JOIN THE MOVEMENT: SHiFT TRUSTEE

We are looking for people who care passionately about the work we do, and want to help us to continue to improve so that we can increase our impact in a sustainable way. We work closely with our Trustees at SHiFT, who all ‘roll up their sleeves’ and are often involved in SHiFT’s work between meetings, and drawn in to support our development on an ongoing basis to play to our collective strength.

We are ideally looking for Trustees who have experience in one or more of the below areas:

  • Financial acumen - this role holder will also chair our Finance Committee

  • Policing - operational and strategic experience welcome

  • Violence Against Woman and Girls

  • People, culture and Human Resources

  • Education

SHiFT is an organisation committed to championing and embedding Anti-Racism and Anti-Oppressive practice throughout the organisation. As an organisation working within youth justice, SHiFT is keenly aware of the over-representation of children who are Black, Brown or of Mixed Heritage within the youth justice system. SHiFT is strongly committed to dismantling structural racism that affects children who come into conflict with the law and is on a journey to grow an anti-racist and anti-oppressive community of practice. With this in mind, we welcome applications regardless of age, sex, gender identity, disability, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy, maternity, paternity, religion or belief, race, sexual orientation or socio-economic background.

Read the Candidate Pack For Trustees

  • A SHiFT Trustee plays a pivotal role in the organisation’s effectiveness, strategic development and good governance.

    Trustees work as part of a high-support and high-challenge Board alongside the Chief Executive in fulfilling the organisation’s mission to break the destructive cycle of crime for children and young people and bring about lasting systems change.

    Trustees:

    • Ensure the charity stays focused on its social mission, holds the Executive Team to account for delivering the mission and vision, and maximises impact for beneficiaries.

    • Fulfil all governance duties and responsibilities, ensuring the charity is accountable, compliant with its terms of reference and the law, and supported by effective, agile structures and administration.

    • Act in the charity’s best interests by managing resources responsibly, overseeing risk management, safeguarding and data protection, and ensuring long-term sustainability.

    • Offer constructive support and challenge to the CEO and senior team, act with reasonable care and skill, make sufficient time to carry out duties, and follow up promptly on actions and decisions.

    • Promote and support the charity externally, use appropriate communication and data-sharing channels, and actively share contacts, influence and opportunities from within trustees’ networks.

    • Willingness to commit to at least 8 days per annum to SHiFT including tri-annual Board meetings, an annual strategic Board away day, Practice visits plus committee meetings and events as appropriate.

    • General board skills: ability to scrutinise board papers; challenge management constructively; contribute to discussions; focus on key issues; build and accept collegiate decisions.

    • An ability to think strategically.

    • Good team worker.

    • Demonstrable integrity and objectivity in decision making, embodying the Nolan principles.

    • Ambitious on behalf of SHiFT as an organisation and for its Mission, including commitments to Anti-Racism and Anti-Oppression.

  • To apply, please send us a copy of your CV along with a supporting statement (2 pages max).

    Please answer the following three questions as part of your supporting statement:

    1) Why do you care about SHiFT’s Mission?

    2) What key skills and experiences would you bring to the role?

    3) What would you like to learn or gain from becoming a Trustee at SHiFT?

    Please send applications to info@shiftuk.org by 23.59 on 20th March 2026. Only applications including a CV and supporting statement will be reviewed.