1. Our Constitution
Health Education North Central and East London (V.14)

2. Contents Our Geography 2 Introduction 3 Our Mission 4 Our Vision 5
Operating Model and Governance Structure
Business Management and Governance
Financial Management and Governance
Quality Management and Governance
Standards of Conducts and Conflicts of Interest
Freedom of Information
A commitment to Equality and Diversity and the NHS Constitution 14
Appendix 1 – Terms of Reference HE NCEL Board
Appendix 2 – Terms of Reference Members and Stakeholder Council 17
Appendix 3 – Terms of Reference Quality Committee 19
Glossary

3. Our Geography

4. Introduction
Health Education North Central and East London (HE NCEL), the Local Education and Training Board have responsibility for training the next generation of doctors, dentists, nurses and all health professionals who work in the 13 boroughs that make up our area of London (Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Camden, City of London, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Havering, Islington, Newham, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest).
We are part of a national organisation – Health Education England (HEE) – that has oversight of training and educating the healthcare workforce.
Our objective is to ensure that we have compassionate, knowledgeable and highly skilled people who have the education and training they need to keep our population of 3.1 million people well and deliver the best possible clinical outcomes for patients.
In practice, this means that we hold the healthcare education budget for this part of London and will commission places on training programmes and courses as well as placements for students and trainees within hospitals, GP practices, health centres and other healthcare settings.
This paper and supporting documents set out the current Constitution for HE NCEL. It sets out the role, purpose and governance of the LETB as a committee of HEE.

5. Our Mission
To deliver excellence in multi-disciplinary education, training and workforce development in response to current and future needs in order to provide the best possible outcomes and experiences for patients and people.

6. Our Vision Our vision is to: In conducting our business, we will
Focus on what really matters and minimise bureaucracy
Our vision is to:
Work in partnership with the local health community to identify and agree local priorities for education and training.
Ensure the supply of compassionate, knowledgeable and highly skilled people to provide health and public health services which connect to social care provision.
Plan and commission excellence in education and training on behalf of the local health community to ensure sustainable, high quality service provision and health improvement.
Be a forum for developing excellence across the whole health and public health
Put our members at the heart of decision-making
Seek consensus wherever possible
Be open and transparent
Be lean and efficient

7. Operating Model and Governance Structure
HE NCEL Board: is small and skills-based and represents our different constituencies. This includes patient, public health and student representatives Terms of Reference can be found at Appendix 1.
Members and Stakeholder Council: meets every six months and is open to stakeholders across the area. The meetings enable engagement and feedback from our stakeholders in relation to workforce commissioning and business plan. Terms of Reference can be found at Appendix 2.
The Quality Committee, which reports directly to the Board, assures the Board that all education commissioned demonstrates continuous improvement in educational outcomes and compliance with the standards as defined by professional regulators. HE NCEL seeks to improve the outcomes year on year, chaired by a member of our Board. Terms of reference can be found at Appendices 3 and 4.
A number of Advisory Groups set up to lead decision making and strategic direction in key areas such as primary care. These groups are multi-professional (where appropriate) and representative of a full range or organisations, sectors and members to ensure a system-wide approach to decision-making.
We manage London-wide services (facilities, quality, libraries, and leadership) for other London LETBs and vice versa with relevant SLAs in place to support this.

8. Operating Model and Governance Structure
This is made up of the following components:

9. Business Management and Governance
A Performance Report is taken to the Board on a bi-monthly basis and published on our website. The report provides and update and reassurance to the Board (some areas are reported to HEE) and includes:
Strategic risks
Progress against annual business plan (including mandate priorities)
Finance (forecast over/underspend against allocation)
Engagement
Governance (FOIs, media enquires)
Valuing people (attendance rates, retention rates)
Quality (student feedback, attrition rates)
Risks and Issues are reported to the Board (as above) via the performance report. A monthly process is in place with updates and assurance given by HE NCEL Senior Management Team, with key risks escalated to HEE as per their policy.
Annually HE NCEL will publish on the website an updated version of the 5-Year Workforce Skills and Development Strategy; Annual Business Plan and Annual Report, which would have been to the Members and Stakeholder Council and the Board for their input.

10. Financial Management and Governance
The HE NCEL Board has formally adopted HEE Standing Orders; HEE Standing Financial Instructions and the HEE Scheme of Delegation.
Finance follows all Health Education England financial procedures.
Staff are clear on how to report Fraud with key individuals attending relevant training.
All staff complete the mandatory Information Governance training with any data breaches escalated to IT (awaiting policy from HEE).
Business Continuity aligned to the University of London’s policy and localised into business as usual for the LETB, with one scenario day per year to ensure robustness of plan.

