Announcements (Archive)

Two Non-Lay and One Lay Member of the Legal Services Board

Body
Legal Services Board
Appointing Department
Ministry of Justice
Sector
Judicial, Prison & Policing
Location
London
Skills required
Legal / Judicial
Number of Vacancies
1
Remuneration
£15,000 per annum
Time Requirements
30 days per year

Campaign Timeline

  1. Competition Launched

    04/11/2019

  2. Closed for Applications

    13/12/2019 at 17:00

  3. Panel Sift

    21/01/2020

  4. Final Interview Date

    04/03/2020

  5. Announcement

    20/07/2020 at 12:00

Announcement

An announcement has been made on the outcome of this appointment.

The Lord Chancellor has announced the appointment of Flora Page and Stephen Gowland as new non-lay members of the Legal Services Board and an extension to Marina Gibbs’ tenure as lay member.

Date: 20/07/2020

Vacancy Description

As a member of the LSB you will be accountable to the Chair. Key responsibilities will include:

  • Providing strategic input into decisions around the policy and operational remit, organisational design, internal policies and procedures of the LSB.
  • Working with the Chair and other ordinary Board members to give the LSB strategic direction, ensuring that it has the necessary resources and that these resources are suitably allocated.
  • Ensuring that the LSB adheres to the principles of better regulation and continues to fulfil its statutory duties. This will include:

Approval and recognition – The LSB is responsible for considering a range of applications from both existing approved regulators and those seeking to regulate a reserved legal activity, either as an approved regulator or as a licensing authority;

Monitoring and enforcement – The LSB monitors approved regulators’ compliance with their regulatory requirements, the Legal Ombudsman’s performance and the wider market places for trends, gaps and competition issues;

Compliance with regulatory requirements – Should it be necessary, the LSB has powers to ensure that approved regulators meet their requirements.

  • Working effectively with the Chief Executive to provide strong leadership to the LSB to ensure that it adheres to the principles of good corporate governance.
  • Ensuring accounts are properly monitored and maintained.
  • Engaging constructively with the approved regulators and establishing and maintaining good working relationships with all key stakeholders.
  • Ensuring that there is a constructive working relationship with the Ministry of Justice as the LSB’s sponsoring department.
  • Ensuring compliance with the general guidelines laid down by government relating to members of public bodies and ensuring that the LSB fulfils all statutory and administrative requirements relating to financial accountability.
  • Representing the LSB externally at conferences, on committees and with other organisations as required.

Person Specification

We are looking for one lay and two non-lay members with demonstrable commitment to promoting public and consumer interests and market liberalisation, who can use their expertise and enthusiasm to improve the quality and accessibility of legal services and ensure the highest professional standards in order to guide the direction of the organisation.

The Legal Services Act 2007 states ‘Legal Services Board members should have between them experience in or knowledge of at least one of the following areas: the provision of legal services; legal education and legal training; consumer affairs; civil or criminal proceedings and the workings of the courts; competition matters; the maintenance of the professional standards of persons who provide legal services; the maintenance of standards in professions other than the legal profession; the handling of complaints; commercial affairs; non-commercial legal services; the differing needs of consumers; or the provision of claims management services.’

Non-Lay Member Vacancies

Essential criteria

  • Experience as a legally-qualified practitioner in a practice providing consumer and/or competition-focussed legal services;
  • A clear understanding and appreciation of diversity and equality in all its forms;
  • Strong intellect and sound judgement as well as the highest levels of probity, integrity and other qualities that inspire confidence, trust and respect; and
  • Understanding of the purpose of the LSB and its challenges, exceptional communication and relationship building skills, a high level of personal impact with the ability to provide constructive challenge and support to the Board and evidence in effectively dealing with stakeholders.

Desirable criteria

  • Track record of driving change and delivering improvement;
  • Evidence of a commitment to the continuous improvement of professional standards in the provision of legal services.

For one of the two roles:

  • Experience of practice at the English or Welsh Bar, ideally with a background in competition matters.

For one of the two roles:

  • Experience of practice in a high street Solicitor’s firm, or a qualification as a chartered legal executive;
  • A strong grasp of particular issues facing vulnerable consumers of legal services.

