Message from the President, Professor Steve Turner
"At the risk of stating the obvious, it is really important that our College needs a strategy which informs its members, staff and partners what our plans are. Where do we want to be in one, three, ten year’s time? How are we going to get there? And where don’t we want to be?
"This strategy is designed to steer our College in a direction that will allow us to deliver on our core, pre-existing commitments whilst we develop new areas and prepare for the unexpected.
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"To many people, a, strategy is perceived as a rather dry, abstract process which is not relevant to them. But I hope you find this strategy is a refreshing read which is both aspirational and realistic.
"The future is a tricky thing to plan for, however we know that our charitable aims will be perennial, and include caring, training, educating and advocating. In addition to these core “business as usual” activities, we were mindful when putting the strategy together that there are going to be some unexpected challenges that will draw on College resources. The SARS-Cov-19 pandemic was an extreme but nonetheless pertinent example of the predictable unpredictability of life. So, this strategy is designed to steer our College in a direction that will allow us to deliver on our core, pre-existing commitments whilst we develop new areas and prepare for the unexpected.
"There is always more demand than resource. We can’t do everything. The recent member survey has been a keystone for this strategy and compared to previous College strategies, this has an even stronger emphasis on member benefits. We are the College for paediatricians and children, and this strategy develops our role as a leading advocate for children in the UK and overseas, including providing a voice for children and young people.
"Our IT systems are rapidly reaching their “used by” dates and investment is needed to modernise to provide members and staff with an even better experience when interacting with our College. I hope this is one of the first changes you notice.
"Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to the creation of this strategy, and many thanks to you for reading it. Our strategy is a living document and we will continually review how best to achieve our strategic goals; we are informed by views of our members so please do let me know your thoughts at president@rcpch.ac.uk."
Message from the Chair of the Board of Trustees
"Organisations need well-founded strategies, to set goals and guide their activities, in order to give them the best chance of achieving their purposes. But it is all too easy to construct a wish-list of high-flown aspirations, unconnected to the reality of daily life and unconstrained by available resources...
"The trustees are confident that this strategy has avoided those pitfalls."
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"In our College, strategy is owned by the members and executed by officers and staff. The role of the trustee board is to approve the strategy, having regard to our Charitable Objects and long term financial sustainability.
"We know that strategy development is a perilous business. Organisations need well-founded strategies, to set goals and guide their activities, in order to give them the best chance of achieving their purposes. But it is all too easy to construct a wish-list of high-flown aspirations, unconnected to the reality of daily life and unconstrained by available resources. Such documents read well but are difficult to implement and impossible to measure.
"The trustees are confident that this strategy has avoided those pitfalls. Through a rigorous process, led by staff and officers, informed by members and children and young people, and supported by experts, this strategy will provide a roadmap for the College for years to come. It offers clear ‘guide rails’ for the College’s activities, and a strengthened framework to help monitor, measure and assess performance over the short, medium and longer terms. I hope that you will also find it a good read, and that it will inspire you to work with us, for the benefit of paediatrics and child health."
Message from the CEO, Rob Okunnu
"As a Royal College, our operating environment politically, economically, socially and technologically is ever-changing, we cover the four nations of the UK, and have international reach with a growing international membership...
"Strategies should be living and active. Even as we embark on the start of this one, we will continue to assess what is new on the horizon and draw on latest intelligence..."
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"A compelling sense of where you want to be in the future and how you are going to get there is a must, especially in this day and age. As a Royal College, our operating environment politically, economically, socially and technologically is ever-changing, we cover the four nations of the UK, and have international reach with a growing international membership.
"In developing this fresh three year strategy, we thought and reflected deeply on how the world could change over the next 10 years. Of course, it’s difficult to exactly predict the future but it’s possible to make reasonable judgements based on trends and other insight. Throughout 2023 and 2024, we worked closely with our members and children and young people to gather views to develop our vision and inform our strategic direction.
"But that’s not the end of the story. We learned much from our previous strategies such as being ever-mindful to reconcile our strategic ambition with the day-to-day, responding well to any uncertainty and being assured that the strategy remains relevant throughout its duration to those we represent.
"Strategies should be living and active. Even as we embark on the start of this one, we will continue to assess what is new on the horizon and draw on latest intelligence to reflect on what has been achieved thus far and consider what can be paused in the context of a new and urgent priority.
"Many thanks to all involved in working together to bring this strategy to fruition."
Background
Our College is a registered charity, and our Charitable objects are:
- To advance the art and science of Paediatrics
- To raise the standard of medical care provided to children
- To educate and examine those concerned with the health of children
- To advance the education of the public (and in particular medical practitioners) in child health, the prevention of illness and disease in children and safeguarding their optimal development
We have focused on how our members' needs and priorities tie into the College's role as a strong advocate for children and young people.
This strategy is designed to match our membership offer with our members’ stated priorities to support their working lives and be a powerful advocate for a healthier future for children and young people.
Throughout 2023 and 2024, we have worked closely with our membership, College leaders, College committees and children and young people to gather insights to develop our vision and strategic direction. In particular, our 2024 member survey has shaped this strategy. These elements have been the foundation of our strategy, enabling all those who are part of the College to share in delivering impact for our members and staff in our mission to support children and young people.
We have focused on how our members’ needs and priorities tie into the College’s role as a strong advocate for children and young people, and anticipated what the world might look like leading up to 2034. From this we have developed four 10-year strategic goals. The first three years, 2024-27, focus on our UK and international membership, the workforce of the UK and embedding more voices of children and young people in our own work and across the sector.
Thinking from our previous strategic period has not been lost. We will continue to expand our work on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, and are now working to make this part of our day-to-day activity across the whole College. Our ambition to tackle climate change is now embedded across key teams, including work to further our environmental sustainability as a College and specialty, and an ongoing policy focus on the impact of air quality on child health.
A third example of extending on our previous strategy is our work on health inequalities; this remains a key component in our role supporting the paediatric and wider child health workforce as we work with decision makers to help create the healthiest generation of children ever. Following prioritisation of Progress+ we can focus our attention on expanding online learning which has a benefit both in the UK and across our international reach.
Taking a 10-year approach and considering actions beyond 2027 requires some careful consideration now, but ensures a higher degree of preparedness, resilience and adaptability. Such future planning allows us to be clearer about how we will support members and children and young people in the longer term.
