Directorate and Senior Management Team

Day to day management of Guideposts is delegated by the Board of Trustees to a Directorate of three, each with its own area of responsibility:

• Services
• Fundraising and Development
• Finance & support functions

The Director of Finance also holds the role of Managing Director and is directly responsible to the board for ensuring that the directorates decisions are compatible with the Organisational Purpose and Strategic Plan and ensuring that the Trust meets all it regulatory and legal obligations.

The Directorate are supported by a Senior Management Team of six, drawn from each directorate. The Senior Management Team contributes and leads in the development and implementation of GT policies and strategies.

Guideposts is led by a board of Trustees; this board has overall responsibility for governing the organisation, overseeing and controlling its management, which is then operationalized by the Directorate.

THE DIRECTORATE:

David Beck – Director of Fundraising and Development

I have worked at Guideposts since 2000 and overall in the voluntary sector for 27 years. As a Quaker I try to put my faith into practice and have worked in a voluntary and paid capacity over this time. As a volunteer I have and continue to be a Trustee for a number of charities; I have worked for people who are homeless, people who have HIV and Aids, supported sex offenders rehabilitate back into the community and currently work on the ward at my local hospice providing pastoral care. I have also set up my own charity Action for Street Kids helping homeless children and child soldiers across the world.  Throughout this time I worked as a paid fundraiser, currently as Director of Fundraising and Development. At Guideposts I have been fortunate to have worked with wonderful colleagues whose enthusiasm, skill and passion for the children and adults we work with has seen the charity grow substantially over the past ten years. The challenges ahead are substantial but Guideposts seems well placed to meet them and thrive.

Diane Perry – Director of Services

I joined Guideposts in August 2011. I started off in Housing and worked in various roles for 20 years and then I wanted a change and found myself in the Social Care sector working to support services to people with physical disabilities and sensory impairments.  I have always been interested in how I can, through my work, facilitate people to be who they want to be, have their say and take as much control over their life as they can. I find I have worked with lots of people who certainly have been able to do that through the right support and opportunity.

Guideposts is an exciting place to work and  because of the variety and specialist nature of the services  we can support people at all stages and phases  of their life . Personalisation and “ Think Local, Act Personal” is transforming Social Care and it’s an inspiring time to be part of Guideposts and working in this way .

Kate Worrall – Managing Director  & Director of Finance

I joined Guideposts in October 2009 as Head of Finance and took up my present role in August last year. I came to Guideposts via quite an unusual career path; I am a qualified teacher and taught maths before using my number skills in accountancy. I have also run my own business and worked in both Accountancy Practices and, until 2008 when I took a year out to go travelling, was Head of Finance for a high-tech engineering company – picking up a bit of particle physics on the way!

Guideposts is my first role in the Voluntary Sector and I have been continually inspired and delighted by the buy-in and commitment of our staff and the imaginative range of services we provide. Every day is full of new challenges and opportunities and it is surprising how many of these I have met in the private sector. I enjoy being part of an energetic and visionary management team as we respond to the changes in the sector.

THE SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM:

Robert Evans – Business Development Manager

This is my first full-time job in the Voluntary Sector.  Previously, I’ve held roles as a Trustee, Mentor, Advisor or Volunteer, with many years’ experience of leading, managing and developing businesses and organisations.  I was attracted to Guideposts Trust by the combination of service, commercial acumen and innovation.  The Trust works with the most vulnerable people in our communities and delivers a high quality professional service. Whilst not compromising its values, the trust also understands its responsibility to commissioners and funds to provide value for money and outcomes. I found that compelling and refreshing.

Jackie Goodwin – Head of Children and Young People’s Services

I have worked in voluntary organizations in various parts of this country and abroad. I have delivered services to people with disabilities for over 20 years. I joined Guideposts in May 2009 and took up my role as in February 2011. I have always enjoyed the creative, innovative, do-it-on-a-shoestring ethos of charities. Over the years I have witnessed a huge shift in culture in our sector. The majority of our work is now defined by the terms of a Local Authority or Government contract, rather than by our own priorities.

However, I believe that Guideposts, has managed to hold on to the essential qualities of the voluntary sector. We are still close to the grass roots, responding quickly and flexibly to the wishes of those who use our services; and yet we have the reputation as an efficient and forward thinking organization able to influence the development of new services across all the regions where we work.

I’m enormously encouraged by what I see in our Children and Young People’s Services. Our staff are determined to get the best for those they work with, and hugely loyal to Guideposts. Along with the service users and their families we will not to let disability be a barrier to a fulfilling life.

Marie-Eva James – Restricted Grants Manager

I joined Guideposts in February 2008. After a few years working in the academic and public sector sharpening my grant funding skills both at national and European level, I believed it was time to apply those skills in support of charitable ‘causes’, to give greater meaning to my work and see the tangible result of supporting people who need it the most.

Guideposts has fulfilled these objectives entirely.  I have to say that nothing could have ever prepared me to the world of charitable fundraising. Given the spread of work and the range of people we support there is never a dull moment. The task is vast and the pace fast. A highly rewarding challenge I am happy to take on every day particularly when I see the difference Guideposts makes in the lives of many.

Martin Oliver – Regional Manager (Eastern Region)

I have worked for Guideposts since November 1992 and overall in the social care sector for 35 years, progressing through a number of ‘hands-on’ and then management roles, with Sunderland Area Health Authority, Essex Social Services and Guideposts.

I was immediately enthused by my early work with people with learning difficulties at a forward thinking day centre in Harlow in the late 70s and early 80s, and developed a strong commitment to working alongside people with learning difficulties, treating each person as an individual and supporting peoples’ life and independence skills development.

I am very proud of the range of person centred services for people with learning difficulties that I have helped Guideposts establish in Hertfordshire, and since becoming Regional Manager five years ago have enjoyed contributing to the continued development of the excellent community mental health services in South West Hertfordshire, as well as the expanding Shared Lives Services in Hertfordshire and into the new areas of Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk.

I am confident that the re-organisation of Guideposts within the last twelve months has given us all a boost, with the building of a strong foundation and a renewed commitment to and enthusiasm for the services, staff and all of the people we support as we enter an exciting period of new growth and development.

Jez Millen, Regional Manager (Western Region)

After a year working for Guideposts in Warwickshire as a private contractor, I was keen to join them permanently. Their great values that ensure people are put first, whether in strategic planning or at the cutting edge of ‘hands on’ service delivery really appealed to me. So did their refreshing ‘can do’ approach – Guideposts achieves an enormous amount of good by making every penny count. I am proud to be responsible for leading the operation of a  group of services in Warwickshire, Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, all of which make a positive contribution to the day to day lives of real people, supporting them to stay in control and independent.

My background in social care goes back about 20 years. I am a registered social worker, with a wide variety of experience as a practitioner and as a manager, both operational and strategic. I belong to The College of Social Work and hold masters degrees in social work and also in health and social care management. I also have the advanced specialist award in social work (leadership and management).

Victoria Smith – Quality, Policy and Practice Manager

I have very recently joined Guideposts Trust; in a role leading quality and policy development to support our services continued development through the challenges currently faced in the charity and care sectors.  My background has provided me with extensive experience of delivering high quality customer service (in catering and to global PLCs), policy development and delivering change management (in the public sector, delivering change programmes across a number of sectors in children’s services) that will contribute to my role within Guideposts.

What has interested and excited me about Guideposts is the diversity of services we provide, and the openness to innovation and creativity.  Each service has a unique way to support extremely vulnerable people to achieve their potential, and provide quality opportunities for people to plan and fulfil their own needs.  In a very short time I have been inspired by the teams who develop and sustain our services, and look forward to working with them to ensure that Guideposts diverse and innovative approach continues.