The role of a Mencap Trustee with a learning disability - Easy Read

Trustees play and important role. Trustees set the direction of Mencap. 

They are people who make sure that the charity does what it says it will do.

The law says that Trustees are responsible for the charity. 

Trustees work with Mencap’s Chief Executive and Executive team. 

Mencap’s Chief Executive and Executive team are paid staff who run the charity every day.

They are responsible for everything Mencap does. 

A Trustee will help to decide these things in Mencap:  

• Vision
• Mission
• Strategy
• Values . 

You will make sure that there is a clear plan for Mencap to get to its target. 

This is to make sure that the charity follows the rules.  

The rules of the charity are written down in the charity articles.

What the charity decides to do must be the same that is written within the charity articles. 

Charity articles are written down things that say the:

• purpose
• activities
• impact of a charity. 

There is 1.5 million people with a learning disability in:

• England
• Wales  
• and Northern Ireland. 

Trustees make sure that people listen to the 1.5 million people that Mencap is here for. 

This is also the people in Mencap’s social care services and programmes.  

Trustees will make sure that everyone who runs the charity remembers what is important. 

Trustees help to make sure we make the plans to support people with a learning disability.  

This is by:

• running services
• delivering programmes
• giving advice. 

Trustees make sure there are rules called policies about how the charity will get things done. 

Policies are rules and guidelines that a charity follows to make sure it works fairly, legally, and responsibly.

The law says a charity must tell people what it is doing. 

It says that it has to tell people how it spends its money in its annual report . 

An annual report is a document made once a year that says what the charity has done during the year, how it spent its money, and the impact it made. 

This is so that supporters and regulators can see how the charity is doing. 

A Trustee must sign off this report.

Trustees make a plan about how they will spend the money the charity has. 

They make sure with the other Trustees that the charity never breaks the law. 

Trustees will work together with other Trustees and Mencap colleagues.

They will do this to think about problems and ideas. 

Trustees will want to learn about how to look after the charity. 

The things that trustees look after together are:

• Money
• Makes sure that the charity takes action on the work that it does  
• Makes sure that the charity does what it is for and who it is for.  

Trustees should listen to what other people think about the charity. 

Trustees show trust in staff, volunteers and the governance processes.  

Trust is believing that someone will do what they say. 

Governance processes are things that we must do to be able follow the law and to run the charity well.  

This could be:

• going to a committee meeting
• approving ideas or documents. 

Trustees pay attention to what is happening outside of Mencap.  

This could be:

• The government  
• Policy changes
• Health and social care.