Did you know that the SORP* says that you should include a statement in your annual report which provides the reader with an understanding of charity’s policies and procedures for the induction and training of trustees? This is mandatory for larger charities (with a gross income of £500,000 or more) and is encouraged for smaller ones.
As a newly appointed CEO I came across this requirement whilst preparing the annual report for my charity, and I was slightly nervous about reporting the rather informal nature of my own trustees’ induction process. We needed to improve our trustee induction process and thus I started searching for a training course which:
- Covered all the key areas that I felt a trustee needed to have knowledge of.
- Was affordable.
- Was delivered locally to where my trustees were.
In short, I found it difficult to find a provider which ticked all these boxes.
The issues were:
Recognised providers offer excellent training, but it is normally, in my opinion, quite expensive. (For example, NCVO’s Induction Training Day costs £291, reduced to £204 if you are a member of NCVO). For a small charity with, say, 7 or 8 trustees, this can mount up the governance costs.
Other organisations, typically local solicitors, offer free training. However, it is often focused on their own areas of expertise and, in my own experience, rarely covers all the bases which I felt needed to be covered.
On-line training was an affordable option – but I am a great fan of the ‘face to face’ option. On-line training has its place, but I felt that trustees were much more likely to get a genuine understanding and feel for their role if they took a day out to absorb themselves in the training, and sat amongst other like-minded individuals.
Ultimately, I decided that I had the skillset (see the ‘who we are’ page) to provide the training myself. So, I designed a one day course, closely based on Charity Commission material but drawing on my own training, knowledge and experience. Once I had created the course for my own trustees I offered up spare places to sister charities nearby. It must have been OK because word spread and before I knew it my “induction day” had become a thing!
Over time those that had completed the Induction Day came asking for other assistance, and thus I found myself engaged in various bespoke sessions to meet specific needs and a couple of governance reviews. It seems that there was an “itch to be scratched” and so here I am seeking to scratch it.
*By the way, if you’re not sure what the SORP is then you might need a bit of training!