Brighton and Hove City Council

Developing the Accessible City Strategy

Task & Finish Group Terms of Reference

1 Purpose of the Group

The Task and Finish Group is to ensure the successful development and approval of the Brighton & Hove City Council (BHCC) Accessible City Strategy within the project’s deadlines.

It will ensure all agreed tasks required to deliver the strategy are undertaken using the approved methodologies, including the consultation, engagement and involvement of disabled people and their organisations.

2 Core tasks

The Group’s role is to oversee the development and implementation of the Accessible City Strategy by ensuring the development and delivery of a project plan; it is not to undertake the activities within that plan. Consequently, there are a number of key tasks:

· Agreement of a project plan with timelines in line with the outputs from Phase 1;

· Oversee the development of the Strategy in line with the project plan;

· Ensure the activities required for the strategy’s development take place including but not limited to:

1. Development of the overarching vision and Council wide strategic ambition;

2. Development of individual Action Plans for each Business Directorate;

3. Overseeing the effective delivery of the Consultation, Engagement and Involvement Plan;

4. Liaising with other relevant stakeholder groups including the Disability Panel;

5. Ensuring the strategy’s development adopts a proactive approach to influencing partners and encourages the Council to take a civic lead role in relation to accessibility.  

· Seek comments and feedback from relevant stakeholders on the draft Strategy; and

· Obtain elected representatives’ and Council wide approval of the Strategy and its underpinning action plans.

3 Membership and structure

The Chair of the Task and Finish Group will be held by Head of Communities, Equality and Third Sector

The role of Group Secretary will be held by EDI officer (disabilities lead)

The Task & Finish Group will be made up of:

· Emma McDermott (as chair)

· Equalities Manager (as project lead

· EDI officer (as secretary)

· Rick Williams / Clare Cromarty (for a time limited period during the establishment of the group)

· Independent Chair of the Disability Panel

· A representative of each directorate equality delivery group

It is expected that the group will operate through consensus, including in making key decisions. If any dispute arises, the Chair of the Task & Finish Group will have the final say.

Deputies

If the designated member of the Task & Finish Group is unable to attend, they may nominate one person to act as their deputy. For continuity purposes this should be the exception and where possible, should always be the same deputy.

4 Timeline & Frequency of meetings

The Group will meet on a monthly basis for the duration of the project with additional meetings being agreed if required.

The Group may appoint additional members on an ad hoc basis if it believes they can help facilitate its work.  Such appointments are subject to the approval of the Chair.

The Group may create sub-groups to focus on specific areas of its work and such sub-groups may co-opt additional members to facilitate their work subject to the Chair’s agreement.

Once the strategy has received approval of all relevant Council bodies, the Task & Finish Group will have achieved its goal and will therefore be disbanded. From this stage, the implementation of the Accessible City Strategy will be monitored as per normal Council performance management arrangements.

5 Resources

The following resources will be made available to the Group:

· Secretariat and administrative support (EDI administrator)

· Meeting space for any face-to-face meetings

· Online meeting portal to hold virtual meetings