Independent Member of People and Culture Committee

The Role

The People and Culture (P&C) Committee is responsible to the Board of Trustees for oversight of the People and Culture Strategy and its effective implementation, including the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion agenda. The scope of the P&C Committee includes HQ volunteers as well as the staff workforce.  It sets and reviews the salary of executive management; oversees the annual cost of living review, is focused on developing the right working culture for the organisation and scrutinises and approves HR policies. 

The role of an Independent Member is to provide the People and Culture Committee with advice, guidance and scrutiny to assist the Committee in making key decisions.

Main Responsibilities 

Along with other members of the Committee:

• Review the People & Culture Strategy which supports the organisational strategy and recommend it to the Board 
• Act as advisor to ensure Equity, Diversity and Inclusion considerations for staff and HQ volunteers underpin the objectives within the People & Culture strategy 
• Conduct high level monitoring and oversight of the achievement of objectives within the People & Culture strategy
• Oversee the HR function to assure that we are legally compliant, effective and responsive to the needs of the organisation and its people
• Ensure that the culture of the organisation is appropriate to achieve its objectives and support its values  
• Monitor HR key performance indicators to assure the Committee and the Board that the Scouts is a good employer
• Ensure that robust and suitable HR policies and procedures are in place, that ensure fairness, equality and best practice in the management of staff, including an effective Reward Policy to underpin the successful recruitment and retention of staff
• Recommend to the Board the annual staff pay award 
• Ensure the effective recruitment of ELT members via the Chair of the Committee 
• Approve remuneration for ELT (with the exception of the Chief Executive whose remuneration is determined by the Board) 
• Ensure an effective performance management policy and appraisal process is in place for ELT 
• Assure itself that staff/volunteer relationships are effective 
• Oversee the wellbeing of our people, working in collaboration with the HQ Health, Safety and Welfare Committee.

The person

A commitment to the vision and values of Scouting (https://www.scouts.org.uk/) and the ability to challenge the Association’s policies and practices positively are essential.

Candidates should:

• Have a strong track record of achievement, especially in the area of Reward and Recognition
• Have experience of contributing to, supporting and or/leading HR policy formulation and culture setting across a large organisation or movement
• Have experience of designing and managing pay, benefits and non-financial incentives to motivate people
• Have a breadth of vision and a grasp of governance issues alongside an eye for detail
• Have unquestioned integrity, effective communications skills and experience of high-level discussion
• Have an understanding and commitment to The Scout Association’s evolving strategic plan and vision
• Be able to digest and act upon large amounts of written material, and have the ability to consider and constructively challenge the performance, strategy and objectives of The Scout Association
• Have experience of the Scout Movement and, ideally, the role of HQ volunteers
• Have experience of working at, or volunteering with, a charitable organisation
   

Time Commitment

For this role, the appointed candidate should expect to spend the equivalent of a day per quarter on The Scout Association’s work after the induction phase. This is based on preparation for and attendance at the scheduled People and Culture Committee meetings (three in each year, generally two meetings online and one face to face in London)

Appointment term 

Appointments are typically for an initial three-year term, with the possibility of a further term of three years subject to a satisfactory appraisal.

Remuneration and expenses 

In common with other registered charities, there is no remuneration directly associated with the role, although the Association will reimburse fully for all reasonable and properly documented expenses incurred in performing duties in accordance with the Association’s Expenses Policy.

Safeguarding rules – Yellow Card

We are a youth organisation who takes safeguarding seriously.  The post holder agrees to comply at all times with the safeguarding rules as set out on TSA’s yellow card, here. This is shared with young people and carers, as well as employees, so everyone knows our rules of engagement. In order to comply, stringent vetting procedures take place including checking against an internal database to assess suitability and also Basic/Enhanced DBS checks as required.

GDPR and Data Protection

The post holder hereby agrees not to disclose any confidential or sensitive information to a third party or outside organisation except where required to do so by law and to adhere to our Data Protection and GDPR policies.

Health and Safety

The post holder agrees to abide by TSA’s Health and Safety principles and code of conduct and to take all reasonable steps to ensure both their own safety in the workplace as well as that of their colleagues.

Equal Opportunities

The post holder agrees to promote and uphold the principles of equal opportunities in accordance with TSA’s Equal Opportunities Statement and all related policies.

How to apply 

If you are interested in the position and would like to apply, please send your CV and supporting statement outlining your suitability for the role, to governance@scouts.org.uk. Please add ‘P&C Committee Member’ in the subject heading.

The closing date for applications is: Thursday, 5^th of June 2025.

If you would like to discuss the role in more detail, please contact the Governance Team on the e-mail address shown above.

This role is advertised as part of TPP's Free Giving Back Services. This volunteer advertisement copy has been supplied to TPP and applicants apply direct to the organisation. Please contact the organisation directly if you have any questions about this volunteer role