Do you want to help a local charity support our local community through the cost of living crisis and some of the most challenging and difficult times in living memory?

We are looking for new Trustee Board Members to join us.

We’re looking for individuals who share our passion and values, who will support us to deliver our mission to empower and support citizens throughout Perth and Kinross in areas such as debt, benefits, employment, consumer rights, and to create a more equal and inclusive society.

The Board’s role is to provide overall governance for the Bureau, to set strategic direction, and to ensure that as an organisation we are providing the services required to support the community. We are looking for individuals who want to share their knowledge and experience, to work collaboratively with other trustees and our CEO to ensure Perth Citizens Advice Bureau continues to thrive in responding to the needs of our community.

If you don’t think you meet the ‘traditional’ profile of a charity trustee which may have put you off applying in the past then we want to hear from you! We want our board to reflect the communities we serve and would welcome applications from diverse backgrounds.

We currently lack the following skills on our trustee team so if you have current experience or knowledge in these areas then we’d also love to hear from you: Accounting and financial audit and communication or marketing,

Our trustees are asked to attend a board meeting once every two months and to join at least one sub-committee; Finance, Governance or People. The time commitment is between four and six hours a month including meeting preparation.

Do you want to help make a difference to the lives of families affected by another’s imprisonment – this is a group of people often marginalised and severely impacted, practically, emotionally and financially by the actions of another. Want to learn new skills in the process? - you can by becoming a volunteer Board Member for the Croft HMP Barlinnie’s Visitors Centre.

What we are looking for

We are looking to recruit a number of Board members.

We welcome applicants from any background and experience but are particularly looking for people with the following skills –

• Treasurer - Accounting/Finance
• Branding
• Lived experience of being a family member impacted by another’s imprisonment

What you get from being a Board Member

1. The chance to give something back into the community and make a real difference to the lives of families impacted by imprisonment - Becoming a Trustee is a fantastic way to give something back to a cause you care about. You’ll be playing an integral part in the way the charity is run, ensuring it remains sustainable and financially viable. The help you provide will be invaluable.
2. Meet new people - joining a new organisation or charity is a fantastic way to meet new people from a range of different personal and professional backgrounds. There will be annual meetings to attend, day-to-day tasks to complete with other volunteers and staff at the charity, events or activities to do within your local community, as well as many other opportunities to meet new and interesting people.
3. Learn new things - getting involved as a charity Trustee is a great way to put your professional skills to use, but can also be a fantastic opportunity to learn new things. You’ll get great insight into what’s involved in the management of charities and gain skills on working well within a leadership role.
4. Improve your CV and enhance your professional development - from learning how organisations are run to planning finances and attending meetings, this experience can be the perfect way to boost a CV and set you apart from the crowd.

Background

In 2012 local churches and the community recognised that the families of prisoners in HMP Barlinnie had nowhere to go for help on what was happening to their loved one, how to go about arranging a visit, what information and support was available to their family and them.

The Croft Visitors Support and Advice Centre was established as a charity whereby volunteers and support workers met with families prior to and after their visits to get the support and information they needed on whatever issues they were facing. As time has gone on there is now a support service at every Scottish prison, core funded by Scottish Government. The Scottish Government recognised the importance of the centres and created the National Visitors Centre Framework for Scotland which we all follow, stating that -

The service they provide is accessible to all family members and visitors to the prison including those who do not go into the prison to visit their family member.

They achieve positive outcomes for prisoners’ families and friends and for prisoners themselves by fulfilling three core functions:

• They improve the visits experience for people visiting their family member or loved ones in prison.
• They help families access independent and impartial advice, information and practical support, which meets their needs.
• They voice the needs of families affected by imprisonment to the prison they work alongside.

The Croft provide a wide range of support to visitors on an emotional, practical and informative level and are looking for volunteer Board Members to help govern the charity and shape its future whilst making a different to the lives of families affected by imprisonment and often punished for a crime they did not commit. We are looking to redesign our services and expand our provision so this is an ideal opportunity to help shape the future of the charity.

Background:

The Patient Rights (Scotland) Act was passed in February 2011. The Act created the Patient Advice and Support Service (PASS) to promote awareness of patient rights and responsibilities, to assist people to deal with issues affecting their health and wellbeing and to provide advice and support to those wishing to give feedback or comments, or to raise concerns or complaints about NHS care received.

Purpose of the Post:

Patient Advisers will work with the Citizens Advice bureau/x in their local health board area and will also contribute to services provided throughout Scotland via a national PASS telephone advice line and by e mail and webchat via a national PASS website. The Patient Adviser will provide direct advice and information to clients; support bureaux volunteers to deliver information and advice relevant to the service; produce performance and monitoring reports; assist with the marketing and promotion of the service; and liaise with external organisations in order to maximise the efficiency and effectiveness of PASS.