Governance - CAN/HSO 1001:2022 (E)

Description

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Section Title: A section of the standard that relates to a specific topic.
Clause: A thematic statement that introduces a set of criteria.
Criteria: Requirements based on evidence, that describe what is needed by people to achieve a particular activity. Each criterion outlines the intent, action, and accountability.
Guidelines: Provide additional information and evidence to support the implementation of each criterion.

About This Standard

CAN/HSO 1001:2022 (E) Governance is a revision of HSO 1001:2018 Governance. CAN/HSO 1001:2022 (E) Governance is intended to guide governing bodies of health and social service organizations to establish effective governance practices and strong accountability mechanisms in complex and ever-changing health systems. The standard is intended to be used in conjunction with CAN/HSO 2001:2020 (E) Leadership that applies to organizational leaders responsible for the management of health and social service organizations. The standard will also align with CAN/HSO 1003 (E) Clinical Governance the upcoming new standard that specifies the responsibilities of health and social services organizations in creating organizational structures and processes that have an explicit impact on overseeing, shaping, managing, and improving clinical service delivery to provide safe, reliable, integrated, and people-centred care, and to continually achieve better client experiences and outcomes.

The technical content of the standard is divided as follows:

Defining a Clear Direction for the Organization
Building and Maintaining an Effective Governing Body
Overseeing Organizational Activities, Outputs, and Outcomes
Being Accountable and Reflective
Addressing Systemic Racism
Addressing Indigenous-Specific Systemic Racism:
Note: This subsection applies to organizations serving Indigenous communities and populations.

This particular standard is intended to be used as part of a conformity assessment. This standard will be undergoing periodic maintenance. HSO will review and publish this standard on a schedule not to exceed five years from the date of publication.

Scope

Purpose

This standard specifies the accountabilities of health and social service organizations’ governing bodies, including the governing bodies’ committees, to establish effective governance practices and strong accountability mechanisms for their organizations. Good governance intends to ensure that the organization’s activities and decisions maximize value for its stakeholders, including its workforce, clients, families, and the community, and are aligned with the goals and objectives of the health system.

The standard outlines governing bodies’ accountabilities to effectively oversee and steer the activities and decisions of the organization and hold the organization accountable for its delivery of safe, reliable, integrated, and people-centred care, in compliance with relevant laws, regulations, and contractual obligations. In jurisdictions where government carries out one or more of the governance accountabilities, the governing body is required to work with government to inform and contribute to the fulfillment of the given governance accountability.

Applicability

This standard is intended to be used by governing bodies of public or private health and social service organizations across the continuum of care. The standard may be used by organizations with all types of governing bodies, including organizations where governance activities are carried out by boards of directors and/or supervisory boards; where senior leaders, organizational owners, and/or shareholders may be directly involved in governance activities; where governing body oversees multiple sites that may be located across different jurisdictions; and/or where governing bodies work with government in jurisdictions where government carries out one or more of the governance activities.

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