Foundation Trust Membership Strategy

Transcription

1 Foundation Trust Membership Strategy Version: 7 Approved by: Date Approved: Ratified by: Date Ratified: Name of originator/author: Name of responsible task group: Date issued: Review date: July 2013 Council of Governors Trust Board of Directors Helen Braid, Foundation Trust Membership Manager Communication & Membership Sub-Group

2 Section South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust Contents 1. Introduction 3 Page 2. Playing a Key Community Role What is Membership? 4 4. Membership Objectives Defining the Membership Community Building the Membership Base Plans for Future Membership Recruitment A Representative Membership 9 9. Achieving an Informed, Involved and Influential Membership Membership Data Council of Governors Working with Other Membership Organisations Resourcing Membership Development Evaluating Success 13 Appendices: Page Appendix 1: Evaluating Membership Success Appendix 2: Overview of the Trust and its Operating Area Appendix 3: The Trust s Public Membership 20 Appendix 4: Staff Membership Classes Appendix 5: Public Membership Recruitment Trajectory 24 Appendix 6: Recruitment, Retention and Engagement Plan Appendix 7: Proposed Composition of the Council of Governors 31 Page 2 of 31

3 1. Introduction 1.1 The South Western Ambulance NHS Foundation Trust (the Trust) is committed to high quality community engagement throughout the area that it serves. A key element of this engagement is the continuing development of a large and representative membership, where members are informed and can choose to become involved and influential in the development of the Trust. 1.2 The Trust developed its initial Membership Strategy in 2008 as part of its work to become an NHS Foundation Trust. Since that time a number of changes have occurred. At a national level there has been a fundamental review of the NHS which has resulted in the Health & Social Care Act 2012, a worsening economic climate and a greater expectation of accountability by the public in respect of the services that they receive. At a local level, the Trust has been operating as an NHS Foundation Trust for over a year, which has included the establishment of a Council of Governors together with a deepening understanding of the benefit that an informed and involved membership can bring to the Trust. The Trust is also now in the process of acquiring its neighbouring ambulance service provider, the Great Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust (GWAS). 1.3 In view of the above, the Trust has taken the opportunity to thoroughly review its Membership Strategy to ensure that it is fit for purpose and delivers a highly effective membership across its existing operating area and, based on the experience gained since 2008, develops an equally strong membership across the area currently served by GWAS. 1.4 This Membership Strategy is not intended to be a prescriptive document, but rather a broad approach to membership recruitment, engagement and retention, setting out objectives and anticipated outcomes. 2. Playing a Key Community Role 2.1 The Trust prides itself on the strong relationships that have been established with the community and numerous organisations across its operating area and it is committed to maintaining these relationships whilst also creating links with the community it will serve following the proposed acquisition of GWAS. 2.2 The Trust actively contributes to a range of local initiatives and partnerships to ensure engagement with as much of the community as possible, including those sections which are often deemed as hard to reach. 2.3 The Trust also works to develop the well-being of the community. This work includes: Making available a variety of public health literature from a range of organisations including the British Heart Foundation about eating healthily, heart health, how to prevent obesity, consuming alcohol sensibly, smoking cessation and blood pressure information. Page 3 of 31

4 Producing a suite of literature about accessing health care services across the four counties, and key health messages in respect of heat-wave, winter planning, flu and blood pressure. Including a dedicated section on the website with a list of useful links to partner organisation websites for health advice. Attending community events to offer free health checks and advice. Distributing a series of press releases across the region to highlight health campaigns including stroke awareness, eating disorders and carbon monoxide awareness. 3. What is Membership? 3.1 The Trust views membership as a natural progression from the community role that it has undertaken for a number of years. Membership is considered to be a means of empowering local people by informing them of the work and aspirations of the Trust (as well as wider health issues), enabling them to make informed decisions. Membership allows local people to become involved by taking part in Trust activities and feeding through their views on the services provided by the Trust. Membership also enables local people to become even more influential in the governance and development of the Trust, should they chose, by providing them with the opportunity to vote for a Governor to represent them on the Trust s Council of Governors or by standing for election to become a Governor themselves. 3.2 A well informed and engaged membership provides the Trust with a highly effective resource in its work to ensure that its decisions and future development are responsive to the communities that it serves. This is not to say that the Trust will always agree with the view of each of its Members. However, an informed and involved membership will lead to the development of a mutual understanding between the Trust and the public that it serves. 3.3 The Trust s notion of membership is that members can become informed, involved and influential. Critically, however, whilst the Trust sets out to enable Members to become engaged at a variety of levels, it is the Members themselves who make the decision regarding their level of involvement. 4. Membership Objectives 4.1 The Trust strives to recruit, retain and develop a membership which is actively engaged with the Trust and therefore considers membership to be a responsible role. Accordingly, in addition to setting itself objectives for Membership, it has also has defined objectives for its Members to consider: 4.2 Objectives for the Trust To recruit and retain a membership which is large and representative of the population that it serves in terms of age, gender, ethnicity and socio economic classification. Ensure an inclusive membership where all who wish to become a member, and are eligible, are easily able to join at their preferred level of engagement. Page 4 of 31

