Lay Trustee Appointments Information for Applicants

RC Diocese of Southwark

Contact for enquiries

Simon Lloyd, Director, NFP Consulting M 07961 988 523 E [email protected]

1 Archdiocese of Southwark Lay Trustee Appointments – Information for Applicants

Welcome

Thank you for your interest in joining my trustee colleagues and I in the important work that the Board does in the management of the Archdiocese.

These are new and important appointments as we seek to deliver on our commitments to the parishes, the communities, the families and the individuals we serve. Lay trustees will have been appointed through an open, objective and fair process in accordance with Charity Commission guidance.

It is the first time in our history that we are making lay appointments to the Board, but we recognise that a broad range of skills and expertise will strengthen our governance considerably.

Our ultimate purpose is the Proclamation of the Gospel in today’s world and the messages of hope that it brings. The proper and efficient management of our finances, assets and resources makes this possible and underpins our spiritual work.

Our financial systems are incredibly complex and they require us to take a careful and astute approach to their stewardship. Of course stewardship goes beyond money; you will have experience in corporate governance, best practice in management and in the specific challenges faced by organisations such as ours.

The Diocese is not immune from the political and economic challenges of modern times and this demands of us that we look afresh at how we do things and that we make sure that what we do represents the very best use of the resources that we have available.

My trustees and I are seeking to appoint up to four lay trustees who can join with us in our endeavours and apply their efforts and expertise to the worthwhile and vital work that we are engaged in.

I look forward to hearing from you.

The Very Reverend Archbishop of Southwark

2 Archdiocese of Southwark Lay Trustee Appointments – Information for Applicants

Lay Trustees x 4 £ Unremunerated, expenses paid London, Lambeth North

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark covers the geographical area of the whole of London south of the Thames, all of and the eastern parts of . With currently 180 parishes, 171 schools and 450 employees it is one of the largest dioceses in the UK.

The Diocese Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) is run by a Board of Trustees, who are responsible for determining the strategic direction of the Diocese, management of the assets, the smooth running of the day-to-day administration and the legal discharge of its responsibilities.

It is the first time that lay trustees are to be appointed to the Board and it reflects both the need and the desire to have the range of skills and expertise brought to bear for the management of what is in practice a hugely complex operation with a multiplicity of stakeholder accountabilities.

The responsibilities of the Board cover the day-to-day operation, including legal and fair employment, as well as guiding the Diocese on investments, acquisition, disposal and major capital projects.

The Diocese is seeking to secure the appointment of individuals with the following skillsets:

 Governance / Finance  Legal  Property  Safeguarding

Experience within the education sector may be helpful.

It will be important that candidates are able to demonstrate an understanding of the accountabilities of the Diocese as a charity and an appreciation for its spiritual and pastoral role in the lives of the people and communities it serves.

It is essential that Lay Trustees are able to demonstrate a highly credible level of understanding of the beliefs, structures and traditions that underpin the work of the Catholic Church in the UK.

How to apply

Application is by way CV initially.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact:

Simon Lloyd, Director, on 07961 988 523 or email [email protected]

Interviews are scheduled for 27th September.

3 Archdiocese of Southwark Lay Trustee Appointments – Information for Applicants About the Diocese

The Diocese covers the whole of Greater London south of the Thames and all of Kent.

We currently have 180 parishes across 20 deaneries and 171 schools. In addition we have the following agencies:

 Centre for Catholic Formation – based in Tooting Bec  Education Commission – based in Orpington  Marriage Tribunal – based in Westminster Bridge Road, London  Safeguarding – based in Westminster Bridge Road, London  Youth Service – based in Whitstable  We employ around 450 staff, mainly in part time roles.

The current challenges

The present economic climate is a difficult one for the Diocese. The very low rates of interest available on bank deposits have had a very significant adverse impact on income levels in recent years. At the same time financial markets remain volatile. The trustees therefore need to balance readily accessible funds to meet cash flow requirements whilst endeavouring to ensure that the capital base of the Diocese is protected.

