Become the VCFSE Representative on the GM Good Employment Charter Board

VSNW is looking for someone who can represent the wider VCFSE sector and bring valuable skills, knowledge, experience and insight to the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter Board.

The successful representative will be expected to act in the interests of the sector as a whole, rather than representing the views or priorities of a single organisation. They should have strong connections across local, Greater Manchester and/or national VCFSE networks, alongside an understanding of the challenges, opportunities and experiences facing the sector.

Expressions of interest are particularly encouraged from organisations and leaders connected to communities, places and networks that are currently under-represented within the Group’s work. This includes ethnically diverse-led organisations and leaders, as well as people who bring lived experience, grassroots insight or strong connections to communities that are not currently well represented.

Applicants do not need to be experts in every area of good employment. However, they should be able to contribute constructively, share sector insight, raise important issues and support positive collaboration.

As the VCFSE representative, you will help ensure that the experiences, knowledge and priorities of the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sector are reflected in discussions around good employment across Greater Manchester.

You will work alongside other Board members to provide strategic leadership, oversight and assurance for the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter. This will include helping to:

• Provide strategic direction and support the Charter’s alignment with the Greater Manchester Strategy.
• Review programme performance, risks and progress against agreed objectives.
• Support the integrity, credibility and independence of the Charter.
• Offer constructive challenge and scrutiny, using experience and evidence to explore proposals and test assumptions.
• Champion the continued development and improvement of the Charter, including its employment standards, assessment processes and engagement with employers and employees.
• Share insight from VCFSE organisations, communities and wider sector networks.
• Gather views from sector colleagues and bring relevant issues, challenges and potential solutions into Board discussions.
• Feed information and updates back to the wider VCFSE sector.
• Promote collaboration and act as a constructive critical friend to partners and services.

The representative will also be expected to communicate regularly with the GM VCFSE Leadership Group, sharing feedback from Board meetings and maintaining an ongoing dialogue with sector colleagues.

From 2027, the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter Board is expected to meet three times each year.

Board meetings are proposed to be held in person at different stakeholder or employer venues and will last approximately three and a half hours.

The proposed annual meeting cycle will focus on:

• The Annual Charter Delivery Plan.
• Charter activity and development.
• Charter impact and future planning.

There may also be opportunities to take part in subcommittees between Board meetings. Proposed subcommittees include:

• Assessment and Quality.
• Marketing and Engagement.
• Policy, Research and Development.

Subcommittee membership may be based on relevant skills, experience or representation and may include people who are not members of the main Board.

The role will also involve preparing for meetings, reading relevant papers, contributing to discussions, gathering feedback from the VCFSE sector and sharing updates following meetings.

The successful representative must be able to commit the time and capacity needed to take an active and consistent role.

This includes attending meetings where possible, preparing for discussions, reading papers in advance and contributing constructively. Representatives are expected to maintain regular communication with the wider VCFSE sector, gathering views and sharing information openly.

The role must be carried out on behalf of the VCFSE sector collectively. The representative should not use the position to promote the interests of a single organisation, express only personal views or pursue individual political interests.

The representative will be expected to:

• Act in the best interests of Greater Manchester’s workers, employers, communities and the wider VCFSE sector.
• Build and maintain connections with relevant VCFSE organisations and networks.
• Gather sector insight and bring this into Board discussions.
• Share feedback and updates with the GM VCFSE Leadership Group.
• Take notes and communicate key information with sector colleagues.
• Raise issues that may require wider VCFSE knowledge or expertise.
• Attend relevant briefings and debriefs.
• Promote joint working and support positive relationships across the sector.

Consistent attendance is important. Representatives who miss three consecutive formal meetings may be removed from the role where there are no exceptional circumstances.

Applicants will also be asked to provide information about their relevant skills, knowledge and experience, their current networks and any additional information that supports their expression of interest. Each of these responses has a maximum word count of 200 words.