Role Description

Chair of the Board of Trustees

Location: Remote

Type: Voluntary

Job Description

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People (HDfDP) is seeking an experienced professional to join our Board of Trustees as Chair. This is an exciting opportunity to support the safeguarding, integrity and governance of a respected organisation dedicated to improving the lives of people with hearing loss. We are a Charity not a business, but we apply business principles to governing our organisation. We are looking for the right expertise and experience to join our Board of Trustees as Chair, in all aspects, and we welcome potential applicants with experience and expertise from a wide variety of backgrounds.

The Chair works with the board ensuring that it governs the Charity effectively in service of the Charity’s vision and mission. The Chair also provides guidance, oversight and performance management, and undertakes certain business management activities as necessary. The Chair ensures the Board act in an inclusive way, supporting the board to work together well and to provide support and challenge to the executive leadership team. The Chair, as per all Trustees is also an ambassador for the Charity.

At Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, we’re on a mission to help people live well with hearing loss. We rebuild connection, companionship, and confidence through trained hearing dogs, practical and emotional support services, transforming the lives of people who are deaf or have hearing loss. This is why we train dogs and offer services to help deaf people. Our amazing hearing dogs offer practical support, by alerting deaf people to important sounds, but as importantly they offer constant companionship. Deaf people can feel isolated or anxious: the range of services we provide can help them reconnect with friends, family, community… with life.

Key Responsibilities

In addition to the general responsibilities of a Trustee, duties of the Chair include the following:

Strategic Leadership

Provide strategic leadership and direction to the Charity and the Board, ensuring that HDfDP achieves its mission, working with the CEO and Executive Leadership Team (ELT) to set the vision, strategy and high-level policies for the Charity.
Work in partnership with the board and ELT ensuring that everyone remains focused and aligned on the delivery of the organisation’s charitable purposes to provide greater public benefit.

Governance

Ensures that the board that it fulfils its responsibilities for the governance of the organisation.
Ensure that the governance frameworks are working in the most effective way for the Charity and are reviewed regularly.
Direct board decision and policy making, bringing impartiality, diversity of thought and objectivity to decision-making, ensuring these decisions are implemented.
Co-ordinate the Board to ensure it delegates sufficient authority to its committees, the Chair, the Chief Executive and ELT, to enable the business of the Charity to be carried on effectively between meetings of the Board.
Ensure major risks to which the Charity is exposed are reviewed regularly and systems are established to manage and mitigate those risks.
Ensure that the Board fulfils its duties to ensure the sound financial health of the Charity, with systems in place to ensure financial accountability.
Ensure that there is an annual programme of Board and committee meetings and well-structured agendas, with clear purpose and outcomes, supported by high-quality briefing papers.
Chair the Board of Trustee meetings effectively, seek consensus, ensure full debate on key questions so decisions are made in the best, long-term interests of the Charity and that the Board takes collective ownership of these decisions.

External and Internal Relations

Act as a spokesperson and ambassador for the Charity and its cause, representing the organisation at external events, functions and meetings.
Ensure that the work of the Charity is promoted to key stakeholders and the wider public sector to support the ongoing success of the Charity.
Ensure that the Trustees are encouraged to promote the work of the Charity to their own network of contacts with the public and private sector.
Ensure the Board and the Charity hear the voices and views of key stakeholders, especially people we provide a service to.
Develop relationships with key stakeholders including employees, volunteers, and other charities in related areas of work.
Ensure that whenever practicable, Trustees visit various parts of the Charity, attend events organised by the Charity and have informal opportunities to meet the senior management team, staff and beneficiaries.

Management of the Chief Executive

Undertake line management of the Chief Executive, leading the formal appraisal process and providing support where needed. Ensure that the Chief Executive is clear about the key performance indicators by which they will be held accountable.
Establish and build a strong, effective and a constructive working relationship with the Chief Executive, ensuring they are held to account for achieving agreed strategic objectives.
Ensure regular contact with the Chief Executive and develop an open and supportive relationship within which each can speak openly about concerns, worries and challenges.
Support the Chief Executive to maintain close relationships, facilitate change and address any potential conflict with key external stakeholders as appropriate.
Ensure that the Chief Executive has the opportunity for professional development and has appropriate external professional support.
Set and review the remuneration package of the Chief Executive and executive leadership team.

With the Chief Executive

Encourage positive change where appropriate, address and resolve any conflicts within the Board and organisation.
Foster, maintain and ensure that constructive relationships exist with and between the Trustees.
Liaising with the Chief Executive to keep an overview of the organisation’s affairs.
Ensure that the employees understand the role of the Board and that the Chief Executive provides an effective link between the Board and employees.
Undertake certain business management activities as required in order to ensure effective management of the organisation.

Board Development and Succession

Ensure that the Board has the skills it requires to govern the Charity well and these skills are utilised and that the Board has access to relevant external professional advice and expertise.
Ensure that there is a systematic, open and fair procedure for the recruitment of Trustees, future Chairs of the Board and future Chief Executives.
Leading the development of the Board of Trustees. This includes induction, training, appraisal and succession planning.
Ensure that the Board of Trustees is regularly refreshed and incorporates the right balance of skills, knowledge and expertise needed to govern and lead the Charity effectively, and which also reflects the wider population.
Ensure that Trustees act reasonably, always act in the interests of the Charity and comply with the Charity’s code of conduct for Trustees and work within any agreed policies.
Ensure that the Board of Trustees regularly reviews its performance.

Other Duties

To safeguard and protect vulnerable adults and children in accordance with HDfDP’s policies and procedures at all times.
To undertake any additional duties as are reasonably commensurate with the role.

Commitment & Remuneration

This is a voluntary position. Expenses incurred while attending meetings are reimbursable per Hearing Dogs for Deaf People’s policy.

Time commitment: The Chair is expected to attend 4 x Board per year, with at least two in person, plus additional sub-committee meetings as required. Time to undertake any training necessary to fulfil the role. Additional time to attending activities, events or meetings to ensure the effective management of the Charity.
Terms: The Charity’s Chair (and board members) will serve a three-year term to be eligible for re-appointment at the end of each term for one additional term.