Job Description and Person Specification of the Chief Executive Officer

Purpose of the role

The Chief Executive is responsible for the day to day running of the Charity.

Governance and Policy

The Chief Executive is the principal advisor to the Trustees and is responsible for the following, in conjunction with the Head of Finance, Policy & Governance:

• Advising the Trustees on how to comply with the Charity’s Schemes.
• Advising the Trustees on the relevant law and any changes in the relevant law or procedures relating to the charity’s almshouses and the management and maintenance of the investment properties.
• Servicing the meetings of the Trustees and their sub-committees: preparing agendas, notices of meetings and minutes of meetings, servicing the trustee body and duly appointed sub-committees (finance, property, welfare, risk management, safeguarding), circulating minutes of meetings and dealing with matters arising.
• Ensuring implementation of the Trustees’ decisions including strategic objectives as laid out in the current 5-year strategic plan.
• Preparing all information required to enable Trustees to plan strategically and providing supporting information e.g. feasibility studies, cash-flow forecasts and budgets where appropriate.
• Planning future strategic planning away days and 5-year strategies.
• Ensuring that proper procedures are followed for the nomination and co-option of trustees and considering the skills needed on the board and how to increase diversity
• Ensuring that Trustees are supplied with such information and advice as will enable them to carry out their duties effectively.
• Implementing an AGM and producing an annual report.
• Establishing a Patrons or Ambassadors scheme.
• Ensuring the charity has appropriate policies in place in all areas of its work.
• Regularly reviewing all the charity’s professional advisors and re-tendering when appropriate, e.g. fund managers, accountants, property managers etc.

Financial Management

The Chief Executive is responsible for the following, in conjunction with the Head of Finance, Policy & Governance:

• Maintaining appropriate financial systems, controls and procedures.
• Ensuring that proper accounting records are maintained and that management accounts are presented to the Trustees at their meetings, that annual accounts are prepared and that WMC (residents’ weekly maintenance contributions) are collected regularly and properly recorded.
• Preparing an annual budget of income and expenditure and reporting against budget at Trustees’ meetings, producing statement of accounts for annual audit.
• Liaising with the auditors and accountants in the production of the annual audited accounts, to meet the Charity Commission’s SORP.
• Liaising with the charity’s investment advisors (currently Sarasin and CCLA) to ensure optimum yield.
• Reviewing investment policies and reserves annually.

Almshouses

The Chief Executive is responsible for the following, in conjunction with the maintenance team:

• Ensuring that all charges to residents are reviewed annually and that Trustees are advised of any issues relating to the level of WMC.
• Actively seeking new development opportunities, working with our property finder, or mergers to expand the number of almshouse estates.
• The maintenance and safety of the almshouses, both internally and externally.
• Cyclical external decoration of the almshouses.
• Compiling and implementing a rolling maintenance programme.
• Obtaining a quinquennial inspection and reporting to the Trustees.
• Dealing with routine repair and maintenance.
• Arranging refurbishment of vacant almshouses.
• Advising Trustees of extraordinary repairs, major refurbishment and capital expenditure required.
• Obtaining quotations for any maintenance work undertaken and maintaining a list of contractors.
• Actively seeking new development opportunities, working with our property finder, or mergers to expand the number of almshouse estates.
• Continuing the implementation of the photovoltaic project across all estates.
• Considering other ways to modernise the historic almshouses to make them fit for purpose for the 21st Century and able to meet the increasing expectations of new residents.

Administration

The Chief Executive is responsible for:

• Compliance with relevant procedures and completion of statutory returns to the Charity Commission.
• Overall supervision of the payroll, pension and personnel functions.
• Overall supervision of all matters relating to the health & safety of residents, visitors and employees.
• Ensuring the policy on equality and diversity for both staff and residents is in place and upheld, having regard for current legislation and the charity’s governing instrument.
• Reviewing annually the insurance cover for all policies in consultation with insurance brokers.
• Keeping records of contracts, risk assessments, inspections.
• Overseeing IT systems and the efficient use of IT resources.
• Preparation of advertisements, leaflets, booklets and handbooks.
• Overseeing the development of the website and developing a social media presence.
• Liaising as appropriate with the Almshouse Association, Charity Commission and other bodies to further the best interests of the charity and to keep Trustees and staff aware of current policies and procedures.
• Being a key contributor to the Almshouse Association and Larger Almshouse Networking Group and supporting them on lobbying for changes to legislation, leading talks at seminars and contributing to research more widely across the almshouse movement and promoting the uniqueness of almshouses.
• Ensuring effective communication across the borough with all stakeholders and keeping the charity’s profile high.
• Running bi-annual Open Days at the almshouse estates and taking part in profile raising opportunities such as the Full of Life Fair, May Fair, Open Gardens, and speeches to local groups about the charity.

