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Introduction

The majority of Â鶹¹ÙÍø’s work is undertaken by Â鶹¹ÙÍø members on a volunteer basis. The Â鶹¹ÙÍø office will often advertise for members to contribute to Â鶹¹ÙÍø’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 Â鶹¹ÙÍø’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 Â鶹¹ÙÍø 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.

Â鶹¹ÙÍø 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 Â鶹¹ÙÍø’s groups is rewarding. You will work with new people and get a chance to develop a number of different skills. The Â鶹¹ÙÍø office, Executive Committee and working group chairs will do everything they can to ensure that Â鶹¹ÙÍø groups are collaborative, supportive, educational and enjoyable for members.

Please note that this guide is not about applying to join the Â鶹¹ÙÍø Executive Committee as there is a different process for this.

Do I have to have been on a group before / know someone at Â鶹¹ÙÍø / 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 Â鶹¹ÙÍø’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 Â鶹¹ÙÍø groups will be advertised on the news pages of the Â鶹¹ÙÍø 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 Â鶹¹ÙÍø including the monthly bulletins.

Â鶹¹ÙÍø 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 Â鶹¹ÙÍø 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 Â鶹¹ÙÍø groups and been unsuccessful then Â鶹¹ÙÍø will provide some more detailed feedback about your applications. Feel free to contact the Â鶹¹ÙÍø 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 Â鶹¹ÙÍø office to arrange this.

Look for other opportunities to get involved in Â鶹¹ÙÍø’s work. The Â鶹¹ÙÍø office regularly asks for member input through surveys, focus groups, event planning panels etc.

Thank you so much for considering volunteering to support Â鶹¹ÙÍø’s work programme. Good luck with your application and please contact the Â鶹¹ÙÍø Office at any time if you have any more questions.