Meeting held at 9:00am in Stella House, Newcastle Upon Tyne.
Present:
Sue Douthwaite, Chair
Michael Brodie, Chief Executive
Kathy Gillatt, Non-Executive Director
David Leather, Non-Executive Director
Mathew McKie, Non-Executive Director
Randeep Sidhu, Non-Executive Director
Mel Tomlin, Non-Executive Director
Brendan Brown, Chief Operating Officer
Darren Curry, Chief Digital, Data and Technology Officer
Mark Dibble, Chief People Officer
Andy McKinlay, Chief Finance Officer
Allison Newell, Chief Strategy Officer
In attendance:
Lisa Keenan, Deputy Director - Commercial Strategy and Partnerships, DHSC (Items 25/65 to 25/83 only)
David Jukes, Head of Governance and Corporate Secretary (Secretary to the Board), NHSBSA
Tony Burgess, Head of Cyber Security and Infrastructure, NHSBSA (Item 25/76 only)
Chris Calise, Head of NHS Pensions Service, NHSBSA (Shadow Board Representative) (Items 25/71 to 25/83 only)
Leigh Chapman, ESR Senior Transformation Programme Lead, NHSBSA (Shadow Board Representative) (Items 25/71 to 25/83 only)
Marc Compton, Head of Security and Information Governance, NHSBSA (Item 25/76 only)
Michael Costello, Head of Strategic Finance, NHSBSA (Item 25/79 only)
Sean Murphy, Head of Commercial Services, NHSBSA (Item 25/79 only)
Jeff Pasternack, SRO - Future NHS Workforce Solution Transformation Programme, NHSBSA (Items 25/69 and 25/70 only)
Libby Pink, Chief Portfolio Officer, NHSBSA (via video conference) (Items 25/69, 25/70 and 25/78 only)
Chris Price, Future NHS Workforce Solution Transformation Programme Director, NHSBSA (Items 25/69 to 25/70 only)
Naomi Simon, Boardroom Apprentice (Observer) (Items 25/71 to 25/84 only)
Jonathan Whitley, Senior Commercial Manager, NHSBSA (Items 25/69 and 25/70 only)
25/65 Apologies for Absence and Declarations of Interest (Register of Interests - Formal Review)
There were no apologies received. There were no declarations of interest declared in relation to the Board meeting agenda.
The Board confirmed that they had read and understood the NHSBSA Conflicts of Interest Policy and Procedure, and any required updates would be added to the Register of Interests in ESR and updated on the published register.
Interests declared by members of the NHSBSA Board were as follows:
Non-Executive Directors
| Name | Interests declared |
|---|---|
| Sue Douthwaite |
|
| Kathryn Gillatt |
|
| David Leather |
|
| Mathew McKie |
|
| Randeep Sidhu |
|
| Mel Tomlin |
|
Executive Directors/Officer Members
| Name | Interests declared |
|---|---|
| Michael Brodie, Chief Executive |
|
| Mark Dibble, Chief People Officer |
|
| Andy McKinlay, Chief Finance Officer |
|
| Alison Newell, Chief Strategy Officer |
|
| Brendan Brown, Chief Operating Officer |
|
| Darren Curry, Chief Digital, Data and Technology Officer |
|
The Board REVIEWED the Register of Interests and NOTED the report.
25/66 Minutes of the Meeting held on 15 May 2025
The minutes of the previous meeting were AGREED as an accurate record.
25/67 Matters Arising and Outstanding Actions from Previous Meetings
The Board discussed the actions.
All other actions were complete, to be covered as part of the meeting agenda or not yet due. The Board NOTED completed actions.
25/68 Chair's Opening Remarks
S Douthwaite welcomed L Keenan to the meeting. S Douthwaite reminded members that the agenda had been reordered to enable the Future NHS Workforce Solution items to be completed first. Shadow Board and Board Apprentice observers would then join the meeting.
The Board NOTED the update.
(Jeff Pasternack, Libby Pink, Chris Price and Jonathan Whitley joined the meeting)
25/69 Future NHS Workforce Solution Transformation Programme Status Update and FBC
Following discussion, the Board NOTED the ASSURANCE provided and APPROVED the Future NHS Workforce Solution Transformation Programme Full Business Case (FBC).
25/70 Future NHS Workforce Solution Contract
Following discussion, the Board APPROVED the proposal and granted delegated authority to the Chief Executive Officer to execute the contract.
(Jeff Pasternack, Libby Pink, Chris Price and Jonathan Whitley left the meeting)
(Chris Calise, Leigh Chapman and Naomi Simon joined the meeting)
S Douthwaite welcomed C Calise and L Chapman to the meeting as Shadow Board representatives, and thanked L Chapman for her contribution to the Shadow Board during her tenure. L Chapman thanked S Douthwaite and the other Shadow Board members for the opportunity and their support.
25/71 Confirmed minutes from the Audit and Risk Management Committee meeting held on 13 May 2025
The Board NOTED the minutes.
25/72 Update from the Audit and Risk Management Committee Meeting held on 4 June 2025 - Alert, Advise, Assurance (AAA) Report
K Gillatt gave an update on the work of the Audit and Risk Management Committee - this was summarised in an Alert, Advise, Assurance Report issued to the Board.
