Trustee Director

Trustees/Directors are the persons that have the general control and management of the administration of a charity. As a Trustee/Director of Fife Women’s Aid, you will responsible for providing leadership and direction for Fife Women’s Aid, securing its long-term sustainability, and overseeing the legal, financial and operational management of Fife Women’s Aid.

There is no payment for acting as a Trustee/Director. Travel and out-of-pocket expenses will be paid on submission of a claim with receipts.

Each member of the Board is a charity trustee, and has certain individual responsibilities to act in the interests of Fife Women’s Aid and to comply with statutory duties. Trustees must:

• Seek in good faith to ensure that Fife Women’s Aid acts in a manner which is consistent with its charitable purposes.
• Act with the care and diligence which a person of ordinary prudence may reasonably be expected to use in managing her own concerns, or the affairs of another person.
• Act in the interests of Fife Women’s Aid – and without allowing any conflict of interest between Fife Women’s Aid and herself.
• Act so that Fife Women’s Aid’s activities provide public benefit.
• Act so that Fife Women’s Aid complies with any direction, requirement, notice or duty imposed on it by virtue of the law.
• Provide to OSCR any information required by OSCR for the purpose of enabling or assisting OSCR to exercise any function.
• Act so that Fife Women’s Aid keeps proper accounting records, and prepares an annual statement of account and report.
• Take collective responsibility with the other Trustees.
• Correct any breach by another Trustee and take steps to ensure it is not repeated and that any Trustee in serious or persistent breach is removed.
• Make no payment to any Trustee from Fife Women’s Aid, other than out-of-pocket expenses, for acting as a Trustee.
• Where a Trustee, or someone who is “connected to” a Trustee, provides a service or goods to Fife Women’s Aid, authorise payment for those services only in accordance with the constitution of Fife Women’s Aid.
• Devote time to ensure that Fife Women’s Aid affairs are in order.

• Understand, be committed to, and promote the aims and strategic objectives of Fife Women’s Aid and its core values.
• Ensure that Fife Women’s Aid operates within the boundaries of its constitution and the law.

• Make, and regularly monitor, evaluate and review, strategic policy, and work with the Manager and staff to develop long-term strategic plans, which meet Fife Women’s Aid’s aims and objectives.
• Ensure the staff team have developed plans which set out a programme of activities that deliver strategic objectives in the short to medium term
• Monitor the structure of Fife Women’s Aid so that it is appropriate in terms of governance, management and operation to meet its aims and objectives.

• Approve the annual financial statement and budget, monitor spending, create policies to manage and protect organisational assets and property and to handle finances according to the law and good accounting practices, and in the best interests of the organisation.
• Create policies to govern organisational activity, provide guidance for staff, set up systems for reporting and monitoring, and establish an ethical framework for all those who work for or on behalf of Fife Women’s Aid.
• Create policies and procedures which enable Fife Women’s Aid to recruit and select the most senior paid member of staff, determine her remuneration, and assess her performance on an annual basis. The Board is also responsible for developing and supporting this staff member throughout the year, through agreed procedures and systems.
• Recognise areas of staff responsibility and avoid interfering in matters that are properly the domain of staff. At the same time, approve strategies and policies to guide staff activities and safeguard the interests of the organisation.
• Consider carefully all information, advice and reports presented, and request further information including legal or other specialist advice where necessary.
• Maintain and review a system of delegated responsibility, internal controls, financial controls and performance reporting.
• Comply with the legal requirements placed on Fife Women’s Aid by OSCR, HM Revenue & Customs, Registrar of Companies, data protection legislation, members, funding bodies and other agencies.

• Create policies governing the behaviour of Trustees and all aspects of Board business.
• Work constructively together so that the Board is an effective body acting in the best interests of Fife Women’s Aid.
• Ensure that robust systems are in place for the management of Fife Women’s Aid and its activities.
• Seek to attract nominations for new Trustees as required, to reflect the membership and the wider community served by Fife Women’s Aid, who can offer the skills and experience needed to fulfil the objectives of Fife Women’s Aid.
• Set up sub-committees as required, providing them with the necessary resources and training, and specifying their delegated responsibilities and powers (currently finance, strategy and policy sub committees).
• Agree terms of reference for each sub-committee.
• Identify and declare conflicts of interest, and handle them in accordance with Board policy and the Constitution.

• Prepare for and attend Board meetings on a regular basis, contribute to discussions and decision making in a decisive and effective manner.
• Prepare for and attend sub-committee meetings on a regular basis, contribute to discussions and decision making.
• Keep informed of issues which affect Fife Women’s Aid, and enhance and protect Fife Women’s Aid’s public image. To that effect, Trustees/Directors are actively involved in taking forward the strategic direction of the organisation, are encouraged to participate in Fife Women’s Aid events and to represent the organisation at external events as agreed by the Board.
• Be willing to participate in delegated tasks and communication required outwith Board meetings in order to support the senior management team to undertake their roles effectively.
• Develop and maintain constructive working relationships with other Trustees, managers and staff (paid and unpaid) of Fife Women’s Aid, service users, members, and funding bodies.

• Learn about Fife Women’s Aid, its work, and the individual and collective roles and responsibilities of the Trustees.
• Attend at least 75% of Board meetings annually. All Board meetings require reading in preparation.
• Become a member of at least one sub-committee and attend at least 75% of sub-committee meetings annually. All sub-committee meetings require reading in preparation.
• Travel to meetings, which are held in Fife, usually on a Wednesday evening every 6-8 weeks (board meetings) and dates to suit sub group members for other meetings.