Epsom & St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust - non-executive director
- Body
- NHS Improvement
- Appointing Department
- NHS Improvement
- Sectors
- Charity & Public Sector, Health and Social Care
- Location
- South London
- Number of Vacancies
- 1
- Remuneration
- £10,000 per annum
- Time Requirements
- On average this role will require the equivalent to 2 to 3 days a month
Campaign Timeline
-
Competition Launched
07/10/2019
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Closed for Applications
23/10/2019 at 11:00
-
Panel Sift
06/11/2019
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Final Interview Date
15/11/2019
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Announcement
TBC
Vacancy Description
There is a vacancy for a Non-executive Director at Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust. This is an exceptional opportunity to share your talents and expertise to make a positive difference to the lives of the people served by the Trust.
This is an exciting time to join the Board at Epsom and St Helier (ESHT) as the trust has just been awarded GOOD in its recent CQC inspections. Maternity services at both hospitals are now rated Outstanding for being responsive – this is, in part, thanks to the innovative new Pregnancy Advice Line which has meant that pregnant people in Surrey can access services and advice faster than ever before. It also reflects the fact that the trust was the first in London to be awarded the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative Gold Award.
The improvement in the trust’s overall rating and in many of its services reflects the absolute commitment to the health and wellbeing of patients.
A key priority for the trust has been to form strong partnerships across health, social care and the voluntary sector and the trust is playing a key leadership role in the integration of community and hospital care, and also in acting as a system leader in terms of financial recovery.
Another exciting development for the Trust is the Government’s recent announcement of further capital investment in the NHS, with ESTH named as one of six acute trusts benefitting. This multi-million pound investment will transform patient care for the 500,000 people who use the Trust’s services, greatly improve the experience of the 6,000 committed staff working in the hospitals and secure a long term and sustainable future for hospital services in the area. It will allow the trust us to create state-of-the-art hospital facilities for the sickest patients, invest in and refurbish the older parts of all the hospital buildings (which are currently not fit for modern healthcare), and support the medical workforce to improve staffing levels and patient care.
ESHT’s Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) can now move forward with the Improving Healthcare Together Programme and consult with the public on proposals which the trust has been keen to pursue for years. Under these proposals both Epsom and St Helier hospitals will continue to provide local district hospital services, meaning that the majority of services (c.85%) would remain on the same sites. The proposal also includes bringing services together onto one site at Epsom, St Helier or Sutton hospitals when patients are critically ill, this comprises c.15% of hospital activity.
ESHT believes that it is now in ‘pole position’ to take forward a number of key initiatives within the local care system. To support this work, ESTH is seeking a talented and highly motivated Non-executive Director to join the Board who is able to make a valuable contribution to the strategic direction and future success of ESHT.
If you support and value public service and believe that you can add value to the ESHT Board, please consider applying for this position.
Person Specification
You should have a strong commitment to the principles of the NHS.
You will utilise your professional skills and perspective and add value to the governance and strategic development of the trust, holding senior managers to account and offering collaborative challenge and advice. You are likely to have close links with the trust’s catchment area and will be committed to making a difference to the way care is delivered to patients.
ESHT non-executives do not require any previous public sector experience, but will have extensive experience of operating at a senior level, preferably as a non-executive director, in a complex commercial or service organisation, and have strong business acumen.
Essential criteria
A key essential is a genuine commitment to patients and the promotion of excellent health care services.
Personal qualities required are:-
- Have a strong commitment to the values of the NHS and the strategic direction of the Trust
- Role model the Nolan Principles for Public Life and have strong levels of personal integrity
- Be able to empathise with, communicate with, and inspire a wide range of people, both internally within the Trust and externally in the wider community and beyond
- Apply specialist knowledge and experience appropriately
- Develop and maintain constructive professional relationships (including the executive team, other Board members, governors, and key stakeholders) through excellent interpersonal skills, team working and good communication style
- Have the judgement, coupled with the mental resilience, to lead and participate in making difficult evidence-based decisions
- Foster an ethos of continual improvement and a learning culture throughout the Trust, and be passionate about the continual development and training of oneself and the Board.
You will need to be able to demonstrate you can use your experience to:
- work alongside other non-executives and executive colleagues as an equal member of the board
- bring independence, external perspectives, skills and challenge to strategy development
- hold the executive to account by providing purposeful, constructive scrutiny and challenge
- shape and actively support a healthy culture for the trust
Other essential criteria are:-
- Be able to analyse and interpret complex data
- Be able to chair meetings effectively
- Have an understanding of providing strategic direction and knowledge of governance and how boards should add value
- Be able to lead an organisation through periods of change and demonstrate a thorough understanding and appreciation of the issues facing a complex and developing organisation in a changing environment
Desirable Criteria
You will have senior recent experience, at Board or senior level, in one or more of the following:-
- Organisational Development and Change Management
- People management
- Workforce / Human Resources expertise
- A strategic approach to risk at Board level
We value and promote diversity and are committed to equality of opportunity for all and appointments made on merit. We believe that the best boards are those that reflect the communities they serve.
We particularly welcome applications from women, people from the local black and minority ethnic communities, and disabled people who we know are under-represented in chair and non-executive roles.
Our recruitment processes are conducted in accordance with the Code of Governance to ensure that they are made on merit after a fair and open process so that the best people, from the widest possible pool of candidates, are appointed.
Additional Information
The trust – we strongly recommend an informal and confidential discussion with Gillian Norton, the Chair of the trust. Please contact Meg Stevens at stevens1@nhs.net
NHS Improvement – for general enquiries contact Leslie Horn on 0300 123 2057 or by emailing leslie.horn@nhs.net