Role: Trustee Board Member (volunteer)

Hours/commitment:

The Haven Board currently meets approximately 6 times per year: quarterly evening Board meetings and also 2 x half-day Saturday sessions for service and strategy development.  

The Role:

Trustees are legally accountable for the operation of the charity, for its property, finances and the employment of any staff, wellbeing of volunteers and members of the public. We welcome Trustees who have skills in human resources/management, governance, the development of strategy and/or have the ability to ask questions and make decisions.

Essential to our Board is a belief in the nature of resilience in children and young people who have experienced challenging and often traumatic life experiences.

Primary Objectives:

To ensure that the organisation pursues our stated objects (purposes), as defined in its governing document, by developing and agreeing a long-term strategy and complies with its governing document, charity law and company law.
 

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Ensuring that the organisation pursues our stated objects (purposes), as defined in its governing document, by developing and agreeing a long-term strategy.
  
  
• Ensuring that the organisation complies with its governing document, charity law, company law and any other relevant legislation or regulation
  
  
• Ensuring that the organisation applies its resources exclusively in pursuance of its charitable objects (i.e. the charity must not spend money on activities that are not included in its own objects, however worthwhile or charitable those activities are) for the benefit of the public
  
  
• Ensuring that the organisation defines its goals and evaluates performance against agreed targets
  
  
• Safeguarding the good name and values of the organisation
  
  
• Maintaining appropriate and professional boundaries with staff and volunteers, including following agreed lines of accountability.
  
  
• Ensuring the effective and efficient administration of the organisation, including having appropriate policies and procedures in place.
  
  
• Take advice from other sources including legal and financial advice where this is necessary and where the committee does not have the required expertise.
  
  
• Ensure that all the information and reports needed to make sound decisions are received and that these are read and understood.
  
  
• Ensuring the financial stability of the organisation.
  
  
• Protecting and managing the property of the charity and ensuring the proper investment of the charity’s funds.
  
  
• Following proper and formal arrangements for the appointment, supervision, support, appraisal and remuneration of the Director

In addition to the above statutory duties, each trustee should use any specific skills, knowledge or experience they have to help the board of trustees reach sound decisions.This may involve scrutinising board papers, leading discussions, focusing on key issues, providing advice and guidance on new initiatives, or other issues in which the trustee has special expertise.

Trustee Person Specification:

• A commitment to the organisation
• A willingness to devote the necessary time and effort
• Strategic vision
• Good, independent judgement
• An ability to think creatively
• A willingness to speak their mind 
• An understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of trusteeship
• An ability to work effectively as a member of a team
• A commitment to Nolan’s seven principles of public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.

Further information and application pack

Haven Board Roles and Responsibilities

Information for Trustee candidates

Haven Trustee Application Form

Haven Trustee Skills Audit

Haven Equalities Monitoring Form

For an informal chat about becoming a trustee, please contact Kerry Albiston (Director) by email: [email protected] or telephone: 0114 213 0590.

Click here to see other ways you can volunteer with Haven.