Delivering change / promoting inclusion via Pro Bono roles Sarah - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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
• ccurred
• 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

• n 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