Clinical Trustee for Keech Hospice

About Keech Hospice Care

Keech Hospice Care provides specialist palliative care for adults and children with terminal or life limiting conditions. Our mission is to provide the best quality of life for our patients and their families as they prepare for a dignified death. Our multi professional approach involves medical, nursing, social, spiritual and emotional care and is provided 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Access to our services is available to all, free from discrimination on such grounds as disability, political view or other opinion, race, religion, gender or sexual orientation, wealth or otherwise and marital status.

We spend £14m a year, employ almost 300 staff members and work with 1500 volunteers to provide services to the communities we serve.

Main duties of the job

The trustee provides clinical leadership and oversight to support Keech Hospice Care in delivering safe, effective and compassionate care.

The trustee contributes to the strategic direction of the organisation ensuring clinical quality, patient safety and service sustainability are prioritised.

The trustee ensures the charity fulfils its duties in line with its governing documents, relevant law and regulation.

The trustee acts in good faith in the best interests of beneficiaries using clinical expertise to support effective use of resources.

The trustee works collaboratively with other trustees, the chief executive and senior leaders to ensure strong governance and accountability.

The trustee promotes and protects the values, integrity, reputation and public confidence in Keech Hospice Care.

The trustee attends board meetings, participates in reviews and serves on committees or working groups as required.

The trustee maintains awareness of clinical services, the wider health system and developments in palliative and end of life care.

The trustee participates in provider visits and upholds the principles of public life including integrity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.

Job responsibilities

Our trustees play a vital role in ensuring Keech Hospice achieves its core purpose. They oversee the overall management and administration of the charity. They also ensure that Keech Hospice Care has a clear strategy and that our work and goals align with our vision. They support the team to enable growth and thrive, thereby supporting patients and families who use our services.

Board members have a collective, legal responsibility. They are ultimately responsible for everything the charity does and how it does it. The overriding duty of trustees is to act in good faith within charity law and to make sure the charity pursues its aims (as set out in the governing document); uses its assets exclusively to pursue those aims; and acts in the interests of its beneficiaries.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Impact: Contribute to determining the overall strategic direction of Keech Hospice Care. Decisions directly impact the services provided and the lives of patients and families.

Legal Responsibility: Act in good faith, ensuring the charity pursues its aims and uses its assets effectively.

Collaboration: Work with other trustees, the Chief Executive, the Senior Leadership Team and stakeholders to collectively drive success.

Governance: Maintain high standards of governance that generate confidence among stakeholders and staff.

Integrity: Promote and protect Keech Hospice Care's values, integrity, image and reputation.

Roles and Commitments: Attend board meetings; participate in the Board's annual work programme of reviews; undertake portfolio roles as directed by the Chair; be involved in the work of committees or working groups; promote the charity with external stakeholders; participate in provider visits; perform duties in accordance with the Seven Principles of Public Life.

Responsible for setting the strategic direction of the charity; ensure legal stewardship and guard against conflicts of interest.

What we are looking for?

Commitment to Keech Hospice Care and an empathy with its aims, ethos and values. Ability to attend board meetings, participate actively and advocate for our mission.

Willingness to devote the necessary time and effort to carrying out trustee duties.

Skills and Experience

• Finance: Financial management and/or accountancy experience. Track record of securing value for money and effectiveness.
• Management: Experience in change management and organisational transformation, retail and fundraising management.
• Clinical: Experience in the health sector in general and end of life care in particular.
• Board: Experience at a board or senior manager level in a public, private or charity sector context. Experience of defining strategy, mergers & acquisitions, KPIs, governance, compliance, audit & risk management.
• Digital: Experience of online retail, recruitment, CRM systems, procurement & implementation of IT systems, use of AI/ML.
• Human Resources: Recruitment & retention of staff and/or volunteers.
• EDI: Working with young people, older adults, people from diverse backgrounds and/or special needs.
• Legal: Qualified lawyer, preferably with corporate experience.

Personal Criteria

• No conflict of interest between your business activities and your role as trustee in line with the Seven Principles of Public Life (Nolan Principles).
• Ability to question intelligently, debate constructively, challenge rigorously and decide dispassionately.
• Ability to listen sensitively to the views of others inside and outside of the board and to gain the trust and respect of other board and senior management team members.
• Ability to seek and obtain full and satisfactory answers within the environment of the board.
• Ability to role model our values and to challenge trustees when they are being compromised.
• Willingness to learn and develop new skills and volunteer for specific committees and ad hoc workstreams as necessary.
• No prior experience required as a charity trustee - anyone with relevant skills and time is welcome to apply.
• Priority for applicants under 35, from a Black, Asian or other minority ethnic background, or living with a disability, as these groups are under represented on our board.
• Greater diversity helps us make better decisions and better represent the diversity of our membership and the communities we serve.
• Passion for making a difference in the community and skills/experience in the health sector, end of life care, or at a senior board/manager level in a public, private or charity sector.
• The role can be demanding but is deeply rewarding and you will be part of a friendly, energetic team.
• Support through trustee induction, training and peer to peer mentoring will be provided.
• Reasonable travel expenses arising from trustee duties can be covered.

What you will gain

Serving as a trustee can help you develop a variety of valuable skills: financial acumen, strategic thinking, governance, leadership, risk management, collaboration, communication, problem solving, ethical judgment and networking.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and requires a submission for Disclosure to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Depending on experience - this is a voluntary role.