Three is the magic number – a trio of staff, stakeholder and lead governor

Clare Illingworth profile picture

18 October 2021

Clare Illingworth
Lead Governor
Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust


Becoming a governor for an NHS trust was the furthest thing on my mind when in 2005 I decided to make a life and career changing decision.

At the time, I had been working in the catering industry for 18 years and was running a successful restaurant in North Yorkshire. However, I had started to feel that there was something missing in my life and the more I thought about it, the more I realised that I no longer had the passion to be a restaurateur and I needed to change my career. The ideal opportunity appeared when I saw an advert for the role of sterile services secretary at Harrogate District Hospital and decided to apply for the post.

Over time, I became more qualified, and as I climbed the career ladder, I became more interested in the work of the wider trust. In 2015, the ideal opportunity presented itself when I heard about  an election to become one of the trust's governors. I felt this would help me learn more about the role of the trust and give something back by playing a significant role in its future direction. It wasn't an easy decision as at the time it felt way out of my comfort zone, but with considerable thought I realised it was an opportunity I would be foolish to turn down – I could do this, I could represent the staff and most importantly I could help give them a voice.

Within my role as a staff governor, I have had to wear many hats.

Clare Illingworth    Lead Governor

I had only been a staff governor for 18 months when I was thrust straight into a significant organisational case for change – the trust was considering creating Harrogate Healthcare Facilities Management Ltd (trading as Harrogate Integrated Facilities (HIF)), a wholly owned subsidiary, to supply services to Harrogate District Hospital and community services such as maintenance, sterile services, portering, catering, security, waste management, and domestics. Within my role as a staff governor, I have had to wear many hats. As well as being a staff governor, I am a manager, a member of staff, and part of #teamHDFT, roles which would all be impacted by the change.

Trust staff were consulted about the move. They were informed about the benefits and opportunities this would bring to the organisation, financial and a service improvement perspective. The new company would be able to offer more favourable pay conditions to reflect market conditions and attract more staff in areas such as estates and facilities. There would be opportunities to generate income and the wholly owned subsidiary could save money. Feedback to the consultation was mixed, but generally positive and staff from the estates and facilities departments were TUPE'd across (TUPE stands for the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations and it moves employees and any liabilities associated with them from the old employer to the new employer by operation of law) to the newly created company in March 2018. 

As governors we sought assurances for our staff and called extra meetings with the executive as we were determined to seek assurance for those people that we represent.

Clare Illingworth    Lead Governor

The governors were very passionate about the proposed changes and how this would impact on the staff and the trust. Of course, there were some concerns, and it was important that any scepticism and fears of 'privatisation', 'outsourcing' and the 'end of the NHS' were addressed. As governors we sought assurances for our staff and called extra meetings with the executive as we were determined to seek assurance for those people that we represent. Even now, three years later, the governors are focussed on monitoring HIF performance and whether it has met the objectives it was set up to achieve, so that we can ensure any lingering concerns are addressed.

I had become very passionate about my role as staff governor and the opportunities it provided to instigate positive change, and I was disappointed when I realised that as I was going to be TUPE'd to HIF I would have to relinquish my staff governor role. I was keen to ensure that the trust did not lose representation from HIF and staff in this subsidiary still had a voice. In July 2018, following my expressions of interest I was appointed as the nominated stakeholder governor for the company, where I would now represent both HIF as a company and its staff members. As this was a newly created position, I have had the opportunity to shape the role to ensure the governance is appropriately pitched and the views of the staff and company are heard and listened to.

I decided to see if I could add a third string to my bow as lead governor.

Clare Illingworth    Lead Governor

In 2019, the lead governor position became vacant at the trust. Having relished my role as firstly a staff governor, then stakeholder governor, I decided to see if I could add a third string to my bow as lead governor and put myself forward. Although I had the passion for the trust and loved representing its staff, I was a little apprehensive about whether I would be able to take on the additional work this would entail, along with my other responsibilities.

I was delighted to be chosen as lead governor and took up the post in January 2020, but little did I know what I was about to face. Within weeks the first COVID-19 case was confirmed in the UK. Life as we knew it changed almost overnight. The last year and a half have been an extraordinary time for the NHS and quite unlike anything we have experience in living memory. The pandemic meant our trust was working harder than ever and the way we operated also needed to change to cope with the demands. The board were excellent at providing extra briefings for governors, and as with most of society, we embraced the wonders of video conferencing with all meetings being converted to a virtual platform.

