Thera is a charitable group of companies which works across large parts of England and Scotland. It supports people with a learning disability, who have many ambitions and a range of complex support needs, to live the life they choose.

Thera Group is led by Thera Trust, the charity, which sets the vision and charitable purpose. The group provides local care and support and a range of specialist services to people through 15 subsidiary companies, each with its own board of directors and management team. The group structure enables local focus, control and accountability, and leadership by people with lived experience of a learning disability. Thera Trust also provides central services in areas such as HR, Payroll, Finance and IT, to the companies in the Thera Group. 

Thera's vision

• Thera will show that people with a learning disability can be leaders in society
• Thera will be controlled by people with a learning disability
• People supported by Thera can say how their Thera company is directed and managed
• People with a learning disability will design the support they want from Thera
• Thera will respect the rights and wishes of people at work, at home and in the community
• People with a learning disability will check the quality of support from their Thera company
• Thera Group will be led by a charity

Thera’s vision shapes the whole organisation, from the way it behaves, to how it is structured. It makes the vision real through direct leadership by people with a learning disability. This leadership guides its culture – empowering people to design the support they want to receive from Thera. Through its companies, Thera supports people at home, in the local community and for short breaks. It also offers specialist services in areas such as financial advocacy, housing, circles of support, employment and training.

Thera has grown from a single company supporting five people in Cambridgeshire in 1998 to a group of companies, with a collective income of over £80m, providing a range of support across the UK for around 3,000 people with a learning disability. It now employs over 3,300 staff and has more than 100 volunteers.

More information about Thera Trust can be found here. 

The Thera Group is structured to deliver Thera’s vision through regional and specialist companies. Each of these companies has its own board of directors and the effectiveness of subsidiary companies and their boards is therefore vital to Thera’s continued success.

To further advance its vision, Thera Trust has an equal executive team made up of five directors each with equal responsibility for decision-making. Four of the roles are held by appropriately qualified and experienced leaders with the fifth role being held by someone who brings their experience of having a learning disability, along with their previous work experience, to the role. Unusually for a charity, the equal executive team are also full members of the Thera Trust Board.

This means that the Thera Trust Board oversees a complex governance structure with responsibility for the wellbeing of Thera Trust and the wider group. The successful candidates will play a proactive role in the ongoing development of the organisation.

The main responsibilities of the Trustees include:

• Helping to define and support the organisation's purpose, vision, goals and activities
• Guiding the development of the organisation's structure and operations in order to ensure financial sustainability
• Shaping strategy and overseeing and driving impact
• Bringing insights about risks and opportunities from specific areas of expertise to the Board
• Driving organisational quality and improvement
• Drawing on networks, as appropriate, to support Thera Trust's work

The new Trustees will be instrumental in ensuring that Thera Trust fulfils its mission and strategic objectives in a way that is driven by its values and financially sustainable. Trustees will ultimately play an important role in determining the future strategy of the organisation.

Thera Trust is looking for two new Trustees who will bring energy, enthusiasm and commitment to the Charity’s mission. Candidates will bring senior-level expertise in one of the following:

• Finance, Audit or Risk: individuals will bring a strong background in finance, audit or risk to provide scrutiny, ensure financial sustainability and act as a sounding board to the Board of Trustees and Executive team. Individuals could come from a senior leadership position in finance, risk or auditing. Their experience can come from a range of areas including the public, private or not-for-profit sectors. They will be innovative in their approach and bring a strong commercial mindset.
• Senior commercial leadership: candidates will bring senior-level leadership experience, and ideally functional expertise in one of the following areas: adult social care, HR / people, IT / digital change. The successful candidates will possess creative, flexible ways of working and a highly strategic view to guide Thera Trust and its decision-making.

The successful candidate will be able to work at a strategic level whilst understanding the detail and complexities of funding delivery, appreciating the difference between a non-executive and executive role. Although prior non-executive experience is welcome, applications are welcome from individuals who have not held such roles before.

Above all, candidates should have a strong commitment to Thera's vision, and a willingness to advocate for the rights of people with a learning disability. They will be able to develop positive relationships with both internal and external stakeholders and play an ambassadorial role in representing the charity.

Michelle McDermott, Co-Chairperson
Sally Warren, Co-Chairperson
John Blundell
Christine Chang
Katie Winn
Matthew Smith  
Nicola Coote
Lorna Weston
Elizabeth Lichten
Ceri Lennon
Christopher Rheinberg
Priya Oomahdat

You can learn more about the Board here. 

The role is unremunerated. However, reasonable expenses incurred in the carrying out of the duties associated with acting as a Trustee will of course be refunded. There are six board meetings per year and quarterly committee meetings. It is expected that the time commitment for this role will be an average of one day per month, including attending board meetings, committee meetings and other events and trustee sessions. Board meetings are usually held in person.

A full induction will be provided to make sure that the trustees are familiar with how Thera Group is structured, how the Trust operates and how Thera’s vision has contributed to the organisation’s current strategic goals.

Ongoing support in the role will be mainly provided by the Head of Governance – though from time-to-time assistance and advice will also be available from others employed in central functions at Thera Trust.

Thera Trust welcomes applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith or disability. 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.