QCH Report FINAL V2 - Flipbook - Page 13
Queenscourt Hospice (Registered number 2102320)
Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31st March 2024 (continued)
Other details:
Auditors: MHA, Exchange Station, Tithebarn Street, Liverpool, L2 2QP
Bankers: National Westminster Bank Plc, 130 Lord Street, Southport, PR9 0AB
Solicitors: Hodge Halsall LLP, 2 Liverpool Road, Ainsdale, PR8 3LX
Brabners Chaffe Street LLP, Horton House, Exchange Flags, Liverpool L2 3YL
Investment CCLA Investment Management Limited. 80 Cheapside, London EC2V 6DZ
Managers: BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited. 12 Throgmorton Avenue, London,
EC2N 2DL
9.
Our Governance and Administration
We are regulated by the Care Quality Commission whose reports are published and appear on our
website. We were rated ‘Good’ in all areas when last inspected. We are measured against quality
indicators for each of our community services subcontracts. ‘I want great care’, our survey tool and
focussed discussions with patients, families help us to identify what is necessary to meet their needs.
We monitor reviews and comments from our social media for more informal feedback. We also monitor
evaluation materials from our Education Centre. For staff our anonymous feedback tool, ‘Thymometrics’
allows all staff to rate how it feels to be employed by Queenscourt and to give feedback anonymously
to the senior team. We also have Freedom to Speak Up processes embedded and a Freedom to Speak
Up Guardian in place to enable feedback from staff and volunteers.
The Board Assurance Framework (BAF) is being updated and will reinforce Queenscourt’s
subcommittee structure. Our BAF facilitates a clear process of monitoring and assurance for the Council
of Trustees, focussed on our strategic risks and measured against key performance indicators within
our strategic matrix. Our quality dashboard assists us in monitoring progress and internal scrutiny is the
remit of Integrated Governance subcommittee, which includes outside professionals and two Trustees.
Our governing documents are the Memorandum and Articles of Association which the Council keeps
under regular review. As members of the Council, we are Trustees of the Charity and Directors of the
Company. Responsibility for the management of Queenscourt is vested in the Council which meets ten
times a year. We have set up governance and administrative arrangements whereby the day to day
running of the hospice is delegated as appropriate to the Executive Directors who in turn attend Council
meetings and subcommittees to report as necessary.
A Finance subcommittee oversees the financial aspects of the charity, reviews investments and
reserves and makes recommendations to the Council. Our Strategy and Succession subcommittee
details our vision for 5 years at a time and our Business Plan is reviewed each year to ensure we have
tangible goals to monitor. This subcommittee also considers future proofing and succession. The
Visiting Group are part of our Integrated Governance subcommittee and make quarterly visits where
they talk to patients, staff, volunteers, carers and families about all aspects of their experience and
present an update report to the Council. The Risk & Health and Safety subcommittee oversees risk
management and our approach to risk is further described below.
10.
How we manage risk
We maintain a Risk Register and policies with defined review dates, to ensure that we keep all
Queenscourt’s activities under review.
We review our Risk Management Strategy annually. The Risk & Health and Safety subcommittee helps
us to oversee the risks that Queenscourt faces and monitor risk management. The subcommittee meets
at least 3 times per year.
11.
Members and the Election and Appraisal of Trustees
There are some 127 members of the Company who are former or current subscribers to Queenscourt’s
funds. An important function of the members is to elect or re-elect Trustees, one third of whom retire
each year at the Annual General Meeting. The Council can and does recommend candidates for
P a g e | 13
