MINAB - Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board
MINAB - Review of Assessment
External Assessment of Wessex Jamaat
Wessex Jamaat was recently assessed by the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board (May 2011). During the visit, the MINAB found that Wessex Jamaat meets all its standards and further identified four examples of good practice. These are listed below:
- The organization has appointed an Executive Committee member to be the Safeguarding Officer for the community. The individual has a job description and has been trained in safeguarding matters. Members of the community know that they can refer safeguarding issues in their community to him.
- The community has objectives that get approved for delivery at the annual general meeting. These objectives are then translated into an action plan and implementation process begins. An evaluation takes place during the year how these plans are being implemented. If the target of implementing an objective is failing to be achieved, it would register this in the risk register with a corresponding contingency plan. This process would allow the management to manage the risk of the project undertaking.
- The training which they provide to the women has helped the community build capacity. A number of women have taken on a leadership role within the community and at a national level.
- The Community has supported the uptake of ICE (Islam and Citizenship Education) and has implemented it within the History and Ethics department of the Madrasah, ICE has been supported by the Schools Development Support Agency. As a result, the students of the madrasah learn citizenship education as part of what is taught as Islamic History and Ethics.
Governance and Wessex Jamaat
The Wessex Jamaat is a registered charity with the Charity Commission. It has a governing document that has been approved the Community and was last amended in 2008. The managing trustees are legally responsible for the governance and management of the charity. The managing trustees are elected for a two-year term and are responsible for setting strategies and policies. The annual general meeting sets the objectives for the organisation. The Executive Committee is responsible for ensuring these objectives are implemented and monitored. These are then evaluated regularly by the Executive Committee on a regular basis. If the objective does not get delivered, it goes onto the risk register with a corresponding action plan.
Policies
Wessex Jamaat has policies in place for equal opportunities, racial and religious harassment and health and safety. These policies are also available on its website and available for all members to access these. It also undertakes regular monitoring of policies such as compliance health and safety, hygiene, fire prevention, childcare protection and disabilities.
Risk Register
Wessex Jamaat also maintains an up-to-date risk register. There is also an assurance framework to ensure that the governance arrangements that are in place are followed through.
Safeguarding
Wessex Jamaat undertake Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks on all volunteers and staff that have access to members of the community in the normal course of their duties. There is a named individual responsible for ensuring this has taken place. The organization has also appointed safeguarding lead who is an Executive member of the organization.
Training and Development
Wessex Jamaat provides training and supervision to all its members of the Executive Committee and the Imam of the community. The Imam and three others members of the community have attended the Muslim Council of Britain Leadership Development Programme. Over six members of the community including three from the present Executive Committee have attended the World Federation / Council of European Jamaats Leadership Development Programme. The organization also provides training for their madrasah teachers. It also provides access to training for all its volunteers. Training is provided in the following:
- Attendance on Food Hygiene and Safety
- Attendance on Health and safety
- Attendance on Minute Writing and Governance Workshop
- Continuous Professional Development for the Imam
- Audiovisual training and mentoring
- Media training
Involvement of the Youth and Women
Wessex Jamaat has one person under the age of 30 on its Management Committee. It is also giving shadowing opportunities to over 20 youth from the community. Youth can become associate members of the Jamaat and can become full member when they turn 18. The constitution is such that the associate members have the same privileges as the full member except the right to vote. There are also opportunities for training on leadership through these programmes on budget management, motivation and others. The media activities and the website of the organization are managed by the youth. Youth have also organized lecturers from outside the community who come regularly. The needs of the women in the community are met through a variety of approaches. There is a Ladies Committee chaired by a lady. The chair is appointed by the President who then appoints a team to work with her. Women have their own prayer facilities and wudu area. Women also organize their own programmes and invite learned women scholars to provide them with Islamic training and development.
Wessex Jamaat and Civic Responsibility
The Wessex Jamaat has held many programmes on Islam. There are regular lectures on Islam and Friday Prayers sermons which promote the message of peace in Islam. Islam and Citizenship Education has been implemented by the madrasah. Various schools visit the center and the Imam goes to various schools locally to share the faith of Islam. The organization has close links with the religious education teachers from a local university who come to the mosque and the madrasah as part of their training and development programme. The students from the madrasah visit a local university to share their knowledge of Islam as part of the curriculum enrichment programme. The Jamaat is linked closely with the local interfaith forum and a local community umbrella organization. It has also held programme of “Good Neighbour” with the local church as part of its community development initiative. It has also invited a local Sunni Imam to give a lecture on important occasions. The Imam also participates in various local interfaith networks. The organization has initiated a get together whereby the local Muslim community gather together with the local Christian community at the local cathedral to celebrate the birth of Jesus (PBUH). The Imam has also participated in the local Remembrance Day. The Jamaat also volunteers at a local youth drop in sessions organized by the local Parish Council. It also participates in the local hospital trust board meeting. The Resident Alim/Imam is also the local hospital’s chaplains assistant.
