Treasurer

Do you want to make a positive impact on the residents of South West Surrey?

Citizens Advice South West Surrey is a local independent charity, committed to meeting the needs of our community.  

Our Trustee Board takes overall responsibility for our organisational direction and focus. 

What will you do?

• complete an introduction for your role
• maintain an awareness of how CASWS is operating
  
• prepare finance papers for board meetings
  
• keep the board informed about its financial duties and responsibilities
• explain, guide and advise the board on the key assumptions and financial implications of the CASWS budgets, operational and strategic plans. 
• monitor the organisation's income and expenditure position and in conjunction with the Chief Officer, Business Support Manager and Service Finance and People Manager, present accessible reports at least quarterly to ensure board members understand the accounts and implications. 
• understand the accounting procedures and key internal controls to be able to  assure the board that CASWS's financial integrity is sound.
• ensure that the organisation has an appropriate reserves policy and a realistic budget that meets the services' needs.
• read other papers for board meetings and attend 4-6 meetings per year
• present accounts at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in an accessible way for volunteers and staff
• liaise with and oversee the activities of the external auditor including the preparation of the annual report
• ensure that annual accounts are prepared in compliance with SORP (Statement of Recommended Practice) Accounting for Charities and submitted by the deadline to the Charity Commission and /or Registrar of Companies and make arrangements for them to be audited or independently examined as required.
• lead the Finance Sub-Committee meetings to discuss finances in more detail
• help define and monitor investment strategies
• support any paid finance officer to explain, guide and advise CASWS on the approval of budgets, accounts and financial statements within the organisation's framework
• work with CASWS staff, such as the Chief Officer or Business Support Manager to give information and advice on financial matters
• work together with other trustees and staff within CASWS to further the strategic objectives of CASWS.

In addition, you will take an active discussion during board meetings and work with other trustees to:

• set policy and strategy direction, set targets and evaluate the performance of CASWS
• monitor the financial position of CASWS that it operates within its means and objectives 
• ensure that all the finances and supporting financial control systems of CASWS are in order including that full  financial records are kept for all transactions, that money is only spent for the purpose given, and that proper  financial controls are in place to safeguard the organisation’s resources
• monitor the financial position of CASWS ensuring that it operates within its means and objectives, ensuring that there are clear lines of accountability for day to day financial management
• seek the views of all sections of the community and monitor how well the service meets the needs of the local  community
• ensure that the service plans for the recruitment and turnover of staff and volunteers

What's in it for you?

• Make a positive impact for people in your local area by ensuring that CASWS is sustainable and meeting the needs of the community
• Meet people and build relationships with Trustees, staff and other volunteers
  
• Build on your governance, leadership, and strategy skills
• Increase your employability

Our Trustee roles are voluntary, although we’ll reimburse reasonable expenses

Skills

You don’t need specific qualifications or skills but you’ll need to:

• understand the type of work undertaken by CASWS
• understand and accept the responsibilities and liabilities as trustees
• have financial knowledge or experience of charity finances, fundraising, financial consequences and pension schemes.
• have experience of accountancy software, ideally Quickbooks
• be non-judgmental and respect views, values and cultures that are different to your own
• have good listening, verbal and written communication skills
  
• excellent numeracy skills to understand the accounts  
• be able to explain complex financial information in an accessible way.
  
• preferably have governance experience at board level
• be willing to learn about and follow the Citizens Advice aims, principles and policies, including confidentiality and data protection
  
• be willing to undertake training in your role

How much time do you need to give?

Trustee boards usually meet in the afternoons or evenings and you’ll likely need to give approximately 15-20 hours per month and you may need to attend other meetings if you’re involved in specific projects, or meet with volunteers and staff occasionally within CASWS. We can be flexible about the time spent and how often you volunteer so come and talk to us.

Valuing Inclusion

Our volunteers come from a range of backgrounds and we particularly welcome applications from disabled people, people with physical or mental health conditions, LGBT+ and non-binary people, and people from Black Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities.

If you are interested in becoming a trustee and would like to discuss flexibility around location, time, ‘what you will do’ and how we can support you please let us know.