AOTI Communications Committee (ComCom)Annual Report 2016

  • Committee Membership 2016:

The committee has had a turnover of membership during the year.

Chairperson, Mary McGuire

Committee members, Nicole O’Connell, Lynn O’Toole, Eva Cantillon

Members resigned: Eoghan McDonald, Leana Colgan, Miriam Noonan, Helen Martyn, Una Phelan

New members: Andrew Semple, Siobhan O’Shea, Katie Kerley, Roisin Scally

  • Number of meetings – A total of 7 committee meetings took place during the year consisting a mix of face to face meetings and teleconferences.
  • Terms of reference - Terms of Reference for the committee were developed and posted on the website. The communications committeeleads on enhancing communications and addresses key communications themes to include:
  • Branding and corporate identity
  • Communications infrastructure: structures, resources, tools and activities
  • Communications goals, target audience and key messages

Its amalgamation with the Membership Working Group in 2014 extended its role to include the objective of increasing membership and address key membership themes such as:

  • Member benefits, rights and supports
  • Member relations, involvement, satisfaction and feedback
  • Non-member targeting and engagement
  • Schedule of work undertaken during the year fell under the following headings
  • Website and Social Media
  • Advertising rates on website updated.

Facebook and Twitter accounts managed by 2 committee members. Various alternative social media platforms investigated for use by AOTI.

Twitter activity promoted across a number of events including the AOTI Day, COTEC/ENOTHE conference, etc

Social Media Guidelines drafted and circulated to advisory groups for comments. The guidelines are now finalised and available for full circulation. The next step is to develop an AOTI Policy on social media usage.

Google profile work to optimise visibility of website.

  • Members Benefits

Members Benefit sheet updated.

Monthly newssheet introduced to highlight AOTI work and news items within an easy to read format. It is intended this will reduce email overload to members.

Opportunities to increase membership explored through changes to fee structure, talks to student at universities, etc.

  • Advisory groups

Media course through Carmichael House took place in February attended by 17 representatives across eight advisory groups, council and AOTI office. A list of trained person now held in the office as reference for media queries.

LAPD use supported throughout the year with varying success.

  • Newsletter

There were 3 newsletters in 2016. The newsletter editor, Eoghan McDonald left to travel in March but this responsibility is now under the capable hands of Lynn and Eva.

  • Office support

Individual queries to AOTI office addressed on a range of areas.

  • Future plans.
  • Website redesign to improve user experience
  • Website links to increase profile explored
  • Quarterly newsletter and Monthly Member Updates
  • Media response through advisory groups strengthened
  • Ted Talks style video promotion of work of occupational therapists for website and events
  • Social Media Policy development
  • Streamlining of information to members
  • Membership recruitment opportunities progressed