November 1, 2024
Trustee Week 2024
Shining a light on our fantastic trustees for Trustee Week 2024!
Our PSS people are what make PSS what it is, that includes our dedicated teammates, amazing Shared Lives carers, committed volunteers and at the heart of it all, our wonderful trustees! This Trustee Week, we’re taking the time to spotlight the invaluable work they do and the meaningful role they play in guiding and supporting our organisation. Being a trustee at PSS is much more than attending Board meetings – it’s about being an active member of our team, living our values and being part of our community.
What does a trustee do?
A wealth of wisdom and experience
Our trustees bring a blend of skills and experiences from lots of different backgrounds, ranging from finance to business, comms to social care, to legal expertise and more! Our trustees are an experienced bunch who bring a wealth of knowledge that helps shape our future, set strategic goals and make sure we’re meeting the needs of people we support.
Governance, finance and accountability
Being a trustee means there’s a lot of responsibility to make sure that PSS is doing everything it should be doing. A core element of their role is making sure PSS complies with the law and that everything’s above board. They also make sure that all our i’s are dotted, and t’s are corssed when it comes to audit and governance.
Trustees at PSS are also responsible for making sure we’re meeting regulations and guiding us in risk management, safeguarding, protecting the organisation’s assets and reputation.
When it comes to finance, they make sure that every penny is counted for and are always looking for new ways we can make our money go further. They’re in charge of the organisation’s finances and how they’re spent.
Champions of change
Our Board is made up of people who care deeply about impact and change. They’re advocates for positive action, constantly supporting our initiatives and inspiring us to think outside the box. They’re a sounding board for ideas and are always happy to give us feedback that will help us grow and improve our services.
Commitment beyond the boardroom
The work our trustees get involved with goes way beyond board meetings – they’re passionate about understanding our organisation at all levels. They visit our sites, meet the people we support, engage with our teams, and fully immerse themselves in our culture. Their commitment to knowing the people that drive our organisation allows them to really understand what we’re doing, why we’re doing it and how we can make things even better in the future.
Expanding our Board to reflect our communities
Earlier this year, we joined the Black United Representation Network, and as part of that, signed up to their Board apprenticeship scheme. We wanted to offer Black professionals who are part of the BURN network the opportunity to come and join our Board for a year. In that time, they’d can gain experience of what it’s like to be on the Board of a third sector organisation in social care, and how an organisation like ours is governed. During that the process, we’d learn from their valuable experience as a professional who is part of a global majority community, too.
We’re delighted that Lisa Maynard-Atem has joined our Board as our first ever Board apprentice. Lisa is an entrepreneur who is passionate about equity and diversity, acting as one of the directors at the Black United Representation Network (BURN). Lisa’s been with us for two months now and we’re delighted to have her on our team. You can read more about Lisa here.
We’re also in the process of recruiting two new Board members! We’re looking for people who have experience of accessing services like the ones we provide at PSS, as well as skills in areas like finance, social care, digital technology, or campaigning.
We want our Board to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve, as it will allow us to be led by a wider range of voices and experiences.
Want to know who are trustees are?
You can find out more about our trustees by looking at our leaders page.
Thank you
This week has been all about recognising the work that our trustees do and saying thank you! Not only are they all-round good eggs, but they work really hard to make a meaningful difference in the lives of many.