Standing Orders of the Young Greens as agreed at Autumn Convention 2014
Standing Orders of the Young
Greens of England and Wales
Adopted: October 2012
Amended: Autumn 2014
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Annual General Meetings:
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The Young Greens Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held at Young Greens
Convention
The Annual General Meeting is the highest decision making body within the Young
Greens
The Annual General Meeting agenda must be structured, organised and agreed by
the Executive Committee and Structures and Procedures Committee.
An Emergency General Meeting may be called at any time by an absolute two-thirds
majority of the Regional Senate or by an absolute two-thirds majority of the Executive
Committee with the consent of the Regional Senate Co-Chairs, or by a minimum of
5% of the Young Greens membership petitioning the Executive Committee for an
EGM.
At any General Meeting where motions to amend the Constitution or Standing Orders
are accepted, paper copies of the Constitution and Standing Orders must be made
available for members attending the General Meeting.
There must be at least 25 members of the Young Greens excluding employees at
any General Meeting for decisions to be binding
Competences of the Annual General Meeting:
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The AGM accepts/rejects/amends motions, resolutions, policy papers, Constitution
and Standing Orders
The AGM mandates the Working Groups
The AGM ratifies decisions about joining or leaving partnerships and membership
within other organisations/networks
At convention, there will be a session where the priorities of the committee are
discussed and voted on by members.
Reports:
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The Annual General Meeting must take note of mandatory annual reports by the:
o Executive Committee co-chairs
o Treasurer
o Non-portfolio EC members
o Working Group chairs
o Region Senate Co-Chairs
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Standing Orders of the Young Greens as agreed at Autumn Convention 2014
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Structures and Procedures Committee
Submission of motions, policy papers and amendments:
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Individual members, the Executive Committee and Working Groups have the right to
submit motions, resolutions, policy papers and amendments
For all submissions, there must be a named proposer and at least one other nominee
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Deadlines and calls:
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8 weeks before the Annual General Meeting, the Executive Committee must send out a call
for:
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Annual General Meeting/Convention registration
Executive Committee applications
Structure and Procedures Committee applications
Regional Senate Co-Chair applications
Motions, policy papers and amendments as well as guidelines on how to submit
them and the correct format and details of where to find motions for when they are
posted on the members’ website.
Notify all Young Greens members of relevant deadlines
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The Executive Committee must clearly state in the call that all applications, motions, policy
papers and amendments must be sent to the Structures and Procedures Committee.
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4 weeks before the AGM, deadlines for:
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Motions and policy papers. SPC must post motions and policy papers on the
member’s website at the earliest possible moment.
Executive Committee applications
Structure and Procedures Committee applications
Regional Senate co-chair applications
Video hustings recordings and candidate statements
2 Weeks before the AGM;
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Candidates take part in a live online hustings
Voting on candidates commences
1 week before the Annual General Meeting, deadlines close for:
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Amendments to motions and policy papers.
Annual reports of the Executive Committee co-chairs, Treasurer, non-portfolio EC
members, Working Group chairs, Regional Senate co-chairs and Structures and
Procedures Committee
5 days before the Annual General Meeting, the Young Greens Administrator must email all
members (regardless of Annual General Meeting registration status):
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Motions and policy papers and any amendments.
Annual reports from the Executive Committee co-chairs, Treasurer, non-portfolio EC
members, Working Groups chairs, Regional Senate co-chairs
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1700, the day before AGM elections, deadlines for:
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Emergency motions
Applications for any position previously without applicants in the Executive
Committee, Structure and Procedures Committee and Regional Senate co-chairs. Inperson hustings and paper elections otherwise in line with bye-law 4 will be carried
out for these positions at the AGM.
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Minor textual amendments (e.g. grammatical corrections) and friendly verbal amendments
(i.e. where both the proposer of the original paper and the proposer of the verbal
amendment agree to an amendment) will be accepted during the AGM.
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Role of Structures and Procedures Committee at the Annual General
Meeting:
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The Structures and Procedures Committee must keep a record of newly
adopted/amended documents and email the Young Greens' administrator a copy of
newly adopted/amended documents and the minutes from the Annual General
Meeting.
