Become a Trustee Vacancies – Citizens Advice Central Dorset

Come and join our friendly Trustee Board at Central Dorset

A chance to make a difference within local communities
Use your skills and experience in a new context
Learn how a charity operates
Learn about the impact of high quality, impartial advice
Understand the strategic role of Trustee Boards
Contribute to the future direction and sustainability of a key local organisation
Work with people from a wide range of backgrounds engaged around a common purpose
Something a bit different to add to your CV!

Citizens Advice Central Dorset are looking for new trustees to help the service deliver on providing advice to people to help solve the problems they face. Working with our Chief Officer and other staff, our trustees shape strategy and give direction. Our Board of Trustees come from a variety of backgrounds who all have the passion and dedication to make a positive difference for people, who need help and advice on a wide range of matters, in our community. We are governed and managed locally but with the benefit of being part of the influential national organisation, Citizens Advice.

Current opportunities within the Trustee board are:

Chair of Trustees
Treasurer
Lead for Information Technology development
Lead for Marketing and Communications
Lead for managing partnership opportunities

Trustee roles are voluntary, unpaid appointments, although reasonable travel expenses will be paid. Each role provides you with a great deal of experience and satisfaction, the opportunity to develop your skills and utilise your expertise and knowledge.

Come and join the dynamic team of professional people that makes up our friendly Board at Central Dorset. We welcome and encourage applications from every part of our community. You will be given all the support and encouragement to ensure you make the best contribution possible towards your community.

To find out more about each of these roles please select from the options below.

For any further information or an informal chat before applying please contact Tracy McGregor, Chair of People sub-committee, by email in the first instance, tracy.mcgregor@centralca.org.uk.

To apply for any of the positions please fill out the Trustee Application Form and Diversity Monitoring Form (microsoft Word documents) and send directly to hr@centralca.org.uk.

Applicants will be required to attend one or more interviews.

Closing date for applications Thursday 14 December 2023

Trustee Application Form – CACD Volunteers – November 2023Download

Volunteer Diversity Monitoring FormDownload

More information about becoming a Trustee can be found on the National Citizens Advice Website

This is a strategic role, providing leadership and direction for Citizens Advice Central Dorset (CACD) and for the CACD board of trustees.

The Chair will be an ambassador for and champion the cause of Citizens Advice and further develop CACD as a local charity that makes a difference to the daily lives of many, often vulnerable, people ensuring that CACD continues to be highly regarded in the local community.

What will you do?

As Chair of the Trustees, you will:

set the direction and help secure the resources for CACD to be recognised as best in class for the services we provide
ensure the effective and collaborative governance of the board, providing leadership and support to the Chief Officer, trustees, paid staff and volunteers and ensuring that the purpose and values of CACD are understood, shared and lived through the organisation
be responsible for ensuring that CACD complies with its governing document and all relevant legislation
be the ‘outward facing’ ambassador for CACD, representing the organisation with the priority contacts of Dorset Council and the Citizens Advice in Dorset (CAiD) trust board
continue to collaboratively develop a clear, shared vision, strategy, strategic priorities and business plan that is reviewed annually
ensure that there is a strategic plan in place for CACD which drives the operational work of the organisation, led by the Chief Officer and that progress against this plan is regularly monitored and reviewed.
champion CACD and our aims and continue to build a sustainable and adaptable operating model
work with CAiD, Dorset Council and the Chief Officer to ensure that the Council funded contract to deliver Citizens Advice services across Dorset is meeting all the required contract criteria and Key Performance Indicators
facilitate the trustee board meetings by leading the meeting, ensuring that
agenda items are discussed, enabling all members to contribute their
views and take part and seeking clarification where necessary
ensure that the board decisions are made within the remit of the Citizens Advice membership agreement, governing documents and policies and the board is enabled to fulfil their responsibilities for the overall governance and strategic direction of CACD
together with the Treasurer, ensure proper management and control of CACD finances
maintain a culture throughout the organisation which is collaborative, inclusive and supportive for all volunteers, paid staff and stakeholders.
help identify and secure sustainable sources of funding and ensure the relevant contracts are in place
arrange or provide support and supervision for the Chief Officer including an annual appraisal
ensure that the Chief Officer and the management team appropriately implement the decisions of the trustee board
establish a clear division of responsibilities between the role and that of the Chief Officer
with other trustees and the Chief Officer, recruit a trustee board with a diverse range of skills, experience and knowledge with an aim to promote trusteeship to under-represented groups and people within the local community

