Arts report

Governance and administration

Governance and administration

Good governance is essential to our continued success and enables us to manage our risks appropriately, cultivate a positive working environment and culture for our people, and deliver our charitable activities in compliance with all relevant legislation.

Legal structure

Imperial Health Charity is an independent charity and a charitable company limited by guarantee. It is registered with Companies House and with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. The charity was registered as a UK charity on 1 April 2016 (no. 1166084) and as a Charitable Company on 11 February 2016 (no. 9999900). The charity’s governing document is its Memorandum and Articles of Association.

Charitable purpose and objects

The objects of Imperial Health Charity are restricted specifically to:

• any charitable purpose or purposes relating to the National Health

Service or for the general or specific purposes of the Imperial College

Healthcare NHS Trust; and

• the relief of sickness and preservation of health of people living in the UK for the public benefit. Although we are independent of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, our work focuses on enhancing and improving the quality of patient care beyond that which can be achieved by routine NHS funding and on health initiatives for the wider community.

Our work also includes focusing on opportunities to boost income through fundraising, enabling further support for our charitable activities within and beyond the Trust’s hospitals.

Governance and management

Board of Trustees

Our Board of Trustees is legally responsible for the governance, strategic planning and leadership of the charity. At the end of the year the board comprised nine trustees: six independent members and three representing Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. Under the Memorandum and Articles of Association, the chair must be one of the independent members.

Trustees are appointed as company directors for a renewable term of three years and can serve no more than three consecutive terms.

Statement of public benefit

We provide public benefit by helping to improve the quality of care and hospital experience for patients at the five hospitals of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and in the wider community of north west London. In reviewing our aims and objectives and planning future activities, our trustees have taken into account the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit and always ensure that our activities are in line with our charitable purpose and objects. ABOVE: A patient at Hammersmith Hospital's chemotherapy unit.

Trustees receive no payment for exercising their roles, but reasonable out-of-pocket expenses are paid. Trustees are sole members of the company with a guarantee of £1.

Recruitment, induction and training

Vacancies for independent trustees are advertised in the charity sector and health sector media, on our website and within the Trust’s hospitals. Suitable candidates are interviewed by a selection panel and nominations to serve as representatives of the Trust are put forward for consideration by the board.

A formal induction programme is provided for new trustees, including an information pack containing our governing document, the most recent Annual Report & Accounts, budgets, policies and minutes. All trustees are invited to attend seminars and conferences on topics relevant to their roles during their term of office.

Each trustee undertakes an individual appraisal with the chair as part of the wider board review. The objective of the appraisal process is to review each trustee’s individual contribution as well as the performance of the board as a whole.

Trustees’ responsibilities

The board meets four times a year to review activities. A number of committees have been established to assist the board in exercising its obligations:

• Arts Committee (oversees arts strategy and activities)

• Development Committee (oversees, supports and drives income generation through fundraising)

• Finance Committee (oversees financial strategy, investments, audit and risk)

• Grants Oversight Committee (oversees main grant-making activities and reviews major grant applications)

• Research Fellowships Committee (oversees the review and award of the annual research fellowship grants)

The board appoints a chief executive who is responsible for the implementation of the board’s strategy and day-to-day running of the charity’s activities, policies and procedures.