RCM Membership Policy and Process
1.1. This document sets out the terms and conditions of individual’s ('Your', 'You') membership of the RCM ('RCM', 'We', 'Us').
1.2. The document is reviewed on an annual basis and is approved by the RCM Executive Management Team. The review will take into account of changes to RCM operations or practices and, further, to make sure it remains appropriate to any changes in law, technology and the business environment.

2. General
2.1. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are in the correct category of membership and that you meet the eligibility requirements for membership of that category. Benefits, services and rights of membership may be withheld or withdrawn if you are found to be in a category of membership for which you are not eligible.

2.2. Your membership of the RCM is dependent on;

2.2.1. You meeting the eligibility criteria for the relevant category of membership outlined, as outlined on the RCM website.

2.2.2. Your payment of the subscription fee or appropriate monthly instalments.

2.3. Membership and its associated benefits are non-transferable and available only to you.

2.4. The RCM will communicate with you about your membership, ballots and elections, and offer services to you based on the contact details that you provide to the RCM. It is therefore your responsibility to ensure that the RCM has the correct and current personal, contact, employment, payment and other details about you, including your communication preferences. It is your responsibility to inform the RCM of any changes to these details as and when they occur.

2.5. The RCM will not be responsible for any issue caused by any failure or omission on your part to keep your personal, contact, employment, payment, communication preferences and other details up to date. This includes increases to subscription following the completion of any set reduced rate periods.

2.6. Changes to your employment circumstances may affect and/or impact your eligibility for membership and the benefits and services available to you.

2.7. Unless otherwise specified by you, the RCM shall regard the home address you provide as your primary postal address, and this will be recorded against your membership record and used for any postal mailings that you have opted in to.

2.7.1. Your home address will be used by the RCM as your ballot address.

2.8. Your membership will commence upon receipt of a completed application form for membership and payment of the appropriate subscription fee dependant on the selected payment plan. Online and paper applications received by the RCM before the 21st of the month will be charged in full for that month. Online and paper applications received by the RCM after the 21st will be charged from the start of the following month.

2.9. The date of receipt of the application by the RCM will be your date of joining the RCM.

2.10. Where you provide a valid email address you will receive an email confirmation of your membership once your application form has been processed.

2.11. Your annual membership renewal date will be on the 1st of January.

2.12. The RCM will issue a membership card for the duration of your membership. Possession of a membership card is not proof of membership.

2.13. You can cancel your RCM membership by notifying us in writing. Cancellations received before the Direct Debit payment and clearing cycle will be processed in that month. Cancellations received after the cycle will be processed in the following month.

2.14. All RCM members are entitled to a payment exemption of up to 52 weeks for periods of maternity/shared parental leave. You must notify the RCM in writing 1 month before commencing maternity/shared parental leave and provide notice 1 month prior of your return to work. If maternity leave commences earlier than originally planned due to a pregnancy related condition and/or preterm labour the payment for that month will be waived. Failure to notify the RCM of your return to work will result in your subscriptions automatically restarting after a period of 52 weeks, and via your previous payment method. All benefits of membership continue during maternity/shared parental leave including advice and representation

2.15. RCM Student midwife members are entitled to the student midwife rate from the start of their Student midwife training to three months after the expected date of completion of training. Please note that after this period you will be automatically transferred onto the ‘Newly Qualified Rate’ unless an application for an extension to Student midwife membership is made in writing with a new expected training completion date.

2.16. The RCM ‘Newly Qualified Rate’ will apply for a period of one calendar year after which time you will be automatically transferred onto the RCM Full member rate.

3. Membership Payment
3.1. It is your responsibility to ensure that the correct payment has been made to the RCM on or before the due payment date.

3.2. Cheques for payment of membership subscriptions should be made payable to “The Royal College of Midwives” and sent to the Membership Department at the Royal College of Midwives, Membership Dept, 10-18, Union St, London, SE1 1SZ

3.3. Where you set up an annual or monthly Direct Debit Instruction for membership, payment will normally be taken from your account on the first working day of the month or shortly thereafter.

3.4. Services, benefits and any office held may be withheld or withdrawn if;

3.4.1. You are found to be in an ineligible or inappropriate category, or payment plan or;

3.4.2. The correct due payment is not received on or before the due date.

3.5. In the event that your payment is not received and you fall into arrears with your membership subscription you will be sent a reminder that payment due has not been received and that you are therefore recorded as being in arrears with your membership subscription.

3.6. The payment reminder as described above will be dispatched by standard postal service to the primary postal address held on your record on the membership database, and an entry against your record in the membership database to this effect shall be proof that this requirement has been met.

3.6.1 For members that have invalid addresses stamped on the membership database this reminder will be sent to your preferred email address.

3.7. In the event that you fall into arrears with membership subscription payments, you will have a maximum of two calendar months to clear all outstanding arrears.

3.8. During any period of membership subscription arrears there shall be no automatic entitlement to any services, rights or benefits that would normally be available to you. However, support and/or representation remains available if you were in the paid up membership at the time of the incident for which you are seeking support, and in a payment plan that draws that support.

3.9. Where non payment of arrears continues, your membership will be automatically cancelled two calendar months following the original due payment date, and all rights, services and benefits of membership will cease from the date of last successful payment. If you hold an RCM Role you will be required to stand down.

