Financial Management Trustee

Hertsmere Mencap is looking for a new trustee to help us continue to make a real impact on the lives of our members and our wider community. We are a charity formed in 1964,offering support to over 200 members, learning disabled people living in Hertsmere as well their families.

Your role as a Trustee

You will advise the Board on all financial processes and continually assess whether systems, policies and controls are appropriate. Your role will include preparing and monitoring business plans and budgets, working with the Board to ensure the financial sustainability of the charity and being deeply involved in all strategic thinking.

Our current Treasurer continues in his role but can no longer commit the time required; he is willing to either continue alongside the new Trustee or, in agreement with him/her will relinquish his role, so that the new Trustee takes on the role of Treasurer.

The Trustee role requires a commitment of 2-4 days/month – to be done for the most part at any time of day. However, an ability to do a small part of this during normal office hours would be useful.

What difference will you make?

Hertsmere Mencap changes people’s lives and the role of a Trustee is challenging and rewarding . As a Trustee, you play an important part in the development of Hertsmere Mencap, helping the team to deliver high quality and innovative services to people in the area. With further growth planned, this is a perfect time to become a Trustee and play a part in Hertsmere Mencap's further development. We’re proud of what we’ve achieved and recognise there’s always more to be done.

Your qualities and qualifications

We are looking for candidates with a solid understanding of accounting practice, commercially aware and with excellent organisational and communication skills. You will have the skills to analyse proposals and examine their financial consequences, be able to make sound and measured decisions and you will be aware of or keen to understand charity finance practice.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to meet with representatives of the Board at a mutually convenient time. Please contact chair@hertsmeremencap.org.uk

Hertsmere Mencap...

...was formed in 1964 and we now offer support to over 200 members, learning disabled people living in Hertsmere as well their families. With a Board of five Trustees and a committee of members, staff and volunteers, we are inclusive, and our members are very much part of our decision making process.

Hertsmere Mencap is all about improving members' quality of life by reducing the risk of loneliness and isolation and providing fulfilling activities that increase learning-disabled people’s levels of confidence - and opportunities to socially interact with friends.

As well as activities such as Arts & Crafts and Drama, we run a weekly evening social club and a children’s holiday playscheme. Offering support and advice and a Coffee Morning Drop-in for members and their families, we are in regular contact with appropriate local authority professionals. We employ four part-time staff plus sessional and short-term workers, and we rely on an enthusiastic team of volunteers.

Our balance sheet is strong and we plan to raise further capital to acquire our own property. Engaged with the local community, we are a well-known and respected presence in the area.

With current and future growth in mind, we are seeking to expand our Board to include a Trustee who will be involved in financial management, business planning
and strategic direction. The time commitment would typically be 3-4 days per month.

Our vision
•    is for people with a learning disability living in Hertsmere to be valued equally, listened to and included and for them to all to be able to lead fulfilling lives.

Our mission
•    is to improve the quality of life for people in Hertsmere with a learning disability and their families by
•    Providing confidential advice and practical support on issues ranging from welfare and housing to friendships and wellbeing.
•    Offering stimulating daily activities to help improve confidence, learn new skills and make friends.
•    Reaching out to people who feel isolated and/or reluctant to ask for help
Our values
•    We are Inclusive. People with a learning disability are at the heart of everything we do.
•    We are Trustworthy. When we promise something, we don’t let people down.
•    We are Caring. We treat everyone with respect and kindness.
•    We are Positive. We encourage everyone to take the best from life and all that it offers.

The Area

Hertsmere is a large borough of 100,000 people living in the main centres of Borehamwood, Potters Bar, Radlett and Bushey and in smaller communities such as Shenley and Aldenham. It includes some of the most deprived areas in the region. Learning disability is, of course, non-discriminatory, and our members come from diverse communities, as do our staff and volunteers.

We are continually attracting new members; local people signpost to us and we receive referrals from a wide variety of sources, including the Hertfordshire Council’s SBLO (Short Breaks) scheme, the Hertsmere Adult Disability Team and NHS practitioners.

Activities

Most of our activities take place in the Elstree & Borehamwood Town Council Hall. We own a 50% share in a minibus, used by volunteer drivers to bring members from their homes to our own social club and to other clubs in the area. Recent excursions include canal-boat outings, visits to the Apple Store, bowling, seaside visits and trips to the theatre.  Social events include the annual Christmas party, where the entire membership is invited along with their immediate families. We have been told many times by members that it is the 'highlight' of their year. We participate in the local annual Families Day and other events where members take part and showcase their work.

We run the Noah’s Ark holiday playscheme for 5-16 year olds, including some severely learning-disabled children - and where necessary - their siblings, for a week in the Easter and four weeks in the summer holidays. We also hold activities during the winter holiday break. Partly funded by Hertfordshire County Council under their Short Breaks scheme, there is considerably more demand for places than we can accommodate. Highly staffed to match the varied needs of the children, the scheme is Ofsted registered and runs from a school in Borehamwood.

Members

Within activities, members are awarded roles and responsibilities to recognise their potential and give purpose and meaning. For example, we have members helping the driver to escort members on and off the minibus. Another member organises the drivers’ rota and another collects the daily activity fee and completes the attendance register. We have a Members' Ambassador and a Members’ Liaison Officer.

Members are encouraged and supported to seek voluntary and paid employment wherever possible. Hertsmere Mencap works closely with the local job centre - one of their representatives attends our weekly coffee morning. One of our Trustees accompanies members to the job centre to discuss potential opportunities and to benefit appeals meetings. An animal-loving member recently began volunteering at a local farm - giving him focus to his day and a feeling of pride, accomplishment and increased confidence.

An important area of our work is providing advice and support to our members and families. We work closely with local professionals to help people deal with issues in their daily lives and attend multi-disciplinary meetings as appropriate. We help members with their benefit issues and will attend benefit appeals with them.

We facilitate the Hertsmere Learning Disability Forum, organising speakers and discussions of interest. Health visitors, police officers, welfare benefits experts and bank representatives share their latest, relevant information and record feedback from our members, their carers as well as their families and friends. Members are reassured about interacting with their local services. This is all with a view to making key improvements to their services - the lessons from these forums are fed back to the Hertfordshire Adult Care Services Co-Production Board.

We offer specialised workshops, in partnership with other local organisations to support our members with issues ranging from  improved mental health, staying safe, using leisure time effectively, building relationships and understanding boundaries. Many of these topics have been identified as areas of need in the Hertfordshire Community Needs Analysis 2016.

We are, sadly, also involved in end-of-life support and will, through our local links and if appropriate, organise a religious minister to offer pastoral support to a member, whether one of their flock or not.

The organisation

Staff and volunteers use Office 365 and share documents via SharePoint. Work on our Xero accounting package and all other admin tasks is undertaken by volunteers. Our Main Committee meets quarterly and the Trustee Board every 6 weeks. We expect, going forward, there will be a blend of virtual and face-to-face meetings.

Our funding comes from both fundraising – for example, we run a very successful annual Golf Day – and local authority and charitable grants. We have a Framework Agreement with Hertfordshire County Council which partly funds the Noah’s Ark Playscheme and in the last year have received a grant from Hertfordshire Community Foundation that contributes to funding our adult activities.