Recruitment Information Pack Welsh Women’s Aid Trustees Dear Applicant, Thank you for your interest in becoming a Trustee of Welsh Women’s Aid (WWA). Please find enclosed an application pack which I hope will provide you with the information you need in order to apply. This information pack and accompanying documents include: • • • • Trustee role description Application form (separate document) Annual reports (see our website: https://welshwomensaid.org.uk/about/annual- reports/) Equalities monitoring form (separate document) Please return your application form and monitoring form by the closing date in the advert, marked for the attention of Klaudia Rogut to: Welsh Women’s Aid, Pendragon House, Caxton Place, Pentwyn, Cardiff, CF23 8XE, or email to governance@welshwomensaid.org.uk. After considering your application the Board’s recruitment panel will be shortlisting applicants for interview. In the meantime, if you would like an information discussion about the position, please email governance@welshwomensaid.org.uk. Trustees play a vital role in ensuring that Welsh Women’s Aid continues to deliver much needed support and services across Wales. I very much hope that you will be inspired to join us and look forward to receiving your application. Yours faithfully, Sara Kirkpatrick CEO, Welsh Women’s Aid On behalf of the Board of Trustees Pendragon House, Caxton Place | Pentwyn, Cardiff | CF23 8XE Tel: 02920 541551 info@welshwomensaid.org.uk | www.welshwomensaid.org.uk Welsh Women’s Aid is a registered charity in England and Wales, No. 1140962 and a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales, No. 07483469 1/8 Welsh Women’s Aid vision and values Our vision We want a world in which women and children live free from domestic abuse, sexual violence and all forms of violence against women, and by doing so achieve independence, freedom and liberation from oppression. Our values & approach Welsh Women’s Aid is a feminist organisation, and our values are founded on commitments to human rights, anti-discrimination and freedom from oppression. We endorse global evidence that violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence is gendered, a cause and consequence of the unequal position of women and girls in society, a violation of human rights, and is entirely preventable. Our approach is founded on the following value-base: We are feminist and value diversity of lived experiences – we amplify diverse voices, recognising that identities and life experience impact on experience of abuse and access to support, safety and justice. We advocate ending violence against women and girls alongside the liberation of all women and girls from multiple oppressions like sexism, racism, classism, homophobia, ageism, ableism, transphobia, to attain social justice for all. We promote integrity – we are accountable, and place survivors’ voices and their lived experience central to our work. We encourage respect, transparency and learning from experience, we challenge misuse of power and promote social responsibility in all we do. We collaborate – we work with survivors, specialist services, other organisations, individuals and communities, to capacity-build services and to evidence and deliver what works in preventing violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence. We empower – we advocate a rights-based approach so that all women and children can achieve their full potential, and we promote services led by and for women/minoritised groups as being vital to meeting needs and to achieving social economic and political liberation from patriarchy, racism, and other oppressions. Pendragon House, Caxton Place | Pentwyn, Cardiff | CF23 8XE Tel: 02920 541551 info@welshwomensaid.org.uk | www.welshwomensaid.org.uk Welsh Women’s Aid is a registered charity in England and Wales, No. 1140962 and a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales, No. 07483469 2/8 We transform – we are committed to challenging inequalities and discrimination, to combining high- quality services with activism for social change, and building a movement that ends violence against women and girls and liberates women and girls from multiple and intersecting oppressions to benefit everyone. Pendragon House, Caxton Place | Pentwyn, Cardiff | CF23 8XE Tel: 02920 541551 info@welshwomensaid.org.uk | www.welshwomensaid.org.uk Welsh Women’s Aid is a registered charity in England and Wales, No. 1140962 and a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales, No. 07483469 3/8 Trustee role description Remuneration: The role of Trustee is not accompanied by any financial remuneration, although reasonable expenses for travel and accommodation may be claimed in line with WWA policy. Location: Pan-Wales (in person meetings are usually based in Cardiff but occasionally held in other