membership development strategy mar05

7/30/2019 Membership Development Strategy Mar05

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Membership Development Strategy

and

Action Plan


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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


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1 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 successof 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 non-

executive 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 non-

members. However, members will have a real say in how their local NHSFoundation Trust is run.

Members will have a role in the way the hospital is governed. This means that they


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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.

2 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


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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.

3 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


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4 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.

5 Building the membership base

Key objectives membership recruitment

to widen membership to all members of the qualifying communities identifiedin 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


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identify initiatives for raising the profile of membership with employees of the

Doncaster & Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to encourage themto 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.

6 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


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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


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8 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.

9 Making Foundation status distinctive

Objectives


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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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12. Membership Development Strategy - Action Plan

Objective Action Detail Owner Date ofdelivery

Building themembershipbase

Work with the Board of Directors andGoverning Body (specifically, the membershipstrategy sub committee of the Governing

Body) to identify a strategy for extendingmembership to individuals in all qualifyinggroups

Maintain an accurate and informative databaseof members to meet regulatory requirementsand to be a tool for development membership

Identify initiatives for raising the profile of

membership with employees of the Doncaster& Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trustto encourage them to become active members

The Governing Body, supported by the sub-

committee, will be responsible for evaluatingthe success of the membership recruitmentactivities

Use direct contact from Governors andpossibly volunteers to recruit members at key

Strategy to be agreed at theGoverning Body meeting

Review required

Maximise existing

communications methods;including ensuring availability ofnames and contact details ofstaff governors. Staffgovernors to review the action.

Evaluation tool to be developed

Agreed at sub group

Ian Greenwood

Ian Greenwood

Dr. G. Kessler

Sub committee

Sub committee

30th March2005-03-18

June 2005

September

2005

May 2005

May 2005


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locations in the Hospitals sites

Use appropriate advertising to recruitmembers.

Ongoing Sub committee Annual review

Managingactivemembership

Agree regularity and timings of recruitmentcampaigns

Identify initiatives for widening the pool ofpotential candidates for the Governing Body

Establish a programme for identifying andmeeting with community and staff groups topromote participation

Identify initiatives where members can be usedas a source of feedback on patient and qualityissues

Ensure the membership database defines

members designated groups.

Agreed at sub-committee

Ongoing

Develop an approach at thenext available sub committeemeeting

Seek advice from Governorsand Director of Nursing

Review required

Sub committee

Sub committee

Sub committee

Sub committee

Ian Greenwood

March 2005

May 2005

May 2005

June 2005

June 2005

Communicating withmembers

Ensure all communication is clear and easilyunderstandable

Develop a communications package tomembers and potential members to ensurecontent and distribution is appropriate to

members engaging with Doncaster &Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust atdifferent levels. In particular, identify two-waycommunications and promoting activemembership

Develop and maximise the potential of the

Ongoing

Ongoing four times per year

Ongoing

Sub committee

Sub committee

Sub committee

Annual review

Annual review

Annual review


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Internet for information, communication anddemocratic purposes

Identify initiatives which inform the wider publicand opinion formers about the Trust, patientand community issues

Provide to all new members relevantinformation about the Doncaster & BassetlawHospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the benefitsof membership and the role of members

Ongoing

Communication and marketingStrategy

Sub committee

Sub committee

Annual review

Annual review

Playing akeycommunityrole

Target under-represented groups orcommunities for membership recruitment

Identify ways of making better links with thecommunity and increasing active membership

Identify and maximise opportunities for positivepublic relations in the local community, topromote the role of the Foundation Trust

Ongoing

Ongoing

Ongoing

Sub committee

Sub committee

Sub committee

Annual review

Annual review

Annual review

MakingFoundationstatusdistinctive

Identify initiatives and communications whichfurther members understanding of theadvantages of the Trust retaining itsFoundation status

Communication and MarketingStrategy

Sub committee Annual review

Evaluatingthe strategy The strategy will be reviewed on an annualbasis by the Governing Body on behalf of the

membership

A report on the success of the strategy will bepresented to members on an annual basis.

Annual

Annual to AGM

Governing Body

Governing Body

Annual

Annual


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