Terms of reference

Governance Public Contributors PPI Champions Group Terms of reference:

Purpose

The PPI Champions Group has oversight of PPI within the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration: Thames Valley.  The group’s purpose is to support NIHR ARC: Thames Valley to continually reflect and improve how it involves members of the public in research.

This happens in a number of ways:

• Strategic and developmental oversight of PPI within the NIHR ARC: Thames Valley
  • PPI Strategy development
  • PPI Strategy monitoring
  • Development of PPI initiatives throughout NIHR ARC: Thames Valley
  • PPI Reporting

• Supporting development of PPI in research activities in NIHR ARC: Thames Valley
  • Monitoring PPI in ARC research
  • Offering guidance and direction on improving PPI in research
  • Directing the allocation of the PPI development fund

• Oversight of PPI Operational activities within NIHR ARC: Thames Valley
  • PPI Champions group activities, tasks and opportunities
  • Recruitment materials and process
  • Support and learning activities for public contributors including Payment processes
  • Training, mentoring and support for researchers, students, public contributors and other staff who are interested in, or responsible for PPI

• Providing links with NIHR ARC: Thames Valley  Themes and to the communities the ARC should be engaging with.

Membership

• ARC PPI Team (non-voting)
• A minimum of 6 PPI Champions and a maximum of 12
• Public Partners of the ARC Strategy Board
• Other ARC Staff as invited (non-voting)

Ways of working

• Meetings will be held every other month.
• Meetings can be held online and in person with the aim of having 1 or 2 in person meetings a year. 
• Meeting papers will be circulated electronically (but paper copies can be supplied if requested) at least one week before meetings.
• Additional meetings will be set up as required to take forward specific pieces of work.
• There may also be occasions when some work will take place via email e.g. reviewing of PPI award applications.
• Administration is provided by the core PPI team.
• Minutes of meetings will be compiled and circulated as soon as possible after meetings (usually within 3 weeks of a meeting).
• Decisions will be made by a simple majority of those present (but there must also be at least 50% of public members present to hold a vote or make a decision).

Chair and Planning Group

• The chair of the group will be a member of the public. There is also a deputy/co/vice (term to be agreed) chair. This role is about providing an opportunity for members of the group to develop skills, knowledge and experience. This will also be a member of the public.
• A small group supports the work of the chair and the agenda and work of the wider group. It aims to ensure knowledge and influence is spread across a number of core group members.
• The planning group that supports the Chair will include:
  • The Chair of the group
  • A deputy/co/vice (term to be agreed) chair
  • A Strategy Board Public Partner
  • The ARCs PPI Lead

Substitutes

The PPI Lead or Chair can as needed and if appropriate, with agreement from the ARC Senior Manager, substitute for the Strategy Board Public Partners at Strategy Board meetings. This would usually be if neither Strategy Board Public Partners were able to attend a meeting.

For all other meetings (such as Working Groups and Executive Group meetings) decisions will be decided on an as needed basis and based on the most appropriate person(s) attending.

Conflicts of interest

• Members are expected to discuss/declare any potential conflicts of interest – see conflicts of interest document for more information.

Reporting

• The work of the PPI Champions Group reports into the wider ARC governance and reporting structure in the following ways:
  • Strategy Board Public Partners update and present on PPI matters to the Strategy Board as needed.
  • The PPI Lead and members of the group update and present on PPI matters to the Executive Group as needed.
  • The PPI Lead and members of the group report on PPI activities for ARC reviews as needed.

Accountability and Review

• The PPI Champions Group terms of reference will be reviewed every 2 years or as needed.
• PPI Champions are expected to respond to requests, attend meetings on a regular basis and to actively participate in meetings.
• The ARC PPI Team will, where possible, support PPI Champions to take part in PPI Champions Group activities.
• PPI Champions will have the opportunity to have 1:1 conversations about their role and the role of the group with a member of the PPI Team twice a year.
• PPI Champions can ask for or provide feedback at any time.

Remuneration and expenses

• PPI Champions will be reimbursed for their time and out of pocket expenses in line with NIHR ARC: Thames Valley ’s Payment Policy (link).
• PPI Champions meetings will be reimbursed at the standard hourly rate (see policy for current rate) and either an online fixed expenses allowance for virtual meetings or travel expenses for in person meetings.
• All other PPI Champions Group opportunities will include an indication of the fee payable (e.g. a request for reviewers will include the hourly rate and predicted number of hours work required).
• The PPI team will aim to submit fees and expense claims within two weeks of an activity being completed.

Confidentiality

• Due to the nature of research and its potential to be confidential, the content of the PPI Champions Group meetings and activities will be confidential.
• All information must be treated with strict confidence both during the term of involvement as well as after the term ends.
• Members must not remove, destroy, share or discuss any confidential information inappropriately unless specifically requested to do so.
• The NIHR ARC: Thames Valley  will keep PPI Champions’ personal information secure and confidential at all times and their personal data will be restricted to NIHR ARC: Thames Valley  staff and finance staff who are required to process payment and expenses claims or organise meetings/activities.