Do you want a strategic role to tackle the poverty that so many of us are experiencing in the UK?

We are seeking two new board members to engage in the governance and oversight of the charity and to contribute to the development of our board of trustees. We want imaginative and problem-solving people, people who are not afraid to speak up when something feels wrong and people who will ask when they need something. You do not need to have served on a board before as we will provide you with full support and training.

Turn2us helps people in financial need gain access to welfare benefits, charitable grants and other financial help – online, by phone and face to face through our partner organisations. We believe any of our lives can be turned upside down because of an illness, job loss or relationship breakdown. But too often we see these life events trap people in poverty. We want to stop people being swept into poverty and give practical help to anyone already struggling to cope. We help people find financial support such as welfare benefits, charitable grants and other support so that they can get their lives back on track. We seek to challenge the structural inequalities which help to create poverty in the UK. 

The diversity of our board is critical to the organisation’s success. We are particularly keen to hear from people with lived experience of poverty, disabled people, people from the LGBTQ+ community and those from minoritised ethnic communities.  

Turn2us is an equal opportunities employer.

Job Description:

Job Title: Trustee

Salary: Unpaid

Contract: Part time, fixed term (four years)

Location: London

What will you do as a Trustee?

You will play a key role in the governance of the charity, working closely with the leadership team to support them achieve their strategic objectives. You will be expected to contribute to the development of the strategy and its impact during the annual board awayday and will get the opportunity to work closely with the people in the organisation including co-production partners.

Trustees role model our values and help to promote an equitable, diverse, and inclusive culture, one that genuinely creates a sense of belonging.

Trustees will:

• Ensure the charity acts within its constitution including the reason that it exists.

• Promote the charity’s values and culture, in particular its commitment to create a more equitable, diverse and inclusive charity.

• Work with our executive team to develop and agree strategic priorities and objectives, assess whether plans for delivery are achievable, monitor the impact of our work and ensure it is within budget.

• Help oversee management of possible future events that may threaten the charity.

• As and when necessary, appoint the Chief Executive and agree their performance goals.

• Establish delegation of duties committees or staff.

• Be accountable to stakeholders for how they have carried out their responsibilities as trustees.

• Together with other trustees review the board’s own performance periodically and build an effective, diverse, and inclusive team spirit.

• Support Income Generation by the opening of networks and engagement with supporters.

• Contribute to the CEO’s and Chair’s annual appraisal.

Legal and statutory responsibilites:

We highly recommend reading The Essential Trustee by the Charity Commission. If the charity gets into difficulties, provided trustees have acted properly and responsibly, their liability is limited to £1. The charity provides insurance for trustees and non-executive directors.

Time commitment:

In addition to reading preliminary reports and attending board and relevant committee meetings, trustees participate widely in the charity including joining workshops and working groups, taking part in recruitment of trustees and senior level staff, consultants, directors and independent committee members. Trustees are expected to join at least one or two board sub-committees and/or the board of Elizabeth Finn Homes.

There are four board meetings a year which are all held at our offices in Hammersmith although virtual attendance is possible if trustees cannot get to the office. Board meetings last three hours each. There is also one annual all-day trustees’ strategy awayday which is usually held in London.

Each committee meets up to four times a year for between two and three hours.

The Elizabeth Finn Homes board meets four times a year for three hours. These meetings may be in one of the homes around the country.

In sum, we estimate the time commitment for trustees to be around two or three days a month. However, we appreciate that not every trustee can devote the same amount of time to the charity, especially those with full time jobs, and we are flexible to individual needs.

Term of office:

Trustees are appointed by the board for an initial term of four years which is renewable once (total eight years).

Induction and training:

You do not need to have any previous experience of board or leadership roles: we will give you full support, guidance and training. New trustees are provided with a tailored induction programme to help them quickly learn about being a trustee of Turn2us. As part of their duties trustees are expected to attend two or three half day training sessions throughout the year that we organise.

We encourage new members to review their contribution at the end of their first year and satisfy themselves that they are able to continue to commit the time necessary to be effective and identify any additional training or support they need.

Remuneration:

In general, we are not allowed to pay trustees for their services but, in certain cases, it may be possible to reimburse trustees for their time provided we receive permission from the Charity Commission. We always pay direct costs incurred by trustees in their work for us, for example travel and overnight accommodation.

What we are looking for:

• Sharing our values.

• Commitment to diversity and willingness to contribute to an inclusive culture.

• Ability to think strategically and creatively.

• Independent judgement and willingness to speak out.

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

The ideal candidate will also have at least one of the following specific skills/qualities:

• Lived experience of financial hardship*

• Commercial expertise in business growth and change management.

• Digital strategy development and transformation.

• Understanding of the economic forces that create financial insecurity.

• Monitoring of operational performance.

• Financial management expertise.

* We particularly welcome applications from those who have had lived experience of poverty. We know that a diverse and inclusive decision- making body makes more robust decisions to serve the people for whom we exist and we recognise that disabled people, people from the LGBTQ+ community, people from Black, Asian and other minoritised ethnic communities are more likely in our society to experience financial hardship and exclusion.

More information:

Please have a look at our website for more information about us and who we are. Information about our care home subsidiary, Elizabeth Finn Homes, is available from its website.

If you would like a chat about being a trustee at Turn2us and what it might entail, you may email the Board Secretary (caroline.rose@turn2us.org.uk) and arrange to speak with Thomas Lawson, our Chief Executive, or Carrie Stokes, our Chair who will both be happy to give you more information.