Terms of Reference of the LOETB FET Forum

Role:

The purpose of the FET Forum is to fulfil the role and responsibilities delegated to it by the FET Quality Council, for the development and quality assurance of LOETB's FET provision.

In doing so, it assists the FET Quality Council in protecting, maintaining and developing the standards of education and training programmes and the related activities of LOETB.

Membership:

The membership of the FET Forum is designed to enable professional colleagues to collectively contribute to the oversight, planning, coordination, development and quality of the Further Education and Training programmes.

Chair: The FET Forum has significant responsibilities. The Chair will be a member of the Quality Council

Secretary: The Secretary will be appointed by the DFET and will liaise closely with the sub-units of governance that are providing information to the FET Forum.

Ordinary Members: Centre/Service Managers will be members of the FET Forum.

Accountable to:

FET Quality Council

Schedule of Meetings:

• The FET Forum will meet at least 4 times a year. In order for a quorum to be established, 50% of members plus one additional member must be in attendance.
• The meeting agenda and supporting documentation will be made available to members at least one week in advance of a scheduled meeting. Meeting outcomes are recorded and circulated in draft form within two weeks of a meeting. The minutes of meetings are approved at the beginning of the subsequent meeting of the FET Forum. Confirmed minutes are submitted for noting to the next meeting of the FET Quality Council.
• Decisions are made by consensus or by the exercise of a vote if necessary; the Chair has the deciding vote in the event of a split decision.

In some cases, at the discretion of the Chair, an incorporeal meeting of the FET Forum may be held where reports can be circulated virtually and accepted by members without the FET Quality Forum having to meet.

Operational Matters:

The FET Forum is responsible for the following:

• Working with the FET Quality Council to implement the FET elements of LOETB’s Statement of Strategy
• Carrying out its operating procedures as outlined by the FET Quality Council
• Establishing sub-groups to advance programme-related matters, if required, and as approved by the FET Quality Council
• Making recommendations to the FET Quality Council to inform its decision-making and in line with its terms of reference
• Reporting to the FET Quality Council and preparing a FET Forum Annual Report for the FET Quality Council on key decisions and actions taken by the FET Forum and making any recommendations to the FET Quality Council, as appropriate
• Receiving recommendations from working groups of governance on specified matters to inform its responsibilities
• Receiving annual reports from sub-units of governance on their activities, where requested
• Participating in the review of its terms of reference and formally making recommendations to the FET Quality Council as appropriate
• Reviewing the outcomes of reviews of terms of reference by its sub-units of governance and making recommendations to the FET Quality Council as appropriate
• Proposing a framework for the formal review of all FET provision, for approval by Quality Council.
• Exercising any other functions, which may be formally delegated to it by the FET Quality Council or SMT (DFET)