QNIS Council Decisions

QNIS Council met on Wednesday 15 February 2023

Present: Erica Reid (Acting Chair), Jan Beattie, Hazel Borland, Nicky Connor, Fiona Coutts, Rhona Hotchkiss, Robin Morton, Sian Tucker, Jane Walker, David Williams.

Apologies: Sir Paul Grice (Chair), Alan Davidson, Angie Wood.

Trustees:

• Approved a 5% cost of living payment for all staff from 1 April 2023.
• Discussed and reviewed the risk register.
• Approved the creation of a new QNIS Welfare and Wellbeing Advisory Group.
• Agreed to convene a Property Strategy short life working group.
• Approved the QNIS Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Statement.
• Thanked Robin Morton for his sustained contribution to QNIS and wished him well as he stepped down from Council at the end of the financial year.

QNIS Council met on Thursday 17 November 2022 

Present: Erica Reid (Acting Chair), Alan Davidson (Hon Treasurer), Jane Walker (Hon Secretary), Hazel Borland, Nicky Connor, Fiona Coutts, Rhona Hotchkiss, Josie Murray, David Williams, Angie Wood. 

Apologies: Sir Paul Grice (Chair), Jan Beattie, Robin Morton, Sian Tucker. 

Trustees: 

• Approved a one-off payment of £1500 for all staff to assist with the cost-of-living crisis. 

• Discussed and reviewed the risk register. 
• Approved a resolution to be taken to the AGM recommending the implementation of the refreshed Constitution with immediate effect.  
• Agreed that the Head of External Affairs, joining the team in March, should lead a review of the process of awarding QNIS Fellowships. 
• Reviewed the Business Continuity Plan. 
• Congratulated Queen’s Nurses Alison Bunce, who has been awarded UK Nurse of the Year by the RCN, and Brenda Kirk, who has been named Nurse of the Year at the Scottish Health Awards. 

Present: Sir Paul Grice (Chair), Alan Davidson (Hon Treasurer), Jane Walker (Hon Secretary), Fiona Coutts, Rhona Hotchkiss, Josie Murray, Sian Tucker, David Williams.  

Apologies: Erica Reid (Vice-Chair), Nicky Connor, Robin Morton. 

• Approved the draft annual report and accounts for presentation to the AGM in November 2022. 
• Formally approved QNIS’ refreshed statement of purpose. 
• Received updates from the short life working groups which have been convened to look at specific aspects of our governance including reviewing the Constitution and rewards and recognition for QNIS staff.  
• Approved the following recommendations of the Rewards and Recognition Short Life Working Group:

1. the methodology used 
2. the reward principles 
3. the suggested new pay scale 
4. the suggested additional benefits with an additional benefit of a paid day off each birthday 
5. the proposal that the Finance and Risk Sub-Committee makes annual recommendations to February meeting of Council around cost-of-living uplift 
6. salary for the CEND proposed by the Chair and Honorary Treasurer following review by the SLWG, job evaluation and grading 

• Received an update on governance process improvements to be considered alongside review of Constitution. 
• Approved two new senior posts – Head of Leadership Programmes and Head of External Affairs. 
• Discussed the future of the Queen’s Nurse Development Programme and gave their overwhelming support for its continuation. 
• Discussed and reviewed the risk register. 

Present: Sir Paul Grice (Chair), Erica Reid (Vice-Chair), Alan Davidson (Hon Treasurer), Nicky Connor, Fiona Coutts, Josie Murray, Sian Tucker, David Williams.

Apologies: Rhona Hotchkiss, Robin Morton, Jane Walker (Hon Secretary).

• Received updates from the short life working groups which have been convened to look at specific aspects of our governance including reviewing the Constitution and rewards and recognition for QNIS staff.
• Reviewed and discussed list of governance process improvements to be considered alongside review of Constitution.
• Agreed the updated Constitution. This will now be submitted to OSCR.
• Received the minutes of the inaugural meeting of the Board Perspective Committee.
• Agreed to initiate work to review the mechanism for the award of QNIS Fellowships.
• Reviewed and discussed operational plan and budget end of year reports 2021/2022.
• Reviewed the 2022/2023 budget.
• Discussed and reviewed the risk register.

