CANDIDATE INFORMATION PACK TRUSTEES OCTOBER 2015 CSW Candidate Information Pack 1
1.0 About Carer Support Wiltshire Carer Support Wiltshire (CSW) was formed in April 2011 on the merger of the previous four carer support charities for Wiltshire. The organisation is proud to be a network partner of the Carers Trust the leading national charity for carers in the UK which works to reach carers and develop services across the country. CSW is a charity that aims to ensure that all unpaid carers across Wiltshire are well supported. A carer is someone who helps a friend or family member who could not manage alone. Carers' lives are frequently negatively impacted by their caring role. They provide support services including carers' assessments, individual and group support, information, advice, training, and time out activities. They work with other organisations to improve their identification of carers and to develop best practice in relation to carers, as well as raising awareness of carers' issues through public relations and events. CSW is a charity registered in England with charity number 1092762 and a company limited by guarantee number 4415685. CSW Candidate Information Pack 2
2.0 Services and Performance 2015 CSW can offer emotional support, one-to-one advice, useful information and breaks to anyone aged 16 or over who is giving unpaid care to a child or adult in their day to day life. Key services include access to free counselling, benefits advice, complementary therapies, support groups, training opportunities and much more which are all free of charge. Volunteers donated 2,785 hours of their time broadening the scope of their services and providing them with additional skills, expertise and reach in supporting carers in Wiltshire and helping them develop as an organisation. The performance during the year 2014-15 has been as follows: 14% increase in the number of carers registered with CSW to 9,239 1,971 new referrals and 821 re-referrals 55% of these carers had a registered disability 24% of these carers had critical or substantial levels of need on first assessment and 54% of these carers saw a marked improvement following work by CSW In partnership with Wiltshire Council, CSW updated their services to meet the new demands of the Care Act. The new service structure went live on 1 April and CSW is proud to have met the continued high demand for its services. 2.1 Innovative Projects 2015 Working for Carers is an exciting new initiative from CSW which was launched during Carers Week June 8-14, 2015. It aims to improve the recognition and identification of carers in work as well as providing new pathways into work. Funded by the Triangle Trust, it aims to be self-sustaining within three years. Already, major employers in the county have signed up to the Working for Carers programme. Other new areas of work throughout the year included A specialist project, funded by the Carers Trust, to work with Young Adult Carers, between ages of 16-24 The Home from Hospital project, which is funded by the Better Care Fund. CSW are lead service providers and work in partnership with Age UK Wiltshire and Age UK Salisbury District as well as the three district hospitals serving Wiltshire, to support people discharged from hospital to get re-established at CSW Candidate Information Pack 3
home. CSW offers support and information to carers at what is often a time of huge challenge and change. During the year CSW has built on foundations laid the previous year: in 2014, all staff, volunteers and trustees came together to work towards the PQASSO Level 2 quality accreditation that was successfully obtained. CSW was awarded a Centre of Excellence in January 2015 by the Carers Trust. It is building on these achievements and following the PQASSO Level 3 framework. Already in 2015 it has achieved the Information Governance Level 2 Toolkit standard, supporting its work with statutory sector partners in line with the Care Act. 3.0 Communication, Coverage and Partnerships Carers continue to have a high profile in Wiltshire, playing an important role in helping shape future services via the Wiltshire Carer Involvement Group. Carers can access information and communicate directly with CSW 24 hours a day every day via its websites and social media sites. For 2014-5 there were: 24,824 hits on the CSW website (35 per cent increase on 2013-14 figures), averaging 2,068 a month 141 new referrals came through the website during the year 729 people are registered to receive a weekly carers news digest (a 52 per cent increase over the previous year) 786 people received their newsletter by email (a 114 per cent increase) Twitter 3,241 followers (25 per cent increase) Facebook - 377 likes (59 per cent increase) These figures are continuing to grow. CSW had excellent coverage in the media during the year: BBC Points West Coach trip for carers went ahead even though Hatts Coaches went into administration Home from Hospital launch countywide coverage in all local titles and on radio with features on BBC Wiltshire and Spire FM Local press and radio coverage for Young Adult Carers (YAC) careers day and announcement of new chief executive for Carer Support Wiltshire Extensive local press coverage for seven other events and activities CSW Candidate Information Pack 4
National / Carers Trust partnership: CSW launched #carershour on Twitter - a monthly hosted chat from 8-9pm on the first Thursday of the month Alternate hosts between CSW and Carers Trust (who championed the idea at an early stage, along with other carers organisations around the country) In December, two carer case studies were included in an Independent on Sunday supplement Two carer case studies were provided for the Carers Trust website to coincide with the Care Act launch which was also included in their e-bulletin 3.1 Creating a Caring Community Some months ago, thanks to a grant from the Cabinet Office, Carer Support Wiltshire (CSW) embarked upon a journey to discover the impact it was making on carers lives and on the wider community in Wiltshire. It worked closely with the South West Forum, experts in this field, and consulted widely with carers, staff, volunteers, trustees and major stakeholders. This work confirmed the organisation s goal: To make sure the Wiltshire s carers were well supported. Five over-arching outcomes were identified (from the previous seven) and aligned to indicators which could be measured. Using this Theory of Change, CSW will develop its services and ensure they continue to make measurable improvement to the lives of carers. The five outcomes were: Carers have improved physical health, mental health and well-being Carers are empowered to make choices about their caring role and to access appropriate support and services for them and their cared for person Carers have the best financial situation possible, and are less worried about money Carers needs, and the value of carers, are better understood in Wiltshire Carers influence services To find out more about the results of this initiative CSW Candidate Information Pack 5
