PAT 160042 - Recruitment of the lay Chair of the Legal Services Board.
- Body
- Legal Services Board
- Appointing Department
- Ministry of Justice
- Sector
- Regulation
- Location
- The role is based in London at the Legal Services Board’s (LSB) offices near Tottenham Court Road (full address 2 Dyott Street, London WC1A 1DE). Board meetings are currently being held remotely, but there is an expectation that face-to-face meetings will resume later in 2022.
- Skills required
- Regulation
- Number of Vacancies
- 1
- Remuneration
- £63,000 per annum
- Time Requirements
- At least 70 days per year, for a four-year tenure
Campaign Timeline
-
Competition Launched
21/04/2022
-
Closed for Applications
23/05/2022 at 09:00
-
Panel Sift
20/06/2022
-
Final Interview Date
12/10/2022
-
Announcement
06/02/2023 at 09:00
Announcement
An announcement has been made on the outcome of this appointment.
Date: 06/02/2023
Assessment Panel
- Panel Member
- Annabel Burns
- Added
- 21/04/2022
- Panel Role
- Panel Chair
- Positions
- MoJ Director, Judicial & Legal Services Policy Departmental Official
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- Panel Member
- Mrs Justice Yip
- Added
- 21/04/2022
- Positions
- The Lord Chief Justice’s representative Representative of Organisation
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- Panel Member
- Catharine Seddon
- Added
- 21/04/2022
- Positions
- LSB Senior Independent member Representative of Organisation
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- Panel Member
- Jody Chatterjee
- Added
- 21/04/2022
- Positions
- Independent Member
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Vacancy Description
We are looking for:
A lay chair who is resolutely committed to the concept of regulation in the interest of the public and consumers. Evidence of strong leadership in a high-profile organisation is essential.
As Chair, it will be your responsibility to:
- Ensure that the LSB is focused on delivering its statutory remit to oversee a regulatory regime that supports and underpins the delivery of legal services in England and Wales, particularly taking into account the international position of those services and the eight regulatory objectives defined in the Legal Services Act 2007.
- Engage constructively with the approved regulators to hold them accountable, including against the LSB’s Internal Governance Rules, and ensure action is taken when standards are not met.
- Ensure the LSB adheres to the principles of better regulation and continues to fulfil its statutory duties and obligations as defined in the Legal Services Act 2007, whilst ensuring the LSB supports efforts to pursue greater diversity in the legal profession.
- Provide direction to the LSB and ensure that it has the resources needed and uses them properly.
- Work effectively with the Chief Executive and non-executive Board members to provide strong leadership to the LSB to ensure it adheres to the principles of good governance and to ensure proper accounts are kept.
- Ensure that there is a collaborative working relationship with the Ministry of Justice – as the sponsoring department – and the judiciary, and that good working relationships are established with other key stakeholders.
- Ensure compliance with the general guidelines laid down by government relating to public bodies and ensure that the LSB fulfils any statutory or administrative requirements relating to financial accountability.
- Facilitating the reciprocal rights of practice to support UK legal services.
In relation to staff appointments, the Chair will carry out necessary appointments work as required.
Definition of a ‘Lay Member’
A person is deemed to be lay if they have never been:
a) an authorised person in relation to an activity which is a reserved legal activity, which includes
- a barrister;
- a solicitor;
- a public notary;
- a licensed conveyancer;
- granted a certificate issued by the Institute of Legal Executives authorising the person to practise as a legal executive; or
- granted a right of audience or a right to conduct litigation in relation to any proceedings by virtue of section 27(2) (a) of the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 (c.41) (rights of audience and rights of litigation)
b) a person authorised, by a person designated under section 5(1) of the Compensation Act 2006, to provide services which are regulated claims management services (within the meaning of that Act);
c) an advocate in Scotland;
d) a solicitor in Scotland;
e) a member of the Board of Northern Ireland;
f) a solicitor of the Court of Judicature of Northern Ireland.
Eligibility
There must be no employment restrictions, or limit on your permitted stay in the UK.
We welcome applications from all those who are eligible
Person Specification
Essential Criteria
You will need to demonstrate in your personal statement examples where your experience matches the essential criteria detailed below:
- Highly developed inter-personal and communication skills with the ability to command confidence and build and maintain successful working relationships and partnerships with stakeholders and the media.
- Strong intellect and sound judgement as well as the highest levels of probity, integrity and other qualities that inspire confidence, trust and respect.
- Excellent communication skills, judgement, discretion and political sensitivity; the ability to challenge and work collaboratively with others both executive and non-executive to deliver change.
- An independent mindset and resilience in the face of resistance, competing interests and close stakeholder and media scrutiny.
- Considerable non-executive experience on the board of a high-profile organisation including experience of chairing in some senior form;
- An appreciation of the role played by regulation in protecting consumers;
- A clear and demonstrable understanding and appreciation of equality, diversity and inclusion in all its forms.
Desirable Criteria
- Previous experience as chair of a Board
- Experience of one of the following; regulation in legal services or other sectors; consumer affairs or competition; an appreciation of the role of data and technology in delivering change; an understanding of economics and/or senior management; or experience of financial, public policy, communications.
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, [insert for Chair posts] including evidence of leadership qualities and a vision for the organisation. Please consider the role and criteria carefully in preparing your statements. Information from AAP 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 can be found at Appendix 2.
Supporting Documents form (attached separately on cabinet office website)
Please also complete and return the Supporting Documents form which seeks the following information:
Conflicts of interest and Previous Conduct: If you have any interests that might be relevant to the work of non-lay member 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 AAP. Please 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 AAP 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 Holly Perry at the Legal Services Board: holly.perry@legalservicesboard.org.uk
- Significant Political Activity
- Number of other public appointments held
- Referee details – please give names/contact details of two referees (who will be contacted if you are shortlisted for interview)
DIVERSITY MONITORING FORM – Please complete this online 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 AAP.
Please send your CV, personal statement and supporting documents to: PublicAppointmentsTeam@justice.gov.uk quoting reference PAT 160042 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 at the Legal Services Board at holly.perry@legalservicesboard.org.uk