Membership Management and Engagement Strategy 2014-17 communicating engaging representing
Contents Introduction 3 What is membership? 4 Defining the membership community 5 Engaging members and the public 6 Communicating with members and the public 8 Playing a key community role 11 Working with other membership organisations 12 Plans for future membership recruitment 13 Resourcing membership development 14 Compliance with guidance and legislation 15 Evaluating success 16 Appendix 1 17 2
Introduction and purpose of strategy Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is authorised as a public benefit corporation under the National Health Service Act 2006 and has a framework of local accountability through its membership and the council of governors. As a foundation trust, we are required to have a membership strategy in place, together with a clear work plan for its implementation. This strategy outlines how we will develop and maintain a membership which is effectively engaged and informed and which is representative of the diverse community we serve. This strategy has been produced following: consultation with the council of governors membership group analysis of a communications survey conducted via Trust Matters magazine in November 2013 consideration of comments received from members of the public and foundation trust members, via the Trust website a review of statutory requirements and best practice guidance We will also produce a membership engagement plan each year, which will supplement the strategy and contain specific details about how the objectives set out in this strategy will be met and aligned to corporate priorities. Engagement informs and supports the board in creatively formulating strategy, shaping culture, and in key aspects of ensuring accountability NHS Healthy Board, 2013 3
What is membership? Members do not receive any payment or preferential treatment but are able to make a valuable contribution to the way in which the foundation trust is run. They: have the opportunity to receive regular information about the work of the Trust. elect their representatives to serve on the council of governors. have the opportunity to stand for election to the council of governors. can put themselves forward for appointment as a non-executive director. can participate in a range of involvement initiatives. should be consulted on plans for future development of the trust and its services. (Source: Monitor) Seeking to Involve is one of our core values, and the accomplishment of the Membership Management and Engagement Strategy aims to ensure our activities will underpin this value. Our overarching membership objectives are to: encourage members to be actively involved and engaged in the planning and delivery of services, so that they reflect the needs of patients and the local community communicate information about developments, ensuring that information received is tailored to members selected level of involvement ensure that our membership is representative of the community we serve enable members to stand for election to the council of governors and to elect governor representatives 4
Defining the membership community Membership is available as follows: Public membership: Members of the public who live within the area shown in appendix one Staff membership: Staff who: Are employed by us under a contract of employment which has either no fixed term or a fixed term of at least 12 months; or Who have been continuously employed by us for at least 12 months; or Who are not employed by us but who nevertheless exercise functions for the purposes of our organisation and who have exercised functions for this purpose for a continuous period of at least 12 months. Patients and the public want to be able to influence the priorities of the organisations that provide healthcare NHS Healthy Board, 2013 Engagement informs and supports the board in creatively formulating strategy, shaping culture, and in key aspects of ensuring accountability NHS Healthy Board, 2013 5
Engaging members and the public An engaged membership is a more valuable resource than numbers alone Foundation Trust Network, Managing Your Members, 2012 Patients and the public have a right to be involved, either directly or through representatives, in the planning of healthcare services, the development and consideration of proposals for changes in the way that those services are provided, and in decisions to be made affecting the operation of those services. 1 We currently have a membership of over 22,000 people and, in the future, the overriding objective will be to actively engage members in developments at our Trust. As a consequence this will mean directing all resources towards ensuring members are provided with a range of meaningful and effective engagement mechanisms. Primary methods of engaging and communicating with members are illustrated in the table below. Where necessary new and alternative engagement mechanisms will be considered and utilised. Informing members Members seeking information from our Trust Mechanism Trust obtaining information from members Forums for member debate Participation for members Trust Matters magazine governor and member area on our website Twitter and facebook Emails (targeted and general) Annual Members Meeting Pre-election information sessions Focus On talks Internally: staff intranet, team brief, Connect staff magazine, messages on payslips, CEO comments, mandatory and induction training Dedicated Governor email address Trust Annual Report and Accounts Annual Members Meeting Pre election information sessions Focus on talks Trust website and staff intranet Dedicated Governor email address Surveys Online consultations Dedicated membership phone line Focus groups Themed listening events Chart adapted from healthknowledge.org.uk, accessed January 2014 Targeted focus groups Themed listening events aligned to planning services Themed listening events aligned to planning services Member votes at Annual Members Meetings Voting in elections to the council of governors Ad hoc involvement activities including: Participation in focus groups targets at improving specific services Opportunity to participate in research activity Volunteer opportunity s 1 The NHS Constitution for England 2013 6
