Access Arts Inc. defines a Member as any person who has filled out a membership form to join the organisation.

Staff are defined as persons engaged in Office, workshop/project or program, Volunteer or Student placement work at Access Arts Inc.

Purpose:

To ensure that all Members receive a high level of service that is responsive to their individual artistic needs.

Aims:

• To ensure that new Members are welcome to join our organisation at any time.

• To ensure that existing Members are aware of the need to rejoin when necessary.

Membership Service Definition:

Access Arts Inc. refers to membership service as the organisation's ability to work with their Members to achieve their artistic goals. Membership service is a phrase that is used to describe the process of taking care of our Members in a helpful and positive manner.

Policy:

• All Staff are to remain up to date with Access Arts workshops, programs and projects in order to provide Members or potential Members with correct and relevant information.
• All Staff are to treat each enquiry with respect and attention.
• All Staff must be aware of which Staff member is responsible for what enquiry, so that they are able to refer the enquiry on to the appropriate Staff member if they are unable to help the person themselves.
• All Staff are to encourage new Members to fill out a Personalised Plan (see the Personalised Plan Procedure under Membership Procedure).
• The purpose of the Personalised Plan is to identify the artistic goals and interests of Members and to link them with existing or future Access Arts programs. The Personalised Plan also outlines what assistance Members require from Access Arts to reach their desired goals.
• Both a hardcopy and electronic copy of every Member's Personalised Plan must be kept.
• Members must receive a copy of their Personalised Plan.
• Personalised Plans must be reviewed when creating Access Arts' program for each year.
• All Staff must ensure that Members fill out a membership form.

Access Arts Inc Membership Services

• A yearly program
• Access to all programs including multi-arts workshops, master classes, events etc. (see yearly program for more details.)
• State-wide Indigenous projects
• An annual report
• Voting rights at our Annual General Meeting
• Use of Access Arts' wheelchair accessible bus
• IT support (if booked in advance)
• A local call cost number for regional callers (1300 663 651)
• An up-to-date, accessible website, www.accessarts.org.au
• A monthly newsletter containing information on articles of interest to members as well as relevant statewide event listings (organisational members can receive up to ten newsletters in the mail)
• Printing including colour printing at a reduced cost
• Braille embossing
• Provision of information in alternative formats
• Regional arts development
• Artistic and professional development support including the development of a Personalised Plan to map artists' goals and pathways to reaching them
• Grant writing assistance and auspicing of funds
• Disability Awareness Training
• Support to attend arts and cultural activities
• Advocacy support for members to access organisations and services relating to the arts
• Volunteer program
• Assistance to source public liability insurance cover
• Referral and support to link in with programs delivered by other arts and cultural organisations
• Access to employment opportunities at Access Arts in the office and in workshops.

Membership Procedure

Purpose:

To ensure that all Access Arts Members, Staff and community members are aware of the correct membership procedure at Access Arts Inc.

New Members:

New Members can join by phone, email, face to face or through a carer or guardian.

• For new Members joining after October 31st, membership will be current until the end of the next year.
• Membership entry and exit procedures can be found in the Access Arts Constitution (Items 11 to 21).

Membership renewal:

• Memberships must be renewed at the beginning of each year. Members will receive a membership renewal notice in the first mail out of the year and are given until the Annual General Meeting to renew their membership.
• If Members have not renewed their membership by the 31st March, they will be considered non-financial until they pay the membership fee.

Members are to:

• Fill out a Membership Form
• Pay an appropriate membership fee in line with the schedule of fees
• Contact Access Arts Inc to discuss their needs and interests within the arts
• Be given an Information Pack
• Receive information on where to find Access Arts Inc. Policies and Procedures (The hard copy Policy booklet is located in the Access Arts office. Policies and Procedures can also be found on the Access Arts website on our Quality Assurance page. Policies in large print, audio and Braille are also available on request.)
• Be given the year's program
• Be placed on the Access Arts Inc. database in order to receive information on upcoming events and opportunities, updates to the program and newsletters.

By indicating 'Yes' under the Media Consent clause in the Membership Form Members are agreeing to allow Access Arts Inc to use 'media' (including but not limited to video, audio and photographs) of them and/or their work for the following purposes:

1. Media activities;
2. Promoting and advertising Access Arts Inc, its Members and activities;
3. Access Arts or funding bodies' publications, including Access Arts website
4. Any other use which the Executive Director deems to be of advantage to Access Arts Members.

