Chair - Appointment Brief June 2021 - Prospectus
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Appointment Brief
June 2021
Chair
Welcome letter
Thank you for your interest in becoming the Chair of Trustees for
Disability Rights UK (DR UK).
Since its foundation in 2012 DR UK has significantly grown in
profile, influence and reputation. In 2022 we celebrate 10 years
of our organisation working together with Disabled People leading
change. Our organisation is rooted in the Social Model of Disability
and takes a rights-based approach. It is made up of individual
Disabled members and member organisations led by and for
Disabled People. Disabled People’s lived experience drives us to
speak truth to power. We are looking for an individual who shares
our ambitions and values to lead the Board into the next exciting
period for DR UK and further grow the organisation’s impact. This
is at a time when we need to tackle the inequality faced by all
Disabled People in the UK. The pandemic has shown how our hard-
won rights can be easily swept away by new legislation.
The Board is currently made up of eleven people with varied
professional experience and lived experience of disability. Board
members have personal experience in areas such as Social Care,
the benefits system, grassroots activism, advocacy, charity
governance, marketing, equality and diversity and finance. Our
current Chair is due to step down from the Board after four
years. In that time he has worked to create a robust governance
structure, a stable financial platform for the future. Over the past
three years, he has been working to ensure that diversity and
inclusion are embedded into organisational culture.
2 Chair | June 2021
The role is for someone passionate about equality and our human
rights, someone who understands the importance of the Social
Model of Disability as the driving force for change. The role will
be challenging, Disabled People are a broad church with differing
views and opinions requiring DR UK to have consideration and
care when driving a path to the inclusive society we want. The
role is rewarding and brings with it public recognition, and you will
be supported by a committed and skillful Board, CEO and staff
team. We campaign for the rights of all Disabled People to be
included in every aspect of life. We bring the lived experiences of
Disabled People to everything we do. We challenge policymakers,
institutions and individuals to remove the barriers that exist for us.
As Chair, you will be at the heart of this aim and should be willing
to defend and promote our role publicly.
We are a small organisation but we punch far above our weight. In
2020/21 the Board set a new refreshed strategy which is based on
delivering our recently created theory of change.
We look forward to receiving your application.
Kamran Mallick
Chief Executive Office
Disability Rights UK
Appointment Brief 3
4 Chair | June 2021
Who we are
Disability Rights UK is the leading charity of its kind in the UK. We are run by
and for people with lived experience of disability or health conditions.
We are Disabled people leading change, working for equal participation for
all.
We are:
• Committed to The Social Model of Disability.
• Led by people with lived experience of disability or long-term health
conditions. 85% of our trustees have personal experience – our
constitution ensures this will never fall below 75%.
• A member-led charity, with Disabled people and organisations led by
Disabled people having the controlling vote.
• Committed to working with and for people with all types of impairment
and health conditions.
Our vision, mission and values
To create a society where Disabled people have equal power,
rights and equality of opportunity.
Our Mission
We campaign for the rights of all Disabled people to be included in
every aspect of life. We bring the lived experiences of Disabled people
to everything we do. We challenge policy makers, institutions and
individuals to remove the barriers that exist for us.
The values that drive us
All our work is guided by 4 values:
1. Strength in difference
2. Sharing power
3. Connecting
4. Innovating
Appointment Brief 5Our impact
In 2019/20 we reached more than and research carried out by the four
1.2 million people with information nation partners was published in the
developed by and for Disabled people. year. DR UK focused on young Disabled
people as our contribution to the four
Our free factsheets attracted 1.8 million nations research.
downloads and over 90% of users said
our factsheets were useful to their Get Yourself Active (GYA) is a
purposes. programme led by DR UK and funded
by Sport England to develop, test and
We had 10,000 contacts with individuals scale user led approaches to tackling
through events and our independent inactivity. It is delivered through
living advice line, student and members Disabled Peoples User Led Organisations
helpline and information line. (DPULOs), social care, health and sport
sectors. We entered into a new strategic
We ran the successful EnAble Fund partnership with Sport England to build
to support Disabled people looking to on the project’s achievements.
stand for local elections. In partnership
with UCL, Global Disability Innovation During the year we successfully
Hub and Plexal we secured funding from delivered the EnAble. The fund
Research England to launch the first supported individual Disabled people
Innovation and Enterprise zone in the who wanted to stand for local elections
Olympic Park. in England. Similar in principle to the
Access to Work scheme, the fund was
The 2019/20 edition of our Disability flexible in providing a wide range of
Rights Handbook was very successful. support from leaflet distribution to
Written by benefits specialists, this providing one of bits of equipment to
guide to benefits provided explanations over come barriers. The project was
and answers for both claimants and ended in March 2020 when the local
advisors. elections were postponed to 2021, and
we will be working to ensure the fund
Delivering projects, working with is available and becomes a permanent
local Disabled People’s Organisations offer to Disabled people.
(DPOs) and others, to demonstrate
new approaches to Disabled people’s Influencing policy and practice on the
participation. basis of lived experience and good
practice led by Disabled people.