At 31 December 2014, the total net assets of the Diocese stood at £81.5m. Of this £38m consists of fixed assets in the form of Churches and other property required for the purposes of the Church, without which the work of the Church could not continue. Investments, at £33.7mamount to approximately 12 months' expenditure, a level consistent with the Trustees' policy of holding one to two years' expenditure in reserve.

It has been prudent for the Diocese to hold reserves in the form of immediately available cash, because of the risk factors in building works. It is very difficult for our charity to get major financing of building projects, and so sufficient sums have to be accumulated from parish collections and other sources before there is any commitment to building. . Central Diocesan funds had net current assets of £2.54m compared to £1.38m at the end of 2013. The net current assets of parishes represent an average of around £40,000 per parish.

Download our latest Accounts

Our commitments and plans for the future

The Diocese will continue to maintain and develop both networks of schools and parishes in accordance with existing policies.

We will aim to preserve the character and longevity of our schools, increasingly through academy status as national policy develops in that direction. For more information, please visit The Education Commission website: http://www.educationcommission.org.uk/

With the parishes over the next few years we expect to see some more amalgamations and reductions in active clergy. We are continuing to review the impact that this will have on Diocesan resources both pastoral and financial.

4 Archdiocese of Southwark Lay Trustee Appointments – Information for Applicants

Governance Structure

Board of Trustees

Council of Priests Standing Committees* Financial The Parishes Secretary Finance

Education Safeguarding Justice and Peace Diocesan Marriage Tribunal Office Youth Service Centre for Catholic Formation

*Some are Commissions or have additional specialist support

5 Archdiocese of Southwark Lay Trustee Appointments – Information for Applicants The Role of the Lay Trustee

Being a Trustee of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Southwark includes all the general duties and responsibilities as outlined in The Essential Trustee guidance issued by The Charity Commission of England and Wales.

Download an extract of the General Requirements of Trustees.

Download the Full Guidance

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Southwark is a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO). This charitable structure places specific demands on trustees in terms of regulations, accounting and reporting.

The Trustees shall manage the affairs of the CIO and may for that purpose exercise all the powers of the CIO with the approval of the Archbishop. Rules and Regulation

In addition to the General Requirements of Trustees, a number of other points apply in this instance:

 Lay trustees will work alongside clerical trustees

 Trustee meetings will take place at least once a quarter. Lay trustees must attend a minimum of 3 meetings a year.

 In year 1 there will be additional induction and planning meetings.

 Lay trustees will have been appointed, in part, because they hold a particular skill or type of experience (e.g. legal, property, safeguarding, etc). It is an express term of being a lay trustee that if called upon to do so, the trustee with the appropriate experience, will represent the Diocese as an expert witness or some other expert way in legal proceedings or other official or professional hearing/presentation.

 Given the nature of the organisation lay trustees will need to give due consideration to the particular issues which arise because of its’ religious nature.

 To be available to give advice on an ad hoc basis.

 To play an active role in the development of the Diocese within the community it supports

1. Lay Trustee Selection Process

 Lay trustees can be nominated from various sources and/or can apply to advertised positions. When the Diocese requires any new lay trustees they will, as a minimum, advertise their requirements on the Diocesan website and through the parish network.

6 Archdiocese of Southwark Lay Trustee Appointments – Information for Applicants

 As a general rule the Diocese will be looking for lay trustees with specific areas of expertise such as finance, property, safeguarding and governance. Any specific requirements will be stated in the advertisement. In addition, the lay trustees must be practicing Catholics, but they do not have to be Southwark Diocese parishioners. Candidates should identify any possible conflicts of interest when applying for the trustee position.

