LCPC-Membership-Package-Draft-2018-new-1

The membership of this Planning Council includes organizations and agencies in Lanark County that provide services to children, youth and their families.. The Planning Council is support

MEMBERSHIP PACKAGE LANARK COUNTY PLANNING COUNCIL

 INTRODUCTION TO LCPC

 MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS

 TERMS OF REFERENCE

 COMMITTEES/WORKING GROUPS

 PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT

 MEETING SCHEDULE

 COMMON ACRONYMS

2018/2019

Vision: Children and youth in our communities are thriving They are served by a

well, informed, responsive and effective community of organizations

Mission: The council provides leadership and collaboration to enable optimal

development and healthy living for Lanark County children, youth and their

families

Priorities/Values

*Diversity and inclusion included in everything we do.

The geographic community of Lanark County includes both the rural areas and town centres that make up the County of Lanark, including the separated Town

of Smiths Falls

The Planning Council meets on a monthly basis Work groups are also struck when a specific issue is identified in the community

The membership of this Planning Council includes organizations and agencies in Lanark County that provide services to children, youth and their families The majority of members are senior management, executive directors, networks or people appointed by agencies There is representation from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services and other provincial ministry offices

The Planning Council is supported in their work by a community coordinator who

is funded through the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services The funding is managed by Open Doors: the transfer payment agency There are other such planning groups in South Eastern Ontario and the planners meet regularly to share ideas and issues of common interest

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Lanark County Planning Council Member Organizations

Algonquin College

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lanark County

Catholic School Board of Eastern Ontario

Connections

County of Lanark

Children’s Resources on Wheels (CROW) including

Ontario Early Years Centre (OEYC)

Ecole elementaire catholique J.-L.-Couroux

Family and Children’s Services of Lanark, Leeds and Grenville

Food for Thought Lanark County

Kelford Youth Services/Cornerstone Landing

Kidsinclusive/EnfantsIncus-Kingston Health Sciences Centre

Lanark Community Programs

Lanark County Community Justice Program

Lanark County Food Bank – The Hunger Stop

Lanark County Interval House

Lanark County Mental Health

Lanark County Situation Table

Lanark Leeds –Grenville Heath Unit

Lanark Leeds-Grenville Mental Health and Addictions

Lanark Renfrew Health and Community Services - North Lanark CHC Libraries of Lanark County

Mills Community Support Corporation

Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services

Open Doors for Lanark Children and Youth

OPP

Parents’ Life Line of Eastern Ontario

Planet Youth – Lanark County

Rideau Community Health Services – Smiths Falls CHC

RNJ Youth Services

Smiths Falls Ministerial Association

Smiths Falls Police Services

The Table, Perth

United Way Lanark County

Upper Canada District School Board

Victims Services Lanark County

Youth Centre Coalition, including

Almonte - MMYC

Carleton Place –CORE Youth Services

Lanark Highlands - LHYC

Perth - YAK

Smiths Falls – WAK

Terms of Reference

Name:

Lanark County Planning Council for Children, Youth and Families

(Referred to as the Council in the Terms of Reference)

Vision: Children and youth in our communities are thriving They are served by a

well, informed, responsive and effective community of organizations

Mission: The council provides leadership and collaboration to enable optimal

development and healthy living for Lanark County children, youth and their families

* The geographic community of Lanark County includes both the rural areas and town centres that make up the County of Lanark, including the separated Town

of Smiths Falls

Guiding Principles:

The Council’s activities are guided by the following principles:

1 All children, youth and their families in Lanark County require a long-term community commitment to the creation and maintenance of the best conditions for their optimal development

2 The needs of all children, youth and their families in Lanark County must be acknowledged and responded to Children, youth and families who are at risk and those with special needs require additional supports Positive childhood experiences, and the active participation and engagement of youth, have critical long-term impacts on the health and well-being of individuals in later years

3 All stakeholders in the community, including children, youth and their families, formal and informal community supports, are engaged in the process of

identifying needs, resources, setting the direction, providing leadership and building capacity

4 The health and well-being of children, youth and their families is supported by high quality, coordinated programs, services and information resources that are accessible and close to home

5 Relationships within the Council, based on goodwill, mutual respect, open-mindedness and a shared purpose, will support innovation and strengthen the community

6 Inclusive practices, timely and open sharing of information, knowledge and expertise amongst all stakeholders supports the planning and decision-making processes

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The Council is committed to providing leadership and innovation in the following areas:

*Diversity and inclusion included in everything we do.

