Trustee

ESS Education and Support Services trustees play a vital role in making sure that charity achieves its core purpose. Trustees oversee the charities overall management and administration, ensuring strategy and goals remain in line with its core vision. Trustees provide support, direction and appropriately challenge the executive team to enable ESS Education and Support Services to grow and thrive while remaining true to the charity’s objectives and mission.

Board members have a collective responsibility.

This means that trustees always act as a group and not as individuals.

Duties Include:

· Support and provide advice on ESS Education and Support Service’s purpose, vision, goals, and activities.

· Approve operational strategies, policies, and procedures, monitor, and evaluate their implementation.

· Oversee ESS Education and Support Service’s financial plans, budgets, and monitor, evaluate progress.

· Ensure the effective and efficient administration of the organisation.

· Ensure that key risks are being identified, monitored, and controlled effectively.

· Review and approve ESS Education and Support Services’ financial statements.

· Provide support, direction, guidance and challenge the CEO within their delegated authority and affairs.

· Keep abreast of changes in ESS Education and Support Services’ operating environment.

· Contribute to regular reviews of ESS Education and Support services’ own governance.

· Attend Board meetings, adequately prepared to contribute to discissions.

· Use independent judgment, acting legally and in good faith to promote and protect ESS Education and Support Service’s interests, to the exclusion of their own personal and/or any third-party interests.

· Contribute to the promotion of ESS Education and Support Services objects, aims and reputation by applying personal skills, expertise, knowledge, and contacts.

In a small charity, there will be times when trustees will need to be actively involved beyond board meetings. This may involve scrutinising board papers, leading discussions, focusing on key issues, providing advice and guidance on new initiatives, presenting externally, or other issues in which the trustee has special expertise.

A Strong Board of Trustees:

ESS are looking for individuals with energy, enthusiasm, and commitment to broaden diversity of thinking. To strength the board ESS are in need of Trustees from the following backgrounds: Legal, Financial, Business, Marketing, Fundraising alongside individuals who have experience of the local areas in which ESS work.

Personal skills and qualities

· Willingness and ability to understand and accept responsibilities and liabilities as trustees and to act in the best interests of the organisation.

· Ability to think creatively and strategically, exercise good, independent judgement, work effectively as a board member.

· Effective communication skills and willingness to participate actively in discussion.

· A strong personal commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

· Enthusiasm for our vision and mission.

· Willingness to lead according to our ethos and values.

· Commitment to Nolan’s seven principles of public life:

Selflessness, Integrity, Objectivity, Accountability, Openness, Honesty, and Leadership.

Terms of appointment:

Terms of office

· Trustees are appointed for a 3-year term of office, renewal for 2 further terms to a maximum of 9 years.

· This is a voluntary position, however reasonable expenses by prior full board agreement can be considered and reimbursed.

Time commitment

· Attending 4-6 Board meetings annually.

· Currently meetings are held virtually on a quarterly basis.

· Attending charity promotional and fundraising events.

Appointment process

· Interested Individuals are requested to provide a CV and personal biography (This is a short statement that provides an overview the applicates qualities skills and reason for becoming a charity trustee)

· All applications will be presented to the board for consideration.