This does not mean that Members lose ownership rights over their works - simply that Access Arts has permission to use images of them and/or their works for the purposes mentioned above. However, if circumstances change in the future and Members wish to withdraw their consent, it is the Member's responsibility to contact Access Arts in writing and inform them of their wishes.

Media Consent is valid for the calendar year in which they are signed, and a new one must be signed each year.

Permission
I, the Member, agree that:

1. Access Arts may record sound and/or vision of my works and me while I am taking part in Access Arts related activities. I also understand that Access Arts will make every effort to attribute my name to images/audio of my work.
2. I understand that by giving my permission, Access Arts can use images, audio, and/or other media formats of my works and myself, in any way it deems respectful, for the purposes described above. Access Arts may reproduce them in any form, in whole or in part, and distribute them by any medium including but not limited to the internet, CD-ROM, or other multimedia uses.
3. I understand that images, audio, and/or other media formats of my works and myself may be kept on file for an indefinite period of time and that they may be used in the future by Access Arts for the purposes listed above.
4. I understand that Access Arts will not pay me for giving this permission.
5. I understand that Access Arts is not bound to use vision, audio and/or other media formats of my works or myself.
6. If I decide to withdraw my permission at any time, I understand that it is my responsibility to contact Access Arts and inform them of my decision in writing. I am also aware that Access Arts can assist in this process if required.
7. I agree that if I withdraw my permission, the withdrawal will not be effective immediately where Access Arts has entered into contractual obligations in relation to any of my images and/or audio. In such cases my withdrawal will be effective after the contractual obligations come to an end. In extenuating circumstances I may ask the Executive Director or his/her delegate for an exemption from this clause.

Membership Service Procedure

Upon receiving an enquiry that they cannot assist with, Staff members should:

• Refer to the 'Staff Referral' sheet in order to ascertain the most appropriate Staff member to answer the enquiry or
• Ask their supervisor if unsure of who to refer the enquiry to.

On their induction all Staff will:

• Have training on how to access and use the database.
• Talk with their supervisor as to whether the Staff member requires training in communication skills (e.g. phone answering skills).
• Receive all relevant literature regarding Access Arts programs and workshops.
• Attend disability awareness and cultural awareness training.
• Attend at least one Access Arts workshop.

Personalised Plan Procedure

1. When a person first becomes a Member (or renews their membership), the Staff member who has been handling their enquiry is to offer to fill out a Personalised Plan with them.
2. Otherwise, the Staff member receiving the Membership Form is to refer the Member to the most appropriate Staff member (e.g. Visual Arts Coordinator if the Member is interested in joining BOA) who will then work with them to ascertain their membership needs.
3. If the Membership Form is received and there has been no previous contact with the Member, a Membership Services Officer will contact the Member to welcome them and offer them the opportunity to fill out a Personalised Plan.
4. Personalised Plans can either be filled out face to face or over the phone, depending on the Member's preference.
5. Although new Members are encouraged to fill out a Personalised Plan, it is not compulsory. Some Members may wish to just informally discuss what they would like to do at Access Arts. Any outcomes from these discussions should be documented appropriately (e.g. notes from the discussion can be recorded under the Member's file).
6. Alternatively, some new Members may have a really clear idea of what they would like to do at Access Arts (e.g. attend workshops). In these cases, Members are to fill out an Enrolment Form for each workshop they attend instead of a Personalised Plan.
7. In the event that a new Member only wishes to receive information from Access Arts (e.g. Newsletters/flyers/invitations etc) only their name and date they became a Member must be filled out on the plan. The check box on the plan which states that the Member only wishes to receive information must also be ticked.
8. In order to encourage the professional development of Members, it is the ultimate responsibility of the Member to follow through with their Personalised Plan. Access Arts' role is to support Members in doing so.
9. For Members who have chosen to fill out an in-depth Personalised Plan, regular reviews must take place as need dictates.
10. Dates for these reviews must be decided upon by the Member and the Staff member working with that Member on the plan and recorded on the plan as well as in the Staff member's calendar on Microsoft Outlook.
11. Any changes made to the Personalised Plan at a review can be made directly onto the original plan and signed and dated by the Member and the Staff member.
12. The Member must receive a copy of their Personalised Plan.
13. An electronic and hard copy of the Personalised Plan must then be filed. All hardcopies of the Personalised Plans are to be kept in the lockable cabinet in the Personalised Plans folder. All electronic copies are to be kept in the Member's own folder on the 'S' drive, under 'Forms' then Completed Forms 07'.