New plans for BSACI leadership structure

Nicola Brathwaite

Consultant in Paediatric Allergy King’s College Hospital London

The leadership structure of the BSACI has remained largely unchanged as the society has grown in membership and activity. The Trustees recognised a need for a review of the leadership structure to allow it to adapt to support the strategic and operational aims of the society. During my term as BSACI Secretary I worked with the Trustees on a proposal for an expanded leadership structure for the society. At the October BSACI Council meeting the proposal was discussed and it was agreed to pursue this. The current leadership structure of BSACI Council has 3-4 Trustees (president, secretary, treasurer and past president or president elect). Seven council members are elected by the BSACI membership. These are voting members. Other members of Council include Chairs of the BSACI committees and coopted members (non-voting). We have recently reviewed and updated the job descriptions and terms of reference for all these roles.

We proposed to council that 3-5 new vice president roles are developed with a strategic JD as agreed annually by Council. This would involve increasing the elected council members to 8. Council approved this in principle with 3 of the elected positions to be developed into VP roles and 5 council members. Potential portfolios for VPs could include Education and Knowledge, Science, Workforce and Services.

A period of transition is envisioned as current elected Council members complete their terms of office. As part of an annual strategic review, the BSACI will identify skills needed in new council members to encourage suitable applicants. Generic council roles will continue to be included to encourage application by junior members wanting to develop their leadership in the organisation.

We hope that as this is taken forward it will allow the BSACI to continue to grow and flourish.

Announcement

Please support research through the British Paediatric Surveillance Unit

Background: This British Paediatric Surveillance Unit (BPSU) study aims to establish incidence rates of ARFID in children and young people presenting to secondary health care since March 2021 in the UK and Ireland. Importance: To date very little is known about this disorder and its associated behaviours and outcomes in British and Irish children and adolescents and, as a recent diagnosis, it is of great international interest. The aim of generating new priority research questions could also inform decision making to better match patient need with sufficient funding allocations. How to get involved: Please report any young person aged 5-15 with persistent restriction of quantity and/or range of food intake, associated with one or both of the following: • Nutritional deficiency that requires additional clinical investigation or treatment that is not fully accounted for by poverty or neglect, cultural practice or an existing medical condition or another mental disorder*

• Interference with day-to-day functioning due to eating behaviour Not explained by ANY of the following: • Lack of available food (e.g. from poverty, famine or neglect) • Culturally sanctioned practice (e.g. endorsed religious and cultural practice) • Other known diagnosis e.g. Allergy to specific food group (e.g. dairy), gastrointestinal disorder, constipation, swallowing difficulties, other eating disorder e.g. anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or other medical or psychiatric disorder that fully explains food restriction (not requiring additional clinical attention) e.g. depression, anxiety, OCD, malignancy, diabetes mellitus, inflammatory bowel disease, thyroid disease *If eating disturbance occurs in the context of another condition/disorder, then in order to meet case definition for ARFID, the severity of eating disturbance should exceed that routinely associated with the particular condition/disorder - and warrant additional clinical attention.

More info at BPSU study - Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) | RCPCH or please contact us at arfid.study@imperial.ac.uk