Appointment of Trustees
I am delighted that you are interested in becoming a Trustee. You are considering joining us at what is both an incredibly challenging but exciting time as we continue to deliver against our foundation strategy whilst dealing with the COVID 19 pandemic. Never have we been prouder of the work of everyone at Brandon as they work so selflessly to keep the people we support safe, whilst enabling them to live the lives they choose.
Trusteeship is one of the most important roles in the voluntary sector. Becoming a Trustee at Brandon will give you the chance to use your skills and experience to make a lasting difference to the people we support.
Brandon is a provider of individualised, person-centred support to over 1,600 people with a learning disability, autism, or both. The quality of our support is reflected in our ratings from the Care Quality Commission, which are above the national average.
Over the last two years we have been transforming our back-office functions and developing our culture so that we can look forward to the future with renewed resilience and strength. The work we are undertaking now will ensure we are able to respond flexibly to meet the changing needs of people we support so that we are able to help them achieve the best possible outcomes now and in the future.
I became Chair of Brandon’s Board of Trustees in June last year. What motivated me to join was the opportunity to make an active contribution to an organisation that enables some of the most vulnerable people in our community to live the life they choose.
Despite huge improvements in care and support in the last 25 years, people with a learning disability still face significant inequalities. There is still much to be done to ensure the people we support are able to live free and to reduce the inequalities they can face.
You would be joining us as a Trustee and playing a critical role on the Board at a time when Brandon is transforming its operations, embracing new digital capabilities. Your experience and contribution will be invaluable in assisting the organisation to navigate this transition in a safe, timely and cost effective manner.
As you read more about us, the work we do, and the role you will play as a Trustee, we hope you will be encouraged to apply. The guidance we provide as a Board supports and challenges our excellent executive leadership team to deliver against Brandon’s charitable purpose and objectives.
Brandon exists to enable children, young people and adults with a learning disability, autism or both, to live life in the way they choose. We are proud of our high-quality, individualised support that focuses on enabling people to achieve their dreams and truly live free.
Operating across southern England, London and in the Midlands, we support around 1,600 people with a team of approximately 2,000 staff. We provide supported living, accommodation with care and nursing, enabling support and a wide range of sessional, social and employment support to adults, young people and children with learning disabilities and autism.
We are a values driven charitable organisation, but one that operates with a commercial mindset, so we are financially sustainable, able to invest in our people and continue to drive high-quality person centred support.
We love the challenges of constantly striving to find new and innovative ways to deliver quality in a tight financial environment and seek trustees who share our passion and bring valuable skills to work effectively with the Chair, Chief Executive and other trustees.
Each year we release an annual report which gives us a great opportunity to reflect on the highlights and achievements of last financial year, and to share those with the board, families, friends and our staff.
The people we support and our staff are at the heart of these achievements, and it’s really important to us that they are front and centre of the report. Inspired by the wonderful art and crafts our teams have shared with us during the coronavirus pandemic, we asked staff and the people we support to choose a word that summed up how being well supported made them feel – either by their support team, or by us as an employer.
As you will see in our 19-20 Highlight Report and Accounts, we received some wonderful images and quotes in response. Maintaining our person-centred approach, our in-house communications team then developed the highlight report ‘Foundations, Flexibility, Freedom’ around those photos.
Our Values
Our core values underpin all we do. From interviewing prospective employees through our care plans to papers presented to our Board of Trustees, they are interwoven in our approach and behaviours.
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Whole-hearted people
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Solution Seeking People
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Adventurous people
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Connecting people
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Creative people
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Trustee
About
Brandon Trust exists to enable people with learning disabilities and autism to live the life they choose. We are proud of our high-quality, individualised support that focuses on enabling people to achieve their dreams and truly live free. We are a values driven charitable organisation, but one that operates with a commercial mindset, so we are financially sustainable, able to invest in our people and continue to drive high quality person centred support. We love the challenges of constantly striving to find new and innovative ways to deliver quality in a tight financial environment and seek trustees who share our passion and bring valuable skills to work effectively with the Chair, Chief Executive and other trustees.
We are interested in people with backgrounds in Social Care, Technology/Digital Transformation, HR/OD and Property Development/Management.
