MHNA's National and Regional Structure
MHNA's National Professional Committee (NPC) is the governing body of the Association and will lead on Professional Policy and Practice issues. It is a smaller body than the previous NEC, comprising of one representative per Unite region, as well as co-opted members who have specific tasks to undertake and projects to manage.
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Contacting MHNA
You can write to MHNA at: Unite/MHNA, Cals Meyn, Grove Lane, Hinton, Chippenham, Wilts., SN14 8HF
You can email MHNA at: info@amicus-mhna.org
You can email the Association's Professional Officer at: brian.rogers@unitetheunion.com
You can 'phone the Professional Officer on: 07918 630403 (00 44 7918 630403 international)
You can contact Unite at: www.unitetheunion.com

Professional Officer
Brian Rogers

MHNA Regional representatives
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Scotland
David Law: I have spent the past year working vigorously to raise the profile of the MHNA Scotland as a co-opted member of the UKNPC. This has at times been challenging, but rewarding. I feel the MHNA should be the national organisation that is there to represent the views of members in relation to supporting, protecting and influencing mental health nursing practice. I aim to represent to the best of my ability the ambitions of members in relation to this. As part of the continued development of MHNA Scotland I have recently been involved in developing and sending out a questionnaire to all members to gather their views and thoughts on how they would like to see the MHNA further develop its role in not only Scotland but also in the UK.
The response to this highlighted a number of issues that will enable us to plan a strategy for the next two years. Through this process a number of people have expressed an interest in becoming link members to carry this work forward and I aim to support this to a successful conclusion. I have been involved in setting up the Scottish steering and advisory group which had an inaugural meeting in Dundee in January of this year. This group has been formed initially to discuss and take forward the issues that have been identified through the questionnaire. If elected I will continue to work to ensure that we have a strong voice within the NPC.

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North East, Yorkshire and Humberside
Christine Webb: I am currently Modern Matron for the Older People's Mental Health Service in Rotherham, part of the Doncaster and South Humber Healthcare NHS Trust, where I have worked for 28 years. I have devoted my career since qualifying in 1981 to working with the mental health needs of older people in both in-patient and latterly 13 years as a community mental health nurse. My specialist area of interest is dementia care, leading to involvement in several reference groups for the Department of Health, contributions to two books, as well as membership of the recent CNO Review of Mental Health Nursing in England, fighting hard to ensure that nursing older people with mental health problems gains the recogntiion it deserves.
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London
Steve Lawrence: I qualified as a Mental Health Nurse in Wiltshire in 1978. I moved to community nursing in the West Midlands in 1985 as a manager and care co-ordinator. In 2001 I set up the Shropshire Assertive Outreach service. This gave free range to innovative working in a multi-agency environment, having non profession specific qualified posts, implementing the Support Time and Recovery (STR) agenda, cross professional supervision etc whilst supporting workers unique contributions. I worked alongside commissioning, service users and carers, professional heads, the SHA and local colleagues to ensure consistency and equity of access. The 18 month Clinical Leadership programme and a year with the Modernisation Agency as a Project Support Lead had enhanced my capacity and understanding of service improvement methodology.I moved to London in 2004 and currently work as a role re-design facilitator for SlaM (South London and Maudsley Trust). This involves networking across service and professional boundaries, analysing ‘patients journeys’, service delivery and identifying opportunities for improvement. In the past I have facilitated nurse specific as well as service specific MDT forums and hope to facilitate peer support between mental health nurses in London. I am aged 51 with 2 grown up children. Some of my personal interests are large motorcycles, gardening, the guitar and country rock and 20th century history.
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South East
Darren Clay: I live and work in East Kent as a community mental health nurse within an enhanced team. I have been a member of the MHNA since I began working as a mental health nurse 6 years ago and my own experience, as well as that of colleagues, has shown me the importance of membership of a professional organisation and of the support, advice and encouragement that members can offer to one another. I am aiming to create a forum in the South East where members can discuss practice issues, to encourage members to share concerns as well as best practice for the mutual benefit of members across the region. I am also commited to working with members so as to set priorities for action for our association and to provide members in the region with a voice at the NPC. Meeting these aims will allow us to provide a more effective service for our client group.
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How do I become a member of the National Professional Committee? 
Elections to the NPC closed at the beginning of April 2008. There are currently a number of vacancies in several regions and these are now open to any MHNA member in those regions to be co-opted onto the NPC. The regions are:

Northern Ireland, Wales, North West and East Midlands

If you are interested in being co-opted, or even just becoming more active in your region, contact MHNA.
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Vice Presidents
George Coxon
Sharon Duncan

How long is the term of office on the National Professional Committee?
The term of office is two years. Elections will take place within each region, either by postal ballot or within a regional meeting called for the purpose of electing a representative for that region. The next elections will take place at the end of 2009.
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MHNA NPC Terms of Reference
MHNA's NPC has Terms of Reference to govern how if operates. Download a copy here.