Lay Member Vacancy

Essential criteria

Candidates will be able to demonstrate the following:

  • experience of working with diverse communities and a clear understanding and appreciation of diversity and equality in all its forms;
  • an understanding of corporate governance, risk and assurance, in the public sector or a regulatory environment;
  • a strong aptitude for strategy and challenge gained through operating at a senior level;
  • sound judgement as well as high levels of probity and integrity that inspire confidence, trust and respect;
  • strong communication and relationship building skills;
  • the ability to provide constructive challenge and support to the Board;
  • a demonstrable commitment to equality and diversity;
  • experience or skills in at least one of the following areas:
  1. legal education and legal training;
  2. the maintenance of the professional standards of persons who provide legal services;
  3. the maintenance of standards in professions other than the legal profession;
  4. commercial affairs;
  5. non-commercial legal services;
  6. the differing needs of consumers.

Desirable criteria

  • an understanding of, or experience in, the issues facing vulnerable consumers of legal services;
  • skills or experience in relation to any of the LSB’s five-year policy objectives (namely, Public Legal Education, ongoing competence, technology).

Additional Information

Tenure: Public appointments are offered on a fixed term basis. We do this to ensure that the leadership of our public bodies is regularly refreshed and the Legal Services Board can benefit from new perspectives and ideas. The appointment will be made by the Lord Chancellor in consultation with the Lord Chief Justice.

The appointment will run for 4 years with the possibility of reappointment for a further term subject to satisfactory appraisal and at the discretion of Ministers.  In line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments, there is a strong presumption that no individual should serve more than two terms or serve in any one post for more than ten years.

How to Apply

To make an application, please send:

  • A CV (maximum two sides of A4) detailing your qualifications, employment history and any appointments or offices you hold. Please also provide your preferred contact number and email address.
  • A personal statement (maximum two sides of A4) providing evidence against the role criteria and your suitability for the post. Please consider the role and criteria carefully in preparing your statements. Information from Advisory Assessment Panels indicates that applications which offer specific and tailored examples against the criteria, making clear the candidate’s role in achieving an outcome are often the strongest.  Structuring the statement around the criteria using relevant headings also aids clarity.  Further guidance on making applications can be found at Appendix 3.

Supporting Documents

Please also complete and return the following supporting documents:

  • potential conflicts of interest:  If you have any interests that might be relevant to the work of Legal Services Board, and which could lead to a real or perceived conflict of interest if you were to be appointed, please provide details in your supporting documents.
  • Conflicts might arise from a variety of sources such as financial interests or share ownership, membership of, or association with, particular bodies or the activities of relatives or partners.  If you need further advice, please contact Amira Aufogul at PublicAppointmentsTeam@justice.gov.uk
  • Given the nature of public appointments, it is important that those appointed as members of public bodies maintain the confidence of Parliament and the public. If there are any issues in your personal or professional history that could, if you were appointed, be misconstrued, cause embarrassment, or cause public confidence in the appointment to be jeopardised, it is important that you bring them to the attention of the Assessment Panel and provide details of the issue/s in your supporting letter. In considering whether you wish to declare any issues, you should also reflect on any public statements you have made, including through social media. The Advisory Assessment Panel may explore any issues with you before they make a recommendation on the appointment. Failure to disclose such information could result in an appointment either not being made or being terminated.
  • note of public appointments – please list any appointments currently held;
  • referee details – please give names/contact details of two referees (who will be contacted if you are shortlisted for interview);
  • the political activity declaration form – In line with the Governance Code for Public Appointments, details of any declared activity will be made public if you are appointed; and
  • the equal opportunities monitoring form – information is requested for monitoring purposes only and plays no part in the selection process.  It will be kept confidential and will not be seen by the Advisory Assessment Panel.

Please send your CV, personal statement and supporting documents in Microsoft Word to (Word 2016): PublicAppointmentsTeam@justice.gov.uk quoting reference PAT150079 in the subject line of your emailWe will acknowledge receipt.

In accordance with the Public Appointments Order in Council 2017 2(2), we will process your application in accordance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Ministry of Justice’s Information Charter, which can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/personal-information-charter.

If you have any concerns about your data please contact the Ministry of Justice’s Data Protection Officer at: Data.Compliance@justice.gov.uk

Attachments