Terms of Reference – Steering Group

Introduction

The Sheffield Bowel cancer Steering Group has evolved from the mergence of the original user partnership group CREST and the steering arm of the bowel cancer group.

The current steering group aims to continue the well – established alliance between service users and healthcare professionals.

Purpose

The role of the Sheffield Bowel Cancer Steering Group is to direct the activities of the SBC Support Group and to provide a forum for discussion and review of the bowel cancer services in Sheffield. The primary aim of the steering group is to direct and plan the activities of the support group in providing non – medical support to local bowel cancer patients.

The Steering Group will provide a direct link between the service providers, the users and the carers. It will obtain feedback information from the Support Group meetings on current user and carer perspectives in a way that can positively influence bowel cancer service delivery in Sheffield.

Membership

The membership of the group will primarily be users-patients or their families/carers who have undergone treatment for bowel cancer in Sheffield. Following a recent review, membership has now been opened up to include all users who have experienced bowel cancer in order to ensure fairer representation of users. Health care professionals from the secondary setting will also attend with primary responsibility for this role falling to a nominated person from the bowel cancer multi disciplinary team. Representatives from the community setting and other allied health care professionals will be invited as appropriate.

A nominated user will act as The Chair to the group.

User membership is entirely voluntary and members of the group can give up their membership at any time.

Objectives

To improve the effectiveness of the support group by regular monitoring, provision of suitable training support.

The Steering Group will help the Support Group to operate as independently as possible.

The Steering Group will provide a direct link between service providers and users and the carers in such a way as to minimise the use of full-time service providers.

To provide an environment of trust and respect where any personal information or experiences disclosed are treated as confidential.

To raise awareness about the importance of user involvement and what it can achieve.

To act as a benchmarking group for new services, facilities and information to ensure the users ‘voice’ is heard in decision-making.

To allow exchange of information between users and service providers to help identify areas where possible action is required or where national standards define the way services are delivered.

To affect change.

To identify areas of potential development for members which would increase their knowledge and confidence to help them fulfil their role within the group, e.g. ‘Cancer Voices Training’.

The Group will actively seek financial contributions with the help of the health service provider in order to be “self-funded” and maintain independence.

The Group will address issues relating to advertising and promotion of both the Steering Group and the Support Group in a way which is sensitive and in line with local and national standards.

Meetings

The Group will meet away from the healthcare environment. Meetings will take place approximately every 2 months. The agenda will be devised and distributed in advance and all guest contributors invited. This responsibility will be undertaken by the secretary for the bowel nursing team with the help of users and the nominated health professional.

Dissolution Policy

In the event of dissolution, all remaining funds and assets of the Group will be transferred to the Cavendish Centre, Sheffield.

These Term of Reference were agreed by the Steering Group meeting held on Wednesday 2nd September 2009.