goodmoves

Exciting new opportunities have arisen for new Trustees to join Open Door Accommodation Project.

Do you have the Enthusiasm and Passion to help us guide our organisation forward?

The Board are responsible for setting the strategic direction of the organisation to deliver the charitable objectives. As a member of the Board of Trustees you will be responsible for ensuring the effective oversight and governance within the organisation for the benefit of the vulnerable young people we support.

Open Door have an experienced management team who are responsible for the day-to-day management and service delivery of the organisation’s support staff. The Board will be responsible for the supervision of the Chief Executive to take overall responsibility for the organisation, acting collectively and effectively in its interests by giving strategic direction and determining our mission and vision. The Board make decisions required for assurance and management of the organisation, ensuring compliance, good governance and adequate financial resources for our services whilst protecting our assets and property. The Board also ensure we manage risks carefully, as a responsible employer and uphold the principles of equality and diversity.

Board meetings are held on a monthly to six weekly basis, typically in the evening.

The Each and Every Child initiative is a new programme of work which aims to tell a compelling story about children and young people in the care system, transforming the current public narrative and mobilising people at all levels in the community to take action to improve their life chances. Informed by robust research and the established practice of ‘reframing’, the initiative will create the scale that is needed to influence public opinion and make a positive difference to the lives of children and young people. A small staff team will be established which will have the focus and expertise to coordinate this work, support networks and lead the strategic development of the initiative, creating a significant profile for reframing in Scotland. The staff team will be supported by an active Management Group which will oversee the strategic direction of the work. More information on the initiative can be found in the recruitment brief on The Robertson Trust website.

Management Group

The Each and Every Child Initiative is a partnership project between CELCIS, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Life Changes Trust, The Robertson Trust, Scottish Government and Social Work Scotland, and will be hosted by The Robertson Trust. These partners will make up the Management Group. In addition, in order to make sure the voice of lived experience can influence the strategic direction of Each and Every Child, the partners intend to recruit two care experienced individuals to join the Management Group.

It is expected that the Management Group will meet four times per year. We will also expect the recruits to these roles to attend an induction session and other training/development opportunities as appropriate (depending on experience). In addition, there is the time required to prepare for meetings. In total we expect a maximum commitment of 10 days per year.

The partners plan to work flexibly; we are currently using online platforms for our meetings and all Management Group members will have the option to join meetings remotely in the future, regardless of the public health situation. We are also considering the timing of meetings (e.g. evening meetings may be possible) to offer greater flexibility.

The Role

· Offer a lived experience perspective to the work of the Management Group, ensuring that the strategic direction of the initiative is consistently informed by care experience

· Work closely with other Management Group members to review the progress of the initiative and to facilitate connections with key networks/individuals/organisations as required

· Champion the work of the initiative

The Individuals

· Experience of communications, campaigning or influencing work

· Interest in the reframing approach and willingness to learn more

· Knowledge of the wider sector relating to care experience

· Board or committee experience desirable

Come on board and help make the next move.

Inverclyde Women’s Aid is seeking to recruit suitably experienced, qualified, and skilled women to join our existing Board of Directors.

We offer refuge accommodation for 11 families, 1:1 support, group work, information, counselling, and advocacy to women and their children who experience domestic abuse and sexual abuse. We are currently based in 9 George Square, Greenock, although we provide our services Inverclyde wide.

The role of the Director is highly rewarding but unpaid, although any expenses incurred will be reimbursed. Training on domestic abuse and its effects will be available. This is a unique opportunity for women who have expertise, time, and commitment to join the Board of Directors to provide strategic guidance and leadership to support the current management structure in the future development of the organisation.

We are keen to recruit women who have experience and knowledge of working with vulnerable women, children, and young people. We have identified skills and experience required including: Operational and Strategic Development; Financial Management; Human Resource Management, Marketing and Fundraising.

Inverclyde Women’s Aid is an Equal Opportunities Employer and positively welcomes applications from women from all sections of the community. Only women need apply under Schedule 9, Part 1 of the Equality Act 2010. Successful applicants will be subject to PVG checks.

Are you interested in joining a Board that will oversee transformational change?

The Independent Care Review listened to over 5,500 experiences from in and around the ‘care system’ with all that was heard forming the basis of the 7 reports that were published on the 5 February 2020. Following publication, The First Minister committed to implement the findings of the Independent Care Review and the Oversight Board has been set up to make sure Scotland makes the changes needed.

