Charity Trustee Responsibilities

Those who take on the role of being a trustee accept a position of trust. Very often they are not remunerated in any way but still carry legal responsibilities. To carry out the role well a trustee should take the time to be familiar with various documents that offer guidance.

The documents below can be read on line (they will open in a new browser tab when you click the link) but can also be downloaded if that makes them easier to read and engage with. Each document is followed by a short quiz that will help you engage with that document. It is quite OK to look up the document to find the answers. You can take the quiz as often as you like to help you engage and improve your score! We set the pass mark at 80%.

Easy Read Guidance for Trustees

Now Take The Quiz!!

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Trustee Engagement

Easy Read Guidance Quiz

A short quiz to help Trustees engage with the guidance document

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Category: Easy Read Guidance Quiz

1) Charity Trustees need to keep up with changes in the Law.  How would trustees of a church best do that?

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Category: Easy Read Guidance Quiz

2) Charity trustees can make any plans they wish no matter what the constitution says

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Category: Easy Read Guidance Quiz

3) Charity Volunteers do not need to be treated fairly as an employee would be

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Category: Easy Read Guidance Quiz

4) What is a charity “constitution”?

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Category: Easy Read Guidance Quiz

5) How many SPECIFIC duties does a trustee have?

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Category: Easy Read Guidance Quiz

6) Some of the requirements upon trustees indicated in the Guidance may seen unfamiliar to those who are trustees in the church setting of a C of S congregation.  Why do you think this might be? Tick the answer you think is most likely to apply.

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Category: Easy Read Guidance Quiz

7) You are a Trustee.  Your son is an electrician.  Is it OK to make sure your son gets the job of rewiring the church and halls?

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Category: Easy Read Guidance Quiz

8) How often should Trustees review the charity’s plans?

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Category: Easy Read Guidance Quiz

9) Once a year Trustees should look at what the charity has done well and what it needs to do better. True or False?

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Category: Easy Read Guidance Quiz

10) A Trustee can remain a trustee even if they stop attending meetings

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Category: Easy Read Guidance Quiz

11) A charity may employ people (staff) and also have volunteers.  It is okay to just dismiss volunteers because they don’t have employment rights.

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Category: Easy Read Guidance Quiz

12) Charities do not have to follow laws like Data Protection or Health & Safety

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Category: Easy Read Guidance Quiz

13) What does “OSCR” stand for?

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Category: Easy Read Guidance Quiz

14) Which statement best describes a “conflict of interest”?

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Category: Easy Read Guidance Quiz

15) There are five specific duties charity trustees must do.  Which one is NOT correct?

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Category: Easy Read Guidance Quiz

16) Who is responsible for making sure a record of charity funds is kept?

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Category: Easy Read Guidance Quiz

17) Charity Trustees have a number of duties – these are things you must do.  How many GENERAL duties does a trustee have?

Your score is

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Our Church’s Unitary Constitution

Every charity has a set of rules that tell the trustees how they can run the charity. Westwood Church is no different. The Church of Scotland of which we are a congregation provided us with a set of rules or Constitution known as the Unitary Constitution. It means there is only one body of trustees who are responsible for everything. The Kirk Session is the responsible body of trustees. A copy of the constitution can be found below. You can download it if that makes it easier to engage with. There is also a set of guidelines to the Unitary Constitution which can be read in conjunction with the Constitution itself.

Now Take The Quiz!

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Trustee Engagement

Unitary Constitution Quiz

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Category: Unitary Constitution Quiz

A Session can create committees to focus on areas of congregational life.  True or False?

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Category: Unitary Constitution Quiz

In what circumstances can the Session remove someone from membership of the Session?

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Category: Unitary Constitution Quiz

It is the duty of the Kirk Session, not the congregation, to ensure the Congregation’s giving meets all the financial needs.  True or False?

