they had done in year and ensuring our services continued to be provided throughout the pandemic.

AMM 04/21 - Quality Account

The Chief Nurse & Quality Officer presented the 2021/22 Quality Account, including the progress made to deliver the quality priorities. Areas of challenge during the year were focussed around staffing and the programme of work to recruit and retain staff was outlined. 

The meeting noted that Improvement Management Groups, had been implemented in areas across the Trust, to ensure required support was in place to enable improvements at pace. This supported learning across the organisation through the development and delivery of its improvement plans.

There had been a strong focus on patient safety, clinical effectiveness, patient experience and feedback.

The meeting noted a number of initiatives that had been implemented that include:

  • Initial Response Service (IRS) and Street Triage rolled out across Pennine, Central & West;
  • Establishment of Mental Health Transformation Board;
  • Developed foundation for strengthened community rehabilitation services across the Trust footprint;
  • Continued development of the Learning Disability Intensive Support team and securing of funding for community facing LD and Autism teams;
  • Working with system partners and people with lived experience, all-age system strategies for Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and Autism.

The Chief Nurse and Quality Officer thanked all the staff at the Trust on behalf of the Board for the improvements and the quality focus which they have had in the last year.

AMM 05/21 - Financial accounts 2021/22

The Interim Chief Finance Officer presented the Annual Accounts for 2021/22 noting that Covid-19 had impacted significantly on the financial position. 

The Trust was asked to stand down efficiency savings in order to concentrate effort on the response to Covid-19 and later the delivery of the vaccination. The Trust had achieved its revenue control total, liquidity and capital control total, but not its cost improvement programme. Although the Use of Resources matrix was not a requirement the Trust had continued to report against it internally. The collaborative working with the system to deliver control totals was outlined.

Overall, the Trust had delivered a surplus of £0.1m excluding impairments, with top up funding of £5.9m. The Covid expenditure was presented, £19.7m was spent by the Trust in dealing with Covid with an additional £10.8m spent on vaccination centres. In relation to capital expenditure the Trust invested heavily in infrastructure to make sure that premises were fit for purpose. The capital spend for 2021/22 was £31.6m. In relation to cash and liquidity, the Trust maintained its strong capital position and for 2021/22 was £57.6m. The Trusts agency usage spend for 2021/2 was £13.6m, with a £26.9 spend for Out of Area Placements (OAPs).

Whilst the cash position displayed a positive picture, the Chief Finance Officer noted the importance of the Trust maintaining a good cash position.

The Trust faced a number of challenges that included, changes to commissioning, a system deficit, increased efficiency targets, recovery of suppressed activity, a new operating framework and an increased pressure on beds and OAPs.

The meeting noted the ‘going concern’ statement made by the Trust, in preparing its accounts, following its definition adopted by HM Treasury’s Financial Reporting Manual.

AMM 06/21 - External auditor's annual report

The Trust’s external auditors, KPMG presented the external audit report for 2021/22 and highlighted that the areas for consideration included financial statements and value for money.

The audit findings for financial statements were highlighted which included one material error relating to gross/net accounting for income, along with two medium priority recommendations raised in respect of the disclosure of senior manager remuneration and enhancing controls over the year end valuation of the Trust’s estate.

An unqualified audit opinion had been issued in respect of audit findings.

In respect of value for money, no significant weaknesses had been identified and the external auditors were satisfied that appropriate arrangements are in place.  

The key areas for consideration for 2022/23 were highlighted.

AMM 07/21 - Council of Governors elections and engagements

The Lead Governor presented an update on the 2022 Governor Elections and the timeline and vacancies were presented. There were eight Public Governor and one staff Governor vacancies.

The meeting noted the work being undertaken for the delivery of the Membership & Engagement Strategy that was due to be launched later in the year. .

Members noted the update provided.

AMM 08/21 - Members questions

Members were given the opportunity to raise any questions on every item.

AMM 09/21 - Closing remarks

The Trust Chair closed the meeting and thanked all of the Trust staff for their hard work during the year despite the challenges brought about by the pandemic. He thanks the Board of Directors for their dedication and continued drive to deliver improvements. 

The Trust Chair also expressed thanks to the previous Chief Executive, Caroline Donovan who had led the Trust through 2021/22, and thanks was also paid to Non-Executive Director, Louise Dickinson, who was retiring after nine years with the Trust.

The Interim Chief Executive, on behalf of the Board and Council of Governors thanked the Trust Chair, David Eva, who was also attending his last Annual Members meeting, stepping down after a six year term of office. David was presented with a small gift on behalf of his colleagues.
 

The meeting closed at 12.45pm