Midlothian Sure Start is a dynamic, award winning third sector organisation. It offers a quality support service to families with children up to age 12 across Midlothian. Midlothian Sure Start has been in existence since 2001 and employs over 70 members of staff providing a service in Family Learning centres and in the community. Our ethos is to provide a holistic, confidential community based service where families are at the heart of what we do.

We are currently recruiting for the following posts:

Board Director

The Board of Midlothian Sure Start is currently seeking new Board Directors with a particular interest in Health & Safety or finance experience. The Board meet quarterly with Sub Committee meetings in between and meetings are arranged to accommodate other commitments when possible. Meetings are currently held via Zoom. As a charitable organisation, service on the board is without remuneration, however appropriate travel and expenses will be reimbursed.

We are looking for Board Directors with:

• Experience working in HR, H&S, finance or any other relevant area.
• Experience of charity accounts.
• An understanding of working in a small / medium organisation.
• Understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities, and liabilities of trusteeship.
• Ability to communicate, provide knowledge and explain information to members of the Board and other stakeholders.
• To advise the board on the implications of their strategy and policy objectives in relevant areas of expertise.
• To ensure that adequate financial procedures and controls are in place, appropriate decisions are made and that the charity operates within a sound financial framework.
• To ensure that the charity complies with its governing document and its own financial rules, charity law, company law, and other relevant legislation or regulations.

We’re one of Scotland’s fastest growing charities, improving outcomes for children by supporting their Dads and families. We are currently looking for two trustees to join our dynamic voluntary Board team at an exciting time.

Our aim is to improve outcomes for children to ensure the best start in life by providing support to Dads and families. Our hope is through achieving this, there will be a larger shift in society toward accepting the vital role Dads play.

We currently have a vacancy for a Board member to join our Board of Trustees. As a Trustee Board Member, your responsibilities will include:

1. Setting and maintaining the strategic direction of the organisation
2. Sharing responsibility for Board decisions
3. Maintaining an overview of the organisations financial performance
4. Ensuring appropriate governance is in place
5. Attend quarterly Board Meetings.

We're particularly looking for applicants with employment law experience, or applicants who have used Dads Rock services in the past.

Remuneration/Expenses

This is an unpaid role however reasonable expenses associated with the role can be reimbursed.

Time commitment:

• You will be expected to commit to serving on the Board for a minimum of three years.
• Board Meetings take place approximately every quarter and are usually on Zoom. Dates for the following calendar year are circulated prior to, and agreed at, the last meeting of the year.
• To represent Dads Rock at other internal and external events depending on your availability.
• To participate in appropriate sub-committee groups – depending on your area of expertise and availability.
• To attend any other meetings and events by agreement of the Board, as well as our Annual General Meeting.

Main duties:

To ensure that Dads Rock:

• Complies with its governing documents, such as our Constitution and Policies
• Pursues its charitable objects as defined in its Constitution
• Applies its resources exclusively in furtherance of its objects, i.e. Dads Rock must not spend money on activities which are not included in its own objects, no matter how worthwhile or charitable those activities are
• Has an effective and efficient administration
• Is financially stable.

Contribute actively to the role of Trustee by:

• Attending Board meetings and other meetings and events
• Offer support and challenge to board colleagues and staff, adhering to collective responsibility once decisions are made
• Setting and reviewing operational policy and practice
• Defining goals, setting targets and evaluating performance against agreed targets
• Safeguard the good name and values of DR
• Protect and manage the tangible assets (property etc.) of the organisation and to ensure the proper investment of all funds
• Promote and represent DR externally as required.

In addition to the above duties of all Trustees, each Trustee should use any specific knowledge or experience they may have to help the Board reach sound decisions. This will involve scrutinising Board papers, leading discussions, focusing on key issues, and providing advice and guidance requested by the Board on new initiatives or other issues relevant to the area of work in which the Trustee has special expertise.

Person Specification:

Essential attributes

• An interest in the ethos and aims of Dads Rock.
• An understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of trusteeship.
• Commitment to preparing for and attending board meetings and other meetings and events.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality on personal and sensitive information.
• The ability to work as part of the team of Trustees in order to reach sound and fair decisions.
• Ability to understand and analyse complex information, often presented in report form.
• Ability to contribute to Dads Rock strategic planning process.
• To be able to represent at least one key skill/knowledge area on the Board.
• To ensure that you are not disqualified from being a trustee for any reason.

Desirable attributes

• Given the aims of the charity, trustees with experience of one or more of the following areas is beneficial:
  • Third Sector
  • Finance
  • Fundraising
  • Fatherhood
  • Marketing and Communications (including digital)
  • Legal
  • Early Years
  • Healthcare (NHS)
  • Local Authority (i.e. Education and/or Social Work)
  • Social Enterprise
  • Human Resources

Trustee Induction includes:

An induction meeting with the Chair and if desired to be peer supported by an existing Trustee.