5 For the membership to be informed, involved and have the opportunity to influence the development of the Trust. Define the opportunities and responsibilities associated with membership. Understand and enable the extent of involvement that members wish to have. Develop a partnership approach between the Trust and its membership working together for the benefit of the organisation, its members and the communities it serves. 4.3 Objectives for the Membership To become informed about the Trust, the services it provides and wider health issues to enable local people to make well informed decisions about their well-being and health care. Build on the existing positive reputation of the Trust by being ambassadors and informing the wider community of the work of the Trust; Become involved and influential by providing views on Trust services, proposals and development through a variety of mechanisms including participation in activities and sharing personal experiences; Vote Governors into office or put themselves forward to become Governors. 4.4 Details of how the Trust will monitor how it is working towards achieving these objectives are set out at Appendix Defining the Membership Community 5.1 The Trust is a complex organisation dealing with a wide range of health care services and patient needs across a socially diverse region which is the most rural in England 1. (An overview of the Trust and its operating area is at Appendix 2). 5.2 To ensure the continuous improvement of the services for which it is responsible, the Trust aspires to develop a membership which encompasses the public it serves, the staff it employs and the stakeholders with which it engages, with this membership contributing towards this improvement. 5.3 The Trust has two membership constituencies one for its staff and the other for the public who live within its operating area. 2 Public Membership 5.4 The Trust s public membership currently covers Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, the Isles of Scilly and Somerset. Following the anticipated acquisition of GWAS this area will extend to include Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and the area formerly known as Avon (ie Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire). To be eligible for membership a person must reside within these specified areas, be aged 16 years or over and not be eligible for 1 State of the South West 2011, South West Observatory 2 In light of the challenges of managing a public constituency across an entire region, and that many people residing outside of the region have a second home in the South West, the Trust has decided against a rest of England constituency. Page 5 of 31

6 staff membership 3. Additionally, the Trust will not accept an application for membership for anyone who has been a vexatious complainant or who has threatened, harassed, harmed or abused staff or patients. 5.5 A table defining the Trust s public membership by Constituency, including population statistics and the minimum number of members required in each Constituency to enable Governor elections to be held is at Appendix 3. Staff Membership 5.6 The Trust currently employs just under 2,500 staff, with this equating to approximately 2,180 whole time equivalents 4. (At the present time, this figure is anticipated to rise by some 1,700 (1,635 whole time equivalents) following the anticipated acquisition of GWAS. 5 ) In addition there are almost 700 individuals who volunteer for the Trust as a Community First Responder (CFRs) or Volunteer Ambulance Car Service Driver (VACS). 5.7 As with public membership, eligibility criteria is also applicable for staff membership. Employed staff must either be employed under a permanent contract; a fixed term of at least 12 months; or have been continuously employed under contract for at least 12 months. CFRs or VACS are eligible for staff membership if they have continuously volunteered for the Trust for at least 12 months The staff membership is currently split into five staff classes which are based on role definitions. These classes are Accident & Emergency; Administration & Support; Patient Transport Services; Urgent Care Services; and Volunteers. (Appendix 4 details the job roles within each Staff Class.) Employed staff who are eligible for staff membership are automatically opted in as a member, whilst Volunteers are invited to sign up to become a member The current staff classes each have a Governor to represent it on the Trust s Council of Governors. Following the anticipated acquisition of GWAS, to ensure that former GWAS employees are not disenfranchised, it is proposed that the five Staff Classes be replicated until the end of February 2014 for those who, up to the point of acquisition, were employed by GWAS. At this time it is proposed that the staff membership revert to having five staff classes based on role definitions as set out at paragraph The age criteria of 16 was selected in light of the responsibilities of membership and as it is the minimum age for voting rights in Governor elections, as stipulated by the Trust s regulating body, Monitor. 4 South Western Ambulance NHS Foundation Trust Annual Report and Financial Accounts 1 April 2011 to 31 March Great Western Ambulance NHS Trust Annual Report and Financial Accounts 1 April 2011 to 31 March Employees/Volunteers eligible for Staff Membership are not eligible for public membership of the Trust. 7 All Staff opted in as members are informed that they can be removed from the Membership Register via a written request to the Trust s Membership Manager. Page 6 of 31

