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Appointment details

Chair - Powys Teaching Health Board

Summary

• Organisation: Powys Teaching Health Board
• Sponsor department: Welsh Government
• Location: Wales
• Sectors: Health and Social Care
• Number of vacancies: 1
• Time commitment: 15 day(s) per month
• Remuneration: £44,820 per annum
• Length of term: Initial appointment of up to 4 years, to be determined by the Minister for Health and Social Services.
• Application deadline: 4pm on 24 June 2022

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Timeline for this appointment

1. Opening date

   24 May 2022

2. Application deadline

   4pm on 24 June 2022

3. Sifting date

   4 July 2022

4. Interviews expected to end on

   19 July 2022

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the appointment

Appointment description

The Chair will be accountable to the Minister for Health and Social Services for the performance of the Board and its effective governance, upholding the values of the NHS, and promoting the confidence of the public and partners throughout the Health Board area.

The Chair of Powys Teaching Health Board will:-

• Lead the Board in the Development of a Strategic Vision for the Health Board’s services of the future, realising and building on the inherent potential and skills within the organisation to develop an innovative and exemplar service with the aim of improving well-being and outcomes for the population;

• Provide effective and visible leadership across the breadth of the Board’s responsibilities, internally through the Board and externally through connections with a wide range of stakeholders and partners at community, local authority, Health Board and national levels;

• Ensure the Board delivers effectively together the strategic and operational aims of the Health Board through delivery of strategic aims, policy and ensuring good governance;

• Be responsible for maintaining the highest quality of public health standards and practices, and improving quality and safety of healthcare;

• Be accountable for the performance of the Board at community, local authority, Board and national levels through the agreement of a three year Integrated Medium Term Plan (IMTP) and an annual delivery plan and the annual evaluation of achievements against the plan in public by the Minister for Health and Social Services;

• Hold the Chief Executive to account across the breadth of their responsibilities;

• Work effectively with partners, in particular with primary care contractors and other NHS bodies, Universities, Local Authorities, the Third Sector and Social Partners, to ensure the planning and delivery of safe, effective, person centred services aiming to improve population outcomes;

• Provide the assurance and governance for the proper stewardship of public money and other resources for which the Board is accountable;

• Provide the assurance for ensuring that the Board is governed effectively within the framework and standards set for the NHS in Wales, with a particular emphasis on ensuring openness and transparency;

• Undertake an external ambassador role, delivering in the public spotlight and instilling public confidence;

• Act as a Corporate Trustee of PTHB Charity.

Organisation description

Powys Teaching Health Board

Powys is one of the most rural counties in the UK. Whilst the county is approximately 25% of the landmass of Wales, it has only 5% of the population. The population in Powys is older compared to the rest of Wales and the proportion of older people is growing. The working age adult population is smaller compared to Wales and it is predicted that the number of young people and working age adults will decrease, whilst the number of older people will increase. It is predicted that there will be an 8% decline in the Powys population by 2039.

The Board

The purpose of NHS Boards is to govern effectively and in doing so to build public and stakeholder confidence that their health and healthcare is in safe hands. This fundamental accountability to the public and stakeholders is delivered by building confidence:

• In the quality and safety of health services.

• That resources are invested in a way that delivers optimal health outcomes.

• In the accessibility and responsiveness of health services.

• That the public can appropriately shape health services to meet their needs.

• That public money is spent in a way that is efficient and provides value for money.

The three key roles through which the Board demonstrates leadership within the organisation are:

• Formulating strategy.

• Ensuring accountability by holding the organisation to account for the delivery of the strategy and through seeking assurance that systems of control are robust and reliable.

• Shaping a positive culture for the Board and the organisation.

Regulation of appointment

This post is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. For more information, please refer to the Commissioner’s website 

Person specification

Essential criteria

To be considered, you must be able to demonstrate that you have the qualities, skills and experience to meet all the essential criteria for appointment.

Knowledge and Experience

• Ability to instil vision and lead the development of defined strategies in the pursuit of achieving long and short-term goals;

• Ability to facilitate the understanding of complex issues while demonstrating respect for the views of others;

• Ability to ensure a board works together effectively through their active involvement in a robust and transparent decision making process;

• Ability to motivate and develop the board to define roles and responsibilities to ensure ownership and accountability;

• A clear commitment to understanding and promoting equality, diversity and inclusion; and

• Ability to show an appreciation of bilingualism and culture, and a commitment to promoting and mainstreaming of the Welsh language.

Personal Attributes

• Strong interpersonal and influencing skills and ability to act as an effective advocate and ambassador;

• Sound judgement, sensitivity and political awareness;

• Capacity to be independent and resilient.

