Board of Trustees - Appointment, Responsibilities and Meetings

The Board of Trustees has overall responsibility for the development of ACAT, and is accountable under the law for everything that ACAT does.

Trustees are expected to act according to the 7 Nolan Principles, which are the basis of the ethical standards expected of public office holders.

ACAT Trustee Duties

The major duties of an ACAT trustee can be summarised as follows

• To keep a strategic watch on the overall development and position of ACAT ensuring ACAT’s policies, direction and commitment of resources are in line with its Constitution
• To contribute to formulation of strategy
• Organisation and appointment of non-elected members to the Council of Management
• Overseeing and holding to account the work of the Council of Management
  To safeguard the company's assets on behalf of the members
• To ensure that the company complies with the Statutory Requirements as described in the Companies Acts
• Receive reports of the work of the various committees and officers of the Association and take responsibility to comment or raise issues as appropriate
• To have a duty of care
• To act in the interests of beneficiaries and avoid conflicts of interest
• To act collectively
• To not financially benefit unless authorised

Appointment of Trustees

Trustees are elected by full members of ACAT at the Annual General Meeting. Each year one third of trustees stands down, standing again for election if wished.  

There are a maximum of twelve trustees at any one time.  The majority will be full members of ACAT, some of whom will have played key parts in the organisation in the past, others will be interested in taking an overview of ACAT. Within the twelve, there may be up to two lay trustees; non-clinical members who may represent the patient's voice or that of the NHS or the third sector.  Trustees should be familiar with the Association's history, ambitions, limitations, and purposes.

Trustees meet three times a year with the Council of Management, usually in the spring, summer, and autumn.  These meetings coincide with those of the Training Committee, Exam Board, and Ethics Committee.  Trustees will also meet monthly, and at an annual 'away day' to think strategically about ACAT.

Forthcoming Meeting Dates

Notice of ACAT’s Board of Trustee Meetings

The Board welcomes members raising matters with them that they feel cannot be resolved by the normal decision making processes of ACAT (i.e. its committee structures).  

Items that a member wishes to be drawn to the attention of the Board which they feel have not been resolved by the committee process, or may require direct consultation with or a survey of members’ opinion, or consideration by the Board for inclusion on the agenda of the next AGM, should be addressed to maria.cross@acat.org.uk.

Updated February 2025