7 6. Building the Membership Base Membership Recruitment to Date 6.1 The Trust began developing its membership during 2008 and by 30 June 2012 had recruited 9309 public members and 2682 staff members. 6.2 The Trust has used a range of initiatives to recruit new Members, including targeted mailings; articles in selected publications; chat rooms (for staff); press releases; membership recruitment companies, community meetings and public events. Over the past three years a wealth of experience has been gained in respect of recruitment and the effectiveness of each of the methodologies used. For example, whilst a telephone recruitment exercise produced a high number of new Members, a great many of these Members only wanted to engage with the Trust at the minimum level. However, whilst recruitment at community events may not be as effective in achieving high numbers of new Members, it does enable an effective dialogue to commence immediately and members recruited in this manner are often keen to be become more involved with the Trust. The experience gained from previous recruitment activities will inform plans for future recruitment. Targets Public Membership 6.3 As at 30 June 2012 the Trust had a public membership of 9,309 across Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, the Isles of Scilly and Somerset, with this figure representing 0.3% of the total population of the current operating area and individual public constituency levels ranging between 0.2% and 0.6%. 6.4 As part of its objective to achieve as representative a public membership as possible across the expanded operating area following the acquisition of GWAS, the Trust has adopted a membership target of 0.2% of the total population of that area by 31 March This will require the recruitment of approximately 4,700 members across Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and the area formerly known as Avon. A trajectory outlining targets for membership recruitment across the current GWAS operating area through to 31 March 2013 is at Appendix Following consideration of its aspiration for an informed, involved and influential membership, the current economic climate and the expectation of the regulating authority that membership will continue to grow, the Trust will seek to grow its public membership by 0.02% year on year. Page 7 of 31

8 Table 1: Targets for Number of Public Members 31 March / / / / /18 Number 10, ,602 12,657 13,712 14,766 15,821 % 0.2% 0.22% 0.24% 0.26% 0.28% 0.30% Staff Membership 6.6 When establishing its Staff Membership in March 2010, the Trust aspired to achieve a staff membership equivalent to 65% of all staff by authorisation as an NHS Foundation Trust, with this membership growing by 3% year on year. These targets took into account the fact that approximately 20% of Trust employees are not eligible to become staff members and the opt in approach for Volunteers, as set out at paragraph 5.7 above, will naturally lead to a lower take up within that staff class. 6.7 As at 30 June 2012 the Trust s Staff Membership equated to 74% of the total number of employees, CFRs and VACs staff at that date. Whilst exceeding its initial targets, the Trust is proposing for these to remain in light of the proposed acquisition of GWAS and the subsequent integration period which will be required. 7. Plans for Future Membership Recruitment 7.1 The Membership Manager, in conjunction with the Trust s Council of Governors will lead the Trust s Membership recruitment activities across its existing operating area and the former GWAS operating area. These activities will include: Ongoing development of an action plan for maintaining and increasing Trust membership, including the direct targeting of key groups such as: Patients; Fundraisers and donors; Community and support groups; Under-represented sections of the community; Complainants and enquirers, who have engaged with the Trust; An ongoing dialogue with staff currently employed by GWAS in respect of Membership and how it can be used to influence the Trust that will be their future employer. Attending community events across the current GWAS operating area to inform those communities of the forthcoming transaction and how they can become informed about and involved with the Trust which will be providing their future ambulance services. 8 This total figure is comprised of 4,707 members across the former GWAS area, with the remaining members being drawn from the public constituencies of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Isles of Scilly and Somerset. Page 8 of 31

9 Identifying initiatives for raising the profile of membership with staff and communities across the region, including: Public events, including recruitment stands at local events; Membership information on its website ; Engagement with patients and carers through publicity. 7.2 The current Recruitment, Retention and Engagement Plan is at Appendix A Representative Membership 8.1 In order to recruit and retain a membership which is credibly large and representative of the population that it serves in terms of age, gender, ethnicity and socio economic classification, the Trust carries out on-going analysis of its membership. 8.2 The Membership Manager undertakes regular reviews of membership numbers and how the socio-economic classification of the Trust s Members compares with the composition of the operating area as a whole. Objectives in this respect are set out at Appendix 1 and regular reports will be made to the Trust s Council of Governors for assurance. 9. Achieving an Informed, Involved and Influential Membership Aspiration for an Informed, Involved and Influential Membership 9.1 As set out at Section 4, the Trust aims to develop a large and credible membership, where Members are informed about the Trust and health care options; can choose to become involved with the Trust by whatever means and at a level they chose; and can ultimately influence the development of the Trust and its services. Effective engagement is critical in achieving this aspiration. Models of Engagement 9.2 Traditional models of engagement have tended to relate levels of participation and contribution to levels of influence or power, with it being contended that the greater the participation of an individual the greater the power they exert. 9 In addition to failing to recognise the variety of participation options available, these models do not take into account that some individuals might opt for limited participation which might be of great benefit to an organisation, whilst others may wish to contribute on a more regular and long-term basis and yet their participation is not so beneficial. 9.3 The Foundation Trust structure which includes a Membership and Council of Governors and which operates in an era where communication and participation can take place via a range of methods, lends itself to a more flexible model of engagement. Emerging models for engagement, for example Tritter s vision, is one which recognises that participation can be pro-active or re-active; can be direct or indirect; and where participants can actually take part 9 Arnstein s (1969), a Ladder of Citizen Participation, Journal of American Institute of Planners Page 9 of 31

