Minutes of the VSS Board Meeting No 100

Board Meeting Type: Strategic Board Meeting      

Thursday 7 December 2023 12:00PM

MS Teams – Remote

Board Members Present:

Oliver Wilkinson (OW)                  Chair

Patricia Haren (PH)                      Board Member

Sandra Horley (SH)                      Board Member

Catriona MacArthur (CMA)           Board Member

Brian Gilfedder (BG)                    Board Member

VSS Officers in Attendance:

Andrew Walker (AW) Chief Executive Officer

Tara Lewsley (TL)                        Head of Corporate Services         

Emma Dargan (ED)                      Acting Head of Service Development

Melissa McCartan (MM)                Business Support Officer (minutes)

A      Apologies

Apologies received from John Cahill, Board Member and Nicola Nugent, Head of Health and Wellbeing.

B      Minutes of Previous Meeting

The minutes of the previous meeting on 23 November 2023 were approved. 

C      Conflict of Interest

Chair asked all present to consider and declare any conflicts of interest.  No conflicts of interest were declared.

D      Approval of Annual Report and Accounts for year ended 31 March 2023

Following recommendation from the Audit & Risk Committee (who met on 7 December AM to consider the outcome of the audit process in more detail), the audited Annual Report & Accounts for the year ended 31^st March 2023 were presented to the Board for approval. 

The Board received a short summary of the types of recommendations made within the NIAO Report to Those Charged with Governance, which concluded an unqualified audit opinion, without modification.  Full consideration of the findings and recommendations will take place within the Audit & Risk Committee, and Management Responses will be provided and scrutinised in January 2024.

The Board approved the Annual Report & Accounts for signature for onward submission to NIAO for certification, and subsequent filing with Companies House and laying at NI Assembly.

The Board thanked and commended all VSS staff involved in reaching this stage.

E      AOB

BG requested an update on a recent journalistic inquiry which has now been addressed and noted.

The Board noted that TEO has launched a public consultation on the new Strategy for Victims and Survivors. It was highlighted that VSS has been closely involved in the Co-Design of the new Strategy, along with CVS and community partners, and are therefore not required to submit a formal response to the consultation. 

The Chair wished all in attendance a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Date of Next Meeting

The next meeting of the Board is scheduled to take place on Thursday 25 January 2024.

Meeting closed at 12:30pm.