As part of your responsibilities as a trustee you will also:

complete an induction for your role
undertake training to ensure that you can successfully fulfil your role as a trustee and chair
review your own contribution and work of CACD and how effectively it operates including taking action for improvement

What’s in it for you?

make a positive impact for people in your local area by ensuring CACD is sustainable and meeting the needs of the community
meet people and build relationships with trustees, staff and other volunteers
build on your governance, leadership and strategy skills
use and improve your employability skills if relevant
receive training and updating on current issues and practices

And we’ll reimburse expenses too.

What do you need to have?

understand and accept the responsibilities and liabilities as trustees
understand the type of work undertaken by CACD
be non-judgmental and respect views, values and cultures that are different to your own
good leadership skills
experience as a leader at a senior level in a public service/corporate organisation (preferably)
ability to facilitate and lead meetings
good interpersonal and relationship building skills
have good listening, verbal and written communication skills
be able to exercise good independent judgement
be willing to learn about and follow the Citizens Advice aims, principles and policies, including confidentiality and data protection, have good numeracy skills to understand accounts with the support of the treasurer
ability to work collaboratively in a team environment
ability to manage conflict and negotiate challenging situations
be willing to undertake training in your role
have a commitment to promoting equity, diversity and impartiality throughout CACD and its work

How much time do you need to give?

Trustee boards usually meet in the late afternoon or evenings every quarter and you are likely to need to give approx 3 hours to attend these meetings. You will also need to have time to plan and prepare in order to effectively chair these meetings. You may need to attend other meetings if you’re involved in specific projects, or meet with volunteers and staff within the CACD offices.

There are also other meetings as Chair that you will need to prepare for and participate in as follows:

Executive team – once per quarter (approx 2 hours)
Trustee awayday meeting – once per annum
Meetings with Chief Officer – monthly (approx 2 hours) in person or virtually plus regular contact via emails and phone calls
CAiD meetings – once per quarter
Meeting with Dorset Council – every 6 months
Involvement in trustee recruitment, selection and induction – approx 1 per quarter (2 hrs)
Trust AGM planning and meeting – 2 days per annum
Attendance at National CA annual meeting – one day per annum
Attendance at Regional CA meeting – quarterly by remote access

Valuing inclusion

Our volunteers come from a range of backgrounds and we particularly welcome applications from disabled people, people with physical or mental health conditions, LGBT+ and non-binary people, and people from ethnic minority backgrounds (EMB).

What will you do?

General trustee responsibilities

The following are comprehensive and given to set out the entire responsibilities that trustees, individually and collectively, and the board overall have. You are not expected singly and individually undertake all without other trustees.

complete an induction for your role
develop and maintain an awareness of how Citizens Advice Central Dorset (CACD) operates and how your role supports the organisation’s plans and goals
read papers for board meetings and attend quarterly board meetings each year
Participate in one of the sub committees by reading papers, preparing reports if required and attending quarterly meetings
work on specific projects with other trustees or staff within CACD to further the strategic objectives of CACD
take an active discussion during board meetings and work with other trustees to:
set policy and strategy direction, targets and evaluate the performance of CACD
ensure that all the finances and supporting financial control systems of CACD are in order including that full financial records are kept for all transactions, that money is only spent for the purpose given and that proper financial controls are in place to safeguard the organisation’s resources
monitor the financial position of CACD ensuring that it operates within its means and objectives, ensuring that there are clear lines of accountability for day-to-day financial management
seek the views of all sections of the community and monitor how well CACD meets the needs of the local community
ensure that CACD plans for the recruitment and turnover of staff and volunteers
review the agreed business plan for CACD and how effectively it operates including identifying action for improvement
review your own contribution and work of CACD and how effectively it operates including taking action for improvement