 Charity regulations also specify certain conditions which lay trustees must meet before they can be considered for appointment:

o They must be at least 16 years old o They cannot be a disqualified company director o They cannot have an unspent conviction for an offence involving dishonesty or deception (such as fraud) o They cannot be an undischarged bankrupt (or subject to sequestration in Scotland), or have a current composition or arrangement including an individual voluntary arrangement (IVA) with creditors o They must not have been removed as a trustee of any charity by the commission (or the court) because of misconduct or mismanagement o In addition as the Diocese is a charity which can claim UK tax reliefs and exemptions (e.g. Gift Aid) lay trustees must meet the management condition in the Finance Act 2010. This requires all of the charity’s managers (including trustees) to be ‘fit and proper persons’. o The role of the lay trustee in the Diocese is not a regulated activity under the current Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) regulations. However, the charity does carry out regulated activities as part of its general operation and so would not consider someone with a blemished DBS disclosure to act as a lay trustee, as all trustees have responsibility for overseeing that regulated activity.

2. CIO Governing Requirements

 The Diocesan CIO governing document states the following about the appointment and removal of trustees:

o who appoints new trustees o when, and how, new trustees are appointed o who can be a trustee - o how long appointments last and whether a trustee can be re-appointed o how trustees can resign or be removed

3. Trustee Committee

 The process to appoint new lay trustees will be managed by the Trustee Committee. This will, as a minimum, be made up of the Archbishop, the Financial Secretary and at least one other clerical trustee. Once lay trustees are in operation within the Diocese at least one lay trustee would become part of this Committee. The HR function may be asked to help with managing the process. This same Committee would also deal with the removal of trustees.

 It is the responsibility of the Trustee Committee to ensure that any new potential lay trustees are aware of the following prior to or as part of the trustee appointment process:

7 Archdiocese of Southwark Lay Trustee Appointments – Information for Applicants

o Their legal responsibilities as a trustee o What the Diocese will expect of them in addition to their legal responsibilities o The likely time commitment that will be required

 It is essential that all new lay trustees are aware of what is expected of them before they are appointed.

4. Appointment Process

 Once potential trustees are known they will be sent the Diocesan Trustee Pack. This will include all the information about the role and who can/cannot be considered for it. If the potential trustees are still interested they will be asked to follow the guidance for how to apply, which will normally involve the supply of a CV and a covering letter that provides a brief resume of their skills and experience. There is a separate declaration about those areas which might cause them to be disqualified from being a trustee.

 An appointment panel will then be set up to interview potential trustees. This panel will be formed of the Trustee Committee. Once the Committee has made their decisions individuals will be notified accordingly and those that have been selected will be invited to a Trustee Induction session. All trustees must have attended one of these sessions prior to their first Trustee meeting.

5. Removal Process

 The Trustee Committee will be responsible for the removal of trustees. This can occur in the following circumstances:

o Resignation before the end of the term o Death before the end of the term o Automatic removal if either the trustee becomes disqualified (see section 1 above) or it is found that they should have been disqualified in the first instance o Automatic removal if the trustee is imprisoned or detained under the Mental Health Act. If someone is removed as a result of serious mental health issues they may be reconsidered following successful treatment.

 Removal for another reason which may include but is not limited to:

o Conflict of interest with either another role which the trustee performs and/or their personal views o Failure to attend sufficient trustee meetings and/or persistent failure to be involved in decision making o Conduct inappropriate to the nature of the charity – this could include illegal acts which are not part of the disqualification list or acts, which whilst legal, are deemed to be inappropriate o Any conduct which is likely to bring the charity into disrepute o Use of their role as a trustee to try and obtain personal gain/benefit

8 Archdiocese of Southwark Lay Trustee Appointments – Information for Applicants How to apply

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact:

Simon Lloyd, Director, NFP Consulting M 07961 988 523 or email [email protected]

Application is by way of CV initially followed by a Supporting Statement, which should concentrate on motivation, credentials, experience and knowledge and be around 1,000 words max.

Candidates taken forward to interview will be required to complete a formal declaration of eligibility to become a trustee.

Interviews will be held in London on Tuesday 27th September.

Every effort will be made to facilitate an informal visit to the Diocese Offices and the opportunity to meet with the Financial Secretary prior to formal interview.

Accessibility

Please let us know if you have any special requirements which we might need to consider in relation to the selection process, e.g. attending interview, completing the online exercise. Any requests will not be taken into account in the selection process.

9 Archdiocese of Southwark Lay Trustee Appointments – Information for Applicants