We've appointed communications consultancy Luther Pendragon to carry out an independent review of the participation of members and of our communications concerning decisions we take on behalf of the profession through our Governance boards.
Luther Pendragon has worked with a variety of pharmacy organisations over the past 25 years. Luther Pendragon is part of the Crown Commercial Services Framework for Communications Services and has worked with NHS England, the Department of Health & Social Care, the Health and Care Professions Council and the Human Tissue Authority, amongst others.
The review will examine how RPS members, elected members and stakeholders can feel engaged, informed, and empowered to influence decisions about RPS policy and understand why decisions around organisational policy have been taken on their behalf by elected representatives.
It will also ensure RPS decision-making processes are open and transparent with an emphasis on evidence-based decision making, and recommend ways elected members are enabled to be publicly accountable for decisions taken by the organisation at Board and Assembly level.
Luther Pendragon will conduct in-depth reviews of member and elected member participation. They will seek the views of members and elected members as well as individuals and organisations outside the profession, about how participation can be developed and strengthened. The Luther team will use a combination of focus groups, online surveys and 1-1 interviews to build a detailed understanding of views, on which to base a series of recommendations for the RPS. Luther will then develop a corporate communications strategy which will include action plans for each of the RPS’s target audiences in order to enable greater participation.
RPS President Professor Claire Anderson said: “Now we have appointed Luther Pendragon and have a robust review process in place we can build a new approach to participation and communications with our members, elected members and stakeholders.
“I look forward to hearing your views and building them into the independent review, which we will publish when it is complete. I am committed to making changes based on its recommendations.”