Recruitment of Independent Members to the Board of Management

UHI Perth is one of Scotland’s leading Colleges of Further and Higher Education, and a partner in the University of the Highlands and Islands.

UHI Perth is currently recruiting for new Independent Board Members to join the governing body charged with overseeing the operation of the College. We would particularly welcome applications from individuals with recent senior-level background in finance, accountancy, corporate governance or change management.

A position on our Board requires commitment to the work of the College and the community, an interest in the post-16 education sector, and effective communication and analytical skills.

Membership is voluntary and unpaid, but brings huge rewards to members - input can make a real difference to the education and prospects of our learners and to the wellbeing and success of the communities where they live. Attendance at meetings of the Board and Committees is required, usually early evening, and reasonable travel costs for Board business are reimbursed.

The College is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity.

Do you have a passion for helping people?

Do you have excellent communication and customer service skills?

Do you want to work for one of the best employability providers in Scotland?

Would you like to help someone with barriers to work find their dream job?

Then come and work for Enable Works.

Your role, as Employment Coordinator is to provide support to young people who have barriers to work, to make progress towards and achieve well paid, sustainable employment. You will work in the local community engaging with young people face to face on a one to one and/or group basis to profile their skills and aspirations for work.

Enable Works are the leading specialist provider of employability services for people who have barriers to work. We believe that every person in Scotland has the right to work in a job that is high quality and well paid.

Enable Works supports over 5500 people every year across 28 Local Authorities to learn skills for work.

We partner with thousands of employers to create inclusive cultures and improve the diversity of Scotland's workforce.

We are incredibly proud of our smart, capable, and motivated colleagues across Scotland and following a period of significant growth we are looking to grow our team.

We offer a generous salary, excellent benefits, and opportunities to develop and grow in your role.

We offer flexible working practices that promote a strong work/life balance so that when you are at work you can be the best version of you.

Values are more important to us than qualifications or experience, so if you don’t think you meet every requirement that’s ok, we still want to hear from you.

Please make sure you include a detailed personal statement in the ‘More about you’ section of the application to tell us how you are suited to the post.

For further information please see our full job pack.

About You

We really need you to have these

• The drive, energy and commitment to support young people to gain an aspiration for work as they transition from school
• Ability to build relationships with employers to offer opportunities for our young people
• Ability to manage your own workload and prioritise as needed
• Confident communicator
• Strong attention to detail
• Professional presentation and personalitySome knowledge of the local community
• Ability to work with people at any age who have challenging barriers to employment
• IT literacy
• Comfortable working towards targets
• A natural, professional relationship builder
• A full driving licence

Why?

Our vision is that every person in Scotland is able to access the support they need to find a high-quality job that pays them well and your drive and commitment to this job will help them get there. You will recognise each client’s individual skills and aspirations and work with them to find a job that they love.

Our culture is autonomous so that means we trust you to make the right decisions for your clients, therefore you need to manage your work load well and be accountable for your time. Attention to detail is important as it means you can work accurately and follow instructions.

About Us

At Enable we believe in developing all our staff and we provide an extensive learning programme together with in-house career development opportunities.

We also have an excellent range of staff benefits on offer including but not limited to:

• Health cash plans providing a wide range of health benefits to help people cover the cost of their everyday health care.
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Season Ticket Loans

Starting a career with Enable is the first step towards making a real difference in our award-winning charity’s mission to help create an equal society for every person who has a learning disability.

Enable is an equal opportunities employer and our recruitment, selection and assessment process is based entirely on values, skills and competencies required of the specific roles.

Chair of the Board of Trustees

We are excited to have the opportunity to recruit a committed, experienced Chair with outstanding strategic planning ability, to lead our charity as we enter the next stage of our evolution and prior to the launch of our new strategy in April 2025.

As Chair of MCR Pathways, you will play a crucial role in shaping the strategic direction of the charity, ensuring the highest standards of charity governance and effective oversight of our operations. Drawing on your substantial non-executive experience, ideally as Chair, you will ensure a cohesive and well-functioning board where diverse views are encouraged to improve consensus decision-making.

You will work closely with board colleagues through quarterly board meetings, and working groups and provide support and constructive challenge to the Chief Executive, Sharon McIntyre and her senior team. With a track record of identifying and mitigating risk, you will protect and promote the charity’s excellent reputation, and represent us at external events and with key stakeholders.

Trustees

We are also looking for three committed individuals to join our Board of Trustees. This is an incredible opportunity to make a difference with MCR,build on your existing skills and potentially discover new ones. We are currently recruiting for Trustees to join our board from December 2024, with a particular interest in candidates with experience in the following areas:

Charitable / Voluntary sector

Charity Finance

Marketing/Communications

Fundraising

We are focused on identifying new trustees who:

Believe strongly that care experienced young people should have the same opportunities to learn and develop as their peers. And are passionate about making this happen.

Are committed to making a meaningful contribution to fulfilling the Board’s strategic, financial and legal responsibilities.

