End of Life Volunteering Steering Group

Rose End of Life Care Volunteering Project

Steering Group Terms of Reference

Status: The steering group reports into the Patient Experience Group through the Voluntary Services Lead

Chair: Voluntary Services Lead

Minutes: Rose EOLC Project Manager

Frequency of Meetings: Quarterly

Quorum: A minimum of five members, including representation from Voluntary Services. Palliative Care, Pastoral Care (Chaplaincy) and at least one funder.

Introduction

The rose end of life care project (‘the project’) steering group forms part of the governance structure of the project. The steering group has been formed to harness the profile of the rose volunteers, in order to realise a variety of significant and meaningful impacts of the patient experience. This project will be delivered in collaboration with Voluntary Services, Spiritual & Pastoral Care Team (Chaplaincy), and the End of Life Care Nurse Educator.

The project is seed funded and supported by Raise - the West Herts Hospitals Charity, Helpforce, and Marie Curie.

Purpose

The purpose of the steering group is to support, direct and govern the project. The steering group will provide strategic direction and leadership, providing oversight to ensure the project harnesses its full potential being rolled out across the hospitals trust so that every appropriate patient has the opportunity to receive additional support at the end

of life. Day to day operational decisions will be taken by the project manager under the supervision of the Voluntary Services Lead. Any issues and concerns will be escalated to the steering group. The steering group will monitor the project’s progress receiving updates as to the project’s progress in line with the project plan and ensure delivery of the key performance indicators as agreed with the funders.

Terms of reference

These terms of reference are effective from 19 March 2021 and to be reviewed at the end of the seed funding period (February 2022).

Membership

• Rose EOLC Volunteering Project Manager

• Voluntary Services Lead

• Representative from Raise, West Herts Hospitals’ Charity

• Representative from Palliative Care Team

• Representative from Pastoral Care Team (Chaplaincy)

• Representative from Helpforce and/or Marie Curie

• Representative from Rose EOLC Volunteers

• Guests may be asked to attend meetings on an ad-hoc basis as determined by the steering group.

Roles and Responsibilities

The steering group is accountable for:

• fostering collaboration

• removing obstacles to the project’s successful delivery, adoption and use – maintaining at all times the focus of the project on the agreed scope, outcomes and benefits

• monitoring and managing the factors outside the project’s control that are critical to its success

• agreeing any concerns, issues, risks to be escalated to the Patient Experience Group by the Chair on behalf of the steering group.

The members of the steering group will commit to:

• attending all scheduled steering group meetings or sending a representative • wholeheartedly championing the project

• sharing communications and information across all project group members • making timely decisions and taking action to ensure the project is not delayed • notifying members of the project group, as soon as practical, if any matter arises which may be deemed to affect the development of the project

Members of the steering group will expect:

• that each member will be provided with complete, accurate and meaningful information in a timely manner

• to be given reasonable time to make key decisions

• to be alerted to potential risks and issues that could impact the project, as they arise

• open and honest discussions, without resort to any misleading assertions • ongoing ‘health checks’ to verify the overall status and ‘health’ of the project • provide guidance and support to deliver plans in line with hospitals’ trust and funders requirements.

Reporting - The steering group reports to the Patient Experience Group and is also accountable to funders.

Meetings

Meetings will be chaired by the Voluntary Services Lead, or in their absence, the Rose EOLC Volunteer Manager may chair the meetings. Decisions made by consensus (i.e. members are satisfied with the decision even though it may not be their first choice). Where agreement is not possible, the Chair will make the final decision.

Meeting agendas, supporting papers, minutes, action logs will be prepared and provided by the Rose EOLC Volunteer Project Manager.

Amendment, modification or variation

Any amendments to the terms of reference are to be agreed and minuted by the project steering group.