GreenSquare
Group is looking for people to join the Board of its subsidiary company
Oxford Citizens Housing Association and its Group Audit Committee.
GreenSquare
Group is a pioneering housing, regeneration and social investment
agency working throughout Wiltshire, Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire
and surrounding areas, with offices in Swindon,Oxford and Chippenham.
The Group was formed in April 2008 and includes Westlea Housing,Oxford
Citizens Housing Association and our commercial subsidiary Oakus Estates.
We are committed to providing excellent services to the residents
of the 10,000 homes we manage and the many partner organisations with
whom we work. We are a lead development partner for the Homes and
Communities Agency (HCA) and will be providing over 1000 new homes
between now and 2012.
In our first year
as GreenSquare we have achieved great things and we are looking to
build on our success. By joining us, you can use your skills and experience
to make a positive impact in the lives of people in the neighbourhoods
where we provide homes and services.
We want
to hear from people with a range of skills and experience in business
who will share our commitment to making our social businesses the
best they can be, but we are particularly interested in those with
an asset management background. For our Group Audit Committee position,
we are looking for a qualified and practicing accountant.
Our
Board members
Board
members play a crucial role – providing leadership, direction
and support to the organisation. By becoming part of our skilled and
committed Board and Executive Team, you’ll help ensure we are
well governed and able to deliver our ambitious corporate plan. Resident
and user involvement is central to what we do and the Boards ensure
we continue to build effective
relationships with them and other key stakeholders.
What
does a Board member do?
All
Board members share a collective responsibility for:
• setting objectives;
• setting plans to achieve the objectives;
• approving the budget and accounts;
• monitoring performance against agreed plans and budgets; and
• ensuring that affairs are conducted properly.
What
does a Group Audit Committee Member do?
As a Member of the Group Audit Committee you will be responsible for
reviewing the Group’s internal controls in order that the Committee
can alert the Group Member Boards to any emerging issues. In addition
the Committee oversees internal audit, external audit and management
as required in its review of internal controls. The Committee provides
advice on the effectiveness of the internal control system, including
the Group’s system for managing risk.
Every Board and
Committee member accepts a personal responsibility to:
• support the Group’s objectives, values and policies;
• contribute from their skills and experience to the decisions
of the Board and any Committee of which they are a member, and share
responsibility for all such decisions;
• annually, to attend at least 80% of Board and Committee meetings
to which they are invited, as well as regular training events and
‘Away Days’;
• read the papers for all meetings which they are invited to
attend;
• undertake induction and other training sessions for Board
members;
• represent the Group to the outside world; and
• comply with GreenSquare’s Code of Conduct
• as a Group Audit Committee member you will also need to be
willing and able to ask challenging questions of management, auditors
(internal and external) and others.
Board members
also have opportunities to engage with a further wide range of activities
such as getting involved with partner organisations and national housing
organisations.
What
you will need to offer
You will share our values and aspirations and relish the challenge
and rewards from developing our top performing ‘social businesses’.
You will need to commit the equivalent of at least 1–2 hours
per week (and at peak times this can increase to 3-4 hours per week).
This includes a minimum of six formal and four informal evening Board
meetings a year (for Group Audit Committee four formal evening Committee
meetings) and attendance at other meetings, events and conferences.
GreenSquare
Group – the Boards and Committees
There are four Boards (GreenSquare, Oakus, OCHA and Westlea) and three
Group Committees (Group Audit, Group Membership and Group Remuneration
Committees) within the governance structure. The Boards agree plans
for the future for their respective organisations and make sure that
the Group’s work is properly carried out in line with these plans.
Group Committees
carry out various elements of the Boards’ work in accordance
with the delegated authorities.
Our
vacancies
We are looking for a Board member for our OCHA Board and our Group
Audit Committee. We want to hear from people with a range of skills
and
experience in business who will share our commitment to making our
social businesses the best they can be. We are particularly interested
in those individuals with an asset management or financial background
Details for the
OCHA Board and Group Audit Committee are set out below:
• The OCHA Board with four resident Board members and eight independent
board members. The OCHA Board meets ten times a year, usually in Oxfordon
Monday evenings.
• The Group Audit Committee has 6 members, drawn from membership
of the four Boards as well as the position we are currently seeking
to fill for a Committee member, recruited externally to provide an
independent perspective on the Committee The Group Audit Committee
meets four times a year, usually in Swindon on Tuesday evenings.
All Board members
can be remunerated. OCHA pays £3000 and the independent Group
Audit Committee member is paid £1800. In addition,
out of pocket expenses (for travel and childcare etc) are reimbursed.
Are
you interested?
What now?
If you do not already have an application pack, please see www.greensquaregroup.com
or telephone 01249 466053 to request one. You may also wish to contact
Mandy Arnold, Group Corporate Governance Manager for an informal discussion
about these opportunities:
Mandy Arnold
Corporate Governance Manager
mandy.arnold@greensquaregroup.com
tel: 01249 466162
You should
return your application, to arrive by 6 July 2009.
Timetable
Deadline for Applications 6 July 2009
Shortlisting 16 July 2009
Interviews - likely to be 24 July 2009 but date to be confirmed
About
GreenSquare
GreenSquare is the dynamic new group that brings together Westlea
Housing, Oxford Citizens Housing Association and Oakus – with
a passion for delivering excellent services and high quality housing
across Wiltshire, Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire. We manage over
9,000 homes, employ 350 staff and will develop around 2,000 new homes
in the next five years. A strong focus on neighbourhoods and community
life is at the heart of our business and we are an enthusiastic adopter
of the ‘iN business for neighbourhoods’ initiative.
Westlea Housing
Association (Westlea) was set up in 1995 to take over and improve
the homes previously owned by North Wiltshire District Council and
provide homes for people with a range of housing needs, particularly
those who cannot afford to rent or buy on the open market. As well
as taking care of the ‘bricks and mortar’ of around 6000
homes in Wiltshire and Swindon, we are committed to working in partnership
with others to develop new homes and services to make our neighbourhoods
good places to live.
Oxford Citizens
Housing Association (OCHA) was established in 1866 to provide affordable
housing in Oxford and its suburbs. Today we are a diverse organisation,
providing high quality homes and services to over 2,800 homes across
Oxfordshire.
In addition to
the two RSL subsidiaries, the Group also has a commercial subsidiary,Oakus
Estates Limited. Oakus which undertakes the non-charitable activities
of the group including acquiring/developing property for sale, acquiring/developing
property to rent on a commercial basis and selling commercial services
undertaken by the Group to external customers. Oakus generates profits
to be re-invested in our core business of affordable housing.
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