Residents

The Chief Executive is responsible for:

• Advertising for almshouse applicants in accordance with the governing instrument.
• Arranging for application forms to be sent to those enquiring and meeting the basic criteria.
• Attending home consultations and arranging for Trustee consultations in order that they may make the new appointment.
• Keeping the almshouse applicant criteria under review and making changes when necessary.
• Making recommendations to the Trustees on almshouse applications.
• Consulting with residents and informing them about their WMC.
• Maintaining records on each resident: next of kin, GP and family details. These details, whilst being essentially accessible, must be maintained in accordance with the Data Protection Act, as with all personal information about the resident.
• Ensuring that staff provide a service to support residents in leading independent lives.
• Maintaining and updating the Residents’ Handbook.
• Making periodic visits, in liaison with Scheme Manager and Trustees, to residents to check on their welfare.
• Overseeing pastoral care of residents and resolving disputes or resident issues when they arise, or implementing mediation.
• Acting as an intermediary when the involvement of Social Services is deemed necessary.
• Ensuring the safeguarding of residents is a priority.
• Strengthening and developing the almshouse community, events and activities.
• Chairing the Almshouse Magazine Editorial team meetings and Activities Team meetings.
• Considering how to give residents more agency and involvement in the running of the charity and continuing forums and surveys to give residents a voice.
• Supporting staff in running major events for residents such as the summer party and Christmas lunch.
• Supporting the Scheme Manager team and Chaplain to ensure we continue to adapt and evolve to meet the changing needs of our resident population as our community changes to reflect changing society around us.
• Ensuring that the charity always treats residents with dignity and respect and that all staff remain committed to our ethos and values, keeping our beneficiaries at the heart of what we do.

Investment Property

The Chief Executive is responsible for:

• Liaising with professional advisors HML LAM and Faraday.
• Ensuring the charity receives an efficient service under the terms of its contract with property managers and surveyors.
• Ensuring that rents and tenancy agreements are reviewed annually and that Trustees are advised of any issues.
• Instructing professional consultants to carry out regular inspections.
• Reporting to Trustees on the investment properties and dealing with routine maintenance and updates as delegated.
• Keeping the investment stock in good condition to keep it attractive to future tenants and to obtain the best yield.
• Overseeing sales of investment properties using local estate agents or by auction, when properties come vacant, in order to meet the charity’s annual sales target so as to be able to build more almshouses.

Personnel Management

The Chief Executive is responsible for:

• Ensuring that open external advertising is undertaken for all staff vacancies
• Recruitment, taking up references, issuing contracts of employment, terms and conditions.
• When necessary, restructuring the staff team to ensure staffing levels are appropriate as the charity continues to grow.
• Developing and maintaining personnel policies and procedures to comply with statutory requirements and best practice.
• Implementing health & safety policies and procedures.
• Ensuring the grievance procedure and disciplinary policy procedure are up to date; handling grievance and disciplinary matters in accordance with the charity’s policies and procedures.
• Staff Management.
• Welfare matters and providing pastoral support to staff.
• Chairing regular all staff meetings, maintenance team meetings and Scheme Manager meetings.
• Payment of salaries and arranging for such to be reviewed annually.
• Administration of the staff group pension plan.
• Regular staff training and team building.

Welfare Grants

The Chief Executive is responsible for:

• Understanding the criteria for each of the welfare charities and from where funds derive.
• Liaison with organisations who distribute grants on the charity’s behalf to ensure that grants are only made to deserving applicants.
• Overseeing the quarterly reporting process of beneficiary welfare organisations.
• Maintaining records of grants awarded.
• Providing up to date information to Trustees about funds available for grant.
• Playing a key role in the Richmond Funders Group.
• Developing the charity as a major grant funder across the borough, in collaboration with other funders.

Person Specification

• Experience as Chief Executive or similar leadership role.
• Outstanding people skills and able to relate to a wide and diverse group of stakeholders.
• Experience in financial management and reporting.
• A proactive approach towards workload, highly organised and adept at forward planning.
• Experience of strategic planning with full consultation.
• Ability to develop and maintain effective systems and strategies.
• Ability to inform, consult and engage trustees about future plans, policies and external issues that will affect the charity.
• Experience of successfully managing teams and handling personnel issues.
• Ability to deal with a wide range of personalities and situations.
• Experience of effectively managing a property portfolio.
• Project management skills.
• Successful negotiation skills.
• Housing management experience.
• Ability to prioritise effectively.
• Willingness to be flexible when the need arises.
• Have good communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively in written and spoken English.
• An appreciation of the elderly care field and an understanding of how the charitable. sector works, including charity law and best practice.
• Experience of or an understanding of the Almshouse movement.
• Willingness to learn and to be hands-on.
• Excellent inter-personal skills including the ability to liaise effectively but also compassionately with everyone ranging from MPs and the Council through to residents with mental health issues and vulnerable applicants.
• Able to attend weekend and evening functions/meetings as necessary.