As a Trustee for Milestones, you’ll be helping ensure that the adults with learning disabilities and mental health needs that we support have every opportunity to live their best lives.

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About Milestones Trust

Milestones Trust is a charity with a 36-year history of offering safe, person-centred support to people with learning disabilities and those with enduring mental health needs. We live the Trust’s values: We start with the person. We bring people close. We take our creativity to work. We are courageous in our approach, looking for opportunities where others see obstacles. And we see this borne out in the fact that all of our registered services are rated as either Good or Outstanding with CQC – something we’re hugely proud of.

We were formed in 1986 as the local long-stay hospitals started to close, and responsibilities for care moved into local communities. We run services throughout Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset, supporting around 550 people in supported living, specialist residential, and nursing services. We also operate respite services, day opportunities, groups and community projects, working in close partnership with those we support to enable them to live their best lives.

Joining Milestones as a Trustee

We’d like to appoint four new Trustees (Non-Executive Directors) to strengthen our governing Board. We need individuals who have the energy, time and willingness to contribute to the direction of our future growth and development, while providing clear oversight as we develop and implement our new strategy with its ambitious growth aspirations.  The Trust has income of around £30 million, net assets of about £19 million, and employs 1,000 staff.

You’ll be joining a team that is dedicated to the people supported by the charity. Trustees are appointed on a voluntary basis, and we’re looking for people from all walks of life. Whether you’ve worked in the public, the private, or the voluntary sector, we’re looking for people who can bring their professional skills and expertise and help us make a difference. Experience of health and social care, and estates and facilities in particular would also be a distinct advantage to us – as would applications from people local to the area, though all applications will be welcomed. In return, we can offer a rewarding and fulfilling role that provides great opportunity for personal development and growth.

The Full Board meets four times a year and also holds one or two full-day sessions to determine strategy. In addition, Trustees are asked to join one of our three subcommittees, which also meet four to six times a year.  Rules and methods of operation are set out in our Articles of Association.

In total, Trustees will be asked to commit 10 to 15 days a year to board business, and will be invited to visit services and attend training.  We have a hybrid approach to meeting, with Board tending to meet in person and Committees virtually.

Who are we looking for?

We need all our Trustees to have a high level of interest in helping people with learning disabilities and/or mental health needs. They should also have experience in at least one of the following areas:

• Commercial acumen and business growth and a knowledge of finance, property project or asset management, social care experience at a senior manager level or people, and those who have lived experience of engaging with social care.
• Senior management levelled nursing ideally with mental health and learning disability.
• A good knowledge of corporate governance in the public and private sectors.
• Experience of working in highly regulated sector.

Key responsibilities

Individuals selected will become Trustees under charity law and company directors under company law. You will need to demonstrate the following Board-level competencies:

• Strategic direction; the ability to think and plan ahead, with a clear vision that identifies risks and consequences, and enthuses others, balancing both needs and constraints.
• Ability to both support and hold the Executive team to account.
• Effective influencing and communication; a high level of ability to gain support and influence, combined with a clear understanding of the political context.
• Team working; be committed to working as a team member.
• Motivation to improve the overall performance of the Trust across the dimensions of exceptional care quality; put the person first while maintaining the financial integrity of the Trust.
• Intellectual flexibility; the ability to think clearly and creatively, make sense of complexity and clarify it for other people.

What difference will you make?

The challenges facing social care are significant, but you’ll play a key part in our shared commitment to ensuring that people we support have every opportunity to live happy and fulfilled lives, with as much independence and choice as possible.