Women Leaders network: Operating guidelines

What is the network’s name?

HSJ Women Leaders

What is it?

A useful leadership community for women leaders and emerging leaders in health and social care.

Aims of network

• To empower, encourage and celebrate the skills and talents of both existing and emerging women leaders.
• To identify, encourage and promote good practice in improving opportunities for women to secure board level positions on health and care bodies in public, private, voluntary and third sectors, as well as in nurturing and retaining women of talent those sectors, through means such as mentoring, coaching and shadowing.
• To scrutinise and challenge bias against women on health and social care boards.

Guiding principles

• Inclusive Membership will be drawn from across professions, age groups and other protected characteristic groupings.
• Supportive The network will offer support.
• Positive The network will encourage positive, safe connection, sharing and encouragement
• Challenging Challenge the “status quo” or any view that women cannot contribute as much to a board as a man can.
• In touch Keep asking members what they want. Be responsive.

How does it work?

Virtually (via a closed invite only LinkedIn forum plus a Twitter account). Plus face to face networking events.

What will people get from network?

• Support
• Useful contacts
• Sharing of ideas and tips for success in an open forum
• Insight into board level thinking and behaviour
• Intelligence on how to influence and build influence

What is expected of network members?

They are required to:

• be expressly committed to supporting, developing and advocating for women leaders both within their own organisation and wider;
• be supportive or willing to support an emerging female leader either through mentoring (they may have a current female mentee, have successfully mentored a female leader or be willing to do so), or they may be willing to offer job shadowing, host Twitter chats, and/or speak at events; and
• support the network’s growth and impact by attending events, contributing to its virtual conversations, champion its existence where appropriate.

How is the network overseen?

The network will be overseen by a small programme board whose function will be to ensure that the network retains focus.

Who is on the programme board?

• Helen Birtwhistle director of external affairs, NHS Confederation
• Helen Buckingham chief of staff, Monitor
• Jackie Daniel chief executive, University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay Foundation Trust
• Dr Gillian Fairfield chief executive, Pennine Acute Hospitals Trust
• Dame Julie Moore chief executive, University Hospitals Birmingham Foundation Trust
• Joan Myers nurse consultant at North East London FT, and chair of chief nursing officer’s BME advisory group, NHS England
• Charlotte Sweeney NHS non-executive director, Mid Yorkshire Hospitals Trust
• Adele Waters executive editor, HSJ

Who is eligible to join?

Members must:

• work in a health or social care field within the public, private, voluntary or third sector;
• be expressly committed to supporting, developing, advocating for women leaders both within their own organisation and wider;
• be supportive or willing to support emerging female leader either through mentoring (they may have a current female mentee, have successfully mentored a female leader or be willing to do so), or they may be willing to offer job shadowing, host Twitter chats, speak at events; and
• *(TBC) be male as well as female – the qualifying criteria being that they have supported/developed and advocated for women leaders.

Leaders should board level and emerging leaders should be on the way to getting on to boards.

How will programme board work?

It will work collaboratively and make decisions that are in keeping with the network’s aims and guiding principles (see above).

It must always include:

• a member of the HSJ editorial team;
• a representative from any sponsoring partner - for example, NHS Employers; and
• senior leaders from health and social care organisations.

How will the virtual network operate?

Via social media platforms – these will be managed by HSJ but with support/help from the programme board and members.

Closed LinkedIn forum

For initiating discussions between women leaders - for example, on leadership, coaching, sharing news of board appointments or tracking progress of organisations with unrepresentative boards.

Members will “own” their network but the HSJ team will feed it with content such as blogs, profiles of senior leaders, campaigning articles, write-ups of speeches by speakers, and will moderate where necessary. Content may also appear on HSJ.co.uk or members may be invited to give interviews for wider consumption on the HSJ website.

Twitter account

For promoting events/campaigns.

Day to day running of this account will be in the hands of members but the HSJ team will feed it/moderate where necessary.

What will network events look like?

Each event will have a unique focus and will involve an appropriate segment/contribution - for example, external speakers or a debate, plus a social element.

Topics for themes will include leadership, coaching, and resilience building.

When will 2015-16 events take place?

• 23 Sept - launch
• Dec event - exact date TBC
• 8 March

How can you join?

You have to apply to join via the LinkedIn group “HSJ Women Leaders”.

The description for the LinkedIn group says: “A network to help aspiring women leaders in the healthcare sector get board level jobs. To apply to join please email hsjwomenmembership@emap.com”

Once you send an email, you will be automatically sent a short survey. The results are collected in a spreadsheet allowing us to approve members. Once approved (with criteria agreed by programme board) HSJ approves membership via LinkedIn.

How can I contact HSJ about the network?

Email hsjwomen@emap.com