The Structures and Procedures Committee must take Annual General Meeting
minutes of all official business, recording any votes and important discussions and
decisions.
The Structures and Procedures Committee must appoint a chair and deputy chair for
the Annual General Meeting. The chair and deputy chair must not be proposers of
any motions to the Annual General Meeting.
Compiling submitted motions, policy papers and amendments
Making sure the Young Greens Administrator, Executive Committee and members
respect the Constitution and Standing Orders
The Structures and Procedures Committee must inform the Executive Committee to
take note of newly adopted binding resolutions and relevant changes to the
constitution and Standing Orders.
Members of the Structures and Procedures Committee cannot be candidates for any
positions on any bodies at the Annual General Meeting except the Structures and
Procedures Committee.
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Candidature, elections and voting procedures:
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Voting rights:
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Every Young Green is eligible to vote at the Annual General Meeting and associated
elections where they have 1 vote
Young Greens employees have no voting rights
Candidature and elections:
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Any Young Green can stand for any position on any body provided they abide by the
rules such as gender quotas
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Members who hold a position on the Structure and Procedures Committee may not
stand for any other position other than SPC until they no longer hold position on the
SPC
Candidates must have at least two nominees and may provide a candidate statement
if they wish
Executive Committee members, Structures and Procedures Committee members
and the Regional Senate co-chairs shall all be elected using the Single Transferable
Vote (STV) system with a provision for negative voting (re-open nominations,
acronym RON) and by secret, secure online ballot arranged by the Structures and
Procedures Committee.
Hustings for all positions will be held online via video recordings, prepared
statements and an online real-time event. There will be an additional hustings at
Convention.
All committee members and other officers will hold office for one year, except if they
fall at a vote of no confidence during the year
Members of the Young Greens may not be nominated for or hold more than one post
in the national Young Greens at any one time excluding posts in local, regional or
university groups
Any vacant post within the Young Greens, excluding the Regional Senate, may be
co-opted by a majority vote of the committee plus the agreement of the Chair of the
Structures and Procedures Committee, after a call out and a hustings has taken
place
Voting on subjects:
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In principle all decisions in the Young Greens are taken by simple majority. When
voting on subjects the possibilities are 'yes', 'no' or 'abstention'
When debating a motion or amendment at a General Meeting, the proposer will be
asked by the chair to propose the motion or amendment by explaining what the
motion or amendment is for and giving a brief speech in favour of the motion. The
chair will then open debate on the motion or amendment by asking for a limited
number of brief alternating speeches in favour and against the motion, firstly against
and then in favour of the motion or amendment until either no one wishes to make a
speech or there has been sufficient debate on the motion or amendment. If it is
unclear if there has been sufficient debate a straw poll will be taken by raising hands
with the options either for more debate or move to a vote. At any point before the
vote is taken, any member can ask for clarification, raise points of information or
propose procedural motions (e.g. minor textural amendments). If a motion or
amendment has received lengthy debate the proposer may request a brief right of
reply before the vote is taken.
Amendments to the Constitution and Constitution Byelaws will be accepted with a
two-thirds majority
Amendments to the Standing Orders will be accepted with a two-thirds majority
Everything else, unless otherwise specified in this document, will be accepted with a
simple majority
Counting the Votes:
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The SPC is responsible for counting the votes. Results will be announced at the
Annual General Meeting
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Single Transferable Vote quota for election is calculated as follows: total valid vote
divided by one more than the number of seats up for election plus one (or rounded
up) to avoid ties. (TVV/(seats+1))+1
Simple majority: majority of the votes cast
Two-thirds majority: two-thirds of the votes cast
An absolute two-thirds majority requires that at least two-thirds of the entire
membership of a body vote in favour for the subject to pass
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Safe Space Guidance
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The purpose of this procedure is to support the following of the safe space policy.
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Summary of Terms
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Sexual Harassment is unwanted conduct of a sexual nature whether it is verbal, non verbal
or physical.
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Tone policing is defined as critiquing the tone an individual uses when making an argument
as opposed to the content
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Bullying is defined as behaviour which is repeated and intended to hurt another either
physically or emotionally.
