Our trustees play a vital role in making sure that Salisbury Samaritans achieves its core purpose. They oversee the overall management and administration of the charity. They also ensure that Salisbury Samaritans has a clear strategy and that our work and goals are in line with our vision. Just as importantly, they support and challenge the branch leadership team of Directors and Deputy Directors to enable Salisbury Samaritans to grow and thrive, and through this, achieve our mission.
Key Responsibilities
- Support and provide advice on our purpose, vision, goals and activities as an association CIO.
- Approve operational strategies and policies, and monitor and evaluate their implementation. Including the operating agreement which outlines the relationship between the central Samaritans charity and Salisbury and District Samaritans as an affiliated charity.
- Oversee our financial plans and budgets and monitor and evaluate progress.
- Ensure the effective and efficient administration of the organisation.
- Ensure that key risks are being identified, monitored and controlled effectively.
- Review and approve our financial statements.
- Provide support and challenge to the branch leadership Director and Deputy Directors in the exercise of their delegated authority and affairs.
- Keep abreast of changes in our operating environment – namely service delivery (support to callers via phone, email and in person), partnerships with Missing People and Ministry of Justice to provide support to the Listener scheme at Earlstoke prison, outreach, volunteer recruitment and management, volunteer support, volunteer training and continuous training, fundraising, awareness raising and publicity.
- Contribute to regular reviews of Salisbury Samaritans own governance. Attend Board meetings, adequately prepared to contribute to discussions.
- Use independent judgment, acting legally and in good faith to promote and protect our interests, to the exclusion of their own personal and/or any third party interests.
- Contribute to the broader promotion of our objects, aims and reputation by applying your skills, expertise, knowledge and contacts.
- Support through working groups and / or support to the wider branch leadership team.
Branch Secretary specific responsibilities include:
- Liaise with the Director to plan, arrange and produce agendas and supporting papers for Branch Leadership team and any additional trustee meetings and for drafting the subsequent minutes.
- Act as charity secretary and ensure that company law, charity law, and regulatory requirements of reporting and public accountability are complied with, in conjunction with Treasurer and Trustee with responsibility for Governance.
- Ensure that all meetings comply with the requirements of the governing document
- Arranging and administrating trustee meetings and any sub-committees in line with legal, and other regulatory requirements, and in accordance with the governing document. If the position of charity secretary is an honorary one, this may be in partnership with a paid member of staff.
- Advise and guide the board of any legal and regulatory implications of the charity’s strategic plan.
- Acting as the custodian of the governing document, in liaison with the trustees, reviewing its appropriateness and monitoring that the charity’s activities reflect the objects set out in the governing document. Also to act as the holder of statutory registers and books, and other legal and important documents such as insurance policies.
- Supporting the trustees in fulfilling their duties and responsibilities, including organising trustee induction and ongoing training.
- Ensuring that trustee decisions are implemented in accordance with the charity’s governing document or other internal operational procedures.
- Managing various other functions of the charity, including estates, personnel, finance, pensions, money-laundering, and data protection, as delegated.
As a small charity, the trustees will need to be actively involved beyond Board meetings. This may involve scrutinising board papers, leading discussions, focusing on key issues, providing advice and guidance on new initiatives, presenting externally, or other issues in which the trustee has special expertise.