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Context
The Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration and the Health Service Commissioner for England are statutory appointments, which have always been held jointly by the same person. The post is known as Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (the Ombudsman).
The Ombudsman has sole responsibility and accountability for all the work of her Office and the decisions that it takes. In line with her statutory authority she is, accordingly, the Chair, Chief Executive and Accounting Officer of the Office of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO). She reports annually to Parliament on the discharge of her functions, on the standards of service provided to complainants and the use of public funds.
To enhance the governance of PHSO, improve the transparency with which it operates and bolster the independence of the role, the Ombudsman has appointed a non-statutory PHSO Advisory Board, comprising external members and herself as Chair.
Role of the PHSO Advisory Board
The role of the PHSO Advisory Board is to act as a ‘critical friend’ and provide support and advice to the Ombudsman in providing leadership and good governance of PHSO, as set out in the PHSO’s Governance Statement, and to bring an external perspective to assist in the development of policy and practice. The PHSO Advisory Board provides specific advice and support to the Ombudsman on:
- purpose, vision and values;
- strategic direction, and planning ;
- accountability to stakeholders, including stewardship of public funds; and
- internal control and risk management arrangements.
The PHSO Advisory Board has no role in casework processes or decisions.
Responsibilities
The Board’s responsibilities are:
i.
To assist the Ombudsman in establishing:
- organisational aim and purpose;
- ethics and values;
- governance arrangements, including any sub-committee terms of reference;
- strategic direction;
- strategic priorities, objectives and targets;
- key business policies;
- key employment strategies and policies;
ii. To scrutinise and assure:
- Strategic and Corporate Plans;
- funding submissions to the Treasury;
- high level budget allocation;
- resource accounts;
- any major capital investment/contracts (over £1million).
iii. To monitor and review:
- risk and internal control;
- operational performance and delivery;
- financial performance;
- effectiveness of employment strategies and policies;
- diversity and equal opportunities issues;
- external communication strategies and stakeholder relations;
- health & safety, security and business continuity.
Membership
Membership will comprise:
- Ombudsman (Chair, Chief Executive and Accounting Officer)
- Four external members (one of whom shall be from another Ombudsman office; and the others shall be external appointees who offer specific skills and experience sought by the Ombudsman).
Executive Board members are not formally members of the PHSO Advisory Board but will be in attendance at its meetings.
Meetings
Meetings will be held six times a year, four of which will be timed to enable consideration of the Quarterly Performance Reports, and two of which will be timed to enable consideration of more strategic issues, and to include briefing sessions on developments externally and internally. A quorum shall be a minimum of three members, one of whom shall be the Ombudsman.
Minutes will be taken by the Ombudsman’s Executive Assistant and, following approval at the next Board meeting, will be published as decided by the Ombudsman.
Sub-committees
The PHSO Advisory Board will be supported by two sub-committees:
The terms of reference of these Committees will be published as decided by the Ombudsman.
Review of PHSO Advisory Board Terms of Reference
The PHSO Advisory Board Terms of Reference will be reviewed on a biannual basis from March 2007.
March 2007
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