Citizens Advice South West Surrey

Treasurer

What will you do?

● complete an introduction for your role
● maintain an awareness of how CASWS is operating
● prepare Finance papers for board meetings
● keep the board informed about its financial duties and responsibilities
● explain, guide and advise the board on the key assumptions and financial implications 
of the CASWS budgets, operational and strategic plans 
● monitor the organisation’s income and expenditure position and in conjunction with 
the Chief Officer, Business Support Manager and Service Finance and People Manager 
present accessible reports at least quarterly to ensure board members understand 
the accounts and implications
● understand the accounting procedures and key internal controls to be able to assure 
the board that CASWS's financial integrity is sound
● ensure that the organisation has an appropriate reserves policy and a realistic budget 
that meets the services’ needs
● read other papers for board meetings and attend 4-6 meetings per year 
● take an active discussion during board meetings and work with other trustees to: 
- set policy and strategy direction, set targets and evaluate the performance of CASWS
- ensure that all the finances and supporting financial control systems of CASWS are in 
order including that full financial records are kept for all transactions, that money is 
only spent for the purpose given, and that proper financial controls are in place to 
safeguard the organisation’s resources
- monitor the financial position of CASWS ensuring that it operates within its means and 
objectives, ensuring that there are clear lines of accountability for day to day financial 
management
● present accounts at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in an accessible way for 
volunteers and staff
● liaise with and oversee the activities of the external auditor including the preparation 
of the annual reportensure that annual accounts are prepared in compliance with SORP (Statement of 
Recommended Practice) Accounting for Charities and submitted by the deadline to 
the Charity Commission and/or Registrar of Companies, and make arrangements for 
them to be audited or independently examined as required
● lead the Finance Sub-Committee meetings to discuss finances in more detail
● help define and monitor investment strategies 
● supporting any paid finance officer to explain, guide and advise CASWS on the 
approval of budgets, accounts and financial statements with the organisation’s 
framework
● work with CASWS staff, such as the Chief Officer or Business Support Manager to give 
information and advice on financial matters
● work together with other trustees or staff within CASWS to further the strategic 
objectives of CASWS
What’s in it for you?
● make a positive impact for people in your local area by ensuring the CASWS is 
sustainable and meeting the needs of the community
● meet people and build relationships with trustees, staff and other volunteers
● build on your governance, leadership and strategy skills
● increase your employability
And we’ll reimburse expenses too.
What do you need to have?
You’ll need to:
● understand and accept the responsibilities and liabilities as trustees
● have financial qualifications or experience
● some knowledge or experience of charity finances, fundraising, financial 
consequences and pension schemes
● have experience of Accountancy software, ideally Quickbooks
● be non-judgmental and respect views, values and cultures that are different to your 
own
● have good listening, verbal and written communication skills
● be able to exercise good independent judgment and if necessary to make difficult 
recommendations
● excellent good numeracy skills to understand accounts

be able to explain complex financial information in an accessible way
● be willing to learn about and follow the Citizens Advice aims, principles and policies, 
including confidentiality and data protection
● be willing to undertake training in your role
How much time do you need to give?
Trustee boards usually meet in the afternoons or evenings and you’ll likely need to 
give approximately 15-20 hours per month and you may need to attend other 
meetings if you’re involved in specific projects, or meet with volunteers and staff 
occasionally within CASWS. We can be flexible about the time spent and how often 
you volunteer so come and talk to us. 
Valuing inclusion
Our volunteers come from a range of backgrounds and we particularly welcome 
applications from disabled people, people with physical or mental health conditions, 
LGBT+ and non-binary people, and people from Black Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) 
communities.
If you are interested in becoming a trustee and would like to discuss flexibility around 
location, time, ‘what you will do’ and how we can support you please contact us.

Please fill in the on-line Application form.

We help people resolve their legal, money and other problems by providing free, independent and confidential advice, and by influencing policymakers.

We have a town centre location in Haydon Place, Guildford, offering a telephone,  and appointment service five days a week.

We use the information we gather carrying out this work to campaign for social justice, so that individuals do not suffer through a lack of knowledge or an inability to express them selves effectively.

We provide an increasingly vital front-line service for those in the greatest need in our local community.

The benefits of our work are not limited to improving our clients’ financial situation but also contribute to improving their health, reducing their stress and improving their confidence in dealing with their own problems.