Trustee with employment law or financial management expertise

Organisation Overview

Work Rights Centre is a charity dedicated to helping migrants and disadvantaged Britons to access employment justice and improve their social mobility. We provide a free legal advice service that changes lives with expert employment and immigration legal advice, and we challenge the systemic causes of injustice with research, parliamentary advocacy, and strategic litigation. Having started in 2016 with just one advice desk in a public library, we are now one of the leading advocates of vulnerable migrant workers. We were at the forefront of the UK’s humanitarian response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and are now leading the sector in advocating for the rights of sponsored migrant workers, particularly seasonal workers and care workers. We could not do this without good governance from our Board of Trustees. This is what this role sets out, in conjunction with the Guide to Governance.

Role Details

Time commitment: Quarterly board meetings (circa 90 minutes plus preparation), Annual Vision Day (all day), optional additional quarterly meetings if part of a subcommittee.

Attendance: Board meetings online, Vision Day in person. 

Required Skills and Experience

Trustees are expert volunteers who oversee the governance of the charity. They shape its strategic direction, scrutinise finances and resource allocation, and support the staff team in developing the policies and procedures needed to comply with legislation and provide an excellent service for the public benefit. As governors of the charity, the board of trustees have two foundational objectives:

● Ensure that the charity fulfils its legal obligations, and follows best practices set out by the Charity Commission. According to the Charity Commission, the mission of the Board of Trustees is to ensure that the charity carries out its purpose for the public benefit, that it complies with the governing document and the law, that it is accountable and resources are managed responsibly . To this end, you must act with reasonable care and skill, and always in the charity’s best interest.

● Ensure good governance. This is about fostering an environment where the charity has the vision, resources, reputation, and team cohesion to achieve its mission. It is about understanding the charitable mission of the Work Rights Centre, and taking a lead in upholding the procedures, policies, and organisational infrastructures needed to deliver it.

Both of these objectives take a great deal of skill and tact. They take a candidate who can focus on the big picture, leading on strategic moments of organisational formation, but also a candidate who will empower the operational staff to deliver on the charity’s mission.

Required Skills and Experience

The current charity board would benefit from addition of trustees with expertise in:

● Employment law; or

● Financial management.

We are also looking for Trustees who recognise the fact that governing a charity is about a balance of scrutiny and support. The Directory for Social Change has drafted an excellent guide for trustees DOs and DON’Ts.

In summary, we want you to be:

● An active player - who recognises that the work of trustees is not limited to scrutiny during Board meetings, but also a careful reading of Board papers and accounts, signing grant agreements, and the adoption and regular review of key policies;

● A team player - who will lead on governance, but empower operational staff with the freedom to deliver the charity vision;

● A seasoned manager - with an ability to identify opportunities, risks, and the key resources the charity needs to deliver on its mission;

● An excellent communicator - who can engage meaningfully in board meetings, committee meetings, and personal communication when needed;

● Emotionally intelligent - who acknowledges that team morale and trust are as foundational to the charity as its bedrock of written policies and procedures.

Finally, the Work Rights Centre is a charity founded by migrants, for migrants and vulnerable Britons. Many of our staff have had lived experiences of the issues encountered by our beneficiaries, and we would like to extend this to the board of trustees.

To apply for or express an interest in this position, please email bicenquiries@weareadvocate.org.uk