Trustee role description, person specification and duties and responsibilities
FORTH SECTOR’S MISSION
Forth Sector’s mission is to provide work and training opportunities to people who find it
hard to access mainstream employment.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF A CHARITY TRUSTEE
The role of a Forth Sector Trustee is to contribute skills, knowledge and experience to the
board to ensure good governance of the organisation.
Trustee Role Description
The Trustees of Forth Sector must accept responsibility for directing the affairs of the
organisation, ensuring it is solvent and well run, and that it acts within its objects. Trustees
are accountable for their decisions and actions to Forth Sector’s governance structures, the
public, courts, funders and beneficiaries.
Forth Sector is a Company Limited by Guarantee and a charity, registered with the Office of
the Scottish Charity Regulator. Governance of Forth Sector is set out in its Memorandum
and Articles of Association, available from the Company Secretary.
Forth Sector’s directors are ‘company directors’ in law and as such subject to Company Law.
More information on the duties, responsibilities of company directors is available from
Companies House or the Company Secretary. Directors are also Trustees of Forth Sector.
Role Purpose
1. To agree and monitor Forth Sector’s strategy to ensure all actions and activities are
consistent with it.
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2. With the other Trustees, ensure that the organisation functions within the legal,
charitable and financial requirements of a charitable organisation and strives to
achieve best practice
3. To contribute actively in giving firm strategic direction to Forth Sector, setting overall
policy, defining goals and setting targets and evaluation performance against agreed
targets
4. To act in the interests of Forth Sector as a whole and the beneficiaries who are on
the route to employment
5. To ensure effective and efficient administration of Forth Sector
6. To ensure the financial stability of the organisation and the proper investment of
funds in accordance with Forth Sector’s charitable objects and relevant legislation
7. To appoint Forth Sector’s Chief Executive Officer and monitor his/her performance
8. To use any specific skills, knowledge and experience to help the Board of Trustees
reach sound decisions (this will include the scrutiny of proposals, leading and
initiation discussions, providing advice or guidance on new initiatives and utilising
any specialist expertise and experience)
9. To chair and/or attend bodies given delegated authority by the Board
Duty of Care
Trustees must:

Ensure the charity is and will remain solvent; this means that you need to keep
yourself informed of the charity’s activities and financial position.

Use charitable funds and assets wisely, and only to further the purposes and
interest of the charity

Avoid undertaking activities that might place the charity’s property, funds, assets
or reputation at undue risk

Take special care when investing the funds of the charity, or borrowing funds for
the charity

Exercise reasonable care and skill as trustees, using personal knowledge and
experience to ensure that the charity is well-run and efficient
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
Consider getting external professional advice on all matters where there may be
material risk to the charity, or where the trustees may be in breach of their
duties
More information about the role and responsibilities of trustees can be found on the
Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator’s website.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Members of Forth Sector’s Board of Trustees will require:
1. A commitment to the aims and objectives of Forth Sector and to promoting the
interests of individuals disadvantaged from mainstream employment
2. A willingness to devote time and effort
3. Strategic vision
4. Good, independent judgement
5. An ability to think creatively
6. An understanding and acceptance of legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of
trusteeship
7. An ability to work effectively as a member of a team while contributing an
independent perspective
8. A commitment to Nolan’s seven principles of public life: selflessness, integrity,
objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership
9. The specific skills required by the organisation
10. Eligibility. Some people are disqualified by law from acting as Trustees, including:

Anyone who has an unspent conviction for an offence involving deception or
dishonesty

Anyone who is an undischarged bankrupt

Anyone who has been removed from trusteeship of a charity by the Courts of
OSCR for misconduct or mismanagement

Anyone who is disqualified from being a company director under the
Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986
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Forth Sector may conduct necessary checks on the successful Trustee/s to ensure eligibility
eg PVG membership update. All Trustees will be required to sign a declaration that they are
not disqualified.
TERMS OF APPOINTMENT
Trustee appointments will be reviewed annually, and newly inducted Trustees should expect
to serve for at least three years.
Trustees will be expected to attend four quarterly board meetings and are expected to be a
member of a sub-committee with a further requirement of four meetings per year. You
must therefore be able to commit up to 14 days per year.
Forth Sector is committed to supporting its Trustees and provides a thorough induction to
the organisation and role. You will be expect to attend training events relevant to the role,
as necessary.
Whilst the role is unpaid, reasonable expenses are payable in line with Forth Sector’s
standard expenses policy.
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