The Board NOTED the update - and the alerts, advice and assurance provided.
25/73 Annual Report of the Audit and Risk Management Committee 2024/25
K Gillatt presented the Annual Report – providing an overview of the work undertaken by the Audit and Risk Management Committee during 2024/25.
K Gillatt stated that the Committee concluded that the Committee had met its Terms of Reference through 2024/25 and could give adequate assurance on the internal control and governance framework.
K Gillatt thanked the Board members for their constructive feedback and support.
The Board RECEIVED and ADOPTED the report.
25/74 Annual Report of the Shadow Board 2024/25
S Douthwaite introduced the Annual Report which provided an overview of the work undertaken by the Shadow Board during 2024/25, stating that the Shadow Board had met its remit as outlined in its 2024/25 Terms of Reference and had operated effectively during the period.
M Dibble provided the Board with an overview of the review of the Shadow Board that had been undertaken by the OD&D Team and management during 2024/25.
The Board RECEIVED and ADOPTED the report.
25/75 Freedom to Speak Up Report
M Dibble introduced the report in his role as Executive Lead for FTSU, highlighting the importance of the agenda and that the senior management team were focussed on continuing to ensure that an open and honest culture was maintained across the organisation.
M Tomlin updated the Board, as FTSU Non-Executive Champion, that she had met with D Jukes (FTSU Guardian) and been provided with assurance on arrangements and case handling and the proactive approach to promotion and communication across the business.
D Jukes provided an overview of the report including Policy and Practices, and an update on FTSU activity in 2024/25.
The Board NOTED the update and ENDORSED the FTSU Strategy and Improvement Plan 2025/26.
(Tony Burgess and Marc Compton joined the meeting)
25/76 SIRO Annual Report 2024/25
M Dibble introduced the SIRO Report, reminding the Board that the Audit and Risk Management Committee received and reviewed a more detailed version at six-monthly intervals, and provided assurance to the Board via its AAA Report. The last Audit and Risk Management Committee review had been on 4 June 2025. K Gillatt stated that the Committee had undertaken a thorough review at the June meeting and highlighted the ongoing positive progress and assurance gained by the Committee.
T Burgess and M Compton provided an overview of key areas of work and highlighted the discussion at the Audit and Risk Management Committee.
The Board NOTED the contents of the report and the assurance provided by Audit and Risk Management Committee.
(Tony Burgess and Marc Compton left the meeting)
25/77 NHS Pension Board Annual Work Plan and Risk Register
B Brown introduced the item, reminding the Board that this was an annual item to ensure that the NHSBSA Board was updated on the work of the NHS Pension Board, and to help to ensure alignment of areas of operational focus and assurance.
C Calise provided an overview of the paper, including the Annual Work Plan areas of focus and Risk Register.
The Board NOTED the Report.
(Libby Pink joined the meeting)
25/78 Chief Executive's Business Update Report
M Brodie introduced the item. M Brodie, supported by the Executive Team, highlighted key points from the report, including in relation to:
- Development of the new Chief Executive’s Business Update Report.
- Government commission on the review of all Arm’s Length Bodies (ALBs).
- DHSC senior appointments.
- NHSBSA Accountability Review meeting with the DHSC.
- NHS Pensions Service update, including performance, challenges and mitigation actions.
- Operational service performance.
- Key People activity, including planning for the NHSBSA We CARE Awards 2025; 2025 Agenda for Change and Senior Management pay awards; NHSBSA activity to support Pride 2025; and Connecting with Our Strategic Direction colleague events.
- NHSBSA Data Science and Statistics team had been 'Highly Commended' in the Data Team of the Year category at the British Data Awards, and the NHSBSA had been listed as 18th in the Top 50 Inspiring Workplaces as well as one of the top Government and Non-Profit organisations, in the Inspiring Workplace Awards.
- Outcome of the Spending Review announced by the Chancellor on 12 June 2025.
- Progress against the Greening Government Commitments targets
- NHSBSA Strategic Goals progress
- Portfolio performance.
- Implementation of the new GROW performance appraisal and development process.
- Corporate Risk/ Issue Register.
- Technology Service Management performance and Cyber Security.
The Board NOTED the report.
(Libby Pink left the meeting)
(Michael Costello and Sean Murphy joined the meeting)
25/79 Finance and Commercial Report
A McKinlay introduced the paper. A McKinlay, M Costello and S Murphy provided an overview of the Finance and Commercial Report.
The Board NOTED the report.
(Michael Costello and Sean Murphy left the meeting)
25/80 Any Other Business
There were no items of any other business.
25/81 Communications from the Meeting
The Board wished to congratulate the NHSBSA Data Science and Statistics team on being 'Highly Commended' in the Data Team of the Year category at the British Data Awards, and all colleagues on being listed as 18th in the Top 50 Inspiring Workplaces as well as one of the top Government and Non-Profit organisations, in the Inspiring Workplace Awards.
25/82 Forward Agenda and Training Plan
The Board NOTED the forward agenda and training plan.
25/83 Date and Venue of the Next Meeting
The next Board meeting was planned for 19 July 2025.
(Chris Calise, Leigh Chapman and Lisa Keenan left the meeting)
25/84 Succession Plan
The Board noted the Succession Plan and critical roles.