Trustee Vacancy – Expression of Interest 2022/23

Bromley Parent Voice is a parent carer forum which welcomes all parents or carers of a child or young person up to the age of 25 with a disability or additional need that live in the London Borough of Bromley.

Our Aims

To relieve the needs and advance the education of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and/or disabilities, their parents, carers and families, particularly but not exclusively by:

a) the creation of a local parent/carer community that reduces isolation and strengthens the capacity of parents and carers to support their family;

b) the provision of opportunities for parents and carers to influence the decisions that affect their families and to contribute to developing services that meet the needs of their families by raising awareness of the issues faced by Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and their families;

c) the provision of information to inform and empower parents/carers about the services and issues that affect their families;

d) sharing experiences, knowledge and skills with other relevant organisations and individuals.

Appointment of New BPV Trustees for 2022/23 (x 3 roles)

We have recently become independent after serving over twelve years as the DfE appointed SEND parent/carer forum for Bromley, although we are no longer a part of the NNPCF our original aims of empowering and supporting parents & carers remains the same. Therefore, we are now seeking new trustees to serve on our Board, set the strategic direction of the forum, support the management of our financial resources, operations and structure, monitor our performance and establish ways we can widen our reach and improve BPV during these challenging times.

We aim to have a diverse board of trustees that reflects the needs of those we support. We welcome approaches from people of different ages, physical ability, sexual orientation, race, gender and religious belief who are parents or carers/ or family members of children & young people of 0-25 years with Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND) living in Bromley. We are excited about this new part of our journey and hope that our newly appointed trustees can bring energy, vision and experience to our established board of trustees and the wider organisation.

Trustees Duties and Responsibilities

As a trustee you will be responsible for ensuring that the charity follows their aims in acting as a ‘voice’ in supporting parent/carers and their children with special/additional needs or a disability.

Trustees lead the charity and decide how it is run. They have overall control of the charity and are responsible for making sure it’s doing what it was set up to do.

Trustee Terms

Trustees are appointed for terms of ONE YEAR by a resolution at a Trustee Meeting:

• Trustees are re-elected at an Annual General Meeting
• Trustees will commit to the agreed meeting schedule, likely to be monthly or bi-monthly and currently remote
• A Trustee who has not attended three meetings consecutively without giving apologies will be asked to stand down
• Trustees will read and abide to the Trustee Code of Conduct (a copy can be requested)
• Trustees will agree to sign the Charity Commission Trustee Declaration Form
• Trustees agree to their name, address and date of birth being uploaded to the Bromley Parent Voice Charity Commission on-line account
• Trustees will work within the guidelines of the Bromley Parent Voice Constitution
• Trustees will abide by the Bromley Parent Voice Policies and Procedures
• Trustees will agree to annually review and update the Bromley Parent Voice Policies and Procedures to ensure they meet all charity legal requirements and responsibilities
• Trustees will agree to a DBS check

Charity Commission Trustee Guidelines

If you are interested in becoming a Bromley Parent Voice Trustee we strongly advise you to consult the Charity Commission’s website – www.charitycommission.gov.uk and read ‘The Essential Trustee’.

Expenses

• The role is voluntary although reasonable expenses will be reimbursed

Eligibility for Trusteeship

There are certain restrictions on who cannot serve as a charity trustee. For example, you cannot be under the age of 18 years; previously been removed from the trusteeship of a charity by a court or Charity Commission, disqualified under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986. More information is available on the Charity Commission Website at: http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk

Potential Conflicts of Interest

Please indicate any considerations which could give rise to potential conflicts of interest.  These could include the following: membership of the Board of another local charity, a relationship to a member of staff or senior officer of London Borough Bromley.

References

Please provide two references as they will be taken up prior to appointment.

DBS Checks

All successful candidates will be subject to a DBS check upon appointment.

WHAT TO DO NEXT ? 

Please complete the below Trustee Expression of Interest form and submit. You will receive an email acknowledgement and a member form the BPV team will be in contact with you.

All Expression of Interests will be reviewed by the current Board of Trustees who are the voting members for the Charity Incorporated Organisation (CIO).

Thank you for your interest in becoming a Trustee.

Deadline for entries: Ongoing recruitment 

Registered Charity number: 1172718

TRUSTEE EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FORM