Composition

Role and purpose

The Commitee is established to manage, monitor and review the charitable funds of the Trust, as required by the Charities Act 2011. The Commitee will work in accordance with relevant guidance published by the Charities Commission and/or the Department of Health.

The Trust is Corporate Trustee of charitable funds registered together under charity registration 1122470 and the Commitee is appointed as the Trust’s agent in accordance with s16 of the NHS Trusts (Membership and Procedures) Regulations 1990.

The Chair of the Commitee will provide a 3A assurance report to the Board of Directors/Corporate Trustee after each meeting. The Board will use that report as the basis for their decisions but would remain accountable for taking the decision. Minutes of the meetings of the Board of Directors/Corporate Trustee will record such decisions.

Membership

Three Non-Executive Directors, one of whom shall be appointed Chair and one of whom shall have appropriate financial qualifications or experience.

• Director of Finance
• Director of Corporate Affairs
• Chief Operating Officer/Deputy Chief Executive
• Director of People

The following officer shall be invited to atend meetings of the Commitee in an advisory capacity when agenda items require them to be present. They are not routinely required to atend:

• Head of Technical Accounts
• Head of Charity
• Fundraising Manager

There is an expectation that members will endeavour to atend all scheduled Commitee meetings.

In the event that the Chair of the Commitee is unable to atend a meeting, the Non-Executive Director members shall appoint one of their numbers to be Chair for that meeting.

Other Officers of the Trust shall atend at the request of the Commitee to present and provide clarification on agenda items and with the consent of the Chair will be permitted to participate in the debate.

Quoracy

The quorum necessary for the transaction of Commitee business shall be four, which is to include two Non-Executive Directors and two Executive Directors. A duly convened meeting of the Commitee at which a quorum is present shall be competent to exercise all or any of the powers exercisable by the Commitee.

Other officers of the trust shall atend at the request of the Commitee in order to present and provide clarification on agenda items.

Meeting frequency

The group will meet on a quarterly basis.

Meeting support

The Commitee will be supported administratively by a member of the Corporate Governance Team, who will agree the agenda with the Chair, collate the papers and produce minutes from the meeting within 48 hours of the meeting.

Remit of the group

The Commitee will:

• review the establishment and maintenance of an effective system of governance, risk management and internal control, across the whole of the charity’s activities that support the achievement of the charity’s objectives.
• provide reports to the corporate trustee to provide assurance that the charity is properly governed and well managed across the full range of activities.

Assurance

The Commitee shall:

• ensure effective management of the affairs of the North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust Charitable Fund within the terms of its declaration of trust and appropriate legislation and ensure statutory compliance with the Charity Commission regulations;
• ensure systems and processes are in place to receive, account for, deploy and invest where appropriate charitable funds in accordance with charity law to include the effective implementation of procedures and policies to ensure fund holders and staff appropriately receive funds and access funds.
• scrutinise requests for use of charitable funds (in accordance with the Scheme of Delegation) to ensure that any such use is in accordance with the aims and purposes of any charitable fund or donation and are clinically and ethically appropriate. Committee members will bear due diligence to Charity Commission and trust guidance regarding the ethical use of funds and acceptance of donations.
• shall receive and approve income and expenditure statements;
• shall receive and consider the annual report and accounts, before submission to the Board of Directors for approval.

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