Community Foster Care Have A Trustee Vacancy

Job Location: Flexible
Pay scale: Voluntary - Expenses only
Hours: Six meetings per year (3 Board / 3 subgroup)

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Role Summary
Community Foster Care’s (CFC) trustees are essential in ensuring that we can continue to strive towards our mission. As a trustee you will ensure that CFC remains on course with delivering its key activities. At CFC we are committed to creating a culture driven by our values and based on diversity, exploration, critical reflection, courage to challenge and belief in the power of people.

Trustees have the overall legal responsibility for a charity. The law describes charity trustees as ‘the persons having the general control and management of the administration of a charity’
(Charities Act 2011, section 177).

Charity trustees are those responsible under the charity's governing document for controlling the administration and management of the charity. This is the case regardless of the terminology used to describe the role. For CFC, the charity trustees are the board of trustees. 

The Role of the Board
At its simplest, the role of the board of trustees is to ensure all of CFC’s assets are safeguarded and applied to the charitable purposes of CFC. The board of trustees must always act in the best interests of CFC, exercising the same standard of duty of care that a prudent person would apply if looking after the affairs of someone for whom they have responsibility. The trustee board must act as a group and not as individuals. 

Key requirements of which you should be aware
Trustees are expected to attend an induction session with CFC prior to their first board meeting. Trustees are expected to attend all board meetings. Board meetings are held three times a year, usually in the late afternoon – early evening. The meetings tend to be held at our Kingsholm Office in Gloucester, but participants can attend via remote video call.

From time to time there are additional meetings and planning sessions.

• Papers are distributed one week in advance of meetings.
  
• Trustees are asked to join one of three board sub committees, each of which meets three times a year, for approximately two hours, during normal office hours.
  
• Trustees can claim out of pocket expenses.

Main Duties and Responsibilities
The duties of a trustee board member are to:

• ensure that CFC complies with its governing document (its Articles of Association), charity law, company law and any other relevant legislation or regulations including the Fostering Regulations 2011.
  
• ensure that CFC pursues its objectives as defined in its governing document.
  
• ensure CFC applies its resources exclusively in pursuance of its objects. For example, it must not spend money on activities which are not included in the objects, however worthwhile they may be.
  
• contribute actively to the board of trustees by giving firm strategic direction to CFC, setting overall policy, defining goals, setting targets, and evaluating performance against agreed targets.
  
• own the organisation’s Risk Register and mitigations.
  
• safeguard the good name and values of CFC.
  
• ensure the financial stability of CFC.

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 leading discussions, identifying key issues, providing advice and guidance on new initiatives, and evaluating or offering advice on other areas in which the trustee has particular expertise.

What we require from all our employees and volunteers:

• A commitment and alignment with Community Foster Care’s Values.
  
• A tenacity and commitment to resolve and develop our ability to enable children to thrive.
  
• A willingness to embrace challenge and actively seek constructive feedback.
  
• A willingness and ability to be a highly functioning team player.
  
• A willingness to work in a flexible way.
  
• A commitment to anti-oppressive practice, underpinned by an understanding and promotion of equality and diversity.
  
• Positively promote and publicise the work of Community Foster Care.
  
• Always represent Community Foster Care in a professional manner.
  
• Undertake training and development deemed necessary for the pursuance and development of the post.
  
• Comply with Equal Opportunities, GDPR and employment practices.

Community Foster Care is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children; applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service clearance at
enhanced level.

CVs will not be accepted in any circumstances; all applicants must complete an application form.

Person Specification
Each trustee must have:

• a commitment to the mission of CFC
  
• a willingness to meet the minimum time requirement
  
• integrity
  
• 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 and to take decisions for the good of CFC

Further details here