{"id":14,"date":"2025-01-23T12:32:04","date_gmt":"2025-01-23T12:32:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/micro.green-park.co.uk\/bre\/?page_id=14"},"modified":"2026-04-23T16:06:39","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T15:06:39","slug":"person-specification","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/micro.green-park.co.uk\/mencap\/person-specification\/","title":{"rendered":"Person Specification – Chair of Audit, Finance and Risk"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n\t\t Person Specification – Chair of Audit, Finance and Risk\t <\/h1>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n
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Introduction<\/h3>\n

Royal Mencap Society (Mencap) is a leading UK charity that focuses on working alongside people with a learning disability, their families and carers and supporting them to live lives to the full. We are committed to creating a world where people with a learning disability are valued equally, listened to, and included.<\/p>\n

Our Board of Trustees plays a central role in this. Trustees provide leadership, strategic oversight, support and robust challenge. They are committed to ensuring that Mencap remains financially sustainable, well governed, and focused on what matters most to people with a learning disability and their families.<\/p>\n

As we deliver our bold new strategy, we are seeking to appoint an experienced professional to join our Trustee Board and take on the role of Chair of the Audit, Finance and Risk Committee. As our outgoing Chair concludes their term, we are looking for a seasoned, strategic leader with strong expertise in finance, audit and risk management who is highly motivated to use their experience in a values-led, purpose-driven organisation.<\/p>\n

Role Purpose<\/h3>\n

As Chair of the Audit, Finance and Risk Committee, you will provide leadership and oversight across financial reporting, audit, risk management and internal control. Working closely with the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Executive and Executive team, internal and external auditors and fellow Trustees, you will help ensure the Board has clear and robust assurance on Mencap\u2019s financial sustainability, risk profile and control environment.<\/p>\n

This role is central to enabling the Board to be confident that Mencap is well run – with the right systems, resources and governance in place to support its strategic ambitions and deliver the impact we have set out in our strategy, Mencap 2030.<\/p>\n

Key Responsibilities<\/h3>\n
    \n
  • Provide inclusive and effective leadership to the Audit, Finance and Risk Committee. Ensure constructive discussion, welcoming input from colleagues, appropriate challenge, and well-informed decision-making.<\/li>\n
  • Support the Board in fulfilling its responsibilities for financial oversight, risk management, and governance assurance.<\/li>\n
  • Ensure clear and effective communication between the Committee and the Board of Trustees.<\/li>\n
  • Lead Committee oversight of the Annual Report and Accounts process, ensuring sufficient scrutiny, clarity and confidence ahead of Board approval.<\/li>\n
  • Acting as a key partner to the Chief Financial Officer and Executive team, providing support, insight and constructive challenge, while maintaining appropriate independence.<\/li>\n
  • Lead, alongside the Chief Financial Officer, the process for appointing external auditors and recommend their appointment to the Board.<\/li>\n
  • Provide trusted advice and constructive challenge to the Chief Executive, CFO and senior leadership team on matters of audit, finance and risk.<\/li>\n
  • Present clear and accessible summaries of Committee work to the Board and relevant governance forums and support briefings to the Board which are easy to understand.<\/li>\n
  • Support the Chair of Trustees, fellow Committee Chairs and Trustees in ensuring effective governance across the organisation.<\/li>\n
  • Contribute to the ongoing development of Mencap\u2019s risk management, assurance and control environment.<\/li>\n
  • Remain informed on relevant regulatory, financial and sector developments, ensuring Mencap strives for best practice standards.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Role Scope<\/h3>\n

    This is a non-executive Trustee role. While the Chair of the Audit, Finance and Risk Committee plays a key leadership role in governance and assurance, executive responsibility for day-to-day operations sits with the Chief Executive and the Executive team.<\/p>\n

    Time Commitment<\/h3>\n

    This is a voluntary, unpaid role requiring a meaningful time commitment. The Chair of the Audit, Finance and Risk Committee is expected to attend:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • Audit, Finance and Risk Committee meetings \u2013 which meets at least four times a year with a mix of online and in-person meetings. Dates are set a year in advance and in consultation with the Chair and Committee members.<\/li>\n
    • Trustee Board meetings \u2013 which meets at least four times a year in-person. Dates are set a year in advance and in consultation with Trustees.<\/li>\n
    • Additional ad hoc meetings with senior leaders, the Chief Financial Officer, and internal and external auditors as required. These are flexible and can be fit in around the Chair\u2019s other commitments.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

       <\/p>\n

      The post holder should also be available between meetings to provide timely advice and input where needed.<\/p>\n

      Reasonable expenses will be reimbursed.<\/p>\n

      Trustees are appointed for an initial term of four years, with the opportunity for a second term of four years by mutual agreement with the Chair of the Board.<\/p>\n

      Person Specification<\/h2>\n

      We are seeking a senior finance, audit or risk professional who brings strong technical expertise and sound judgement, ideally gained at board or executive level. We are looking for a person who is highly motivated to work in a purpose-driven organisation and will want to join our mission to make a meaningful contribution to improve the lives of people with a learning disability.<\/p>\n

      Essential<\/h3>\n
        \n
      • Significant experience in finance, audit, risk management or assurance at a senior level.<\/li>\n
      • Strong understanding of financial governance, internal controls and risk frameworks.<\/li>\n
      • Experience of working with or advising a Chief Financial Officer (or equivalent senior finance leader).<\/li>\n
      • Experience of chairing or leading committees, with the ability to facilitate balanced discussion, constructive challenge and to govern inclusively.<\/li>\n
      • Strategic thinking, with the ability to operate effectively in complex and uncertain environments.<\/li>\n
      • Strong communication skills, with the ability to present financial and risk information clearly to non-specialist audiences. Accessibility and inclusion are important to us at Mencap.<\/li>\n
      • High integrity, independence of judgement and commitment to transparency and accountability.<\/li>\n
      • Commitment to the mission and values of Mencap.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        Desirable<\/h3>\n
          \n
        • Understanding of charity governance, safeguarding and regulatory frameworks.<\/li>\n
        • Experience of supporting organisational transformation or strategy delivery.<\/li>\n
        • Familiarity with proportionate risk-taking in complex organisations.<\/li>\n
        • Experience in the charity, public sector or other purpose-driven organisation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          Personal Attributes<\/h3>\n
            \n
          • Shared or lived experience of a learning disability, or close connection to someone with a learning disability.<\/li>\n
          • Values-led leader who is passionate, inclusive, brave, positive and kind.<\/li>\n
          • Collaborative and respectful, with the ability to build trust across diverse stakeholders.<\/li>\n
          • Comfortable providing both support and robust challenge.<\/li>\n
          • Committed to listening to and valuing lived experience.<\/li>\n
          • Motivated by purpose and social impact.<\/li>\n
          • Able to balance detail with strategic oversight.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-14","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/micro.green-park.co.uk\/mencap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/14","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/micro.green-park.co.uk\/mencap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/micro.green-park.co.uk\/mencap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/micro.green-park.co.uk\/mencap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/micro.green-park.co.uk\/mencap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/micro.green-park.co.uk\/mencap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/14\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":115,"href":"https:\/\/micro.green-park.co.uk\/mencap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/14\/revisions\/115"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/micro.green-park.co.uk\/mencap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}