The College of Paramedics has recently reviewed its structure and implemented some substantial changes since September 2010. The main components of the organisational structure and their respective roles are described below.

 

The governing body of the College of Paramedics is its Council which comprises elected representatives from national (Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales) and regional areas (11 in England) and office-holding members. The Council is responsible for decision-making in regards to the strategic direction of the College and operates in accordance with the Articles of Association.

 

The Council is assisted by an Executive which includes the Chair, the Vice-Chair, the Director of Professional Standards, the Director of Membership Services, and the Executive Officer. The Executive is responsible for ongoing operational decisions and for drawing up proposals for Council relating to strategic issues.

 

There are three sub-committees of the Council which are listed below:

·       Membership Committee.   Its two key objectives are to identify and provide member benefits and to develop and implement membership recruitment plans;

·       Education Committee.   The Committee is responsible for the maintenance and review of the College’s Curriculum and Competencies Framework, reviewing external courses for College endorsement, and providing curricula and other relevant advice to training and education providers;

·       Research and Audit Committee. The Committee provides expert advice as a major contribution to position statements developed by the College. The terms of reference for this Committee will be reviewed in early 2011; and,

·       The Finance and Assurance Committee. The Committee will meet for the first time in early 2011 after the appointment of two elected Council members. It will be responsible for monitoring and developing mitigation strategies in relation to risks presenting to the Colleges finances and assets.

 

During the later part of 2010, the College has begun to establish National and Regional groups in each of its geographical membership areas. It is intended that these groups will be fully rolled out in the first quarter of 2011. The groups are responsible for promoting College membership, arranging and delivering continuing professional developments events for paramedics, and provide member access at the local level to enable more timely responses to issues and a greater awareness of local needs.

 

The National and Regional groups will be supported by the growing network of station champions who have offered to become the contact point within their respective stations to promote the work of the College.

 

The College has a small team of part-time contracted staff who are responsible for the ongoing management of day-to-day enquiries and issues. These include the Executive Officer, two administrative assistants, and a Management Accountant.

 

The full organisational structure can be viewed by opening the PDF document on the right.