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Young Greens Spaces are defined as Young Greens events, on Young Greens Facebook
events, pages or groups and activity involving Young Greens emails.
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A Safe Space Room is a quiet room where individuals can go to take a break from an event.
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Content Warnings are warnings about upsetting content that media includes so individuals
can make an informed choice to engage with it or not. For example, there should be content
warnings for material on racism or sexual assault.
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Maintaining a safe space
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The Young Greens ask that all members pay attention to their conduct and behaviour when
engaging in Young Greens activity to ensure that it does not jeopardise the safe space. All
members are responsible for their own language and behaviour. Respect should be given to
each others' physical and emotional boundaries. Members should be expected to tolerate
others' norms and habits as long as they do not transgress other parts of the safe space
policy.
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Activities which create an oppressive environment include, but are not limited to:
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Sexual harassment
Tone policing
Using offensive language to refer to oppressed groups
Mis-gendering an individual
Making assumptions about an individual based on perceived characteristics
Sharing potentially triggering articles online without content warnings
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At Young Greens events
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The Young Greens should ensure that events are as accessible as possible.
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Standing Orders of the Young Greens as agreed at Autumn Convention 2014
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If possible this includes but is not restricted to: providing gender neutral toilets, using venues
which are accessible to wheelchair users, ensuring members do not drink alcohol during
official business and providing a safe space room.
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When a safe space has been jeopardised
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The Young Greens ask that members challenge these forms of oppression when they occur.
Members should follow the principle of 'respect the person, challenge the behaviour'. If
challenged on their behaviour members should apologise and reflect on their behaviour.
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If members feel a violation of this policy has occurred, they can please make a committee
member aware in the first instance. This can be done either in person if at an event, or by
emailing them if this is online. In normal circumstance the committee member will seek to
moderate the discussion and resolve the complaint through normal complaints procedure. If
the committee member believes there to be a potential risk, for example to a member, after
consultation with at least 2 other committee members they can take immediate, appropriate
action to reduce that risk.
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This could include (without limitations):
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informal warnings and requests for an apology
formal warnings about behaviour
removal of an individual from all, or part, of an event.
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Child Protection Guidance
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The purpose of these procedures is to support the following of our Child Protection Policy
and to ensure that the actions of the Young Greens safeguard and promote the welfare of
children and young people.
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Summary of Terms and Types of Abuse
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Children and young people are legally defined as anyone under the age of 18 (and 16 in
Scotland).
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Abuse is action which inflicts harm or fails to prevent harm.
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Physical abuse includes abuse where someone uses force to cause pain, injury of
impairment. Signs of physical abuse may include injuries which are not consistent for the
explanation given for them, bruises, bites, burns and fractures which do not have an
accidental explanation or injuries which have not received medical attention.
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Psychological or emotional abuse includes abuse where someone intentionally scares,
demeans or verbally abuses someone in order to harm them. Signs of emotional abuse may
include: negative statements about self, extreme passivity or depression, aggression or
extreme anxiety.
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Sexual abuse includes abuse where an individual is coerced or pressurised into sexual
activity against their will or by taking advantage of their vulnerability. Signs of sexual abuse
may include: allegations of sexual abuse or an excessive preoccupation with sexual matters.
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Financial or material abuse is where someone takes advantage of an individual’s trust to
steal, defraud or misappropriate money or property by exploiting the person’s vulnerability.
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Neglect and acts of omission includes ignoring medical or physical care needs. Signs of
neglect may include: clothing that is dirty, untreated illnesses or being frequently hungry.
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Discriminatory abuse includes, but is not limited to, racist, sexist, homophobic or ableist
forms of harassment, slurs or similar treatment.
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Abusive behaviour is often a combination of the types set out above. Any such behaviour
towards a child or young person must be reported as a safeguarding issue.
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How to respond to signs or suspicions of abuse
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In all cases of abuse it is vital to take whatever action is needed to safeguard the child or
young person.
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Immediate action to ensure safety
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If emergency medical attention is required this can be secured by calling an ambulance (dial
999) or taking the child to the nearest accident or Emergency Department.
