New chairman appointed by the Trust
The Members’ Council of South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has appointed a new chairman.
Ian Black, who has been a non-executive director at the Trust for the past four years, will officially take up the post on 1 May 2012.
Ian Black lives in Huddersfield and is a fellow of both the Institutes of Chartered Accountants and Chartered Bankers and holds an MBA. He spent 20 years at Halifax plc/HBOS with a series of director roles in operations, risk and finance in the UK, Continental Europe and Australia. Ian is also treasurer, and previously chairman, of UK disability charity, Scope; and is a non-executive director for Benenden Insurance and internet start up Seedrs. Ian has been a school governor at Lindley for six years as well as a chairman of Family Fund UK charity.
South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of community, mental health and learning disability services to the people of Barnsley, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield; a population of over 1 million people . The Trust also provides specialist medium secure services to the whole of Yorkshire and the Humber.
The Trust’s Members’ Council is made up of elected and nominated representatives of the Trust’s 16,350 members and they are responsible for approving the appointment of the Trust chair on behalf of local people. The lead governor is Tony Wilkinson, an elected public member from Calderdale.
The Trust’s chair presides over the Members’ Council and is also responsible for leading the organisation through a Trust Board made up of non-executive and executive directors; ensuring it provides excellent quality health services.
Ian’s appointment follows the retirement of the previous Trust chair, Joyce Catterick OBE, on 31 January 2012. Ian has been acting chairman for the Trust since that date and served as deputy chairman since June 2010.
Speaking about his appointment Ian said, “I would like to thank the Members’ Council for their hard work throughout the appointment process. It is a privilege to be appointed as chairman to the Trust where all our staff play such a vital role in our local communities. I am committed to the highest quality of NHS care for local people and making sure that our services are individually tailored to ensure the best possible outcomes for all our service users. The Trust is a well-managed, inclusive and financially strong organisation with over 4500 staff contributing to our success. It is this solid foundation that allows us to be an organisation that people choose to work with, work for, and, most importantly, would choose to receive their care from.”
Ian’s appointment followed an intensive recruitment and selection process, subject to open competition; seeking to attract the best possible candidate. This was led by the Nominations Committee (a sub Committee of the Trust’s Members’ Council) with independent support and advice being provided throughout. The Members’ Council formally approved the appointment on 25th April 2012.
Trust chief executive Steven Michael said, “Ian has already made a very valuable contribution to the Trust over the past four years and I am delighted that he will now continue this contribution as our chairman. The past year has seen immense change for our Trust – as we welcomed new services in Barnsley, Calderdale and Wakefield – and the NHS itself is also in a period of unprecedented financial challenge and change. As we continue to develop and improve local services against this backdrop of change I am confident that Ian’s skills and expertise will ensure we deliver services that are the very best they can be for local people, their families and our communities.”