Trustee Succession Planning: How to Protect Your Early Years Charity for the Future.
In early years charities, trustees often step into their roles as parents, volunteers or members of the community, not as governance experts and depending on your constitution they may not be around for long. They give their time generously but life moves on: children move on to 'big school', jobs change, circumstances shift and without a clear succession plan committees can suddenly find themselves without the key officer roles leaving the setting vulnerable.
Succession planning isn't about replacing people. It's about protecting the charity, supporting the manager and ensuring the children continue to receive high-quality care and education. A strong plan gives the charity stability, continuity and confidence even when trustees move on.
Why Succession Planning Matters
Early years charities, particularly those who are unincorporated and using a version of the Pre-school Learning Alliance (now the Early Years Alliance) model constitution, are uniquely exposed to trustee turnover. Most trustees join because their child attends the setting, which means:
They often leave when the child moves on;
Key roles can become vacant with little notice;
Skills gaps appear suddenly;
Managers are left without the governance support they require.
Having a plan in place ensures the charity is never dependant on one or two people. It creates resilience, protects compliance and gives trustees clarity about their responsibilities.
Start with a Skills Audit
A good succession plan begins with understanding what skills your committee already has and what it's missing.
Use a simple skills audit to identify strengths in:
Finance
HR and employment
Safeguarding
Governance
Early Years knowledge
Leadership and communication
Project management
This helps you see where you have gaps, where training may be required and which roles need strengthening.
USEFUL DOCUMENT: Skills Audit Template
Identify your Critical Roles
In an unincorporated charity three roles are essential and required for safe, compliant operation:
Chair - leads governance, supports the manager, ensures accountability
Treasurer - oversees finances, budgeting, reporting and compliance
Secretary - manages records, minutes, communication and legal documents.
These roles should never be left vacant. Your succession plan should include who is currently in the role and who could step in temporarily if required, as well as who is being developed as a future successor and whether training is needed.
More information on the officers roles can be found in the following blogs:
Create a Trustee Pipeline
Succession planning works best when new trustees are welcomed early and supported well. Leaving it until the AGM to recruit new volunteers is too late.
Build a pipeline by:
Recruiting trustees before you need them;
Offering "observer" roles for interested parents;
Providing a clear induction pack;
Pairing new trustees with experienced ones;
Giving small responsibilities at first, then building up.
This approach helps trustees grow in confidence and makes transitions smoother.
USEFUL DOCUMENT: Early Years Trustee and Governance Bundle
Develop Future Leaders
It's important to realise that succession planning isn't just about filling roles, it's about developing people.
Ways in which you can develop future officers and trustees:
Invite them to shadow meetings:
Share key documents, such as policies and procedures, and explain their purpose;
Involve them in decision-making discussions;
Provide training in roles and responsibilities;
Encourage them to lead small agenda items.
This can help to build confidence and ensures they understand the charity's culture, responsibilities and expectations.
Document your Processes Clearly
When a trustee leaves any undocumented knowledge leaves with them. Having a strong succession plan should include the key information that trustees need moving forward such as:
A copy of the constitution or governing document;
Role descriptions;
Annual governance calendar;
Key contacts and passwords (stored securely of course);
Financial processes;
Meeting templates;
Policy review schedules;
Risk Register;
Funding and grant information.
Clear documentation makes transition smooth and protects the charity from disruption.
Plan for Emergency Transitions
Sometimes a trustee needs to leave suddenly due to illness, relocation or personal circumstances. To prevent panic and instability your succession plan should include:
Who can act in the interim;
Who can temporarily oversee finances;
How decisions will be made during transition;
How the manager will be supported;
How communication with parents and staff will be handled.
Make Succession Planning a Standing Agenda Item
The most important point of all. Your succession plan isn't a one-off excercise that sits in a file on a shelf somewhere. It should be frequently reviewed and added to your committee agenda at least once per term.
Discuss:
Who may be stepping down soon;
Who is ready to take on more responsibility;
What training is needed;
Whether recruitment is required;
Any risks to continuity.
Reviewing regularly keeps governance proactive rather than reactive.
Communicate the Plan with your Manager
Managers need to know who their governance contacts are and who will be supporting them. Sharing your succession plan ensures they understand:
Who to contact for decisions;
Who is stepping into key roles;
How transitions will be managed;
What support they can expect.
Communicating in this way strengthens the Committee-Manager partnership and reduces uncertainty.
Final Thoughts
Succession planning is one of the most important, yet most overlooked, responsibilites of early years trustees. When done well, it protects the charity, supports the managers and ensures continuity for children and their families no matter who sits around the committee table.
And it doesn't have to be complicated. Its simply intentional, documented and regularly reviewed and gives everyone involved in the setting the stability they deserve.
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