10 in decision-making or inform the decisions that others will make. 10 This model, illustrated at Figure 1, avoids notions of hierarchy and suggests instead that populating each cell in the model will generate richer engagement by accommodating a diverse range of stakeholder and types of participation. Figure 1: A Model for Membership Engagement Type of Participation INDIRECT (Members views are sought but others make decisions) Proactive Reactive INDIVIDUAL COLLECTIVE Real Time Retrospective Real Time Retrospective DIRECT (Members take part in decision making) Proactive Reactive Levels of Engagement 9.4 In line with the Model of Engagement set out above, the Trust acknowledges that its Members will not all wish to engage with the Trust in the same way or to the same degree and therefore aims to offer Members with the level of engagement that they feel most comfortable with. This not only demonstrates from the outset that the Trust is listening to and responding to its Members, but also ensures that engagement activities are appropriately targeted and so more effective. 9.5 As a broad approach, the Trust will offer three broad levels of membership: 1 Informed 2 Involved 3 Influential Members chose to receive newsletters and information about the Trust. In addition to above, Members are also able to take part in surveys, consultations and attend events, if these interest them. In addition to the above, Members will also consider standing for election to become a Governor for the Trust. 9.6 There is nothing to prevent a Member changing their mind regarding their degree of Membership at any time, for example there have been Members who have indicated that they did not wish to consider becoming a Governor of the Trust, but who have then gone on to stand for election. Members are 10 Tritter, J (2009), Revolution or Evolution: The Challenges of Conceptualizing Patient and Public Involvement in a Consumerist World, Health Expectations 12 Page 10 of 31

11 provided with a range of information about membership, including the broad levels of involvement and how to contact the Membership Office should they wish to discuss any aspect of their Trust Membership. Methods of Engagement 9.7 The Trust will make available a range of engagement activities to its Membership, with Members being free to chose those they wish to participate in. These activities will include: being provided with a regular newsletter; receiving information via Twitter or ; being able to access information via a Membership section on the Trust website; letting the Trust know what issues they would like to be addressed in newsletters and on its website; attending public events where the Trust is in attendance; the option of standing for election to the Council of Governors and/or voting for a representative on the Council; receiving an invitation to meetings of the Council of Governors and the Annual Members Meeting; being able to contact the Trust s Governors to pass on their views or ask questions about the Trust and the services that it provides; taking part in surveys and consultations being undertaken by the Trust and other health-care providers. 10. Membership Data 10.1 The Trust complies with all UK Data Protection Act requirements. It ensures that all personal data is handled with the utmost care and integrity and that this same protection is exercised by any external organisation, which may have access to member register information, whether through them hosting the Trust membership database or working with the Trust in relation to the election of Governors. 11. Council of Governors 11.1 The Council of Governors is the pivotal link between the Trust, its membership and the communities served by the Trust. In addition to leading the work to recruit and retain Members, the Trust s Governors are responsible for developing a deepening level of mutual understanding between the Trust and the public that it serves. This educational element of the Governor role is essential for maintaining a satisfactory alignment of expectations both on the part of the membership and the Trust itself The Council, which was established in February 2010, is currently comprised of 17 Public Governors who are drawn from and elected by the Public Membership Constituencies; 5 Staff Governors drawn from and elected by the staff membership; and 9 Appointed Governors who are nominated by a range of stakeholder organisations across the region including the police, fire services, voluntary sector and other NHS organisations. Page 11 of 31

12 11.3 In addition to developing its membership across Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and the area formerly known as Avon, the Trust is also proposing to expand its Council of Governors to ensure that the public, stakeholders and the staff who will have formerly been employed by GWAS are represented Whilst it is keen to encompass the new areas within the Council, the Trust also considers it essential to retain the knowledge and skills which have been developed by the existing Governors to ensure strong governance during and after the proposed acquisition of GWAS. Accordingly, a revised structure for the Council of Governors is proposed for the post acquisition period which will operate until 28 February This proposed structure will see the number of Public Governors increase to 28; Staff Governors to 10; and Appointed Governors remain at The Trust will be reviewing these proposed arrangements during the Summer of 2013 with a view to implementing a more streamlined Council with effect from March Initial discussions have considered the possibilities or reducing the number of Staff Governors from the post acquisition level of ten, following the integration of GWAS staff into the Trust; an amendment to the current methodology for allocating the number of Governors per Public Constituency from one Governor per 180,000 of population to 250,000; and whether the current Public Constituencies of Devon and Dorset should be divided along Unitary / County local authority boundaries, to reflect the arrangements across the existing GWAS area. 12. Working with other Membership Organisations 12.1 There are a number of NHS Foundation Trusts and other organisations who maintain membership registers within the Trust's operating area. Some of these organisations have well established membership bases and the Trust works with them to share experiences. In addition, the Trust s Membership Manager has forged links with colleagues across the country, which provide a depth of knowledge about membership in a variety of communities The Trust aims to work with as many membership organisations as possible and share best practice. Activities in this respect include sending a copy of newsletters to member organisations; seeking to attend committees and events held by these organisations and also giving member organisations the opportunity to place an article in the Trust newsletter. The Board of Directors and Council of Governors support engagement with other membership organisations. 13. Resourcing Membership Development 13.1 The Trust has a Membership Manager who is based within the Marketing & Strategic Communications Directorate. 11 The detail of the composition of the Council of Governors is at Appendix 7. Page 12 of 31

