Trustees

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Job description

Partnership for Children is an independent charity which promotes the mental health and emotional wellbeing of children around the world. Our principal activities run in primary schools and kindergartens in 30 countries and have already helped more than two million children. We also develop resources for parents and teachers to help young children cope with difficult situations, such as bereavement, bullying or divorce and separation. Many of these resources are available free of charge on our website. Each year more than 180,000 children take part in our Skills for Life Programmes around the world. That's a big number but only a small fraction of the world's children. We see both a need and an opportunity to do more to achieve our vision of a world in which the development of mental health and emotional resilience is part of life for every child - at home, at school and in the community. Our Mission is to help children and young people throughout the world, develop skills which will enhance their present and future emotional well-being. We aim to do this by increasing our impact globally through collaborative, multi-lateral partnerships.

Trustee - Role Description

Remuneration: The role of trustee is unpaid but reasonable travel expenses may be claimed

Location: Partnership for Children's offices, Kingston-upon-Thames or central London or Zoom

Time commitment: Up to 4 board meetings annually. Two are evening meetings (18.00 - 20.00), two are half-day meetings (10.00 - 13.00). Trustees can attend via Zoom as necessary, however we hope to return to in person half day meetings in 2022. Working groups and Sub Committees are organised as required (usually 4 times per year - 1 hour meetings online) and Trustees are asked to be on one Sub Committee or Working group.

Staff members may contact individual trustees between meetings on matters relating to their particular areas of expertise. Term of Office: Trustees serve a 3-year term and can serve for a maximum of 2 terms. The statutory duties of any charity trustee are:

To ensure the charity complies with its governing document and pursues its defined objectives
To contribute actively to giving clear strategic direction, setting overall policy, defining -goals and setting targets, and evaluating performance
To safeguard the charity's good name and values
To ensure the charity's effective and efficient administration
To ensure the charity's financial stability, protecting and managing its property and ensuring the proper investment of its funds.
To appoint the Chief Executive and monitor his or her performance

Trustee - Person specification

The ideal Trustee will have:

Commitment to our aims and a willingness to devote the necessary time and effort
A keen interest in children's mental health and an understanding of the issues facing vulnerable children
Appreciation of the challenges and opportunities facing a small charity working internationally
Sound judgement and effective decision making
The ability to work effectively as a member of a team
A willingness to share insights, learning and practices from other sectors and organisations and to share contacts and opportunities
An understanding of the reality of promoting good mental health in children

Although not essential, we always welcome people with skills in any of the following areas

- finance, fundraising, legal, digital, HR and PR and marketing and social media.

In addition, we are also looking for someone who might become our next Chair or Vice Chair. In addition, this person will ideally have:

Proven experience and skills in strategic planning and leadership
An understanding of good governance and the respective roles of the Chair, Trustees and Chief Executive

We are currently looking to recruit a number of new Trustees to our Board to replace Trustees who are coming to the end of their term of office. We are keen to build a diverse team of people to steer the charity and welcome applications from all sectors of society including those who do not have prior experience of being a Trustee. An interest in improving the social and emotional well-being of children and maybe experience of working with children who may be vulnerable to mental health difficulties would be ideal. We will provide a full induction and on-going support and training to those who are new to the role of a charity Trustee.

How to apply

Please send a CV and a cover note (no more than 1 page) explaining why you would like to become a Trustee of Partnership for Children and what you could bring to the Board to our Chief Executive

If you would like an informal chat about the role in advance of applying, please contact Wendy by e-mail to arrange a time for a chat.

The closing date for applications is Friday 31st December however the Trustees will review applications on an ongoing basis with a view to our new Trustees joining the Board in early 2022. We look forward to receiving your application.