British Association for Music Therapy seeks new Trustee with governance experience
BAMT is the professional body for Music Therapy in the UK, providing practitioners with professional support, and both practitioners and non-practitioners with information and training opportunities. We provide a voice for the profession, as well as for those who could benefit from music therapy. As a charity, we are committed to promoting and raising awareness of Music Therapy, developing understanding of Music Therapy through providing information to the general public, and supporting the advancement of education, research and professional practice.
What we are looking for
BAMT is a charity and a company. The trustees of the charity are also the Board of directors of the company. We are looking for a strategically minded person with significant knowledge and experience of charity or corporate governance, as well as an interest in, and commitment to, the work the BAMT does.
We are particularly keen to receive applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic people, people with disabilities, people who identify as being LGBTQIA, people who have a mental health condition.
Person Specification
The candidate must have:
- Significant experience of charity or corporate governance, for example through serving on Boards or acting as a company secretary.
- Good knowledge of charity legal and regulatory requirements and guidance.
- Commitment to the mission of the BAMT.
- Willingness to meet the minimum time requirement to carry out the role described, estimated to be around 6 hours per month on average.
- Understanding and acceptance of the legal duties and responsibilities of trusteeship.
- Ability to work effectively as a member of a diverse team. Good, independent judgment.
- Integrity.
It is desirable for the candidate to:
- Be commercially aware.
- Have good analytical skills.
- Be able to write clearly and concisely.
What’s involved in being a Trustee
- The Board of Trustees meet six times a year at the BAMT office between 6-8pm on alternating evenings (due to Covid-19 restrictions we currently hold these meetings via zoom).
- The trustees will be asked to take on specific roles, for example on committees and working parties, and asked to attend additional meetings if necessary. The successful candidate will serve on and, when ready, chair the Governance Committee, which meets 6 times a year, but may also take on additional roles if desired.
- All trustees are expected to participate in e-discussion and debate in response to a weekly e-digest.
- Trustees may be contacted by the operational team for support in their specific area of expertise.
- Trustees serve for a term of three years and may no serve more than three terms without a period of at least a year out of office.
A summary of the primary duties of all charity trustees is attached.
Responsibilities of the Governance Trustee
- Keep up to date with all relevant legal, regulatory and best practice standards of corporate governance including, but not limited to, Company Law and Charity Commission requirements.
- Ensure the Board and CEO understand the requirements of charity governance.
- Be the main source of advice and guidance to trustees and senior staff on governance and compliance matters and ensure that agreed delegations are adhered to across the organisation.
- Lead-on and promote the Policies Register, working with colleagues to ensure effective development and approval of policies (including committee terms of reference) and ensure timely scheduling for the approval and review of policies.
- Act as the Board’s Information Governance champion and keep up to date on laws and guidance around data protection
- Oversee the risk management framework, supporting trustee engagement with risks and changes to the risk picture
- Lead on any investigations carried out under BAMT’s grievance, whistleblowing, safeguarding or complaints policies.
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