regions). Time commitment: • A minimum of 8 Board meetings per year, full Board meetings are held in person at our Cardiff • office. Although hybrid attendance can be arranged if necessary. In addition, all Trustees must be members of at least one subgroup, this is a minimum of an additional four meetings per year. Subgroup meetings are held via Microsoft Teams. The subgroups are as below: o Audit – Governance, finance, and risk. o HR o Engagement – Membership and community activities. • Papers that will be discussed at all Board and subgroup meetings are circulated one week in advance and must be reviewed prior to meetings. • All WWA Board meetings (including subgroups) are held in the evening, commencing at 5.30pm. Subgroups last approximately 1 hour and full Board meetings 2 hours. • WWA also holds an annual AGM in November. This is an in-person meeting held at various venues across Wales. Any travel and/or accommodation required by Trustees to attend will be arranged by WWA. Reporting to: Chair of the Board of Trustees. The statutory duties of a Trustee are: • To ensure that Welsh Women’s Aid complies with its governing document (Memorandum and Articles), charity law, company law and any other relevant legislation or regulations. • To ensure Welsh Women’s Aid has a clear vision, mission and values and that it develops a clear strategy with measurable objectives to work towards achieving its Pendragon House, Caxton Place | Pentwyn, Cardiff | CF23 8XE Tel: 02920 541551 info@welshwomensaid.org.uk | www.welshwomensaid.org.uk Welsh Women’s Aid is a registered charity in England and Wales, No. 1140962 and a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales, No. 07483469 4/8 vision and charitable objects, as defined in its governing document. • To ensure the financial stability of Welsh Women’s Aid and to ensure resources exclusively in pursuance of its objectives. • To contribute actively to the Board of Trustees’ role in giving Welsh Women’s Aid firm strategic direction, setting overall policy, defining goals and setting targets and evaluating performance against agreed targets. • To safeguard the good name and values of Welsh Women’s Aid. • To ensure the effective and efficient administration of Welsh Women’s Aid. • To protect and manage property and to ensure the proper investment of funds. • To appoint, manage and support the Chief Executive Officer and ensure the organisation has appropriate, effective staff. As well as statutory duties, any Trustee should make full use of any specific skills, knowledge or experience to help the Board make good decisions. The above list of duties is indicative only and not exhaustive – further details can be found in the organisation’s Governance Policy. The Trustee will be expected to perform all such additional duties as are reasonably commensurate with the role. More information about Trustees’ roles and responsibilities of Trustees can be found on the Charity Commission website under The Essential Trustee. The National Occupational Standards for Trustees in the Community and Voluntary Sector also set out the standard of competence to be delivered and stated outcomes to be achieved as a result of the required standards. These will be used by the Board of Trustees to inform recruitment, to identify learning and development needs and review performance of Trustees and of the Board. Additional requirements for Welsh Women’s Aid: In addition to understanding and accepting the legal duties and responsibilities of Trustees, as outlined above, each Trustee is expected to demonstrate: • A commitment to Welsh Women’s Aid’s vision, mission and strategic objectives. • A commitment to feminist principles, and to ending violence against women within a framework of gender equality and human rights; to delivering services within a women-led environment, and to promoting women’s equality and empowerment. • A strong commitment to voluntary and community sector services and good knowledge of the violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence sector. Pendragon House, Caxton Place | Pentwyn, Cardiff | CF23 8XE Tel: 02920 541551 info@welshwomensaid.org.uk | www.welshwomensaid.org.uk Welsh Women’s Aid is a registered charity in England and Wales, No. 1140962 and a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales, No. 07483469 5/8 • A strong strategic vision and an ability to think creatively in a problem solving and strategic way, and a willingness to learn and maximise personal development. • Good independent judgement, a willingness to express constructive opinions whilst considering the views of others and being able to work effectively as a member of a team. • Extensive skills and experience in one or more of the following areas: o Governance and strategic planning. o Fundraising and diversifying income streams. o