News from the Board: a summary of our May and June meetings

In a bumper packed edition, here is my update from the Board Meetings held in May and June.

We had two Board meetings in May to help with the management of a very busy agenda and lots of preparation for the AGM on 27 June. I’m very grateful to trustees for their time and commitment to making these meetings.

I’m going to start with an update on the most recent meeting on 9 June when the Board considered just one agenda item, the appointment to the Chief Executive role. I’m sure you will have already seen our recent comms on our decision to confirm Fran McCloskey in the post. This was a unanimous decision by the Board, a true indication of our complete support for Fran. We feel that Fran has already demonstrated her strong leadership skills in the work she has been carrying out whilst seconded into this post and look forward to continue working with her on the delivery of our strategic priorities.

Our meeting on 8 May was a confidential session which focused on the delivery of our Strategy and the infrastructure required to ensure CIEH is in the best shape to do this. I will be able to report back more in this in a future blog, but we are continuing our work to improve and develop CIEH into a more successful and sustainable organisation. Getting the infrastructure right is the first step towards the delivery of our strategy.

On 9 May we had a very busy agenda and I’ve summarised the highlights below:

• James Howe, Chair of the Appointments and Remuneration Committee (ARC), joined to meeting to update on the Committee’s work. This committee is responsible for the selection and recommendation for appointment of trustees, the President and members of committees, such as the Finance Committee and the Risk and Audit Committee. We thanked James for his update and also the ARC members for their invaluable work. As an example of the work of this Committee, following their review and approval processes the Board were asked to approve the following re-appointments:
  • Mark Elliott as President (this is reviewed every year)
  • Sav Namasivayam as an appointed Trustee
  • Maria Jennings as a member of ARC
  • Sam Bacon as a member of the Welfare Fund Committee
  • We also welcome Robert Cashman as a newly appointed member of the Welfare Fund Committee

Thank you all for your support for CIEH.

• The Executive Management Team provided its regular update which is always very detailed; I’ve just included a few areas to note:
  • Work is progressing on the “Day Gray” motion and the review of the Professional Standards Framework is going well, with meetings being held with advisory panels, academics and a survey having been launched to seek views from you as the membership. I encourage you to take the time to complete the survey and let us know what you think. Updates on this area will be provided at the AGM.
  • Value of Environmental Health work – this is a document to demonstrate the wide range of environmental health work carried out, the impact and its value. It is aimed at promoting the profession and the essential role we play in protecting health, safety and well-being.
  • Independent Review of Advisory Panels – you may recall that a recommendation from this report was to recruit Chairs to advisory panels. This work is now underway.
  • Signing off the MOU with Australia – a fantastic piece of work and of such benefit to our members.
  • Review of Property – the Property Working Group has selected an agent to assist CIEH in progressing the options for Chadwick Court. This is a complicated process and is, at best, looking at a 12-18 month period to find a solution but it’s good to see that progress is being made. Thank you to all involved in the Property Working Group.
• Financial Statement and Preparation for the AGM – there’s always so much work involved in the financial preparation for the AGM. The audit has been completed and this along with a range of other legal financial documents were approved by the Board.
• We received an update on the strategic priorities and noted that work had progressed in the development of performance indicators and in a number of the priority areas.
• Board Away Day Planning – the trustees will be having their annual planning meeting on 10 and 11 July and we discussed the agenda for the day which will focus on governance, risk and horizon scanning, among other agenda items.
• Independent Review of Advisory Panels – we considered the governance risk associated with trustees sitting on advisory panels and agreed that they will be able to do so with some consideration on how this would work.
• AGM 2026 and Motion – I mentioned in my last update that the Board was considering the format of future AGM meetings and how they could best be delivered to encourage a wider engagement with members. The AGM fulfils a legal obligation, however it also has the potential to be more interactive and celebratory. The Board agreed for the 2026 AGM to be a hybrid meeting with a combined face-to-face element delivered as a members’ event. To enable flexibility to change the format of the AGM the Board approved the following motion to be presented at the 2025 AGM:
  • “That the Board of Trustees be given the flexibility to determine, on an annual basis, the proposed format of the AGM in the following year. This proposal will continue to be put to the vote at the AGM each year. And that the same principle be applied to Special Meetings.”

We recognise the motion which was approved by members for the AGM to be a hybrid event and this new motion will not in any way to undermine this. Please join the AGM to vote on this motion; I ask for your support to enable the Board to improve the delivery of the AGM.

• Professional title – you will recall that a motion was supported by members to recognise the EHO title alongside the EHP title. The Board considered a paper from the Professional Title Working Group which provided an update on the consultation which was carried out on the proposed changes to the Byelaws and the challenges that might arise from using both the EHP and EHO titles. The Board approved the recommendation that a member survey be carried out to seek views on the use of both the EHO and EHP titles.
• Transparency and Openness – you will know that this a priority for the Board, it agreed an Implementation Plan covering three areas: governance, finance and stakeholders. We are aiming for some of these plans to be implemented later in 2025 and in 2026.
• Water for Kids – Mark Elliott presented a report on this important charity and CIEH endorsed its continued support.

CIEH meets REHIS in Edinburgh

On 20 June, Fran and I met with Jackie, Martin and Louise from the Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland (REHIS). We are very keen to work with REHIS. We shared updates on work we each are progressing and thoughts on overcoming the challenges to the profession and organisationally. Thank you Jackie, Martin and Louise for your warm welcome to Edinburgh, it is always such a positive meeting and we look forward to seeing you again in a few months’ time. And we loved sharing your shortbread and Tunnocks.

Progress on the Professional Standards Framework

Together with Zena Lynch, Chair of the Membership, Learning and the Profession Advisory Group (MLPAG) I met with Ian Gray and Chris Day to update on the progress of the Professional Standards Framework, which as you know is currently out for consultation. There is a massive piece of work overseen by MLPAG, there has already been much work put into this and there is more to do. Thank you to MLPAG members for their work on this and also to Zena, Chris and Ian for your time last week.

Tenth edition of Bassett’s Environmental Health Procedures

I would like to thank Tim Deveaux who has gifted five copies of his tenth edition of Bassett’s Environmental Health Procedures. Firstly, to thank Tim for his work on this tenth edition of such a significant environmental health reference book and secondly, for your generous offer. We are now making plans with Tim on the best way to offer these books as a reward to recognise excellence in environmental health work.

I would also like to congratulate Penny Dawson Malone, Kev Shawcross and Sterling Crew who, following elections earlier this year, were re-elected as trustees for a further term.

Finally, please do try to join the AGM online or in person on Friday 27 June at 2pm. Thank you for all your support.