Group Trustee Board - purpose

The Group Trustee Board is a team of volunteers who work together, as charity Trustees, to make sure the Scouts is run safely and legally.  At the heart of their role is a focus on strategy, performance and assurance.

Effective Trustee support helps other volunteers run the Scout programme that gives young people skills for life.  

5.4.6.1 Members of the Group Trustee Board must act collectively as charity trustees of their Scout Group, and in the best interests of the charity’s members.

5.4.6.2 Governance roles must be distinct to help manage conflicts of interest. This means that the roles of Group’s Chair and Treasurer must be kept separate and be done by two different people.  

5.4.6.3 The Group Trustee Board must act in the charity’s best interests, acting with reasonable care and skill and take steps to be confident that: 

a) The charity is:

• well managed
• carrying out its purposes for the public benefit
• complying with the charity’s governing document and the law
• managing the charity’s resources responsibly 

b) the charity is operating compliant with POR and the local charity regulator, including effective management of each of the Key Policies listed in Chapter 2 of The Scout Association Policy, Organisation and Rules.

c) young people are meaningfully involved in decision making at all levels

d) the Group has sufficient resources (funds, people, property and equipment) available to meet the planned work of the Group including delivery of the high quality programme and resource requirements of the training programme (Rule 4.2.2  of The Scout Association Policy, Organisation and Rules) 

5.4.6.4 The Group Trustee Board members must themselves collectively: 

a) develop and maintain a risk register, including putting in place appropriate mitigations  

b) ensure that the Group’s finances are properly managed, including development and maintenance of appropriate budgets to support the work of the Group 

c) maintain and manage:

• a reserves policy for the charity including a plan for use of reserves outside the ‘minimum’
• an investment policy for the charity
• a public benefit statement for the charity

d) ensure that people, property and equipment are appropriately insured, and that any property and equipment owned or used by the Group is properly protected and maintained 

e) ensure the appointment and management and operation of any subcommittees, including appointing a Chair to lead the sub-committee.  This should normally be one of the Group’s Trustees.

f) ensure that effective administration is in place to support the work of the Group Trustee Board 

g) appoint any co-opted members of the Group Trustee Board 

h) ensure transparency of operation, including:

• prepare and approve the Annual Accounts and arrange their examination by an auditor, independent examiner or scrutineer (as appropriate) and as appointed by the Group Scout Council at their AGM
• prepare and approve the Group Trustees’ Annual Report (which must include the Annual Accounts and include the report from the auditor, independent examiner or scrutineer) 
• present the approved Group Trustees’ Annual Report and Annual Accounts to the Group Scout Council for their consideration at the Group’s AGM
• following the Group AGM, ensure that a copy of the Group Trustees’ Annual Report and Accounts is sent to the District Trustee Board administration (see 5.4.7.9) and, if the Group is a registered charity, is filed with the appropriate charity regulator (if the regulator’s rules require it).

i) take responsibility for the Group’s adherence to Data Protection Legislation recognising that, dependent on circumstances, it will at different times act as a Data Controller and as a Data Processor 

j) individually and collectively maintain confidentiality regarding appropriate Group Trustee Board business 

k) put in place annually an open and transparent selection process to recommend to the Group Scout Council appropriate members to be appointed members of the Group Trustee Board, including Chair and Treasurer.  Vacancies for appointed Trustees only occur at the end of their period of appointment (for example, a Trustee may have been appointed for three years and so does not need to be re-appointed or re-selected after years 1 and 2).

l) where staff are employed:

• act as a responsible employer in accordance with the Scouts’ values and relevant legislation
• ensure that effective line management is in place for each employed staff member and that these are clearly established and communicated 
• ensure that appropriate specific personnel insurance is in place 

5.4.6.5 A Group Trustee Board may create sub-committees it deems necessary to support its governance function. The Group Trustee Board must ensure that for any sub-committee it appoints:  

1. its purpose is governance-focused and not operational 
2. its members are agreed and approved by the Group Trustee Board
3. the Group Trustee Board Chair is an ex officio member
4. the Group  Scout Leader is an ex officio member 

5.4.6.6 Sub-committee members are not Trustees unless they are already members of the appointing Group Trustee Board. 

5.4.6.7 All sub-committee members must be recorded on the membership system.