1. Joint Consultative Forum for Education (JCF)
Cathy Lavery & Carol Johnson
Education Authority

2. Overview What is the JCF? – Terms of Reference What does it do?
Membership
The future
Questions

3. Terms of Reference
The Forum provides a formal working link between public authorities in the education sector and the community and voluntary and trade union sectors and statutory equality authorities namely the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, the Community Relations Council, the Human Rights Commission and the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People. 

4. JCF
Purpose:
Primary focus is to consider issues arising from the implementation of the equality duties under Section 75 of the NI Act 1998.
Highlighted by the Equality Commission as a model of good practice in developing and improving engagement between sectors regarding equality issues.

5. The JCF assists the EA to:
Engage effectively with consultees
Showcase service provision
Promote equality
Share information
Consult widely
Share experiences & highlight challenges
Network with partner organisations
Gather information to inform policy development
Improve relationships and
Build capacity

6. JCF Membership Inaugural meeting in 2004
Established by the 5 ELBs in partnership with NICEM (viewed as an important lynchpin in ensuring effective engagement with the community, voluntary and trade union sectors)
2 to 3 meetings per year
Joint Chairs
Regular attendance of 30–50 representative groups
Over 250 organisations on the distribution mailing list receive regular updates

7. JCF 10 Years – Dec 2014

8. JCF moving forward….. Review of the JCF…..
Period of change within Education Sector
Are we still relevant?
What could we do better/differently?

9. Summary What it means for us as an organisation:
“There have been a number of mutual benefits arising from the establishment of the Forum, but to my mind the most significant has been the opportunity to openly engage, to be able to put faces to the names, to listen and learn from each other, and to realise that we all have a common goal, the removal of educational inequalities,”
Shane McCurdy former CEO NEELB speaking on behalf of the 5 ELBs at 10-year anniversary event.

10. Questions