Executive Committee Roles

Neurodivergent Labour

Executive Committee 

Duty of Care & Officer Role Descriptors

Role: Chair

Purpose 

 To provide leadership to ensure the organisation’s aims are achieved within the rules of the governing document (constitution, memorandum and articles, etc.). To act as a figurehead and represent the organisation publicly, along with other Executive officers.  To promote the organisations policies and beliefs as set out in the manifesto.

 

Key Responsibilities  

• Maintain an overview of the organisation’s aims and activities including liaising with committee members 

• Provide leadership and control the flow and information at committee meetings/ Annual General Meeting (AGM) 

  • Ensure the governing document is complied with at all times and only activities that plan to achieve the organisations purposes (aims) are allowed 
  • Ensure the principles set out in the Manifesto are adhered to by the organisation.

• Plan and chair meetings, agendas, review and authorise minutes (along with the Secretary)  

• Sign cheques and legal documents, alongside the Treasurer / other financial officers 

• Represent the organisation at events, functions, partner bodies and subgroups, alongside other Officers and members 

• Support any staff and act as a channel of communication between staff and members.  

Other responsibilities commensurate with the role and stated within the governing document.  

 

NB: The Vice-Chair acts on behalf of the organisation in the absence of the Chair and would therefore have the same responsibilities as the Chair.  

The chairperson plays a key role on any voluntary executive committee.  Below are summarised some of the key qualities, skills and knowledge that are characteristic of an effective chairperson.

Qualities, skills and knowledge

A good chairperson will:

  • be sensitive to the feelings of members;
  • be impartial and objective;
  • start and finish on time;
  • be approachable;
  • have an understanding of the voluntary and community sector;
  • be tactful;
  • have knowledge of the organisation’s key networks;
  • be able to delegate;
  • be a good strategist;
  • be a strong networker;
  • be good at team building;
  • consider succession planning across the board;
  • plan for skills development of themselves and the committee;
  • have experience of management committee involvement;
  • show interest in member’s viewpoints;
  • have sound knowledge of the organisation’s work;
  • have an ability to respect confidences; and
  • ensure decisions are taken and recorded.

Role: Secretary 

Purpose 

 To provide administrative support to the organisation.  

Key Responsibilities 

• Prepare agendas (with support from the Chair), take minutes at meetings (ensuring they are signed by the Chair at meetings), distribute papers, arrange housekeeping; e.g. room hire and other administration requirements stated in the governing document e.g. Annual General Meeting (AGM) 

• Maintain membership lists and organisation records, produce annual report and update internal policies and procedures 

• Deal with correspondence, marketing and publicity etc.  

Other responsibilities commensurate with the role and stated within the governing document.  

The role of Secretary of an Executive Committee can be key to the efficient functioning of the Committee, particularly in organisations with few or no paid staff members. Below are some of the qualities, skills and knowledge which should be demonstrated by those carrying out this role.

Quality, skills & knowledge

A good Committee Secretary will:

  • be methodical, with a good eye for detail;
  • be well organised, with an orderly mind;
  • bring objectivity to the proceedings;
  • deal promptly with correspondence;
  • be able to take accurate notes of meetings;
  • make sure members receive all the necessary material;
  • bring the necessary material to the meeting;
  • work well with the Chairperson;
  • ensure quorum is met for meetings; and
  • have knowledge or experience of committee procedures.

Role: Treasurer

Purpose 

Provide financial support to the organisation, ensuring records and procedures are maintained and the organisation remains financially viable.  

Key Responsibilities 

• Lead financial planning and oversee financial activity of the organisation 

• Ensure the organisation is financially viable and notify the committee of any concerns 

• Manage budgets and accounts and present them to the committee at meetings  

• Ensure appropriate financial procedures and policies are in place and are adhered to 

• Arrange auditing of accounts 

• Update the Committee regularly on their financial duties and responsibilities  

• Provide support to staff members on financial issues in the absence of a finance officer. 

 Other responsibilities commensurate with the role and stated within the governing document.  

The treasurer of an executive committee plays a vital role. Below are summarised some of the key qualities and skills required for an effective treasurer.

Qualities, skills, knowledge

A good treasurer will:

  • be capable of handling figures and cash;
  • have an orderly mind and methodical way of thinking;
  • have experience in dealing with large sums of money and budgets;
  • have experience of financial control and budgeting;
  • have an eye for detail;
  • be available to be contacted for ad hoc advice;
  • have a financial qualification or relevant experience;
  • good communication and interpersonal skills;
  • ability to ensure decisions are taken and followed-up; and
  • show good timekeeping.

Role: Communications Officer / Media Spokesperson

Purpose

To speak on behalf of our organization, presenting the views of Neurodivergent Labour, communicating information about us to and from the media, government and the public. 

Duties and Responsibilities

  • In order to communicate with the media, a spokesperson has to arrange and attend press conferences and appear for media interviews
  • They must correspond with individuals and groups and constantly interact with others so as to keep a smooth flow of information between a organization and the public
  • Being the public face of the organisation, they are required to travel to events
  • In case of any disaster or a scenario where the organization reputation is on the line, a spokesperson has to handle some damage control measures, thereby assuring the public that they need not worry
  • In order to convincingly assure others, they/she/he must be aware of the organization’s policies, strategies and know what stand to take so that a positive public image of the organisation is maintained

Skills and Specifications

  • A spokesperson needs to be diplomatic and be a quick thinker to answer questions put forward by the media honestly, yet in keeping with organizational policy
  • A spokesperson of the organization must keep in touch with media persons and have exceptional communication skills

Education and Qualifications:

Usually a spokesperson is someone who is a senior member of the organization as they are required to know about the organisation in detail and have the confidence to face the media’s questions. 

