The Committee
Introduction to Committee Roles and regulations
Registered Charity and Elected Committee
We are a registered charity preschool, run by an elected Committee of volunteers, mostly made up of parents/carers, family members of children attending our Pre-School. The Committee work in tandem with the Pre-School staff to ensure the smooth running of our Pre-School and playgroup.
Parents/Carers
We depend very much on the goodwill of parents/carers and their involvement with the Pre-School whether it be helping out occasionally or joining our committee.
Each volunteer member of the Committee will bring different skills which are invaluable to the running of our Pre-Schools. Committee members have worked, or do work, in various industries, however it is important to know that to be a committee member you do not need any direct experience to make a difference.
Without the Committee the Pre-Schools would not be able to operate and would have to close.
Current Trustees and Directors
- Chair – Chantel Rowe
- Interim Chair & Safeguarding - Megan Buckerfield
- HR Well-being & Staffing - Beth Simkin-Park
- Treasurer – Katie Maguire
- Secretary – Helen Evans
- Company Secretary & GDPR Compliance Officer- Katie Renourd
- Manager - Trudy Surman
Committee Responsibilities
The Committee is responsible for:
- meeting the Welfare Requirements as set out in the Early Years Foundation stage (EYFS)
- working within our Governing Document
- are the employers of the staff but not responsible for the day to day running of our settings
- maintain and administer the finances
- ensure compliance with health & safety regulations
- keep up to date with written records
- comply with data protection procedures
- have a duty to safeguard children
All of the committee members are jointly responsible for making any financial or other management decisions.
All of the committee/volunteers will have to have a DBS check.
Only elected or co-opted persons can attend committee meetings.
There should be a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 12 members including the Officers.
The Officers: Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer, Secretary are the four main roles required on the Committee. These posts have a more defined role, some details of which are set out in the sections below together with some of the duties shared amongst Committee members.
Chair
The public face of the committee.
- arranges and runs meetings
- ensures any decisions are voted on and agreed
- monitors decisions and implements action plans
- has a second vote if votes are divided
- is usually the line managers the Manager
- is usually first point of contact for management issues and liaising with staff
- should receive a second copy of bank statements
- signs off minutes of meetings, as an accurate record of what was discussed and agreed.
Trustees
They are the founders of our Preschool , and are seen by all the committee and staff as the most senior members within our organisation.
They attend some of the the committee Meetings and Fund raising events and have a wealth of experience, and play a very active part in the running of St Osmund’s preschool and Sunshine Clubs.
They ensure and oversee that everyone is included in all the decision making and ensure the St Osmunds preschool carry on providing a traditional and caring environment to the Children, and are there to help and give advice to Committee members.
Treasurer
Keeps and maintains all financial records.
- implements and reviews business plans
- sets and forecasts budgets
- provides a financial report at each committee meeting
- issues and pays bills
- administers the free entitlement
- securely stores bank statements/records
- prepares Annual report and ensures accounts are audited and presented at AGM
- informs regulatory organisations e.g. Charity Commission, Ofsted, Insurance of any changes
Secretary
Organises committee paperwork.
- writes and receives letters on behalf of the committee
- prepares and agrees agendas
- takes, writes and circulates accurate minutes
- informs regulatory organisations e.g. Charity Commission, Ofsted, Insurance of any changes
- keeps copies of past meetings
- securely updates contact details for committee members and staff
- complies sufficiency data
Other Committee Roles
All members of the committee will be involved in decision making and share the responsibilities which may include: -
- Staff liaison
- Fundraising
- Health and Safety
- Premises
- Marketing
- Organising helpers for events
Committee Meetings
- are held each month
- all committee members are invited
- invite staff to all or part of the meeting
- agree an agenda
- take minutes
- keep meeting quorate
- keep within a reasonable timescale
- abide by the confidentiality and equality policies
Annual General Meeting
- for committee, parents/carers, staff and the community
- held once a year in order to re-elect and elect committee members
- 2 weeks advance notice of meeting date should be given to the membership
- Nomination forms distributed
- to present an overview of the past year
- to present examined/audited annual accounts
- to readopt the constitution
- to readopt or change the settings polices
And most importantly – The Children
