Devon Advocacy service seeks trustees - Volunteer

Passionate about rights? Vocal Advocacy needs people like you on our Board. You don’t need a background in supporting people with a learning disability, but you must share our dedication to their empowerment. Vocal’s Board of Trustees is collectively responsible for setting the charity’s vision, safeguarding its reputation and financial security, and ensuring full compliance with charity and company law. It works in partnership with our members, staff and volunteers, embedding co‑production at every level. Trustees guide strategy, safeguard values, and ensure co‑production is at the heart of everything we do.

As part of our Board, you will support and shape our work and strategic direction, and help us achieve our purpose to ensure wide‑ranging and easily accessible advocacy is available to people with a learning disability in South Devon and Torbay. As a Trustee, you will have a real opportunity to offer your unique skill set to help the strategic progression of the charity.

We are looking for individuals who are team players with good communication and listening skills, with the ability to relate to our members, staff and fellow trustees. They should bring strategic vision and independent judgement, as well as the ability to think creatively and contribute new ideas. The participation of our members in the recruitment is fundamental. We asked them about the qualities they thought a trustee should have and some of their ideas were:

• Understand people with a learning disability
• Know what advocacy is and how it helps
• Understand people’s rights and want to help people have a voice
• Respect personal space, boundaries and trust
• Be at the “level” of the members and approachable, able to make the members feel valued and appreciated
• Understand money – perhaps have run a business

New trustees would bring their own personal skillset to the role. This could cover a wide range of experience including finance, strategic and business planning, income‑generation strategies, communications, lived experience of advocacy, and social care service delivery and commissioning. They may have supported people with learning disability and bring an understanding of their lives and communication needs. Our skill‑set priorities for the Board will evolve over time. Currently we are happy to receive a wide range of applications, although we would particularly welcome the opportunity to recruit a potential treasurer with financial expertise (although significant responsibilities are delegated to our accountant).

As trustee you will help shape our future, advocate for people with learning disability, work closely with members and colleagues, participate in strategic planning and co‑production, and oversee our work and ensure it is delivered effectively. Our challenge is to sustain our new services and continue our development. Income generation, fundraising and successful grant bids will be key parts of our business planning. Public and policy engagements, co‑production facilitation, board governance, strategic direction, ensuring compliance with charity law and company law, safeguarding values, and ensuring our services are accessible. This is an exciting time to join the board and support our ongoing development as we build on strong foundations.