Lead Safeguarding Trustee - Volunteer in Banbury

Dementia Active is a growing charity which opened its first centre in Banbury in 2022 and now runs four more across North Oxon. We offer a range of crucial services supporting people with dementia and their families. This is an opportunity to help shape our future development.

What Impact Will They Have

Managing the safety of our vulnerable members is a vital role not only to protect them but also to ensure that the reputation of the charity is not harmed. Our four hour sessions are a lifeline supporting carers' mental health by creating respite time, enabling people to meet with friends or pursue hobbies. The impact is to help stave off the point at which the decision to place a family member into a residential care setting becomes the only option. In response to this need, the charity has grown exponentially since becoming registered in July 2021; we are the only provider of activity sessions in the Banbury area. We are planning to expand further in the coming years and look forward to welcoming a new trustee to our team to support us in our mission.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for a trustee who has an interest in supporting people with dementia either as a result of personal experience or in a current or past professional role. We need someone with safeguarding experience in a managerial capacity to help evaluate our practice, support training and lead a safeguarding audit of practice and procedure. Please see the attached person specification. Applications with direct responses to this document will be prioritised.

What will you be doing?

The board of trustees meets every 2 months. Additionally, the role will initially involve meetings with key people in the organisation in order to audit current practice. Thereafter, safeguarding input will be required on an ‘as and when’ basis in an advisory capacity. Board meetings are every two months. Mileage expenses will be paid for attendance at meetings. Dementia Active is a relatively young charity and this is an opportunity to be part of its growth and development. The need to expand the number of support groups we can offer is ever growing in response to people learning of our existence.

Lead Trustee for Safeguarding – responsibilities

• Carry out an initial audit of safeguarding practice, lead a review based on the audit to be presented to the board and thereafter hold an annual audit.
• Work with the safeguarding officer, the chair of trustees and the CEO to ensure safeguarding policies are reviewed regularly and meet mandatory and statutory requirements.
• Work closely with the safeguarding officer and CEO to ensure all safeguarding policies and procedures are adhered to in day to day practice.
• Coordinate the distribution of policies and safeguarding resources throughout the organisation.
• Ensure that the charity’s risk register identifies safeguarding risks and strategies for reducing risk.
• Take a lead on training staff and trustees.
• Take a lead in ensuring that trustees know their responsibilities in relation to safeguarding and are informed of every safeguarding concern/incident.
• Have input into inducting new trustees.
• Ensure that safeguarding is on every board meeting agenda and is reviewed annually by the board.
• Ensure safe recruitment practices are followed in line with the safeguarding policy requirements.
• Monitor all safeguarding concerns, disclosures and incidents, with appropriate confidentiality and escalation to the Oxfordshire Safeguarding Adults Board or the Charity Commission if the reporting threshold has been met.
• Ensure that all safeguarding responses to concerns or incidents are proportionate.
• Oversee any safeguarding allegations against staff or volunteers along with the CEO, the safeguarding officer and the chair of the board.
• Be a direct point of contact for staff/volunteers providing support and debriefs if required.
• Attend safeguarding training events run by Oxfordshire Safeguarding Adults Board and disseminate information.
• Ensure that the board of trustees is kept updated on all mandatory and statutory safeguarding requirements in relation to working with adults at risk.
• Attend members activity sessions, particularly during the first 6 months of office, in order to better understand the challenges involved in ensuring a safe environment for all.
• Ensure that good safeguarding practice underpins any future expansion of services.