Governance Information

The NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB is established by an order made by NHS England under new section 14Z25 of the NHS Act 2006. The statutory process for establishment required NHS England to first publish details of the area served by the ICB, together with a Constitution proposed by the predecessor CCGs. These actions have been completed.

The ICB is required to maintain and publish a Constitution (and Standing Orders) that set out its membership and the formal means and processes through which it is governed. Both documents have been approved by NHS England. They have also been developed so as to reflect the intended diverse and inclusive working arrangements of the ICB. A copy of the Constitution (and Standing Orders) is available here.

To support the Constitution, the ICB has established a Governance Handbook, approved by the ICB Board on 1^st July 2022, which sets out our governance structures and arrangements, including respective terms of reference, decision making powers and membership. The Governance Handbook brings together a wide range of documents that support our Constitution and our commitment to the principles of good governance. It builds on our existing collaborative work to establish more robust mutual accountability and break down barriers between our separate organisations. A copy of the Governance Handbook is available here.

The key elements of our governance handbook include:

• A summary of the ICBs Governance Structure;
• Our decision making (including a Functions and Decisions Map offering a guide to the decision making and accountability arrangements within the ICB and between the ICB and its wider partners within the Integrated Care System);
• Scheme of Reservation and Delegation (SoRD) which provides the ICB with powers to delegate its functions to certain bodies (such as committees or collaboratives) and certain persons;
• Operational Scheme of Delegation (OSD) which is a supporting document to the ICB’s Scheme of Reservation and Delegation and Standing Financial Instructions and provides operational guidance on the ICB delegation framework for all staff including interim or agency staff who work for the ICB;
• Standing Financial Instructions (SFIs) – these form part of the ICB’s control environment for managing the organisation’s financial affairs. They contribute to good corporate governance, internal control and managing risks. They enable sound administration, lessen the risk of irregularities and support commissioning and delivery of effective, efficient and economical services;
• Terms of Reference of Statutory and Non-Statutory Committees, specifically the:
  • Audit Committee
  • Remuneration Committee
  • Quality Committee
  • Place Committees covering:
    • East Riding of Yorkshire
    • Hull
    • North Lincolnshire
    • North East Lincolnshire
    • North Yorkshire
    • York

Governance Policies

The ICB has established a suite of mandated documents and policies as an essential part of the safe and effective operation of the Integrated Care Board as a statutory NHS body. Each of the policies and documents supplements the ICB Constitution and supports the ICB’s accountability as a public body. These include:

• Code of Conduct and Behaviours (Standards of Business Conduct Policy) – this policy sets out the principles of good business conduct, including the Nolan standards of public life, along with specific information on a variety of issues including the reporting of gifts and hospitality and the reporting of suspected fraud.
• Conflicts of Interest Policy and Procedures – this policy sets out the ICB’s approach to conflict of interest (CoI) management, which is fully consistent with NHS England’s requirements for CoI management.
• Policy for Public Involvement and Engagement – this policy sets out the means through which the ICB will meet its duties to engage and consult with local communities.
• Whistleblowing (Freedom to Speak Up) Policy – this policy supports staff in being able to speak up and sets out the ICB’s commitment to an open and honest culture in which staff feel safe and supported to raise concerns and gives guidance and advice on raising a concern. Note this Policy is based on the National Guidance however it is an interim position as there will be changes to some of the contact details and additional appendices added in the first 6 months following establishment.

The ICB has adopted legacy CCG Policies, as appropriate, on an interim basis.

Accountability

The ICB remains accountable to NHS England for the maintenance of and compliance to its Constitution. NHS England will carry out an annual assessment of the board’s performance and will publish a report summarising its assessment. NHS England has powers to intervene if it is satisfied that the ICB is failing to discharge any of its functions.