Time Commitment
There are four Board meetings each year, which usually take place on a weekday evening from 5:00 to 7:00pm. In addition, there are four committees, Finance & Facilities, Compliance & Governance, Strategy, and the People committee, which meet online quarterly between Board meetings. We also have an annual planning day. Expected time commitment is 8 – 12 hours per month on average, worked across the year.
About Us
Citizens Advice are the people’s champion. For 85 years, we’ve been working on issues that affect the whole of society to help to shape a society that’s fairer for everyone. No other advice service sees so many people with so many different kinds of problems, and that gives us a unique insight into the challenges people are facing today. By helping people with the underlying cause of their problems and helping to prevent them getting worse, we save the government and public services hundreds of millions of pounds every year.
Citizens Advice West Sussex (CAWS) works as part of the national network as an independent, local charity, and company limited by guarantee. The charity has annual income of circa £2.6 million and employs around 70 staff supported by 250 volunteers, working from six locations across the County. With the right evidence, we can show big organisations – from companies right up to the government – how they can make things better for people.
Background to the role
Our board currently comprises eight trustees who have served between two and eight years. Our Finance Trustee will have served six years in 2025 and would like to retire once a successor is in place and there has been time for handover.
We’ve identified the following as priorities for the Board
- Developing a stronger partnership between the board and the CEO and senior management team building on the good work being done on oversight and compliance and enabling trustees to engage with work on the charity’s strategic direction
- Supporting work to foster a culture of innovation and development so that the charity remains impactful and relevant at a time when the need for our services is increasing faster than the available resources. Funding from public funds is likely to remain very tight for the foreseeable future so diversifying revenue will be important. The volunteering environment is also changing and our offer needs to reflect this
- Increasing the visibility of trustees among staff, volunteers, delivery partners and other stakeholders, and developing opportunities for closer working
- Strengthening our work on equity, diversity and inclusion.
We would welcome in our new Finance Trustee someone able to advise as we develop the strategic direction of the organisation amidst the complexities of our current and future.
Main Responsibilities
The role of the Finance Trustee is to oversee, approve and present budgets, accounts and financial statements as well as the preparation and presentation of financial reports to the board. in addition, ensure that appropriate accounting procedures and controls are in place and liaise with the CEO and her senior team about financial matters.
- Understand the accounting procedures and key internal controls to be able to assure the board that the charity’s financial integrity is sound
- Explain, guide and advise the board on the key assumptions and financial implications of the local Citizens’ Advice budgets, operational and strategic plans and keep the board informed about its financial duties and responsibilities
- Ensure that the organisation has an appropriate reserves policy and a realistic budget that meets the services’ needs
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- Support the CEO and Head of Finance and provide advice on preparation of budgets, accounts and financial statements for review and approval by the Board
- Ensure that annual accounts are prepared in compliance with SORP (Statement of Recommended Practice) Accounting for Charities and submitted by the deadline to the Charity Commission and/or Registrar of Companies, and make arrangements for them to be audited or independently examined as required
- Present accounts at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in an accessible way for volunteers and staff.
Key Requirements
- A recognised financial qualification or equivalent knowledge gained by experience
- The ability to take a strategic approach to financial planning and oversight and to help non-financial colleagues understand these
- Previous experience of charity finances and fundraising or a willingness and ability to gain this through training
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Analytical ability and good independent judgement
- Capacity for clear, creative and strategic thinking and vision.
Diversity and inclusion
Eastside People is fully committed to equality of opportunity and diversity and work with our clients to ensure that we recruit inclusively, seeking to address the under-representation of some groups of people on boards and in leadership teams.
If you would like a call to discuss the role in more detail, please email Lucinda Shaw, [email protected], to arrange a convenient time. Having a call of this kind will not influence the success or otherwise of your application.
We want you to have every opportunity to demonstrate your skills, ability and potential; please contact us if you require any assistance or adjustment so that we can help with making the application process work for you.