Statutory Trustee duties
- To ensure that the organisation complies with charity law, company law and any other relevant legislation or regulations.
- To ensure the organisation uses its resources to best deliver the best outcomes for the people we support.
- To contribute actively to the board of trustees’ role in giving firm strategic direction to the organisation, setting overall policy, defining goals and setting targets and evaluating performance against agreed targets.
- To safeguard the reputation and values of the organisation.
- To ensure the effective and efficient administration of the organisation including having appropriate policies and procedures in place.
- To ensure the financial stability of the organisation.
- To protect and manage the assets of the charity and to ensure the proper investment of the charity’s funds.
- To follow proper and formal arrangements for the appointment, supervision, support, appraisal and remuneration of the chief executive.
Specific Board activities
- Scrutinising & endorsing the executive management team’s strategic plans.
- Scrutinising/monitoring controls, processes and safeguards.
- Scrutinising/monitoring the quality of delivered services, including but not limited to CQC ratings.
- Ongoing and active risk management in all aspects of discussions and decision making.
- Providing advice and support to the Board and the executive management team – both specific and general.
- Directly supporting the Trust where able at events and with stakeholders.
- Sitting on appropriate Board sub-committee(s).
- Seeking personal development through training, sub committees and additional responsibilities.
Essential
- Committed to the organisation and sufficient time and willingness to contribute effectively to board proceedings.
- Experience and understanding of strategy development.
- Able to work effectively as a member of a senior team.
- Willing to speak up and can remain independent and objective.
- Has a reasonable level of understanding of legal, financial, audit and other regulatory requirements of a charity.
- Is able to make timely sound decisions based on an analysis of information presented to them.
- Is aware of developments in the social care sector and areas of interest to Brandon Trust.
- Has a passion for the social sector and social change.
- Can manage risks with a balanced and informed approach.
- Experience of operational management and efficiency.
Desirable Trustee Characteristics
- Experience of managing contracts, mergers and acquisitions.
- A commitment to improving our local communities and enhancing people’s lives.
- Well-organised, able to plan for Board meetings.
- Able to read reports ahead of Board meetings, digest key points and prepare scrutiny questions.
- Able to bring personal experience, knowledge and skills to bear on discussions.
- Collegiate – able to encourage a supportive but honest culture and take decisions as part of a group.
- A proactive style – challenging in a structured manner and sympathetic to multiple points of view.
- Recognition where guidance/challenge is vitally needed, and when others may be better placed to advise.
- Experience of working or living with learning disabilities and/or individuals with complex needs.
- Experience of volunteering and fundraising.
- Well networked and able to support and promote Brandon within these.
Remuneration – Voluntary position, reasonable expenses will be reimbursed.
Tenure – Initial term of up to three years which will be reviewed and extended as agreed to a maximum of six years.
Meeting Location – During the coronavirus pandemic, meetings will be held virtually.
Time Commitment – Approximately 10 days a year split into the following commitments:
- 6-8 board meetings per year (each a half day).
- 2-4 sub committees per year (membership encouraged after induction period).
- 3 visits or more per year to service locations to understand our work in practice.
- Ad hoc event support as able.
- During initial induction programme there will be some additional time to visit staff and services.
All trustees are subject to statutory and regulatory checks including an enhanced DBS.
Anderson Quigley is acting as an advisor to Brandon Trust. An executive search process is being carried out by Anderson Quigley in addition to the public advertisement.
The closing date for applications is noon on Monday 8th February 2021.
Applications should consist of:
- A full CV
- A covering letter setting out your interest in the role and details of how you match the experience criteria of the person specification. Please also include the names and addresses of two referees. Referees will not be approached until the final stages and not without prior permission from candidates.
- Please download and complete the following Fit and Proper Person Form and return it to welcome@andersonquigley.com
- Please complete an online Equal Opportunity Form.
Completed applications should be uploaded at www.andersonquigley.com/candidates using the reference AQ1023.
Should you wish to discuss the role in strict confidence, please contact Rob Hilyer on +44 (0) 7719 325 771 or Elyse Turner-Pearce on +44 (0) 7808 648 559.