Specific responsibilities for Treasurer

be the Finance and Premises Sub Committee Chair leading sub-committee meetings to plan the budget and monitor the day-to-day finances and take an overview of CACD’s premises
explain, guide and advise the board on the key assumptions and financial implications of CACD budgets, operational and strategic plans
ensure that CACD has an appropriate reserves policy and a realistic budget that meets the services’ needs
support the Finance Manager to explain, guide and advise CACD on the approval of budgets, accounts and financial statements within the organisation’s framework
present the accounts at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in an accessible way for volunteers, staff, partners, stakeholders and the public
ensure that annual accounts are prepared in compliance with SORP (Statement of Recommended Practice) Accounting for Charities and submitted by the deadline to the Charity Commission and Registrar of Companies, and make arrangements for them to be audited or independently examined as required
keep the Board informed about its financial duties and responsibilities
monitor CACD’s income and expenditure position and in conjunction with the Finance Manager present accessible reports quarterly to ensure that Board members understand the accounts and implications
understand the accounting procedures and key internal controls to be able to assure the Board that the charity’s financial integrity is sound
work with CACD staff, the Chief Officer and Finance Manager, to give information and advice on financial matters

What’s in it for you?

make a positive impact for people in our local area by ensuring CACD is sustainable and meeting the needs of the community
meet people and build relationships with trustees, staff and other volunteers
use and improve your governance, leadership and strategy skills
improve your employability if relevant
receive training and updating on current issues and practices

And we’ll reimburse expenses too.

What do you need to have?

You’ll need to:

have financial qualifications or experience
some knowledge or experience of charity finances, fundraising, financial consequences and pension schemes
good numeracy skills to understand accounts
be able to explain complex financial information in an accessible way, understand and accept the responsibilities and liabilities as trustees
be non-judgmental and respect views, values and cultures that may be different to your own
ability or develop skills to facilitate and lead meetings
good interpersonal skills
have good listening, verbal and written communication skills
be able to exercise good independent judgement
be willing to learn about and follow the Citizens Advice aims, principles and policies, including confidentiality and data protection
be willing to undertake training in your role
have or develop excellent written and verbal communication skills
demonstrate a strong and visible passion and commitment to CACD, our strategic objectives and causes
exhibit strong interpersonal and relationship building abilities and be comfortable as a role model for CACD
a collaboration mindset and willingness to work as part of a team
have a commitment to promoting equity, diversity and impartiality throughout CACD and its work

How much time do you need to give?

CACD board usually meet in the late afternoon or evenings once per quarter and you are likely to be asked to give more time to any role you take on. If you’re involved in specific projects or meet with volunteers and staff occasionally within CACD’s offices.

Valuing inclusion

What will you do?

General trustee responsibilities

The following are comprehensive and given to set out the entire responsibilities that trustees, individually and collectively, and the board overall have. You are not expected to singly and individually undertake all the responsibilities without other trustees.

complete an induction for your role
maintain an awareness of how CACD is operating
read papers for board meetings and attend quarterly board meetings each year
participate in one of the sub committees by reading papers, preparing reports if required and attending quarterly meetings
work on specific projects with other trustees or staff to further the strategic objectives of CACD
Take an active discussion during board meetings and work with other trustees to:
set policy and strategy direction, targets and evaluate the performance of CACD
ensure that all the finances and supporting financial control systems of CACD are in order including that full financial records are kept for all transactions, that money is only spent for the purpose given, and that proper financial controls are in place to safeguard the organisation’s resources
monitor the financial position of CACD ensuring that it operates within its means and objectives, ensuring that there are clear lines of accountability for day-to-day financial management
seek the views of all sections of the community and monitor how well CACD meets the needs of the local communities
ensure that CACD plans for the recruitment and turnover of staff and volunteers
review the agreed business plan for CACD and how effectively it operates including identifying action for improvement
review your own contribution to the work of CACD and how effectively CACD operates including taking action for improvement

Responsibilities for trustee with lead for marketing and communications

to prepare and refresh/update the CACD marketing and communications strategy and budget
to modernise the look and feel of CACD (in line with National guidelines) with the smart use of social media and Artificial Intelligence
to raise the profile of CACD as a charity as a preferred local employer and place to volunteer and as an attractive and worthy prospect for donor funding
to help manage effective and timely communications with CACD stakeholders (internal and external)
to oversee the preparation of the annual marketing and communications plan including messaging, events, multichannel use, media messaging and presence and campaigns.
to support the income generation work of CACD

What’s in it for you?

make a positive impact for people in our local area by ensuring CACD is sustainable and meeting the needs of our communities
meet people and build relationships with trustees, staff and other volunteers
use and improve your governance, leadership and strategy skills
improve your employability if relevant
receive training and updating on current issues

And we’ll reimburse expenses too.

