Why we’re here
Citizens Advice’s charitable mission is to provide advice that helps people overcome their problems and to come together to campaign on big issues when their voices need to be heard. Our vision isthat everyone will be able to access free advice to find their way forward.
Building on our successes over 75 years we continue to search out better ways of doing things. Our ambitious One Service Strategy will help us properly understand our clients’ current and future needs, the changing context our service will be working in, and the practical things we must do to make our advice brilliant and campaigning influential.
How you can help
Paul Nicholls, Chief Executive of Cheshire West CAB, retires from the Citizens AdviceBoard in September 2015 and we’re looking for a new trustee with Citizens Advice expertiseto become a Citizens Advice trustee. The Trustee Board is a team of 12 individuals who provide strategic leadership and vision for Citizens Advice.
We want to increase the diversity of our leadership and particularly welcome applications from women, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people, as they are currently under represented on the Board. Achieving a gender balance is a significant priority for the Board, so we will be taking positive action to attract applications from women.
The successful applicant will share our aims and culture, be able to demonstrate that they can carry out the fundamental responsibilities of Citizens Advice Trustees and have the personal qualities and expertiseto contribute effectively to Board work and decisions.
Citizens Advice aims and culture
We provide free, independent, confidential and impartial advice to everyone on their rights and responsibilities. We value diversity, promote equality and challenge discrimination. The Citizens Advice aims to:
- Provide the advice people need for the problems they face
- Improve the policies and practices that affect people’s lives.
We are working to develop a workforce (paid staff and volunteers) made up of empowered people who are enabled to work in a culture that is inventive, responsible and generous.
Fundamental responsibilities of Citizens Advice Trustees
Candidates must be able to demonstrate they have all the fundamental skills listed below:
- Formulating strategy – developing and maintaining vision, strategy and clear objectives for Citizens Advicein the long term best interests of the service’s clients;
- Ensuring accountability – being accountable to bureaux, consulting with bureaux, listening to their views and priorities and explaining Board decisions. Holding the executive to account for the delivery of the strategy, offering purposeful, constructive scrutiny and challenge;
- Shaping culture – being committed to the aims, principles and values of the Citizens Advice service in particular social justice, inclusion, equality and diversity. Providing visible leadership across the Citizens Advice service to develop a positive culture, ensuring this is reflected in own and the Board’s behaviour and decision making; and
- Ambassadorial and intelligence – helping to build strong relationships with bureaux, funders, government, regulators and the corporate sector. Understanding the environment Citizens Advice and bureaux work in and the needs of clients, representing the service to internal and external stakeholders and bringing back messages and information.
Personal qualities and expertise
As an effective team the Citizens Advice Board includes people with a range of shared and complementary personal qualities and approaches who work in inventive, responsible and generous ways. When recruiting new trustees, the Trustee Recruitment Committee (‘TRC’) aims to make the Board more diverse and to develop the Board’s successful ‘chemistry’.
We are looking to recruit a person who, as well as being able to fulfil the fundamental responsibilities of trustees, has Citizens Advice expertise. The TRC wants to hear from a wide range of suitable candidates, particularly women, and those who have local Citizens Advice expertise, including Chief Executives and Chief Officers.
How to apply
If you would like to apply for this vacancy please send us:
- Your CV (2 pages of A4 maximum).
- A personal statement demonstrating you are able to fulfil the fundamental responsibilities of Citizens Advice Trustees and outlining the personal qualities and Citizens Advice experience you could contribute to the Citizens Advice Trustee Board’s work. This is your chance to tell the TRC what motivates you and highlight your strengths. (2 pages of A4 maximum).
- Name, address and telephone contact details of two referees (who will not be contacted unless you are called for interview).
- Completed Diversity Monitoring Form, which is set out below.
- Daytime, evening and/or mobile telephone numbers where we can contact you regarding this application.
Citizens Advice structure
The Trustee Boardis the governing body for Citizens Advice nationally and the policy making and standard setting body for local Citizens Advice. It sets the policy of the charity, determines corporate strategy, including setting key strategic objectives, makes major decisions about the use of finances and sets a framework for human resources policy. It consults with local Citizens Advice and sets and monitors a framework of standards and policy.
The 12 Citizens Advice trustees bring a wide range of experience and knowledge to the Board. Nearly half of the current trustees were already involved in the Citizens Advice service when they become trustees, working as local trustees, volunteers or members of staff. In September 2015 our current Chair, John Gladwin, is retiring and a new Chair will be appointed at the Annual General Meeting.
Citizens Advice quality assures individual bureaux providing advice and supporting them with the training, information and case management systems they need to deliver advice effectively. In addition, it runs some nationally funded programmes delivered through local bureaux.