During 2014-17, the council of governors membership group and the membership team will review the progress of each annual membership plan, identify any evident gaps and decide upon an engagement theme for the year. This will enable resources to be focussed on specifically improving one area of the membership over the course of each year. Running effective member engagement events requires a vast amount of time and resource. Historically, members events have mainly been aimed at our public members. At the time of writing, staff members comprise 29% of the overall membership. A recent study on staff engagement within the health service found that employee engagement is the best predictor of NHS trust outcomes. 2 The council of governors membership group has therefore identified staff membership engagement as the theme for 2014-15. In conjunction with staff governors and the membership group, the membership team will put in place mechanisms for staff members to realise the benefits of being a member by becoming more involved with our work, communicating with their local staff governors and providing the opportunity to attend membership engagement and communication events. Furthermore the Valuing Your Voice Staff working group will be utilised to support the work of Staff Governors. The engagement theme for 2015-16 and 2016-17 will be determined by the membership group at the beginning of each respective financial year. During 2014-17 we will also continue to provide engagement opportunities for public members as depicted in table one. Member engagement is of paramount importance to Trusts, enabling them to fulfil their role as locally accountable organisations Current practice in NHS foundation trust member recruitment and engagement, Monitor, ERS, MES 2011 2 by The Point of Care Foundation, 2014 7
Communicating with members and the public Our communication objectives are to ensure stakeholders are well informed, have a positive perception about our organisation and have the opportunity to influence change. 3 These underpin the overarching membership objectives set out on page three of the strategy. For these objectives to be achieved, clear and effective communication channels need to be in place. Communication mechanisms will include: use of a dedicated membership section of our website and our membership magazine, Trust Matters use of Twitter, Facebook and other social media delivery of pre-election information sessions and nomination packs for members wishing to stand for election to the council of governors focus groups to enable departmental managers to consult with members about proposed changes surveys (electronic and/or printed) to offer an opportunity for members to convey their views on a specific topic Facilitation of communication between governors and members Governors have a duty to seek and represent the views of both members and the public and to feed information back to them. 4 In order to facilitate this, a range of mechanisms will be in place including: Annual members meetings Trust Matters magazine Member Involvement events (previously named Listening Event ) Focus on events Bi annual Bringing Healthcare to Life events All events will be planned in consultation with the membership group and will be directly linked to our annual and strategic plans thus enabling outcomes to be aligned to corporate priorities. Currently, staff members are able to contact their staff governors via a dedicated email address. A dedicated email address for all members to contact their governor will be introduced. Governors will also be given a further opportunity to communicate with members, including providing detail on any changes that have arisen as a direct result of their work, in the dedicated member area of our website. 3 8 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Communication Strategy 2013-15 4 Your statutory duties, A reference guide for NHS foundation trust governors, Monitor, August 2013
A photo display board of both Governors and board members will be located near the entrance of each hospital site in order to help make them more visible to both foundation trust members and the public. To ensure membership is valuable to all members, we will continue to seek the views of our members to determine the type of information they want to receive and the way they want to receive it. Communication sent out will continue to be tailored to their selected level of involvement as outlined in table two below: Level 1 Low involvement This group of members will receive the Trust Matters newsletter twice a year and information on elections they are eligible to vote in Level 2 Medium involvement This group of members will receive the Trust Matters newsletter twice a year, information on elections they are eligible to vote in, plus occasional consultations in their selected area(s) of interest and invitations to members events. Level 3 High involvement This group of members will receive the Trust Matters magazine twice a year, information on elections they are eligible to vote in, invitations to events, occasional consultations and information about involvement opportunities/developments in their selected area(s) of interest. More effective use of electronic communication and the internet We currently have 2,216 members with a communication preference of email. Electronic communication is a quick and cost-effective method of communicating with members. The membership team will take every opportunity to encourage as many members as possible to change their communication preference from post to email. During the course of this strategy we will aim to double the number of members who currently have email as a communication preference, resulting in 20% of the total membership being contactable by email by April 2017. In 2013, 36 million adults (73%) in Great Britain accessed the internet every day. 5 Our website provides us with an opportunity to further promote engagement opportunities, evidence what action we have taken in response to member involvement, and offer a platform via polls and surveys to obtain feedback. 