Accountability
The Council is responsible to the President and Chief Executive Officer of Baycrest.

Responsibilities
The Council:

• represents Hospital families;
• acts as a liaison between families, staff and administration;
• maintains two-way communication with Family Floor Meetings through representation and reporting;
• works closely with other relevant Baycrest Advisory Councils on joint initiatives and concerns;
• meets regularly with key Baycrest representatives to discuss and act on issues and initiatives that have impacted on or may impact on comprehensive and compassionate care;
• receives and responds to reports concerning initiatives relevant to Hospital patients and families ;
• establishes working goals and monitors results;
• suggests, supports and facilitates, in collaboration with Baycrest staff, education programs for family members;
• assists and participates, when appropriate, in program and service planning for patients and families;
• advocates jointly, when appropriate, with administration and staff on relevant issues;
• participates in relevant education and orientation programs; and,
• participates, as requested, in recruitment of staff leadership positions.

Committees and Task Groups
Family representatives sit on Baycrest committees and task groups as appropriate.

The Council sets up committees and task groups as they are needed.


Staff Representatives
The Director of Social Work and Community Services is a non-voting member and acts as the Council’s Administrative Liaison and Facilitator.

Baycrest staff provides administrative support
Senior Management and other Baycrest staff members attend Council meetings as needed.

Membership
A maximum of four family representatives from each relevant unit of the Hospital are members of the Council.

Term of Membership
Each member of the Council commits to serve a minimum one-year term beginning on July 1st of that year and ending on June 30th of the following year. A new family member may join the Council to fill an available position for the remainder of a term.

Criteria for Membership
Members of the Hospital Council must have a family member or significant individual who at the beginning of their term is a patient on a relevant unit of the Hospital.

Members agree to support the Mission Statement of the Council, and also to support Baycrest’s Mission Statement, Vision and Values of Compassion, Advocacy, Respect, and Excellence.

Members agree to regularly attend meetings of the Council and Family Floor Meetings, review materials and, as able, participate on task groups and committees.

If a member does not attend two consecutive meetings the Chair and/or the Administrative Liaison may contact them to see if they are still willing and able to fulfill their responsibilities as a member of the Council.

Selection Process
Families, patients or staff on each relevant unit of the Hospital may nominate new members. Also, family members interested in becoming a Council member may contact the Chair and/or the Administrative Liaison.

The Chair and/or the Administrative Liaison interview prospective members and report back to the Council.

Executive
The Executive of the Hospital Council is comprised of a Chair and a Vice-Chair; however, if necessary, there can be more than one Chair and/or one Vice-Chair.

Members of the Executive must at the beginning of their term have a family member or significant individual who is a patient on a relevant unit of the Hospital.

Members of the Executive are selected by the Council and affirmed at its June meeting .for a one-year term, beginning on July 1st of that year and ending on June 30th of the following year. If during this term a position on the Executive becomes vacant and there is no other member of the Executive able and willing to assume this position, then the Council at its next meeting selects and affirms one of its members to assume this position for the remainder of the term.

An individual may serve for a maximum of three consecutive terms in a specific Executive position.

After their term on the Executive, an individual may continue to serve on the Council as a member.

Meetings
Regular Council meetings are held at least nine times per year. Special meetings are held as needed.

Meetings are open to family members to attend as guests; however, those interested must make a request beforehand through the Chair or the Administrative Liaison.

Circulation of Minutes
The minutes are broadly circulated to families, relevant Baycrest Councils, Family Floor Meetings, the Program and Quality Committee of the Board, Senior Management, and other appropriate Baycrest staff.

Review of Terms of Reference:
The Terms of Reference are to be reviewed bi-annually at the January meeting of the Council and any necessary changes shall be made.