There are three main reasons why we think it is a good idea to become a Foundation Trust:

• More public involvement and influence in the Trust
• Increased ability to provide the services specifically needed by local communities
• Better financial stability and local control

The people who use our services and the local population can become members and be more involved in commenting on our plans to change and improve services. Decisions will be taken locally, which means that we can tailor our services to meet local needs.

Becoming a Foundation Trust does not in itself provide any extra money. However, if we are financially successful there are additional freedoms that can benefit services. These include being free to innovate in how resources are used and keeping any financial surpluses to invest in service improvements. There is also a wider range of options for funding for new buildings, so they can become a reality more quickly.

Consultation outcomes

We had a consultation about becoming a NHS Foundation Trust, which ran from August to October 2008 and we were overwhelmed with the number of positive responses from a wide range of individuals, communities and organisations.

Using the feedback gathered, we have made some adjustments to the structure of the Council of Governors, namely:

Most people were in favour of “out of area” membership representation (for people living outside Leicester, Leicestershire or Rutland) and so there    will now be a governor to represent the out of area members

It was also clear that most people wanted a governor to represent people with a learning disability and also a governor to represent our younger service users (aged 14 to 24)

It was agreed to keep the minimum age of members to 14 and to 16 for governors because we felt that as we provide services for people of all ages, it is important to ensure that their voices and experiences are heard and that they too can help shape the future of the Trust

The role of members

We value our members and their contributions to help us change mental health and learning disability services for the better. Being a member does not need to take up a lot of time. Members can choose how involved they want to be and some of the options are:

• To receive regular newsletters about LPT’s activities
• To be involved in specific issues that are of particular interest
• To be consulted about our future plans for services
• To vote in elections for the council of governors
• To stand for election as a governor

The role of governers

Members can stand for election as a governor and may be elected by fellow members to sit on the Council of Governors. The way the Council will be made up in shown in the diagram below. The Council of Governors has three main roles:

• To advise LPT on the needs of the local community
• To ensure that LPT carries out its plans
• To influence how LPT develops in the future

We are on course to become a NHS Foundation Trust by 2010

The application process for any Trust to become a NHS Foundation Trust is very demanding so we are thrilled that a recent independent review concluded we are on schedule with our application process.

We continue to refine our strategic and financial plans for the next 5 years, which will form the main part of our application – first to the regional NHS East Midlands, then to the Department of Health and finally to the external body called Monitor, which is responsible for authorising, monitoring and regulating NHS Foundation Trusts.

In summary, we have a lot of work to do but we have made great progress and are on course to achieve our target of becoming an authorised NHS Foundation Trust.

(Taken from May 2009 edition)