Delivering change / promoting inclusion via Pro Bono roles Sarah Frost Non Executive Director Alliance Homes Group
ProBono work • What constitutes ProBono work ? • Charity Trustee • School / University Governor • Other non-paid role on Committee / Board Or • Unpaid advice provided to charities / small businesses etc
Delivering Change Example 1 – Lindengate Charity • Small mental health, Social & Therapeutic Horticulture (STH) charity established in 2014 – but growing really fast • Was asked in 2016 to undertake an internal audit by one of the co-founders • Used existing format from a similar STH charity • Charity already had an extensive set of policies documented and was aware of Charity governance • Everyone in charity was running at a fast pace as they expanded • What challenges would you envisage ?
Delivering Change • Access to the staff and ensuring that they made time available to think about the future • Had to articulate potential future issues and convince staff of need to take certain actions • Internal Audit had to span 9 months due to availability and so had to incorporate changes as they occurred • Was a pressing need to standardise work across different teams and ensure all staff and volunteers follow policies • Need to create new processes to control the growth in staff/volunteers & provide checks & balances • Risk Management – had all the risks been identified? • Financial management – was a gap in other charity’s model – not aligned to Charity Commission advice – the latter was far more rigorous • Need to ensure follow through by senior team after Internal Audit completed • Recommended follow up Internal Audit in 2-3 years time
Promoting Inclusion • Need to ensure full buy-in of senior leadership team to changes needed to support future growth • Need to ensure all staff & volunteers understood need for changes especially to process • Ensure service suitable for local service users of all backgrounds, with various different mental health issues ranging from Depression to Autism to Dementia
Delivering Change Example 2 – Abbeyfield Gerrards Cross Society • Very small charity established in 1969, with board of trustees the majority of whom in 2017 had been in place for 7-10 years • Separate legal entity under main Abbeyfield charity umbrella – runs one supported living house for with 13 rooms for elderly residents • Charity is regulated by Register of Social Housing • Was an identified need to revisit and upgrade existing set of policies • Had backing of chairman who wanted to bring charity up to current standards • What challenges would you envisage ? • What policies would you expect to see ?
Delivering Change • Need to persuade and convince existing trustees that policies were needed • Extent of policies required – very extensive - despite small size of charity • Large number of revised policies for trustees to read / digest / comment on and approve • Legal and regulatory elements to cover in policies e.g. Health & Safety, Safeguarding, Value for Money Rent Standard, GDPR, Professional Boundaries / Equality, Diversity & Inclusion • Areas requiring additional focus e.g. introduce a Trustee Induction Policy, adopt Charities Commission Governance Code for small charities, implement updated Financial Policy • Central Abbeyfield policies had to be adapted for use by the local society – did not fit in some cases and in other cases were not as extensive as our society deemed necessary e.g. Financial Policy
Promoting Inclusion • Need to continue to fully engage with existing older trustees, valuing their experience • Need to revive the board with new younger and more diverse trustees – but not all younger people of working age want to become trustees or have sufficient time to commit • Challenges still ongoing e.g. societal – people staying longer in own homes so do not spend as long in true supported living before they need full care – so important to engage them in activities for as long as they are fit and able • Encouraging younger people from community to get involved in visiting the house
Questions to ask yourself before taking on ProBono work • How does this fit with my 10 year plan / my Transpire plan? • What do I enjoy doing and will this role fit with that? • What due diligence can I do on the organisation – to prevent walking into issues from Day 1, if at all possible • What skills do I want to develop through the role? • How much time can I allocate? • What is my legal / regulatory responsibility? • Am I covered by the right insurance? (Trustee Insurance / Professional Indemnity cover)
Relevance of ProBono work for NED roles • Similar skillsets required – Finance / Risk Management / Strategy / IT / Marketing / Property / Legal / HR etc • Means of evidencing board-readiness • Way to evidence first-hand experience of Governance • Means of learning new, relevant skills e.g. digital / fund-raising • Helps build your personal board-level network • Overall it helps build a compelling case for hiring you ! Finally: Don’t forget - If you have worked in a large company/firm then what seems standard to you may not be obvious to others in the charity or not-for-profit sector
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