One Lay Member of the Legal Services Board (LSB)
- Body
- Legal Services Board
- Appointing Department
- Ministry of Justice
- Sector
- Regulation
- Location
- Central London
- Skills required
- Regulation
- Number of Vacancies
- 1
- Remuneration
- £15,000 per annum
- Time Requirements
- 30 days per year
Campaign Timeline
-
Competition Launched
28/07/2020
-
Closed for Applications
21/08/2020 at 12:00
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Panel Sift
02/10/2020
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Final Interview Date
01/12/2020
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Announcement
22/03/2021
Announcement
An announcement has been made on the outcome of this appointment.
Appointment of Lay Member to the Legal Services Board
The Lord Chancellor, after consultation with the Lord Chief Justice, has approved the appointment of Gary Kildare, as a Lay Member of the Legal Services Board, for four years from 1 April 2021.
Gary Kildare is the former Chief HR Officer Europe and Global Head of Labour Relations for the IBM Corporation. He is also: a Non-Executive Director (NED) of the Insolvency Service; a NED of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation in the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and Chair of the People Committee; and a board member of the British Quality Foundation.
Gary is a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Personnel and Development, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a Global Scot and a visiting professor in business at Edinburgh Napier Business School.
The Legal Services Board (LSB) is the independent body responsible for overseeing the regulation of lawyers in England and Wales. The LSB came into being on 1 January 2009 and took on the majority of its statutory powers on 1 January 2010.
The LSB’s goal is to reform and modernise the legal services market place by putting the interests of consumers at the heart of the system. It is independent of government and the legal profession and oversees the approved regulators, which themselves regulate lawyers.
The LSB also oversees the Office for Legal Complaints and its administration of the Legal Ombudsman scheme that resolves complaints about lawyers.
This appointment has been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office Governance Code on Public Appointments and is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
The appointment of Lay Members of the LSB are made by the Lord Chancellor in consultation with the Lord Chief Justice for England and Wales.
Date: 22/03/2021
Assessment Panel
- Panel Member
- Dr Helen Philips
- Positions
- Chair of the Legal Services Board (LSB) Representative of Organisation
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- Panel Member
- Annabel Burns
- Positions
- Director, Judicial and Legal Services Policy Directorate, MoJ Departmental Official
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- Panel Member
- Mr Justice Fancourt
- Positions
- Lord Chief Justices representative Other Panel Member
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- Panel Member
- Mr Lambert Allman
- Positions
- Independent Member
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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.
Eligibility This appointment is open to British or Commonwealth citizens, British Dependent Territories citizens, British Nationals (Overseas) citizens, British protected persons, citizens of the Republic of Ireland, European Economic Area (EEA) nationals or to those of other member states, and to certain non-EEA family members. Applicants must be resident in the UK.
In addition to the eligibility criteria for lay candidates, please note that it is important that you declare any connections that you may have with any of the bodies that the Legal Services Board oversees listed below (approved regulators and independent regulatory body) e.g. membership of the Board or sub committees of any of these organisations. This is so that conflicts of interest can be managed. Reference should be made to any connections on your declarations of interest form, and if shortlisted, the interview panel will explore the matter further with you. Office for Legal Complaints / Legal Ombudsman Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal The Law Society / Solicitors Regulation Authority Bar Council / Bar Standards Board Chartered Institute of Legal Executives / CILEx Regulation Council for Licensed Conveyancers Chartered Institute for Patent Attorneys / Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys / Intellectual Property Regulation Board Association of Costs Lawyers / Costs Lawyers Standards Board Master of the Faculties Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales Institute of Chartered Certified Accountants Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland We welcome applications from all those who are eligible.
As the Legal Services Board was established to carry out an independent function at arm’s length from the Government, we are mindful that appointing someone who is employed by a government department might compromise that independence – or perception of independence – as well as diminishing the confidence of stakeholders and the general public.
If you are in receipt of a salary from a government department and wish to apply, you should expect that – if selected for interview – the Advisory Assessment Panel will explore whether any perceived or real conflicts of interest might exist if you were to be appointed and, if so, how this might be managed or mitigated. The latter might include an undertaking to resign from government employment, if appointed, and – if considered appropriate – for there to be an interval between resignation and taking up appointment to the Legal Services Board.
Person Specification
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 (including, ideally, Public Legal Education) 2. the maintenance of the professional standards of persons who provide legal services (including, ideally, ongoing competence); 3. the maintenance of standards in professions other than the legal profession (including, ideally, ongoing competence); 4. commercial affairs; 5. non-commercial legal services; 6. the differing needs of consumers (including, ideally, issues facing vulnerable consumers of legal services)
In addition, we are interested to hear from candidates with experience or skills in the use of 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 run for four 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 for 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. Remuneration, allowances and abatement • Members receive a non-pensionable remuneration of £15,000 p.a. for a commitment of at least 30 days a year. Reimbursable standard travel and subsistence expenses will be limited to those actually and necessarily incurred in the course of official business. • An individual receiving remuneration from the public sector is not entitled to receive payment from their employer and the LSB for the same period of time. Those working for a public-sector employer part-time may receive payment providing there is no direct overlap between their paid employment and time spent on Board duties. • Remuneration is taxable and subject to Class 1 National Insurance contributions. The role is not pensionable and in some circumstances your remuneration may be abated if you receive a public service pension – you will need to seek advice from your pension provider on this. Reasonable standard travel expenses will be payable. Performance Appraisal: You will be assessed annually on performance by the Chair or the LSB. Standards in Public Life: Public appointees are required to uphold the Committee on Standards in Public Life’s Seven Principles of Public Life (see Appendix 1). You are also expected to adhere to the Code of Conduct for board members of public bodies. The Commissioner for Public Appointments ensures that appointments are made in accordance with the Governance Code and the principles of public appointments. All appointments follow a recruitment process set out in the Governance Code for Public Appointments.
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. • Guidance on how to write a successful application is provided at (Appendix 2).
Supporting Documents (attached separately on cabinet office website) 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. • 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. • 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 Christine Groves-Loader at PublicAppointmentsTeam@justice.gov.uk • 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 diversity 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 go to the “how to apply” section of the job advertisement and complete the diversity monitoring.
Please send your CV, personal statement and supporting documents to: PublicAppointmentsTeam@justice.gov.uk quoting reference PAT160007 in the subject line of your email. We will acknowledge receipt.
If you have any questions about any aspects of this post, you are welcome to contact Holly Perry by e-mail (holly.perry@legalservicesboard.org.uk) or by phone on 020 7271 0079.