Closing tomorrow

Finance Trustee

The Difference

Bethnal Green, Greater London (Hybrid)

Unpaid role, expenses paid

Voluntary

Save Saved

Job description

The Opportunity

We are excited to be recruiting for a Finance Trustee at The Difference. As well as fulfilling the duties of a Trustee, the Finance Trustee maintains an overview of The Difference’s financial affairs. The Finance Trustee supports The Difference’s Director of Finance and Finance team with strategic oversight to ensure that effective and appropriate financial measures, controls and procedures are in place and holds the Exec to account about the financial health of the organisation.

Finance Trustee role

Overseeing the presentation of budgets, internal management accounts and annual financial statements to the Board of Trustees.
Ensuring that robust and comprehensive financial policies are in place and being implemented, and supporting the development of policies covering financial reserves, and cost management.
Advising on the financial viability of the charity.
Overseeing financial controls and adherence to systems, regularly liaising with the Director of Operations.
Advising on the financial implications of the charity’s strategic plan, including overseeing the charity’s financial risk-management process and annual remuneration review
Ensuring investments and assets are maximised.
Oversee the development and implementation of systems for appraising, mitigating and reporting corporate risk.
Keeping the board informed about its financial duties and responsibilities and liaising with the Director of Operations to develop the financial understanding of the Board of Trustees.

What we are looking for

A finance professional. A knowledge of charity finance is an advantage. Otherwise an enthusiasm to learn, drawing from sound commercial experience and an understanding of SMEs.
A strategic thinker with an ability to balance risk and opportunity.
Clear communicator with the ability to bring the financial information alive to non-finance specialists.

In addition to the above, the Finance Trustee will also have the responsibilities and qualities of all trustees:

Responsibilities of all trustees

Support and provide advice on The Difference’s purpose, vision, goals and activities.
Oversee The Difference’s financial plans and budgets and monitor and evaluate progress.
Ensure the effective and efficient administration of the organisation.
Ensure that key risks are being identified, monitored and controlled effectively.
Review and approve The Difference’s financial statements.
Contribute to regular reviews of The Difference’s own governance.
Attend Board meetings, adequately prepared to contribute to discussions.
Use independent judgement, acting legally and in good faith to promote and protect The Difference’s interests, to the exclusion of their own personal and/or any third party interests.
Contribute to the broader promotion of The Difference’s objects, aims and reputation by applying your skills, expertise, knowledge and contacts.

As a small charity, there will be times when the trustees will need to be actively involved beyond Board meetings. This may involve scrutinising board papers, leading discussions, focusing on key issues, providing advice and guidance on new initiatives, presenting externally, or other issues in which the trustee has special expertise.

Attributes and qualities

We are looking for people willing to bring energy, enthusiasm and commitment to the role, and who will broaden the diversity of thinking on our board. Professional experience of the education sector or lived experience of ‘lost learning’ (including exclusion) is also desirable.

Personal skills and qualities

Willingness and ability to understand and accept their responsibilities and liabilities as trustees and to act in the best interests of the organisation.
Ability to think creatively and strategically, exercise good, independent judgement and work effectively as a board member.
Effective communication skills and willingness to participate actively in discussion.
A strong personal commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.
Enthusiasm for our vision and mission.
Willingness to lead according to our values
Commitment to Nolan’s seven principles of public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership

Terms of appointment

Terms of office

Trustees are appointed for a 3 year term of office, renewal for 1 further term to a maximum of 6 years.
This is a voluntary position, but reasonable expenses will be reimbursed.

Time Commitment

Attending 4 Board meetings annually. Currently meetings are held in person at a Central London, however attendees are also able to join virtually.
Quarterly scheduled meeting with the Director of Operations with flexibility to respond swiftly to the occasional ad hoc issue.
Annual recommended visit to a school or centre with Alternative provision.

Committee membership

The Finance Trustee sits on the Remuneration Committee which meets annually to agree staff remuneration for the year ahead.
The Finance Trustee will also sit on the Finance & Risk Committee which convenes on an ad hoc basis as required.

Why Work for The Difference?

Schooling isn’t working for the children who need it most. Every week in England 109 children – equivalent to three full classrooms – are permanently excluded. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Since the pandemic, school suspensions have risen significantly, as has persistent absenteeism. 1 in 5 children are missing more than 10% of their time in school. Children who are excluded or persistently absent are much more likely to already be experiencing vulnerability or disadvantage. They are more likely to live in poverty, have additional learning needs, suffer mental health challenges, or experience a lack of safety outside school. Certain ethnicities are also disproportionately affected, notably Gypsy Roma Traveller and black Caribbean children.

Exclusion and high rates of absence can have a dramatic effect on life chances. These young people are more likely to drop out of education or employment, become vulnerable to long-term mental ill health, or be at risk of criminal exploitation. The Difference believes that children and young people deserve better and that the education system has to change.

Our Organisation

The Difference is a young education charity, founded to change the story on lost learning. By 2030, we want rates of exclusion and absence to be falling nationally and for schools to be better equipped to support all children, including those who may be vulnerable.
The Difference was born out of a year of research into school exclusions with think-tank IPPR. This research identified a lack of inclusion expertise in schools and proposed a new leadership development programme to fill this gap. In 2018, Difference founder Kiran hired the team who took this idea from concept to reality, beginning work with our first schools.

The Difference is now a 22-strong team delivering multiple school leadership programmes, alongside a growing research and policy arm. The team is supported by our Youth Advisory Board, made up of young people who have experienced exclusion and who provide their expertise and insights on how school inclusion work should be done. This work is needed more than ever. Effects of COVID-19, coupled with the spiralling cost of living, have substantially increased levels of vulnerability. Schools serving excluded pupils face under-funding. The Difference has had excellent early impact but there is work ahead to capture this, share learning with schools and policy-makers, and grow our capacity to lower exclusions across England.

Our Values

High Expectations - We are ambitious for excellence from young people, colleagues and ourselves. We don’t believe in writing off someone’s potential because of their identity or experience of crisis.
Strong Relationships - We prioritise genuine relationships over transactional interactions, and know that this requires deliberate relational practice. We see colleagues and partners as people first and their roles second; and know this greater trust allows us to take more risks, gain more feedback and have greater impact.
Internalised Locus of Control - We work hard to reframe difficult situations to discover what we have within our power in terms of solutions. We take it upon ourselves to walk towards challenges and can take a high level of ownership and agency in our work/
Pragmatism - We believe leadership means recognising current limitations and striving for improvements within and beyond them. We develop consensus and chart new ways forward, challenging false and extreme positions like “zero exclusions” or “no excuses”.

Scientific approach - We take a diagnostic approach to unpicking causes of problems. We are loud and proud of our failures, recognising failing fast and often is key to finding the best solutions. We test solutions and are willing to use data and feedback to make adjustments and choose new directions.
Not Squeamish about Structural Inequality - We believe patterns of inequality can and should be disrupted. We strive to be clear-eyed about these inequalities, and both the individual practice and system-changes required to address them. We push ourselves to overcome awkwardness in talking about this; and begin by acknowledging our own biases and blind spots.
Asset-based - We work hard to avoid deficit thinking and aim to start with what’s strong, not what’s wrong. We are careful not to frame our colleagues and stakeholders - particularly young people and families – as victims but instead to recognise their agency.
Wise selves - To both enjoy work and do their best, we want to make decisions and work with others in our “wise” - or regulated - selves. We also want to bring our compassionate self to those we work with, externally and internally, to support one another through challenging times.

Your application for Finance Trustee

Finance Trustee