6 In conjunction with the Communications department we will further utilise the membership section of our website. Where possible information posted to members will be more efficiently utilised by signposting readers to our website for further information. 5 9 Office of National Statistics (October 2013) 6 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Communication Strategy 2013-15
Our regulator, Monitor, requests details of voter turnout in governor elections and has previously used this as an indicator of member engagement. At the time of writing, we are in the process of undertaking a national pilot of electronic voting alongside postal voting. Throughout the duration of this strategy, we will seek to introduce regular electronic voting with the aim of increasing voter turnout and reducing election costs thus enabling savings to be redirected towards patient care. In order to ensure we have put in place all feasible steps to increase voter engagement, an election communication planner provided by our electoral administrators will be utilised. Opportunities for additional communications tailored to our members level of involvement will be explored, such as targeted reminder mailings and messages via twitter and other appropriate forms of social media available. 10
Playing a key community role The Health and Social Care Act 2012 seeks to improve accountability and strengthen the collective voice of patients. In doing so, the Act places a new responsibility upon governors to represent not only the views of members, but also the views of the public. By working alongside our patient and public involvement (PPI) lead, we will enable members and the local community to contribute to service improvement within our organisation. Through this strategy, we will ensure effective communication between the membership and PPI teams, and that the engagement activities undertaken by the two teams are complementary. Whilst our members will be given priority for attendance at our large scale involvement events, members of the public and local community groups will also be invited to participate where possible, thus supporting governors to understand the interests of the public and to represent their views. Further avenues to enable governors to work with local public representatives, such as Healthwatch will be explored throughout the duration of this strategy. A close and effective working relationship will continue to be maintained between the membership team and our patient advice and liaison service (PALS). This will help members who have concerns to initially raise these informally and to receive information, advice and support as and when required. 11
Working with other membership organisations We understand the value of partnership working. During 2013, our members and the wider community had various different opportunities to benefit from having several local NHS and health-related organisations and charities under one roof, effectively providing a one stop information shop. For example our Focus On Dementia event brought together a range of organisations, including Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust, Royal British Legion, Alzheimer s UK and our local clinical commissioning groups, in addition to a key note speaker from the Trust. Members of our council of governors regularly learn from and share best practice in relation to foundation trust membership with colleagues from other trusts via governors forums organised by the North West Company Secretaries Network and national events organised by the Foundation Trust Governors Association. Membership Engagement Managers from across the North West also meet and share learning with colleagues on a regular basis. During 2014-17, we will work in collaboration with other foundation trusts, charities and healthcare organisations to develop a strong sense of shared purpose with other like-minded organisations, achieve a more co-ordinated and informative approach to community engagement, and to play a major role in the development and wellbeing of the community served. 12
Plans for future membership recruitment Membership size Our membership is currently one of the largest in the North West region, and indeed in the country. The average membership size of a foundation trust is 13,962 members. 