Chair of the Trustee Board - Citizens Advice Richmond
Who they are
Citizens Advice Richmond is a local charity that has helped the people of Richmond since 1940. They offer generalist advice on any issue and specialist debt advice. Citizens Advice Richmond is a member of the national Citizens Advice service, a network of around 300 local advice centres.
The role: What will you do?
● Complete an induction for your role.
● Maintain an awareness of how the local Citizens Advice is operating.
● Plan the board meetings, including the dates and the agenda, with the Company/Charity Secretary and the Chief Officer.
● Read papers for board meetings and attend six board meetings per year.
● Facilitate the trustee board meetings by leading the meeting, ensuring that agenda items are discussed, enabling all members to contribute their views and take part, and seeking clarification where necessary.
● Ensure that decisions and actions taken at board meetings are carried out.
● Ensure that the board decisions are made within the remit of the Citizens Advice membership agreement, governing documents, and policies.
● Monitor attendance and commitment of all trustees.
● Provide or arrange training or support for trustees if needed.
● With other trustees and the Chief Officer, recruit a trustee board with a diverse range of skills, experience, and knowledge, with an aim to promote trusteeship to underrepresented groups that represent the community.
● Ensure that all trustees receive an induction and the training needed for them to fulfil their role.
● Be proactive in recruiting successors to key positions such as Chair, Treasurer, etc.
● Arrange or provide support and supervision for the Chief Officer, including an annual appraisal.
● Together with the Treasurer, ensure proper management and control of local Citizens Advice finances.
● Together with the Chief Officer, represent the local Citizens Advice in relationships with funders or potential funders, at local events, and in the community.
● Work together with all trustees to ensure that the board can:
♦ Set policy and strategy direction, set targets, and evaluate the performance of Citizens Advice Richmond.
♦ Monitor the financial position of Citizens Advice Richmond, ensuring that it operates within its means and objectives, and ensuring there are clear lines of accountability for day-to-day financial management.
♦ Monitor whether Citizens Advice Richmond complies with its governing document and meets the required standards.
♦ Seek the views of all sections of the community and monitor how well the service meets the needs of the local community.
♦ Ensure the service plans for the recruitment and turnover of staff and volunteers.
♦ Review their own work and how effectively they operate, including action for improvement.
♦ Work on specific projects to further the strategic objectives of Citizens Advice Richmond.
What’s in it for you?
● Make a positive impact for people in your local area by ensuring the local Citizens Advice is sustainable and meeting the needs of the community.
● Meet people and build relationships with trustees, staff, and other volunteers.
● Build on your governance, leadership, and strategy skills.
● Increase your employability.
And they will reimburse expenses too.
What do you need to have?
You’ll need to:
● Understand the type of work undertaken by a local Citizens Advice.
● Understand and accept the responsibilities and liabilities as trustees.
● Be non-judgmental and respect views, values, and cultures that are different from your own.
● Have a good basis of leadership skills.
● Be able to facilitate and lead meetings.
● Have good interpersonal skills.
● Have good listening, verbal, and written communication skills.
● Be able to exercise good independent judgment.
● Have good numeracy skills to understand accounts with the support of the Treasurer.
● Be willing to learn about and follow the Citizens Advice aims, principles, and policies, including confidentiality and data protection.
● Be willing to undertake training in your role.
How much time do you need to give?
You will need up to one day a week for the regular activities, but this will vary. Trustee boards usually meet in the evenings, and you’ll likely need to give 12-15 hours per year to attend these. Sub-committees meet quarterly and a further 4-6 hours per year are required for these.
Valuing inclusion
Their volunteers come from a range of backgrounds, and they particularly welcome applications from disabled people, people with physical or mental health conditions, LGBT+ and non-binary people, and people from Black Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities