Minutes of the VSS Health & Wellbeing Committee Meeting 9
Tuesday 19th May 2020
Remote via Zoom
HWB Committee Members Present:
Beverley Clarke (BC) VSS Board Member & Committee Chair
Patricia Haren (PH) VSS Board Member
VSS Officers in Attendance
Margaret Bateson (MB) VSS CEO
Rachael McConnell (RMcC) VSS HWB Case Manager
Emma Dargan (ED) VSS Programmes Manager
Aongus O’Keeffe (AOK) VSS HWB Programme Manager
BC welcomed everybody to the first HWB Committee meeting held remotely by video conference.
Minutes of the meeting held on 18 February 2020 were agreed and adopted.
Outstanding action points from the previous meeting were discussed and reviewed.
18.02.20:
AP2 Access NI Policy
Draft policy has been prepared. The CEO has asked that it is reviewed in line legislation/guidelines for conflict related convictions before being finalised.
AP3 & 4 Committee Effectiveness & Governance
Committee effectiveness and committee governance training was due to take place at the end of March. Postponed due to Covid-19. Committee to liaise with VSS Head of Corporate Services regarding reschedule dates.
AP5 Independent HWB Committee Member
HWB Committee gap to be filled through recruitment of an independent member for a temporary period. To be undertaken as a procurement exercise with criteria to be agreed by existing Committee members. Should invite 3-4 candidates with the relevant clinical experience and expertise. To be finalised and issued in September 2020.
AP6 Committee Membership
Committee to reconsider this in October given the current circumstances. For review at Sept 2020 meeting.
Independent Clinical Governance Review approved by Committee.
Draft Guidance Note on Clinical Governance for Supported Organisations approved by Committee.
AP1 Training to be arranged for all Committee members when new member recruited.
AP2 Need to look at adapting Safeguarding policies to reflect the risk to staff and clients
MB provided an update that there had been no real progress on the RTN due to pressures relating to covid-19 in the department of health. A meeting with VSS funded organisations will be arranged to agree next steps.
Safeguarding: No new cases reported.
Serious Adverse Incidents: No cases to report to date in 2020/21.
Client Risk: No cases added to date.
Unacceptable Behaviour: No clients or members of the public listed on the register in 2020/21.
Challenging Engagements with VSS Clients: VSS is monitoring data on the volume of challenging engagements, which will be used to inform VSS staff thresholds for unacceptable behaviour, but also to establish repeat patterns of negative behaviour towards VSS staff and the impact this has. This is monitored monthly by VSS management, and the Committee will be kept informed.
HWB Case Manager has drafted Domestic Abuse guidance which is currently under review.
Training & Development: Funding and participation information provided to the committee, in relation to the Workforce Training & Development Plan.
As at 01 May 2020, a total of 1,413 places have been attended equating to 541 unique participants across 95 training events/courses arranged by the VSS Programmes Team. All apart from two VSS funded organisations have participated in training to date.
MB overseeing the Health & Wellbeing function in the absence of HHWB until HIA support / services permanently under VSS. Some SMT restructure to assign additional duties to AW temporarily as Head of Operations.
Guide developed to support staff working from home during Covid-19 crisis.
For reschedule to September meeting.
AP3 AOK to draft and share with Committee Chair for review.
The date of the next meeting is scheduled for 9th September 2020.