The Executive Team, led by the Chief Executive Gillian Guy, is accountable to the Trustee Board and has operational responsibility for the effective functioning of Citizens Advice.
Equality and diversity
Applicants are asked to complete and return with their application the Diversity Monitoring Form at the end of this pack. This is requested for monitoring purposes only and will not be seen by the recruitment panel prior to interview. Given this, applicants are also requested to include in their application (which will therefore be seen by the panel) any details which they wish to disclose of their gender, disability, sexual orientation, age, religion and ethnic and social background insofar as this may be relevant to their role as a trustee and to include details of any experience they have of working with or advising people who may have experienced discrimination.
Guaranteed interview scheme
If you tell us that you are disabled, we can make reasonable adjustments at each stage of the recruitment and selection process and, if you join us, to how you work.
We offer disabled applicants the option of requesting that their application is considered under the terms of our guaranteed interview scheme. To be invited to interview under this scheme, you must show in your application that you meet the minimum criteria for the role.
If you wish to apply under the scheme please state this is your covering letter. If you are disabled, whether you are applying under the scheme or not, we will ask you to let us know if you need any adjustments at each stage of the recruitment and selection process.
Legal compliance and code of conduct
Successful candidates will have to sign a Code of Conduct [link] and must disclose any information which could conceivably bring the Citizens Advice service into disrepute. Certain people are disqualified by law from acting as charity trustees for example anyone with an unspent conviction for an offence involving deception or dishonesty or anyone who is an undischarged bankrupt.
Terms of appointment
Trusteeship is an unpaid voluntary role. Reasonable out of pocket expenses will be met. The role requires a time commitment of about two days per month. This includes about six full day Trustee Board meetings a year, the AGM and conference in September which is two days and other committee meetings and working groups as required.
Trustee Board and Committee meetings are usually held in London. Successful candidates will normally be appointed for a three year term and can serve a maximum of six years.
On appointment Trustees will meet with the Chair to agree his or her role and commitments. New Trustees receive a full induction on appointment, including meetings with the Chief Executive, Executive Directors and other key staff. Trustees work for best interests of the Citizens Advice service as a whole and are expected to fully engage with and to make the most appropriate use of their skills and experience.
Timetable for applications
Applications should reach Citizens Advice by noon on Monday 29June 2015.Applications can be made via the Reach TrusteeWorks team at
Shortlisting process will take place in the first week of July. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview at our London office, scheduled forweek commencing 20 July 2015. Citizens Advice reserves the right to undertake due diligence on any candidates prior to or after interview.
Citizens Advice Trustee Board
Diversity Monitoring Form
Citizens Advice strongly values diversity and promotes equality. We encourage and welcome applications from suitably skilled candidates from all backgrounds. Monitoring recruitment and selection procedures is one way of helping us to ensure that there is no discrimination in the way that we recruit and select people for jobs.
To do this we need to know about the diversity profile of people who apply for posts at Citizens Advice. Please help us by providing the following information. The information you give is confidential and will be separated from the application form prior to short-listing. It will not be accessed by any person involved in making selection decisions. If you prefer not to answer any of the questions, please feel free to leave them blank and no significance will be attached to this.
Citizens Advice will under the Data Protection legislation record the information given for the purposes of monitoring. The information will be retained for monitoring purposes only.Thank you for your co-operation.
GenderMale Female
AgeDate of birth: Age:
Please state:
Religion/BeliefDo you follow a particular religion or hold a religious or similar philosophical belief?
Yes No
If yes, please specify:
Please check the relevant boxAsian or Asian British
Bangladeshi
Indian
Pakistani
Any other Asian background (please specify):
Black or Black British
African
Caribbean
Any other black background (please specify):
Chinese
Chinese
Any other Chinese background (please specify):
Mixed
White and Black Caribbean
White and Black African
White and Asian
Any other mixed background (please specify):
White
British
Irish
Any other white background (please specify):
Any other ethnic background (please specify): ……………………………..
How would you describe your sexual orientation?
Please check the relevant box
Bisexual
Gay man
Gay woman/lesbian
Heterosexual/straight
Other please specify: ………………………………
On the advice of Press for Change, we currently do not monitor applicants' gender identity or trans status. However if there is somethingyou would like us toknow that's relevant to your application (for example volunteering in a Trans organisation), please feel free to includeit in your application.
Disability
VolunteeringAre you, or have you been, a Citizens Advice Bureaux volunteer?
Yes No
Disability
Experience of diversity issuesIf you have experience of advising, working with or talking to people about discrimination arising from the diversity and equality issues and you would like to include details below please do so.
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