Strategic HR & Volunteer Trustee for Youth Refugees

The volunteers and staff are the lifeblood of our work. You can power the next phase of the UK's youth movement for people with refugee backgrounds.

People are at the heart of Our Second Home’s work. The organisation exists to support young people with refugee backgrounds to build confidence, leadership and community, and the culture created by staff and volunteers is central to making that possible.

As OSH grows, building strong people systems will be increasingly important to ensure the organisation remains healthy, supportive and sustainable. The HR & Volunteer Management Trustee will play an important role in helping the organisation navigate this stage of development.

One of the most significant ways this role will support OSH is by helping ensure that the organisation maintains a strong and positive workplace culture as it grows. Small charities often rely heavily on the dedication and commitment of staff, and it is important that systems are in place to support wellbeing, fair practices and sustainable workloads. The trustee will bring expertise that helps the Board and CEO think strategically about staff culture, organisational development and people management.

Another important area of impact will be strengthening the organisation’s volunteer model. Volunteers are a vital part of OSH programmes and community life. Each year dozens of volunteers support residentials, hubs and activities across the organisation. Many of these volunteers come through our leadership training programmes, meaning volunteering is not only a way to support delivery but also an important pathway for young people to take on responsibility and leadership roles.

Ensuring that volunteers are well supported, well trained and aligned with the organisation’s values is therefore both an opportunity and a responsibility. Strong volunteer systems help create safe environments for young people while also building a positive culture of participation and leadership. The trustee will help the organisation think strategically about how volunteers are recruited, supported and retained as programmes expand.

The trustee will also support the Board and CEO when complex HR questions arise. Having experienced HR insight available at board level helps ensure that sensitive situations can be handled thoughtfully, fairly and in line with best practice.

Ultimately, this role will help OSH build the people foundations needed to sustain its growth. By strengthening organisational culture, supporting volunteers and improving people systems, the trustee will help ensure that the organisation remains a place where staff and volunteers can support young people with refugee backgrounds to build confidence, leadership and community.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for a trustee with significant professional experience in human resources, people management or organisational development who can bring strategic insight to the Board as Our Second Home continues to grow.

Our ideal candidate will have strong experience advising organisations on people strategy, workplace culture and effective HR systems. They will be comfortable supporting senior leaders on complex or sensitive people matters and will understand how governance, HR practice and organisational culture interact in growing organisations.

Because volunteers play such an important role in Our Second Home’s work, we are particularly interested in candidates who understand volunteer management at scale. Our programmes rely on a large and committed volunteer community who help deliver residentials, community hubs and leadership activities for young people with refugee backgrounds. Experience designing or supporting volunteer recruitment, development and retention systems will therefore be especially valuable.

The trustee should be someone who can think strategically about how people systems support organisational growth. As OSH develops over the coming years, we want to ensure that our staff and volunteer structures remain healthy, sustainable and aligned with our values. Experience supporting organisations through growth, organisational design or culture development would be highly relevant.

We are also looking for someone who is comfortable providing constructive advice and challenge in a board setting. Trustees play an important governance role, and this position will involve contributing to board discussions on people and volunteer matters while supporting the Chair and CEO with thoughtful, well-informed guidance.

The ideal candidate will be someone who understands the realities of working in mission-driven organisations, where strong values and commitment to impact are often combined with limited resources and growing operational complexity. They will bring a pragmatic and supportive approach, helping the organisation develop strong people practices without losing the culture and flexibility that make the organisation distinctive.

Personal qualities are equally important. We are looking for someone who is thoughtful, collaborative and able to build trusted relationships with both trustees and staff. The ability to listen carefully, offer clear advice and maintain appropriate confidentiality when dealing with sensitive matters will be essential.

A commitment to the mission of Our Second Home is also important. While professional experience in the refugee or youth sector is not required, we are seeking someone who cares about the role that organisations like OSH can play in supporting young people with refugee backgrounds to build confidence, leadership and belonging in the UK.

Previous trustee experience is welcome but not essential. We are happy to support candidates who bring strong professional expertise and are interested in contributing that experience within a governance role for the first time.

What will you be doing?

Our Second Home (OSH) is a growing youth movement supporting young people with refugee backgrounds to build community, leadership and belonging in the UK. Over the past few years the organisation has expanded its residential programmes, leadership training and community hubs while increasing both income and organisational capacity.

As OSH grows, the strength of our organisational culture and volunteer model is becoming increasingly central to our success. We currently have a staff team of nine people (6.6 FTE) and work with around 70 active volunteers each year. Approximately 50 new volunteers join annually, with around 30 coming through OSH’s Leadership in Training course and a further 20 recruited externally. Volunteers are fundamental to our work. They support programme delivery, shape the culture of our activities and represent an important leadership pathway for young people involved in the organisation.

The Board of Trustees is evolving alongside this growth. Our trustees bring experience across governance, youth development, safeguarding and finance, and we are now looking to strengthen the Board’s expertise in people and volunteer management. As the organisation grows in scale and complexity, strong people systems will be increasingly important to ensure that staff are supported, volunteers thrive, and the organisation continues to operate in a safe and sustainable way.

We are therefore seeking a trustee with professional experience in HR, people management or organisational development who also understands the dynamics of working with volunteers in mission-driven organisations.

This trustee will act as the Board’s lead adviser on HR and volunteer management. They will support the Board, Chair and CEO by providing strategic insight on people-related matters, while respecting the clear distinction between governance and operational management.

A key aspect of the role will be supporting the development of a healthy and resilient organisational culture. As a small but growing team, OSH is committed to maintaining a supportive workplace where staff can do their best work while remaining connected to the mission and values of the organisation. The trustee will provide advice on areas such as staff wellbeing, people systems and organisational culture as the organisation develops.

The trustee will also support the organisation in strengthening its volunteer model. Volunteers play a vital role in OSH programmes, and maintaining a strong volunteer culture while managing risk is an important priority. The trustee will provide guidance on volunteer recruitment, retention and leadership pathways, helping ensure that volunteers are well supported while expectations and safeguarding responsibilities remain clear.

The trustee will also act as a trusted adviser to the CEO and Chair on sensitive HR issues when needed. This may include providing guidance on people policies, organisational structure or complex staff situations where independent HR expertise is helpful.

The trustee will contribute to board discussions on people and volunteer matters and may occasionally provide input to staff or external HR advisers where appropriate.

For the right person, this role offers the opportunity to help shape the culture and leadership pipeline of a growing organisation at an important stage in its development.