NATIONAL STROKE NURSING FORUM – Steering Group

Minutes from meeting held on Tuesday 9th March 2010 at Stroke House

1.Present:Dawn Good(DG)Moira Keating(MK)

Frank Foreman (FF) Clare Gordon (CG)

Rachel Wells (RW)Ailsa Hutchings (AH)

2.Apologies:Amanda JonesClaire Andrews

Judy Cronan

3. Quorum - It was noted that there are insufficient numbers present for a quorum. It was agreed that the minutes and action points will be circulated as soon as possible, and those not attending to read and email Dawn that they agree to actions.

4.Minutes of last meeting- were not discussed.

5. Secretarial support for NSNF.

All present agreed formal secretarial support is required to help with the smooth functioning of the NSNF and its sub-groups. Caroline Watkins has recommended a free-lance secretary, charging £11/hr.

The secretarial duties will include:

  • Typing and circulation of minutes/agendas for steering group and sub groups.
  • Facilitate the co-ordination meetings for steering group and sub groups.
  • Maintain membership database, including set up of membership numbers and email details.
  • Co-ordinate new membership applications.
  • Communicate email details of members to website team.
  • Liaise with treasurer on membership subscriptions.
  • Chase subscriptions and lapses in membership.
  • Deal with queries from website on new memberships.
  • Compile a report for each steering group meeting/AGM on current membership.

All agreed to pay secretary to 2 full working days for start up, and to attend next steering group meeting to meet the group. Subsequently we agreed to pay a max of 5 hours per month, and if the NSNF work exceeds this, the secretary will contact Dawn for authorisation.

6.Minutes/Action plans

All agreed that a tabulated action plan with responsibly and deadlines would help to progress the agreed action points from meetings. Plan for new secretary to include with minutes, and to re-circulate as a reminder 6 weeks before the next meeting.

7.Committee membership and terms of office.

Dawn has had 2 expressions of interest from Elaine Stratford and Jan Kennedy to become Steering Group Members. Claire A has sent a letter requesting nominations and CV.

Over the next year there are a significant number of experienced steering group members whose terms of office have expired. Dawn has already asked some members to delay leaving the steering group until we can find new members to join. All agreed a phased approach to changeover so everyone doesn’t leave at once.

Moira was welcomed to the steering group at the end of the meeting!

8.Publicity

NSNF information was circulated on a recent Stroke Improvement Bulletin – Thank you Claire A.

Plan to also put NSNF advert in RCN Bulletin training section at £37 for a single column. Aim for month when there is call for abstracts at the UKSF. FF agreed payment.

Steering Committee members are encouraged to put NSNF logo on final slides of Regional/National Presentations in order to promote the organisation.

A formal stand at the next UKSF was discussed. It was agreed that it did not needed to be manned all the time, just at key times. Agreed a flyer with role of NSNF and membership details would be useful, plan to have ‘Conference Newsletter’ and Early Supported Discharge position statements on the stand, and a bowl of sweets!

9.Website

The website was viewed during the meeting. All recognised that is so much better that previously (Thank you Liz and Hazel). Some areas had not been updated since Sept (e.g. courses/conferences). DG had also requested notes from the AGM and UKSF were added, but these have yet to be done. All agreed to offer funding dedicated time for Hazel/Liz to finalise website.

It was agreed that all steering committee members can request courses/links to be put on the website, but these should be agreed by another committee member (ideally the chair plus one other).

Dawn will ask The Stroke Association to update its link to our website.

10.Membership & Finance

Current membership = 202 members

Current balance £9711.47

Planned expenditure this year includes secretarial support (£600-800), advertising in the RCN bulletin, expenses for steering group meeting, UKSF Conference stand/printing (tbc).

11.Newsletter

Ask Claire A if she will be willing to be newsletter editor once we have contracted secretarial support. Suggested dates are May issue and UKSF Conference issue. Need to get template for Newsletter from Rachel Pymer, and volunteers for articles.

12.UKSF Conference

DG fed back that evaluations from the 2009 training day were good.