3.2 Testimonials From a carer who has been regularly attending a carers café: I think this group has definitely been a life saver for me because I was depressed [...] and now I have stopped taking anti-depressants. This group has given me vital contact. I wasn t brave enough to go out on my own to a new place [...] but this carers café is excellent as it is welcoming and friendly and supportive. I don t know what I would do if this facility was not available anymore. From a carer who did some basic computer training: I was computer illiterate, friends were emailing and telling me to join the 21st century but I had no time to learn. Carer Support Wiltshire organised 1:1 training, so that I can now do emails and ask Google things. I m over the moon! Using a laptop has boosted my confidence. From a carer who attended dementia training: I feel more confident in my role as a carer and have a greater understanding of the disease early, middle and later stages nobody had explained this to me. Feedback from a GP surgery: We are grateful to Carer Support Wiltshire for their ongoing support to the surgery and our patients - we are lucky to have such an excellent local service. CSW Candidate Information Pack 6
4.0 Funding and Business Development CSW received funding in 2014 from the Carers Trust to run a Young Adult Carer project. It has successfully received ongoing funding for 2015 to work with young adult carers who are not in education, employment or training to broaden their life opportunities. CSW s fundraising efforts brought in 9,816 in an extremely tough environment and for the year it received investment income of 2,500. CSW has worked closely with the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust, their League of Friends and the Carers Centre Bath and North East Somerset to develop a Carer Hub in the hospital atrium. It opened formally in September 2015. CSW has developed a range of new volunteering roles focussed on engaging with the public and working at very local levels in Wiltshire to ensure existing community networks, such as faith groups and residents associations, are more aware of carers issues and CSW s services. Finally, with the end of its partnership agreement with Wiltshire Council due in 2017, CSW is focussing its energies on being ready to tender for carers services in Wiltshire to 2020. This work will focus on further streamlining services to ensure best value, and on continuing to improve quality, both in terms of maximising positive outcomes for carers, and improving all areas of their operation in response to feedback from carers and key stakeholders, including staff, volunteers and funders. CSW Candidate Information Pack 7
5.0 Governance The main strategic priorities for CSW are: To continue to provide services for carers across Wiltshire, including working to improve the identification and practice in relation to carers, meeting the requirements of funding agreements, as well as pursuing its own priorities To improve the leadership, management and quality performance and develop the use of IT throughout the organisation To improve the future financial sustainability of CSW by increasing diversity of funding The Board meets six times a year. In April 2015, new arrangements for delegating responsibilities to sub-committees of the Board were approved. The sub-committees meet every six weeks and include trustees staff and volunteers. During the year, CSW identified and took action in a number of areas to reduce potential risk including: Quality assurance work Data protection through following the Information Governance Toolkit framework Launch of new projects, e.g. Employers Project and Home from Hospital Staff health and well-being New trustees follow a detailed induction programme that includes an initial introduction to the work of CSW presented by the chief executive. This presentation has been developed for the whole organisation, including staff and volunteers. New trustees are given a Trustee Handbook that contains detailed descriptions of trustee and officer roles as well as information, including links to websites such as the Charity Commission, to support them in their role. CSW Candidate Information Pack 8
6.0 Financial Performance 2015 CSW is funded mainly by grant income from a Partnership Agreement with Wiltshire Council and NHS Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group, together with a variety of project-based income, fundraising and some investment income. The headlines: The total income for the year was 1,260,279 (2014: 1,032,154) Surplus across all funds of 26,109 (2014: deficit of 39,878) Total funds increased to 491,264 (2014: 465,155) The Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31 March 2015 showed a net surplus across all funds of 26,109 (2014: deficit of 39,878), being the total of net income and expenditure across individual funds. Income increased by 22% compared with the previous year. This growth was caused by CSW s success in attracting funding for three new areas of work: As lead provider for Wiltshire Council s Home from Hospital service; A grant from the Triangle Trust to develop a new business to business commercial service, aimed at increasing the recognition and support of carers in the workforce in Wiltshire; A grant from the Carers Trust to build on its work with Young Adult Carers. As would be expected, expenditure also increased to deliver these new services, and total costs increased, but only by 15%. Read our Annual Report CSW Candidate Information Pack 9
6.1 Statement of Financial Activities CSW Candidate Information Pack 10
6.2 Statement of Financial Activities CSW Candidate Information Pack 11