Desirable criteria

Welsh Language

Welsh Language Skills are desirable, however, all candidates will be expected to show commitment towards the language and culture, and demonstrate leadership to strengthen and promote bilingual service provision within the NHS in Wales. The level of the skill that is considered desirable is as follows:

Understanding - Can understand basic conversations about everyday topics

Reading - Can read simple material on everyday topics with understanding

Speaking - Can converse in some work-related conversations

Writing - Can write basic messages on everyday topics 

Application and selection process

How to apply

To apply for this role, click on the ‘Apply’ button on the Welsh Government online recruitment centre.

The first time you apply for a post, you will need to complete a registration form for the Welsh Government’s online application system. You will only need to register once, and you will be able to keep yourself updated on the progress of your application, and any other applications you make, via your registered account.

Once you’ve registered, you’ll be able to access the application form. To apply you will need to submit two supporting documents. The first, a document outlining how your knowledge, skills and experiences meet the criteria for the role as outlined in the information for candidates. This document should be no more than 2 sides of A4. Your application may be rejected if you exceed this limit. The second document is a full, up to date CV. The two documents should be uploaded to the ‘Reasons for applying’ section of the online application form.

In your application, you will also be asked to provide details of any activities which have helped you to develop skills that would be useful in a public appointment role, and list the organisations for which you undertook these activities. We also need to know about any political activity that you’ve undertaken over the last 5 years.

It is recommended that you register for an account and access the application form as soon as possible so that you see how the application form is structured, before starting to prepare your evidence. You don’t have to complete the application form all in one go. You can save your responses, and log in and out as required, until you’re ready to submit – just follow the guidance in the application form.

If you need any further assistance in applying for this role, please contact the Welsh Government’s Public Appointments Team on: PublicAppointments@gov.wales.

For further information about Public Appointments in Wales, please visit www.gov.wales/publicappointments.

Overview of the application process

Public appointments are made on merit following a fair and open competition process which is conducted in accordance with the Governance Code for Public Appointments. We will deal with your application as quickly as possible and will keep you informed at key stages. We aim to conclude the appointment process within three months of the deadline for applications – this is in accordance with the Governance Code.

The assessment process

1. Ministers are responsible and accountable to Parliament for the public appointments made within their department. As a result, they must be consulted at every stage of the appointments process.

2. An Advisory Assessment Panel (“Panel”) is appointed by Ministers to assist them in their decision making. The role of the Panel is to decide, objectively, which candidates meet the eligibility criteria for the role.

3. At the shortlisting meeting the Panel will assess applications against the eligibility criteria and decide which candidates should be recommended for interview. Ministers will then be consulted on the Panel’s recommended shortlist.

4. Once the shortlist has been agreed by Ministers, you will be advised (by e-mail) whether you have been shortlisted. Those shortlisted will be invited to an interview.

5. The Panel will meet again to interview candidates and determine who is appointable to the role. The names of all appointable candidates are provided to Ministers. It is then for Ministers to determine merit and decide who should be appointed. In some circumstances, Ministers may choose not to appoint any candidates and re-run the competition.

6. The Panel’s recommendations will be provided to Ministers in a report which details the assessment method used and the outcome of each interview. They will then be asked to agree on the candidate(s) who should be appointed.

7. Once the decision on the appointment has been made, interviewed candidates will be advised of the outcome of their application.

8. If you are successful at interview, you will be asked to attend a Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament Health & Social Services Committee hearing.

Advisory Assessment Panel (AAP)

Advisory Assessment Panels (AAP) are chosen by ministers to assist them in their decision-making. These include a departmental official and an independent member. For competitions recruiting non-executive members of a board (apart from the Chair), the panel will usually include a representative from the public body concerned.

AAP’s perform a number of functions, including agreeing an assessment strategy with ministers, undertaking sifting, carrying out interviews in line with the advertised criteria and deciding objectively who meets the published selection criteria for the role before recommending to ministers which candidates they find appointable. It is then for the minister to decide who to appoint to the role.

The selection panel will be chaired by Judith Paget, Director General of Health and Social Services and NHS Wales Chief Executive, Welsh Government, and will comprise of Mick Giannasi, Chair Social Care Wales, Becky Gorman, Welsh Government and Moawia Bin-Sufyan as Senior Independent Panel Member.

Pre-appointment scrutiny

Pre-appointment scrutiny by select committees is an important part of the process for some of the most significant public appointments made by Ministers. It is designed to provide an added level of scrutiny to verify that the recruitment meets the principles set out in the Governance Code on Public Appointments. This scrutiny may involve the relevant select committee requesting and reviewing information from the Department and the Minister’s preferred candidate. The select committee may also choose to hold a pre-appointment hearing.

If you are confirmed as the government’s preferred candidate for this role, the department will be in touch to confirm next steps. In most cases your name and CV will be provided to the relevant select committee in advance of the hearing.  Following a date being agreed for a pre-appointment hearing with the committee you will be asked to complete a questionnaire in advance of that. Following the hearing, the government will review and respond to the Committee’s report before confirming the appointment. 

