The Chair Role
The Children’s Society seeks an experienced and inspirational leader to become our new Chair of Trustees. They will steer our board and guide the organisation as we reach towards our ambitious Destination 2030 goal: to overturn the damaging decline in children’s wellbeing and set a path for long-lasting growth.
Key responsibilities:
- Lead the board of trustees in reaching toward our vision and Destination 2030 goal, delivering our growth plan, living our values, and being true to our DNA.
- Be passionate about The Children’s Society’s work with young people, and committed to upholding the highest standards of safeguarding and quality practice.
- Play a leading role in guiding The Children’s Society forward, securing the best use of our resources to achieve the greatest impact for young people.
- Act as an ambassador and champion for The Children’s Society, visibly promoting its work and public profile, and being a spokesperson where necessary.
- Help steward relationships with key stakeholders, and value our key partnership with the Church of England.
- Lead a high-trust and high-accountability board, fostering strong relationships with the chief executive and the executive leadership team in forming strategy and policy and holding them to account for delivery on agreed plans and objectives.
- Champion The Children’s Society’s commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, ensuring the board is leading the organisation in our commitment to challenge exclusion and disadvantage and model inclusive behaviours.
- Be a sounding board for the chief executive and executive leadership team before new ideas, plans, and projects come to the wider board of trustees.
- Ensure the effective involvement of young people in our corporate governance in line with The Children’s Society’s safeguarding and Youth Voice policies.
- Ensure the board of trustees is kept appropriately informed by the executive leadership team through formal and informal reporting at and between meetings, including via subject-specific task and finish groups.
- With the Organisational Development Committee (ODC), review and evaluate the composition and effectiveness of the board and its committees to maintain an appropriate balance of skills, knowledge, experience and diversity.
- Develop and sustain a positive working relationship with the chief executive through regular meetings and an open, supportive style, providing support, coaching, mentoring and challenge.
- Line manage the chief executive. With the vice chair, and in consultation with the chief executive, set the chief executive’s annual objectives and annually evaluate performance and achievements against them. Provide a verbal summary of the annual appraisal to the ODC and board of trustees.
- Conduct an annual board effectiveness review with each trustee, taking action on feedback as appropriate.
- Actively assist and support fundraising for The Children’s Society, opening networks to encourage others to join us in our mission.
- Chair the annual general meeting and assist the chief executive in managing the relationships with honorary lifetime members of the Society.