As restrictions and lockdown were introduced and people were being furloughed or having to work from home, I was able to commit as much time as was required for both of my leadership roles – as a medical professional and as a governor. I felt that as the trust was faced with such pressures it was important that I was heavily involved in its future direction. While there is nothing that can replace a face-to-face meeting, modern technology has had many advantages. We have found governors have been able to attend more meetings, including ones that they may have otherwise not been able to attend due to travel.

As the lead governor, I felt that I needed to attend as many as I could to ensure the governors were represented at all forums.

Clare Illingworth    Lead Governor

As the lead governor, I felt that I needed to attend as many as I could to ensure the governors were represented at all forums. Staff governors have also had to deal with additional pressures as they had to prioritise their roles as NHS employees during the pandemic. While Microsoft Teams and Zoom have been a blessing in helping us to keep the wheels turning, the lack of face-to-face interaction has been hard.  I have missed the personal touch with the governors, whether it is corridor conversations, or cups of tea before and after meetings. Not being able to get to know each other or learning what is happening in each other's lives has impacted on us the most and I hope to see this return as we resume face-to-face meetings hopefully soon.

Being a governor can be both challenging and rewarding. I have worked at the trust for more than 16 years and been a governor for the last five years. Being a governor has added a new perspective and dimension to my role and it is the chance to make a real difference for both my colleagues and the people in my community that makes it so worthwhile. I would encourage others to put themselves forward for such a role. It can be time consuming attending quarterly council meetings, board meetings and informal briefings with the board (which includes both the exec and non-executive directors) but is extremely rewarding knowing you are being listened to and your views are helping shape the trust's future. We also have the responsibility to appoint the chair and non-executives, and there is the opportunity to observe non-executives carry out their roles at other committees, of course, responsibilities can differ slightly from trust to trust.

For those of you that are considering being a governor, I have a few words of advice I would like to share with you.

In my first year, I attended everything I could, because I wanted to learn.

Clare Illingworth    Lead Governor

Contact the predecessor current or former governor perhaps within the category you are interested in (i.e., staff, stakeholder or public) and ask them about their experience, their highlights and the challenges. In my first year, I attended everything I could, because I wanted to learn. This can be quite overwhelming if your trust encourages attendance at many forums, and if I had this time again, I would focus on what really interests me and where I can add the most value! Talk to the non-executive directors and ask them what keeps them awake at night. If you have a question when a meeting is over then seize the moment and ask it – you are not expected to know everything and read every word, and reports can be very complex and lengthy.

Speak with the company Secretary, the chair and your lead governor. We also have a very experienced corporate affairs and membership manager, who was a fantastic support each time I called "help!", these are your first point of contact and can advise on any matters. Attend the Governwell training, where you will learn many skills including how to effectively question to gain assurance.

I believe that you can only have an effective council of governors if you have good leadership, so I joined the National Lead Governor Association which enables me to understand my role better.

Clare Illingworth    Lead Governor

On reflection, I wish I had pondered less and probed more when I first started. I believe that you can only have an effective council of governors if you have good leadership, so I joined the National Lead Governor Association which enables me to understand my role better and operate more effectively as a leader. I was also very recently elected as the new chair of the association which has enhanced my responsibility and I will strive to continue with the fantastic leadership of my predecessor.

The past year has touched the lives of everyone including governors. As I have previously mentioned, staff governors have endured the additional challenges of the pandemic, working within the NHS while also committing to their governor roles. However, they have at least been able to see each other during their day-to-day roles. Public and stakeholder governors have relied solely on technology to conduct the business of the council, which has meant a different set of challenges. While meetings have continued as normal, the virtual platform is not quite the same and does not provide the chance for opportunist conversations at meetings or with the public and patients in the hospital or community.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought many challenges, and I am sure there will still be a few more to come. But, as a council of governors at Harrogate District Foundation Trust (HDFT) we have managed to adapt and overcome the difficulties we have faced, provided a voice for our colleagues and played an important part in helping our beloved NHS to care for our communities. I have been fortunate to have experienced the governor role through all my lenses, as a member of staff, a stakeholder and as a lead. Do I wish I'd stayed in the restaurant industry? No, I much prefer helping create a recipe of success for HDFT.

About the author

Clare Illingworth profile picture

Clare Illingworth
Lead Governor

Clare Illingworth is the lead governor at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust and is very passionate about people, whether they are her family, friends or colleagues. Always striving to do the 'right thing' can be a battle of her own wills during challenging times. She enjoys most outdoors endeavours and spends most holidays either up a mountain, on a bike, in a tent or kayaking, or all of the above!