13 13.2 The Membership Manager undertakes a range of work associated with the planning, management and co-ordination of the recruitment, retention and engagement of the Trust s membership. This also includes maintenance of the membership register and managing the process to elect and appoint Governors to the Trust s Council of Governors The Membership Manager is supported by the Communications & Membership Sub Group which is drawn from the Council of Governors; the Corporate Secretariat, which supports functions associated with the Council of Governors; and colleagues from within the Marketing & Strategic Communications Team The majority of activities associated with membership, with the exception of printing of literature, are carried out in-house. This includes drafting documents, design work, mail shots, website development and attendance at community events. 14. Evaluating Success 14.1 This Strategy, is prepared with Governor support and is managed and regularly reviewed by the Council of Governors. The Trust will ensure that Governors are supported to enable them to evaluate performance against the objectives of the Strategy and report all findings back to the Membership Manager and the Board of Directors A key tool for measuring the implementation and success of the Membership Strategy will be by reviewing performance against the objectives set out in Appendix 1 Evaluating Membership Success The Governors will monitor: recruitment figures and how representative the Trust s membership is of the area that it serves; membership numbers to see if existing members are resigning from the membership and if so where geographically and why; participation in activities, such as voting rates at elections and the number of members standing for election; community engagement activity; benchmarking of membership activities against other membership organisations; the questions and concerns of existing and potential members to see if there are any themes of particular interest or concern In addition to this ongoing monitoring, the Council of Governors will also review the Membership Strategy on an annual basis, to ensure that it remains fit for purpose and will make its recommendations to the Board of Directors The impact of the Council of Governors in delivering the Membership Strategy will be monitored through the development of an assessment framework which will incorporate the objectives set out in Appendix 1. Page 13 of 31

14 Evaluating Membership Success Appendix 1 1. Initial indicators in respect of Membership have been developed. 2. Progress against indicators to be reviewed by the Communications & Membership Sub-Group on a quarterly basis and action recommended accordingly. 3. Initial benchmarking information to be reported to the Sub-Group in August Indicators to be used to be reviewed on 31 March 2013 and yearly thereafter. Recruitment Targets Public membership to increase by 0.02% of total population year on year. Public membership of 0.2% total population across current GWAS operating area to be achieved by 31 March Over/under representation in gender profile of the Public Membership to be reduced by 1% year on year. Each Public Constituency to be no more than 0.2% under-represented by 31 March 2013 (with this figure being reduced by 0.1% by 31 March 2014). Percentage of public membership who wish to sign up for Level 2 or Level 3 of membership to increase by 1% year on year. Staff Membership to increase by 3% of total employees year on year. An Informed Membership All Trust Members to be aware of how they can contact the Membership Office and their Governor representative. Membership welcome packs to contain key messages about the Trust and wider health issues. Details of Council of Governor meetings to be made available in a range of formats to all Members. Details of community engagement events where the Trust will be represented to be made available in a range of formats to all Members. Twentyfourseven to be sent to all Members quarterly. Key messages to be included on Trust website and made available via twitter. An Involved Membership Number of contacts made with Governors via the Trust website. Number of contacts made with Staff Governors by Staff Members. Number of member contacts with the Membership Office. Member attendance at meetings of the Council of Governors and the Annual General Meeting. Member attendance at community events where the Trust is represented. Feedback forms contained with the Member Welcome Pack completed and returned. Member views on Trust issues provided. Page 14 of 31

15 Governor Engagement and Development Governor attendance at, and support for, community and other engagement events. The extent to which Governors assist the Trust in the recruitment, retention and development of its membership. The extent to which feedback based upon membership engagement is provided by Governors as part of Trust strategy development and the Annual Planning process. The extent of Governor feedback provided to Members in respect of the Trust s development and future strategies. Council of Governors All Public and Staff Governor seats to be filled within four months of any resignation or end of term of office. All Public and Staff Governor seats subject to election to be contested. Election turnout to be within the top quartile of all Governor elections managed by Electoral Reform Services. All Appointed Governor seats filled within three months of any resignation or end of term of office. Administration All applications for public membership processed within 5 working days of receipt. Membership packs despatched to all new public Members within 10 working days of receipt of application. All staff membership updates to be actioned internally within 5 working days of receipt of information from Human Resources. All staff membership updates to be actioned externally within 10 working days of receipt of information from the Trust. Public and staff membership reports to be produced on the last working day of each calendar month. Page 15 of 31