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If a child is in immediate danger the police should be contacted (dial 999) as they alone have
the power to remove a child immediately if protection is necessary.
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It is good practise to be as open and honest as possible with parents/guardians about any
concerns. However, we must not discuss concerns with parents in the following
circumstances:
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Where sexual abuse is suspected
Where organised or multiple abuse is suspected
Where fictitious illness by proxy is suspected (where a parent or guardian feigns
symptoms or deliberately causes ill health to a child)
Where contacting parents or guardians would place a child, yourself or others at
immediate risk.
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How to respond to allegations of abuse
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If a child or young person shares information about abuse or neglect you must:
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Listen carefully. Do not ask direct questions.
Give them time and attention
Allow them to give a spontaneous account. Do not stop a child or young person who
is freely recalling significant events.
Make an accurate record of the information you have been given. Record the timing,
setting and people present, the child or young person’s presentation as well as what
was said. Keep this safe as this may be later needed as evidence.
Use their words where possible.
Explain that you cannot promise not to speak to others about the information they
have shared.
Reassure them that you are glad they have spoken with you; they have done nothing
wrong and tell them what you are going to do next.
Explain that you will need to get help to keep them safe.
Do not ask them to repeat their accounts to anyone.
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Consultation
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The aim of consultation is to discuss your concerns and decide what action is necessary.
You may become concerned about someone who has not spoken to you based on what
someone else said.
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If you are concerns about a child or a young person you must share your concerns. Initially
you should talk to the Child Protection Officer or the Deputy Child Protection officer. If one
of these people is implicated in the concerns you should discuss your concerns directly with
social services.
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You should consult externally with social services in these circumstances:
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When you remain unsure after internal consultation as to whether child protection
concerns exist
When there is disagreement as to whether child protection concerns exist
When you are unable to consult promptly or at all with your designated internal
contact
When the concerns relate to the Child Protection Officer or the Deputy Child
Protection Officer.
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Making a Referral
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A referral involves giving Social Services or the Police information about concerns relating to
an individual or family in order that enquiries can be undertaken by the appropriate agency.
In certain cases the level of concern will lead straight to a referral without external
consultation being necessary.
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Parents of guardians should be informed if a referral is being made except in circumstances
outlined above.
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If your concern is about abuse or risk of abuse from someone not known to the child you
should make a telephone referral directly to the police and consult with the parents. If your
concern is about abuse or risk of abuse from a family member or someone known to the
child or young person you should make a telephone referral to your local social services
office.
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Information required
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Be prepared to give as much of the following information as possible:
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Your name telephone number, position and request the same of the person to whom
you are speaking
Full name and address, telephone number of family, date of birth of child and siblings
Gender, ethnicity, first language and special needs
Names, dates of birth and relationship of household members and any significant
others
The Names of professionals known to be involved with the child or young person
The nature of the concern and foundation for them
An opinion on whether the child might need urgent action to make them safe
Your view of what appears to be the needs of the child and family
Whether the consent of a parent with parental responsibility has been given to the
referral being made.
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Following the referral
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Ensure that you keep an accurate record of your concern(s) made at the time
Put your concerns in writing to social services following the referral (within 48 hours)
Accurately record the action agreed or that no further action is to be taken and the
reasons for this decision.
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Confidentiality
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Any records made in relation to abuse or allegations of abuse should be kept confidentially
and in a secure place. Information in relation to child protection concerns should be shared
on a need to know basis. However the sharing of information is vital to child protection and
therefore the issue of confidentiality is secondary to the need to protection. If in doubt,
consult.
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Child Protection Officer and Deputy Role
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The child protection officer and their deputy have the duty to:
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Lead on the development of safeguards for the Young Greens
To promote the safety and welfare of children and young people in the Young
Greens
Receive and record information from anyone who has concerns
Assess the information promptly and carefully, clarifying or obtaining more
information where necessary
Consult initially with a statutory child protection agency, such as the local children’s
social care teams or the NSPCC with any doubts or concerns
Make a formal referral when required to a statutory child protection agency or the
police.
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It is not their job to decide whether a child or a young person has been abused or not.
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These roles can be shared with other roles within the Young Greens
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