Foundation Trust

What is a membership?

We are looking for a membership which will be active and involved. As a minimum we would hope that members would:

• vote in elections for the Council of Governors;
• respond to at least some surveys and consultations, where they can; and
• stay in touch.

There is no cost to join. Nor is there any financial reward. The main benefit is knowing you are helping us to improve services for children and young people.

There are a number of ways you can get involved.  You may prefer a relatively limited role, for example, simply receiving regular updates about the Trust.  Or you may prefer to be more actively involved by attending meetings and events. You could even stand to represent fellow members on the Council of Governors.

To join click here.

Membership recruitment will be aimed at:

• our patients
• our patients’ families and carers
• our staff
• support groups for children and young people with the full range of conditions and disabilities
• those working with children
• policy and advocacy groups for children
• others interested in the life and wellbeing of children

The benefits to us

By representing the above groups, we will better understand the needs of our families and children in all aspects of our service to them.

We will have new ways to test our priorities and plans and develop better services.

We are committed to involving and developing our staff. They are key to our success; it is thanks to them that we are able to provide the best possible care for our patients. We believe that staff membership offers greater involvement in shaping the Trust’s future. We also believe this will reinforce the sense of staff ownership.

The benefit to members

The main benefit is knowing you are helping us to improve services for children and young people.

The benefits of being a member

While we are interested in everyone’s views, a member will get more information and more opportunity to comment than a non-member.

There are a number of ways we’ll ask for your support – through email, post and sometimes through events. The suggestions below will be further developed in light of your comments:

• We propose to send a regular newsletter. You will be given the opportunity to be involved with the publication. There will also be an option of a more frequent email update.
• There may be one-off events or activities to get involved in, such as guided hospital tours, open days, lectures on subjects chosen by members, or fundraising events.
• You can join a readers’ group to help us improve the quality of our public information.
• We may want members to help us consider new developments.
• To make sure we’re getting things right, we’ll ask for your views regularly. 
• You may want to link up with other members for mutual support or to share information through a new members’ area on our website.

Staff membership offers a more formal involvement to frontline staff and an additional route to engage with and shape the strategic direction of the Trust. In turn, this will help provide a sense of ownership for strategy.

What happens when I join?

Our membership team will make sure you receive all the information you need.

What happens if I become a member, but change my mind?

You can join or leave at any time – just let us know. You can also be a member of more than one foundation trust.

Your voice at the centre

We hope all members will vote in elections for the Council of Governors. This is one of the most important things members can do, as the Council is your voice at the centre of the organisation.

We hope people will think about becoming a councillor. The Council will meet three times a year; but being a councillor may also involve other meetings, events or correspondence.

The powers of the Council of Governors

In law the Council of Governors helps appoint Non-Executive Directors, appoints the auditors, and receives the accounts.

We think the governors will probably also look at the issue of how we work with families and the general public, and how we organise and run our membership. The main purposes of the council of governors will to be a critical friend to help us change services and a guardian of our values.

Its role will include:

• Making sure that the views of the wider community and our staff are taken into account when our strategy is developed.
• Advising the Trust Board on service provision and development.
• Setting up ways of consulting with members and the organisations they represent.
• Giving ideas and views about how we can provide services which meet the needs of patients and the wider community.
• Making sure that vacancies for the chair and Trust non-executive directors are filled in a timely manner with the right people.
• Making sure that all members are informed about developments and significant changes to services within the Trust.

What members will not be able to do

Members won’t get special treatment for themselves or their children. That would not be fair and might break the law.

Members won’t actually run the hospital. 

Who is excluded from membership?

You will not be able to become a member if:

• You have been violent within any of our premises, or against any of our staff or volunteers within the last five years.

• You are subject to a sex offenders’ order.