DRILL is now in its final year and has
established an extensive body of We completed our ‘I Can Make It’
Disabled led research available online. campaign, run by and for young
Projects from the final year have begun Disabled people to smash barriers to
to publish and promote their findings employment.
6 Chair | June 2021We worked to influence existing We increased our social media presence
spending in local government and - up to 61,100 twitter followers. We
large businesses by engaging with their exceeded our media targets for the
procurement teams and supply chain year, saw our profile increase markedly
managers to raise awareness of the and are progressively becoming the
benefits of employing young Disabled ‘go to’ pan-disability organisation.
people. Readership of our e-newsletter has
doubled over the year and it now
We are working with Shaping Our Lives, reaches over 19,000 people weekly.
CHANGE and the National Survivor
and User Network (known collectively DR UK was invited to speak to the new
as the Lived Experience Alliance) to Disabilities Unit of the Cabinet Office.
bring the lived experience of Disabled The new unit has been established after
people to the NHS and its system years of campaigning by DR UK and
partners. Some of the issues the other organisation that there must be a
group has raised recently include: lack overarching strategy to support Disabled
of public health information in easy people. The launch this year of the
read or BSL; outbreaks of the virus in Disability Strategy comes from this Unit.
mental health units and supported We have built connections to enable
living accommodation; PAs entering us to influence their thinking and learn
numerous people’s homes without PPE/ from the lived experience of Disabled
strict hygiene protocols. people.
Our fifth cohort of Disabled people During the last 12 months Covid-19 and
completed our Leadership Academy its impact on Disabled people has been
programme this year. 80% achieved the top priority for our policy work. This
their career goals, including promotions, period has seen a dramatic reduction
new jobs and opportunities to lead. One of rights to care and independent living
of the benefits of this programme is that and we have raised this through every
it is peer led and often gives Disabled route possible. Our fundamental policy
employees the first opportunity to meet position has been to ask national and
other Disabled people at work. local government to include Disabled
people in policy development. Our
We provide the Secretariat to the work at this time has benefited from
influential All Party Parliamentary the years of building relationships with
Disability Group (APPDG), which government officials and ministers and
brings Disabled people’s voices into through building our links to Disabled
Parliament. We also devised and co- Peoples Organisations and individual
wrote the APPDG Inquiry into halving Disabled people. This has allowed us to
the disability employment gap, which influence and bring the voice of lived
is now influencing Government’s experience in to government.
Industrial Strategy.
Appointment Brief 7Equal participation for all -
Strategic priorities 2020-2023
1. Building a Movement employment and enterprise. To ensure
To achieve an equal society, we will they have the money they need to meet
build a movement, which strengthens the additional costs of disability, we will
the collective and individual voices of campaign for a benefits system that
Disabled people’s organisations and enables dignity and equality.
Disabled people to achieve change.
4. Influencing Public Attitudes and
2. Independent Living Behaviours
To enable us to live with choice and To create a narrative about Disabled
control, we will campaign for Equality people which reflects our intrinsic value
in everyday life and for the support that - we matter because we are human, we
Disabled people need to lead the lives matter because we are here. We will
we choose. increase the visibility of Disabled people
and challenge negative perceptions.
3. Inclusive economic
opportunities The full strategy can be found here:
To ensure that Disabled people have https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/
opportunities to work and to thrive in about-us/our-strategy
8 Chair | June 2021Our governance
Our key decisions are made through As our Chair Martin Stevens, OBE
our members who elect the Board steps down, we are seeking to appoint
of Trustees: and by our Leadership a new chair.
Team (LT). We work with our members
to influence national policy on Disability Rights UK is a membership
independent living, benefits, education, organisation.
employment, transport, human rights
and other issues - shaping policy The successful candidate in our process
through direct experience and expertise. will stand for election as Chair and be
We also work with our individual and endorsed at the 24 November 2021
organisation members to empower and AGM as Chair Designate.
to influence local policy and services.
At the AGM, the Members shall have
85% of our Trustees are Disabled the right to approve the proposed Chair
people; as are the majority of our staff. nominated by the DR UK board prior
Our Articles of Association state that at to the AGM, for an initial term of three
least 75% of our Trustees will always years to be extended by another term
be Disabled people. Our Trustees and of three years. Upon appointment,
staff between them have a wide range the Chair will (if not already a Trustee)
of personal experiences of disability automatically becomes a Trustee.
including mental health issues, autistic
spectrum, learning difficulties, sensory
impairments, long-term health Pleased find a link to Trustees profiles
conditions and mobility impairments. here: https://www.disabilityrightsuk.
We work hard to be inclusive and to org/about-us/our-team/trustees
understand and reflect the interests of
everyone living with disability/health
conditions. Our staff and Trustees come
from a range of communities and
backgrounds, including different faiths
and minority ethnic communities.
Appointment Brief 9DR UK Chair of Trustees
DR UK’s vision is to create a society where Disabled people have equal power,
rights and equality of opportunity, and where all Disabled people are included in
every aspect of life. To help us to achieve this ambition we are pledged to build
a movement which strengthens the collective and individual voices of Disabled
people’s organisations and Disabled people to achieve change.
