Membership Development Strategy and Action Plan

Ian Greenwood Director of Strategic and Service Development On behalf of the Membership Strategy Sub-committee March 2005

Contents 1. Introduction 2. What is membership? 3. Resourcing membership and development 4. Building the membership base 5. Managing active membership 6. Communicating with members 7. Playing a key community role 8. Evaluation of success 9. Action Plan

Introduction

Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will grow our membership for local people so that they will have a real say in the organisation. This

membership development strategy sets out a series of objectives for the Trust to maintain and grow its membership community. It includes further actions that it will take in meeting these objectives. It outlines how the Trust will evaluate the success of the efforts it takes to deliver this strategy.

NHS Foundation Trusts have:

a membership community made up of local people and staff a Governing Body consisting of those elected by the members as well as people appointed from other local organisations a Board of Directors made up of a chairman, non-executive directors appointed by the governors, and executive directors appointed by the nonexecutive directors and chief executive.

Members of a NHS Foundation Trust will not receive a dividend or bonus and will not receive any special benefits (in terms of NHS care or treatment) over nonmembers. However, members will have a real say in how their local NHS

Foundation Trust is run.

Members will have a role in the way the hospital is governed. This means that they will: have the opportunity to support the work of their local NHS Foundation Trust and receive regular information elect their representatives to serve on the Governing Body stand for election to the Governing Body put themselves forward for appointment as non-executive directors of the Board of Directors.

The Trust wants the membership to be representative in terms of disability, age, gender, sexuality, ethnic background, faith and geography.

Governors will be the link between the members and the Board of Directors. As well as their constitutional responsibilities, governors key role is to be consulted on plans for future development of the NHS Foundation Trust and its services.

What is membership?

Becoming a member of the Foundation Trust provides new ways in which the people, and in particular local people from Bassetlaw and Doncaster, can contribute to the Trusts success through a new form of social ownership. We will seek to achieve this through an active public and staff membership and a Governing Body that builds and sustains a wide consensus about the services provided at Doncaster & Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. This is similar to the way in which members of co-operative societies participate in their organisations.

Not all members will be able to or wish to serve on the Trusts Governing Body but many more will expect to have some tangible involvement in the affairs of the Trust. Our strategy seeks to ensure that members are enabled to participate at the level they feel is more appropriate.

Membership means participation and responsibility where local people, carers, staff and patients get involved in their local hospital, not for personal gain but for the benefit of the local community. Experience in other areas of public service shows that local people want to be listened to and that they want their views to be taken into account. Our own patient and public feedback about our services tells us the same. Our users do not necessarily want to make decisions or manage their own services but they do want to have a say, and expect us to act in response to what they have said.

Patient, public and staff members will have a role in the way the hospital is governed.

This means that they can: have a say vote in the election for the Governing Body stand for election to the Governing Body put themselves forward as a Non-Executive Director influence proposed changes to services and future plans for the development of the hospital involve themselves.

We appreciate that not all members will want to be active to the same extent or in the same way. However, we will want to keep all members up to date and involved. We hope to be able to show members how being involved has an effect on the hospital, our decisions, resources and services. Members will receive their four

mailings per year, consisting of the newsletter Foundations for Health, and annual reports and accounts.

Defining the membership community

Membership of the Doncaster & Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is drawn from four constituencies (number of governors): Public constituency two constituencies based on Bassetlaw District Council (5) and the Doncaster Metropolitan District Council (13) boundaries Patient constituency anyone who has been a patient of any of the Trusts Hospitals (2) Staff constituency this will include any member of staff who has worked for the Trust for at least 12 months, unless they choose to opt out (6) Partner constituency this will comprise local NHS organisations, local authorities, local universities and voluntary sector organisations (12)

Resourcing membership development

With the Membership Strategy Sub Group of the Governing Body, the Director of Strategic and Service Development will have responsibility for ensuring the objectives and actions of this strategy are carried out within the available resources. The structures and processes that need to support this need to be defined.

Building the membership base

Key objectives membership recruitment

to widen membership to all members of the qualifying communities identified in section 3 to provide a simple, accessible and publicised process for becoming a member to strive for the composition of membership to reflect the diversity of the local communities in which the Doncaster & Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust operates to encourage Doncaster & Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust employees to remain in membership to recognise and use members as a valuable resource, unique to a mutual organisation.

Actions

work with the Board of Directors and Governing Body (specifically, the Membership Strategy Sub-committee of the Governing Body) to identify a strategy for extending membership to individuals in all qualifying groups maintain an accurate and informative database of members to meet regulatory requirements and to be a tool for development membership

identify initiatives for raising the profile of membership with employees of the Doncaster & Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to encourage them to become active members the Governing Body, supported by the Sub-committee, will be responsible for evaluating the success of the membership recruitment activities use direct contact from Governors and possibly volunteers to recruit members at key locations in the Hospitals sites use appropriate advertising to recruit members. Consider incentive schemes for members.

Managing active membership

Key Objectives

to increase the number of active, informed members who are representative of the Trusts patients, staff and local communities to encourage members to stand for election to the Doncaster & Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trusts Governing Body. to encourage a partnership approach between members and the Governing Body to enable constructive working relationships and dialogue.

