PCP and LHW Governance Framework May 2021
Contracts to deliver the following local Healthwatch have been commissioned by their respective Local Authority Commissioning Teams, and are held by Pioneering Care Partnership (PCP):
- Healthwatch County Durham
- Healthwatch Middlesbrough
- Healthwatch Redcar & Cleveland
- Healthwatch Stockton-on-Tees
- Healthwatch Sunderland
This document outlines the governance framework between each local Healthwatch (LHW) and PCP; it is for guidance and does not represent a legal contract.
For ease of reference, the acronym ‘LHW’ within this document will refer to all five teams listed above. The term ‘Board’ within this document always refers to the LHW Board.
As contract holder, PCP has corporate legal responsibility for the delivery of each local Healthwatch contract and for the achievement of the Key Performance Indicators agreed with the local authority issuing the contract.
To support PCP in delivery of the Healthwatch contract, each LHW has a Board consisting of volunteers and lay people, which has delegated authority for decision making, and the setting and delivery of the Healthwatch workplans within their local authority areas. The LHW board members do not have Trustee status.
The purpose of this document is to explain how each of the LHW Boards will operate with the contract holder, PCP, and provide assurance that each LHW meets its obligations to operate as an independent consumer champion for publicly funded Health and Social Care on behalf of the population it serves.
