An application for Foundation Trust status is a rigorous process, where every aspect of the organisation is looked at by external organisations. The main points of the application are:

• Membership and the Council of Governors
  
  Each Foundation Trust must build up a membership. Membership is made up of members of the public, our patients as well as our staff. Engagement with our members offers us an additional element to the patient, public and staff involvement work that we already do. Membership also gives us an opportunity to build stronger community links and knowledge of local expectations. Members will help us to develop future plans around the specific needs of our population.
  
  Members are represented at the top of the organisation by a Council of Governors. All members have the chance to elect representatives, called Governors, through an election process. The Governor role is a voluntary post and the aim is to bring a local voice to our organisation. The Governors approve our future plans, appoint Board members such as the Chairman and Non-Executive Directors and approve the appointment of any future Chief Executives. The Council of Governors also provides valuable input to areas of our work where broader views and the voice of the public are important.
   
• An Integrated Business Plan (IBP)
  
  This is a detailed five-year plan for our organisation. It sets out what we will do in terms of services, staff and finance and how we will develop over the next five years. The IBP includes all the elements of a strong business plan, such as financial and business projections. In order to develop a an IBP that is fir for purpose we need input from a wide variety of staff, such as doctors, nurses, planners, personnel and finance staff to ensure we have a plan that will benefit the organisation.
   
• The structure of the organisation
  
  A Foundation Trust is expected to run independently. We therefore need to prove that we have the right skills and internal management structures in order to work well on our own.
  Ultimately it is the Foundation Trust Board’s responsibility to make sure that our Trust runs smoothly on a day-to-day basis and that we look to the future. The application process makes sure that the management within the Trust supports this way of working.