Hi, I’m Jim Aleander, Lead Governor for the Trust. As the governor election for the Trust gets underway, I would like to introduce myself and say a little bit about the governor role.
I was delighted to be elected as a public governor for the Nottinghamshire County constituency in May 2019. I then became Lead Governor in Spring 2020 after an election within the Council of Governors.
My background is in the education sector (in my professional life I have been a Principal of Colleges of Further Education and served as a National Leader of Governance in that sector), so there has been much to learn about the Trust and the world of NHS governance. This Foundation Trust provides a complex set of highly skilled and professional services across a range of health needs covering a wide geography. It is at its best when listening to patients, carers and staff, then tailoring its services most effectively.
As governors, I believe our most important contribution is to represent patients and members to the best of our ability. The Trust provides us with opportunities to engage with services, ask questions and contribute to its plans and direction. Clearly this has had to scaled back during the pandemic, with meetings online rather than in person, but we hope to resume full engagement again soon. We still contribute though, albeit differently, and in October governors took part in virtual interviews and appointed two new Non-Executive Directors for the Trust.
I would strongly encourage anyone to apply to be a governor if they believe they have a contribution to make. It is a very worthwhile and valued role. The Trust welcomes our insights and the varied mix of skills and perspectives that we bring collectively. We have the privilege of working closely with the Trust Board, gaining understanding of how the Trust operates, and being involved in decision making to support improvements, developments and the strategic direction of the Trust.
There are no specialist skills or experience required to be a governor and we are from all walks of life. In fact, the more diverse a Council, the better!
To nominate yourself to be a governor go to www.cesvotes.com/NottsHealth2021
If you would like to know more, you can email governors@nottshc.nhs.uk or click here to view our webpage. You can also follow us on twitter @nottsgovernors