GOVERNANCE

Good Governance Statement

FirstCare is dedicated to having effective governance structures that creates value through innovation, development and exploration and provide accountability and control systems that commensurate with the risks involved in running the organisation. {Play}

Board Structure

FirstCare’s board members consist of individuals who are skilled, knowledgeable, experiences and most of all who have wisdom. Our board chair member portrays attributes of effective leadership to enhance the effectiveness of the board members, a productive working relationship with the board members. A good understanding of the organisation’s purpose and operational challenges, and maintaining team cohesiveness. {Play}

Purpose and Approach

At FirstCare the board determines the vision and purpose of the organisation, setting strategic organisational objectives aligned with the purpose and developing plans that align with the vision, purpose and strategic objectives. The board supports management in its implementation of the plans and monitoring and evaluating the degree of success against these plans and objectives. {Play}

Roles and Responsibilities

At FirstCare the board has a role to play in enhancing the capacity and capabilities of the organisation. The role of the board involves core elements, such as:

  • Determining, reviewing and maintaining the vision, purpose and values of the organisation.
  • Approval of short and long-term strategies.
  • Approval of annual budgets.
  • Approval of expenditure over pre- specified limits.
  • Appointment, performance evaluation and termination of the employment contract of the CEO.
  • Risk oversight.
  • Providing a check on the integrity of external financial and non-financial reports.
  • Any additional monitoring of the activities of the organisation in order to satisfy itself that the organisation is being properly managed.
  • Supporting effective engagement with key stakeholders.

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    Recognition and Management of Risk

    The board put in place an appropriate system of risk oversight and internal controls, boards can help increase the likelihood that their organisation will deliver on its purpose.

  • Compliance risks
  • Financial risks
  • Governance risks
  • Operational or program risks
  • Environmental, including event risks
  • Brand and reputational risks
  • Strategic risks
  • Compliance risks
  • Financial risks
  • Governance risks
  • Operational or program risks
  • Environmental, including event risks

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    Organisational Performance

    To measure outcomes the board assess and determine appropriate performance categories and indicators for the organisation.

  • Meaningful to the organisation
  • Capable of being measured and acted upon
  • Timely
  • Cost effective to produce
  • Capable of allowing comparisons
  • Relatively simple

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    Board Effectiveness

    The board’s effectiveness is enhanced through careful planning of board-related activities; board meetings being run in an efficient manner; regular assessments of board performance; having a board succession plan; and the effective use of sub-committees, where appropriate. To improve a board’s effectiveness, the directors assures.

  • Appropriate board structures
  • Planning activities in advance
  • Running meetings efficiently
  • Assessing board and director performance regularly
  • Making effective use of boardsub-committees
  • Board succession planning

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    Integrity and Accountability

    At FirstCare there is a flow of information to the board that aids decision-making; there are transparency and accountability to external stakeholders, and the integrity of financial statements and other vital information is safeguarded. {Play}

    Sub-Committees

  • Risk & Audit Sub-Committee
  • Emergency Planning Sub-Committee
  • WHS Sub-Committee

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    Board committees play a key role in assisting the board to fulfil its corporate governance responsibilities, and provide a vehicle for enhancing the participation of non-executive directors. In particular, board committees can help to:

  • Pay more detailed attention to designated areas that is not feasible in a full board meeting.
  • Share the workload among board members.
  • Address potential conflicts of interests
  • Streamline full board meetings and thereby enable the board to function more effectively.

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    Our sub-committees are as follows:

  • Organisational Advisory Board Committee
  • Organisational Review Committee
  • Quality Improvement Committee
  • Continuous Quality Improvement Committee
  • Manager’s Sub-Committee
  • Finance and Administration Sub-Committee
  • Fundraising Committee
  • Service Management Sub-Committee
  • Cultural Diversity and Inclusion Committee
  • Service User’s Advisory Committee
  • Feedback and Complaints Committee

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    Culture and Ethics

    The board sets the tone for ethical and responsible decision-making throughout the organisation. FirstCare’s board creates a dialogue about ethics amongst board members is central to ensuring that ethical governance is practised. Ethical issues are addressed as follows:

  • Determine the organisation’s values that shape the approach to dealing with ethical issues and have a profound effect on organisational culture.
  • Ascertain whether terms like honesty, justice, compassion, dignity, diversity, tolerance, respect for the law, respect for the environment, etc. mean the same thing to all stakeholders in the organisation
  • Understand the difference between imposed regulations (laws) and the issue of self-regulation (ethics).
  • Provide written material about ethics to the board and encourage board members, staff and volunteers to attend ethics seminars.
  • Perform an ethics audit.
  • Design a Code of Ethics.
  • Review the board policies periodically to ensure they include provisions on board compensation, conflict of interest, financial self-dealing, nepotism etc.

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    Engagement

    FirstCare board members engage in a two way interviewing process to match the board members passions for the organisation’s cause or have had personal event affected by the same issues addressed. For this reason, our board members engage fully and ensure that the organisation to engage effectively with the relevant stakeholders. {Play}