LYPFT Governor Case Studies - Peter Ongley

Peter is a Carer Governor at the Trust, learn more about the role.

Hello, I’m Peter! I’m a Carer Governor and have been on the Council of Governors since March 2023. I enjoy hill walking, reading, music, theatre, church, and meeting up with family and friends. I’m married to my wife, Joan, and we are both retired. We have two grown up children. Our daughter is married with two children: Harry is now at university and Grace is in her first year of sixth form. Our son has cerebral palsy and lives in a care home but suffers from mental health issues and requires regular support from my wife and me.

I became a governor due to my son having mental health issues for many years and as a direct result of the difficulties incurred when trying to get help for my son when he is suffering a mental health crisis. My vision is that the Trust can learn from governor experiences and improve services to all service users.

One of the roles of a governor is to ensure the general public have means to communicate their views directly to the Board of Directors. This is done through our Council of Governors meetings. I have really enjoyed having the opportunity to meet Board members, managers, staff and other governors, and being able to share my experiences of using the Trust.

Since becoming a governor, I have had the opportunity to visit various service areas, including the Acute Liaison Psychiatry Service, the Gender Identity Service and the Forensic Service. I have been able to observe board and committee meetings and have found attending these meetings has given me an excellent understanding how the Trust operates and the important role of non-executive directors in holding the board to account. I have also received training and attended governor events ran by NHS Providers that has helped me to become a more effective governor.

I would highly recommend becoming a governor as it gives you an opportunity to understand how the Trust works and provide input into improving services. My advice for new governors is to be prepared to listen and learn, but don’t be frightened to provide your input at meetings as to how the Trust is being run.