Caroline Watkins had circulated prior to the meeting the proposed subjects and speakers for training days and parallel sessions. All agreed that these looked good, however to encourage and seek out nursing speakers for nursing sessions for subsequent years.

Chairs for sessions will be as follows:

  • Training day – Frank Foreman
  • Breakfast session – Ailsa Hutchings
  • Behavioural change – Moira Keating
  • Workforce – Rachel Wells

13.AGM.

Last attendance poor, lots of people left after the training day. Plan to have more fluid start straight after the last speaker on the training day. Suggestions to make the AGM more interesting is to keep the formal parts as brief as possible, and to have ‘Questions for the Steering Committee’ where a panel from the Steering Committee have questions from the floor on the NSNF activities.

14.Sub groups

(a) Policy & Service Development – Rachel tabled a draft position statement on the nursing role within the ESD team. The sub group was not aware that at the last meeting the Steering Grp set up a working group to do the same! CG will amalgamate the two pieces of work and circulate for discussion.

Rachel also tabled guidance on dependency levels for nurse staffing related to stroke unit care. Rachel to get permission from Trust for circulation to steering group. The group suggested to increase the time frame for level 2 dependency to 72 hours post stroke.

(b) Research – this has yet to meet.

15. Date of Next meeting

Tues July 20th, 11am, Stroke House, 240 City Road, London, EC1V 2PR.

Lunch & refreshments will be provided.

16.ACTION PLAN ON NEXT PAGE

ACTION PLAN

Action / Person Responsible / Deadline
Committee members not attending today’s meeting to read minutes/action plan and agree asap / ALL / 17th March
Send out draft secretary job description to steering committee for comments / Dawn G / 10th March
Comments back to Dawn on Secretary Job description / ALL / 17th March
Update Terms of Office for Steering Grp members. / Claire Andrews / End April
Terms of Office to be put on website alongside steering committee members details / Claire Andrews / Hazel / Liz / End April
Plan staged leave of members whose terms of office have expired. Dawn & Clare to speak to Caroline and Chris / Dawn/Clare G / End March
To put Lady Foley Conference details on website / Frank / End April
Steering committee members to put NSNF logo on their presentations as they feel appropriate to publicise the organisation / ALL / Ongoing
NSNF advert in RCN Bulletin at same time as UKSF call for abstracts (DG to confirm date of this) / Dawn G / Claire A / tbc
Update NSNF web link from TSA website / Dawn G / End April
Write a template letter for members whose payment has lapsed for new secretary to circulate. / Frank F / End May
To confirm new Newsletter editor ? Claire A / Dawn G / Clare G / End March
To circulate publication dates of newsletter to Steering Committee, asking for contributions. / ? Claire A / tbc
To get newsletter template from Rachel Pymer / ? Claire A / tbc
DG to give Newsletter editor written pieces on AGM and UKSF for the next newsletter / Dawn G / ? Claire A / tbc
Approach Website team about funding dedicated time to finalise website. Agree commitment from website team on minimum frequency for website updates, e.g. monthly / Clare G / End April
Website team to send standard email when requested information uploaded onto website / Hazel / Liz / End June
Website team to explore possibility of putting Stroke Network’s website links onto NSNF website / Hazel / Liz / End June
To explore if Nurse training day at conference can be opened up to non conference attendees. / Dawn G / Next UKSF meeting
To look into conference delegates booking for 1 day only, i.e not entire conference. / Dawn G / Next UKSF meeting
To ask Damian Jenkinson if Vital Signs Session will be in Service Development Session at UKSF / Dawn G / Next UKSF meeting
Develop NSNF leaflets for UKSF Stand / Moira / July meeting
Contact Sally A about cost of stand/insurance at UKSF / Dawn G / July meeting
Contact Sally A about non members application for UKSF membership discount / Dawn G / July meeting
To contact other steering group members for help with NSNF publicity/stand at the UKSF / Moira / July meeting
To look into new ways of delivering an AGM / Clare G / July meeting
To circulate draft ESD position statement / Clare G / End June
To circulate draft dependency levels / Rachel / Clare G / End April
Contact Marion Walker about ESD staffing levels / Clare G / End May