Trustee induction

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Induction is vital. It is a gateway for both new trustees - helping them to get up to speed with the role, the organisation and their legal responsibilities - and for employees and volunteers. Induction ensures and can provide evidence that the people in your organisation have an awareness and understanding of key policies and procedures such as equal opportunities, health and safety and data protection.

Your trustee induction programme will include a variety of activities spread over a period of time, including:

• meetings and introductions to other trustees, employees, beneficiaries, service users etc
• invitations to events, meetings and presentations

Induction pack

Your organisation's induction pack should include information on the role and responsibilities of a trustee and governance plus key internal documents such as:

• a copy of your governing document, a brief history of the organisation, current strategic plan, organisational structure, job description of the director, contact details of other trustees and the organisation
• latest annual report and accounts
• minutes of the most recent board meetings
• key policies, where available, covering areas such as conflict of interest, trustee code of conduct, financial controls, equal opportunities and human resources
  

Source: Published with permission from Cass Centre for Charity Effectiveness. This material is taken from Tools for Success: doing the right things and doing them right", published in October 2008. Download or buy your copy from Cass Centre for Charity Effectiveness.

Useful links

• Trustee recruitment in small organisation (NCVO)
• Recruiting great trustees (Trustee Works) - includes an induction pack checklist
  
• The essential trustee (The Charity Commission)
  
• The code of good governance (NCVO)
  

Have your say

Does your organisation give trustees an induction? Have you composed your own trustee induction process?

Share your knowledge and experience on the volunteers forum.