Context of the Appointment

Mencap is a leading learning disability charity in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, committed to improving the lives of people with a learning disability, their families and carers, and campaigning for a better future alongside them. Its personal support services provide care to over 5000 adults on a day to day basis. Through its 350 local network partners the charity provides services to more than 7,500 people. It addition it advises more than 5,000 people through its helpline and campaigns to influence laws and reduce the stigma around learning disability.

Following the appointment of Edel Harris as its Chief Executive, Mencap is currently developing its next strategy with an ambition for the UK to be the best place in the world to live a happy and healthy life if you have a learning disability. This ambition cannot be achieve alone, but with current and future partners to put people with a learning disability at the heart of their communities and to influence change at a societal level.

The Mencap Trust Company (MTC) is a company limited by guarantee which was formed in 1975 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of the charity. It has a board of unpaid directors, who ensure objectivity in decisions taken on behalf of beneficiaries, whether or not Mencap is named. It manages c270 individual trusts with a combined value of £25 million (2018/19 accounts). Its annual turnover is c£400,000.

The Role

Reporting to the Chief Executive of Mencap and working closely with the MTC Chair, Board & colleagues, the primary focus of the role is to lead the Mencap Trust Company (MTC), ensuring that it:

• works to the highest standards to support current and future trust beneficiaries and their families;
• is fully compliant with all legal and regulatory aspects and best practice in trust management and governance;
• is aligned with Mencap’s vision, as a part of the Mencap community.

You will build good relationships internally and externally, establishing a culture of performance, ambition for both beneficiaries and the vision of MTC and of continuous improvement. You will ensure MTC is a learning organization. As an ambassador you will place MTC’s beneficiaries at the heart of its story and partnerships. You will build and develop an atmosphere of teamwork amongst the geographically dispersed team of colleagues and directors.

Person Specification

The ideal candidate will demonstrate the following skills and experience:

• Excellent communication, influencing, negotiation and inter-personal skills.
• Ability to build and maintain relationships with stakeholders and third parties internally and externally.
• Ability to lead and motivate staff and to train and mentor less experienced staff. Experience of staff management, ideally of geographically dispersed teams; and to delegate effectively.
• Ability to work with limited direct supervision and be self-motivated in their work.
• Demonstrable experience of Trust Management, including at a senior level.
• An in-depth understanding of the Trust legal and regulatory environment with experience of managing a trust portfolio including taxation requirements. Understanding the development and use of trust management systems.
• Experience of developing business plans and budget setting. Some business development experience would be desirable.
• Knowledge of working in a not for profit organization
• Affinity with people with a learning disability and their friends and families, an interest in and desire to know more about learning disability and ability to role model this to their team.

The appointed candidate will be a holder of a recognised legal or finance qualification and a member of STEP.

For further details of the role and to apply please visit: https://www.wildsearch.org/opportunities/mtc-director

MTC will endeavour to make any necessary reasonable adjustments to the job and the working environment to enable access to employment opportunities for disabled job applicants or continued employment for any employee who develops a disabling condition.

Deadline for applications is midday on Monday 29^th March.

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