60 Seconds with James Pantling-Skeet - Dorset Children's Foundation (DCF) Trustee

James Pantling-Skeet is an experienced Associate in Boyes Turner’s highly regarded Community Care, Court of Protection and Special Educational Needs teams.  In this 60-second read, James talks to experienced medical negligence solicitor Vanessa Wand about his role as a Trustee of Dorset Children’s Foundation.

James, what does your role as a trustee of DCF involve and how long have you worked with them?

I sit on the board of Trustees as acting Deputy Chair.  I oversee the day to day running of DCF and have voting responsibilities, meaning that I am involved in all major decision making.  I assist DCF’s founders, Patsy and Scott, with day-to-day operational decisions, ensuring policies (e.g. safeguarding) are up to date and that as a Charity, any actions we take are compliant with the Charity Commission’s guidance.  I also assist the founders in maintaining good financial ‘hygiene’ and am involved in preparing the annual Trustee report for the Charity Commission.

I also get involved with the volunteering side of things and help run fundraising/other events. One of my favourite activities we organise is the Wet Wheels accessible power boat experience. These events are important in delivering DCF’s mission, which is ‘to improve and enrich the lives of children with disabilities and their families who are experiencing difficulties related to the impact of disability, including physical health, emotional strain, and social isolation through a range of provisions’.

I have worked with DCF since January 2020. 

How does your legal knowledge and experience help you in your role as a Trustee?

I have broad legal expertise specialising in Community Care, Special Educational Needs and Court of Protection Health and Welfare matters. As a result, I am extremely well placed to advise DCF on a range of issues that may arise.  I am regularly involved in giving hands-on ad hoc assistance to children and their families, so that they know how to tackle an issue or how to take it forward. Sometimes, the hardest part for a family is knowing where to start when faced with a complex situation and as such I love being able to use my legal expertise to point them in the right direction.  

During the Covid-19 pandemic, I assisted with a ‘parks campaign’ which was successful in persuading a local council to unlock disabled changing facilities located in local parks, meaning local disabled children and their families could access these key facilities and maintain their dignity whilst out and about.

What do you like most about your Trustee role?

DCF stand out as a charity for me as they are extremely effective at making a difference to local families and they take a very ‘hands on’ approach.  When a new family sign up to DCF, they get a personal visit from one of the team, meaning that everyone knows each other personally.  I think this is especially important if you want to make a difference to vulnerable children and their families, as DCF do.

If there was one thing you could improve immediately for the children you work with at DCF what would it be?

I would like advocacy support to be more widely available to parents of children with disabilities.  I think this would go some way to help parents feel empowered to stand up for themselves.

What made you choose DCF?

DCF are community focused, and the founders have been very successful at creating a unique ethos which drives the direction of the charity.  In my view the difference between DCF and other charities is that DCF’s main overheads are covered by their charity shop sales, meaning fundraising is used almost entirely to put into action the goals of the charity.  They are also a very responsive and flexible charity, which has proved important over the last few years in the face of the pandemic and now in view of the cost-of-living crisis.