Education for Health Trustee (Financial)

Job Description and Person Specification

Role Responsibilities

Under the leadership of the Chair of Trustees, and with other trustees will:

  • Ensure that the charity has a clear vision, mission and strategic direction
  • Be responsible for the performance of the charity and for its corporate behaviour;
  • Ensure that the charity complies with all legal and regulatory requirements;
  • Act as guardian of the charity’s assets, both tangible and intangible;
  • Ensure that the charity’s governance is of the highest possible standard

Duties and tasks to fulfil these key responsibilities:

Ensure that the charity has a clear vision, mission and strategic direction

To work in partnership with The Board, Chief Executive and senior staff to ensure:

  • The charity has a clear vision, mission and strategic plan
  • The business and operational plans support the vision, mission and strategic priorities.
  • Board policies support the vision, mission and strategic priorities.
  • There are effective mechanisms to
  • Review the external environment for changes that might affect the charity;
  • Review regularly its strategic plans and priorities.

Be responsible for the performance and corporate behaviour of the charity

To agree the method for measuring objectively the progress of the charity and to receive regularly reports on the performance of the charity.

  • To ensure that the values and guiding principles of the charity are articulated and reflected throughout all charity activities
  • To articulate and behave in a manner which reflects the values of the charity.

Ensure that the charity complies with all legal and regulatory requirements

  • To ensure the charity complies with the: legal, regulatory and statutory requirements.
  • To maintain familiarity with the rules and constitution that govern the charity and ensure that the charity complies with its governing instruments

Be guardian of the charity’s assets and financial scrutiny

Member of the audit and finance committee

This position will be a member of the audit and finance committee and therefore the individual will be expected to undertake a full role in that said committee and the responsibilities detailed in the terms of reference(detailed in appendix 2), in summary:-

  • Take responsibility on behalf of the board of trustees for overseeing all financial aspects of the charity’s operation
  • Be guardian of the charity’s assets
  • Liaise with the charity’s auditors
  • To agree and review the charity’s investment policy and review performance of the charity’s investment managers

Appendix 1

Education for Health

Trustee Person Specification

General skills

  • A strategic thinker
  • Good, independent judgement
  • Ability to think creatively
  • To be able to demonstrate: integrity, objectivity, accountability and openness,
  • Willingness to speak their mind and prepared to make unpopular recommendations to the Board
  • Understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of trusteeship
  • Ability to work effectively as a member of a team
  • Commitment to the charity and its objectives
  • Willingness to devote the necessary time and effort
  • Willingness to be available to staff for advice and enquiries

Financial and business acumen

  • Senior financial experience (preferably at FD level)
  • Relevant financial and /or business qualifications
  • Experience of charity or public service finances
  • Ability to analyse business proposals and examine their financial consequences
  • An understanding of investment portfolios and risk.

Appendix 2

Finance and Audit Committee - Terms of Reference

Composition, Attendees, Quorum and Reporting

  1. The finance and audit is a committee of the board of trustees and reports directly to the board
  2. The chairperson of the committee is appointed by the board
  3. The committee shall comprise of the treasurer and two other trustees appointed by the board
  4. The committee may co-opt ex-officio members who in the opinion of the committee will bring additional relevant skills to the committee
  5. The director of finance or equivalent will be in attendance at all meetings
  6. Minutes of the meetings will be reported to the Board of trustees, all acts and proceedings of the subcommittee being fully and promptly reported to the board. The chairman of the board required to countersign the minutes, thus ratifying the subcommittee’s activities recommendations and reports.
  7. Unless otherwise determined by the committee, a quorum shall consist of two members of the committee
  8. The committee will not meet less than two times a year and additionally as may be necessary.

Responsibilities

Financial

  1. To review the draft of the three year financial plan and supporting budget and make recommendations thereon to the board of trustees
  2. Regularly review performance against the budget
  3. Take responsibility on behalf of the board for overseeing all financial aspects of the charity operations so as to ensure short and long term viability
  4. To keep under review the charities policies and procedures for authorisation of purchase and payments.
  5. Annual review and agreement of charity accounting policies and principles
  6. Review procedure for detecting fraud including whistle blowing.
  7. To review the charity’s employee pension arrangements once a year.

Investment

  1. To agree and review the charity’s investment policy
  2. To agree and review the charity’s attitude to financial risk and the charity’s asset allocation strategy
  3. To review the performance of the charity’s investments
  4. To review the performance of the charity’s investment managers and to meet them formally at least once a year

Audit

  1. To review the annual audited financial statements of the charity and recommend them to the board
  2. To review the Final Audit findings report and ensure appropriate action to maintain robust internal controls
  3. To determine the frequency and process of tendering for the external audit services
  4. To review and discuss the nature, plan and scope of the annual audit with the external auditors prior to the audit, and approve audit plan
  5. To meet with the auditors to discuss audit findings (independently of the management team if required)
  6. Assess the independence of the external auditors and the nature and extent of any non-audit services supplied by them.

Be Guardian of all the Charity’s Assets

  1. To ensure that the charity has satisfactory control systems and procedures for holding in trust all monies, properties and other assets and to ensure that monies are invested to the maximum benefit of the charity, within the constraints of the law and ethical and other policies laid down by the board
  2. To ensure that the major risks to which the charity is exposed are reviewed annually and that systems have been established to mitigate or minimise these risks
  3. To ensure that the income and property of the charity is applied for the purposes set out in the governing document and for no other purpose
  4. To exercise effective overall control of the charity’s financial affairs and to ensure that the way in which the charity is administered is not open to abuse by unscrupulous associates, employees or volunteers
  5. To ensure that all income due to the charity is received and that all tax benefits are obtained and all rating relief due is claimed
  6. To review adequacy of systems and procedures.

Education for Health – CEO Office

Trustee (Financial) job description and person specification

July 2012