Concerns about legal issues shouldn’t stop anyone from getting involved in, or setting up, a Neighbourhood Forum. Having said that, there some areas of the law about which committee members, in particular, should be aware:
- Data Protection – The law protects people from organisations from mis-using personal information about them. In general, non-profit groups that simply store the data about their members that they need to keep in touch with them do not need to register with the Information Commissioner (ICO).
- Safeguarding – anyone who has responsibility for children and young people or for vulnerable adults has a duty to protect their welfare. It is unlikely that forums will take on formal responsibility for caring for people in their normal day-to-day work, but you should take care to ensure the welfare of young people and vulnerable adults at meetings and on the way to and from meetings. It is a good idea to adopt a Safeguarding Policy. If you wish to apply for a Neighbourhood Forum Support Grant, it will be needed – see the website for help.
- Health and Safety – you need to take care over the health and safety of participants in forum meetings and activities. Before you hold a meeting, someone should check on any health and safety issues – fire exits, slippery floors and trailing wires etc. and take any action needed to deal with them. There are additional health and safety issues to think about if you are running events and projects aside from meetings.
- Defamation – Forums need to be careful that, in reporting what people say (at meetings) or write (on online forums), they do not make any false statements which damage someone. The Chair (at a meeting) or Moderator (of an online forum) has a responsibility to warn participants against making defamatory remarks and to qualify, or delete, any defamatory remarks that are made.
Health & Safety Policy