Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Cheshire East Borough Solicitor on appointing a co-opted member onto the Joint Committee.

The Committee considered a report on the appointment of a co-opted Member. 

The Committee’s Procedure Rules provided for the Committee to “co-opt other appropriate individuals, in a non voting capacity, to the Committee or for the duration of a particular review or scrutiny”.  The Committee had previously considered co-option and had agreed that further discussions should taken place with officers of CWP, through the mid point meeting, regarding Service User and Carers representation.

The mid point meeting in September discussed the matter and expressed a preference for a service user rather than a carer to take up a co-opted place.  CWP would be happy to progress this by contacting the patient members of the Patients and Public Involvement (PPI) Group to seek volunteers interested in taking up a co-opted place.   If a number of volunteers came forward, the PPI Task Force would be invited to assess the applications so as to put forward one person to serve as a co-opted member of the Committee together with one named substitute.  A co-opted member would not have voting rights.  In accordance with the National Code of Conduct for Members, the co-opted member would not be able to be a Member of the CWP Foundation Trust Board.  This process could be carried out during autumn with the formal appointment being made at the next meeting on 10 January.

RESOLVED:  That approval be given to the procedure set out in the report to appoint one non-voting co-opted Member and one named substitute onto the Committee to represent the interests of service users.