What we are looking for
We need to identify 15-20 people from Trafford, who are from the business community, the public sector or civic organisations. They should hold senior positions in their organisations and be able to effect change through their work. They will form our Civic Commissioners group, and will be integral to the Trafford Poverty Truth Commission.
The Poverty Truth Commission team will be meeting with local organisations, to try and identify suitable Civic Commissioners. We need to find people who are willing to listen and learn from people with lived experience of poverty, and share any of their own relevant personal experiences. This will, at times, be a challenging and uncomfortable process. The Civic Commissioners will work together with our Community Commissioners (who have lived experience of poverty) to make recommendations for how to address the issues being faced by people living in poverty in Trafford. They will then hopefully be able to use their experiences to implement change in Trafford.
About the role
The Civic Commissioners’ role will be to:
- Meet with Trafford Poverty Truth Commission Team and develop a good understanding of the Poverty Truth Commission process.
- Make a time commitment of 12-18 months.
- Meet the Community Commissioners and listen fully and with open minds to their stories. Be prepared to hear emotive stories, whilst trying to manage any defensive feelings that may arise.
- Attend and participate in the public launch event, which will focus on the stories of our Community Commissioners.
- Commit to attend monthly Commission meetings over 12 months, initially with the whole group of Commissioners. Within these initial meetings identify three key areas that the Commission wants to focus on.
- Subsequently, join a smaller working group, based on experience and expertise, to focus on one of the three key areas identified.
- As a working group, make recommendations for policies, systems, services or ways of working that would help address the issues being raised.
- As far as they are able, make commitments as to how they will embed the learning and understanding into their work and organisation.
- Attend a public closing event to celebrate the achievements of the Commission, and share what has been learnt.
- Take their learning and experiences as part of the Poverty Truth Commission away with them and use it to create change in their organisations and more widely in Trafford.