Borders Learning Disabilities Service Providers Group
Constitution
1. Aims of the Group
The Borders Learning Disabilities Services Providers Group (The Group)
aims to provide a forum to enable organisations providing services for
people with learning disabilities in the Scottish Borders to work together
in order to contribute to the strategic development and quality of those
services.
2. Legal status and purpose of this Constitution
The Group is not a formally constituted body or a registered charity. As
such there is no legal requirement for it to have a constitution, prepare
accounts, hold general meetings or elect office bearers. However, for it to
be an effective body, it is recognised that there needs to be rules
governing membership, representation and the conduct of business.
These are set out in this Constitution and have been agreed to by all the
members.
3. Membership
a) Eligibility:
All organisations providing services for people with learning disabilities
in the Scottish Borders (including services internal to Scottish Borders
Council and NHS Borders, such as day centres) are eligible for
membership, regardless of whether they have a formal funding or
other relationship with Scottish Borders Council or NHS Borders.
b) Terms of membership and associate membership:
i. There will be no membership charge and membership does not
need to be renewed regularly.
ii. An organisation can become a member by notifying the
Secretary that it wishes to do so and providing evidence of its
eligibility.
iii. Membership commits a member organisation to use reasonable
endeavours to ensure that it will be represented at group
meetings on a regular basis. Member organisations must attend
a minimum of 50% of group meetings in any one year to be full
members.
iv. Organisations eligible to become members but unable to make a
commitment to such regular attendance may become associate
members. This will entitle them to receive the meeting papers for
group meetings.
v. Members and associate members must notify the secretary of
the details of a main contact for purposes of communication.
vi. A list of current members and associate members, together with
their main contacts’ details will be maintained by the secretary.
3. Membership continued...
c) Special Advisors
Date created 31/08/08
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Borders Learning Disabilities Service Providers Group
Constitution
External bodies, such as Scottish Borders Council and NHS Borders may
be invited to nominate special advisors who could attend group
meetings as observers.
4. Member Representatives
a) Up to two representatives of each member organisation may attend
group meetings. Further representatives may attend as observers.
b) Members must notify the secretary of who its representatives will be
and inform the secretary of any changes of representatives prior to the
next meeting.
c) Members should aim to achieve consistency in their choice of
representatives.
d) Members should give their apologies in advance of the meeting to the
secretary when they are unable to attend.
5. Annual Review Meeting
In each calendar year, one group meeting will be designated as the
Annual Review Meeting (ARM).
At the AGM the group will:
i. Elect from among the member representatives:
 Officers, including a Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson.
 Individuals to represent the group on other bodies, such as
the Learning Disability Board, Learning Disability
Implementation Group and Joint Clinical Governance and
Quality Group.
Member representatives who are elected should be reasonably
confident that they are likely to be able to adequately carry out
their roles for the period for which they are elected.
ii. Review progress on the annual workplan over the previous year
and set the workplan for the next year.
iii. Review the justification for, remit and composition of each SubGroup
iv. Consider whether any amendments to this Constitution are
necessary.
6. Role of Officers
a) The chairperson will chair group meetings. In the absence of the
chairperson, the vice-chairperson will be the first choice to chair
meetings.
b) Any individual may act as chairperson for a maximum of three
consecutive years. There must then be a break of at least one year
before that individual can be elected as chairperson again.
7. Sub-Groups
a) The group will have the power to establish sub-groups as appropriate.
b) Sub-groups must include representatives of at least 2 group member
organisations but there are no other limits on their composition.
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Borders Learning Disabilities Service Providers Group
Constitution
c) The remit of sub-groups, including their duration and expected outputs
should be defined as closely as possible in advance.
d) Each sub-group’s justification, composition and remit must be reviewed
at each ARM
e) Sub-groups must keep minutes of their meetings and circulate these to
all group members via the secretary. They must also report orally to
group meetings.
f) A list of the members of each sub-group and their contact details will
be maintained by the secretary.
8. Procedure at Group, Sub-Group and Review Meetings
a) For a Meeting to be quorate, at least one-third of entitled member
organisations must be present. If a meeting is not quorate, any
decisions taken must be confirmed at the next quorate meeting.
b) All questions arising at any meeting shall reflect the diversity of the
group's views if an agreement cannot be reached
c) Members wishing to add items to a meeting agenda must give 14 days
notice of the item to the secretary. Other items may be considered at
the meeting under Any Other Business if time allows.
d) If any member has a specific and individual interest in an item
discussed at a meeting, that member must make its interest known to
the meeting.
9. Frequency of Group Meetings
Group meetings will be held on a regular basis as determined by the
members. There will be a maximum of 6 meetings per year.
10. Administration of the Group
A secretary (either elected from among the Member Representatives or
employed by a member of an external body) will be responsible for:
i. Organising group meetings, including arranging venues and circulating
papers in advance of meetings
ii. Keeping minutes of group meetings
11. Alteration of the Constitution and Dissolution of the Group
Decisions to alter the Constitution or dissolve the group must be taken by a
two-thirds majority at a group meeting to which all members have been
invited with 14 days clear notice.
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