16 Overview of the Trust and its Operating Area Appendix 2 1. The South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (The Trust) 1.1 On 1 March 2011 the Trust became one of the first Ambulance Trusts in the country to achieve NHS Foundation Trust status. It is currently progressing an acquisition of its nieghbouring ambulance service, the Great Western Ambulance Service Trust (GWAS). It is anticipated that this transaction will be completed towards the end of The Trust currently serves the resident and transient populations of Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly, Devon, Dorset and Somerset. Upon completion of the acquisition, this will extend to encompass Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and the area formerly known as Avon. 1.3 The Trust is a high quality, effective and efficient NHS organisation and the primary provider of 999 ambulance services across its vast operational area. The Trust s core operations include the following service lines: Emergency Ambulance 999 Services (A&E); Urgent Care Services (UCS) - GP Out of Hours Medical Care (Dorset and Somerset); Patient Transport Services (PTS) - non emergency transport for eligible patients with a medical need for transport 1.4 The Trust continues to develop its services to meet the changing needs of its patients. It is a complex organisation dealing with a wide range of healthcare services and has a duty to ensure the continuous improvement of all services for which it is responsible. Table 2: Trust Statistics /12 SWASFT 12 GWAS 13 Annual income 122,400,000 89,700,000 Workforce 2178 Whole Time Equivalents 1635 Whole Time Equivalents Population 3 million residential and 17 million 2.4 million residential visitors per year (approximate) (approximate) Area covered 17,094 square kilometers (incl 1,331 kilometers of coastline) 7,769 square kilometers Emergency 999 activations 436, ,300 Non urgent medical transport journeys 305, ,984 Contacts with out of hours urgent care patients 208,018 14, South Western Ambulance NHS Foundation Trust Annual Report & Financial Accounts 1 April March Great Western Ambulance NHS Trust Annual Report & Financial Accounts 1 April March 2012 Page 16 of 31

17 2. Trust Vision To deliver high performing emergency and urgent care and non-urgent patient transport services that are responsive, safe, clinically effective, financially viable, legally constituted and well governed. 3. Strategic goals The Trust Vision is underpinned by five Strategic Goals: Strategic Goal 1: High Quality, High Performing To deliver improvements at county level, and achieve upper quartile performance at a Trust level, for all national ambulance clinical quality indicators in a phased way over the period 2012/13 to 2016/17. Strategic Goal 2: Improving Patient Pathways To implement changing patient pathways in line with national strategy and local direction. These will be emergent based on extant policy with a current emphasis on major trauma. Strategic Goal 3: Right Care, Right Place, Right Time Align Trust strategies and working practices to deliver the right care to patients, in the right place, at the right time, with a continued focus on delivering a safe reduction in inappropriate A&E attendances at acute hospitals Strategic Goal 4: Strengthen, Secure and Grow Urgent Care Services To retain the existing Trust contracts for the delivery of Urgent Care Services when tendered, ensuring they are high quality, clinically safe, cost effective and fit for purpose. Where appropriate the Trust will seek to expand and grow the service line, independently or supported by innovative business partnerships. Strategic Goal 5: Retain, Strengthen and Grow Patient Transport Services To retain the existing Trust contracts for the delivery of Patient Transport Services when tendered, ensuring they are high quality, clinically safe, cost effective and fit for purpose. Where appropriate the Trust will seek to expand and grow the service line, independently or supported by innovative business partnerships. 4. Overview of the Trust s operating area 4.1 The Trust currently serves a population of approximately 3 million, with this figure set to rise to over 5 million when its operating area also encompasses Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and the area formerly known as Avon. In addition, the area receives an influx of over 17 million visitors each year. 4.2 At first glance the region appears to afford its population a high quality of life when compared with the rest of the country. Life expectancy is high and mortality rates from major diseases such as cancer are amongst the lowest in the county. Children s health is generally good and there are relatively low Page 17 of 31

18 Percentage of Population of each Public Constituency South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust rates of serious injury and death caused by traffic. However, there are a number of challenges facing healthcare professionals in the region. Deaths from malignant melanoma are the highest in England, areas such as Torbay and Bristol have high rates of teenage conceptions and it is now estimated that approximately a quarter of the region s adults are obese There are also considerable inequalities across the region. Levels of personal and household income in the region are between 7% and 11% lower than those from England as a whole; 26% of the region s children livie in low income households and approximately 179,000 of the population are residing in areas ranked amongst the 10% most deprived in England. Table 1: Percentage of Population Living Within Areas of Multiple Deprivation Population within most deprived 10% of IMD Population within most deprived 20% of IMD 0.0 Source: Indices of Deprivation 2010, South West Observatory 4.4 The South West has the third smallest population of the English regions and has the lowest population density. However, a 20% population increase is anticipated by 2033, which is greater than the predicted increase for England as a whole. In addition, the South West has the highest proportion of its population as pensionable age with this figure set to reached just under 30% of the population being of pensionable age by 2033, with 6% being aged The region is also the most rural English region with only 18% of the population living in large urban areas and 32% in other urban areas. The rural nature of the region has implications for the way in which health care services are accessed, with poor access to public transport compounding this issue. 14 National Centre for Health Outcomes Development. 15 The State of the South West 2011, South West Observatory. Page 18 of 31

19 Percentage of Population South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust 4.6 The South West has one of the lowest ethnic minority populations of all English regions with 97% of its population being classified as white. However, as can be seen from the table below, there are are variations across the region, for example this with the percentage of the population being classified as Black or Ethnic Minority ranging from less than 2% across Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset to over 9% in Swindon and 16% in Bristol. Table 2: Percentage of population classified as Black and Ethnic Minority as compared with the total population of each Public Constituency Source: Census These factors require the Trust, in partnership with other health and social care providers and local authorities, to focus increasingly on the promotion of good health and well-being across a range of diverse communities. Informing the Trust s membership of the health and social issues facing the region is a key element in the Trust meeting these challenges. Page 19 of 31