7 Our membership of over 22,000 equates to almost 6% of the local population. Whilst some of the early FT s opted for very large memberships, there is now more of a focus on engagement which has resulted in trusts aiming for smaller engaged memberships. Managing Your Members, Foundation Trust Network, 2012 It is recognised that when benchmarking ourselves against other foundation trusts across England, the size of our membership could be considered extremely large. It is also acknowledged that it is potentially more valuable for us to have a smaller, more engaged membership. During 2014-17 the membership team, will carry out rigorous and regular data cleansing in order to effectively reduce the overall size of the membership. Members will also be given regular opportunities to opt out of the scheme if they feel it is no longer of benefit to them. Targeted recruitment The membership group analyses the demographics of the public membership on an annual basis to ensure it is representative of the local community. These regular reviews will allow us to understand where we may need to target any recruitment activities in order to ensure adequate representation. Demographical information is also submitted to Monitor on an annual basis. Thorough analysis shows that currently our membership is representative of our local community in respect of ethnicity, age, gender and socioeconomic grouping. Membership is now a pre-requisite of undertaking work experience with us. This means that there are now added benefits to becoming a member and, via work experience; younger people have to opportunity to gain a greater understanding of how we operate. In addition to this, regular talks are provided to local schools and colleges in relation to work experience and foundation trust membership. During 2014-17 the membership group, along with the membership team, will annually review the demographics of the membership, setting annual recruitment priorities where necessary. 7 13 Current practice in NHS foundation trust member recruitment and engagement, Monitor July 2011
Resourcing membership development Council of governors and its membership group The council of governors has a dedicated membership group which meets on a regular basis. The group is made up of governors, membership engagement managers, the PR and communication manager and a non-executive director. The group works at a strategic level and takes a lead role in overseeing the implementation of this strategy. Additionally, the group is responsible for contributing towards an annual plan to engage with our existing membership and to ensure that it remains representative of the local community. Detailed reports are provided to the full council of governors twice a year. Developing a sizeable and engaged membership requires a sustained commitment of resources to membership services. The rewards of such investment, in terms of services delivered in ways that much more reflect local people s needs, will greatly outweigh its costs Membership Governance in NHS Foundation Trusts: a review for the Department of Health, University of Birmingham and Mutuo, 2008 Membership team Our membership team currently comprises two part-time members of staff, who have responsibility for operational delivery all aspects of this strategy. They have specific responsibility for developing, organising and promoting opportunities for members to influence the way we deliver our services and future plans, and for ensuring that members have a good understanding of performance and developments. The membership team acts as the main point of contact for members and works with the trust secretary to support governors to represent the views of members effectively. Staff in the membership office are also responsible for co-ordinating elections to the council of governors and for interpreting national membership and engagement guidance and policy and assessing implications for the Trust. The membership team currently benefits from the assistance of three volunteers on a regular basis. The volunteers are trained, have a dedicated workspace and carry out both regular and ad hoc duties in relation to data processing and cleansing, administration for large scale member events and dealing with queries from members. In order to remain cost effective and to manage such a large membership, we will continue to train and utilise volunteers to support the membership team. Budget The cost of communicating and engaging with a large membership base is acknowledged. During 2014-17, staff in the membership office will work closely with database, print and mailing suppliers to obtain competitive quotations and reduce costs, where possible, to ensure value for money. 14
Compliance with guidance and legislation Implementing the Membership Management and Engagement Strategy 2014-17 will enable the Trust to ensure compliance with a range of legislation and best practice, including: National Health Service Act 2006 (duty to involve) NHS Constitution for England, 2013 our provider licence, issued by Monitor the NHS Foundation Trust Code of Governance Health and Social Care Act 2012 15
Evaluating success This strategy belongs to the council of governors. The membership group has the responsibility to ensure progress is made in order to achieve the overarching membership objectives set out in the strategy (and the associated membership engagement annual plans), thus ensuring it remains meaningful and relevant. In order to enable the wider council of governors to be reassured of the steps taken to meet the requirements of this strategy and the associated plans, a biannual update outlining performance and key achievements will be provided. The board of directors will also receive a mid-year update on progress and each annual engagement plan will also be presented to the board for information. 16
Area of the foundation trust Appendix 1 Our membership area comprises all of the component electoral wards of the following Council areas: Copeland Borough Council South Lakeland District Council Barrow-in-Furness Borough Council Lancaster City Council Wyre Council Blackpool Borough Council Fylde Borough Council Preston City Council Ribble Valley Borough Council Pendle Borough Council Burnley Borough Council Hyndburn Borough Council Rossendale Borough Council South Ribble Borough Council Chorley Borough Council Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council West Lancashire Borough Council Bolton Council Wigan Council 17