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The aims of the Organisation are:
- To develop, support and sustain an accountable national organisation of, for and by people who have or have had mental
health problems.
- To drive policy and practice, facilitate partnership working and strengthen the voice of people who have or have had mental
health problems.
- To be a source of information, support or guidance in developing the capacity of people who have, or have had, mental
health problems, to participate in civil society, and in the development of services with which they may engage.
- Offer a means for people who have, or have had, mental health problems to communicate with each other and with other organisations,
so that they may exchange opinions, perspectives and experiences and so that they can support each other most effectively
in making their voice heard.
The Organisation will achieve these aims principally, though not exclusively, by the following objectives:
- Using a range of innovative and accessible consultation, conference and meeting methods to inclusively involve (members)
in civil society.
- Providing opportunities for relevant staff, committees and members of organisations to meet or network and share practise/experience.
- Supporting and promoting involvement of members from all sectors of Scottish communities, by reserving council positions
for minority groups and by including provision for cultural, access and childcare considerations to be included in all activities.
- Holding not less than two open members meetings per year, and involving members using electronic and other media throughout
the year.
- Commissioning, engaging in, and promoting research that advances the objects of the organisation.
- Commissioning or undertaking project work that advances the objects of the organisation.
- Originating, supporting or facilitating campaign alliances active on issues relevant to the objects or membership of the
organisation.
- Facilitating and promoting access to information technology for groups and individuals.
- Providing a range of members views on an issue, without advancing an organisational opinion.
- Making available summaries of debate amongst members to interested parties.
- Accepting financial contributions only from sources broadly supportive of the ethics and aims of the organisation, explicitly
refusing donations or sponsorship from the pharmaceutical industry.
- Having the ability to make small grants to individuals/organisations to further organisational objects.
- Managing links and engaging in work with other organisations in the field, in the UK, Europe and beyond.
- To provide a model of good practice in employment and volunteering for people with mental health problems.
- To affiliate, associate or co-operate with any institution, agency, association, body or organisation, whether in the
UK or abroad, which has aims similar to those of VOX, or is able to contribute in any way, to its work, providing the
ethical code of any institution (etc) is in keeping with that of VOX.
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Operating Principles-
The Organisation will be run to the Constitution and any Hosting Arrangement in place.
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Remit and Services-
The scope and reach of membership is described in the draft constitution. It is intended that anybody who has or has
had a mental health problem would be eligible for membership, which would be conferred simply by signing a membership form.
As such, the potential membership is large, but largely unknown. From the outset though, the organisational outlook will be
towards the entire constituency, and not just those who choose to be members. In this way the expectation and capacity of
the organisation will be managed.
One in four Scots will experience a mental health problem at some time in their lives. Most get through it, with
appropriate support delivered quickly, humanely, and with hope for recovery. The tapestry of experience woven by these experiences
is rich, and paints avaried picture that needs to be seen both in detail, and in the round.
A strategic approach, directed by those with experience, is needed to ensure that the interests of those seeking brief
support in primary care are as important as those aimed as those aimed at reducing the social exclusion so often experienced
by the most disabling mental health problems. So that no one experience is lost or invalidated in between.
VOX will use a wide variety of methods to achieve its aims, and will seekto be at the leading edge of research, involvement
strategies and consultation methods. These are listed in the draft constitution.
Though it would be for any future Board and Council to decide, at this stage we would not exclude any individual, or
set of social circumstances from interest by the organisation where circumstances brought the individuals mental health into
jeopardy. We would anticipate, for example, facilitating discussion about recovery from sexual abuse, but from a perspective
about enabling people with personality disorder, dissociative disorders or other trauma-related mental ill health, to participate.
Likewise, where it wouldn't be our prime aim to represent the interests of mentally disordered offenders, if approached we
would consider project work or general work in the field.
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