What do you need to have?

You’ll need to:

understand and accept the responsibilities and liabilities as a trustee
understand the type of work undertaken by CACD
be non-judgmental and respect views, values and cultures that may be different to your own
have good listening, verbal and written communication skills
experience of or qualifications in marketing or communications role or experience of campaigns including digital marketing and social media
be able to exercise good independent judgement
have good numeracy skills to understand accounts with the support of the treasurer
be willing to learn about and follow Citizens Advice aims, principles and policies, including confidentiality and data protection
be willing to undertake training in your role
have or develop excellent written and oral communications skills
demonstrate a strong and visible passion and commitment to CACD, our strategic objectives and causes
exhibit strong interpersonal and relationship building abilities and be comfortable as a role model for CACD
develop good networking capabilities
have or develop experience of working with partners at a strategic level
a collaboration mindset and willingness to work as part of a team
have a commitment to promoting equity, diversity and impartiality throughout CACD and its work

It is desirable but not essential to have or be willing to gain working at a strategic level.

How much time do you need to give?

CACD board usually meet in the late afternoons or evenings once per quarter and you are likely to be asked to give more time to any role you take on; you may need to attend other meetings if you’re involved in specific projects or meet with volunteers and staff occasionally within CACD’s offices.

Valuing inclusion

If you are interested in becoming a trustee and would like to discuss flexibility around location, time, ‘what you will do’ and how we can support you please contact us.

What will you do?

General trustee responsibilities

The following are comprehensive and given to set out the entire responsibilities that trustees, individually and collectively, and the board overall have. You are not expected to singly and individually undertake all the responsibilities without other trustees.

complete an induction for your role
maintain an awareness of how CACD is operating
read papers for board meetings and attend the quarterly board meetings per year
work on specific projects with other trustees or staff within CACD to further the strategic objectives of CACD
take an active discussion during board meetings and work with other trustees to:
set policy and strategy direction, targets and evaluate the performance of CACD
monitor the financial position of CACD ensuring that it operates within its means and objectives, ensuring that there are clear
ensure that all the finances and supporting financial control systems of CACD are in order including that full financial records are kept for all transactions, that money is only spent for the purpose given, and that proper financial controls are in place to safeguard the organisation’s resources
monitor the financial position of CACD ensuring that it operates within its means and objectives, ensuring that there are clear lines of accountability for day to day financial management
seek the views of all sections of the community and monitor how well the service meets the needs of the local community
ensure that CACD plans for the recruitment and turnover of staff and volunteers
review the agreed business plan for CACD and how effectively it operates including identifying action for improvement
review your own contribution to the work of CACD and how effectively CACD operates including taking action for improvement

Specific responsibilities for trustee with lead for IT

to lead on strategy development and implementation for our Information Communciations Technology (ICT) service developments and improvements
to maintain oversight that the planning, implementation and operation of IT is fit for purpose
to advise on the security and integrity of operating systems including risks to ensure uninterrupted data security in line with legal, customer and Citizens Advice requirements
to help develop appropriate IT policies

What’s in it for you?

make a positive impact for people in our local area by ensuring CACD is sustainable and meeting the needs of our communities
meet people and build relationships with trustees, staff and other volunteers
use and improve your governance, leadership and strategy skills
improve your employability if relevant
receive training and updating on current issues and practices

And we’ll reimburse expenses too.

What do you need to have?

