The Board of Management provides a Governance Circle that surrounds the entire operation made up of people with direct personal or family experience of disability, disability sector work histories, and people with commercial business backgrounds with an interest in social justice and disability support.
The Board divests the day to day and general management decisions to a Manager who reports monthly to the Board.
The Board engages an external accountant to assist the manager with financial matters, who keeps the organisation’s accounts and delivers monthly financial reports to the Board.
This model frees the Governance Circle of direct management tasks and allows them to concentrate on the qualitative aspects of direct service delivery and the sharing of time with the people being supported.
Board meetings are held over a meal and formally include places for people receiving support, and staff members who are encouraged to make unedited presentations to the Board at these meetings.
Responsibilities of the Board:
Strategic
- Develop and uphold the ongoing vision, values and purpose of the organisation
- Approve plans, budgets and expenditure
- Monitor the performance of the organisation
Risk Management
- Ensure that the manager is assessing and responding to risks at every level of the organisation and checking with Industrial Workplace Place Advisors, James O’Neill and Associates on all high risk areas
Governance
- Ensure that the Board replenishes itself in accordance with the annual review and recruitment directions outlined in the Board’s Diary of Meetings, Events and Deadlines which includes offering each Board member a July meeting with the president, manager and one supervisor to review the year and to ascertain their availability for the coming year
- Once the Board ascertains what vacancies exist a search will commence for new Board members in readiness for the AGM in September. Potential members will be invited to meet with the president, manager and one supervisor for a formal presentation about the organization and an invitation to join
- Ensure that the Board operates efficiently, effectively and legally
General Manager
- Appoint the General Manager and monitor their performance