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Category: Unitary Constitution Quiz

A Session Clerk may or may not be a member of the Session.  True or False

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Category: Unitary Constitution Quiz

A quorum is the minimum number of people required to hold a meeting of the Session.  How many people are required?

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Category: Unitary Constitution Quiz

What is the name of the body that can make changes to or replace the Unitary Constitution?

There may be more than one correct answer!

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Category: Unitary Constitution Quiz

The members of the Session are regarded as the Charity Trustees.  Who are the people who make up the Session?

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Category: Unitary Constitution Quiz

The Kirk Session can gift funds to another C of S congregation but not to any other denomination or cause.  True or False?

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Category: Unitary Constitution Quiz

Who can the Session appoint to take part on committees?

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Category: Unitary Constitution Quiz

The Session creates a Property Committee and gives it authority to spend up to £5,000 per annum on repairs without asking for permission.  Is that OK?

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Category: Unitary Constitution Quiz

What happens if the Session becomes too small to be quorate?

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Category: Unitary Constitution Quiz

If the Session had to borrow money, where would it go for a loan?

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Category: Unitary Constitution Quiz

OSCR encourages Trustees to review the Charity’s Constutution and amend it as necessary.  A Session must do this to.  True or False?

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Category: Unitary Constitution Quiz

A Clerk is appointed at the pleasure of the Session.  What does this mean?

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Category: Unitary Constitution Quiz

A Session is able to enter into contract of employment.  True or False?

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Category: Unitary Constitution Quiz

Cheques written on church accounts are signed and countersigned.  How many signatories can there be in addition to the Treasurer?

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Guidance and Good Practice

Looking to delve a little deeper? Then this more detailed guide is the one for you. We’ve prepared a quiz to help you along

Now Take The Quiz!

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Trustee Engagement

Good Practice Guidance Quiz

A short quiz to help Trustees engage with the Good Practice Guidance Document

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Category: Good Guidance

1) If you are a signatory on charity bank accounts is it okay to sign a cheque where the amount and payee are not yet completed?

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Category: Good Guidance

2) Good practice is to have not less than three Trustees.  How many is the minimum number or quorum in a Church of Scotland Kirk Session

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Category: Good Guidance

3) Which of these methods of donation carries most risk?

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Category: Good Guidance

4) Not everyone can be a Trustee of a Church of Scotland congregation.  Check the answers that are correct.

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Category: Good Guidance

5) If a trustees fails in their duties this is known as…

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Category: Good Guidance

6) In the church setting a Personal Conflcit of Interest may be the most likely to occur. Which statement best describes Personal Conflict?

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Category: Good Guidance

7) When all Trustees share responsibility equally what is it called?

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Category: Good Guidance

8) Page 12 of the guidance highlights how many legal duties? And how many good practice points?

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Category: Good Guidance

9) Is it good practice to make accounts and constitution available on the church website?

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Category: Good Guidance

10) What is a Register of Interests?

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Category: Good Guidance

11) A Trustee can be fully responsible for how a charity is run but not be involved in the day-to-day running. True or false?

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Category: Good Guidance

12) Jim is a painter and decorator.  Jim is married to Doreen. Dorren’s father Tom is a member of the Kirk Session.  The Kirk Session agree a contract with Jim to paint and decorate the Manse.  What kind of issue does the Kirk Session need to look out for?

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Category: Good Guidance

13) Trustees have a duty to put Financial Controls in place. Which of these are examples of Financial Controls?

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Category: Good Guidance

14) Remuneration means any payment received for services provided to the charity either as a charity trustee or under a contract of employment with the charity and includes people connected with the charity trustee. Is this statement True or False?

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Category: Good Guidance

15) If someone asks for a copy of the church accounts and constitution we don’t have to provide them.  True or False?

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Category: Good Guidance

16) Which of these in your opinion are most likely to give rise to a conflict of interest?

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Category: Good Guidance

17) The key to any governing document and to the overall governance of the charity are the charity’s purposes, which are the reason the charity exists. True or False?

Your score is

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