Terms of Reference
An integrated and cohesive community is one where:
- There is a clearly defined and widely shared sense of the contribution of different individuals and different communities to a future vision for a neighbourhood, city, region or country.
- There is a strong sense of an individual’s rights and responsibilities when living in a particular place – people know what everyone expects of them, and what they can expect in turn.
- Those from different backgrounds have similar life opportunities, access to services and treatment.
- There is a strong sense of trust in institutions locally to act fairly in arbitrating between different interests and for their role and justifications to be subject to public scrutiny.
- There is a strong recognition of the contribution of both those who have newly arrived and those who already have deep attachments to a particular place, with a focus on what they have in common.
- There are strong and positive relationships between people from different backgrounds in the workplace, in schools and other institutions within neighbourhoods.
Commission on Integration and Cohesion, 2007
1. Purpose
The purpose of the Community Cohesion Forum (CCF) is to champion and promote, with and on behalf of the Somerset Strategic Partnership, cohesion in Somerset. To this end the CCF will:
1.1 Ensure that all the communities of Somerset are signed up to and share a common vision of unity, well being and a sense of belonging.
1.2 Facilitate the building and maintaining of cohesion and good relationships between people of different groups and backgrounds in Somerset.
1.3 Work, through the SSP, to encourage the SSP partners and other organisations in Somerset to ensure equality and equality of opportunity for all in their processes, striving to eliminate discrimination and to make Somerset a good place to live, work and play.
1.4 Encourage and promote the cultural and diverse nature of the people of Somerset through dedicated activities as a way of learning from and about each other and for promoting good neighbourliness.
1.5 Devise, promote and secure the delivery of the Equalities Vision and Community Cohesion Strategy throughout the work of the Partnership via the Community Strategy and Local Area Agreement.
1.6 Abide by the Generic Terms of Reference for all SSP Sub-groups (attached in Appendix 2).
2. Functions
The CCF will embed the Community Cohesion Action Plan within the work of the SSP and via the Community Strategy and Local Area Agreement. It will:
2.1 Regularly monitor and review the Equalities Vision and Community Cohesion 2004-2014 Strategy on behalf of and with the SSP.
2.2 Articulate, interpret and promote to everyone a common vision for Somerset that all will be encouraged to own and that will be embedded in all key strategy documents.
2.3 Identify key high level outcome measures and milestones to monitor and report on progress to the SSP on a yearly basis.
2.4 Scrutinise, challenge and support the SSP in relation to their delivery of the Equalities and Community Cohesion agenda and in particular, through the delivery of the Local Area Agreement (LAA).
2.5 Facilitate mechanisms for and advise on partnership training where appropriate to ensure successful delivery of the Community Cohesion Strategy.
2.6 Key Strategies of the Group are attached in Appendix 3.
3. Membership
3.1 The CCF will choose a Chair who will also be the SSP Cohesion and Equalities Champion. A Vice-Chair may also be chosen. Both positions to be reviewed and appointed on an annual basis.
3.2 Membership will be flexible to accommodate changing themes, priorities in the work of the CCF and each chair from the LAA Blocks will be asked to attend and contribute dependent on work focus. However, there will be a ‘core’ makeup to the Forum, which will be reviewed annually. This is indicated in Appendix 1.
3.3 The membership shall not exceed 20 at any one time.
4. Meetings
4.1 The Forum shall meet every other month with appropriate communication occurring in between meetings.
4.2 With the agreement of the chair, three members may call an extraordinary meeting for as soon as practically possible.
4.3 The CCF will be deemed quorate when at least half of all voting members, plus the chair or vice chair are present.
4.3 If the meeting is not quorate, it can still go ahead with the proviso that the next quorate meeting formally adopts the decisions taken. This process also applies to meetings that cease to be quorate after the meeting has started.
4.4 An agenda will be sent out to all members at least seven days before the meeting. Agenda items should reach the Chair at least ten days before the meeting.
4.5 Any item not on the agenda may only be raised under Any Other Business except if it is accepted as an addition at the beginning of the meeting.
4.6 The agenda will contain the following standing items:
progress made on agreed actions
areas for concern that represent fragmented and discriminatory communities
4.7 All papers for meetings shall be circulated with the notification for meetings.
4.8 Minutes of meeting shall be taken and kept and presented for approval at the following meeting. The minutes shall list the topics discussed, actions agreed and the individuals responsible for undertaking the actions.
4.9 All the other remaining arrangements for running the forum’s meetings to concur with the arrangements for running SSP meetings.
5. Reporting
5.1 The Group will report directly to the SSP. Reporting will be through: Minutes of CCF meetings, Reports to the full SSP board by the chair of the Forum and or her/his nominated representative.
5.2 Relevant points will be reported to LSPs as appropriate.
6. Responsibilities
6. It is the responsibility of all members of the CCF to ensure representation at all meetings.
6.2 In the event of nominated members being unable to attend, a suitable, fully briefed substitute with the authority to represent his/her organisation should be found to ensure continuity of the agency’s participation.
7. Accountability
7.1 The Community Cohesion Forum is accountable to the Somerset Strategic Partnership; However, it is recognised that for the CCF to operate as an objective, scrutinising and monitoring body and for the SSP to operate as a transparent, publicly accountable body, the ability to challenge and hold independent opinion to that of the SSP will be encouraged and sanctioned.
7.2 Individual members of the CCF must adhere to these terms of reference and to the principles and values as set out in the Equalities Vision and Community Cohesion Strategy.
7.3 Each member agency of the CCF is responsible for their partnership’s performance against actions stated in the Equalities Vision and Community Cohesion Strategy’s action plan and informing reports on progress to the SSP.
8. Review
8.1 These terms of reference will be reviewed annually or as and when it is felt appropriate with full agreement of CCF core members.
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