The Board will be representative of Scotland’s system of care and must share the values and commitment as expressed in The Promise. The Board must also reflect the breadth of Scotland’s landscape of care and support services to ensure that all those organisations who must change shape as a result of The Promise know the Board is representative and has first-hand understanding of services and care settings.

This Board will hold Scotland to account to #KeepThePromise and make sure the transformational change required happens.

Therefore, expressions of interest are being sought from individuals with experience, skills and knowledge from right across the Scottish ‘care system.’

The Promise Team supporting the Board will provide training, mentoring and support for Board members who have not fulfilled a similar responsibility before.

VOCAL is the Voice of Carers Across Lothian, a dynamic and enterprising charity which provides support to over 10,000 unpaid family carers each year in Edinburgh and Midlothian.

We recently lost our Treasurer in sad circumstances and seek a successor to support our team of six trustees with the competent stewardship of VOCAL’s finances.

Trustees ideally combine professional skills with caring experience in the family. The position is not remunerated. The Treasurer may be in employment or retired. Her/his professional experience as an accountant will preferably include some understanding of SAGE accounting software which is used by our organisation and maintained by a finance officer.

VOCAL receives funding from a diverse range of sources and undertakes many fundraising initiatives each year. We strive continuously to improve our systems to provide greater clarity and transparency of our finances for the benefit of the Board, staff, volunteers and all stakeholders.

For a summary of VOCAL’s work, annual accounts and turnover and priorities for the future, please see our most recent report of work here: vocal.org.uk/about/annual-reports

Our vision is to promote a better quality of life and wellbeing for our clients and their families through supporting them to develop strong positive relationships. Further details about us can be found on www.bright-light.org.uk. We are excited at the prospect of welcoming new trustees as we consider how to take Scotland’s longest established relationship counselling charity forward in the novel environment created by Covid19.

Our new trustees will be joining us at a significant time in the charity’s evolution. We responded to the Covid19 lockdown by migrating counselling to video and phone platforms for clients who would previously have met their counsellors face to face. Since then, our expertise in distress- and trauma-informed support counselling has enabled Bright Light’s counsellors to help people not only with their relationships but also to manage the personal and anxiety-provoking challenges of the Covid19 lockdown and ongoing restrictions and uncertainties. These extraordinary circumstances also necessitated changes in where and how Bright Light’s staff work. The coming year will therefore be one of meeting challenges but also of identifying and pursuing new opportunities as we embark on the development of our new strategic plan and grow our virtual and phone counselling support.

This is a voluntary role and out of pocket expenses will be met. Bright Light is committed to equality and diversity, and we would encourage applications from people from all walks of life.

The Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre, Perth & Kinross (RASAC P&K) is currently accepting applications from women looking for an opportunity to join the Board of Directors. We welcome applications from women who have a broad range of professional and life skills.

A member Centre of Rape Crisis Scotland, RASAC P&K provides support, information and advocacy services to anyone who identifies as a woman, and young people age 12-18, who have experienced rape or sexual abuse at any time in their lives. Justice Advocacy is offered to support survivors to navigate the reporting and court process. The Centre also offers support and information to partners, families and friends of survivors.

Through the provision of multi-agency training, awareness raising activities and campaigning we seek to advance education among professionals and the general public about the causes, nature, prevalence and effects of rape and other forms of sexual violence against women and girls. RASAC Youth Initiative’s (RYI) sexual violence prevention programme delivers key prevention messages and creates a safe platform for exploration of these important issues. The project delivers a pro-active Youth Ambassador Programme, offering local young people an opportunity to be involved in a variety of youth participation projects focused on gender equality.

As our current Chair is coming to the end of her tenure, we are looking to recruit someone who can offer their skills and knowledge in supporting the work of this busy organisation. We are also seeking to increase the capacity of our existing Board and would welcome applications from women age 18+ who have skills, knowledge and commitment to drive forward our strategic plan in Perth & Kinross.

As a Director, you will be required to contribute to the governance of the organisation including attendance at monthly board meetings and the AGM. Leading the strategic direction of this dynamic organisation, a commitment to feminist governance, an understanding of gender based violence against women and a commitment to the values and ethos of RASAC P&K is essential.

RASAC P&K are keen to improve the diversity of our board and particularly welcome applications from black and minority ethnic women, LGBT women and women with disabilities. Please note, only women applicants will be considered (under Schedule 9 (Part 1) of the Equality Act 2010)

Role

Children’s Panel Members are trained to take part in children’s hearings and make important decisions with and for infants, children and young people.

We are looking for a committed and enthusiastic person to take on the volunteer role of Area Convener in Aberdeen City and in Fife. Area Conveners don’t sit on Children’s Panels, but instead manage the work of volunteers in their local area.