Information Sharing

The Council will:

 Work to ensure that children, youth and families in Lanark County have access to timely, accessible, appropriate and coordinated services,

information and programs

 Provide leadership in determining priorities and opportunities to better serve the needs of children, youth and families in Lanark County

 Increase awareness, coordination, collaboration and integration among service providers, funders, families and community supports

 Facilitate the integration of services to achieve the Mission

 Establish clear communication mechanisms and linkages which enable all levels of the Council to be informed and engaged in the work of the

Council

 Act as a conduit for information sharing back to respective sectors

regarding the initiatives, efforts and work of the Council

Collaboration and Planning

The Council will:

 Work collectively and collaboratively with all stakeholders to identify needs, monitor trends, and anticipate vulnerabilities to the health and well-being of children, youth and their families in Lanark County

 Facilitate collaborative planning, building on the existing strengths and expertise from across Lanark County

Community Education and Advocacy

The Council will:

 Speak with a strong and unified voice that represents children, youth and their families

 Advocate as an independent group for common interests and concerns, keeping the needs of children, youth and their families at the forefront

 Provide objective and evidence-informed advice to funders, policy-makers and community stakeholders on all matters relating to outcomes for

children, youth and their families in Lanark County

 Provide input to the regional planning process based on identified needs

in Lanark County

 Expand public awareness of the needs of children, youth and their families through innovative and proactive ways which support and enhance the development of a quality environment for Lanark County

Roles and Responsibilities of Members and the Council:

 Attend meetings and come prepared to contribute

 Members provide county-wide representation from a broad sector of service providers

 Membership on the Council is designed to provide a balance between an inclusive membership and maintaining accountability as a planning body

 The Council offers its membership and expertise to the broader

community as a reference group for planning processes

 The Council will reflect the principles of consensus and integration in all its operations

 The primary responsibility of members is to link the Council to the

community and organizations in Lanark County, and to act as a conduit for information sharing back to respective sectors regarding the initiatives, efforts and work of the Council

 The Council will be an advocacy body for the health and well-being of children, youth and their families

 Members bring the thoughts and values of their member agencies or network to the Planning Council Under the consensus model, if a vote is necessary, members have the authority of their agencies or networks to vote, or will recuse themselves as appropriate Advance notice will be given, if possible of potentially significant issues where a decision is required Email decisions by consensus, or voting, if necessary, will be permitted if required Each member organization has one vote

Structure and Meeting Frequency:

Stewardship Committee

 Meets monthly, as set by membership

 Membership should include LCPC Co-Chairs, a representative from the transfer payment agency as well as two members-at-large The

Community Coordinator will serve as the resource staff

 The member-at-large is elected for a two year term, and is elected at the same time as Co-Chairs of LCPC

 Meets to set agendas, approve budget, provide general direction to

Community Coordinator

 Identifies issues and develops a work-plan

Council

 Identifies issues and explores possible action plans

 Works with the community, work Groups, and regional process to further the action plans

 Represents Lanark County’s interest at regional tables

 Functions as an advisory group

 Ensures information flow across all levels and sectors

 Meets monthly, generally the 1st Thursday of the month

 Co-Chairs are elected by Council in October for two year term

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 The Members-at-large will be elected at the same meeting Members will

be asked to declare their interest in a position When there are two

candidates for a position, a majority of 50% plus one will determine the outcome

 The Community Coordinator supports Council by working with the Chairs/ Stewardship to develop agenda, take minutes, research issues and

provide information to Council and Work Groups as required by the

Council

 Membership of the Council constitutes the voting membership Each member has one vote, even if they represent two groups or organizations

 Organizations that provide direct funding to the Lanark County Planning Council are considered non-voting members; ex officio members include and the Community Coordinator

 The Council shall review the membership package and the Terms of Reference annually in September

