Trustee (Scotland)

Help shape the future of child protection across the UK and Channel Islands as a Trsutee of the NSPCC.

Applications close on Monday 3rd November.

Location: UK-wide, with Board meetings in Central London

Who we are

The NSPCC stands at the forefront of protecting children today and preventing abuse tomorrow. For over 140 years, we have been the leading children’s charity dedicated to ending child cruelty across the UK and Channel Islands. Our mission is clear: every childhood is worth fighting for.

Through our comprehensive strategy “Preventing Child Abuse Together,” we focus on three transformative impact goals. We work to ensure everyone plays their part to prevent child abuse, that every child is safe online, and that children feel safe, listened to and supported. Our approach combines direct services like Childline with community-based prevention, policy influence, and innovative digital safety initiatives.

With an annual income of £124.7 million and over 1,600 dedicated staff, we reach millions of children each year. From delivering our Speak Out Stay Safe programme to over 1.3 million children in schools, to handling more than 187,000 Childline counselling sessions annually, our impact is both wide-reaching and deeply personal.

About the role

We are looking for a dynamic and experienced Trustee to join our Board during a pivotal time in our organisation’s journey. As a Trustee, you will provide strategic leadership and governance oversight for one of the UK’s most influential children’s charities. You will work alongside a collegiate Board and executive team to navigate the complex challenges facing child protection today.

The role offers the opportunity to shape policy, drive innovation, and influence systemic change that directly impacts millions of children’s lives. You will be part of an organisation that doesn’t just respond to child abuse but actively works to prevent it, creating safer communities and transforming how society protects its most vulnerable members.

This is an unremunerated position that comes with the profound satisfaction of contributing to meaningful change in child protection. You will help steer an organisation known for its courage in tackling difficult issues, from campaigning for the Online Safety Act to developing groundbreaking services that support recovery from trauma.

Who we are looking for

We seek a Scotland-based individual with board experience and strong commercial acumen who can contribute to our strategic direction during a period of significant opportunity and change. As our Scotland representative, you will bring valuable insight into the specific context, needs, and opportunities within Scotland while contributing to our UK-wide strategy. We are open to a variety of professional backgrounds, such as finance, legal, or CEO experience. What matters most is your commercial acumen, mindset and approach. You should be someone who has operated at the board level, navigated complexity and operated successfully across multiple contexts. Experience in organisation-wide change management, transformation and rebuilding will be particularly valuable as we continue evolving our approach to child protection in an increasingly technologically complex world.

You will bring intellectual rigour combined with emotional intelligence, able to engage with sensitive and challenging subject matter while maintaining focus on outcomes for children. The ability to think strategically while understanding operational implications will be essential, as will comfort with ambiguity and the willingness to challenge constructively and be a support.

We value Trustees who can contribute to our culture of innovation and a positive attitude to risk. You should be someone who embraces our role as a challenger, willing to speak uncomfortable truths and push for change even when it’s difficult. Your motivation should include putting children first.

• Time commitment and practicalities

Time commitment: the equivalent of circa 1 day per month

Trustees serve a three-year term and can be re-elected. The Board meets five times annually, complemented by two strategy days typically held in or around London. Most trustees sit on one committee, which usually meets quarterly.

The role requires approximately the equivalent of circa a day a month, including preparation for meetings, reading time, and ad hoc conversations with board members and the executive team, with a willingness to travel throughout the UK from time to time.

The successful candidate will help us navigate the opportunities and challenges ahead while ensuring we remain true to our mission of fighting for every childhood. The NSPCC values diversity and encourages applications from all qualified candidates regardless of age, disability, gender identity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Please click 'Apply’ to be redirected to the Peridot Partners website, where you can find full details of the candidate profile and register your interest to apply.

Applications close on Monday 3rd November.