Job Title: Chair of Trustees

Employer Name: The Squad Club

Email: volunteer@thesquad.org.uk

Work Hours/Days: Up to 15 hours per month

Salary: Pro-bono

Job Description: An exciting time of renewal and growth for a vital hyper-local charity:

This is an exciting time for The Squad Club as we shift up a gear from our post-Pandemic recovery and look ahead to an ambitious future. We are seeking a new Chair of Trustees who will provide strategic leadership and a positive collaborative culture as we move forward into a period of renewal and growth. And, ultimately, provide excellent experiences for our members.

About the Squad Club:

The Squad is a Wimbledon based charity that has supported local people with Special Educational Needs & Learning Disability since its inception in 1993. Our vision is to create a member-first community that provides empowering social opportunities to enable adults and young people with learning disabilities to live their lives, be included, to have their voice heard and make their own choices. We seek to achieve this by offering inclusive, informal educational and fun social activities for adults and young people with learning disabilities in Merton. We aim to create an environment where our Members,Volunteers and Club Leaders, together, experience opportunities, learn new skills, build confidence and improve mental, physical and emotional wellbeing.

The Squad runs a weekly ‘Juniors club’ for members aged 13-25 and a weekly ‘Vets’ club for members aged 25+ years old. The clubs are run separately and both have their own programme of age-appropriate activities. Both projects offer a wide range of opportunities and experiences for their members and strive to improve confidence, build support networks and give people with SEND a place in which they feel secure and supported.

Chair of Trustees’ governing responsibilities:

● To contribute actively to the board of trustees’ role in giving firm strategic direction to the organisation, setting overall policy, defining goals and setting objectives
● To ensure that the organisation complies with its governing document, charity law, company law, safeguarding and data protection and any other relevant legislation or regulations
● To ensure that the organisation pursues its objects as defined in its governing document
● To ensure the organisation applies its resources exclusively in pursuance of its objectives, targets and evaluating performance against agreed targets
● To maintain the good name and values of the organisation
● To ensure the effective and efficient administration of the organisation
● To ensure the financial stability of the organisation
● To protect and manage the property of the charity and to ensure the proper investment of the charity’s funds
● To develop a balanced team of trustees and to establish a positive culture where trustees can use their skills and experience to benefit the organisation.

In addition to the above statutory duties, The Chair of Trustees should use any specific skills, knowledge or experience they have to help the Board of Trustees reach sound decisions. This may involve:

● Giving direction to Board policy-making
● Leading discussions
● Focusing on key issues
● Ensuring financial oversight, including driving income generation and fundraising
● Providing guidance on new initiatives
● Other issues in which the Trustee has special expertise.
● Overseeing Board work streams and liaise with Club Leaders on progress.
● Chairing and facilitating board meetings
● Monitoring that decisions taken at meetings are implemented
● Representing the organisation at functions, meetings
● Acting as a spokesperson as appropriate
● Bringing impartiality and objectivity to decision-making
● Planning the annual cycle of Board meetings
● Setting agendas for Board meetings with the Deputy-Chair and Secretary
● Where staff are employed:
● Liaising with the Trustees in line management roles to keep an overview of the organisation’s affairs and to provide support as appropriate
● Where needed taking on or supporting with line management responsibilities of the charity’s paid employees
● Leading the process of appraising the performance of staff
● Sitting on appointment and disciplinary panels
● Liaising with other Trustees to develop the Board of Trustees
● Facilitating change and addressing conflict within the Board and within the organisation, liaising with other Trustees as to achieve this.

The Deputy-Chair acts for the Chair when the Chair is not available and undertakes assignments at the request of the Chair.

Chair of Trustees personal specification:
Essential:

● Strategic vision
● Leadership skills
● Willingness to devote the necessary time and effort
● Good, independent judgment
● Sound understanding of financial information
● Ability to think creatively
● Willingness to speak their mind
● Understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of Trusteeship
● Ability to work effectively as a member of a team
● Experience of committee work
● Tact and diplomacy
● Good communication and interpersonal skills
● Impartiality, fairness and the ability to respect confidences

Desirable:
● Previous experience as a Trustee
● Understanding/working knowledge of learning disability
● Experience of working in the third sector/understanding of the needs and issues faced by a small charity
● Willingness to attend both clubs on as required basis to forge better understanding of the organisation.

Average time commitment:
15 hours per month
May be required to attend some external events
Application Process: Please email your CV to volunteer@thesquad.org.uk and we will contact any shortlisted candidates to schedule an interview.

The Squad’s recruitment process for the Chair of Trustees will consist of a two-stage interview process with a variety of current trustees. Each interview will assess the candidate’s suitability using competency based questions focused on the candidate’s relevant skills and experience in relation to the role. After completing both stages of the interview process, the successful candidate will be given the opportunity to attend a club night at the centre is South Wimbledon to meet the Team Leaders, Volunteers and members.

The Candidate will also be invited to a Trustee Board meeting as a visitor to observe the Squad’s Board if they wish to do this. The successful candidate will also be put forward to the Trustee Board by the interview panel for Board approval, where all current trustees will vote to approve the appointment of the candidate before the role is formally offered to them.

Web Page: https://thesquad.org.uk/about-us/.
Job Description (PDF or DOC): https://wimbledoncommunity.org/wp-content/uploads/elementor/forms/64a89690669c8.pdf.