Welbodi Partnership is a UK-registered charity working to reduce maternal and child mortality and morbidity in Sierra Leone. Since 2008, Welbodi Partnership has worked in partnership with hospital management, health facility staff, and the Ministry of Health and Sanitation to improve maternal and child health outcomes in Sierra Leone. We do this through a range of health system strengthening activities, staff training, hospital improvement projects, and community engagement.

Our vision is that all women and children in Sierra Leone will have access to effective essential healthcare services characterised by respect and dignity for all, including patients, communities and staff. Our mission is to build the capacity of the health system in Sierra Leone to reduce the number of women and children who are sick, suffer, or die unnecessarily.

For further information, please see:

www.welbodipartnership.org 

We are currently seeking up to two new Trustees to join our team of skilled, passionate and committed individuals. If you are interested in being part of the next phase of our development and have time and skills to offer, then please do get in touch. We are committed to ensuring diversity and gender equality within our organisation and are keen to increase representation from the region in which we work, therefore we are particularly keen to receive applications from Sierra Leone nationals with expertise in finance, business, fundraising or health care. We also welcome applications from people who have not previously served as a Trustee. Please note that Trustees are honorary posts, with reimbursement for out of pocket expenses.

The expected time commitment is approximately 8 days per year comprising of occasional advice and support to the Welbodi team in your area of expertise, quarterly Board meetings over Skype, preparation for Board meetings, including reading updates and engagement with the senior management team and other activities as required to ensure the smooth and effective running of the charity. We plan one face to face Board meeting per year, either in Freetown or London.

 

Purpose of the role

The Trustees are collectively responsible for the governance of Welbodi Partnership (WP), ensuring it is effectively and sustainably run and ensuring that the mission of WP is being delivered, meeting its overall purposes. Trustees have a legal responsibility for WP’s management and administration, and ensuring that it is solvent, well-run, and delivering the charitable outcomes for the benefit of the public for which it has been set up. The Board consists of a minimum of three officers and one ordinary member who work together and take overall responsibility for WP.

 

Primary Responsibilities of the Board

• Furthering the WP’s overall purpose, as set out in its governing document, and setting its direction and strategy – for example, by developing plans and strategies and monitoring progress.
• Ensuring the work of WP is effective, responsible and legal – for example, by the use of policies and procedures and systems for monitoring and evaluating the charity’s work.
• Safeguarding finances, resources and property and ensuring they are used to further WP’s purposes – for example, by insuring and documenting assets, maintaining financial systems, monitoring income and expenditure and ensuring the charity is financially sustainable or viable.
• Being ‘accountable’ to those with an interest or stake in or who regulate WP – for example, by preparing annual reports and accounts and consulting with stakeholders. Being clear about the people who carry out work on behalf of WP – trustees, staff, volunteers – establishing and respecting boundaries between the governance role of the board and operational or day to day matters.
• Ensuring the Board operates effectively – for example, ensuring it receives the right reports and advice, by planning the recruitment and induction of trustees, providing trustees with support and training or carrying out reviews or appraisals of the board’s effectiveness.
• Providing advice and support to fundraising activities.

Duties of the Trustee

1. Ensure that WP is carrying out its purposes for the public benefit

Trustees must make sure that WP is carrying out the purposes for which it is set up, and no other purpose. This includes:

• Ensure you understand the charity’s purposes.
• Plan what WP will do, and what you want it to achieve.
• Be able to explain how all of the charity’s activities are intended to further or support its purposes.
• Understand how the charity benefits the public by carrying out its purposes.

2. Comply with WP’s governing document and the law Trustees must:

• Make sure that WP complies with its governing document.
• Comply with charity law requirements and other laws that apply to WP.
• Take reasonable steps to find out about legal requirements, for example by reading relevant guidance or taking appropriate advice when you need to.

3. Act in WP’s best interestsTrustees must:

• Do what is required to best enable WP to carry out its purposes.
• Make balanced and adequately informed decisions, thinking about the long term as well as the short term.
• Avoid putting yourself in a position where your duty to your charity conflicts with your personal interests or loyalty to any other person or body.
• Not receive any benefit from WP unless it is properly authorised and is clearly in the organisation’s interests; this also includes anyone who is financially connected to you, such as a partner, dependent child or business partner.

4. Manage WP’s resources responsibly

Trustees must act responsibly, reasonably and honestly. This is sometimes called the duty of prudence. Prudence is about exercising sound judgement, so Trustees must:

• Make sure WP’s assets are only used to support or carry out its purposes.
• Avoid exposing WP’s assets, beneficiaries or reputation to undue risk.
• Not over-commit WP.
• Take special care when investing or borrowing.
• Comply with any restrictions on spending funds or selling land.
• Ensure appropriate procedures and safeguards in place and take reasonable steps to ensure that these are followed.

5. Act with reasonable care and skill

As someone responsible for governing a charity, you:

• Must use reasonable care and skill, making use of your skills and experience and taking appropriate advice when necessary.
• Should give enough time, thought and energy to your role, for example by preparing for, attending and actively participating in all Trustees’ meetings.

6. Ensure WP is accountable

Trustees must comply with statutory accounting and reporting requirements. You should also:

• Be able to demonstrate that WP is complying with the law, well run and effective.
• Ensure accountability within WP, particularly where you delegate responsibility for particular tasks or decisions to staff or volunteers.

 

Trustee Specification

Knowledge and Experience

• An interest in the work of Welbodi Partnership.
• Expertise in healthcare, finance, business or fundraising experience.

 

Skills

• Excellent interpersonal skills, verbal communication skills and the ability to support the Chair and other Board members.
• The ability to promote the work of Welbodi Partnership across a diverse network.
• Ability to provide strategic leadership.
• Ability to support informed, rigorous decision-making.
• Work effectively and collaboratively within a team.

 

Values

• Personal integrity
• Alignment with the values of Welbodi Partnership

 

APPLICATION PROCESS:

While we have an open application process, we encourage potential applicants to submit as soon as possible. For more information about the role please email the Chair of the Board at:

c.green@welbodipartnership.org.

To apply for this position, please send your cover letter, CV, and contact details of two referees to:

jobs@welbodipartnership.org

with the following subject title: Application – Trustee.

Please include the following in your cover letter (2 pages maximum):

• Reasons for applying to this position
• Overview of key experience related to this post
• Your country of residence and nationality
• Date you are able to commence and duration of availability

For any queries relating to the position, please email:

jobs@welbodipartnership.org