Role description: CLP Disability Officer

CLP Disability Officer

The Disability Officer is the key representative of disabled members within the CLP, and works to ensure that disabled members are fully involved in the work of the local party, as well as taking a leading role in making sure that the campaigning work of the constituency reaches out and engages with disabled voters.

You should be friendly and approachable, organised, able to run events and above all be prepared to work hard to ensure that disabled members have a strong voice within the local party.

Key Responsibilities and Tasks

• Making sure that disabled members are included in all of the Party’s activities and that meetings are relevant and accessible to disabled members.
• Welcoming new disabled members to your CLP; encourage your CLP to issue an equalities monitoring form so disabled members can self-identify.
• Reaching out to disabled people through local campaigns, and working with disability organisations in the constituency to engage voters, highlight issues, and get a better deal for disabled people.
• Bringing disabled members together to empower each other and ensure all members are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need get involved.
• Running events for disabled members, including training, policy development and social events.
• Working to recruit more disabled members into the Labour Party and helping to make sure that those members make the jump from member to activist to leader.
• Listening to disabled people’s views and ensuring that they are reflected in Labour’s policy making.
• Working closely with constituency and branch officers to ensure the concerns of the disabled community are reflected and included in policy debates.
• Acting as a CLP link to Disability Labour, the Party’s national affiliate representing disabled party members and promoting participation in their national events within your CLP (their contact details can be found below).

Activity

This role is varied and exciting, and you can make a real difference to your local party through this position. You can choose how to focus your role and what to make your priority depending on what sort of activities that local members want to see.

At the heart of all your activity should be the aims of building an inclusive party for disabled members and building campaigns with the disabled community in mind, both in respect of internal Labour Party activity, and outward looking campaign activity.

You will work closely with your CLP Secretary and Chair, as well as branch officers, making sure party meetings are accessible and relevant to disabled members, advising on things such as accessible venues and printed materials, and that disabled members are encouraged to stand for the CLP executive and other positions. With other CLP officers, you should work to ensure the concerns of disabled people are reflected and included in policy debates, particularly through organising local policy forums or events.

The other part of your role involves looking outside of the Party to your local community, and exploring how your CLP can engage people with disabilities, and those affected by disability in your local community.

You could get in touch with your local trade union branches and set up a meeting to discuss how you can work together with disability trade unionists groups.

Think about making contact with local branches of disability organisations. You could set up consultation meetings, exchange speakers and run a joint campaign in the local community. Campaigns relevant to disabled people in the local area and you should identify key stakeholders who can get involved, such as local disability charities and voluntary organisations.

Meetings

As Disability Officer, it is your role to ensure disabled members are able to get fully involved and that their views and concerns are reflected and listened to. Local meetings are a fantastic opportunity to increase participation by disabled members in the CLP. At each CLP meeting, you should:

• Actively encourage disabled members to get involved in meetings and contribute to discussions.
• Ensure feedback regarding access and inclusion from disabled members is passed onto the CLP executive.
• Report back on your activity, campaigns and community work and highlight any forthcoming events or campaigning.
• Introduce yourself to any members with a disability attending a meeting for the first time.

Useful links and contacts

Disability Labour are the national affiliate group to the Labour Party that exists to represent and support the interests of disabled Labour Party members and supporters. You can visit their website and contact them using the details below. If you have any questions about the role of CLP Disabilities Officer you can also get in touch with the Stakeholders Team.

There are many other contacts and resources to assist you in your role. Keep up to date with our latest campaigns, find out more about Campaign Technology, find resources for role holders and check our online training offer at www.labour.org.uk/resources. You can also purchase and download membership recruitment and campaign materials from the Campaign Shop.

For useful guides and resources on campaign technology, membership engagement and how to use Organise to full effect, visit help.labour.org.uk, and if you need support or advice, you can contact your national or regional office. Training resources are available at achieve.labour.org.uk.