Governance Adviser/Clerk to the Governing Board
We are looking for people with the right skills and attributes to join our established service, providing governance support and clerking to school governing boards. We are based in the North-West of England, covering schools in Lancashire, Blackburn with Darwen, Wigan, Warrington and St Helens. From September 2022, our clerking services will be provided on a wholly remote basis and we will therefore consider applications from outside these areas.
The work is offered on a self-employed basis, is flexible and part-time, mainly during school term time. Hours are variable depending on governing board needs. Most meetings take place during the late afternoon/early evening and it is expected that these will not exceed 2 hours, otherwise the service may levy an additional charge.
Payment is on a per-meeting basis, including an allowance for attendance at termly agenda briefings and team meetings.
To be successful in the role you will:
- Be extremely reliable, confidential, professional, well-organised and a stickler for detail.
- Have strong administrative skills and excellent written English.
- Have the maturity, confidence and interpersonal skills that will allow you to earn the respect of, and communicate professionally with, governors, trustees and educational leaders.
- Be familiar with/be able to quickly become familiar with educational language and governing board legal frameworks/regulations and be able to explain them to others.
- Be comfortable with new technology and be willing to contribute to supporting governing boards around technical issues relating to hybrid/virtual meetings.
Prior or current experience as a school governor, governing board clerk, company secretary, administrative role in a school or similar would be advantageous. The role may appeal to people carrying out clerking as part of their school administrative role, who are looking for opportunities to broaden their experience in different clerking contexts and develop their knowledge of corporate governance in the current changing educational climate.
The main duties of the role are:
- Supporting school governing boards to prepare for their meetings based on draft agendas provided by the service and agreed by negotiation with senior leaders and chairs
- Collating documentation and circulating it within required deadlines via the service’s online system
- Attending meetings and taking notes, which you will turn into professionally presented minutes within an agreed timescale using templates provided
- Providing governing boards and leaders with procedural and best practice governance advice as required. Clerks’ notes are provided to support agenda items.
- Maintaining accurate governing board records of membership and attendance and alerting the governing board to issues with either.
- Attending termly virtual agenda briefings and team meetings (half day).
If you are interested in working with us, you are strongly advised to read the Department for Education’s Clerking Competency Framework, which provides a guide to the standard of service we aspire to.
Access to a computer and a reliable wi-fi connection is essential. Access to a printer and/or iPad or similar tablet would be desirable and a headset is recommended to ensure privacy.
Other than attendance at governing board meetings, you will have the flexibility to organise your own time, provided an appropriate quality of service and any deadlines are met, and service protocols are followed.
You will be responsible for developing and maintaining your own knowledge and skills to meet the demands of the role, however we provide/co-ordinate/signpost access to a range of resources, training and advice to support you in providing a quality service, including an initial induction to familiarise you with our ways of working and regular networking opportunities with other colleagues including membership of the National Governance Association.
If you are interested in applying, or would like more information, please contact us at info@cbgovernance.co.uk or by phone on 01772 876826.
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