St Wilfrid’s Hospice is an independent charity providing palliative and end of life care services to patients at its in-patient unit in Bosham and/or in patients’ own homes. St Wilfrid’s receives a small amount of NHS income, but the significant majority of its £10.5m annual expenditure is paid for by charitable fund-raising and retail.

St Wilfrid’s employs around 250 people across its clinical, retail, fundraising, and other support service teams. More than 560 people give their time to St Wilfrid’s as volunteers, including on the in-patient unit, in shops, at events, in the café, in the community, and as trustees and committee advisers.

The Board of St Wilfrid’s Hospice is looking for a new trustee who can bring a balanced combination of employment law expertise and senior HR leadership experience. The appointee will provide strategic oversight and constructive challenge on people-related matters, helping the Board to support good governance, legal compliance, organisational culture, workforce sustainability and fair employment practice.

Charity trustees have a range of legal obligations, as set out on the Charity Commission’s website: The essential trustee: what you need to know, what you need to do (CC3) – GOV.UK

The appointee must be willing to accept the obligations associated with trusteeship, and be able to confirm that they are not disqualified from holding the position of trustee: Why some individuals can’t act as charity trustees – GOV.UK

The vacancy at St Wilfrid’s arises from the conduct of a skills audit amongst the current trustees, which identified the need for someone to join the Board who can support the Board, the Chief Executive, and the Senior Management Team (SMT) by:

• Shaping or advising on people strategy, organisational culture, workforce planning and employment risk
• Advising on the development, review and application of HR policies, procedures and employment practices which deliver employment law compliance, legal risk management and good governance in relation to employees and volunteers
• Promoting organisational development, leadership capability, culture, succession planning and change management
• Championing equality, diversity, inclusion and belonging, including inclusive employment practice
• Ensuring effective focus on employee and volunteer safeguarding
• Supporting the resolution of employee relations matters, including investigations, and the application of grievance, disciplinary, capability, absence management, and dispute resolution processes

The role of trustee is not operational, and the appointee will not act as St Wilfrid’s agent, but will behave as a ‘critical friend’, mentor, and adviser to the trustees, appropriate directors, and employees of St Wilfrid’s.

Trustees are expected to attend quarterly meetings of the full board (around 3 – 3.5 hours), and of one or more committees, plus twice-yearly development days. The appointee would also need to be available between those meetings to give ad hoc advice on policy and practice in their area of expertise, and occasionally to represent St Wilfrid’s at social / fundraising / awareness raising events.

Expenses payments can be made to enable people who have caring responsibilities to fulfil this role, and reasonable travel etc expenses will be paid when incurred in the course of Trustee duties.
Trustees are supported through a comprehensive induction programme, including a ‘buddy system’, and on-going training during their term of office.

Please apply via a CV and a statement of interest.

Pre-application enquiries may also be made to the Chief Executive by email: lois.howell@stwh.co.uk

Deadline for applications 18 October 2026

Job Type: Volunteer

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Chichester PO18 8QB