Citizens Advice Southampton is looking for new Trustees

Trustees; these are voluntary positions. Unremunerated but with reasonable expenses covered

Skills; we are looking for anyone with relevant experience who is interested in ultimately becoming Treasurer, Vice-Chair or Chair

Where; Southampton

Time; the Board of Trustees meets once a month apart from August and December when there are no meetings. In addition, each Trustee will be part of a focussed committee dedicated to either People Management, Finance or Governance and Risk.

About Citizens Advice Southampton;

This local and essential Charity provides vital support to the people of Southampton. Integrated into the local Community, Citizens Advice Southampton’s incredible 59 volunteers and paid staff help more than 6500 people with 11000 issues every year, providing advice that is free, independent, impartial and confidential.

Citizens Advice Southampton offers a universal and innovative advice service, with: - 

• Virtual video hubs for clients to “drop-in” for face-to-face support in two city libraries
• ‘Adviceline’ telephone support
• e-mail advice and
• In-person appointments including home visits for those who need them. 

In addition, we offer specialist casework services for: - 

• Money Advice funded by the Money Advice & Pension Service;  
• Immigration and asylum matters; and welfare benefits, including specialist targeted services funded by Macmillan cancer support; the Maggie’s Centre and the MS Society.  

Other locally funded projects include helping people living in Southampton under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, NHS Keyworker support, and a Home and Well project aiming to help vulnerable people maintain a safe and healthy home. We lead the Southampton City Council funded ‘Advice in Southampton’ partnership, delivering advice services in conjunction with other local charities.

What will you be doing?

Our Trustees;

• Regularly attend, prepare for and take full part in meetings
• Provide support and assistance to the Chair in carrying out their responsibilities
• Actively contribute to setting policy and strategic direction
• Monitor whether the service complies with its governing document, whether Citizens Advice standards are met, and how well we are meeting the needs of our community

What’s in it for you?

Not only will you directly contribute to the success of this essential charity in supporting the local community, for you personally there are many benefits. Such as;

• Meet others and build relationships with other trustees, paid staff, volunteers and other community members
• Build on your governance and leadership skills
• Increase your employability

What are we looking for?

Although you will not necessarily need to have prior experience of being a Trustee, we are specifically looking to recruit anyone with relevant experience which will lead them to become a future Treasurer, Vice-Chair or Chair.

Useful skills for Trustees include;

• Effective communication skills and willingness to participate actively in discussions
• Commitment to the aims, principles and policies of Citizens Advice Southampton
• Willingness and ability to learn, and to develop and understand your own attitude
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team
• Ability to think creatively and to exercise good independent judgement
• Ability to understand and accept the responsibility and liability of being a trustee

Interested?!

If you would like more information or an informal chat about the role, please email Emma Vint, HR Manager at evint@sotoncab.org.uk

We can then arrange for you to have an informal chat with one of our Trustees who can tell you more about the role and answer any questions you might have.

To apply please in the first instance submit your CV and a covering letter, specifying which role you are interested in, to Emma Vint, HR Manager at evint@ahousesotoncab-org-uk

Citizens Advice Southampton are an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from all who meet the above specification irrespective of sex, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, sexual orientation, race, religion or belief, age, or disability.