Trusteeships
If you are interested in getting involved with the organisation at a higher level and wish to have influence over the direction our services take and feel you can add through experience or knowlegde we would like to hear from you.
We need Board members with experience of making major strategic and financial decisions who live within the Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset areas. We also need Board members with direct experience as a carer, service user or health and social care worker.
You may be an experienced manager looking to apply that experience in a different setting or someone looking for an opportunity to apply strategic management skills at Board level.
Trustees are unpaid volunteers who exercise ‘stewardship’ of the Trust (only travel and other out-of-pocket expenses are paid). Trustees’ main responsibilities include ensuring that the Trust finances are properly administered, appointing senior staff and the overall strategy of the Trust. Two one-day Trustee development seminars are organised each year covering subjects such as Governance.
The full Board of Trustees meet every month. Meetings generally take place on Monday from 10.30am to 4pm with a buffet lunch provided from 12.30pm. Other possible involvements would be dependent on the candidates’ previous experience and availablity.
Trustee Code of Conduct
All charity Trustees have legal duties and responsibilities. The most important of these are summarised in the Charity Commissions leaflet ‘Responsibilities of Charity Trustees (CC3). The directors of a charitable company are charity Trustees and have duties under company law as well as charity law.
This Code of Conduct is not a list of Trustees legal duties, although many of the elements of the code are based on legal principles. The conduct and practices recommended in the Code go beyond what the law requires in some respects, but they are, nevertheless, fully consistent with the law.
The purpose of the code is to set out the relevant standards expected by Trustees in order to maintain the highest standards of integrity and stewardship; to ensure that Aspects and Milestones Trust is effective, open and accountable; and to ensure a good working relationship with the Chief Executive and his Senior Management Team.
For more information please contact:
Chief Executive office on 0117 970 9324
Trustee Job Description
Responsible for: Directing the affairs of the Trust, ensuring effective control, accountability and high standards of conduct and probity.
Purpose of the Post:
Jointly with other Trustees and advised by the Senior Management Team to:
- Develop the Trusts strategy and ensure that the necessary financial and human resources are in place to achieve it
- Define and ensure compliance with the mission, values, vision and objectives of the Trust
- Establish policies and plans to achieve the objectives of the Trust
- Make decisions on all matters that create significant risk to the Trust or which affect material issues of principle
- Monitor and review the performance of the Trust against its plans, budgets, controls and decisions
- Approve the annual budget, annual report and accounts of the Trust prior to publication
- Ensure that the Trusts affairs are conducted lawfully and in accordance with best practice and generally accepted standards of performance, propriety and probity
- Keep under review the performance of the Board as a whole
- Oversee a framework of delegation and systems of control
- Ensure that decisions taken by the Board are in the Trusts best interests
Key Requirements:
- Respect confidentiality of information at all times
- Comply with the Trusts Standing Orders and Financial Regulations
- Comply with the Trusts Code of Conduct and other policies and procedures relating to the role of Board Members
- Declare all pecuniary or other interests which may relate to the work of the Trust and never use the position for personal gain of any kind
- Annually, with the Chair of the Board review a self assessment of the contribution made to Board meetings / the activities of the Trust
- Attend regularly and contribute at Board meetings
- Receive appropriate training updates and attend training sessions and other events as required
- Act as a representative of the Trust at events including conferences and social events
It should be noted that the above list of duties and responsibilities is not necessarily a complete statement of the duties of the post. It is intended to give an overall view of the position and should be taken as guidance only.
Trustee Person Specification
Experience/Knowledge and Skills (in addition to the criteria further below)
- An understanding of the role and responsibilities of a Trustee
- Possession of the relevant skills, knowledge and experience required of the position (see below)
- Ability to contribute to discussion and debate at meetings
- Readiness to express your own opinions at meetings whilst accepting the collective decision making of the Board
- Ability to absorb and evaluate written material
- An understanding of and commitment to the approved vision, mission, values, objectives and policies of the Trust
- Ability to form constructive relationships with other Trustees and play a full part in the work of the Board
- Ability to form constructive working relationships with the Chief Executive, Executive, Management Team and other staff within the Trust
General
Ability, and desire, to:
- commit around 15-20 days a year to the business of the Trust, which will include:
- attend at least 75% of relevant training sessions provided to develop your role
- attend at least 75% of Board, Committee and other meetings
- prepare for meetings and contribute to Board and Committee discussions
- Visit services run by the Trust and its partners
Additional Requirements:
For the Chair of the Board
An ability to: |
A readiness to: |
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For Trustees
- Skills and experience in at least one of the following:
- Strategic management (in a public or private body)
- Health and Social Care Activities
- General business activities
- Finance
- Legal matters
- Property/construction/development
- Human Resources
- Housing Management
Experience, Knowledge, and Skills Required for the Board as a Whole:
- Supported Housing/Special Needs/Health & Social Care
- Asset Management/Property Maintenance
- Finance/Financial Management
- Law/Legal Matters
- Human Resources/Organisational Development
- Housing/Estate Management
- Business/Organisational Management
- Marketing and Public Relations
- Information Technology/Systems
- Internal/External Auditing
- Meetings – evaluating and analysing information, asking questions and making decisions
- Working in teams/groups – discussing and challenging issues, putting forward views and ideas and making decisions
- Representing others – listening to and asking questions of others and resolving problems
- Understanding the needs and issues of service users and residents
- Understanding the role and function of the public sector and the needs of the local community
- Serving/working in or with the voluntary, not-for-profit sector
- Understanding of the social, political and economic environment and an awareness of the challenges facing the Trust
- Evaluating options, preparing plans and performance management
- Understanding of Trust values - accountability, probity, openness, diversity and equal opportunities
- Leading and motivating others and partnership working
People Who Cannot Become Board Members
People who come under any of the following categories are not allowed to become Board Members of a company:
- Someone who is, or becomes, bankrupt or who makes a voluntary arrangement with creditors;
- Someone who is suffering mental disorder and either:
- is admitted to hospital under the Mental Health Act 1983; or
- has a court order made relating to the illness or to appoint someone to look after their property or other affairs
- someone who is subject to a court order disqualifying him or her from serving as a Board Member of a company.
- People in the following categories may not be suitable to become Board Members of a company. If any of these apply, please provide details on a separate sheet.
- You have been a director of a company which has gone into insolvent liquidation
- You have been convicted of a serious criminal offence (in particular, any offence involving dishonesty or any offence involving imprisonment or any offence in relation to the promotion, formation, management or liquidation of a company). Some criminal convictions do not need to be disclosed under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. If you are in doubt, you should seek legal advice.
These conditions are stated in a document attached here which would need to be printed, deleted appropriate and signed to accompany your application.
Trustee Application Forms
If you wish to apply to become a Trustee of Aspects and Milestones Trust please download, complete and post the following forms in either Word or pdf format.
Employment Application Form (Word)
Employment Application Form (pdf)
People Who Cannot Be Board Members(Word)