Trustees play a vital role in making a positive impact on the lives of the people we support. We do this through personalised, affordable care, sharing a home and family life, and supporting involvement in the local community.
What will you be doing?
About Shared Lives South WestShared Lives South West recruits, trains and supports individuals and families (Shared Lives Carers) who can offer accommodation and care for adults with care and support needs in their home, enabling the person to share in family life and maintain their independence. This is known as Shared Lives.If I join Shared Lives South West as a trustee what can I expect? You will be joining an enthusiastic and committed team of trustees. Induction and training for the role will be provided. The appointment will run for three years and be subject to an annual review with the Chair of the Board.
Two further terms of three years may be agreed. You will be required to sign a confidentiality agreement, declare any relevant business interests and complete an insolvency check as well as a charity related parties register prior to your first Board meeting. You will be required to declare, on an ongoing basis, any further relevant business interests and/or conflicts of interest that may arise.
You will help enrich the lives of people we support by becoming a part of this friendly charity known for providing high quality support to people as recognised by our current 'Outstanding' CQC award. You stand to also enrich your own life through the empowering and satisfying sector of volunteering as well as having access to training and development opportunities through SLSW.This is a voluntary post and would be offered subject to satisfactory references and DBS check.Trustees will be asked to commit to:• Endeavouring to be available for up to 7 meetings per year with a requirement to attend at least 50%• Endeavouring to be available for the annual Board Away Day• Be able to respond via email to discussion and potential issues between board meetings• Supporting SLSW staff by being able to be involved on an ad hoc basis in an identified area of interest• Being involved in one task and finish group/sub-group per annum if/as required• Complete an induction programme as required during the first six months of their appointment, including a visit to a SLSW household• Complete a programme of mandatory training, proportionate to the role, renewed every three years• Attend an annual review with the Chair
What are we looking for?
Trustees use skills and personal experience to:• Ensure SLSW complies with its governing document and all charity and other appropriate laws• Ensure compliance with the values, ethos and ethics of SLSW• Approve policies and plans to achieve strategic objectives, especially those with significant financial risk or risk management implications• Contribute to the development of SLSW strategy and business planning processes.• Scrutinise and sign off each year’s financial accounts prior to publication and acceptance and agree each year’s annual budget• Play your part in ensuring compliance with regulatory frameworks• Help ensure the Board sets challenging goals and targets for the organisation and monitors these effectively• Participate in the recruitment of Leadership Team and other staff members as requiredWe are looking for new trustees who will complement our existing board. Previous board-level experience is welcome but not essential.We value fresh perspectives and provide the training and support needed to succeed. If you can commit time, bring curiosity and are willing to contribute your skills, we would love to hear from you.We welcome applications from adults of all backgrounds and identities and are striving to ensure our board reflects the diversity of the communities we serve.
What difference will you make?
Trustees have independent control and legal responsibility for the charity’s management and administration. They support the strategic development and success of SLSW through ensuring good strategic planning, effective governance and the monitoring of the performance of the organisation.As a trustee, you will work alongside the chair, vice chair and other trustees to bring good governance and strategic oversight. You will share responsibility with other trustees and the Leadership Team for the success of the organisation.Our service supports adults over 18 years of age and occasionally young people in transition into adult services from the age of 16 upwards. We currently support around 300 people on a long-term basis in around 270 shared lives homes and have up to a further 140 people using our short break services.We provide support to people with learning disabilities, people who have a diagnosis of dementia, a physical or sensory disability, mental ill health and parents who have a learning disability with their child.We currently have five contracts from local authorities across Cornwall, Devon and Somerset to support our work and a range of project funding totalling around £1.8 million per annum.
Before you apply
Please apply through Reach in the first instance. Shortlisted candidates will be asked to complete our additional short application form.
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Medaille Trust is one of the leading providers of support to survivors of modern slavery and human trafficking in the UK. We are working to provide refuge and freedom for survivors and fighting to see slavery in all its forms become a thing of the past. The need for this work has never been higher, there are more than 50 million estimated victims of modern slavery worldwide, and over 120,000 potential victims in the UK.
We operate ten safe houses and five outreach hubs, staffed round the clock by specialist staff, working with more than 600 men, women and dependent children each year. We work to raise awareness in the UK and to provide preventive work in source countries. Our Pursue work helps survivors to engage with police and within the legal system to seek justice and to secure convictions against their perpetrators.
This role is based in the Thanet area.
We are looking for an educational volunteer who can help empower service users in the safe house environment through informal English language support. Tasks will include:
•Listening to service users read
•Play games such as scrabble and wordsearches to help them learn in an informal and relaxed way
•Work through every-day scenarios like booking a GP appointment, communicating in a shop, purchasing train tickets
•Offering a safe and comfortable experience for all service users, showing awareness of service users’ varying physical and mental well-being needs
Our volunteers come from all walks of life and have a wide range of experience and motivations for wanting to volunteer with us. Whatever your reason for deciding to volunteer, we want to make sure you enjoy your time with us and know just how much we value your support.
This role requires maturity, and an ability to engage with adults in a trauma informed way, while working alongside staff members to deliver the activities in line with agreed procedures and systems
Volunteers need to:
•Be at least 18 years old
•ESOL or TEFL qualifications would be advantageous
•This role requires a regular commitment- weekly
•Be able to get to the venues which is in Thanet
•Be computer literate and have a good standard of spoken and written English
•Be willing to have an enhanced DBS check
•Have an understanding of the importance of professional boundaries in the role and ability to maintain confidentiality is essential
This role is restricted for females under the Occupational Requirement under Schedule 9 (part 1) of the Equality Act 2010 and is subject to satisfactory Disclosure & Barring Service checks.
Registered Charity
101 - 500
Medaille Trust's mission is to provide refuge & freedom from modern slavery. One of UK's leading providers of support for survivors of modern slavery.
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