We are working to meet the hugely ambitious targets set in our Empowering Recovering 2013-2018 strategic plan and considerable progress has been made at every level in the organisation over the last twelve months. The ultimate goal of this strategy is to provide the highest quality of mental health care to as many people experiencing mental health difficulties in Ireland as possible.
International leaders in mental health care provision
Through the hard work and commitment of our strong management team and Board of Governors, and our dedicated staff and volunteers, we continue to maintain our position as one of the leading providers of mental health care, not only in Ireland, but internationally.
In addition to expanding and consolidating our existing services in 2017, and introducing a number of new initiatives, the organisation has been very active in raising public awareness of the problems faced by people with mental health difficulties and advocating for their rights while continuing to research and train, and to develop service user participation.
The many changes introduced into the new Mental Health Commission (MHC) inspection system (Judgement Support Framework) in 2015 were successfully managed during 2017, and we continue to strive towards full compliance with MHC regulations and standards in line with our commitment to provide the highest quality of care for our service users.
Charitable Trust Established in 1746
St Patrick’s Mental Health Services is governed through a charitable trust set out by a Charter established in 1746. It receives no government funding, and is independently governed by a voluntary Board of Governors who receive no remuneration for their services. The Board is charged with the responsibility of administering the Trust on a not-for-profit basis.
The Board, its five sub-committees and management, invest considerable time to ensure that St Patrick’s Mental Health Services maintain our high standards of corporate governance.
Ensuring Highest Quality of Care
During 2017, the Board, which is comprised of 12 non-executive voluntary Governors met 10 times. The Board delegates the day-to-day management of the organisation to an outstanding executive management team, led by the Chief Executive, although policy matters are reserved for its decision. I am confident that our joint efforts are securing the financial wellbeing of the organisation.
Each month, the Board appoints one of its members as Visiting Governor, who visits a specific area or service, and reports to the Board at the next meeting. A service user representative also attends a meeting of the Board on a quarterly basis, and members of staff are invited to present various issues and topics to the Board.
Immense contribution of Governors of St Patrick's
I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the immense contribution provided again by the Governors of St Patrick’s over the past year: The Most Reverend Dr Richard Clarke, The Most Reverend Dr Michael Jackson, The Very Reverend Canon Victor Stacey (who resigned in April 2016), The Very Reverend Dermot Dunne, Mr Marcus Beresford, Mrs Bernadette Godley, Mrs Caroline Gill, Dr John Hillery, Mr Danny Kitchen, Mr Conor Killeen and Prof Joyce O’Connor and the Very Revd. William Wright Morton.
I also wish to extend my gratitude and appreciation to the donors, supporters and members of the St Patrick’s Hospital Foundation for their invaluable input and sterling effort on its behalf.