What will you be doing?

You’ll be leading a team of committed volunteers who make up the Area Support Team and developing new ways of working for your area. You’ll be working with local partners, communicating with Panel Members and leading on national improvements at the local level. You will also make sure that the views of young people are heard and acted upon within your area.

Who are we looking for?

You’ll be enthusiastic and committed to securing the rights of children and young people; able to lead and be part of teams; a strong communicator, listening as well as talking. You’ll also be able to demonstrate a strong commitment to and understanding of the ethos, values and principles of the children's hearings system.

Where should you be based?

We are looking for Area Conveners in Aberdeen City and in Fife.

The Centre was set up in 2018, in response to the need for an independent voice to champion the better use of rigorous evidence in preventing and tackling homelessness in its widest sense, going well beyond rough sleeping. The work therefore involves both policy and practice, and working with a range of other organisations and perspectives: we will only achieve our goals by drawing on the expertise both of academics and of people with lived experience of homelessness themselves, and by securing change in both policy and practice across a range of services, ie not just the “homelessness sector” itself.

To complement the skills and experience already on the board, we are looking particularly for members with the following attributes:

• For one role, we want to appoint a current senior leader in work related to homelessness in a local authority – this could be a role in the prevention and addressing of homelessness itself, or in housing or social care or a related service, as a commissioner or in delivery.
• For the other role, we are more open about the background. We want to ensure we are strong at assessing how our activity translates into impact on the ground. So someone with experience of looking constructively and rigorously at performance and impact would be valuable – this might be someone with a background in finance or analysis or operations, but technical skills matter less than mindset.

In addition, we are keen to strengthen the diversity of the board in a number of ways, to ensure we have as wide a range of perspectives as possible to make for better decisions:

• We encourage applications from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates, as these groups are currently underrepresented on the board;
• The same applies to people who have experience of housing insecurity;
• We would like to extend the geographical reach: we would welcome applications from people based in Scotland, where we do quite a bit of work, and within England are particularly interested in people who aren’t London-based.

We are looking for board members with the following qualities:

• passion and commitment to the strategic objectives and cause of the Centre;
• ability to devote sufficient time and effort to the charity, including travel and attending events out of office hours;
• influence and networks within your sector or field and willingness to leverage this for the charity;
• sound, independent judgement;
• experience of working as part of a team;
• commitment to the importance of high quality research and its application to policy and practice;
• understanding of charity governance and of the duties of a charity trustee (see “The Essential Trustee” from the Charity Commission, gov.uk government/publications/the-essential-trustee-what-you-need-to-know-cc3/the-essential-trustee-what-you-need-to-know-what-you-need-to-do).

If you would like to help shape and drive an organisation which is starting to make a real impact on one of the major challenges of our time, we’d be delighted to hear from you.

Epilepsy Connections is the leading provider of epilepsy information, face to face support and education services cross the Greater Glasgow & Clyde, Forth Valley and Ayrshire & Arran areas.

Epilepsy Connections was founded in April 2000 by a small group of enthusiastic and likeminded people who saw the need for an organisation committed to supporting people with epilepsy and their families and carers, and to raising awareness about epilepsy and its impact. Our purpose is to help people affected by epilepsy to develop resilience and independence so that they can take charge of their condition and live their lives fully.

Epilepsy Connections is entering an exciting period of dynamic, strategic growth and currently have vacancies for two new Board members to join our Board of Trustees. Our Trustee Board is responsible for the governance of the charity, setting the overall strategy for the organisation and evaluating its progress towards key goals. We are particularly keen to hear from people who have experience of epilepsy and who are committed to promoting and supporting the charity’s work. Ideal candidates will be strategic thinkers who are able to listen and contribute effectively as part of a team. We welcome applications from individuals of all walks of life and experience.

What’s in it for you? – What you can expect…

By joining our board of trustees you will expand your network and professional circle, this is an ideal opportunity to enhance your career and give back in a meaningful way. Epilepsy Connections is a small but strong and established team who thrive on learning and supporting each other to achieve the organisation’s mission and goals. We offer our board members access to training both in-house and externally via ACOSVO and will cover any reasonable expenses.

What’s in it for us? – What we can expect…

This is a voluntary position. We ask for successful candidates to commit to attend 5 meetings per year, either taking place at our offices in Glasgow’s city centre or online via Zoom. We are looking to add to attract individuals with skills and experience ranging from legal, policy making, financial, marketing, IT, social media, digital and web design who will share their skills and knowledge and help develop and contribute to our organisational strategy.