Actions

agree regularity and timings of recruitment campaigns identify initiatives for widening the pool of potential candidates for the Governing Body establish a programme for identifying and meeting with community and staff groups to promote participation identify initiatives where members can be used as a source of feedback on patient and quality issues

ensure the membership database defines members designated groups 7 Communicating with members

Key objectives

to seek to inform patients, staff, local communities and the wider public and opinion formers about the Trusts values and principles in order to promote understanding, promote partnerships and attract new members to ensure members receive appropriate communications to improve their understanding about the affairs of the Doncaster & Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and its relationship with their local communities to ensure communications are used to stimulate membership including encouraging new candidates for the Governing Body to ensure members receive appropriate, user friendly and timely information about Doncaster & Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, in order to make informed decisions.

Actions

ensure all communication is clear and easily understandable develop a communications package for members and potential members to ensure content and distribution is appropriate to members at different levels. In particular, identify two-way communications and promoting membership use the Internet for information and communication identify initiatives which inform the wider public and opinion formers about the Trust, patient and community issues provide to all new members relevant information about the Doncaster & Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the benefits of membership and the role of members

Playing a key community role

Key Objectives

to play a role in the development and well being of the community served by the Trust to maximise opportunities for membership and other relationships amongst all who live in the communities in which the Trust operates identifying groups or communities which are under-represented in terms of the diversity of the whole membership community

Actions

target under-represented groups or communities for membership recruitment identify ways of making better links with the community and increasing active membership identify and maximise opportunities for positive public relations in the local community, to promote the role of the Foundation Trust.

Making Foundation status distinctive

Objectives

to ensure that the Doncaster & Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust remains independent and autonomous by facilitating members to exercise appropriate influence in the affairs of the Trust to recognise that the Doncaster & Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is accountable for its performance to the members

to respect the autonomy, independence and value of other community organisations. 10 Evaluating the strategy

Key objective

to ensure the strategy meets its objectives

Actions

the strategy will be reviewed on an annual basis by the Governing Body on behalf of the membership a report on the success of the strategy will be presented to members on an annual basis.

11.

Conclusion

Becoming a member of the Foundation Trust provides new ways in which the people, and in particular local people from Bassetlaw and Doncaster, can contribute to the Trusts success through a new form of social ownership. This document has set out the Strategy and how this objective can be achieved.

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Membership Development Strategy - Action Plan

Objective Building the membership base

Action Work with the Board of Directors and Governing Body (specifically, the membership strategy sub committee of the Governing Body) to identify a strategy for extending membership to individuals in all qualifying groups

Detail Strategy to be agreed at the Governing Body meeting

Owner Ian Greenwood

Date of delivery 30th March 2005-03-18

Maintain an accurate and informative database Review required of members to meet regulatory requirements and to be a tool for development membership Identify initiatives for raising the profile of membership with employees of the Doncaster & Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to encourage them to become active members

Ian Greenwood

June 2005 September 2005

Dr. G. Kessler Maximise existing communications methods; including ensuring availability of names and contact details of staff governors. Staff governors to review the action. Evaluation tool to be developed Sub committee

The Governing Body, supported by the subcommittee, will be responsible for evaluating the success of the membership recruitment activities Use direct contact from Governors and possibly volunteers to recruit members at key

May 2005

Agreed at sub group

Sub committee

May 2005

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locations in the Hospitals sites Use appropriate advertising to recruit members. Managing active membership Agree regularity and timings of recruitment campaigns Identify initiatives for widening the pool of potential candidates for the Governing Body Establish a programme for identifying and meeting with community and staff groups to promote participation Ongoing Sub committee Sub committee Sub committee Sub committee Sub committee Annual review March 2005 May 2005 May 2005

Agreed at sub-committee Ongoing Develop an approach at the next available sub committee meeting

Identify initiatives where members can be used Seek advice from Governors as a source of feedback on patient and quality and Director of Nursing issues Ensure the membership database defines members designated groups. Communicat ing with members Ensure all communication is clear and easily understandable Develop a communications package to members and potential members to ensure content and distribution is appropriate to members engaging with Doncaster & Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust at different levels. In particular, identify two-way communications and promoting active membership Develop and maximise the potential of the Review required Ongoing Ongoing four times per year

June 2005

Ian Greenwood

June 2005 Annual review Annual review

Sub committee Sub committee

Ongoing

Sub committee

Annual review

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Internet for information, communication and democratic purposes Identify initiatives which inform the wider public and opinion formers about the Trust, patient and community issues Provide to all new members relevant information about the Doncaster & Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the benefits of membership and the role of members Playing a key community role Target under-represented groups or communities for membership recruitment Identify ways of making better links with the community and increasing active membership Ongoing Sub committee Sub committee Communication and marketing Strategy Annual review

Annual review

Ongoing Ongoing

Sub committee Sub committee Sub committee

Annual review Annual review Annual review

Identify and maximise opportunities for positive Ongoing public relations in the local community, to promote the role of the Foundation Trust Making Foundation status distinctive Evaluating the strategy Identify initiatives and communications which further members understanding of the advantages of the Trust retaining its Foundation status The strategy will be reviewed on an annual basis by the Governing Body on behalf of the membership A report on the success of the strategy will be presented to members on an annual basis. Communication and Marketing Strategy

Sub committee

Annual review

Annual

Governing Body

Annual

Annual to AGM

Governing Body

Annual

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