Present: Sir Paul Grice (Chair), Linda Pollock (Vice-Chair), Alan Davidson (Hon Treasurer), Jane Walker (Hon Secretary), Fiona Coutts, Rhona Hotchkiss, Erica Reid, David Williams.

Apologies: Nicky Connor, Robin Morton, Josie Murray, Sian Tucker.

• Elected Erica Reid Vice-Chair to succeed Dr Linda Pollock who is stepping down after 8 years as a trustee.
• Agreed that necessary heating and ventilation works, funded from QNIS funds, should be carried out at Castle Terrace on health and safety grounds.
• Received updates from the short life working groups which have been convened to look at specific aspects of our governance and strategic review including reviewing the Constitution, rewards and recognition, and the organisation of the future.
• Approved a refreshed committee structure with a new mechanism for reporting HR issues to Council.
• Reviewed and discussed proposed operational plan and budget for 2022/2023.
• Reviewed quarterly budget and operational plan updates.
• Discussed and reviewed the risk register.
• Discussed the ongoing impact of COVID and agreed it should be removed as a standing item. Future COVID-related issues will be raised at Council or through short life working groups.
• Agreed QNIS should work with Queen’s Nurses to plant trees as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative.
• Paid tribute and expressed gratitude to Linda Pollock who had joined QNIS as a Trustee eight years ago and had latterly held the position of Vice-Chair.

Present: Sir Paul Grice (Chair), Linda Pollock (Vice-Chair), Alan Davidson (Hon Treasurer), Jane Walker (Hon Secretary), Jane Cantrell, Fiona Coutts, Rhona Hotchkiss, Robin Morton, Sian Tucker, David Williams.

Apologies: Erica Reid.

• Received an update from Gair Brisbane (representing Abrdn) on QNIS’ portfolio.
• Approved a draw down of c.6% of our fund in cash to develop our work over the next two to three years.
• Agreed to the formation of a Rewards and Recognition short life working group to benchmark QNIS salaries against others in the sector, to make recommendations on staff terms and conditions including a job evaluation exercise to ensure posts are fairly graded and remunerated.
• Received updates from the short life working groups which have been convened to look at specific aspects of our governance and strategic review including refreshing the Constitution and the organisation of the future.
• Undertook an annual review of the Business Continuity Plan.
• Reviewed quarterly budget and operational plan updates.
• Discussed and reviewed the risk register.
• Discussed the ongoing impact of COVID.
• Paid tribute and expressed their gratitude to Jane Cantrell who was stepping down after 13 years as a First Trustee since QNIS became a SCIO

• Approved the draft annual report and accounts for presentation to the AGM in November 2021. 
• Received updates from the short life working groups which have been convened to look at specific aspects of our governance and strategic review including welfare and research. 
• Reviewed quarterly budget and operational plan updates.
• Discussed and reviewed the risk register.
• Discussed the ongoing impact of COVID. 

• Gratefully noted a donation from Scotland’s Gardens Scheme accompanied by a letter from the Chair confirming ongoing support for QNIS and other beneficiaries. 
• Agreed Rhona Hotchkiss should chair the new Healthier Pregnancies, Better Lives Steering Group. 
• Received and discussed end of year report on the operational plan and budget for 2020/21. 
• Discussed and approved the Reserves Policy. 
• Discussed the ongoing impact of COVID. 

• Paid tribute to Sir Lewis Ritchie who was stepping down as Chair. 
• Welcomed Sir Paul Grice as new Chair. 

• Approved a statement of purpose which will be launched at the AGM in November 2021. 
• Reviewed and approved the 2021/2022 budget. 
• Approved QNIS’ safeguarding policy and appointed David Williams as trustee champion for safeguarding. 
• Discussed the ongoing impact of COVID. 

• Agreed that all staff and trustees should undertake unconscious bias training. 
• Discussed the ongoing impact of COVID and agreed that this should remain a standing agenda item. 
• Reviewed and approved the business continuity plan. 
• Thanked David Boswell who is stepping down after two terms of four years as a trustee.   

