Chairperson

ABOUT LIVELY

Lively is a not-for-profit organisation and home care provider that employs young jobseekers to help older people stay connected and live well.

We train and employ young jobseekers (aged 18-25) to offer a range of supports for older people, including home care, technology help and collaborative community programs. Through these services, we aim to build meaningful relationships that also enable older people to share their rich life experiences, stories and knowledge back with the young; fostering intergenerational understanding, and reducing ageism in our community.

In addition to the outcomes we achieve for young and older individuals, we ultimately aspire to affect change at a nation-wide, systemic level; leading the way towards a more positive future of aged services and supports in Australia, and engaging young people in care as a mainstream, desirable form of employment.

After a period of establishment and experimentation, and having achieved some clear positive impact, Lively is seeking to move into a significant growth phase. We’re looking for a Chair who shares Lively’s vision and with the skills, attributes, experience and drive to help us realise this objective.

SUCCESS PROFILE

We believe that success as Chair of Lively will come through:

• Supporting Lively’s vision of achieving positive outcomes for young and older individuals and leading a positive shift in aged services in Australia.
• Leveraging relationships and networks.
• Becoming a significant contributor to Lively’s growth.
• Bringing the best out in Lively’s Board and CEO.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Chair is responsible for leadership of the Board, and is a volunteer role appointed for a period of three years. The role is expected to require 20-25 hours of involvement per month.

The Lively Chair leads and facilitates the work of the Board, is the key interface between the Board and the CEO, and represents and advocates for Lively publicly along with the CEO. Through these functions, the Chair plays a critical role in ensuring that Lively is moving forward effectively towards our long-term vision.

Most importantly, the Chair is responsible for ensuring that Lively’s unique character and ethos is maintained and embedded at the Board level as we grow. This ethos is articulated in our ‘Lively Character’ statement, and is based on a commitment to working with each other and our young and older participants in a flexible, human, decentralised and non-bureaucratic manner. In establishing this approach, Lively has drawn inspiration from the concept of ‘Teal’ organisations as outlined by Frederic Laloux in his work, ‘Reinventing Organisations’. The Chair will lead the exciting endeavour of ensuring that this philosophy remains at our core as we grow, and as we navigate sector regulations that often run counter to our intended approach.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR IN OUR CHAIR

Experience

The ideal candidate will have previous Board or governance experience, preferably, but not necessarily in the not-for-profit/social enterprise sector. They will have experience in leading organisational growth; specifically, growing the profile, reach and impact of an organisation. This growth experience will ideally be with a start-up or early growth organisation.

They’ll be able to demonstrate experience in working effectively with someone of CEO-level – supporting and mentoring them, so that they can give their best. They’ll also have experience leading effective teams and bringing out the best in all team members.

Useful, though not essential, would be an understanding of the needs and circumstances of our key constituents: young jobseekers and older community members. An understanding of Australia’s home care system and regulations would be advantageous but not essential.

Attributes

In line with the personality of Lively, we’re looking for a dynamic, inspiring and energising Chair; one who is ready, willing and able to commit themselves to this exciting phase of Lively’s evolution. We’re seeking an individual who can draw out the best in both our Founder/CEO and the existing members of our Board, and foster an engaged and effective Board culture.

Our ideal candidate will be a creative, strategic and intuitive leader who can sense and respond to the changing needs of the Board and the organisation as we grow, and who is willing to experiment with new and different approaches where needed to move us forward most effectively.

The ideal candidate will also be capable of and adept at leveraging their connections in government at the various levels, social enterprises and not-for-profits, as well as potential funders and in the media.

Skills

The ideal candidate will have the skills normally associated with organisational leadership: effectiveness in the face of ambiguity, complexity and pressure; the ability to manage the needs of multiple and varied stakeholders; the capability to understand and operate in a regulated environment; facilitation and getting the best from individuals and teams; critical and strategic thinking; financial and risk management; communication and profile building.

ABOUT LIVELY’S BOARD

The Lively Board is an engaged group of six directors as at October 2020, half of whom have been with the organisation since its very early days and have just committed to three more years of Board membership, along with three new members who joined to breadthen the Board during 2020.

The Board’s members have a diversity of expertise and experience across aged care operations and quality, service development, impact investment, funding and finance, social impact measurement, strategy, service design, public policy, consumer choice, employment law, workers’ rights, leadership development, organisational culture and coaching.

The Board currently meets monthly and uses online platforms for communication and decision making where necessary between meetings. Board members also engage regularly with Lively staff members to share their expertise in support of the organisation’s work.

The Board has a positive working culture that is ready to be taken to the next level by an appropriately skilled and enthusiastic Chair.

To apply, please send an Expression of Interest to secretary@lively.org.au. Please direct any queries to Acting Chair, Rebecca Cain, via the details listed below.