***THIS JOB VACANCY HAS NOW CLOSED***
There are over 2000 Fijians still serving in the UK armed forces accompanied by their spouses and dependents and an equally large number of Veterans. CFB provides welfare officers who supports this community and work in partnership with other agencies across the UK to provide support in the following areas: housing, Universal Credit, debt management, resettlement, support at times of family crisis and referrals to immigration specialists. CFB aims to ensure that Fijians have the correct and relevant information at hand to ensure they can make informed choices. We are looking for new Board members who can help us reach our full potential and help those most in need.
Background
Communities Fiji Britain (CFB) is a charitable trust and a Registered Charity. It is governed by a Board of Trustees operating in compliance with the Charity Commission guidance on good governance.
Supporting principles
It is the role of the Board Trustees to take and accept responsibility for directing CFB’s affairs, ensuring it is solvent, well-run, and delivering the outcomes for which it has been set up.
Strategic direction
Trustees should focus on CFB’s strategic direction and avoid becoming involved in day-to-day operational decisions and matters. Where trustees do need to become involved in operational matters, they should separate their strategic and operational roles.
Trustee performance – The Nolan Principles
All Charities have a public benefit responsibility and in carrying out their role, CFB’s Trustees are expected to adhere to the principles for holders of public office.
Selflessness: Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest.
Integrity: Holders of public office must avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence them in their work. They should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends. They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.
Objectivity: Holders of public office must act and take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias.
Accountability: Holders of public office are accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and must submit themselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure this.
Openness: Holders of public office should act and take decisions in an open and transparent manner. Information should not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for so doing.
Honesty: Holders of public office should be truthful.
Leadership: Holders of public office should exhibit these principles in their own behaviour. They should actively promote and robustly support the principles and be willing to challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs.
Trustee Responsibilities – Statutory duties
- To ensure that the organisation complies with its governing document, charity law, company law and any other relevant legislation or regulations.
- To ensure that the organisation pursues its objects as defined in its governing document.
- To ensure the organisation uses its resources exclusively in pursuance of its objects: the organisation must not spend money on activities which are not included in its own objects, no matter how worthwhile or charitable those activities are.
- To contribute actively to the Board of Trustees’ role in giving firm strategic direction to the organisation, setting overall policy, defining goals and setting targets and evaluating performance against agreed targets.
- To safeguard the good name and values of CFB.
- To ensure the effective and efficient administration of CFB.
- To ensure the financial stability of CFB.
- To protect and manage the property of CFB and to ensure the proper investment of the charity’s funds.
- To appoint the Operations Director and monitor his/her performance.
Other Trustee responsibilities
In addition to the above statutory duties, each trustee should use any specific skills, knowledge or experience they have to help CFB’s Board of Trustees reach sound decisions and ensure the organisation fulfils its objects. This will involve:
- Attending Board and other CFB’s meetings as appropriate.
- Participating in one or more Board sub-groups as required.
- Scrutinising board papers and other communications.
- Leading discussions and providing guidance on new initiatives, particularly in areas where the Trustee has specific skills, knowledge or expertise.
- Abiding by CFB’s policies and procedures including the Safeguarding, Diversity and Equal Opportunities and Information Governance Policies, ensuring these are effectively implemented.
- Acting as a signatory on behalf of CFB, when mandated by the Board to do so.
- Participate in activities to promote CFB to our beneficiaries, funders and the wider public.
- Contributing on other issues or areas of special expertise.
Person Specification and Requirements for this role
Each trustee must have:
- A commitment to the mission of CFB.
- A willingness to meet the minimum time requirement.
- Strategic vision.
- Good, independent judgement.
- An ability to think creatively.
- A willingness to speak their mind.
- An understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of trusteeship.
- An ability to work effectively as a member of a team and to take decisions for the good of CFB.
The board of trustees collectively needs skills and experience in the following areas:
- Financial management, income generation and enterprise.
- Public policy and public affairs.
- National and local government and statutory bodies.
- Digital strategy.
- Human resource management.
- Volunteering management and brokerage.
- Funding/foundations and in particular grant management.
- Collaborative partnerships.
Deadline: 28 February
Please apply by sending CV and covering letter to info@cfb.org.uk.
