Virtual Hospice Chairs Group
The group brings together hospice Chairs to consider issues of mutual interest in their vital, voluntary roles.
Virtual Hospice Chairs Group
Chairs have less chance to share experiences with their peers than those in executive positions. But the benefits of doing so can be just as considerable. This, the third virtual hospice group, helps make this happen.
We meet every quarter. Numbers are small enough to allow everyone to participate, but large enough to get a range of opinions.
Below are details about some of our recent sessions. To learn more about the group, contact me.
April 2025 Assurance versus Interference
‘Everything seems to be going OK. But how would I really know if it wasn’t?’
How many Chairs have asked themselves this question?
This session looked at the various ways of gathering information and feedback to enable Chairs and their fellow Trustees to be assured that the hospice is in a good place.
These varied from formal audits to informal visits and conversations with staff and volunteers; from questionnaires and statistics to ‘gut feel’ and instinct. But judging morale and culture is not easy, especially when you are told yours is a hands-off role.
You don’t want to be kept awake every night, worrying about what might be going on. But equally you don’t want to sleep soundly in a state of ignorance, only to have nightmares when you wake up!
January 2025 Managing Relationships
This session discussed the key role a Chair has in navigating relationships across the charity. Most prominent is the one between themselves and the CEO, arguably the most important in any charity. But those with individual Trustees are also key. And sometimes the Chair has to act as peacemaker or broker in disputes between other members of the Board or Executive.
The importance of strong EI skills, empathy and diplomacy was agreed upon. But also abiding by organisational values and not shying away from difficult decisions. In challenging times, the need to balance due process and being fair to those involved, but avoiding an elongated timescale that can seriously damage the charity was discussed.
The group agreed that having a mentor, or at least reliable people to share problems with, can be just as important for a Chair as it is for those in Executive roles.
October 2024 - Hospice Collaboration
'It used to be a risk to collaborate. Now it's risk not to.' These are the words of a former hospice CEO and certainly we are seeing more joint working with hospices than ever before.
Participants shared their experiences, agreeing on the need for the reasons for collaboration to be clear. They also discussed the challenges involved and how often these relate to the impact of different cultures or clashes between key individuals.
We agreed that the view that 'mergers reduce costs' is flawed, especially in the short-medium run. In fact, costs can increase due to redundancies and the extra resource required to manage the process. To see positive impact, one normally has to look at the long-term.
Examples of successful collaboration were also shared. Such as the Local Hospice Lottery model and hospices that shared Director posts.