This is an incredible opportunity to make a difference with MCR, build on your existing skills and potentially discover new ones. The most important attributes trustees joining us should have include: a willingness to ask questions, sharing our values of Respect, Person-Centred practice, Integrity and Communication and a guaranteed time commitment to the role. If this sounds like you, we would love to hear from you.

You will work closely with board colleagues through quarterly board meetings, and working groups and provide support and constructive challenge to the Chief Executive, Sharon McIntyre and her senior team. With a track record of identifying and mitigating risk, you will protect and promote the charity’s excellent reputation, and represent us at external events and with key stakeholders.

Our Commitment

In return, we offer a comprehensive induction programme including charity trustee training, CPD as a trustee and the opportunity to be part of a forward thinking, committed and impactful team working to help care experienced young people transform their lives. These positions are a voluntary role in a national third sector organisation that has important stature in Scotland with a growing reach in England.

ABOUT EAST LOTHIAN COMMUNITY RAIL PARTNERSHIP

Community Rail Partnerships (CRP) were first established in England in the 1990s as a formal mechanism to reinvigorate local and rural railways. CRP status provides a framework for community involvement in strategic planning, development and operation of a specific railway line.

Since 2014, the East Lothian Community Rail Partnership has been pulling together a wide range of local organisations with an interest in communities and sustainable transport, to fix the link between railway stations, town centres and the surrounding areas, and realise an integrated transport network accessible to all. We work with four train operators (ScotRail, LNER, TransPennine Express, and Cross Country), Transport Scotland, East Lothian Council, the Regional Transport Partnership (SEStran), local businesses and community groups towards the following aims:

• Supporting the local economy by promoting rail use and rail facilities
• Actively promoting the use of rail and other public and low carbon-emitting transport
• Supporting safety, security and access initiatives relating to railway use
• Working with ‘station adopters’ (individuals and groups) to provide a more pleasant environment within the station areas.

ABOUT THE VACANCY

Harry Barker has been chairing East Lothian CRP since its inception in 2014 and is now preparing to pass on the reins of a well-established and respected organisation. In addition the time is right to expand the Board and also appoint a vice chair. Examples of projects completed to date include:

• restored the murals at Prestonpans Station (best community project 2023)
• improved signage to stations
• provided information boards for display in stations promoting local attractions and historical information
• supported many local events in the North Berwick and Dunbar areas
• producing a line guide and leaflets to encourage tourism
• working with bus operators to improve integration between bus and rail

Projects have always been dependent on external funding which to date has not proved problematical, and, as such, the incoming Chair will have the flexibility to pursue their own agenda. The CRP is financially sound and new ways of operating are being explored by The Community Rail Network and the new Chair will be well placed to provide input to these.

East Lothian CRP has no paid staff, and projects are led by volunteers under direction from the Board, and therefore the amount of work involved can vary but can be expected to be around 10 hours per month for the Chair.

DUTIES OF THE CHAIR

Responsibilities include:

• Ensuring that the CRP is run in accordance with the constitution
• Guiding and encouraging projects that will be undertaken from time to time
• Ensuring that the Action Plan is kept up to date
• Chairing four meetings per year, including the AGM (normally held in November)
• Producing an annual report for the AGM
• Ensuring that the activities of the CRP are within the guidelines produced by the Train Operating Companies in all respects particularly including safely

BENEFITS

You will receive a ‘staff’ rail pass from ScotRail permitting free rail travel throughout Scotland when travelling on ScotRail trains.

Reasonable expenses will be paid if required to travel on other rail services and/or stay overnight.

REQUIREMENTS

The successful applicant will be expected to support public transport in general, with a keen interest in integration between modes such as buses, active travel and rail.

A willingness of Board members to attend committees and conferences is essential (expenses will be covered) and these will give valuable access to professional railway staff and management on the front line, where your views can be heard. These include:

• the local ‘Rail Forum’ involving MSPs, Councillors and Train Operating Companies - twice a year, usually virtually
• in-person or virtual annual conferences of the four local Train Operating Companies (ScotRail, Cross Country Trains, TransPennine Express, and LNER) which may be held anywhere in the UK
• An annual event in Scotland sponsored by Modern Railways magazine which is attended by many high profile railway managers and senior representation from Transport Scotland
• Virtual attendance (via Zoom) at the national Community Rail Network meetings
• In-person Community Rail Networks Awards ceremony, if the CRP is short listed for an Award – this year’s was in Swansea over three days
• Six Community Area Partnership ‘On the Move’ groups consider local transport in East Lothian – CRP representation on one or more of these groups is important for a full appreciation of issues surrounding each station. Each On the Move Group meets every two months

A knowledge of railways and their workings is desirable but not essential.

Living in East Lothian and using the county’s rail services from time to time would be advantageous.

You will be expected to liaise with the station adoption groups from time to time. They have a separate relationship with ScotRail.

You will be expected to be pro-active in instructing the website to be kept up to date via the CRP’s appointed webmaster, and in responding to public enquiries which come via the website. You will not be required to answer complaints from the travelling public but direct these to ScotRail for attention.

From time to time it may be necessary to communicate with the local Press (East Lothian Courier and occasionally Edinburgh Evening News).