With applications for self-nominations to the RCM Board open, our current Chair, Barbara Kuypers, tells us about the privilege to help steer the College, and what it brings to her professional life.
Being part of the Royal College of Midwives is special. For some, membership begins as a student, for some it’s when they enter the workplace. Whenever or wherever you join the College, you become part of our midwifery community, which to me is something really special. I’ve been lucky enough to work in many different places and settings, and having my RCM membership as a constant throughout has been great, not just in terms of keeping up to date with the latest news and guidance but feeling that sense of belonging to the midwifery community.
It’s a real sense of pride for me to be part of the RCM Board, helping to shape and guide what the College does on behalf of and with our members. As a career-long RCM member, it feels like I’m not only giving something back to the College, but hopefully adding to it too, using my experience of working as a midwife, and as a midwifery leader, to ensure that the executive team always has our members in mind when taking decisions. It’s also a great opportunity to hear other perspectives, whether that’s from other parts of the country, or other parts of the midwifery community. It makes us a better Board to have this diversity around the table.
We are currently inviting RCM Members to consider applying for positions on the RCM Board. Once elected, you sit for an initial term of four years, at which point you can choose to stand again for a second (and final) term of two years or stand down. With three members reaching the end of their two terms and two members eligible for re-election, there is an opportunity to join us.
This election is especially important as the RCM recently launched our new strategy. As a member of the Board, you will be part of the story to support the College in improving the working lives and amplifying the voices of midwives, student midwives, maternity support workers and maternity care assistants and building our midwifery community.
Do you feel you have the skills and enthusiasm to work with Team RCM as they represent the interests of the midwifery community and increase knowledge and expertise of the profession? Joining the Board will give you insight and opportunity to have a wider comprehension of how the College represents its membership in various regional and national forums. It’s also an opportunity to share your insight and experience.
Knowing the midwifery community, I’m sure there are plenty of you thinking that Board membership isn’t for you. It isn’t for everyone, that’s true, but midwives, MSWs and MCAs make important decisions with and for the women and families in their care every day. You will also see the financial and workforce challenges facing the NHS and midwifery education. The skills of any practitioner working in any part of the midwifery ecosystem – be it practice, education, research or policy – are also relevant to how the College functions, with responsibilities around legislative and financial governance, monitoring of strategic progress and ensuring insightful self-reflection as a Board as we carryout key responsibilities as a constructive partner with the RCM executive team.
The College is a brilliant platform from which to build our midwifery community across our four countries and additional islands, across the various specialties of midwifery practice and in supporting the midwives, MSWs and MCAs among us who lead the teaching of our profession and in the leadership of service delivery.
You could have a role on the RCM Board from whichever part of the midwifery community, and we would welcome your application to join us on the Board.