Purpose of role
• To lead and inspire the Board of Trustees, working closely with the Chief
Executive to ensure that DR UK is strong, effective and able to achieve our goals.
The person
You will be a Disabled person who has: skills, able to unite and inspire
• An understanding of and people around an agenda, with the
commitment to the social model of ability and authority to represent
disability. the organisation and influence
• A track record of commitment to and debate with a wide range of critical
delivery on equality, diversity and audiences including supporters,
inclusion. commissioners, funders and
• An understanding of the value of politicians.
Disabled People’s Organisations and • A willingness to devote time, energy
of the challenges they face. and enthusiasm to the duties and
responsibilities of the Board and the
In addition, you will have: promotion of DR UK’s mission, vision
and values.
• Experience of business management • A track record of delivery of strategic
and income generation. and sustainable change within an
• Well developed, effective and agile innovative organisational setting,
chairing skills, using a collaborative, including a proven track record of
partnership-focused approach strategic analysis and high-quality
to organisational and Board decision-making.
development, with the resilience • An understanding of governance
and empathy to oversee purposeful and acceptance of the legal duties,
strategic change. responsibilities and liabilities of
• Strong influencing and engagement trusteeship.
10 Chair | June 2021The task that DR UK’s resources are effectively
deployed to enable these.
• Ensure that trustees fulfil their Strategy
responsibilities for the overall • Ensure that the organisation has
governance and strategic direction of a clear and bold strategic plan for
the charity. meeting our aims.
• Work closely with the Chief Executive • With support from the Board, inspire,
to ensure the organisation is support and hold the Chief Executive
achieving its aims and objectives. to account for the implementation of
the strategy, organisational plan and
This includes: achievement of budgets.
• Help the Chief Executive and
Governance leadership team develop ethical
sustainable income generation,
• Enable the Board to discharge its
encouraging a commercial mind-
responsibilities effectively, meeting
set that delivers growing funds to
the legal and regulatory guidelines
execute our charitable purpose.
and applying best practice to the
• Support the Chief Executive in
management of the organisation’s
representing DR UK, influencing
people, resources, assurance,
partnering, fund-raising and
risk, diversity, succession planning,
service provision and support its
safeguarding and stakeholder
mission and Disabled-led ethos,
engagement.
developing DR UK’s external presence
• Enable the board to function
and recognition.
effectively, through encourage the
• Ensuring that our plans and our
effective and positive participation
success criteria reflect our Disabled-
of all trustees at Board meetings,
led ethos and draw on insights and
developing a strong sense of
input from Disabled people and
active engagement and cabinet
DPULO.
responsibility, chairing meetings
• Understand the dynamics of the
effectively to reach clear, consensual
disability world, the voluntary sector,
decisions.
the Disabled people’s movement and
• Ensure a strong, diverse Board
other areas relevant to DR UK’s work,
through identifying the skills
anticipating new developments and
and experience required, leading
their potential impact on DR UK.
recruitment of new trustees, and
ensuring that effective Board
Working with CEO
development is in place including
comprehensive trustee induction and • The Chair will manage the Chief
Board and trustee appraisal. Executive’s performance, including
• Providing support and challenge conducting an annual appraisal.
to the Chief Executive and the • Should the need arise, the Chair will
executive team to ensure that the lead the appointment of a new Chief
organisation is run in accordance Executive.
with the decisions of the Board and
Appointment Brief 11The time commitment
The Chair will need to:
• Chair up to four Board meetings, including one away day a year;
• Participate in committee meetings on four days a year;
• Have regular meeting with the Chief Executive at least every month;
• Participate in regular calls as required with trustees.
This will mean a time commitment of around two days a month,
although this may vary.
The position is not remunerated. We will meet all reasonable expenses
in connection with carrying out the duties of the Chair.
12 Chair | June 2021How to apply
Please submit your CV together with a supporting statement (maximum 800-
1000 words). Please ensure that you have included mobile, work and home
telephone numbers, as well as any dates when you will not be available or
might have difficulty with the recruitment timetable.
At Prospectus we believe passionately that a truly inclusive workplace leads
to increased social impact. We are committed to supporting our clients build
more inclusive teams. To understand how we are performing, we ask that you
kindly complete the brief equal opportunities questionnaire when you submit
your application via our website.
Please be assured that your responses are kept confidential, separate from
your candidate record, are not part of any application you make, and that the
consultants never see individual responses to the questionnaire.
Applications should be made via the Prospectus website at:
jobs.prospect-us.co.uk/jobs/details/hq00178368
Recruitment Timetable
Deadline for applications: Monday 26 July
Interviews with Prospectus: w/c 09 August
Discussion with staff and CEO: w/c 06 September
w/c 13 September
Final panel interviews with DR UK:
(face to face where possible)
DR UK AGM - Chair Designate endorsed: 24 November
Queries
If you wish to have an informal discussion about the opportunity, please
contact our retained advisor Jess Stockford at Prospectus on:
020 7691 1920, or via email:
jessica.stockford@prospect-us.co.uk
Appointment Brief 13Prospectus Ltd 020 7691 1925 www.prospect-us.co.uk Created by the Prospectus Advertising & Design team 14 Chair | June 2021
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