11. Quality Management and Governance
Diagram A: HE NCEL is focusing on delivering the Quality Strategy until This includes:
The Quality Strategy is in place to enhance professional education through robust, developmental and multi-professional education systems (see diagram A for included areas).
Our Board made a commitment to support the Education Outcomes Framework which directly links to our strategy around education and learning improvements in patients’ outcomes, with further details that can be found here: From Design to Delivery
The Quality Committee assures the Board of appropriate quality of commissioning and education outcomes are being monitored, maintained and improved by HE NCEL. (See Appendix 4 for Terms for Reference)
Developing multi-professional education and training mechanism
Increasing the learner voice within education and training
Improving the quality enhancement capabilities of learners
Being smarter in our use of training and development intelligence
Understanding how ‘fit for practice’ our learners are upon completion of their training

12. Standards of Conducts and Conflicts of Interest
The HE NCEL Board has formally adopted the HEE Code of Conducts for NHS Boards (including the Code of Accountability for NHS Boards). These put Accountability, Probity and Openness at the heart of the LETB. In addition, we have formally endorsed the Nolan Principles of Public Life.
The HE NCEL Board has also formally adopted the HEE Conflicts of Interest Policy, owing to the importance of managing such conflicts in light of the fact that members of the LETB include providers of NHS commissioned services and Higher Education Institutes, both of whom receive HEE (via the LETB) funding.
HE NCEL maintain a register of interests which is open to public inspection and published in the NCEL website annually. The register contains any interests that may produce a real or perceived conflict of interest for any member of the Board and will be updated on a rolling basis. Any members of the Board are asked to declare a conflict:
On appointment
At each Board meeting
As changes occur
Actions will be taken depending on the conflict in question: conflict declared but participant continues to partake in the discussion; participant declares conflict and abstains from discussion; in an extreme case the participant resigns from the Board.

13. Freedom of Information
Who we are and what we do: organisational information, locations, contacts, constitutional and legal governance
What funding we receive and how we spend it: our Annual Business Plan and financial information relating to our income and expenditure
What are priorities are and how we are doing: Our 5-Year Workforce Skills and Development Strategy, our Business Objectives and our in-year performance
How we make decisions: Decision making processes, internal criteria and procedures and consultation; to include publication of minutes if our Board
Our policies and procedures: current written protocols for delivering our functions and responsibilities
Lists and Registers: information held in registers required by law and/or standards or public organisations
Our work: information on our functions and activities
Diagram B: How we proactively share information with our stakeholders:
HE NCEL fully complies with the approach of HEE in making information freely available to the public about the business that the LETB undertakes and ensures compliance with the Freedom of Information Act.
We are fully committed to operating as an open and transparent organisation. See Diagram B on how we’ll proactively share with our members.
We have and maintain a Stakeholder Engagement and Communications Strategy that sets our various means through which we will proactively seek to share information about its business.

14. A commitment to Equality and Diversity and the NHS Constitution
HE NCEL will embed equality and diversity into business as usual through:
The NHS Constitution
The NHS Constitution was published and adopted by the Government in 2009, following extensive consultation. The NHS constitution establishes the principles and values of the NHS in England. It sets out the rights to which staff and patients are entitled and pledges what the NHS is committed to achieve, together with the responsibilities, which public, patients and staff owe to one another to ensure that the NHS operates fairly and effectively.
The HE NCEL Board made a commitment to upholding the NHS Constitution in undertaking its business.
Equality Impact Assessments – programme of this across NCEL for all projects
Work streams – to demonstrate how equality and diversity is considered
Mandatory training – in equality and diversity complete for all staff

15. Appendix 1 – Terms of Reference HE NCEL Board
Overall aim and purpose: To deliver excellence in multi-disciplinary education, training and workforce development in response to current and future needs in order to provide the best possible outcomes and experiences for patients and people. Ensure effective and efficient investment of education funds, to ensure security of supply of the workforce for North Central and East London, acting within the NHS Constitution at all times.
To develop, scrutinise and approve annual investment, budget plans and strategies
To scrutinise and approve annual commissioning and education plans
To ensure the LETB delivers within the HEE governance framework and is compliant with all relevant rules and regulations.
To ensure inclusion of local stakeholders’ interests through the Board’s Sub-Committees and Advisory Groups
To ensure local input and that all investment plans are locally driven
To ensure good governance and compliance with relevant, guidelines, rules and regulations
To scrutinise and approve quality and performance of education and placement outcomes including the Education Outcomes Framework
To scrutinise and approve the annual reports and accounts
Key responsibilities and scope

