Chair and Member for Scottish Commission on Social Security
- Management Board
- Sessional
- Edinburgh
- Closing 1st May 2024
- Advertised from 12th March 2024
- Member - £225.00/Per Day. Up to 36 days per annum. Chair - £306.00/Per Day. Up to 60 days per annum.
Role
Appointment of Chair and Member to the Scottish Commission on Social Security.
The Scottish Commission on Social Security (SCoSS) is an independent body set up in 2019 to provide independent scrutiny of the Scottish social security system and hold Scottish Ministers to account.
The Commission is separate from the Scottish Government and from the Scottish Parliament. It carries out its work independently of both, but works closely with both.
Information on the Commission’s functions are set out within Section 22 of the Social Security (Scotland Act) 2018. SCoSS’s role is made up of three parts:
Scrutinising draft regulations and publishing a report including recommendations to the Scottish Government.
Reporting on the Social Security Charter to the Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament on whether the expectations in the Social Security Charter are being met. The Scottish Government and Social Security Scotland published the Social Security Charter in January 2019. It is called ‘Our Charter’.
Responding to requests from the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Government to report ‘on any matter relevant to social security’ when asked by either of them.
You can find out more about the Board and the work that it has done on the SCoSS webpage. This includes reports, information about the organisation and minutes of Board meetings.
Chair
The Chair will be reimbursed for reasonable travel and other expenses incurred to carry out their role, such as:
- Any travel and subsistence costs
- Reasonable childcare or carer expenses
- Disability-related reasonable adjustments
The Chair will be expected to devote up to 60 days per annum. You will be expected to attend meetings of the Body regularly, to prepare for and to contribute fully to these and to perform your other functions. Board meetings are currently held roughly every 4-6 weeks and there are often ad-hoc meetings in between as well.
Skills/Experience Required
Scottish Ministers welcome applications from people from a wide range of backgrounds who have the following skills/knowledge/experience:
The following priority criterion:
- Leadership
This is in addition to either one or both of the following priority criteria:
- The ability to use your lived experience of the impact of disability arising from a physical or mental impairment, to help bring about positive change
- Experience of policy development and/or delivery; implementation and/or evaluation of policy in a public service context.
Applicants must also provide evidence of the following essential criteria:
- Analysing information and making recommendations
- Working collaboratively, constructively and effectively with others
- Personal Commitment to progressing the Social Security Principles.
Members
Members will be reimbursed for reasonable travel and other expenses incurred to carry out their role, such as:
- Any travel and subsistence costs
- Reasonable childcare or carer expenses
- Disability-related reasonable adjustments
Members will be expected to devote up to 36 days per annum. You will be expected to attend meetings of the Body regularly, to prepare for and to contribute fully to these and to perform your other functions. Board meetings are currently held roughly every 4-6 weeks and there are often ad-hoc meetings in between as well.
Skills/Experience Required
Scottish Ministers welcome applications from people from a wide range of backgrounds who have the following skills/knowledge/experience:
The following priority criterion:
- The ability to use your lived experience of the impact of disability arising from a physical or mental impairment, to help bring about positive change. This may include experience as a carer or as someone advocating for those with lived experience of the impact of a disability.
Applicants must also provide evidence of the following essential criteria:
- Analysing information and making recommendations
- Working collaboratively, constructively and effectively with others
- Personal commitment to progressing the Social Security Principles.
- Understanding of policy development and/or delivery; implementation and/or evaluation of policy in a public service context.
Engagement Event
There will be an online Engagement event held on Wednesday 27 March 2024 from 10:00 – 11:00, with the existing interim Co-Chairs of SCoSS. This is an opportunity to find out more about SCoSS and ask any questions that you may have. If interested in attending please email Julie.McKinney@gov.scot
Application notes
For further information and to apply for the Chair role, please click here.
For further information and to apply for the Member role, please click here.
Appointments to the Scottish Commission on Social Security are regulated by the Ethical Standards Commissioner.
Join Our Board as Treasurer and Contribute Your Expertise
Are you an experienced finance professional looking to make a meaningful contribution to the arts? We are currently seeking a skilled individual to act as the Treasurer on our Board of Trustees. If you possess financial expertise and our organisation’s mission resonates with you, we invite you to apply for this important role.
Why Become Our Treasurer?
As Treasurer, you will play a crucial role in overseeing our finances, ensuring financial health, and supporting our mission to advocate, nurture, and champion Black talent in the performing arts, screen, and event sectors in Scotland. This voluntary role offers the chance to use your expertise without requiring a significant time commitment.
