Royal Trinity Hospice (RTH) has been an innovator and a leader in hospice care since 1891. It provides specialist palliative and end of life care to around 2,500 patients each year from its state of the art inpatient unit and throughout the community in seven London boroughs. 

It is a vital part of the local healthcare system, caring for around half the people who die in this community each year. Its care is rated Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission and it is free to use thanks to its retail and fundraising operations (the NHS funds under 30% of the cost). 

In the three years before the pandemic, it grew its community patient numbers by around 25%, showing that its work has real impact across a very diverse demographic. Its team responded strongly to the challenges of Covid-19, remaining operational 24 / 7 for each patient who needed its services - a real tribute to the staff and donors who worked so hard to ensure this.  

Today, Trinity has a strong platform combining high quality care, strong stakeholder relationships with its Integrated Care Systems partners, successful retail and fundraising operations, caring and expert staff, a great executive team, a supportive and engaged board, and a stable financial position.

Trinity has a detailed plan to expand its services to reach 50% more people by 2030, because its community is living longer which means more demand and more complex care needs. 75% of us will need some sort of specialist palliative care at the end of life and the number of people who die with dementia and cancer will double by 2040 – so Trinity’s work will be even more vital than ever.

The hospice's strategic aim over the next couple of years is to expand its reach and impact while maintaining its high service quality and financial resilience, and to continue its position of leadership and innovation in the UK hospice sector.

RTH works with vulnerable adults and their families, including children; statutory guidance requires RTH to have both a Lead Trustee for Safeguarding and an operationally-focussed Designated Safeguarding Lead to support, advise and guide the board on safeguarding matters.

The Head of Patient and Family Support is the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) who responds to any concerns about a child or adult at risk and ensures referral to statutory services. They are supported by senior Social Workers within the Patient and Family Support team, who make referrals where necessary and support the organisational safeguarding training of all staff.

The Lead Trustee for Safeguarding will have skills, experience and confidence in all aspects of safeguarding. It is anticipated that, once established, the role will require a commitment of around six hours per quarter. The successful candidate will meet with the DSL at least quarterly, to confirm if the measures RTH has in place are creating a safer culture and keeping people safe. This includes:

• Conducting an annual review of the key policies, Safeguarding Adults and Safeguarding Children
• Reviewing the RTH risk register to ensure that it reflects safeguarding risks properly and plans sensible actions
• Reviewing quarterly safeguarding reports with the DSL
• Reviewing the annual safeguarding audit (led by the DSL) and ensure that other Trustees understand the content and significance of the audit findings
• Requesting audits of qualitative and quantitative data (either internal or external) as needed e.g. as a result of learning of a safeguarding incident or from the annual safeguarding audit
• Providing guidance to the CEO / Director of Nursing and Quality and the DSL on managing any safeguarding allegations against staff or volunteers, and provide support to the Trustees
• Acting as a point of contact for staff or volunteers if someone wishes to complain about a lack of action in relation to safeguarding concerns
• Undertaking the regular duties of a Trustee including membership of the Board 

The Lead Trustee will take the lead for safeguarding matters at a Board level and have specialist knowledge to support the Board in developing their individual and collective approach to safeguarding.

The successful candidate will have worked in a senior management role and / or bring practitioner experience with a responsibility for safeguarding from any of the following sectors: local authority, social care, education, youth work, charity or healthcare. It would be beneficial if they have a qualification in safeguarding and keep current with developments in safeguarding best practice. They will have the ability to provide strategic input and challenge to the safeguarding policies and practice. 

The Board welcomes those seeking their first non-executive role, or who have never sat on a charity board before, as long as they share a commitment to delivering Trinity's goals. Candidates should demonstrate an appreciation of the role of voluntary / charitable organisations in the health and social care environment, as well as an understanding of the culture of the charity sector. Given Trinity's history and the scope of its work, candidates will ideally live in or have a strong connection with Trinity's catchment area in the London Boroughs of Westminster, Kensington & Chelsea, Hammersmith & Fulham, Wandsworth, Lambeth, Richmond or Merton.

Adrian Williams, Chair (retires June 2023)
Jonathan Kembery, Deputy Chair
James Piper, Honorary Treasurer
Sir Andrew Dillon, Chair of the Patient Services Committee
Angela Dawe, Chair of the People & Culture Committee
Gerard Manley
Alison Petit
Heather Blake
Angela Marcelle
Arvind Tewari
David Carmalt
Rochelle Roest (retiring due to relocation May 2023)
Stefan Laban

More details can be found here, and a list of Trinity's other Patrons can be found here.

Trustees attend 4 Board meetings in person, one away day and will be expected to participate in 1-2 events (e.g. with staff, volunteers or donor events) per year. The Safeguarding Trustee will also meet with the DSL at least quarterly. This will add up to a time commitment of about 8-10 days per year.

The appointment is for a three-year term, which may be renewed once through re-election at the AGM. Reasonable and domestic travel expenses will be reimbursed.

There are four Board meetings per year that are held in Clapham Common, London. Meetings will be in person. Other events and meetings with the DSL (as mentioned above) will also be in person. 

RTH actively encourages equality and diversity and it looks to recruit across age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, disability and background. The Board would like to ensure that it is representative of the communities it supports. Therefore, applications from under-represented groups i.e. ethnic minority backgrounds, LGBT individuals and women would be encouraged. All appointments will be made on merit, following a fair and transparent process. In line with the Equality Act 2010, however, the organisation may employ positive action where candidates from underrepresented groups can demonstrate their ability to perform the role equally well.