Treasurer to Board of Trustees

Treasurer to Board of Trustees Care To Listen

Established in 2007, Care To Listen is a busy and well-respected counselling service situated in the London Borough of Croydon.  We provide an integrative and a psychodynamic low-cost service for adults (18+). Since 2017, we have been contracted to provide the general and the Multiethnic counselling services within the London Borough of Croydon, managed by the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLAM). We are a team of professional counsellors that provide confidential counselling and mental health support to all our clients. Our focus is low-cost counselling for all. We treat everyone with the utmost respect and every client can explore their thoughts and feelings without fear of being judged. We offer oneto-one therapies, psychodynamic therapy, and CBT, as well as couple’s counselling, and we aim to keep our services as affordable as possible to reach those from lower income households.  

We are proud to offer a well-structured, and clinically supported placement programme to trainee Counsellors from a variety of colleges, universities and training institutions within the London and South East area. Our placement programme enables future Counsellors to become grounded, knowledgeable and competent professionals, as we offer them clinical hours towards their qualification.    

The Board of Trustees is ultimately responsible for directing the affairs of Care To Listen, and ensuring that it is solvent, well-run, and meeting the needs of the local community in the way the charity has been intended. The Board of Trustees is also responsible for the organisation’s governance, values, and overall strategy, and for meeting the organisation’s obligations and ethos of low-cost community counselling.  

Care To Listen serves residents in the London Borough of Croydon. We aim to improve lives and strengthen our community by supporting clients with their wellbeing and their mental health. We aim to reach diverse communities, attracting people from across a wide spectrum of ages, ethnic backgrounds and socioeconomic backgrounds with both our low-cost service and our multiethnic service.

As the Treasurer you will play a vital role in overseeing the financial affairs of Care To Listen. The Treasurer ensures the charity's financial health, helping to preserve and develop our agency and our position within the community. The role involves working with fellow trustees and Directors of Care To Listen to maintain effective financial oversight and to support the charity’s strategic objectives.

What will our Treasurer do? 

• Complete an introduction for your role
• Maintain an awareness of how Care To Listen is operating
• Read papers for board meetings and attend 12 meetings per year.
• Attend any meetings to discuss finances in more detail with the Directors of Care To Listen prior to the Board meeting.  
• Support and advise the Clinical Services Director, and the Human Resources and Operations Manager with any key financial decisions on the management of Care To Listen, plus approval of budgets, accounts and financial statements within the organisations framework.  
• Explain, guide and advise the board on the key assumptions and financial implications of Care To Listen budgets, operational and strategic plans.
• Ensure that the organisation has an appropriate reserves policy and a realistic budget that meets the services’ needs.
• Present accounts at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in an accessible way for staff and volunteer counsellors.
• Ensure that annual accounts are prepared in compliance with SORP (Statement of Recommended Practice) Accounting for Charities and submitted by the deadline to the Charity Commission and/or Registrar of Companies, and make arrangements for them to be audited or independently examined as required.
• Keep the board informed about its financial duties and responsibilities
• Monitor the organisation’s income and expenditure position.
• Present accessible reports at least quarterly to ensure board members understand the accounts and implications.
• Understand the accounting procedures and key internal controls to be able to assure the board that the charity's financial integrity is sound
• Take an active discussion during board meetings and work with other trustees to:
  • Set policy and strategy direction, set targets and evaluate the performance of the organisation.
  • Monitor the financial status of the agency ensuring that it operates within its means and objectives lines of accountability for day-to-day financial management.
  • Ensure that the finances and supporting financial documents of the organisation are in order including that full financial records are kept, money is only spent for the purpose given, and that proper financial controls are in place to safeguard the organisation’s resources.
  • Seek the views of beneficiaries and monitors how well the service meets their needs  
  • Ensure that the service plans for the recruitment and turnover of staff and volunteers.
  • Review its own work and how effectively it operates including action for improvement.
  • Work on specific projects to further the strategic objectives of Care To Listen.

What’s in it for you? 

• Make a positive impact for your beneficiaries by ensuring the organisation is sustainable and meeting their needs.
• Meet people and build relationships with trustees, staff and other volunteers.
• Build on your governance, leadership and strategy skills.
• Increase your employability.
• We will reimburse expenses relating to the Board.  

Who are we looking for? 

You don’t need specific qualifications or skills, but we would like our Treasurer to have certain attributes and characteristics that will enable our Board to work effectively, and in keeping with Care To Listens values.  

• Trustee experience would be an advantage but not necessary.
• An understanding of the charitable and voluntary sector and its governance would also be an advantage.  
• Understanding and knowledge of the mental health sector, especially counselling would be desirable.  
• Have financial qualifications or Senior Financial experience either within your employment or another community led role.  
• Some knowledge or experience of charity finances, fundraising, financial consequences and pension schemes.
• A knowledge of London Borough of Croydon and the different communities within this area.
• To understand and accept the responsibilities and liabilities as a Trustee 
• A willingness to devote the necessary time and effort to their duties as a Trustee.  
• An ability to work effectively as a member of a team.  
• Be non-judgmental and respectful of other views, values and cultures that are different to your own.
• Have good listening, verbal and written communication skills.
• Be able to think creatively, and exercise good independent judgement.
• Have good numeracy skills to understand accounts with the support of the treasurer.
• Be willing to learn about and follow Care To Listens aims, values and policies.
• A commitment to abide by the code of conduct.

How much time do you need to give? 

Our Trustee board usually meets on a Thursday evening from 7:00 pm to 8:30pm every month to total 12 meetings per annum. You’ll be required to give a minimum of 24 hours per annum to include meetings and any preparation work before or after, but this could increase as our charitable organisation grows. You may need to attend other meetings if you’re involved in specific projects or meet with staff or volunteer counsellors. We can be flexible about the time spent and how often you volunteer so please talk to us if you require this.  

Valuing inclusion

Our trustees come from a range of backgrounds, and we particularly welcome applications from disabled people, people with physical or mental health conditions, and people from Black Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities. We aim to build a Board of Trustees that is representative of both our staff and volunteers and the clients we serve to keep their best interests at the heart of what we do.

This role is advertised as part of TPP's Free Giving Back Services. This volunteer advertisement copy has been supplied to TPP and applicants apply direct to the organisation. Please contact the organisation directly if you have any questions about this volunteer role.