Annex A

York Access Forum – Draft Terms of Reference

Purpose

· To provide an opportunity for disabled people and representatives of groups and organisations supporting disabled people to meet Council officers and Members on a formal basis to discuss issues around access and disability.

· To advise City of York Council on steps required to ensure that Social Model of Disability is further embedded within the council and to increase knowledge and awareness of the barriers faced by disabled people amongst elected Members and officers.

· To enable the Council to use the forum as one means of consulting on the implications for disabled people of its policies and plans and to raise awareness of those across the wider disabled community via the representatives on the forum.

· To enable representatives from the disabled community to raise matters of concern at the forum in order that they can then be considered by the relevant council officers or council committee.

· To come together to discuss issues which impact on the disabled community.

The remit of York Access Forum is:

· To promote co-ordinated action which works towards equality and human rights for disabled people in York by influencing other groups and bodies with executive responsibilities.

· To work in partnership with disabled people, and organisations supporting disabled people, to challenge attitudes.

· To promote and support the development of good practice locally and identify instances of bad practice.

· To receive reports and presentations, and consider feedback on issues raised, from:

a. Council Officers

b. Disability Organisations

c. Councillors

d. Others as considered appropriate by the Chair.

· To produce, make public, and keep under review a forward plan for each municipal year and to produce an annual report.

Chair

The forum will be Chaired by a person independent of the council.  

This should be:

· In the first instance someone nominated from within the membership of the forum, with lived experience.

· Failing that someone outside of the forum who is nominated by the forum, ideally with lived experience.

· If the forum is unable to find someone suitable then an elected Member of the council, with lived experience, may act as a temporary Chair.

Membership

The Forum will have a core membership drawn from:

· Disabled people or those with lived experience

· Groups or organisations working to support disabled people.

The Chair will endeavour to make sure the forum membership is representative of a range of access needs.

From time-to-time experts by lived experience, or profession/academic experts, may be invited to meetings for specific items.

Secretariat support will be provided by CYC. CYC officers will provide information for review in good time and ensure that requests for reasonable adjustments have been met and that meetings, and information being presented at those meetings, is accessible to all.

Conflict of Interest

Any potential conflict of interest should be raised by forum members at the start of the meeting. If members are unsure, they may consult with the Chair ahead of the meeting.

Meetings

The Forum will meet six times a year as a regular meeting cycle.

Additional meetings may be called by the Chair, in discussion with the relevant CYC Director or Assistant Director, on specific, time sensitive topics where the next meeting in the cycle would be too late.

This will be limited to an additional two meetings a year.

Review of Terms of Reference

These Terms of Reference will be reviewed on an annual basis.