Financial management. o Working in the voluntary sector or relevant public services. o Legal issues e.g. employment, justice system, family law, human rights. o Marketing, publicity and communications. o o Quality assurance and impact measurement. o Policy development and campaigning. Information technology. Eligibility of charity trustees: Trustees of Welsh Women’s Aid must be a woman at least 18 years old or older. Some people are disqualified by law from acting as charity Trustees. Subject to waiver provisions (see below) this includes anyone who: • Has an unspent conviction for an offence involving dishonesty or deception. • Is currently declared bankrupt (or is subject to bankruptcy restrictions or an interim order) or has an individual voluntary arrangement (IVA) with creditors. Is disqualified from being a company director. • • Has previously been removed as a Trustee by either the Charity Commission or the High Court due to misconduct or mismanagement. It is normally an offence to act as a Trustee while disqualified unless the commission has given a waiver. It is a Trustee’s duty to inform Welsh Women’s Aid if there are any changes in a Trustee’s circumstances that impact on their eligibility to act as a Trustee. Before becoming a Trustee, you will be required to sign a standard declaration of eligibility and to consent to us undertaking a basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. If you are successfully recruited to become a Trustee, we will inform the Charity Commission and Companies House of your appointment. Pendragon House, Caxton Place | Pentwyn, Cardiff | CF23 8XE Tel: 02920 541551 info@welshwomensaid.org.uk | www.welshwomensaid.org.uk Welsh Women’s Aid is a registered charity in England and Wales, No. 1140962 and a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales, No. 07483469 6/8 Trustees shall be appointed or elected for an initial period of three years. Post-holders who serve a three- year term are eligible for re-appointment for one additional three-year term, before standing down. A 12-month gap is then required after 2 consecutive terms have been served before further applications can be considered. This is in line with the need for progressive refreshing of the Board. Additional information Benefits of becoming a Trustee: • To use your skills and experience to make a difference, working to prevent violence and abuse and helping to ensure that the needs of survivors are met. • To help ensure that specialist independent services are sustainable and supported. • To develop new skills, especially around leading a national organisation, management and strategy. • To meet new people and develop new contacts. • To broaden your experience and knowledge of the not-for-profit sector. • To enhance your CV. • To lead the direction of the charity over the next 5 years and ensure Wales takes the lead in preventing violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence, across the UK. An induction and training programme will be provided, particularly for those without previous experience of Welsh Women’s Aid or of being a Trustee. Appointment and induction: Trustees are elected to the Board at the Annual General Meeting of Welsh Women’s Aid. Trustees can be co-opted to the Board between Annual General Meetings and must then be confirmed at the next AGM. All Trustees will be offered an induction to their role, providing an opportunity to learn about their duties and about different aspects of Welsh Women’s Aid, including: • An induction pack of essential information: a Trustee role description, copy of WWA governing document, annual report and accounts, and minutes of previous Trustee meetings. Pendragon House, Caxton Place | Pentwyn, Cardiff | CF23 8XE Tel: 02920 541551 info@welshwomensaid.org.uk | www.welshwomensaid.org.uk Welsh Women’s Aid is a registered charity in England and Wales, No. 1140962 and a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales, No. 07483469 7/8 • An opportunity to get to know other Trustees. • An opportunity to find out about the roles and responsibilities of Trustees thorough briefings at Board meetings or attendance at training. • An opportunity to find out about the organisation – meetings with key staff, visits to services and premises or presentations by staff members. Trustee appointments will be reviewed annually, and newly inducted Trustees should expect to serve for at least one term. Trustees report to the Chair of the Board, and WWA ensures that the Board’s performance is reviewed annually. Pendragon House, Caxton Place | Pentwyn, Cardiff | CF23 8XE Tel: 02920 541551 info@welshwomensaid.org.uk | www.welshwomensaid.org.uk Welsh Women’s Aid is a registered charity in England and Wales, No. 1140962 and a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales, No. 07483469 8/8