Renaisi Non Executive Board Member APPLICATION
Introduction Renaisi is an award-winning, diverse social enterprise committed to making improvements to communities, putting local people at the centre of positive change. We are a forward looking organisation seizing opportunities to improve people s lives. We are looking to appoint up to five new Non- Executive Directors to complement our existing team. If the answer to the following questions is yes, then we would urge you to read on: Do you have a passion and in interest in transforming communities around the UK? Do you have an insight or direct experience in the worlds of education, employment, neighbourhood regeneration or consulting? Are you comfortable operating and interacting at senior levels? Are you committed to getting involved and sharing experiences and networks? Do you have an interest in steering the work of a dynamic award winning social enterprise as a Non- Executive Director? The rest of this document gives you a little more information about Renaisi, about the role and the commitment it will require. Finally, it sets out how you can apply. Further information about Renaisi is available on our website at www.renaisi.com We very much look forward to hearing from you. Sarah Adams Chair Clive Tritton Chief Executive
About Renaisi Through our extensive experience of delivering neighbourhood-based regeneration programmes, local economic development initiatives and employment services, we understand what it takes to enable people and places to thrive. WHAT WE DO We support the long-term unemployed on their journey into work, equipping them with essential skills, knowledge, experience and opportunities. We re a delivery partner for Big Local, a ground-breaking 200m programme funded by Big Lottery Fund designed to enable local communities across England to better determine and address their own needs. We assist local areas to achieve economic growth, advising on how they can attract jobs and investment. We help build the capacity of migrant families, enabling them to become more resilient and integrated into their neighbourhoods. This includes helping parents engage in their children s education, supporting achievement and raising schools standards. We research and evaluate programmes and projects designed to help disadvantaged families and young people, working with clients including Prince s Trust and Carers Trust. We re innovative and forward thinking, with an ambition and drive for developing new initiatives to address social problems. OUR HISTORY We have been in the business of neighbourhood regeneration for nearly fifteen years, working with some of the most disadvantaged and disenfranchised communities in the South East. We grew out of Hackney Council in 1997 as an outsourced, not-for-profit regeneration company tasked with driving forward the borough s transformation by working in partnership with the local community. This involved the delivery of various neighbourhood renewal programmes as well as public services including employment programmes, community development initiatives and inward investment and enterprise services. Our direct delivery experience has led to us being contracted to provide regeneration strategy advice and guidance to a wide range of clients including local authorities, housing associations, public sector agencies, developers, voluntary and community organisations and, of course, communities themselves. Our work has been recognised by a number of national and local awards including Regeneration Consultancy of the Year, Best Local Social Enterprise, as well as a number of project awards including public space strategies and tackling worklessness. We are also currently a finalist in the UK Social Enterprise Awards Education, Training and Jobs category.
OUR IMPACT As we enter our 15th year of operation, we have embraced the challenge enforced by cuts in public funding and reviewed and added to our services to ensure we deliver an enduring positive impact. Our report Renaisi: Making an impact available on our website provides a brief insight into our work and the impact we are having. In summary: We are one of the few social enterprises to flourish in terms of our delivery of the Work Programme and have helped nearly 700 people into work over the last two years. We are strengthening the support we provide our Work Programme clients by becoming a high-performing accredited training organisation. Our early Employability Skills courses which started in March 2013 are realising close to a 100% pass rate, with a significant number of participants moving on to successful employment. We are working with local businesses to bridge the gap between opportunities presented by the vast expansion of technology firms in the areas around Old Street and Shoreditch in East London (known as Tech City) and excluded local young people. Our first 60 local apprenticeship candidates start their training in August 2013. We are working with partners at London Legacy Development Company, Balfour Beatty and Groundwork to put in place a vehicle to help local people secure jobs and volunteering opportunities on the London 2012 Games venue when it reopens as Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Our Bilingual Parent Support Advisers working in schools in Islington, Westminster and Haringey have supported more than 300 migrant families in the past 18 months to flourish, both within the schools themselves and in the wider community. We have worked with over 100 disadvantaged young people to evaluate programmes funded by The Prince s Trust designed to support them into work or training. We have supported a number of local authority clients on realising economic growth in their areas an important issue at a time when many people need local job opportunities.
Renaisi Non-Executive Director Role Description Commitment A minimum of 4 meetings a year (one of which will also be an AGM) and occasional evening events Following a skills audit of existing Non- Executive Directors we would like to add to our Board s expertise in the following areas of knowledge and contacts: employment and skills, education, neighbourhood regeneration, public affairs. Terms Location Voluntary role, travel expenses reimbursed 21 Garden Walk, Shoreditch, EC2A 3EQ RESPONSIBILITIES Non-Executive Directors must be committed to Renaisi s vision, mission and values. Key responsibilities are to: PURPOSE OF THE ROLE This is an opportunity to join the board of an award winning social enterprise which has a proud record in terms of transforming communities and ambitious plans for the future. Renaisi is a company limited by guarantee. The Board has overall responsibility for directing Renaisi s affairs, ensuring it is well-run and delivers its social outcomes. Non-executive Directors may also be asked to represent Renaisi at public and stakeholder events. EXPERIENCE We are looking for up to five individuals to join Renaisi s Board as Non-Executive Directors. The Board should collectively have a balanced range of skills, experience and contacts. Provide strategic planning of Renaisi including annual sign off of a rolling three year Business Plan presented by the executive team; Govern Renaisi and support and hold the Chief Executive and Executive team to account for performance against the Business Plan; Protect the integrity of Renaisi s mission and social objectives; Understand Renaisi s social aims and objectives, and ensure that we act within them as well as within the law; Attend Renaisi s Board meetings and events as appropriate; Promoting the business to key stakeholders; Represent Renaisi s agreed position when speaking publicly on behalf of the company; Delegate the implementation of the Board s decisions to the Chief Executive, but also define management authority boundaries;
Understand and act on financial and any other monitoring information presented to them, questioning such information when appropriate; Review the Chief Executive s performance annually; Self-review the Board s performance; Bi-annually review the risk register; Review the constitution when necessary; Help to recruit and induct new Non- Executive Directors, the Chairman and Chief Executive as required; and Support the Chief Executive and occasionally other staff when requested; SELECTION CRITERIA We will select and assess each candidate based on your skills and attributes, and your willingness and ability to: Attend meetings, training sessions and other events as required and to devote sufficient time to board work; Consider and understand documents, tables and statistics; Challenge and ask questions; Bring insight and perspective through relevant experience, including in the specific skill areas sought; Work as part of a group; Listen to and respect the contribution of others; Contribute to group discussion; Be flexible and support collective decisions; Uphold the vision, values and objectives of Renaisi; Act professionally, with integrity and in the best interests of Renaisi; Maintain confidentiality; and Adhere to the principles and practice of equality and diversity;
How to Apply Read the Trustee Role Description Complete the Application Form Send us your CV Provide contact details for two referees Email the application form, referee details and your CV to: Clive Tritton at c.tritton@renaisi.com by 11 November 2013 Shortlisted candidates will be asked to an informal meeting with the Chair, Chief Executive and one other non-executive Director on Monday 18 November. Successful candidates will be informed by Friday 22 November. If you want to find out more, have any queries or would like help completing this form, please contact Clive Tritton on 0207 033 2628 You can also find out more about Renaisi at www.renaisi.com