SWAN is a dynamic, rapidly growing, unique and ground-breaking Charity. As an Autistic People’s Organisation (APO), we are run by and for autistic people, with autistic staff and volunteers and a majority of autistic people on our Board. We are the only Charity in Scotland focused on autistic women, girls, and non-binary people. *

SWAN is governed by a Board of Trustees, who are responsible for ensuring that the Charity is well-managed, in line with its vision, mission and values, and that it abides by its charitable objectives. Our Board of Trustees is made up of a range of individuals from across Scotland who bring wide perspectives from different sectors of life and ensure that the organisation maintains a clear focus on our strategic objectives and vision.

This year, 2022, is our 10th anniversary and a time of exciting change and growth at SWAN and we are seeking a new Treasurer and a new Secretary to join us on our Board in this next phase of our journey.

The Treasurer’s primary role is to assist and advise the Board in overseeing the finances, ensuring the organisation’s financial viability and that proper financial records and procedures are maintained. SWAN currently has an annual income of just over £150,000, predominantly from grant funding at this time. Day-to-day finances are managed by the CEO, who prepares the budget and income and expenditure reports and works closely with the Treasurer.

Treasurer tasks include:

• being a counter signatory to banking transactions

• liaising with payroll and pension providers

• presenting financial reports, raising issues and answering questions at Board meetings and the AGM

• liaising with the financial examiners for the annual review of accounts

• ensuring statutory returns are made to any relevant regulators

Appropriate financial skills are required, but training on Charity finances will be provided where necessary.

The Secretary’s primary role is to carry out practical administrative tasks on behalf of the Board.

Secretary tasks include:

• convening meetings – sharing dates, times, Zoom link, etc.

• dealing with all board correspondence

• coordinating minute-taking (SWAN Trustees currently share the role of taking minutes on a rolling rota)

• ensuring back-up information is circulated for meetings where the topics to be discussed require it

• ensuring records are up to date with relevant regulators

Board meetings are held via Zoom, currently once every 6 weeks, for around two hours. As we are a small Charity, we do expect Trustees to contribute beyond attending Board meetings, and we sometimes hold extra meetings for Board Development, Strategy Development, etc. The Treasurer would attend additional finance meetings

To maintain our majority autistic Board, in line with our values and our constitution, we prioritise autistic applicants. However, we also welcome non-autistic applicants with the right skills who are interested in supporting our work.

We warmly welcome Trustees from a range of cultures, backgrounds, age and experience. We are currently under-represented on the Board by non-speaking autistic people, as well as people of colour and trans and non-binary people. We strongly value the contribution that people with these characteristics will bring to our Board discussions.

The post-holder will develop processes and train and support 10-12 volunteers who identify as autistic to provide a high quality information and enquiry service to autistic women and girls and their families. The work will take place remotely, with in-person meetings when guidelines allow. The enquiry and advice service will largely take place digitally, using email, social media and the SWAN website.

Swan: Scottish Women’s Autism Network: Who We Are

We are an autistic-led charity. We run informal meet-ups across Scotland and an online closed forum for individuals who identify as autistic and female. We have, since 2012, continued to raise levels of understanding of autism, particularly for women and girls, to inform and educate. We are an inclusive organisation and welcome diversity.

The Role

This is an exciting and vital opportunity to improve the lives of autistic women and girls in Scotland by delivering advice and signposting to high quality information, improving self-understanding, identity and esteem and equipping them to access their human rights in terms of education, volunteering or employment, healthcare, leisure and social opportunities. They will be empowered to be active in their own communities as they like; they will be better informed on the services available to them and empowered to make good choices for themselves. Families will be better informed and parents will be able to promote a positive self-identity for their autistic children.

Who You Are

You will have a good understanding of autism and the barriers experienced for autistic people in accessing their human rights. You will be passionate about creating positive change, supporting and educating. You will have good organisational/admin skills and be an excellent communicator. You will be motivated and able to direct your own schedule.

Specific Skills Required

Understanding of and the skills required to community engagement and development; volunteer support.

The ability to work in partnership; to build capacity and confidence in people, to support and inform.

Understanding of the lived experiences of being autistic is preferred; however, training will be given and where appropriate, you will be supported by an autistic mentor.

Experience

What we are looking for most of all is someone with appropriate abilities, skills and commitment for this role.

A Role Description is available for download below.

SWAN is underpinned and led by volunteers. The post-holder will develop processes to recruit, train and support our SWAN volunteers who identify as autistic and who deliver a range of services. The work will take place mostly remotely, with in-person meetings as appropriate, guidelines allowing. Our activities at the moment largely take place digitally, via email, social media and the SWAN website.

Swan: Scottish Women’s Autism Network: Who We Are

We are an autistic-led charity. We run informal meet-ups across Scotland and an online closed forum for individuals who identify as autistic and female. We deliver regular webinars, a counselling service and training across sectors. We have, since 2012, worked to raise levels of understanding of autism, particularly for women and girls, to inform and educate. We are an inclusive organisation and welcome diversity.

The Role

This is an exciting and vital opportunity to improve the lives of autistic women and girls in Scotland by recruiting, training and supporting a team of volunteer autistic women, to continue our work in the community. This includes mentoring support, advice, and signposting to high quality information. Your outcomes: volunteer recruitment and induction processes, including GDPR and safeguarding; a team of 12+ volunteers recruited and inducted to delivery of peer-support and in line with SWAN’s core purposes. These are directed to the promotion of self-understanding, identity and esteem, enabling access to human rights in terms of education, volunteering or employment, healthcare, leisure and social opportunities for autistic women and their families.

Who You Are

You will have a good understanding of autism and the barriers experienced for autistic people. You will be passionate about creating positive change, supporting and educating. You will have good organisational/admin skills and be an excellent communicator. You will be motivated and able to direct your own schedule.

Specific Skills Required

Understanding of and the skills required to community engagement and development; ability to develop processes to recruitment and volunteer support.

The ability to work in partnership; to build capacity and confidence in people, to support and inform.

Understanding of the lived experiences of being autistic is preferred; however, training will be given and where appropriate, you will be supported by an autistic mentor.

Experience

What we are looking for most of all is someone with appropriate abilities, skills and commitment for this role.

A Role Description is available for download below.