Rebecca McFaulds had no idea about the care sector four years ago. That didn't stop her creating a structure to enable AbleCarers Rothes go from strength to strength
When I came to AbleCarers three years ago I had no idea about care, the group or the wider voluntary sector. I’m an HR manager for an insurance services group and four years ago the care world was a universe away to me.
I was asked to join the board only because of my experience in HR. The then chairwoman believed I’d bring a bit of organisation to a fledgling organisation and that’s basically what I do.
Do you need to know about the sector before you get involved? I would say it helps. It took me at least a year to know about what the group did. In a nutshell AbleCares is a network of carers across Fife offering respite to each other. We operate a time bank where the hours you put in you get back.
My job is to manage that timebank. Before I came they operated an ad hoc system that wasn’t fit for purpose. It was apparent the skills weren’t there at board level. My opinion is that you should get the skills on board first.
Too many small organisations make the mistake of enlisting folk who have knowledge of their sector but not the particular skills. So when it comes to finance, for example, they don’t have a clue.
My other role is to organise the trustees and recruit board members. We try and recruit new blood every year or so. We have five trustees including myself and they have all been selected for their skills and expertise.
Jane is an accountant, Peter a lawyer, Joe is a fleet manager who’s good at logistics and Deborah is a payroll manager.
Below the board is another team – the management team, made up of carers who are responsible for running the network. They deliver the respite care to those who require it.
The other difference with our board is that it meets each Tuesday. Most boards meet at most every month. But we are very hands on and need to know what’s happening from week to week. I think that’s a model other charities could adopt. Can board members who meet every three months really have a hands-on role in the charity they are running?
Trustees need to know about the day to day running of their organisations and they need to be regularly and effectively appraised. We ask qustions and have a forensic approach to how the group is run. It’s needed: we’re dealing with a very important issue and regular respite care is something that can change people’s lives for the better.
Large numbers of people rely on this network so it is our duty to get it right. I don’t believe trustees should get paid. Instead I believe you should always mark out what skills you need and approach the people you might think will fit that role. The personal approach always works because, let’s face it, the third sector is very person-centred.
Getting the right people on your board isn’t that difficult. It just takes time, thought and effort.
