Wales Vision Forum Terms of Reference.

Purpose.

The purpose of the Forum is for organisations representing people with sight loss to come together to share, discuss and outline work programmes and priorities to enhance joint working and reduce duplication to maximise our collective reach and impact.

The Forum is a platform for sharing information, sharing good practice and expertise, consulting and identifying opportunities to support service and campaign planning.

The group will also focus on the work of relevant work-streams such as the Wales Vision Strategy and Cross Party Group on Vision. Task and finish groups will be established for specific areas of work, as agreed at meetings or via email by a majority.

A list of Forum members is provided in Appendix A below.

Values and Principles.

Forum members agree that the following values and principles are intrinsic to membership of the group.

i) To ensure the views of blind and partially sighted people are at the core of all the decision making.

ii) Recognise that collaborative working will have the biggest impact for blind and partially sighted people in Wales.

iii) To work towards developing the trust and respect necessary between organisations in order to achieve/deliver equal and meaningful partnerships.

iv) To commit to working in an honest, open and transparent way within the Forum to overcome challenges and move forward.

v) And that Engagement with the forum is to be endorsed at senior level by all organisations.

Membership

Membership is open to local, regional and national constituted organisations working with blind and partially sighted people in Wales.

Organisations should be represented by CEO or nominated individual.

A quorum of four members is required for meetings.

Members can be co-opted for a discrete period if agreed by the majority of members.

Other organisations may be invited to meetings or part of meetings as agreed by members.

Frequency of meetings

The forum meets monthly online.

Additionally, the forum will hold a minimum of two meetings a year with Welsh Government with a focus on the Eye Healthcare Delivery Plan for Wales. The Forum will maintain the option of requesting additional meetings in areas such as Social Services, Education, Employment, Transport etc.

Chair and Venue

The forum is chaired by the Director of Wales Council of the Blind. The meetings are generally held online, but with occasional face-to-face meetings by agreement when the need arises.

Secretariat

Wales Council of the Blind will provide secretariat for the group with support from other agencies, if required. A draft agenda and members' updates will be circulated at least two weeks before the meeting. The chair will sign off the agenda. Minutes will be circulated no later than two weeks after meetings.

Wales Vision Forum representation at external committees

Representatives will be nominated at meetings or via email. Nominated representatives will consult with members on papers and agenda items prior to meetings; represent the views of all members and feedback relevant points.

Voluntary Code of Practice

Forum members agree to a voluntary code of practice as follows:

i) With reference to the mapping information produced by Wales Council of the Blind, forum members undertake to check that the information they are providing is a full and accurate account.

ii) Forum members take collective responsibility for identifying areas in Wales where there are clear gaps in provision of services or where services provided by voluntary societies could be significantly enhanced through collaboration and sharing of good practice, including advice and information.

iii) When considering strategy or new areas of work, all members will fully consider the impact and sustainability of their plans on people with sight loss and other Forum members in particular. This includes reviewing the map of services produced by Wales Council for the Blind and discussion with individual forum members or the forum, where there is potential for duplication or where joint working may maximise and enhance plans. Where there is uncertainty over potential conflicts or a duplication of work and members are not confident in raising this with individual forum members or the forum, advice should be sought from Wales Council of the Blind as the umbrella body.

iv) Forum members work together to challenge and hold to account Welsh Government and the public sector where decisions will negatively affect people who are blind and partially sighted, e.g. where the number of people supported and/or the quality of service provided is diminished or is likely to diminish.

v) Forum members work together to promote best practice to Welsh Government and Public Sector bodies.

Complaints and Disputes

The Forum must recognise that there is the potential for conflict and amicable agreement should be sought. To resolve disputes or where a member feels another member has acted in disregard to the Wales Vision Forum Terms of Reference or the voluntary code of practice, members have agreed to the following process:

i) In the first instance, the relevant parties should meet and work together to resolve the presenting issues.

ii) If this fails to resolve the situation, a meeting between the relevant parties and the Director of Wales Council of the Blind should be arranged.

iii) Should this meeting not resolve the matter, it should be brought to the Forum.

iv) Where the majority of those attending the meeting agree a Forum member has acted in disregard to the Wales Vision Forum Terms of Reference or voluntary code of practice, the Forum member is reminded of the collectively agreed detail in this document and this is formally minuted. If the action or behaviour raised is considered significant enough, point (v) of the Complaints and Disputes section could be considered or implemented.

v) If a second incidence of evidenced disregard is tabled at a Forum meeting and all who vote (not including abstentions) agree this breaches the Terms of Reference or voluntary code of practice, then a vote will determine whether that organisation is suspended from the Forum for a minimum of two years. Proxy votes will not be accepted, as the member in alleged disregard should have the chance to explain or challenge at the meeting before a vote takes place. There will need to be a quorum of at least four member organisations in addition to the organisation alleged to have been acting in disregard for a second time and the organisation raising the disregard and the latter two organisations will not be eligible to vote.

vi) If a suspended organisation wishes to rejoin the Forum, they should request to do so in writing; explaining their renewed commitment to the Forum's Terms of Reference and voluntary code of practice. This is then discussed and voted on by Forum members, with a majority vote required.

vii) If there is a further disregard following a suspension, the member will be excluded until there is shown to be a genuine change in culture.

Additional notes:

i) In order to participate in the Forum, members must agree to the Terms of Reference.

ii) Suspension or removal from the Forum will also result in removal as a Wales Vision Forum representative on Welsh Government groups and Welsh Government will be notified when a member is no longer part of the Forum.

iii) At any point, members have the right to refer to legal processes as considered appropriate within their own organisation.

Review

These Terms of Reference will be reviewed annually.

Appendix A

Members of the Wales Vision Forum are (listed alphabetically):

Blind Veterans

BridgeVis

Ceredigion Association for the Blind

Guide Dogs Cymru

Glaucoma UK

Macular Society

North Wales Society for the Blind

Radnorshire Association for the Blind

RNIB Cymru

Sight Cymru

Sight Life

Visual Impairment Breconshire

Visual Impairment Merthyr Tydfil

Vision Impaired West Glamorgan

Vision Support

Wales Council of the Blind

Co-opted members.

Care and Repair Cymru

Welsh Rehabilitation Officers Forum