Chair of the Board of Trustees - Home-Start Edinburgh West & South West

What will you be doing?

Home-Start Edinburgh West & South West is seeking to appoint a new Chair of Trustees to lead our trustee board, ensuring that it fulfils its responsibilities for the governance of the scheme and to optimise the relationship between the trustees, the staff and volunteers. We are looking for someone with effective leadership and management skills who understands charity governance and the role of a trustee.

If you have the passion and commitment to lead us through the next chapter as we look to develop our future strategy, we would love to hear from you. Working closely with our dedicated staff and trustees you will be able to allocate team each week to provide guidance, support and direction.

Responsibilities include:

· leading the trustee board in its role of setting the direction and strategy of the scheme

· ensuring that the trustee board employs its resources to comply with all legal requirements and acts in furtherance of the objects of the scheme at all times

· planning the annual cycle of trustee and sub-committee meetings

· setting the agenda for trustees’ meetings

· monitoring the implementation of decisions taken at meetings

· ensuring compliance with the Home-Start Agreement and Quality Assurance system.

Duties:

· chairing and facilitating meetings of the trustees and sub-committees as appropriate

· liaising regularly with the senior member of staff to maintain an overview of the scheme’s affairs and activities and to provide support and guidance as appropriate

· representing the scheme when appropriate at functions and meetings

· acting as a spokesperson when appropriate

· leading the process of appraising the senior worker

· sitting on appointment panels for staff

· bringing impartiality and objectivity to decision making

· sitting on disciplinary panels as appropriate

· facilitating change and addressing conflict within the board of trustees and within the scheme.

What are we looking for?

Person specification for Chairperson

· Commitment to Home-Start.

· Willingness to devote the necessary time and effort (this could be up to 10 hours a week)

· Strategic vision.

· Good, independent judgement.

· Ability to think creatively.

· Willingness to speak their mind.

· Understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of trusteeship.

· Ability to work effectively as a member of a team.

· Understanding of the importance of Nolan’s seven principles of public life; selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.

· Leadership skills.

· Experience of committee work.

· Tact and diplomacy.

· Good communication and interpersonal skills.

· Impartiality, fairness and the ability to respect confidences.

What difference will you make?

Home-Start Edinburgh West & South West has been providing support to local families since 2000. Through our network of trained parent volunteers and our passionate staff, we support families who need practical and emotional support. Without our team of volunteers, be that our family support volunteers or our trustees, we wouldn't be able to deliver our service. Our new Chairperson will play a vital role in ensuring we are able to reach and support the families that need us, helping them to overcome the challenges that they face.

Before you apply

We will aim to interview candidates after the Christmas break.