Become a Governor

Amy’s experience of being a Clinical Staff Governor for LYPFT

Hello, I’m Amy, I’m a Clinical Staff Governor and have been on the Council of Governors since March 2023. I work in the Trust as Principal Dietitian. As a dietitian, I’m really passionate about the physical health inequalities experienced by many of our service users, and I also passionately believe in the role a wide range of professionals can contribute to their care.

I wanted to become a governor to bring this perspective to the table and contribute my skills. From a personal development perspective, I’ve also found that being a governor has increased my awareness and understanding of governance processes in the Trust, and I’ve had the opportunity to meet people I wouldn’t otherwise meet in my day-to-day work, including fellow staff members and executives, as well as service users, carers and other members of our community. All these things have been personally fulfilling, give me pride in my work and the Trust, and give me skills and ideas that I can bring to my day job. My line managers have been very supportive of me absorbing my duties as a governor into my working hours.

I’d advise anyone interested in becoming a governor to chat with the Corporate Governance Team, who are really friendly and helpful, or ask to meet with an existing governor who can share their experiences with you.

Peter’s experience of being a Carer Governor for LYPFT

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.