3.9.1. This list includes but is not exhaustive to: RCM Board, WPR, Branch Officer, MSW Advocate, Student midwife forum

3.10. Membership will be regarded as continuous if, during any period of arrears payment in full is received before the maximum of two calendar months in arrears has elapsed.

3.11. Where membership is cancelled for non-payment of membership subscription fees as described above, it will not be possible to make back-payment to cover the arrears, and you will have to re-join in a new period of membership. This will count as a break in membership and will affect both the benefits and services of membership and your eligibility to stand for a RCM Role.

3.12. In the event of a membership subscription error occurring relating to a payment via Direct Debit, in accordance with rules of the Direct Debit scheme, you must seek a refund from your paying bank and not the RCM. The bank will then make an indemnity claim for that refund against the RCM. The RCM cannot make refunds against payment error directly to you where payment is made via Direct Debit.

4. Removal from membership
4.1. In accordance with the Rules of the RCM, the RCM reserves the right to remove someone from membership in the following circumstances:

4.1.1. Where a Midwife member is in receipt of a striking off order from the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

4.1.2. Where arrears of membership payment exceeds two continuous months.

4.1.3. Where the RCM Board may deem removal from membership an appropriate sanction for conduct unfitting a member.

4.1.4. If the RCM Board resolves to terminate the member’s membership because it considers there are reasonable grounds for doing so (but only after giving the member at least 14 days notice of the proposed resolution and after considering any written representations which the member concerned puts forward).

5. Branch Membership
5.1. Upon joining the RCM you will be allocated to an RCM branch based upon your given (primary) place of work/placement. This excludes Affiliate and International membership.

5.2. If you are not in employment, your RCM branch allocation will be based on your provided primary postal address.

5.3. If your given place of work/placement, (or primary postal address) changes, this will result in your RCM branch changing unless otherwise requested in writing.

6. RCM Employment Relations and Legal Support and Advice
6.1. As a member of the RCM you are entitled to employment related advice, support and where applicable and appropriate, representation by the RCM where the following criteria are met:

6.1.1. The incident giving rise to the need for advice, support or representation has occurred during a period of fully-paid membership of the RCM or resulted from ‘keeping in touch’ days whilst on maternity/shared parental leave

6.1.2. You are in a membership category and payment plan that draws on the relevant benefit

6.2. The RCM reserves the right to withhold support and/or representation, but in doing so will provide in writing the reasons for doing so.

6.3. Student Midwife members are entitled to RCM advice, support and representation for issues that arise in their placement. This will be through the RCM Workplace Representative who may seek advice from the National/Regional Officer. The Student Union will provide representation for issues that arise in the University.

7. Renewals
7.1. Renewal letters will be sent out by standard post 2-4 weeks before the end of the calendar year.

7.1.1. The RCM will endeavour to contact members with invalid postal addresses.

7.2. The renewal letter may include requests, such as and not exhaustive to; updating your personal details, updating employment details, specifying communication preferences.

7.3. Members with a Direct Debit payment plan will continue on their existing plan unless the RCM is informed otherwise.

7.4. Members on a credit card or cheque payment plan will receive a reminder of payment and/or payment slip provided within their renewal notification.

8. Data protection
8.1. If you have a question about data protection or would like to find out more about how the RCM handle, process and store your data please email us at dataprotection@rcm.org.uk

8.2. You also have the right to request a copy of the personal information that we hold about you. Please submit your request in writing to dataprotection@rcm.org.uk

Data Protection statement
The information which you have provided will be held by The Royal College of Midwives (“RCM”) using appropriate security measures and will be treated in accordance with the UK Data Protection law (“DPA”). The RCM is the “controller” of your personal data under the DPA. The information will be used by the RCM for the purpose of administering your membership, providing you with information about our range of membership services (including affinity benefits), responding to questions or complaints you may have, and for any other described purpose for which you give us your personal data. We may communicate with you about our membership services in accordance with your communication preferences. Your data may also be shared with our Alliance Partners, who may contact you in accordance with your communication preferences. If you no longer wish to receive such communications you can contact us at any time. We may also share your personal data with third party contractors who provide services to us which involve them processing personal data for us. Unless we have your permission, your personal data will not be disclosed to any other external commercial organisations or third parties who are not contracted to the RCM, unless required or permitted by law.

Under the DPA, you can also request a copy of the personal data that we hold about you at any time by contacting us using the details above. You are also entitled to request your data are rectified (if inaccurate), erased, blocked or restricted from processing, or a copy provided in machine-readable form. Individuals are also entitled to complain about the way their personal data are handled to the supervisory authority, which in the UK is the ICO at www.ico.org.uk. For a more detailed statement of how the RCM processes personal data, please visit our online privacy policy.

9. Contacting the RCM
9.1. You can keep your details up to date in the following ways (please remember to quote your membership number in any correspondence with the RCM):

9.1.1. Online at anytime at https://rcmemberlink.org.uk/services/p_wwv_rcm_logon

9.1.2.. By telephoning RCM Connect on 0300 303 0444, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (including bank holidays).

9.1.3.. By emailing membership@rcm.org.uk

9.1.4.. By writing to RCM Connect, P.O. Box 27123, Glasgow, G1 9EF.