Anderson Knight is delighted to be supporting Real Life Options in the search for an exceptional, values driven Chairperson to lead its Board of Management and guide the organisation through its next phase of development.

The Chairperson plays a pivotal leadership role in ensuring the charity fulfils its mission, maintains the highest standards of governance, and continues to deliver outstanding, person-centred services. Working in close partnership with the Board and the Group Chief Executive Officer, the Chair will provide strategic leadership, uphold accountability, and act as an ambassador for the organisation.

This is a highly rewarding opportunity to make a meaningful impact within an organisation dedicated to supporting people with learning disabilities and autistic people to live full, meaningful lives.

Key Responsibilities

Board Leadership & Governance

• Lead the Board in setting clear strategic direction, providing effective oversight, and supporting high-quality decision-making.
• Ensure the governance of Real Life Options reflects the organisation’s Articles and Memorandum of Association.
• Foster a high-performing Board with the right balance of skills, experience, diversity, and succession planning.
• Promote a strong culture of transparency, compliance, accountability, and ethical leadership.
• Encourage constructive challenge and collective responsibility within the Board.
• Ensure all trustees meet their legal, regulatory, and fiduciary duties.

Strategic Leadership & Oversight

• Work in partnership with the CEO to shape, oversee, and monitor the organisation’s strategy, transformation plans, and long-term objectives.
• Ensure strong alignment between vision, performance, financial sustainability, and risk management.
• Provide oversight of major change and development programmes, ensuring decisions reflect the needs and aspirations of people supported.

Partnership with the CEO

• Build a strong, trusting, and constructive working relationship with the CEO.
• Provide support, guidance, mentoring, and performance appraisal.
• Hold the CEO to account for the delivery of strategic objectives and organisational performance.
• Offer counsel on complex, sensitive, or high-impact decisions.

External Representation & Advocacy

• Act as an ambassador for Real Life Options, building effective relationships with stakeholders, regulators, funders, commissioners, and sector partners.
• Champion the organisation’s mission, values, and the rights and voices of people with learning disabilities and autistic people.

Championing Lived Experience

• Ensure co-production and lived experience are embedded in governance and decision-making.
• Promote the highest standards of safeguarding, quality, and person-centred practice across the organisation.

Effective Board Operations

• Chair Board and committee meetings effectively, ensuring inclusive participation and well-structured, purposeful discussions.
• Ensure the Board receives timely, high-quality information and reporting from the Executive team.
• Lead the annual Board evaluation and support ongoing Board development.

Join Our Board and Help Shape the Future of North Lanarkshire Disability Forum

Are you passionate about making a difference in your community?

Do you want to use your skills and experience to help a Scottish charity grow and thrive?

North Lanarkshire Disability Forum is seeking new volunteer Board Members to join our governing body. We are a community led organisation supporting and raising the voices of people living with a long term condition, disability and those affected by cancer including carers.

As a trustee, you’ll play a vital role in guiding our strategy, ensuring strong governance, and supporting the Management and staff team to deliver real and lasting impact.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences — especially those who can bring diverse perspectives or lived experience relevant to our work. We’re particularly interested in candidates with skills in finance, law, fundraising, communications, or HR, but enthusiasm and commitment are just as important.

This is an opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to a respected Scottish charity while gaining valuable experience in governance, leadership, and strategic decision-making.

Seescape

More than 160 years since it was founded as Fife Society for the Blind Seescape continues to provide high quality support to the visually impaired community in Fife. Our past is important but it is our future that will change lives. Our Chair took up office at November’s AGM and we have recently appointed a new CEO. This is an exciting time in the development of Seescape as we work towards implementing our 4 Strategic Ambitions and we are now looking for up to 3 Trustees to join our committed and engaged Board on this journey.

We are seeking Trustees who are strategic thinkers, collaborative, constructive, and able to act as charity ambassadors.

We encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply. We particularly welcome applications from those with the following background and/or experience:

• Lived experience and/or knowledge of the Visual Impairment community

• Knowledge of networks and organisations in Fife

• Interest in and commitment to the values and strategic ambitions of Seescape and enthusiasm for leading the delivery of these.

• Knowledge or experience of the Public Sector, in particular Health Services.

The Board currently meets 6 weekly in Glenrothes on Thursday mornings. Trustees are encouraged to attend in person but online attendance is also possible. The position is voluntary but reasonable expenses can be claimed.

Trustees are required to be members of the PVG Scheme.

More information about the work of Seescape is available here:

Seescape | Fife Society for the Blind

Our Heritage Film

youtu.be/fKlNqyTaT_I

About People First (Scotland)

People First (Scotland) is the national disabled people’s organisation run by and for people with learning disabilities. Our work is rooted in human rights, equality, and the belief that people with learning disabilities must have full control over their own lives.

We are a member led organisation. Our values guide everything we do:

• Respect for lived experience
• Equality in how we work and how we treat each other
• Inclusion in decision making and leadership
• Human rights at the centre of every action
• Accessibility in communication, processes, and culture

The Finance Officer plays a crucial role in protecting these values by ensuring the organisation is financially secure, transparent, and sustainable.

Role Purpose

Creation of this new role illustrates the focus on two of our Strategic Priorities

Financial stability

And

Secure infrastructure.

This post holder will serve a vital role in support of both.

They will provide information in person and by report to inform the decision-making of directors and committees. This will strengthen existing and developing governance structures.

They will refine existing recording and systems improving effectiveness of those without removal of or risk to the established practice which crucially supports member-led control and ownership.

They will work directly with the auditor or other professional contacts as required. They will extract and provide timely and accurate financial details to support reporting to funders by the wider team.

The information they generate will contribute directly to committee and Board of trustee financial updates. In so doing ensure that internal decision makers have a full, accurate and up to date awareness of financial balances, forecasts on spending and information to support timely planning.

Their work will inform the financial aspects of future grant applications and maintain awareness of all the appropriate dates on expected income change.

Production of quarterly management accounts, salary payment checks and everyday expenses is included in the role.

This best serves the purpose and recognises the skills that this postholder will bring from day one.

These contributions strengthen this organisation’s sound financial process, improving transparency of member decision makers’ priorities.

This is not a development or project delivery role. It informs both in partnership with fellow team members but the focus is entirely on finance.

It will supply clear information to illustrate and evaluate all development activity and our charitable purpose.

The postholder will benefit from team support to identify the appropriate structures or specific team members to approach in order to generate, develop and provide information to populate funding reports and applications for future funding.

The role safeguards the organisation’s resources and ensures that our work continues to be led by and for people with learning disabilities.