LGBT Inclusive Education Implementation Group: terms of reference
Description of the group's role, responsibilities, timescales and membership.
Role of the group
This group has been formed to facilitate implementation of the 33 recommendations of the LGBTI Inclusive Education Working Group, which were accepted by the Scottish Ministers in November 2018.
This group sits within a wider policy context of health and wellbeing in the Curriculum for Excellence, which includes Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC), the Early Years Framework, children's rights and the Building Safer Communities programme which collectively contribute towards the Government's aim of making Scotland the best place in the world to grow up.
The remit is to:
- plan, insofar as possible, delivery of the recommendations of the LGBTI Inclusive Education Working Group
- provide oversight of quality assurance of the implementation of the recommendations
- develop a consensus on work to take facilitate implementation of these recommendations within an equalities framework which recognises children and young people's rights within intersecting identities
In carrying this out, the group will have responsibility for ensuring that:
- the timetabled action plan, drawn up by COSLA and the Scottish Government, is taken forward appropriately
- regular updates are provided on the progress of the recommendations detailed in the timetabled action plan
Timescales
The LGBTI Inclusive Education Working Group’s report to the Scottish Ministers specified that delivery of their recommendations should be progressed sufficiently by the end of the current Parliamentary term. The implementation group will, therefore, work to ensure these recommendations are facilitated for implementation, insofar as possible, by the end of March 2021.
Responsibilities
In addition to attending meetings, members may be expected to obtain feedback from their organisations in order to progress the work of the implementation group. Members should expect that some of this work could take place out with meetings.
There will be flexibility for the group to influence the agenda of meetings, but it will focus on delivering its terms of reference. Particular tasks may warrant the establishment of sub-groups, consisting either of a subset of members or involving co-opted others, which will be agreed by the implementation group depending on how priorities progress.
Members
The group is chaired by a partnership of COSLA and the Scottish Government. Membership is comprised of:
- Scottish Government (SG)
- Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA)
- Education Scotland (ES)
- Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS)
- Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)
- LGBT Youth Scotland
- National Parent Forum of Scotland (NPFS)
- respectme
- School Leaders Scotland (SLS)
- Scottish Catholic Education Service (SCES)
- Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA)
- Equality Network
- Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP)
- Stonewall Scotland
- Time for Inclusive Education (TIE)
Secretariat is provided by Scottish Government officials from the Learning Directorate's Support and Wellbeing Unit.
Members have been selected as key representatives of the LGBT and education sectors. Additional members (for example, from rural and/or islands settings and representatives of young people) can be proposed at any point by existing members. A majority acceptance for new membership from implementation group members will be required before an invitation is issued.
Working environment
The success of the group will depend upon mutual trust and respect and may, at times, require a degree of sensitivity around discussions in seeking to arrive at a consensus and, ultimately, take forward the recommendations. Open and frank discussion will be encouraged and supported with a general summary of key discussion and action points produced by the secretariat following meetings. The secretariat will publish all minutes and supporting papers on the Scottish Government website.
In order to support this open environment, the use of social media during and after meetings cannot be permitted. It will be the role of the group to agree all communications and narrative in relation to their work.
February 2019
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