Member Article

North East children's charity on the hunt for trustees

A North East special educational needs school, residential care home for children and vocational skills centre is looking for professionals to join its board of trustees.

The Talbot House Trust in Walbottle is a registered charity and provides for children and young people with complex needs.

The organisation are now looking for professionals, particularly with skills and experience in the children’s care or education sectors, law, health and social services.

Trustees are responsible for ensuring senior management team delivers its objectives and ensuring he charity is running well.

Jo Reiling, general manager of Holly Tree Business Solutions, is a trustee at Talbot HouseTrust and explains why she got involved: “Talbot House Trust has a mission which is very close to my heart. I am a governor at my daughter’s school and have knowledge of children in local authority care, so felt compelled to get involved when I was approached by Deirdre Pearson, the chief executive.

“The students at our school or those staying with us have complex needs. It can be difficult to deliver education effectively to them in a mainstream school or within a traditional “looked after” environment. At Talbot House, we offer a high adult-to-pupil ratio and individually tailored behavioural management. This enables our team to deliver school leavers with recognisable qualifications, either in vocational skills or in academia.

“Within the residential care home, children and young adults arrive with very different backgrounds and this is often the last in a long line of residential changes for them. The greatest measure of success here, is the smiling face of a settled child enjoying a secure environment.

“We are looking for passionate, ethical individuals who are interested in improving the future for young people with complicated lives, through the delivery of excellent strategy.“As a board, we want new members to challenge us in our thinking and ensure that every decision we take is right for every young person relying on us. We aim to provide the highest quality care and education we can.”

Being a trustee involves attending board meetings once per term and providing ongoing advice and support on an ad hoc basis.

For more details and an initial chat, please get in touch with Deirdre Pearson, chief executive via: deirdre.pearson@talbothouseschool.org.uk or 0191 267 0237.

For general information about becoming a trustee, go to www.charitycommission.gov.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .