Council of Governors
Every foundation trust has a Council of Governors whose main purpose is to represent the views and opinions of the organisation's members.
Governors stand for a term of three years and can stand for re-election on two more occasions. Governors are made up of those elected by members and those appointed by our partner organisations including:
- Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board (ICB)
- Lincolnshire County Council
- Healthwatch
- University of Lincoln
- Shine Lincolnshire
- Lincolnshire Police
Governors work with the Board of Directors (which is legally responsible for our day-to-day running and strategic development) and agree what needs to be done to meet the needs of the community.
The Council of Governors link the Board of Directors to our membership and community.
What do Governors do?
Governors have very important roles and undertake a range of functions through committees, task groups and workshops. They:
- represent the interests and views of local people and raise members' concerns
- attend meetings (currently a minimum of three per year)
- are ambassadors for the Trust and can be involved in visits to Trust sites, meeting service users and staff
- agree our future by providing views to the Board of Directors on what sort of Trust we will be and what sort of services we will provide
- appoint or remove our Chair and other Non-Executive Directors and approve the appointment of our Chief Executive
- scrutinise our performance to ensure that agreed plans are carried out properly
- receive annual reports and accounts
- appoint the Trust's external auditors
The Chair of the Council of Governors is also the Chair of the Board of Directors.
Interested in standing to become a Governor?
Governors are not paid - the position is voluntary. However, all expenses incurred attending meetings and/or events are paid - such as mileage allowances or public transport costs.
Find out more about the latest Governor Elections and how to stand.
You must be a member of the Trust to become a Governor.
There are three types of members:
- Public membership - open to anyone who lives in Lincolnshire or the rest of England.
- Service user and carer membership - open to anyone in the local area who has used the Trust’s services in the last five years, or is a carer of a service user.
- Staff membership - open to anyone who is a contracted staff member within the Trust.
Please note - all members must be over 12 years old. Membership eligibility is outlined as per Section 11 of the Trust Constitution
By becoming a member, you receive a number of benefits, including:
- Let us know how we can improve our services.
- Get involved in opportunities such as events and focus groups.
- Keep up to date on the Trust's services and development of future plans.
- Vote on which Governor represents you on the Council of Governors.
- Express your own interest in becoming a governor.
- Receive a copy of our Better Together membership magazine
Council of Governors' meetings
The Council of Governors meet four times per year.
View details of the next meeting, agendas, minutes and papers for previous meetings.
Check out the video below, where our Public Governor for North Kesteven, Carole Hagan, talks about her role as a governor, why she got involved, and why others should too!

Contact details
Membership OfficeLincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Trust Headquarters
St George's Site
Long Leys Road
Lincoln LN1 1FS
Telephone: 01522 309202
Email: lpft.governor-member@nhs.net
Useful documents
We are aware that the documents on this page may not be accessible for all. We will be creating accessible versions of the documents as they are reviewed however in the meantime, if you need a document we’ve published in a different format, please email lpft.communications@nhs.net or call 01522 309194