Terms of Reference – North West Student Sub-committee

1 Purpose and scope of this document The NW PA Forum was established in September 2018 to represent the needs of both students and qualified Physician Associates working within North West at both a regional and national level. A key contributing factor to the success and impact of the Forum will be the 2-way communication of this Forum with the student PA population in the North West region via a sub-committee (henceforth known as the North West Student Sub- committee) of elected students and chaired by the Student Regional Representative from the NW PA Forum.

This document provides the Terms of references for the North West Student Sub- committee.

2. Objective of the North West Student Sub-committee The key objectives of this forum are to create a representative group of Physician Associate students currently training with the North West region. This will integrate students from each University within the North West region currently offering, or planning to offer, a Physician Associate course as well as including opinions from different academic years within the same university.

The North West Student Sub-committee will as a central location for communication from the different PA student populations in the region to the NW PA Forum, and vice versa.

The group will support the student PAs within the North West region by aiming to: ● Improve careers and training opportunities ● Create a support network for PAs within the region ● Facilitate networking and communication between different university populations, as well as with qualified PAs practicing in the region. ● Provide a platform for quality improvement projects to further the profession within the region.

3. Composition of the North West Student Sub-committee a) Student Regional Representative (appointed to the NW PA Forum). b) 1 representative from the first academic year at each of the following Universities: , University of Central (Preston), University of Central Lancashire (West Lakes), , , Edge Hill University, University of (if appropriate). c) 1 representative from the second academic year at each of the following Universities: University of Manchester, University of Central Lancashire (Preston), University of Central Lancashire (West Lakes), University of Chester, University of Bolton, Edge Hill University, (if appropriate). d) 1 representative for the first 2 academic years undergraduate Physician Associate Studies course at University Central Lancashire. e) 1 representative for the final 2 academic years of the undergraduate Physician Associate Course at University Central Lancashire.

4. Method of appointing committee representatives Each representative is appointed for the term of one year. The Student Regional Representative will be automatically appointed to the North West Student Sub-committee following a successful appointment to the NW PA Forum. All other University representatives will be appointed following submission of an application to the Student Regional Representative and an election process. The election for each university will take place at the start of the academic year for that specific university. All representatives must be enrolled onto a Physician Associate course at one of the NW region universities (Edge Hill University, University of Bolton, University of Central Lancashire, University of Chester, University of Liverpool (as appropriate) University of Manchester) at the time of application.

The position of a Student Representative within the North West Student Sub-committee is an unpaid position though the forum may develop a budget whereby certain expenses incurred by members may be recompensed.

Once representation is established, vacancies by resignation, incapacity, or death shall be filled by invitation of the Student Regional Representative to the NW PA forum.

Representatives may be removed from the sub-committee by majority of the commission as a whole for reasons of non-participation, civil malfeasance, or disreputable public behaviour.

Non-participation shall be defined as a Representative who fails to communicate with the North West Student Sub-committee as part of their duties, on 2 separate occasions.

5. Role of North West Student Sub-committee Representatives Representatives must make every effort to participate in the North West Student Sub- committee responsibilities to the best of their abilities.

Should any Representative find that they have a conflict of interest in any business before the committee, they must so declare that conflict and recuse themselves from that business.

Representatives must be available to attend the duties of the sub-committee as outlined below:

Student Regional Representative ● Will be a student from one of the regional universities at time of election to the NW PA Forum. Chairs the North West Student Sub-committee on behalf of the NW PA Forum. ● Attends the annual FPA student conference ● Facilitates bi-directional feedback between the North West Student Sub-committee and the NW PA Forum. ● Builds and maintains relationships with other peer-networking groups (university cohorts, PA-R representative group, NW PA Forum)

Year 1 postgraduate university representative ● 1 representative from each of the NW regional universities enrolled onto the first academic year of a postgraduate course at the time of election. ● Shared responsibility with the year 2 representative for communications between the North West Student Sub-committee and their respective university. ● To feedback information from the year 1 students at their respective university to the North West Student Sub-committee. ● Attends any meetings set up by the Student Regional Representative. ● Responsible for reminding the committee about, and facilitating, the election process at their home university at the start of a new academic year.

Year 2 postgraduate university representative ● 1 representative from each of the NW regional universities enrolled onto the first academic year of a postgraduate course at the time of election. ● Shared responsibility with the year 1 representative for communications between the North West Student Sub-committee and their respective university. ● To feedback information from the year 2 students at their respective university to the North West Student Sub-committee. ● Attends any meetings set up by the Student Regional Representative. ● Responsible for reminding the committee about, and facilitating, the election process at their home university at the start of a new academic year.

Year 1+2 (non-clinical) undergraduate university representative ● 1 representative from each of the NW regional universities enrolled onto either the first or second (non-clinical) academic year of an undergraduate course at the time of election. ● Shared responsibility with the year 3+4 (clinical) representative for communications between the North West Student Sub-committee and their respective university. ● To feedback information from the year 1 and year 2 students at their respective university to the North West Student Sub-committee. ● Attends any meetings set up by the Student Regional Representative. ● Responsible for reminding the committee about, and facilitating, the election process at their home university at the start of a new academic year.

Year 3+4 (clinical) undergraduate university representative ● 1 representative from each of the NW regional universities enrolled onto either the third or fourth (clinical) academic year of an undergraduate course at the time of election. ● Shared responsibility with the year 1+2 (non-clinical) representative for communications between the North West Student Sub-committee and their respective university. ● To feedback information from the year 3 and year 4 students at their respective university to the North West Student Sub-committee. ● Attends any meetings set up by the Student Regional Representative. ● Responsible for reminding the committee about, and facilitating, the election process at their home university at the start of a new academic year.

7. Quorum A quorum of Student Representative sub-committee requires 50% of members including the presence of the Student Regional Representative.

8. Frequency of feedback, meetings and minimum attendance Representatives will be expected to provide feedback to the Student Regional Representative every 6 weeks (1 week prior to NW PA Forum meeting) either by attendance at meetings or, if unable to attend meetings, via digital communication. This is to ensure feedback can coincide with NW PA forum committee meetings which are held every 6 weeks.

If meetings are held, an individual Representative of the North West Student Sub- committee is expected to attend >70% of the annual meetings. Failure to attend will be brought to the members’ attention via a letter from the Student Regional Representative. Failure to attend three consecutive meetings may result in cessation of tenure.

As Representative feedback is likely to be via email, no information that would compromise patient confidentiality should be used.

If during a meeting, information of a sensitive nature such as would compromise personal or patient confidentiality, the committee may deliberate said issue. Deliberations conducted in these circumstances must be published in the meeting minutes in such a way to protect confidentiality.