Benefits of becoming a Trustee:

The knowledge that you are playing a vital role in the running and development of Dads Rock; enabling the organisation to continue its work and make a difference to Scottish society.

The opportunity to enhance your existing skills and knowledge relating to the development of an innovative and dynamic voluntary organisation.

The ability to enhance your network and broaden your experience of the third sector.

Read about our other Board Members

Family Journeys are currently recruiting for a trustee to join our Board of Directors. Collectively, the board are responsible for the governance and strategic directions of our charity and we would welcome any individual with compassion and professional experience in the field of social work, children’s services, third sector or family law to please get in touch with us.

Want to help safeguard children & vulnerable adults?

Like to guide a charity that supports parents and families in the Scottish Borders?

Relationships Scotland Borders (RSB) is a charitable organisation which was established when Family Mediation Borders (established 1991) took over the running of Couple Counselling Borders in April 2009 and rebranded. Since its inception 26 years ago, the charity has grown from a very small organisation offering mediation to around 30 divorcing couples to the organisation it is today and, although still relatively small, it is one of the largest voluntary organisations in the Scottish Borders receiving around 1,000 enquiries from the public, each year.

RSB is the only organisation specialising in parental separation and the only family mediation and child contact service provider in the Scottish Borders. Most referrals come from the courts and solicitors. Relationships Scotland Borders provides a holistic range of support for families, individuals and children affected by relationship breakdown and parental separation. Our main aim is to lessen the trauma and distress of conflict and family break-up. We provide both practical and emotional support.

Our key services are:

• Family Mediation – for parents and others including grandparents & step-parents

• Child Contact Support and Supervision – including hand-over support

• Family Support – intensive, specifically tailored and usually longer term practical and emotional support for families with more complex needs or entrenched behaviours. This includes helping to address the breakdown in social networks and security following family breakdown.

• Relationships and Separation Counselling (including Sexual Relationship Therapy)

• Parenting Apart (education programme for separated parents).

Information about us is available on our website:

(relationships-scotlandborders.org) and from OSCR (Registered Charity No: SC000979)

The role and what we’re looking for in our safeguarding trustee

Trustees are the people who make the top-level decisions for our charity. Our Board includes people with experience and skills in governing our charity and supporting families, as well as some brand-new trustees.

We are looking for a trustee to help us with safeguarding, focusing on this important part of our work, and alongside other trustees, steering the organisation where there may be safeguarding concerns within families.

You’ll have an understanding of, and probably a background in safeguarding children, likely some experience in Early Years, Health or Family Support. You’ll understand the need for our organisation to prioritise safeguarding, especially in our work with more-complex families, and you’ll lead and contribute to our Board discussions in those areas.

You don’t necessarily need prior charity experience, but you will need empathy with our cause and a genuine interest in supporting parents in our community.

You’ll support and provide a sounding-board for our Strategic Lead for Safeguarding and ensure we use policies and procedures appropriately, monitor and review our systems.

We are a charity not a business, but we apply business principles to governing our organisation. We want to expand the diversity of our board, and strongly welcome applications from people from less-represented groups.

The focus of a trustee role is strategic, and trustees will not be expected to get involved in the organisation’s operations on a daily basis; however, regular contact and liaison with other trustees, our CEO, and employees is expected.

Our Board meets remotely every 3 months with trustees expected to attend all, or most, of the 4 Board meetings each year.

We ask for 2 hours of your time for each meeting and we may ask you to be part a specific sub-groups which will require a further 2 hours every 3 months.

In total, we ask for you to contribute around 16 hours a year to your Trustee role here at RSB.

What do you get as a volunteer trustee with our organisation?

• An opportunity to exercise your safeguarding-focused skills and experience, probably in a different environment or context

• An opportunity to influence and collectively-lead an organisation supporting children and families

• A chance to expand and implement your understanding of our work, as well as augment your experience of charities

• A boost to your career and CV, if needed

• Satisfaction of helping an organisation that supports local families, thus giving something back to your community

• Induction training from us; training, support and assistance as needed; reimbursement of reasonable expenses, if needed

What do we get?

• Your strategic skills, knowledge, understanding and experience of safeguarding

• Your abilities to influence plans for our charity’s future

• Enhancement to our overall governance and the Board of trustees; improvement in our safeguarding focus, procedures and support for our staff in this area of our work

• Your participation in our collective decision-making, contributing to all areas of our charity work

• Your enthusiasm

What do our beneficiaries get?

• Our continued support for local families and children, ensuring we are there for parents when they need us most

• A forward-looking and agile organisation, with a well-informed Board of trustees

• A well-governed charity, sustainable for the future