It is a service, a network and a mechanism for everyone in Dorset’s Voluntary and Community Sector (i.e. everyone) to be able participate in debate, discussion and action about issues that matter in Dorset.

It is supported by an Engagement Group and managed and overseen by a Governance Board to ensure it meets that aims that the VCS have set for the Assembly.

It allows greater representation of issues that are experienced by the VCS, creates stronger connections within the VCS, and facilitates better networking and collaboration with partners from other sectors in the community; e.g. local authority and healthcare.

The Assembly is the official Partner for the VCS within Dorset’s Integrated Care System (ICS), and has a mandate and duty to represent and engage with other ICS Partners at all levels.

The Engagement Group is the team (initially #HelpAndKindness and Community Action Network (CAN)) who weave between the Integrated Care System (ICS), other partners and the VCS to include and involve people, open links and lines of communication at all levels, and work in ways that flex to fit both the VCS (e.g. going to community meetings on a wild and wet Wednesday evening in January in the depths of rural Dorset) and Public Sector Partners in the ICS (e.g. going to board meetings and service reviews in person or through virtual connections).

The Governance Board is responsible for building and maintaining a relationship of Trust between the Dorset VCSA, the Engagement Group, and the VCS, and in turn with wider Sector partners.

The Governance Board will oversee the work of the Engagement Group, and provide management of the Terms of Reference for the Dorset VCSA, management of the composition of the Engagement Group, and hold the Engagement Group accountable to the Values and Objectives of the Dorset VCSA. It will be (at time of writing) comprised of 11 Members from a wide variety of VCS settings who will be expected to provide impartial and expert governance for the Assembly and its work.