• Elected Sir Paul Grice QNIS Chair in succession to Professor Sir Lewis Ritchie. 
• Agreed the Annual Report and Accounts 2019/2020 ready for presentation at the AGM. 
• Agreed to establish a small group to look at QNIS’ future role in research. The subgroup will look at where QNIS can add value making the best use of our resources. This work will be integral to the ongoing overarching conversations about the purpose and direction of QNIS. 
• Asked that a paper detailing trustee diversity, CPD around governance and attendance should be presented to the AGM.  
• Agreed that QNIS will not award Fellowships in 2020 because of the pandemic.  

#1 Trustees agreed to extend the recruitment process for a new chair to the end of June.

#12 Trustees agreed QNAG should explore the option of a discrete Queen’s Nurse programme for care home nurses as well as a pre-Queen’s Nurse support programme for the care home sector.

#16a Trustees agreed to support the employment of an additional full-time administrator whose primary focus would be to support the QN programmes.

#16b Trustees agreed to support Jonathan Sher’s employment as Deputy Director for a further seven months until the end of March 2021.

#17 Trustees agreed that a substantive Associate Nurse Director (title to be agreed) post is advertised to start from September 2020.

#18 Council agreed that QNIS’ proactive policy priorities for 2020 should be Community Children’s Nursing (future workforce), Psychological Trauma (Toxic Stress) and Preconception Health and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD).

#19 It was agreed that, with the caveat that the 2020/21 budget is approved, QNIS would contribute up to £15k to sponsor the poetry anthology.

#21 2020/21 operational plan approved.

#22a 1.6% CoL uplift approved.

#22b 2020/21 budget approved.

#23 Trustees approved the appointment of Whitelaw Wells as auditors for 2020.

#9 Council approved trustees’ annual report and accounts subject to changes to table 4.

#14 Banking arrangements to be reviewed.

#15a Two trustee vacancies to be advertised.

#13 Trustees agreed a refurbishment budget for 32/2 Castle Terrace and that a small subgroup should be formed to make timely decisions regarding the property

#14 Community midwives should continue to be included in the remit of QNIS with the caveat that QNIS will not make a separate award of Queen’s Midwife. Any practitioner providing the majority of their care in a community setting will be eligible to apply for long-service awards.

#19a: QNIS should become a signatory to a Scottish campaign for limiting exposure to alcohol marketing for children and under-age young people.

#9 Council approved 2019/20 operational plan.

#10 Council agreed annual awards dinner should go ahead but guests should purchase all beverages except the welcome drink.

#13 Council agreed a move to twice yearly staff governance meetings.

#19 Acceptance and refusal of donations policy approved.

#9 Council approved 2019/20 operational plan.

#10 Council agreed annual awards dinner should go ahead but guests should purchase all beverages except the welcome drink.

#13 Council agreed a move to twice yearly staff governance meetings.

#19 Acceptance and refusal of donations policy approved.

#7 Council approved annual review guidance for Trustees.

#15a Funding for 2019 Queen’s Nurse programme to be underwritten from QNIS reserves if necessary.

#15b Council approved consultation with a fundraiser for advice initially.

#16 Council approved the commencement of the process to appoint a Deputy Director on a secondment basis or fixed term contract for two years.

#10 Risk will be added as a standing item to all advisory groups’ agendas to ensure any risks flagged up are captured on the Institute’s risk register.

#12 QNIS should remain coupled to EVH salary negotiations.

#13 Council approved the business continuity plan with a caveat

#13  4x salary life cover should be offered as a staff benefit to attract and retain staff. Aviva has provided the most competitive quote via our insurance brokers.

#14  QNIS will obtain a PRS licence.

#6     Annual Accounts were approved.

#12   It was agreed that QNIS would not proceed with IIP accreditation at this time.

#16  Council agreed the need for a database and approved the budget.

#5b   A Governance group for the QNIS Chair consisting of CC plus a Trustee, Ian Murray and Catriona Kennedy is sufficient at present and will be reviewed when the Observatory is more developed.

#18   Three new Fellowships have been agreed: QNIS Fellows, Associate Fellows and Honorary Fellows.  Fellowship Awards will take place at the Annual Awards Dinner in December.