16. Appendix 1 – Terms of Reference HE NCEL Board (cont.)
Chair and nomination
Independent Chair – nationally appointed
Members and nomination:
The Board Membership will consist of the Independent Chair and the mandated executive members. Board Membership will collectively form the Board responsible for discharging LETB duties. Local Healthcare providers must be in the majority and the recommendation is that they make up to two-thirds of members. Local healthcare provider representatives should be drawn from primary, secondary and community care to represent the full range of local health services. Board membership should include representatives from the education sector..
Attendees:
The Board meetings will be in public. There may, however, be items on the agenda which may be deemed by the Chair to be necessary to be held in private. Other attendees may be invited to attend as and when required.
Responsible to:
The Board will be directly accountable to HEE and is bound to HEE’s Standing Financial Instructions, Standing Orders, Schedules of Delegation and all other policies as appropriate.
Supported by:
Advisory Groups, Committees, Members and Stakeholders Council
Frequency of meetings:
A minimum of one meeting per quarter to include meetings held in January and September in line with the annual business cycle..
Agenda, papers, minutes:
Agendas will, wherever possible, be circulated five working days before each meeting. Other items deemed to be urgent will need to be approved by the Chair to be included in the agenda.
Agenda, Minutes and all papers are subject to the Freedom of Information Act and will be made public on the HE NCEL Website..
Quorum:
A 2:1 Provider to Others split will apply.
Declaration of interests:
The standing HE NCEL policy and process as agreed by the Board shall apply
Lifespan:
The purpose, responsibilities and membership of this Committee shall be reviewed at least annually to ensure that the Terms of Reference reflect changing demands and strategy

17. Appendix 2 – Terms of Reference Members and Stakeholder Council
Overall aim and purpose: To ensure a transparent process to engagement and representation from across the area, with the council inputting into the workforce plans and annual business plan.
Reviewing, endorsing and making recommendations regarding the annual and five year plan
Reviewing and making recommendations around the annual workforce plan
Collating views and feedback from nominating constituencies on all matters relating to healthcare education and training and workforce issues.
Feedback and endorsing LETB annual report
Key responsibilities and scope

18. Appendix 2 – Terms of Reference Members and Stakeholder Council (cont
Chair and nomination
The Chair of the Board shall Chair the Members and Stakeholder Council
Membership
Membership is open to all interested stakeholders within the local geography. Although these stakeholders should be able to demonstrate leadership, operational expertise and system knowledge.
Attendees:
Open to all interested parties with invites extended to the AHSN
Frequency of meetings:
To meet no less than twice a year. Meeting shall be in line with the annual commissioning and business planning cycles and may be called more often as required
Agenda, papers, minutes:
Agendas will, wherever possible, be circulated five working days before each Council meeting. Agenda, minutes and all papers are subject to the Freedom of Information Act and will be made public on the HE NCEL website.
Lifespan:
The purpose membership of this Council shall be reviewed at least annually to ensure that the Terms of Reference reflect changing business demands

19. Appendix 3 – Terms of Reference Quality Committee
Overall aim and purpose: To assure the Board of appropriate quality of education commissioning and education outcomes are being monitored, maintained and improved by HE NCEL and that findings are fed into future strategy and planning as appropriate.
To recommend to the Board the approval of LETB strategies on monitoring and evaluating quality and education outcomes and contract performance
To scrutinise performance of the LETB executive team in ensuring the quality of education
To seek and provide assurance to the Board that its responsibilities in relation to the quality performance standards including the Education Quality Framework are met
To ensure that education and placement providers have met requirements of regulatory bodies
To review outcomes and recommend any necessary actions to the Board in light of these outcomes
To monitor the quality of the relationship between lead providers and local providers or equivalent to ensure overall quality outcomes are achieved
To support the Board in meeting its requirements on matters of education and training and statutory requirements are met
To ensure that the LETB Shared Services are carrying out their requirements in relation to Quality Assurance.
Key responsibilities and scope

20. Appendix 3 – Terms of Reference Quality Committee (cont.)
Chair and nomination
The Chair of the Board shall nominate a Committee chair from among the members of the Board.
Members and nomination:
Membership shall include as a minimum representation of the following agents; HE NCEL, higher education, undergraduate medical education, postgraduate medical education, service provider organisations. Appointments to this Committee shall be for a period of up to 3 years which may be extended by one further term
Attendees:
Other members of the HE NCEL team shall be invited to attend as required.
Responsible to:
The Committee is accountable to and will provide assurance to the Board
Reports to:
To report regularly, ensuring transparency, to HE NCEL Board and Assurance Committee, as appropriate, including an Annual Report on its work and findings
Frequency of meetings:
To meet no less than three times per year. Meeting shall be in line with the annual commissioning and reporting cycles and may be called more often as required
Agenda, papers, minutes:
The agenda will be drafted by the secretary and approved by the Committee chair prior to circulation. Agenda and papers will be forwarded to 5 days before the meeting. The committee will be minuted.
Quorum:
70% of the named members
Declaration of interests:
The standing HE NCEL policy and process as agreed by the Board shall apply
Lifespan:
The purpose, responsibilities and membership of this Committee shall be reviewed at least annually to ensure that the Terms of Reference reflect changing demands and strategy

21. Glossary
CCGs Clinical Commissioning Groups are NHS organisations set up by the Health and Social care Act to organise the delivery of NHS services in England
HEE Heath Education England
LETB Local Education and Training Board
Mandate A mandate from the government setting out plans for the education and training of NHS staff
SLA Service Level Agreement
HE NCEL Health Education North Central and East London
FOI Freedom of Information