Work Groups

 based on issue specific

 meets monthly, or as required

 membership

 Chair elected by Work Group for the duration of the issue or project Members will be asked to declare their interest in the position When there are two candidates for the position, a majority of 50% plus one will determine the outcome

 Determined by issue

 On a voluntary basis

 Consumer representation (parents and youth) is encouraged on each Work Group to ensure all perspectives are presented

 Members of working group do not have to be members of the Planning Council

Accountability:

Accountability of the Council is to other Council members, notwithstanding the existing accountability relationships of members to their Boards of Directors, to funders and to the community at large Consistent participation by an

organization’s representative will enable the Council to build its internal capacity

to realize its goals Work Groups of the Council will maintain accountability to the full membership of the Council

Decision-Making:

A consensus building approach will be pursued whenever possible However, in certain situations a vote may be required in order to move the process forward or for clarity The Chair decides when consensus cannot be reached and when a vote is necessary

Consensus exists when members are able to accept a specific decision It does not necessarily mean everyone completely agrees It means that objections to the decision have been given a full hearing, are understood and have been considered in coming to the decision An objection may still exist but those with the objection may judge that they do not hold this dissenting view so strongly as

to block the consensus The Chair may then test for consensus by re-stating the position that is being supported by the members If there are no blocks to

consensus, then the Chair announces that a decision in favour of the position has been made If there are areas of disagreement, then the issue is taken to a vote If the voting is tied, the Chair may vote

Quorum: A quorum exists when there are 12 voting members present To pass a motion, Fifty percent plus one of the members present is required Decisions are decided by simple majority, indicated by show of hands Proxy voting is not permitted, however, alternates may vote if the Council is notified of the alternate’s attendance prior to the meeting An electronic vote may be called if the matter is urgent, and the same rules of quorum will be used Each member organization, updated annually, has one vote

Conflict of Interest:

The following provisions shall be applicable to issues regarding possible conflicts

of interest by members of the Committee

A conflict of interest arises when a person is able, or is perceived to be able to, influence a decision whether by official vote, moral or intellectual persuasion, is liable to gain:

Some personal advantage from the outcome of the decision in which they are involved and/or some advantage for an organization in which the individual is directly involved, as a director, member, partner, shareholder, staff member, or has a financial interest

Terms of Reference – Review:

The Terms of Reference will be reviewed annually at the first meeting in the fall This will ensure they adequately reflect the mandate and structure of the Lanark County Planning Council for Children, Youth and Families

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The Committees, Working Groups, and ad hoc Committees of

the Planning Council

Lanark County Planning Council: meets the 1st Thursday of the month from 9:30 to noon at the Family and Children’s Services Building in Smith’s Falls For new membership: The coordinator will email the name of the interested agency

or organization representative to all members If no concerns are sent within a two week period then the name will be submitted to the Stewardship Committee The coordinator will send an invitation to the new member and complete an orientation visit Membership is generally open to agencies and organizations serving children and youth in Lanark County The agency representative is

usually at the executive director level, and is someone able to make decisions on behalf of the organization

There is one committee of the Council that have no decision making abilities: the Stewardship Committee The function of these committees is to support the LCPC

Working Groups are roughly organized into age specific or issue specific

mandates The members of the working groups of the Planning Council are more often managers or front-line staff Each working group acts independently and has its own Terms of Reference and approves its own actions

Ad Hoc Work Groups are formed as needed and have a short and defined span

of activity

Committees of Council

Stewardship Committee

 Elected every 2 years

 meets monthly, as set by membership

 membership includes the 2 elected Co Chairs, two elected Members-at-Large, a representative from sponsoring agencies (Open Doors, Lanark County)

 resource staff is Community Coordinator

 meets to set agenda, to approve budget, provide general direction to Coordinator

Community Issues Working Group

 meets as needed as per direction of LCPC Strategic Review

 membership from interested members of LCPC and Community Coordinator

 meets to identify and undertake possible Calls to Action from Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report

 meets with the goal to Identify and respond to emerging issues in a timely and proactive manner

o More advocacy in different ways

o Advocacy working group to identify emerging issues and to

recommend issues to be supported 10