Who is on the committee?
There are 20 core roles on the committee:
- 6 young people
- 6 parent/carers
- 6 paediatricians including the Assistant Registrar (chair)
- 2 sector reps (charity, medical students)
We also have visitors at our meetings, including children, young people, parents/carers, paediatricians or other interested stakeholders. The committee is supported by the Children and Young People's Engagement Team at the College, and chaired by the Assistant Registrar.
What are the priorities of the committee?
The committee workplan was reviewed in 2023, with new priorities agreed for 2024-2027. These are:
- Workforce training and development on engagement with children and young people
- Engagement tools on hot topics in paediatrics
- Engagement and voice in paediatric exams and assessments
- Expert advice
Previous workplans have included:
2021-23:
- Supporting services to involve children and young people in assessing and shaping services
- Develop an engagement ambassador programme
- Informing and shaping internal an external programmes of work through expert advice and guidance on engagement
2016-19:
- Improve understanding and awareness of engagement and voice
- Support RCPCH members to enable children and young people to be able to share their individual voice, views, comments and ideas
- Support involvement of children and young people in RCPCH's decision making
What have we done this year?
Since launching their new work plan in 2024, the committee have met online and in person, celebrated and thanked our exiting Chair, Dr Mo Akindolie who has moved to America to take up a fellowship and welcomed our new chair, Dr Bhanu Williams who is the Assistant Registrar for RCPCH.
The committee have shared insights and views on the new RCPCH Engagement Standards that are currently being developed, explored topics like kindness in paediatrics and building connections, looked at proxy access and electronic health records as well as sharing ideas on programmes like Change NHS and the Fitter Better Sooner programme at RCoA.
Can I get involved?
We will be looking for new committee members in 2025, with vacancies for 1 parent/carer, 4 young people and 1 paediatrician as members move on to other opportunities at the end of their term. To find out more, contact and_us@rcpch.ac.uk on how to express your interest in the work of the committee.
When does it meet?
The committee meets four - six times a year on a Saturday, with the meeting being delivered through a participatory workshop format. Meetings are online or in person/hybrid, with representatives from Plymouth to Enniskillen, Essex to Glasgow and everywhere in between!
I feel far more empowered, valued through new way of engaging with governance at the RCPCH. I feel that it is far more impactful and we get more achieved. It's all about what gets done rather than what we just talk about! Results! Not just hot air!