ROLE PROFILE - TRUSTEE

Citizens Advice Tendring

Role Purpose:

The board is responsible for governance: taking a high-level overview of the bureau and its place in the community and using that to make long-term decisions about strategic direction and values, and to safeguard the good name and ethos of the bureau and the CAB service. As the governing body, it has overall responsibility for the management of the bureau. This can broadly be defined as:

• Governance

• Strategic Business Planning

• Risk Management

• Financial Management

• People Management

• Overseeing Operational Performance Management

• Partnership Working

• Research and Campaigns

• Equality and Diversity

The board delegates the operational management of the bureau to the chief officer - making sure it runs smoothly and effectively - and delivers the service agreed with the board. This essentially means that the board gives the chief officer duties and powers to represent them, and to manage the bureau on their behalf.

The board and the chief officer work together on strategic management - taking decisions on how best to implement the values and strategic direction of the bureau.

Each trustee is accountable for all the decisions taken by the trustee board, including those taken if they are absent. Once the trustee board has reached a decision, all individual members of the board are bound by it and must support it. No one trustee or group of trustees (e.g. a committee) has the authority to take decisions or decide policy unless the board has clearly delegated authority to them. The board should not rely on the advice of an individual trustee, such as the treasurer, as decisions are the collective responsibility of the whole board.

Roles and Responsibilities

1.     Governance

•  demonstrate responsibility and accountability for strategic direction, organisational policy and planning, finance and decision making

• make decisions based on a clear understanding of the issues

 2.     Strategic Business Planning

• plan current and future service provision in a strategic way

• secure the resources you need to meet the advice needs of your community

• use resources in the most efficient and effective way

 3.     Risk Management

• identify and manage risks

• comply with all relevant legislation and regulation, including relevant rules and guidance.

4.     Financial Management

• manage financial resources effectively and efficiently

• operate sound financial control

 5.     People Management

• ensure the organisation is staffed and led by competent people

• undertake open recruitment and select candidates on the basis of an evaluation of their skills, knowledge and experience

• ensure all your people receive appropriate induction and training, and that they are well supported and supervised

• facilitate learning and development opportunities for your people

 6.     Operational Performance Management

• ensure clients have access to free, confidential, independent and impartial information and advice

• ensure your processes and procedures underpin the delivery of good quality advice and facilitate improved client outcomes

• gather and respond to client feedback

• evaluate service effectiveness

 7.     Partnership Working

• build and maintain good working relationships with funders and partners

• engage constructively with all parts of the Citizens Advice service

 8.     Research and Campaigns

• exercise a responsible influence on the development of policies and practice both locally and nationally

 9.     Equality and Diversity

• be a strong equality champion

• challenge discrimination through advice

• champion equality through research and campaigns, and promote human rights

• value diversity as an employer, volunteer agency and service provider, and promote an inclusive environment that is free from bias and enables people to be themselves

General Responsibilities

• taking responsibility for their own learning and development

• regularly attending, preparing for and taking a full part in meetings

• monitoring whether the service complies with its governing document, whether it meets Citizens Advice standards and how well the advice needs of the local community are being met

• monitoring the financial position and ensuring that the local Citizens Advice operates within its means and objects, and that there are clear lines of accountability for day-to-day financial management

• supporting the development of the local Citizens Advice through participation in agreed projects

• actively seeking to further the strategic objectives of the local Citizens Advice, and acting in its best interests at all times

• maintaining confidentiality about any sensitive or confidential information received in the course of duties as a trustee.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

What are we looking for and how do we check if you have it?

 Application/CV = A

Interview = I

Assessment /Test = T

 Qualifications

There are no specific educational requirements, however, all Trustees must have numeracy and literacy skills to enable them to undertake their responsibilities.  Due to the nature of the role particularly in relation to overseeing the governance, strategic business planning and monitoring of risk and performance it is essential that Trustees have knowledge and experience of these responsibilities.  The job adverts for trustee vacancies will usually highlight areas where skills audits identify where the board needs strengthening.  Professional qualifications and senior experience are therefore desirable.

Personal skills and qualities

Each individual member of the trustee board brings their own skills and qualities. Some of these skills and qualities include:

• commitment and availability to attend trustee board meetings - A/I

• ability to contribute to the process of setting objectives and managing performance A/I

• effective written and verbal communication skills and willingness to participate actively in discussion – A/I/T

• evidence of the ability to apply strategic thinking A/I/T

• knowledge of local needs and resources - A/I

• commitment to the aims and principles of equal opportunities and independence of Citizens Advice - A/I

• ability to understand and accept their responsibilities and liabilities as trustees and employers I

• willingness to participate in democratic process which develops Citizens Advice policies by area and nationally I

• numeracy to the extent required to understand and interpret accounts with the support of a treasurer A/T

• willingness and ability to personally learn, and to develop A/I

• ability to think creatively and strategically, and exercise good, independent judgement - A/I

• ability to work effectively as a member of a team - A/I

Professional and specialist knowledge and experience

Trustees should be able to demonstrate that they are qualified and have successfully operated in a Strategic/Senior capacity in one or more of the following areas and can demonstrate that they have operational management or personal experience and have received formal training in three or four of the others.

• HR.- A/I

• Marketing- .A/I

• Legal.- A/I

• Financial-. A/I

• IT.-A/I

• Strategy/Business Planning -A/I

• Fundraising. -A/I

• Facilities/Estate Management -A/I

• Income stream generation and bid writing -A/I

• Community development -. A/I

• Community Leadership - A/I.

• Diversity and Equality. A/I

• Front-line operational experience -.A/I 

• Experience as a Trustee/School Governor/Councillor etc - A/I

• Experience of the charity/not for profit sector A/I

• Experience of leading teams A/I