You don’t need specific qualifications or skills but you’ll need to:

understand and accept the responsibilities and liabilities as a trustee
be non-judgmental and respect views, values and cultures that may be different to your own
have good listening, verbal and written communication skills
be able to exercise good independent judgement
have good numeracy skills to understand accounts with the support of the treasurer
be willing to learn about and follow Citizens Advice aims, principles and policies, including confidentiality and data protection
be willing to undertake training in your role
have or develop excellent written and oral communications skills
demonstrate a strong and visible passion and commitment to CACD, our strategic objectives and causes
a collaboration mindset and willingness to work as part of a team
experience of IT systems strategy development, implementation and/or operation
have a commitment to promoting equity, diversity and impartiality throughout CACD and its work

It is desirable but not essential to have or be willing to gain working at a strategic level. Knowledge of or experience of ICT/cyber security or information assurance is desirable but not essential. Experience of project or system management is also desirable.

How much time do you need to give?

CACD board usually meet in the late afternoon or evenings once per quarter and you are likely to be asked to give more time to any role you take on: you may need to attend other meetings if you’re involved in specific projects or meet with volunteers and staff occasionally within CACD’s offices.

Valuing inclusion

If you are interested in becoming a trustee and would like to discuss flexibility around location, time, ‘what you will do’ and how we can support you please contact us.

What will you do?

General trustee responsibilities

complete an induction for your role
maintain an awareness of how CACD is operating
read papers for board meetings and attend quarterly board meetings per year
participate in one of the sub committees by reading papers, preparing reports if required and attending quarterly meetings
work on specific projects with other trustees or staff within one of the local offices to further the strategic objectives of CACD
participate appropriately during board meetings and work with other trustees to:
set policy and strategy direction, targets and evaluate the performance of the local Citizens Advice
ensure that all the finances and supporting financial control systems of the local Citizens Advice are in order including that full financial records are kept for all transactions, that money is only spent for the purpose given, and that proper financial controls are in place to safeguard the organisation’s resources
monitor the financial position of the CACD ensuring that it operates within its means and objectives, ensuring that there are clear lines of accountability for day-to-day financial management
seek the views of all sections of the community and monitor how well the service meets the needs of the local communities
ensure that CACD plans for the recruitment and turnover of staff and volunteers
review your own contribution to the work of CACD and how effectively CACD operates including taking action for improvement.

Responsibilities for trustee for partnership opportunities

to identify strategic partners that CACD should be engaging with to fulfil its strategic objectives
to help develop relationships with strategic partners in conjunction with the senior management team in order to attract potential funding and support the visibility of CACD
to ensure that the CACD has an ongoing and positive profile with existing and potential partners
to uphold CACD’s reputation with partners

What’s in it for you?

make a positive impact for people in our local area by ensuring CACD is sustainable and meeting the needs of our community
meet people and build relationships with trustees, staff and other volunteers
use and improve your governance, leadership and strategy skills
improve your employability if relevant
receive training and updating on current issues and practices

And we’ll reimburse expenses too.

What do you need to have?

You’ll need to:

understand and accept the responsibilities and liabilities as a trustee
be non-judgmental and respect views, values and cultures that may be different to your own
have good listening, verbal and written communication skills
be able to exercise good independent judgement
have good numeracy skills to understand accounts with the support of the treasurer
be willing to learn about and follow Citizens Advice aims, principles and policies, including confidentiality and data protection
be willing to undertake training in your role
have or develop excellent written and oral communications skills
demonstrate a strong and visible passion and commitment CACD, our strategic objectives and causes
exhibit strong interpersonal and relationship building abilities and be comfortable as a role model for CACD
develop good networking capabilities
have or develop experience of working with partners at a strategic level
a collaboration mindset and willingness to work as part of a team
have a commitment to promoting equity, diversity and impartiality throughout CACD and its work.

It is desirable but not essential to have or be willing to gain working at a strategic level.

How much time do you need to give?

CACD board usually meets in the late afternoons or evenings and you are likely to be asked to give more time to any role you take on; you may need to attend other meetings if you’re involved in specific projects or meet with volunteers and staff occasionally within CACD’s offices.

Valuing inclusion

If you are interested in becoming a trustee and would like to discuss flexibility around location, time, ‘what you will do’ and how we can support you please contact us.