by Katie Antill, CEO of ADSS (Alzheimer’s & Dementia Support Services)
ADSS (Alzheimer’s & Dementia Support Services) is Kent’s biggest independent charity providing support services for people affected by dementia. The Charity has undergone a period of growth and expansion and through the amazing efforts of our wonderful team we are now supporting six times as many people as we were seven years ago. I am very proud to be the CEO of ADSS and have been for the past three years. My journey at ADSS started over six years ago as a senior manager and in that time, I have also been Joint CEO.
When I first joined ADSS I could see what a big heart the organisation had and the brilliant care our team were providing to people with dementia and their families. However, it felt like we were the local area’s best kept secret, if you were in the circle of trust you knew about us, but we were very difficult to access for those on the outside. I could also tell we had some cultural issues, we needed to professionalise ourselves and we needed to do more for more. We had big tenders looming and we needed to convince ourselves and commissioners we were up for the job. We started this process but then in 2020 Covid hit. In many ways this forced our hand and a well-timed (although it didn’t feel like it at the time!) Pilotlight project really got us started. It gave me the confidence to have some quite bold conversations with our Board.
I am sure many fellow CEOs will recognise that the experience of leading a charity through the Covid-19 pandemic highlighted what the Charity and leadership team needed from the Board of Trustees, and, for us, it also highlighted they were not all in a position to give that. The Board had also decreased in numbers and the danger was it would only be those who had time to help, who would, and those who did not would become even more remote from the Charity.
Initially I did not set out to transform the Board, I was thinking more from a selfish point of view of what support I needed and how I was going to survive the global pandemic, going from Joint CEO to CEO and an upcoming major tender for commissioned services. The most intentional action we took was making sure the Board had the right Chair, and although he didn’t believe it himself, I knew that person was Sam Barton, one of the existing trustees. Sam was recently awarded Trustee of the Year at the Kent Charity of the Year Awards 2024, and so I think that proves me right, Sam!
This was the first step in our transformation, which in turn has enabled the success and growth of the Charity. This relationship was critical to me as CEO, and Sam supported me in our shared ambitions for ADSS.
Our relationship only began in early 2020, so for the first 18 months of working together, we didn’t see each other in person at all. However, we ensured that we spoke often – every week for at least an hour – and this enabled us to build a trusting relationship, where we could both develop in our new roles. We also got to know each other as people, further building our mutual understanding and ability to work well together.
Now, when I think of many of the questions that have needed answering during my three years as CEO, it has often been the support of our Board of Trustees or good governance that has delivered those answers. So, what have we done to build this collaborative and highly engaged working environment? We have:
- Conducted a skills audit annually and have been deliberate and intentional about targeted recruitment to find the people we need on the Board.
- Reviewed our governance and ensured all trustees were trained in good governance and risk management.
- Worked hard collectively on our strategy and focused on our impact as a charity and not just growth for growth’s sake.
- Worked hard on the information that is presented to the Board to make sure they have enough information to make the decisions that are required.
- Connected with the values of the organisation and made sure they are just as relevant in the Boardroom as they are in our support groups. We even use our values in trustee recruitment – it tells you so much about who will be able to pull in the same direction.
- Got to know each other as individuals and had regular away days.
The work of our Board to ensure good governance and focus on strategy is more of a journey than something that will ever come to an end. We are all committed to continuous improvement, and the results have been quite remarkable for ADSS. We have grown, serve more people, won major tenders, won awards, developed a new strategy, developed an amazing team who are doing so much to support people with dementia to live the life they want, and so much more. But most importantly to me, I can sleep at night knowing I have a Board of Trustees that are committed to the mission of the Charity, and that trust me to deliver on our vision but will challenge me and the senior leadership team to bring out the best in us and the Charity.
If you are a CEO and you feel like the weight of your charity is on your shoulders, you dread your Board meetings or there is a disconnect between the Board and the rest of the charity, then it is time to have some bold conversations. I was happy to have these conversations about what our Charity needed, but probably didn’t say enough about what I needed. Luckily, at the time I was working this out I was Joint CEO and so the two of us could support each other. However, if we hadn’t embarked on this transformative journey with our Board I really don’t think we would be in the healthy position we are today. As we all know, it is a tough time to be a charity CEO, and we all deserve to have the best possible support from our Boards.
