WORK WITH US

Trustee:- ESCAPE Family Support

We are aiming to recruit one or two trustees over the next few months to join our board and we hope you are tempted to consider joining us.

Who we are and what we do

We are a small award-winning charity which has been around now for 25 years. We are based in Ashington and provide services across Northumberland to families, carers, adults, young people, children and communities who are affected by the addictive and risky behaviours of their loved ones. Our aim is to improve people’s mental and physical health and well-being in ways which are tailor-made to them. We offer:

  • Education
  • Support
  • Counselling
  • Advice
  • Phoneline
  • Advice

Being a Trustee

The role of a trustee is interesting and varied and enables you to make good use of your skills, experiences and energy. Whilst all trustees are responsible for the overall governance of the charity, we encourage trustees to make use of their individual strengths and abilities and we help them to develop new skills.

Making a Difference

We know our work makes a difference to people’s lives. Our independent evaluations, carers’ surveys and testimonials from people who have used our services prove this. The need for our services grows year on year and we intend to continue being here for people when they need us.

What happens next?

You can access more information about the role and details of how to apply to become a trustee via this link https://Work with US – Escape Family Support once you have read the information, please do not hesitate to contact either me

Holly Scarfe, Chair, at [email protected]

or Janet Murphy, CEO, at [email protected]

Role of Trustee

General Information:

Remuneration: The role of Trustee is voluntary, although travel expenses may be claimed.
Tenure: Initial appointment for 3 years, which may be extended by a further 3 years.

Exceptionally, up to a further 3 years may be served.
HQ Location: Our HQ is at Susan Kennedy Centre, 63 South View, Ashington, NE63 0SF
Board meetings: Held at either Community Fire and Safety HQ, West Hartford, Cramlington or at the Susan Kennedy Centre, Ashington.
Time commitment: 4 Board meetings and 2 strategic meetings per year, working groups and adhoc meetings, associated reading and correspondence, as required.
Reporting to: Chair of the Board of Trustees

 

Role Description:

We aim for our Trustees to find that being a Trustee at ESCAPE provides an exciting and fulfilling experience. We believe that the most effective Boards are ones which benefit from individuals from a diverse range of backgrounds who each bring their unique and valuable knowledge, skills and experiences.

As a Trustee, you will ensure that ESCAPE fulfils its duty to its beneficiaries through good governance and high quality service provision and that we deliver on our Vision, Mission and Values – please see attached document.

You will attend board and other meetings and have the opportunity to get involved in the activities of the charity in a way that reflects your interests and skills and the needs of ESCAPE.

The statutory duties of Trustees are outlined below.

The Statutory Duties of a Trustee (as stated by the Charities Commission) are:

  • To ensure the organisation complies with its governing document – the articles of association.
  • To ensure that the organisation pursues its objectives as defined in its governing document.
  • To ensure the organisation applies its resources exclusively in pursuance of its objectives – the charity must not spend money on activities which are not included in its own objectives, no matter how ‘charitable’ and ‘worthwhile’ those activities are.
  • 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 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 organisation and to ensure the proper investment of the organisation’s funds.
  • If the organisation employs staff, to appoint the Chief Executive Officer and monitor his or her performance.

In addition, with other trustees to hold the charity “in trust” for current and future beneficiaries by:

  • Ensuring that the charity has a clear vision, mission and strategic direction and is focused on achieving these.
  • Being responsible for the performance of the charity and for its corporate behavior, ensuring that the charity complies with all legal and regulatory requirements.
  • Acting as guardians of the charity’s assets, both tangible and intangible, taking all due care over their security, deployment, and proper application.
  • Ensuring that the charity’s governance is of the highest possible standard.

As well as the various 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. The Trustee will be expected to perform all such additional duties as are reasonably commensurate with the role. Training will be given.

Person Specification

General:

  • You will have a strong empathy with our Vision, Mission and Values.
  • You will be passionate about making a difference.
  • Experience, skills, and expertise in any of the following areas will be relevant and desirable: management, banking/finance, HR, Learning and Development, fundraising, marketing, PR and communications, IT and data protection, community and youth work, volunteer support, health, education, social work, commissioning, tendering processes, experience of addictions, safeguarding.
  • You will be capable of helping shape strategic and operational plans for the charity and monitoring their implementation.
  • You will be comfortable taking individual, as well as corporate, responsibility for decisions made.
  • You will be aware of, and understand, your individual and collective responsibilities and should not be overly reliant on one or more individual trustees in any aspect of the governance of the charity.

Experience:

  • Successful experience of operating in a charitable, public sector, commercial organisation or self-employment.
  • Demonstrable experience of building and sustaining relationships with colleagues to achieve organisational objectives.
  • A proven track record of sound judgement and effective decision making.
  • A history of impartiality, fairness, and the ability to respect confidences.
  • A track record of commitment to promoting equality and diversity.
  • Personal experience of addictive behavior or as a carer, supporter or as a member of a family including a person with addictive behavior.

All the above attributes are essential, other than the final point which is desirable.

Knowledge, Skills and Understanding:

  • Commitment to the organisation and an ability to devote the necessary time and effort
  • Preparedness to take difficult decisions and an ability to speak openly and constructively
  • Willingness to accept corporate responsibility for board decisions
  • Willingness to be available to staff for advice and enquiries on an ad hoc basis
  • Sound, independent judgement and ability to think strategically
  • An understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities, and liabilities of trusteeship
  • An ability to work effectively as a member of a team
  • An understanding of the respective roles of the Chair, Trustees and Chief Executive
  • Willingness to develop own skill base as a Trustee and commitment to develop in the role

All the above attributes are essential, although training will be provided to enable Trustees to develop their skills further in the role.

ESCAPE Family Support Ltd

Vision: ESCAPE’s focus for the future is on ensuring we continue to be a sustainable organisation capable of ensuring our unique service offer is available to all people who need it, when they need it.

Mission Statement: Empowering families, carers, adults, young people, children and communities of Northumberland to improve their mental and physical health and well-being to reduce the impact of addictions, social and lifestyle pressures, and risky behaviors.

Values:

As an organisation, and as individuals who are involved with ESCAPE in any capacity, we all uphold the Values below:

We strive to be the best we can be

  • We aim high in all we do
  • We welcome constructive feedback to enable us to improve
  • We base our decision-making on evidence-based materials
  • We are passionate about what we do
  • We strive for service excellence

We are respectful

  • We show respect and dignity to everyone we interact with
  • We are inclusive and welcome diversity in all its forms
  • We are tolerant and understanding of people’s different needs
  • We are fair and non-judgmental
  • We work to address stigma

We care

  • We care about the health and well-being of families, carers, adults, young people, children and communities
  • We recognise the important role that families and carers play in their loved one’s recovery journey
  • We recognise and promote the families’ and carers’ needs for support in their own right
  • We are committed to working to improve people’s lives in ways that are tailored to them
  • We show empathy and compassion
  • We have integrity
  • We care for each other and provide mutual support

We innovate and learn

  • We search out best practice to guide our improvements in service delivery
  • We are aspirational and innovative
  • We understand the short- and long-term impact that addictive behaviours have
  • We share our experiences and learning with others

We work together

  • We embrace working in partnership with other organisations to improve service delivery
  • We seek out new pathways and new partners to develop partnership working
  • We strive to break down barriers and communication problems across organisations
  • We applaud the massive contribution by paid and volunteer workers, carers and trustees
  • We support and sustain one another within the organisation