Quick links
- Do I have to have been on a group before / know someone at аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Íø to join a group?
- How do I know which groups are seeking new members?
- What should I write in my application?
- What if my application is unsuccessful?
Introduction
The majority of аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Íø’s work is undertaken by аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Íø members on a volunteer basis. The аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Íø office will often advertise for members to contribute to аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Íø’s work plan by joining a group. These tend to fall into two categories:
- Steering Groups – an ongoing group that leads a specific area of аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Íø’s work such as data or quality. Group members will generally stay on the group for a few years and the work will involve agreeing and carrying out actions аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Íø should take to enhance practice in this area.
- Working groups – a short term group tasked with developing a specific output, usually a framework for practice or a toolkit and any supporting documents. These working groups tend to last 6-12 months.
аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Íø group members work hard. There are regular meetings but also lots of work to do in between. We are seeking people that are prepared to share their ideas, undertake informal research, and write documents. Please only apply if you are willing to give up some time to helping the group deliver its outputs.
Despite the hard work, we very much hope that being involved in аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Íø’s groups is rewarding. You will work with new people and get a chance to develop a number of different skills. The аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Íø office, Executive Committee and working group chairs will do everything they can to ensure that аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Íø groups are collaborative, supportive, educational and enjoyable for members.
Please note that this guide is not about applying to join the аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Íø Executive Committee as there is a different process for this.
Do I have to have been on a group before / know someone at аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Íø / know everything about perinatal care to join a group?
No. We love to nurture new talent and think it is important that representatives from across perinatology are contributing the аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Íø’s work. We don’t want to create documents that are unrealistic to implement which is why we need a diverse group of contributors that can share their own experiences.
How do I know what groups are seeking new members?
Opportunities to join аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Íø groups will be advertised on the news pages of the аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Íø website, sent via emails to members and shared on twitter. The best way to make sure you hear about any vacancies is to read the emails sent from аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Íø including the monthly bulletins.
аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Íø members will be given preference above non-members so make sure your membership is up to date.
What should I write in my application?
Please apply using the proper application form as this allows us to collect the data we need and easily anonymise applications before review.
You will be asked to submit a statement of up to 250 words to support your application. Consider the following when writing your application:
- Do you have any relevant experience or expertise in the subject matter?
- Why is the subject of interest to you?
- Have you been part of similar working groups or projects before?
- What relevant transferable skills do you have?
- Can you give examples that show you are effective at working as part of a team, implementing change and getting things done?
What if my application is unsuccessful (this time)?
Don’t take it personally. Often the аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Íø office receives many more applications than we have spaces for on the working group. We also try to get a spread of people working across the country, in different roles and in different levels of unit. From 2021 working group applications will be assessed anonymously. The most likely reason your application was unsuccessful is because we had more applications than we could say yes to, so please do apply again next time an opportunity comes up.
If you have applied three times to аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Íø groups and been unsuccessful then аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Íø will provide some more detailed feedback about your applications. Feel free to contact the аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Íø office to request this if you do not receive it automatically.
If you would like to observe a working group meeting to see a group in action then please contact the аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Íø office to arrange this.
Look for other opportunities to get involved in аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Íø’s work. The аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Íø office regularly asks for member input through surveys, focus groups, event planning panels etc.
Thank you so much for considering volunteering to support аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Íø’s work programme. Good luck with your application and please contact the аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Íø Office at any time if you have any more questions.