Role: Public Relations Officer / Website Editor

Responsibilities include:

  • Developing PR strategies and campaigns
  • Preparing press releases, keynote speeches and promotional material
  • Building positive relationships with media and the public
  • Editor of the organisation’s website
  • Managing the website administrator and overseeing that role

Role description

The post-holder needs to be an organized and cool-tempered professional who is able to handle a crisis. 

To have a creative mind and excellent communication skills, confident in public speaking and project management abilities.

Your goal will be to cultivate a positive and clear organisational image and develop a solid social media presence, in line with organisational policies and aims.

Responsibilities

  • Develop PR campaigns and media relations strategies
  • Collaborate with internal teams and the Executive and maintain open communication with them
  • Edit and update promotional material and publications (brochures, videos, social media posts, etc.)
  • Prepare and distribute press releases
  • Organize PR events (e.g. open days, press conferences) and serve as the organisation’s spokesperson
  • Seek opportunities for partnerships, sponsorships and advertising, as applicable and in line with organisational policies, practices and aims.
  • Address inquiries from the media and other parties
  • Track media coverage
  • Prepare and submit PR reports
  • Manage PR issues
  • Edit the organisational website
  • Manage the website administrator (technical) and workload

Requirements

  • Experience managing media relations (online, broadcast and print)
  • Background in researching, writing and editing publications
  • Competent in MS Office and social media
  • Familiarity with project management software and video/photo editing is a plus
  • Strong communication ability (oral and written)
  • Excellent organizational skills
  • Ability to work well under pressure
  • Creativity and problem-solving aptitude.

Role: Website Editor (contingent on the role being created at the AGM)

Responsibilities include:

  • Editor of the organisation’s website
  • Managing the website administrator and overseeing that role
  • Creation of articles to promote equality for the autistic community and to educate the general public
  • Tp coordinate with the PR department in diseminating information that promotes the organisation
  • To ensure the website maintains NDLabours philosophy and policies on neurodiversity.
  • To help design and publish promotional materials for NDLabour

Role description

The post-holder needs to be an organized and cool-tempered professional who is able to handle a crisis. 

To have a creative mind and excellent communication skills, confident in creating written material for the organisation.

Your goal will be to cultivate a positive and clear organisational image and develop a solid social media presence, in line with organisational policies and aims.

Responsibilities

  • Collaborate with internal teams and the Executive and maintain open communication with them
  • Edit and update promotional material and publications (brochures, videos, social media posts, etc.)
  • Seek opportunities for partnerships, as applicable and in line with organisational policies, practices and aims.
  • Edit the organisational website
  • Manage the website administrator (technical) and workload

Requirements

  • Experience managing media relations (online and print)
  • Background in researching, writing and editing publications
  • Competent in MS Office and social media
  • Familiarity with project management software and video/photo editing is a plus
  • Strong communication ability.
  • Excellent organizational skills
  • Ability to work well under pressure
  • Creativity and problem-solving aptitude.

Neurodivergent Labour Executive Committee’s Duty of Care

Executive Committee members are expected to ensure that their responsibilities and those of the organisation are carried out with due care.

This duty of care may be breached through individual action (or failure to act) by committee members, staff or volunteers, or through the activities of the wider organisation.

In either case, the Executive Committee members remain ultimately responsible for ensuring that others do not suffer damage or loss through the organisation’s activities.  They are responsible for the actions of their staff or volunteers, even where the individual concerned failed to follow established rules or procedures.  They may become personally liable for debts or claims which result from actions or inactions (see section on accountability and legal liability for more information).

Where does a duty of care exist?

A duty of care exists where:

(a) there is a relationship between two parties, particularly where this is a relationship of trust (e.g. between service provider and service user, counsellor and client, patient and carer, employer and employee); and

(b) the consequences of the actions could reasonably have been foreseen.

Breach of duty of care is concerned with the standard of care that ought to have been applied in the situation.  Therefore, if the conduct of the individual or organisation fell below the standard that a reasonable person would have expected, they will have been negligent in their duty.

The Executive Committee has therefore a responsibility to ensure that the organisation’s activities meet with expected standards of good practice.  Where an organisation has acted in accordance with generally accepted practice, as it occurs within the same or a similar field of work, it is likely that they will have acted reasonably, unless particular additional risks existed.

For example: An organisation that works with young people and/or adults at risk can be reasonably expected to have a safeguarding policy in place, supported by robust procedures and guidelines.  The organisation should have clearly defined procedures for recruiting, selecting and managing staff and volunteers; raising awareness of, responding and reporting concerns about abuse; and for risk management and the general safety of activities.  The organisation should also provide guidelines through a Code of Behaviour for all involved with the organisation.

In order to avoid breaching your duty of care, you need to be aware of where you have a duty of care and where there is a risk that you may cause damage or loss to other individuals or parties.  As an Executive Committee, you should ensure that a thorough risk management strategy* exists for the organisation – one which is regularly reviewed and updated to ensure that the necessary actions are taken to reduce the likelihood or impact of risks faced.

*(Click here for more guidance on how to manage risks within your organisation).

Executive Committee members must also be aware of the duty of care that they collectively and individually take on in relation to the organisation and care of its assets and reputation. This means that they must be aware of their responsibilities to the organisation as Executive Committee members and ensure that they are effective ‘guardians’ of the organisation and its assets. Committee members must act in the organisation’s interests, not in their own personal interest, and not in the interests of another organisation.

By ensuring that they act reasonably and diligently in carrying out their duties, Executive Committee members will also limit their personal liability for any loss or damage caused through breach of duty of care.

Source: 

https://www.diycommitteeguide.org/resource/common-law-duty-of-care-help-sheet 

as adapted by Annie Morris (November 2019)