Roles in the Co-op

The Co-op has two separate Chairpersons, one for the Management Committee and one for General Meetings, both elected at the AGM.

Agendas will have been produced and circulated with the assistance of the Secretary. MC Reps will arrive knowing what is to be discussed and with sufficient background information to make relevant contributions. If appropriate, they will have consulted with people they represent and discussed any pertinent issues.

The role of the chair includes:

• Controlling the meeting.
• Ensuring all remarks are addressed through the chair.
• Ensuring members do not interrupt each other.
• Helping members to reach a consensus.
• Taking a vote if consensus is not reached. The majority wins the vote, and all members accept the majority decision.
• When discussion is underway, it is the chairperson’s responsibility to ensure that it continues to flow smoothly by involving all members present and by not permitting one or two people to dominate the meeting.
• Summarising by the chairperson during meetings in order to:
  • Indicate progress, or lack of.
  • Refocus discussion that has wandered off the point.
  • Conclude one point and lead into the next.
  • Highlight important points.
  • Assist the secretary if necessary.
  • Clarify any misunderstanding.
• Pacing the meeting, ensuring it runs to time.
• At the end of a meeting, reminding members what they have achieved and thank them for their contributions.

The Secretary is a statutory post. The Secretary is one of the Co-op’s elected officers, who helps to ensure that the Co-op runs smoothly and according to its Rules and it legal obligations. The Secretary liaises regularly with the Co-op Chairs and the Co-op Administrator, attends the Management Committee and deals with official queries and correspondence.

This is what our Rules state about the Secretary’s job

“The secretary shall ensure that:

• meetings are properly called and minutes kept,
• that the register of members and officers is maintained,
• that the use of the seal is recorded,
• and that the appropriate returns are made to the Registrar of Friendly Societies.

How does the Secretary do this?

1. Meetings are properly called The Secretary liaises with the MC Chair and the GM Chair to make sure that Agendas are prepared at least one week before a meeting, and that all reports are in place (e.g. Rent report: Maintenance report: Finance reports).

General Meetings are usually held in March, August/September and December. Because they are not on fixed dates, the Secretary liaises with GM Chair who arranges the date. Notice of the date should be circulated one month before the meeting (to give sub-groups time to prepare).

The Secretary liaises with the Chairs to ensure that Agendas and Notices are circulated to all Co-op members.

2. Minutes are kept. The Secretary liaises with the Chairs and the minute taker to ensure that minutes of MCs and GMs are accurate and kept in accordance with Co-op guidelines.

The Secretary also ensures that Minutes are properly circulated to all Co-op members within a week of the meeting (This is to ensure that sub-groups have the minutes available for their meetings, which are in the first two weeks of each month).

3. The register of members and officers is maintained, In Vine the register of members is kept by Membership sub-group. The Secretary liaises with Membership to ensure that a proper up-to-date list of Members addresses, e-mails and sub-groups is available.

4. That the use of the seal is recorded, Every member should have a share certificate stamped with the Co-op seal, and this is undertaken by the Membership Subgroup.

5. That the appropriate returns are made to the Finacial Conduct Authority. Finance and Housing Management sub-groups deal with this in liaison with our Co-op Co-ordinator.

The Treasurer has a formal responsibility as watchdog over the financial management of the Co-op, working with with the Finance subgroup and the Co-op’s employee(s). Along with the Management Committee, the Treasurer safeguards the organisation’s finances.

There are minute takers for each subgroup, for the Management Committee and the General Meetings.

Minutes are an official record of the co-op’s work, and must be kept in the office and/or on the members’ website. Sometimes they are referred to many months after a meeting.

The minute taker:

• Takes accurate minutes of meetings
• Puts the minutes in the file in the office and/or on the members’ website for other co-op members to consult
• In the case of confidential discussions in a sub-group, these notes should be kept privately, then in locked cabinets in the office.
• For subgroups, minute takers also keep a file with correspondence and copies of the sub-group’s replies.

Each of the six subgroups has a convenor who:

• Calls the meetings
• Arranges the time and place
• Informs the sub-group members of forthcoming meetings, usually about a week in advance by written note or email
• Holds the list of sub-group members, their addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses
• Is the first point of contact within the sub-group for other members and the co-op co-ordinator. If they do not know the answer to a question, they will check with other sub-group members or provide their contact details.
• Informs Membership of sub-group attendance and checks on people who have not attended

Any member unable to attend a meeting, should send a written apology to the convenor, and explain any difficulties you may be having in attending. The Membership sub-group uses the attendance record to check that members are attending meetings unless they are excused.

Management Committee representatives are elected at the Co-op AGM each year. They:

• Ensure that a report is put to the MC after the sub-group meeting each month and by the MC deadline
• If they cannot attend the sub-group meeting they should check with the convenor to make sure that the report has gone to the MC and that they are able to explain it at the MC meeting
• Attend MC meetings, present the sub-group report and explain it to the MC
• Report back MC decisions and discussions to their sub-group
• As a member of the MC they take part in discussions and decisions that affect the whole co-op, not just their own sub-group.

Housing Management Sub-group appoints one of its members as Co-op Welfare Officer and informs the Co-op membership through the MC of the appointment.

The Welfare Officer is not appointed for any specific length of time and may be changed at any point. The Co-op must be informed when a change occurs.

Within Housing Management, the Welfare Officer takes the lead in dealing with complaints under the Co-op’s Complaints Policy. They may also be called on from time to time to act as a mediator or to offer advice. This second role is completely informal, whereas the Complaints Policy must be carried out according to agreed Co-op policy.

The Welfare Officer remains the person who co-ordinates complaints, but he or she may nominate another Co-op member, who has been trained in conflict resolution to deal with a specific complaint. The Welfare Officer must familiarise themselves with the agreed policy and procedure. It is their responsibility, along with Housing Management, to ensure that each of the stages of the procedure is properly carried out and an item placed on each MC agenda as specified in the policy.

In accordance with our Data Protection Policy, conversations between the Welfare Officer (and other appointed Complaints Officers) and complainants/disputants are confidential. Notes on the Complaints Process are kept in a confidential Complaints File, and are destroyed after five years.

Agreed July 2014 amended October 2019

The Co-op has two Transfer Co-ordinators who sit within Housing
Management and Membership Subgroups and their role includes:

• Keeping an up-to-date transfer list.
• Offering to meet with or speak with all new members joining the transfer list.
• Keeping a record of people’s circumstances on the transfer list, through arranging an annual in-person meeting with all members in under-occupied & overcrowded properties, and with all those seeking a transfer to alternative accommodation. These meetings are to gain a fuller understanding of member’s needs. Transfer list applications will be provided accordingly. (Annual in-person meetings can be delegated to another member of Housing Management and Membership subgroups as appropriate).
• Overseeing all transfers within the Co-op (allocation, internal & external mutual exchange, management transfers). Thus, transfer Co-ordinators are the main point of contact and support for all transfers, seeking assistance with this from Housing Management and Membership subgroups as required.
• Creating and updating a notice board on the membership section of Vine website, for members looking for a mutual exchange. Members to decide how much information they wish to share about themselves, their current accommodation and the accommodation they are seeking.

NB Every person on the Transfer list is required to inform the Transfer Coordinators of any changes to their circumstances that could affect future potential transfers.

All properties will be audited by Housing Management to identify any
overcrowding and under-occupation (referring to the Under-Occupation & Overcrowding Policy 2023) and any other transfer needs. This initial audit will be completed by the end of the year (2023) and Housing management will then continue to keep an up to date record of all these properties.

See the Safeguarding Policy.