Trustees

Our current board comprises:

The Charities Commission sets out the trustees’ 6 main duties to be:

Ensure Volunteer Action carries out its purposes for the public benefit

Trustees:

• understand our purposes as set out in our governing document
• plan what we will do, and how to achieve it
• can explain how all of our activities are intended to further or support our purposes
• understand how Volunteer Action benefits the public by carrying out its purposes

 Comply with our governing document and the law

Including:

• making sure we comply with our governing document
• complying with charity law requirements and other laws

 Act in Volunteer Action’s best interests

Trustees must:

• do what the trustee body (and no one else) decides will best enable us to carry out our purposes
• make balanced and adequately informed decisions, thinking about the long term as well as the short term
• avoid putting themselves in a position where their duty to our charity conflicts with their personal interests or loyalty to any other person or body
• not receive any benefit from the charity unless it’s properly authorised and is clearly in the charity’s interests

Manage our resources responsibly

Trustees must act responsibly, reasonably and honestly (the duty of prudence).

Trustees must put appropriate procedures and safeguards in place and take reasonable steps to ensure that these are followed.

Act with reasonable care and skill

With responsibility for governing a charity, trustees:

• must use reasonable care and skill, making use of their skills and experience and taking appropriate advice when necessary
• should give enough time, thought and energy to their role, for example by preparing for, attending and actively participating in all trustees’ meetings

Ensure your charity is accountable

Trustees must comply with statutory accounting and reporting requirements. They should also:

• be able to demonstrate that Volunteer Action is complying with the law, well run and effective
• ensure accountability within the charity, particularly where responsibility for particular tasks or decisions to staff or volunteers is delegated

The responsibilities of the trustee board broadly comprise:

Financial responsibility

• planning and budgeting
• internal controls
• reporting
• strategic thinking about funding and securing a diverse and secure funding base

Strategy and impact

• vision and mission
• values
• impact
• strategy

Identifying and managing risk

Managing people

• our trustees ensure that we have policies and procedures in palce for the recruitment of staff so that applicants are treated fairly and in accordance with equal opportunities practice at all stages of advertising, shortlisting and interviewing.
• they establish policies for staff appraisal, support and supervision, probationary periods and remuneration that are proportional to the size of the charity

Safeguarding

The ultimate responsibility for safeguarding lies with the trustee board collectively and they can always be contacted with any concerns or questions. That said, everyone in the organisation has a role to play in safeguarding.

Creating a safe and welcoming environment, where everyone is respected and valued, is at the heart of safeguarding. We want to run Volunteer Action in a way that actively prevents harm, harassment, bullying, abuse and neglect. Safeguarding is also about being ready to respond safely and well if there is a problem. Every organisation that delivers charitable activities has a duty to safeguard volunteers, staff members, participants and donors.

Reasons to do safeguarding well:

• Abuse, harassment and harm can happen to anyone – people we work with, staff or volunteers. It’s not always visible and often not spoken about
• Abuse, harm and neglect are wrong. We have a duty to do something about it.
• When everyone understands safeguarding and their right to be safe, people who have nowhere else to turn are protected.
• An organisation that does safeguarding well is an organisation that is trusted.