Miaa

TIAN News - Spring 2024

Introduction

I am delighted to welcome you to our eighth edition of TIAN News as we enter another new financial year. This edition spans a wide range of articles covering some important risk and governance issues, including:

Brilliant, award-winning, work by ASW Assurance to develop and support NHS Counter Fraud Champions.
A briefing produced by MIAA to support audit committees to get assurance over data quality. This is a critically important area, and one where the HSJ seems to regularly highlight NHS organisations losing grip – often impacting large numbers of patients on waiting lists.
Helpful new guidance from the Information Commissioner’s Office to help employers support staff experiencing mental health crisis.
Plus, details of recent and upcoming events provided to help support our NHS clients to keep abreast of new developments.

Louise Cobain, Executive Director of Assurance, MIAA.

Read the full newsletter

Headlines

Data Quality - Board Performance Reporting

During 2021, MIAA produced an Insight publication CQC Inspections through an Audit Committee Lens which provided information to support audit committees in reviewing their operation through the lens of the CQC’s regulatory regime. This Insight included the following key question:

• Does the audit committee receive and discuss information covering quality, operations and finance to support the committee in meeting the requirements of its Terms of Reference?

In January MIAA issued a new “Through the Audit Committee Lens” briefing for Audit Committees to which can be used to inform assessment against the challenge posed in the 2021 briefing.

New guidance on sharing information relating to mental health emergencies at work

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has just published guidance aimed at giving employers greater certainty regarding sharing information about their workers in the event of a mental health emergency. It provides advice on when and how it is appropriate to share workers’ information in such an emergency.

Supporting Counter Fraud Champions

ASW Assurance established a Counter Fraud Champion (CFC) network and hosted virtual meetings to give a forum for CFC’s to share learning, good practice and mutual support. The network has grown and been a great success over the last couple of years.

The Counter Fraud Champion (CFC) role is intended to be an additional responsibility with the stipulation that they must be an employee of the organisation and should be in a senior and influential position However, there has been much debate about the nature of the CFC role. A working group from that network, has have achieved clarity about the nature of the role.

Consultant Job Planning

MIAA recently issued a Checklist on Consultant Job Planning designed to support organisations in providing assurance on Consultant Job Planning systems and processes in line with best practice guidance previously issued by NHS Improvement.

Events Round Up

April 18, 2024 - Outlook for the Public Sector - What is the outlook for health & social care in an election year? Hear from our panel of experts, including Matthew Taylor, CEO, NHS Confed & Sarah Woolnough, CEO Kings Fund as they analyse current economic challenges and look at the opportunities ahead. Book here.

More upcoming events from the North West Collaborative Partnership.

June 13, 2024 - Hearing the Staff Voice. This half-day virtual event will focus on topics related to hearing the staff voice. The session is aimed at Board members, and particularly those who sit on People Committees.

September 12, 2024 - Financial Planning at System Level. This half-day virtual event will focus on topics related to financial planning at a system level. The session is aimed at Board members, and particularly those who sit on Finance Committees.

Details of planned and past events organised by Audit Yorkshire and 360 Assurance

These include slides from a recent half-day session on “Hearing the Patient Voice” held on 11^th March aimed at Board members (particularly those who sit on Quality Committees). Presentations covered topics including: expectations around patient experience, and involvement and engagement from Internal Audit and the CQC, plus Case Studies from different NHS organisations, including PENNA 2023 overall award winners Walsall Healthcare.

You can watch back recordings of MIAA NW Collaborative Masterclasses or read about all the previous sessions by visiting the North West Collaborative YouTube channel. This includes a recording of their latest webinar on 23rd of February 2024 which covered “Trauma Informed Leadership”. This webinar covered what trauma is and how it can be experienced in many different ways and from very diverse perspectives. Sessions included how to develop a practical toolkit to help prepare, protect and care for yourself as a leader, and what compassionate leadership means in practice.

And Finally….. 2024 Public Sector Counter Fraud Award Winners!

Recognising their great work developing and supporting Counter Fraud Champions, ASW Assurance were delighted to pick up the win for “Outstanding NHS Initiative” recently at the national Public Sector Counter Fraud Awards held in London at the end of February.

Gareth Cottrell, Counter Fraud Manager, ASW Assurance, winning the award for Development of the Counter Fraud Champion role in the NHS

This award is given for exemplifying innovation, dedication, and effectiveness in tackling fraud-related challenges within the NHS, and the judges summary citation stated:

Gareth, the Counter Fraud Manager for ASW Assurance (who covers most NHS organisations in Devon, Cornwall and Avon), has done ground-breaking work in developing the Counter Fraud Champion role within the NHS, including his launch of the NHS Counter Fraud Champions Network. Originally intended for the South West region it quickly expanded to other areas as well as representatives from Local Authorities. The initiative has truly taken the value of the Counter Fraud Champion role beyond the requirement of the Government Functional Standard Govs13: Counter Fraud and has greatly assisted in facing the challenges this presents. Gareth’s leadership and innovative approach have facilitated collaboration across the public sector and translated government standards into tangible benefits for NHS bodies.