The Lantern Administration

TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS

The Lantern Community is an activity of the Sheiling Trust which is a Company Limited by Guarantee and also registered as a Charity.

The Sheiling Trust has a 'Memorandum and Articles' which provides a formal legal framework for control and management. There is also an 'Internal Memorandum' which provides a less formal explanation of how the organisation works in practice.

There is a 'Board of Trustees' who are collectively responsible for the charity as a whole. They have delegated specific responsibilities for the management and administration of the Activities to the Activity Councils.

The Lantern Community Council is comprised of: -

• At least one of the Trustee/Directors of the Sheiling Trust - thus providing a direct link with the Sheiling Trust Advisory Council which includes the Board of Trustees and which is formally 'in control' of all of the Trust’s activities.
• Members of the Lantern Community Management Group (composed of resident members of the Community and (as appropriate) employed administrators).
• Representative members of the other Sheiling Trust Activities.
• Parents and friends of the Lantern Community who have professional or other useful experience that would enable them to offer objective advice and support.

The Advisory Council has technically appointed the Council and has delegated authority to it as follows: -

• To advise and support the Lantern Community in upholding the social principles upon which it was founded and to promote appropriate standards for the charitable services that it provides.
• To advise and support the Lantern Community in maintaining an effective management structure through which day to day operational decisions can be made in a clear, transparent and accountable manner. Risk assessed emergency and crisis management procedures should also be in place.
• To advise and support the Lantern Community regarding the maintenance and future development of its assets and resources.
  e.g. Stewardship of land and buildings
  Recruitment, Retention and Training of Co-workers
  Old Age and Social Contingency Provision
  Fundraising and Public Relations
  
• To establish financial controls in accordance with Charity Commission guidelines. A policy is needed for the authorisation of different types and levels of expenditure. The Council is also responsible for the appointment of people who will have authority to sign cheques, credit facilities and financial contracts.
• To authorise certain individuals to enter into such legally binding contracts that are deemed appropriate for the Activity to carry out its business e.g. anyone who is employed by the Activity must have a written contract.
• To maintain an awareness and risk assessment with respect to the Activity’s legal liabilities:-
  e.g. Charity and Company Law
  Health and Safety
  Care Standards
  Local Authority and Service Contracts
  Tax and Employment Law etc.
  Data Protection
  
• To become involved with any complaint, grievance or disciplinary issue that is inappropriate for the Lantern Community to deal with.
• To take professional advice where there is any doubt about the right course of action.
• To keep the Advisory Council informed if an issue arises that could expose the Charity as a whole to risk.
• To keep the Advisory Council informed of any matter that arises which is outside the Council’s terms of reference (Article 36 of the Charity’s Constitution gives guidance).

In practice the daily responsibilities for the running of The Lantern Community are delegated to the 'Management Group' of the Community through which individual members of the Community take on the specific tasks of administrative responsibility which have been approved or authorised by the Council.

Both the Management Group and Council will adopt a 'Group Management' approach which involves individuals of equal status assuming joint and mutual responsibility. This means that no member of the Group is senior to the others or in charge overall. Decisions are reached by an earnest attempt to find a consensus that all can support as being in the best interests of the Activity and Charity as a whole. Voting is not called for. Consensus will not exist where there is unresolved dissent. If there is dissent the Group must decide on a course that safeguards the principles, aims and objectives of the Activity and Charity as a whole.

The Quorum for a Council Meeting will be five - to include at least one of the Charity’s Trustees, two members of the Management Group, and two non-resident council members. If a Trustee cannot attend an otherwise quorate meeting decisions on 'matters of principle' (Article 36 of the Charity’s Constitution gives guidance) will be deferred.

The Council will meet at least four times a year. Minutes of meetings will be retained for 10 years.

Retirement of Council Members

At the Council Meeting which precedes the annual general meeting of the Sheiling Trust Association one third of the members (or the nearest number to one third) will retire by rotation. The Members who retire will be those who have been longest in office since their last appointment. Retiring members may offer themselves for re appointment. All appointments and re appointments are subject to approval by the “Board of Trustees”

June 2003