Maureen Dickson is the Company Administrator & Board Support Officer.

"My role is to make sure that YHN complies with statutory and regulatory requirements. This includes filing company documents at Companies House such as the company’s annual return; directors’ report and accounts and significant changes in the company’s structure or management, such as appointments and resignations of directors. There are penalties that can be imposed on the company if these documents are not submitted on time. 

I am responsible for maintaining the company’s statutory books and records which include the register of directors.  I’m also responsible for making sure that the public register of Directors Declarations of Interests is updated each year, although in between the annual update, board members are responsible for letting me know of any changes that need to be recorded.

I also maintain the register of gifts and hospitality for board members and staff. I’m required to make sure that the board operates in ways that complies with our Articles of Association; providing advice where necessary.  I arrange board meetings and take formal minutes of these meetings - these minutes form the only official record of the business that is transacted at board meetings.

I work in the Chief Executive’s Office and although I don’t have a ‘team’ I work with other teams as needed, such as Communications when I’m carrying out board member recruitment.  I work with the Organisational Development team on the board’s learning and development programme.

Since I started work (too many years ago to reveal here!) I have worked mostly in local government  and returned to Democratic Services at the city council in 2003 where I was involved with the ALMO Advisory Group and then the YHN Shadow Board, joining YHN in 2005.   I organise my time off around board meetings, however if this isn’t possible, Democratic Services at the city council provide cover for me (we have an SLA with them to provide support for our committee meetings).

My typical day looks like this…

8am

I arrive at the office and the first task is... make a cup of tea!  Then I check my email and calendar for today’s appointments and reply to any emails that need a response.  I’m a member of the ALMO Governance Officers list and there are often queries from other ALMOs seeking information/advice that need a quick response.

Our Board meets every six weeks, but two weeks before the meeting date all draft Board papers are reviewed by the Chair and Management team. Today’s that day, so I review the draft agenda to check what reports are expected and what haven’t replied.  I also update the Board Forward Plan as this is looked at each week by Management Team and needs to be ready to be circulated later today.

9-11am

Throughout the morning I track down the drafts that I haven’t yet received. Meeting deadlines is important because once the drafts have been reviewed; the changes have to be made in time for the final printing deadline which is a week before the board meeting.

YHN is going through the process of registering with the Tenant Services Authority as a provider of Social Housing. We’ve passed the eligibility test and now need to submit the detailed application.  I’m co-ordinating submission of the application with responsibility for completing the governance section on how we meet the TSA’s Governance standard. We are on a tight schedule to submit the application by the end of the week.

Earlier in the year our Board agreed the principle of board member payment and since then there have been discussions about the financial impact this might have on some board members and the implications for city councillors who are on our Board.  John Lee calls into the office and asks for an update report with options for city councillors for his lunch time meeting with the Chief Executive at the city council.

11am-12.30pm

Write up a short report on board member payment and then meet with colleagues from the Young People’s Service and Customer Involvement Team.  Both teams are keen to encourage younger people and board members to work together.  The suggestion is to hold an informal session before a board meeting with board members and young people.   Karen Adamson, Louise Horsefield and Heather Nixon will turn the ideas into a plan and I will update the Chair on progress and also the board forward plan.

Check emails again and respond to a number of queries.

12.30pm ish

It's lunchtime - and a short walk to a nearby shop to pick up a sandwich.

After lunch I spend time on Leazes Homes activities. Leazes Homes is our charitable subsidiary and my role is that of company secretary.  The Board of Trustees currently meets every other month, so I review the actions from the last meeting, update the board forward plan and draft the agenda for the next meeting.  The Board has set up an Audit Committee and wants to appoint an independent person to chair the committee for which board approval is needed.  So I write a report recommending this appointment.

Leazes Homes will need to submit an annual report and financial statements to Companies House and the Charity Commission. A draft report has been prepared by a colleague in Finance and Resources and I go through this to add in the extra information that’s required so that one report can meet both sets of requirements. I refer to the Charity Commission’s manual to make sure that I’ve covered all aspects of their reporting requirements.

4-5pm

My annual appraisal is due later in the week, so I spend this hour completing the documentation. A final check of emails and then say my goodbyes and head for home."