Under the provisions of our Constitution, the management of the organisation is in the hands of a Management Committee, comprising a Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer and up to 10 ordinary members. The members of the Committee are elected at an Annual Members Meeting and on taking up appointment they become the organisation’s and assume all of the duties and responsibilities that this role entails. Collectively, the Trustees are the guardians of our purpose and they exercise general control of the administration of the organisation, including directing the strategy, maintaining financial oversight, taking responsibility for its resources and ensuring the organisation stays within the terms of the Constitution and the law.
The current Trustees are:
| William Rae | Chairperson |
| Patricia Hedger | Vice-Chairperson |
| Jean Walker | Secretary |
| Michael Blair | Treasurer |
| Lawrence Bidwell | |
| Bill Courtney | |
| Irene Dalrymple | |
| Ron Laley | |
| Fiona MacNeil | |
| Bill McIntyre | |
As a registered charity, we have to comply with any direction, requirement, notice or duty imposed on it by the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and associated legislation and must respond to all requests and directions from the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR). It also has to meet other legal requirements, particularly in relation to Employment, Data Protection and Health and Safety.
Governance Framework
The Management Committee, which generally meets at 6 weekly intervals, has established 2 Sub-Committees to address specific aspects. The terms of reference of the Management Committee and Sub-Committees can briefly be described as follows:
• Management Committee
Has overall control of the strategic direction, policies and procedures, organisational structures and management of the administration of the organisation and is ultimately accountable for all its activities. It ensures we operate within the scope of the Constitution and stated Charitable Objects, complies with any restrictions placed on financial grants and donations and meets relevant legal requirements.
Under the terms of the Constitution, the Management Committee is required to meet at least six times a year.
• Finance and Physical Resources Sub-Committee
Responsible for ensuring the organisation develops, documents and adopts sound financial management procedures and controls and meets its legal obligations in relation to the maintenance of accounts, fund-raising, banking arrangements, investments, reserves, physical assets, expenditure and internal audit. The Sub-Committee also oversees issues related to the accommodation, facilities, furniture, equipment and other physical assets, including contractual matters associated with leasing, purchasing and maintenance. The Sub-Committee is chaired by the Treasurer, Mike Blair.
• Organisational Review Sub-Committee
Responsible for reviewing the Charity’s current policies, practices and structures and identifying any changes considered necessary to improve the effective and efficient use of the resources available, to ensure the services delivered best meet the needs of carers. This includes matters relating to personnel and the health and safety of staff and volunteers. The Sub-Committee is also responsible for taking forward the implementation of measures necessary to ensure compliance with the Practical Quality Assurance System for Small Organisations (PQASSO) in order to improve the standard of internal management processes and the quality of services provided by the Charity to carers. The Sub-Committee is chaired by Willie Rae, who also chairs the Management Committee.