Council responsibilities
Call for Nominations
It is coming up to election time again when we are looking for new members to stand for BSHAA Council. This is an opportunity for you to help influence the future of audiology. Please do reflect on the contribution you could make to your profession
There are four vacancies for directors willing to serve the membership from January 2023.
Any person who was a fully paid member of the Society at 31st October 2021 is eligible to stand for election as an ordinary Council Member.
What do Council Members do?
Council is the governing body of your Society where all important decisions are made to ensure that the Society is well managed on behalf of both the members and the profession. Council members are responsible for making sure that all the work that the Society undertakes on behalf of the profession is consistent with our threefold statement of purpose:
Care: We believe in delivering the highest level of care.
Support: We are passionate about supporting our members to achieve this.
Advocate We are the voice of our community and will always be an advocate for the future of our profession.
The smooth working of Council depends on the willingness of members of the Society to stand for election to Council. BSHAA couldn’t function without Council Members’ voluntary commitment to planning, delivering and overseeing its work, and the time they give to participate in meetings and events.
Throughout the pandemic, it has become clearer that professional bodies have an important responsibility to provide strong leadership to guide and support their profession to adapt to the rapidly changing circumstances to ensure the profession continues to serve their public in a safe and effective way for all concerned. As we have emerged from the worst phase of Covid, audiology practice is undoubtedly different. Continued advances in technology and the understanding of the relationship between hearing, cognition and life fulfillment will continue to drive further change. BSHAA needs to be at the driving seat, working with other professions and partner organisations to ensure that the profession continues to provide strong leadership in adoption of new practice whilst maintaining safe and high-quality standards of care. As a director of BSHAA, you too can be part of the group supporting your colleagues to be the best they can be.
As well as influencing these changes affecting the profession as a whole, BSHAA must as a priority increase its focus on our relationship with students, their training providers, and those newly entering the profession. To be most effective in this key area of our work and influence, Council needs new members who can play a lead role in strengthening these relationships. We will especially welcome applications from those in early careers, or working in education and academia.
It is especially important that Council reflects the wide diversity of our profession. Currently, women and minority ethnic groups are under-represented, and we have no members who are at the beginning of their careers having recently qualified. Council would therefore welcome more nominations from these groups. We are particularly looking to strengthen the following areas of expertise on Council:
strong networks, connections and understanding of education and training of new entrants, including those following the new apprenticeship route;
ability to lead and oversee implementation of key areas of change;
relevant technology trends and understanding of new technologies;
influence and policy making, especially those with experience of working in different audiology practice settings.
During their term of office as Council Members, those who are elected take on statutory responsibilities as Directors of the Association and it is important that the Directors bring a wide variety of skills, knowledge and experience from across the profession. This will enable our debate and decision making to be as informed as possible, whether we are seeking to respond to practical matters affecting the profession today, or considering the future needs of members who will be practising in a market environment that will be very different to today’s.
Council members are required to attend Council and General Meetings – a minimum of 4 per year scheduled in advance, many of which will be organised as virtual meetings typically of 2 hours duration during the working day, though some will be physical meetings. Council members are also expected to set on one or more board committees and contribute to project work in areas which draw more heavily on their specialist experience. Such work is recognised as ideal work for CPD purposes.
As the recognised Professional Body representing audiologists in private practice, BSHAA expects all Council Members to sign a Directors’ Code of Conduct to demonstrate their willingness to uphold the highest values of professionalism.
Do Council Members get paid?
The work isn’t paid, but if you lose income as a result of your duty as a Council Member to attend meetings or events there is a modest loss of business allowance payable and of course, the Society pays any essential travel expenses.
How do I find out more and apply?
UK-Engage are an independent company who provide secure and confidential support to manage the election process. BSHAA has appointed them to manage the nomination and the election cycle. All members will receive nomination and voting details directly from them.
Ordinary Council Members: all nominees will also be required to submit a personal profile of no more than 200 words about their career, the context in which they practise (e.g. small independent, national organisation, training organisation, manufacturer), why they wish to stand, and what they feel they can offer the Society (e.g. any special interest in professional development, customer care, membership services, financial accountability etc.).
All applicants should also send a head-and-shoulders photograph.
What happens next?
Nominations close at 5pm on the 3rd of November. All nominations for Council will be included automatically, provided that they have remained members since the qualifying date.
Personal statements and photographs of all who are standing for election will appear on the members’ section of the website in mid November and in the ballot papers which will be issued on 28th November. The election will be conducted on-line and overseen by UK-Engage. Voting will be open from 28th November and will close on 14th December, and successful candidates will be notified shortly thereafter and will take up their office from early January.
CODE of CONDUCT for COUNCIL MEMBERS
BSHAA election process 2022 (1)