The Organisation

The Sick Children’s Trust is a charity that provides a welcoming ‘Home from Home’ where families with a sick child in hospital can stay.

The first ‘Home from Home’ Rainbow House opened in 1984 in London to support the families of children receiving treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital. Since then, The Sick Children's Trust have opened an additional nine ‘Homes from Home’ at major paediatric hospitals in Newcastle, Cambridge, Sheffield, Leeds and another two in London.

They are more than bricks and mortar, friendly and caring staff are there to support families when they really need it. Hospital can be a lonely and scary place for anyone, but especially a child.

The Role

The Sick Children's Trust is a desirable place to work with a passionate supporter base, organisational respect, a strong staff team, and a supportive board of trustees. They are seeking a Chair to provide strong leadership to continue to drive the organisation forward. Responsibilities include:

• Provide leadership to ensure focus on the delivery of the organisation’s charitable purposes.
• Chair and facilitate board meetings, directing board policy-making and ensuring implementation of decisions.
• Represent the organisation at functions and meetings, acting as a spokesperson when appropriate.
• Bring impartiality and objectivity to decision-making.
• Maintain the board's focus and commitment, including renewal and succession planning; lead the process of recruiting the CEO when necessary.
• Lead the process of supporting and appraising the performance of the chief executive.
• Ensure the performance of the board is reviewed annually, both as a whole and individually.
• With the chief executive, plan the annual cycle of board and other general meetings, set agendas, develop the board of trustees (including induction, training, appraisal, and succession planning), and address conflicts within the board and the organisation.
• Liaise with the chief executive to keep an overview of the organisation’s affairs and provide support as appropriate.
• Sit on appointment and disciplinary panels.

The Person

The Sick Children's Trust is seeking a dedicated and charismatic leader with a proven track record of chairing a board or committee. The ideal candidate will possess strategic and creative vision, demonstrating strong independent judgment and excellent communication skills.

You should have the ability to offer constructive challenge while maintaining tact and diplomacy. Fairness and the ability to respect confidences are essential. Collaboration and inclusivity are crucial qualities for this role. Additionally, a strong external presence and excellent networking abilities would be highly valuable.

Further Information

For comprehensive information about The Sick Children's Trust, including links to their Strategy and Impact documents, and the full Role Description, please download the Candidate Information Pack.

How to Apply

If you are interested in this fantastic opportunity, please provide the following with your application:

• An up to date CV with the details of two referees (they will not be contacted without your prior consent)
• A supporting statement which demonstrates how you meet with criteria for the role, and outlines your motivations for applying

All applications should be sent to applications@trustees-unlimited.co.uk with your name and 'SCT' in the subject line.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Melissa Baxter at Trustees Unlimited/Russam on melissa.baxter@russam.co.uk / 07789 985229.

Closing date for applications: Monday 22nd July 2024
Interviews with SCT: Week commencing 5th August 2024 (online) and week commencing 12th August 2024 (in-person). Dates TBC.