Trustee induction: Getting it right for Scottish charities
We recently updated our online annual return to ask new questions about the governance of Scottish charities.
A key area charities have told us they have difficulty with is ensuring that they have a process for the induction of new trustees. We have produced this article to help charity trustees in Scotland understand what a trustee induction process is, why it is important and what it should contain.
What is trustee induction?
Trustee induction is the process by which new charity trustees learn about:
- Their role and responsibilities as a charity trustee
- What the charity is set up to do and how it delivers its services
- How the charity is run and the expectations of them as a charity trustee
- Who is important to the charity, the beneficiaries, volunteers and other stakeholders
The trustee induction process should also be an opportunity for the other charity trustees to learn about the new trustee, so that they all understand the skill set of the trustee board.
Why is trustee induction important for Scottish charities?
Charity trustees are vital to the successful running of Scottish charities. They are the people who are responsible for ensuring the charity carries out the work that it is set up to do.
A good induction will welcome your new trustee and help them get up to speed with the charity and their role.
Induction will help charity trustees understand their legal responsibilities and ensure that they are equipped to undertake the role. It will allow them to be more confident in carrying out their duties and this is important for retaining charity trustees.
For more information about trustee duties and responsibilities, please see our Guidance and Good Practice for Charity Trustees section.
What should a trustee induction process contain?
Trustee induction processes will be different for all charities and should be appropriate to the size, type and complexity of your charity. Although it doesn’t need to be a very formal process, it should be written down, so that it is available for reference, particularly where there are changes in trustees.
It should include:
- Providing new trustees with a copy of the charity’s governing document and any important policies and procedures for the charity
- Introducing new trustees to other trustees, key staff members, and volunteers and beneficiaries
- Providing new trustees with financial information so that they can understand the financial position of the charity and how the finances are operated.
- Providing new trustees with information about their legal duties. This may be simply signposting them to OSCR’s website.
Charities should also ensure that as part of the induction process, they obtain information about the charity trustee, including contact details and confirmation of their eligibility to act as a charity trustee. This will be of particular importance moving forward as OSCR starts to collate information about charity trustees under new charity law.
For charity trustees, learning about the charity and their role within it shouldn’t be limited to when they join the Board. Regular refresher training for all trustees will help them reflect and learn from their experiences to support governance improvements and to stay informed about relevant changes in law and how that affects what they do.
To get more information and advice about how to run your charity effectively, and to stay up to date with the latest news for charity trustees, sign up to our newsletter, the OSCR Reporter.