Key Responsibilities:
- High-level Financial Oversight: Review financial reports and ensure the organisation’s financial stability.
- Board Communication: Keep the board informed about financial matters and reassure them of the organisation’s financial health.
- Budget Oversight: Provide occasional oversight and adjustments to budget models as needed.
- Flagging Issues: The Treasurer should be capable of identifying and isolating financial issues, even if they are minor, and raising flags when necessary.
What We’re Looking For:
- Experienced Professional: Ideally with a career background as a Financial Director or Financial Controller.
- Qualified Accountant: (Must be able to provide membership numbers for verification).
- Confident Communicator: Able to inspire confidence, provide reassurance and communicate financial matters clearly.
- Strategic Thinker: Someone who can provide high-level oversight and has a keen eye for detail.
- Familiarity with Charity Finance: Understanding of charity finance issues and governance, though specific software experience (e.g., SAGE) is not required.
What’s in It for You?
- Make a Tangible Impact: Your financial expertise will directly contribute to our success, allowing us to better serve our community.
- Gain Valuable Experience: Further your skills in financial management, budgeting, and strategic planning within the non-profit sector.
- Support Our Mission: Help us achieve our goals and create an equitable landscape for all within the Scottish performing arts sector.
Commitment
- Monthly Meetings: Last Monday of every month, 7 pm – 8.30 pm on Teams.
- Annual Strategy Meetings and Training Days: In-person meetings arranged in advance.
- AGM: In-person attendance required.
We are the first port of call for social entrepreneurs and our mission is to make social enterprise accessible, achievable and aspirational.
We are looking for new board members to broaden and strengthen the skills and experience of our existing board. As a board member, you will oversee our governance and financial arrangements, ensuring that we operate in line with best practice and our charitable objectives. You will play an important role in our future direction and will provide support and motivation to the board and the Chief Executive.
While we welcome applications from anyone who meets the role’s description and person specification, we particularly want to reach individuals who can demonstrate specialist knowledge, skills, and lived or learned experience in one or more of the following:
- Key public policy areas affecting Scotland
- Scottish Government, Local Authority, or other public sector knowledge, including relationships with civil servants and government officials
- Business development, corporate partnerships and diversification of income streams
- Impact measurement and evaluation frameworks
As accredited Investors in Diversity, we are committed to making our Board balanced and diverse, reflecting the people and communities we work with. Acknowledging our current board make-up and those ending their term this year, we particularly welcome applications from women and those who identify outside the gender binary, as well as people who bring a diversity of thought, mindset and background through their age (young people), sexuality, ethnicity, learning style or geography (rural/remote location).
The Relationships Scotland Network is the largest provider of family and relationship support in the country. We offer relationship counselling, family mediation and child contact centres through a network of 21 member services across Scotland, which provide face-to-face support to around 18,000 people each year.
We are looking for two new Trustees to help build upon the strong existing skills within our current Board. In particular we are looking for people with the following:
To help build upon the strong existing skills within our current board. In particular we are looking for people with the following:
• Knowledge of the challenges facing children and families today
• Scottish Government, Local Authority or other public sector experience
• Traditional and Social Media/IT skills
The trustee role would include four board meetings a year (currently two in person, and two online), along with the potential to take on some additional responsibilities as required.
We want our Board to reflect the diversity of the modern communities we work with, and value the benefits of having different experience and points of view on our Board. We particularly welcome applications from people living with a disability or long-term health condition, LGBTQ+ people, younger people and those from ethnic minority communities
Relationships Scotland is the largest provider of family and relationship support in the country. We offer relationship counselling, family mediation and child contact centres through a network of 21 Member Services across Scotland. Around 18,000 people receive a face-to-face service each year.
We are looking to appoint a new treasurer to join our Board. The treasurer will be responsible for overseeing financial matters on behalf of our Board and will be responsible for ensuring that the organisation has robust financial processes to ensure it meets its legal and constitutional requirements. While we encourage and welcome applicants of all backgrounds, we are keen to hear from candidates that have experience of charity financial management or are chartered in a suitable accountancy field.
This role would include four board meetings a year (currently a mix of in person and online), along with four online Office Bearer meetings each year, and our AGM.
We want our Board to reflect the diversity of the modern communities we work with, and value the benefits of having different experience and points of view on our Board. We particularly welcome applications from people living with a disability or long-term health condition, LGBTQ+ people, younger people and those from ethnic minority communities.
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