Trustees

Why join us?

Young people and adults with disabilities, neurodivergence and disadvantage are 3 times less likely than anyone else to have a paid job.

This has a huge impact on every aspect of an adult’s life. It is well-evidenced that young people and adults who are unemployed are more likely to live in poverty, lack confidence and self-worth and feel isolated from friends and family.

Depending on the disability you live with, the situation is even worse. Just 1 in 20 adults living with a learning disability and just 3 in 50 adults living with a mental health challenge have a paid job.

The disability/neurodivergence employment gap is harmful and unfair. It’s also fixable. Over 20 years of experience shows us that young people and adults with disabilities are able to find and stay in work with the right help. Employers benefit too.

Everyone at Ways into Work is passionate about supporting people with disabilities, neurodivergence and disadvantage to find the right job for them, secure paid employment and sustain their job with our help.

Why now is the right time to join us

This is an exciting time to join us as earlier this year we converted to a charity (from a CIC). As we look to the future, we are seeking to build on the expertise we have established over the last 20 years.

To date we have relied heavily on contracts from local government. The need to diversify our income base, to support more clients into employment and to provide a more secure future for our clients, fed into our decision to become a charity.

We are looking to recruit Trustees who have worked in charities, or who bring particular expertise, to provide a strategic steer in delivering our core purpose. In the months ahead we will be looking to revise our strategy, recruit new roles and put in place the infrastructure needed to begin to make our core purpose available to more of those in need in Berkshire and the Thames Valley. You would have the opportunity to play a pivotal role in shaping these processes, bringing us closer to delivering the support we know our clients need.

Trustee Role Description

As a Trustee, you will play a crucial role in setting the strategic direction of the charity and ensuring good governance. You will contribute to ensuring that the charity fulfils its mission, operates effectively, and remains accountable to its clients - adults and young people living with disabilities and neurodiversity. 

Duties:

• Support and provide advice on achieving Ways into Work’s purpose, vision, goals and activities.
• Review and approve operational strategies, policies and recommendations, and monitor and evaluate their implementation.
• Act as ambassador for Ways into Work, promoting our work and building networks of interested parties who are enthusiastic about our work.
• Other Duties as are listed in the Candidate Pack

About you: 

You do not need to have previous experience of acting as a Trustee, although we are interested in some of our new Trustees having charity experience. We are looking for you to bring the personal skills and qualities outlined in the Candidate Pack, and we would welcome expertise in one these areas: Communications, HR, Charity Law, Fundraising, Community and other disciplines appropriate for our core purpose.

We would greatly value experience of acting at a senior level (such as in a ‘Head of’ role) as you will need to be comfortable sharing your expertise with the wider Board, and offering support and constructive challenge to our new senior recruits and senior leadership team.

We recognise the enormous value of lived experience. We know that there is no ‘us’ and ‘them’. Many in Ways into Work live with disabilities or neurodiversity and/or have wider lived experiences that offer huge value to the work we deliver.