20 The Trust s Public Membership Appendix 3 Public Constituency Bath & North East Somerset 2010 Mid-Year Population Estimates % of Trust Area Population Minimum Number of Members Required for Governor Elections 0.05% Proposed Target Number of Members by 31 March 2013 (0.2% each of Constituency population) Proposed Number of Governors representing each Public Constituency Transitional Arrangements 179, % Bristol 441, % Cornwall 535, % 268 1,070 3 Devon 1,142, % 571 2,286 6 Dorset 715, % 357 1,430 4 Gloucestershire 593, % 297 1,187 3 Isles of Scilly 2, % 25* 25* 1 North Somerset 212, % Somerset 525, % 263 1,050 3 South Gloucestershire 264, % Swindon 201, % Wiltshire 459, % Total 5,273, % 2,661 10, *The actual figure would be less than 1 and so a more practical target has been selected for the purposes of a target membership.

21 Staff Membership Classes (Incorporating current Trust employees / volunteers and anticipated former GWAS employees post acquisition (as at 30 June 2012)) Appendix 4 Staff Constituency Total Number of Staff (incl those ineligible for membership) % of Total Staff Numbers Number of Staff Eligible for Membership % of Staff Eligible for Membership STAFF CLASS All Staff % % Paid Staff % % OPT OUT A&E Accident & Emergency (A&E) (including bank staff) Control staff: A&E Emergency Medical Dispatchers, A&E Dispatchers and Assistant Dispatchers, Dispatch Supervisors/Managers, EMD Supervisor, EOC Manager, EOC Duty Manager, EOC Administrator, Control Officer, A&E Clinical Hub Managers, A&E Control Managers, Control Officers, Duty Managers, Control Training Supervisor, Response Desk Coordinator, Clinical Desk Team Leader, Clinical Lead, Clinical Supervisors and Team Leaders, Triage Officers and Clinicians, Operational Support Managers, Divisional Officer, Assistant Resilience Officer, Emergency Medical Advisor All frontline operational staff: Paramedics, Technicians, Emergency Care Assistants, Clinical Support Officers, Emergency Care Practitioners, CSO/ECP, Community ECP, ECP Nurse, Ambulance Practitioner, Paramedic Supervisors, Lead Paramedics, Mentor Paramedics, Mentor CTL, Critical Care Paramedics Air Operations, Paramedic Supervisors, Advanced Technicians, Student Paramedics, Clinical/Operational Tutors, Ambulance Care Assistants (PSV), HART Team Leader/Paramedics % % 21 of 31

22 Staff Constituency Total Number of Staff (incl those ineligible for membership) % of Total Staff Numbers Number of Staff Eligible for Membership % of Staff Eligible for Membership OPT OUT ADMIN & SUPPORT STAFF Admin & Support Staff Senior Management: Executive Directors, Associate Directors, Senior Managers and Managers including Operational Locality Managers, Professional Leads, Clinical Development, Standards and Effectiveness Managers, and Heads of Services Governance: Compliance, Patient Safety and Improvement, Quality Patient Experience, Risk and MECS, Quality Assurance, Risk Management, Trust Secretary, Foundation Trust/Corporate Projects, Complaints and Incidents, Litigation, Performance Management Finance: Accounts, Business Planning and Development, Manager, Income and Debtors, Financial Assistants, Procurement and Purchasing, Contracts, Payroll Estates and Fleet: Estates Management, Fleet Engineers, Fleet Systems, Workshop and Vehicle Maintenance (Make Ready), Vehicle Cleaning, Stores, Medical Transport Service Staff, Equipment and Resources, Facilities and Logistics Delivery and Quality: Operations Managers, Heads of Operations, Locality General Managers, Health & Safety, Resilience (including civil contingencies), Business Continuity, Winter Pressures, Stores, Community Engagement/ Responder Team and Managers, Clinical Research & Audit, Safeguarding, IM&T, ICT, Systems Management, Information Cell, Information Governance and Records, Right Care HR, Recruitment and Training: Training, Education, Learning and Development, Non-Clinical Tutors, Driver Training, Commercial Training, Recruitment, Workforce Development and Information, Practice Development and Placements, Marketing & Strategic Communications: Communications, Media, Membership, Marketing, Graphics and Design, Web Development. Stakeholder Engagement and PPI Other Staff: Area Secretaries, Personal Assistants, Executive Assistants, Area Administrators, Customer Services Assistants, Divisional Secretaries, Scheduling and Rota Staff (managers and assistants, except UCS), Coxswains, Domestic Assistants and Station Cleaners, Driver/Handyperson, Receptionists % % 22 of 31

23 Staff Constituency Total Number of Staff (incl those ineligible for membership) % of Total Staff Numbers Number of Staff Eligible for Membership % of Staff Eligible for Membership OPT OUT PTS Patient Transport Service (PTS) (including bank staff) Control staff: PTS Operations Manager, PTS Coordinators, PTS Team Leaders, PTS Liaison Officers, Emergency Medical Advisor, PTS Control & Deputy Control Manager, PTS Planners / Dispatchers, PTS Divisional Officer, PTS Communications Assistants. Other staff: PTS Clinical Hub Business Manager, Ambulance Care Assistants, Ambulance Care Assistant Team Leader, Intermediate Care Assistants, Care Technician, Ambulance Car Driver, PTS Data Entry Clerk % % OPT OUT UCS Urgent Care Service (UCS) (including bank staff) Control Staff UCS Clinical Hub Manager, UCS Operations Manager, UCS Managers and Supervisors, UCS Call Handlers / Takers / Advisors, UCS Assistants, UCS/SPoA Call Receiver, UCS Dispatchers, GP Clinical Advisors, UCS Receptionists, Field Operations Managers, ECP, Advanced Nurse Practitioners, Lead Advanced Nurse Practitioners, Lead Telephone Advice and Assessment Nurse, Telephone Advice and Assessments Nurse, Nurse Practitioner, SPoA Lead Nurse, SPoA Manager, Anticipatory Care Administrator, Clinical Hub Administration Manager, UCS Divisional Secretary, UCS Hub Administrator, UCS Operational Support Manager, UCS Rota Administrator, UCS Senor Administrator. Other staff: Bank staff, UCS Business Lead, UCS Business Manager, Employed General Practitioners, Out of Hours Emergency Care Practitioners, Pharmaceutical Advisor, UCS Drivers % % OPT IN VOLUNTEERS Volunteers (for SWASFT only) % % Community First Responders Only (excludes, fire, GPs, Military, Established Base Sites and St Johns - Staff responders are included in the A&E Class) % % All Volunteer Ambulance Car Service (VACS) Staff % % 23 of 31

24 Number of Members South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust Public Membership Recruitment Trajectory Current GWAS Operating Area - June 2012 March 2013 Appendix Target Actual Jun-12 Jul-12 Aug-12 Sep-12 Oct-12 Nov-12 Dec-12 Jan-13 Feb-13 Mar of 31

25 Membership Recruitment, Engagement and Retention (Please note that this document is correct at the date of drafting and will be updated on a regular basis.) Appendix 6 Date Name of event/activity Location (if applicable) Group targeted Type of event/activity Objective Methodology Internal or external activity June 2012 onwards June 2012 onwards Social networking campaign on Twitter Membership Recruitment Forms and Posters Royal Bath & West Show Royal Cornwall Show n/a General public and staff. Social media To inform the public about the Trust and raise awareness of public engagement events. n/a General public Publications To raise awareness of Trust Membership and recruit new members. Shepton Mallet, Somerset Wadebridge, Cornwall Day Shepton Mallet, Somerset Route 60+ Safety Event Nether Stowey, Somerset Multiple Public Event Public Engagement re: Transaction, Member Multiple Public Event Public Engagement, Member Multiple Public Event Public Engagement, Member Over 60s Public Event Public Engagement, Member Recruitment Online Written Regional LINks Meeting Joint Health & Overview Scrutiny Committee Meeting Taunton. Somerset GWAS Area Local Involvement Networks Local Authorities Meeting Meeting To inform LINks of transaction and recruit members. To inform LINks of transaction and recruit members Day Ilfracombe, Devon Multiple Public Event Public Engagement, Member Route 60+ Safety Event Norton Fitzwarren, Somerset Over 60s Public Event Public Engagement, Member Recruitment 25 of 31

26 Date Name of event/activity Location (if applicable) Group targeted Type of event/activity Objective Methodology Internal or external activity GWAS MP Event London Members of Parliament July 2012 Twentyfourseven n/a All Trust Staff, Members and Stakeholders July 2012 July 2012 (ongoing) July 2012 Develop Governor Literature Communication with current GWAS Staff Press Release re: Council of Governors Meeting Route 60+ Safety Event Dorset Fire & Rescue Services Accident Prevention Day Meeting Inform of Transaction Trust Publication n/a Mixed Trust Publication Across current GWAS operating area. Staff currently employed by GWAS s/Articles To inform Trust Staff and its Membership and Stakeholders about the Trust and its work. Inform Trust Members and wider public about the role of a Governor and elections. To inform GWAS staff about Foundation Trust Status and Trust Membership. Across the region. Multiple Press release. Public and Member Engagement Chilcompton, Somerset Day Weymouth Fire Station Over 60s Public Event Public Engagement, Member Recruitment Taunton, Somerset Multiple Public Event Public Engagement, Member Multiple Public Event Public Engagement, Member Written Written Mixed Written Internal Family Fun Day Liverton, Devon Multiple Public Event Public Engagement, Member Route 60+ Safety Event Crewkerne, Somerset Over 60s Public Event Public Engagement re: Transaction, Member Liskeard Show Liskeard, Cornwall Multiple Public Event Public Engagement, Member Wiveliscombe Scouts Centenary Wiveliscombe, Somerset Multiple Public Event Public Engagement, Member 26 of 31