7.0 Trustees for Carer Support Wiltshire CSW has undergone a transformation in recent years, as it was created out of a merger of four smaller district charities to form the large county wide organisation which today supports over 10,000 of Wiltshire s 45,700 carers. It is entering an exciting new phase, building new projects, diversifying income sources in its goal of ensuring Wiltshire carers are well supported and is now looking to recruit three trustees with skills in Finance, Fundraising /Business Development and Marketing and PR. Whilst the above skills are actively sought, CSW are extremely interested in applicants from a wide variety of working, geographical and cultural backgrounds and would welcome applications from anyone who believes they can contribute meaningfully to the strategic decision-making of the organisation. 7.1 Finance Working on the Finance Sub-committee, this trustee will be a source of advice and assistance to the treasurer, the Board and the chief executive on financial matters. Duties and Responsibilities Actively participate as a key member of the Finance Sub-committee of the Board Keeping the Board informed about its financial duties and responsibilities Advising on the financial implications of strategic plans Working with the chief executive and treasurer to identify key risks and ensure that there is an appropriate risk management strategy in place Preparation and presentation of budgets and financial reports to the Board Overseeing, approving and presenting accounts and financial statements, while complying with the Companies Act and the Charities Act Ensuring that the external scrutiny of accounts is carried out in the manner required and recommendations implemented Liaise with external auditors Person Specification Experience and qualification in financial management or a qualified accountant, working in private, government, charity or voluntary sector or health and social care sector (essential and desirable) Analyse proposals and examine financial consequences CSW Candidate Information Pack 12
Commitment to Carer Support Wiltshire and willingness to devote the necessary time and effort Strategic vision, good judgement and ability to think creatively Ability to work effectively as a member of a team Adherence to Nolan's seven principles of public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership Current or past experience of caring (desirable) 7.2 Fundraising/Business Development To assist the Board to see the bigger picture and bring a fresh perspective to fundraising plans and strategy, support the organisation s fundraisers and ensure fundraising is of the highest standard and make fundraising a priority Duties and Responsibilities Actively participate as a key member of the Fundraising and Publicity Sub-committee of the Board to: Develop and help deliver the fundraising strategy Assess risks and protect the charity s name and reputation and set realistic fundraising budgets and ensure that targets are set and met Liaise with staff and the chief executive to analyse and review existing business systems and identify and implement new business opportunities Ensure that the charity has invested sufficient resources in its fundraising capacity and meets the best practice criteria outlined within the codes Keep abreast of changes in external funding sources and maximising service delivery for CSW within its own network, via partnerships or through collaborations with third party organisations Person Specification Someone with sufficient fundraising knowledge and/or business development background or having run a medium size business An understanding of good governance, Charity Commission, Companies House requirements and relevant legislations and statutory requirements An understanding of the challenges facing small to medium UK charities in maximising income streams & donor cultivation Experience of diverse fundraising, including statutory funds, corporate and philanthropic giving would be valuable Current or past experience of caring (desirable) CSW Candidate Information Pack 13
7.3 Marketing and PR This trustee will develop and implement an integrated strategic marketing and communications plan to advance brand identity; broaden awareness of its values and priorities; and increase the visibility across a wider audience. Duties and Responsibilities Actively participate as a key member of the Fundraising Sub-committee of the Board to: Develop market positioning and the branding of CSW as a network partner to a variety of audiences in order to enable it to fulfil its mission and aims Create a marketing/public relations strategy that will allow CSW to cultivate and enhance meaningful relationships with targeted, high-level external audiences, including the media and key influencers Work with the trustees and staff to recognise internal and external communications opportunities and solutions, and define and execute appropriate strategies to support them Serve as communications spokesperson to CSW trustees when required Person Specification Marketing and PR/Communication expertise Experience of leadership and management, communication and presentation skills Experience of business, commerce or industry and handling government contracts Experience of the strategic use of social media as effective communication mechanisms to support services and activities Application of marketing strategy to charitable/not for profit organisations Actively participate as a key member of the Fundraising and Publicity Sub- Committee of the Board Current or past experience of caring (desirable) CSW Candidate Information Pack 14
7.4 Time Commitment All successful candidates are expected to sit on the relevant sub-committee. Board meeting are usually held six times a year and sub-committees meet approximately every six weeks. Trustees should also be prepared to contribute their expertise on an ad-hoc basis depending on the needs of the charity at a given time. 7.5 How to Apply All applications are to be addressed to Reach in the first instance. Trustee roles are voluntary and unpaid, however, reasonable expenses will be reimbursed. Whilst CSW is focusing its search on trustees with current experience in the skill areas outlined above finance, fundraising, business development, marketing and PR it will also welcome applications from volunteers with other relevant skills and from individuals with backgrounds and experience currently under-represented on the Board. Your application will require the following documents: (a) Your current CV (b) Covering letter answering the following questions What motivated you to apply to become a trustee? What other experience or skills do you feel you could offer? Are there any areas of the organisation s work you have a particular interest in and/or would like to become more involved in? Please email all above documents to Reach at trusteeworks@reachskills.org.uk 8.0 Contact details Reach Skills 89 Albert Embankment London SE1 7TP Tel 020 7582 6543 www.reachskills.org.uk Mr Luke Strachan Email premiumtw@reachskills.org.uk CSW Candidate Information Pack 15