Terms of Reference

Name

LGBT+ Voices Dorset Forum

Purpose

To provide a space, which is explicitly and unequivocally inclusive of all sexual, romantic and gender identities, in which to understand experiences and issues for LGBT+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex and other sexual and romantic identities) people and collaborate to improve their equality and inclusion across Dorset, including Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.

To work in partnership with communities and organisations to facilitate LGBT+ equality and inclusion in services by the sharing of best practice and discussion.

Aims

To raise awareness of the experiences of the LGBT+ community and to challenge discrimination. 

Ensure that LGBT+ peoples’ perspectives are proactively considered and incorporated alongside legislative duties.

To support the work of registered organisations, charities, not for profit charitable companies, or businesses that have LGBT+ inclusion and community interest in their heart.

To provide a representative space where matters affecting the LGBT+ community in our area can be identified.

To put community voices at the forefront, through the sharing of lived experience, research and best practice

Objectives

​​​​To promote individual and groups’ lived experience and expertise in policy, planning and service delivery

To improve equality for the LGBT+ community by bringing people together with a passion and commitment to changing our society for the better

To provide support and constructive feedback to services on developments and hold to account

To discuss current issues for LGBT+ people and facilitate partnership working to advance their equality across geographical Dorset

To develop diverse individuals, groups and community and voluntary sector organisations to work on LGBT+ equality

To find and solidify the similarities between communities and erase the justification of ‘otherness’ for isolation and hate, while advocating for the specific needs of the community and promoting equity

Our Aims and Objectives are supported by Our Intentions, which sits outside of the Terms of Reference.

Members will

• all members:
  • sign up to membership via the membership form
  • attend at least 6 (1 in every 2) monthly meetings per year
  • raise awareness of and promote membership of LGBT+ Voices Dorset Forum wherever relevant and possible
  • join our closed Facebook group and be active within it
  • be proactive within the Forum
• Oversight Group only:
  • attend at least 3 out of 4 quarterly Oversight Group meetings or if you are an organisational member to advise and send one of your named representatives if you cannot attend
  • display our logo wherever possible

Established

The Forum was established in 2020 by Izzy Pochin

Membership

Membership will be open to the following individuals and groups as long as they support our values:

• LGBT+ individuals and allies
• LGBT+ organisations supporting people in pan-Dorset, including peer representative groups
• statutory organisations
• community, voluntary and faith organisations
• social enterprises which focus on LGBT+ work

All members will be required to sign up via our membership form.

Members will treat Forum communications, including its Facebook group members’ personal and identifiable information, comments and personal experiences shared on it, as confidential and will respect the personal lived experiences of the Forum’s membership and abide by the Forum's Privacy Policy. 

An organisation may have more than one representative.  Where an organisation has more than one representative, the organisation may be requested to nominate a representative to attend in order to manage meeting attendance.

The Forum may co-opt and collaborate with people with specific expertise to assist them in their work.

Membership will be free and facilitate the sharing of ideas, useful, relevant and trusted resources collaboration and partnership opportunities and best practice.

Members will reflect the values of the Forum and ensure they adhere to the Code of Conduct and LGBT+ Voices Dorset Forum Facebook Group Rules.  Any failure to adhere to the Code of Conduct may result in membership being withdrawn.

Members should pay particular attention to the section on processing special category data in the Forum's Privacy Policy, especially in relation to outing members who may or may not be out and implying a member's sexual, romantic or gender identity from their membership of the Forum.

Working methods

The Forum will ensure all members are fully informed of its activities through the holding of regular online and/or face-to-face meetings, the LGBT+ Voices Dorset Forum Facebook Group and the emailing of - or otherwise digital forms of – communication. 

In all its communication, the Forum will promote the collaboration of its members to achieve its aims and support individual members' external endeavours where these align with the broad purpose, aims or objectives of the Forum.

Meetings

The Forum will meet informally monthly to give all members the opportunity to share experience and collaborate.

The Oversight Group will meet quarterly, to focus on strategic direction and engagement with the work of statutory and community organisations.

The leadership team will meet monthly to discuss Forum business, issues and set direction.

Meetings may be recorded and basic meeting notes of the meeting will be taken and distributed to all members.

Any member who has not upheld the commitment set out above may be deemed to have ended their membership if without a valid reason or suitable notice and negotiation.

Task and finish sub-groups may be set up and these may meet more frequently and outside Forum meetings.

The Forum will convene annual meetings every twelve months to discuss its progress and review these Terms of Reference, GDPR self-as sessment, Privacy Policy and Code of Conduct.

Roles/responsibility/accountability

The Forum will not have specific committee officer roles; members who are comfortable doing so can volunteer to rotate chairing and administering Forum meetings.

The leadership team have sole access to and oversight of membership information, including collating prospective members' explicit consent to join the Forum, the membership list, access to digital storage and GDPR self-assessment, in order to comply with GDPR.  This is supported by a Convenors Procedure document.

The Forum has a Privacy Policy, which it is members' responsibility to familiarise themselves with and ensure they act in accordance with. 

Code of conduct

There is a Code of Conduct that members are expected to adhere to.

GDPR

The GDPR Self-Assessment form and Privacy Policy, alongside these Terms of Reference, will be reviewed at the annual meeting or sooner if the nature of the Forum changes significantly.

Safeguarding

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.  The Forum expects each of its members - lay or organisational - to act reasonably and respectfully and without abusing any position of trust that develops through their membership of the Forum or their organisational relationships. Every member agrees to be bound by the Forum’s Privacy Policy regarding confidentiality, with particular reference to special category data.  If anyone involved in the Forum has a concern about the welfare or conduct of another individual or organisation, this must be reported to the relevant council area’s Safeguarding teams by them or if there is immediate serious concern for the welfare of an individual or a crime is about to take place, this should be reported through 999.  Any safeguarding concerns, once reported to the authorities as indicated above, should be notified to the Forum’s leadership team if it involves someone involved in the Forum or a situation related to Forum business, such as an activity, meeting, event, Facebook group etc.

Review

The Terms of Reference will be reviewed annually at the annual meeting.

Approved by: LGBT+ Voices Dorset Forum at its meeting on 26th May 2021.

Last Reviewed: 19th August 2023

Approved by: Leadership Team