Become an MSNAP Local Champion!

Aim:

To actively involve individuals from MSNAP member services in disseminating your experience of participating in MSNAP, specifically within their local areas.

Eligibility:

We would like to invite individuals to apply who a) work in an MSNAP accredited memory service and b) have acted as a peer reviewer on at least on occasion. We would also like to invite people with dementia and carers who have good knowledge of MSNAP (i.e. through involvement in peer reviews, committee meetings, standards development, etc) to apply for the role.   

Advantages:

This would be an opportunity for services to publicise their achievements and network with other memory services in their local areas. It is also a chance to become involved in encouraging quality improvement in memory services around the UK. 

This is an excellent way of promoting MSNAP from the point-of-view of those directly participating in the project. Hearing about MSNAP directly from peers is likely to have a greater impact than promotional materials or talks by the MSNAP project team. You can be honest about the pros and cons of participating in MSNAP and help other services incorporate quality improvement activities into their practice.

Practicalities:

• MSNAP will provide a standard set of PowerPoint presentation slides that can be edited by local champions to suit their audiences.
• MSNAP will be able to reimburse travel, in line with the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ expense claim policy, on occasions where local champions travel to other sites to deliver presentations/talks. This should be confirmed in advance of the event taking place, and when applicable, advance train tickets will be organised by MSNAP.
• Local champions will be offered a free delegate place at the MSNAP Annual Forum.
• MSNAP will provide local champions with materials such as presentation handouts, copies of the standards document, information leaflets etc as required.
• We will aim to recruit a local champion from each NHS Region and from at least one of our non-mainland member services.

Responsibilities:

With the local champions’ permission, their names and email addresses will be displayed on the website next to their region, which will allow interested services to contact them directly.

There is flexibility in terms of how local champions may choose to carry out their role. Some examples include:

• Presenting at local conferences or meetings.
• Contacting colleagues within the same Trust or neighbouring Trusts offering to share information about your experiences of MSNAP and giving them the chance to ask questions.
• Email or telephone correspondence.
• Writing short articles for Trust newsletters and other publications about experiences of participating in MSNAP.
• Publicising their own accreditation status.
• Publicising the MSNAP Annual Forum locally as an opportunity for networking.

Local champions will be asked to provide the MSNAP project team with a brief summary of any contact made, e.g. who with, type of contact, whether it was perceived as being successful, any follow up needed by the MSNAP team, etc. If a local champion is unable to answer a query, they should refer the person(s) to the MSNAP team.  The MSNAP team will provide support and advice for local champions whenever necessary.

Applications:

Applications will be via CV and a brief email outlining why the individual is interested in the role. The MSNAP team and the Chair of the Advisory Group/Accreditation Committee will review the applications and notify successful individuals. Applications can be submitted on an ongoing basis as from 9 January 2012 until further notice. To discuss further, please contact the MSNAP Project Team.