Full information can be found in the Cabinet Office’s guidance here. 

1. Pre-appointment scrutiny by select committees is an important part of the process for some of the most significant public appointments made by Ministers. It is designed to provide an added level of scrutiny of the overall process and verify that the recruitment meets the principles set out in the Governance Code on Public Appointments*. This scrutiny may involve the relevant select committee requesting and reviewing information from the Department and the Minister’s preferred candidate. The select committee may also choose to hold a pre-appointment hearing.

2. Pre-appointment hearings are held in public and involve the select committee taking evidence from the Minister’s preferred candidate. These public hearings take place before an appointment is confirmed, but after the selection process has taken place.

3. Where a public appointment is subject to pre-appointment scrutiny, it is a matter for the relevant select committee to decide whether to undertake such scrutiny, including whether to hold a pre-appointment hearing. Following a review of information provided by the Department about the recruitment process, the select committee may decide that a pre-appointment scrutiny hearing is not required before it publishes its report, if it agrees with the Minister's choice of candidate.

Eligibility criteria

In general, you should have the right to work in the UK to be eligible to apply for a public appointment.

There are a small number of specialist roles that are not open to non-British citizens. Any nationality requirements will be specified in the vacancy details.

The Government expects all holders of public office to work to the highest personal and professional standards. 

You cannot be considered for a public appointment if:

• you are disqualified from acting as a company director  (under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986);

• have an unspent conviction on your criminal record;

• your estate has been sequestrated in Scotland or you enter into a debt arrangement programme under Part 1 of the Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Act 2002 (asp 17) as the debtor or have, under Scots law, granted a trust deed for creditors.

When you apply, you should declare if:

• you are, or have been, bankrupt or you have made an arrangement with a creditor at any point, including the dates of this. 

• you are subject to a current police investigation.

You must inform the sponsor department if, during the application process, your circumstances change in respect of any of the above points. 

When you apply you should also declare any relevant interests, highlighting any that you think may call into question your ability to properly discharge the responsibilities of the role you are applying for. You should also declare any other matters which may mean you may not be able to meet the requirements of the Code of Conduct of Board Members (see Outside interests and reputational issues section below)

If you need further advice, please contact publicappointments@gov.wales.

publicappointments@gov.wales

publicappointments@gov.wales

Security clearance

The successful candidate will be required to undertake NHS Pre-Employment Checks. Additional Security Clearance may also be required for certain roles. However, where this applies, candidates will be notified during the appointment process. Further information on National Security Vetting can be found on the Gov.uk website here.

Additional information for candidates

Equality and diversity

We encourage applications from talented individuals from all backgrounds and across the whole of the United Kingdom. Boards of public bodies are most effective when they reflect the diversity of views of the society they serve and this is an important part of the Government’s levelling up agenda.

We collect data about applicants’ characteristics and backgrounds, including information about people’s educational and professional backgrounds, so that we can make sure we are attracting a broad range of people to these roles and that our selection processes are fair for everyone. Without this information, it makes it difficult to see if our outreach is working, if the application process is having an unfair impact on certain groups and whether changes are making a positive difference.

When you submit your application, your responses are collected by the Cabinet Office and the government department(s) managing your application. The data is used to produce management information about the diversity of applicants. You can select “prefer not to say” to any question you do not wish to answer. The information you provide will not be seen by the Advisory Assessment Panel who review applications against the advertised criteria and conduct interviews.

Disability confident

We are a member of the Government’s Disability Confident scheme. We use the Disability Confident scheme symbol, along with other like-minded employers, to show our commitment to good practice in employing people with a disability. The scheme helps recruit and retain disabled people. 

As part of implementing the scheme, we guarantee an interview for anyone with a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the role and who has asked that their application is considered under the scheme. Indicating that you wish your application to be considered under the scheme will in no way prejudice your application. By ‘minimum criteria,’ we mean that you must provide evidence which demonstrates that you meet the level of competence required under each of the essential criteria, as set out in the job-advert.

When you apply you will have the opportunity to select if you would like your application considered under this scheme.

Reasonable adjustments

Government departments are committed to making reasonable adjustments to make sure applicants with disabilities, physical or mental health conditions, or other needs are not substantially disadvantaged when applying for public appointments. This can include changing the recruitment process to enable people who wish to apply to do so.

Some examples of common changes are:

• ensuring that application forms are available in different or accessible formats;
• making adaptations to interview locations;
• allowing candidates to present their skills and experience in a different way;
• giving detailed information on the selection / interview process in advance to allow candidates time to prepare themselves;
• allowing support workers, for example sign language interpreters;
• making provision for support animals to attend.

When you apply you will have the opportunity to request reasonable adjustments to the application process.

Principles of public life

Holders of public office are expected to adhere to and uphold the Seven Principles of Public Life https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-7-principles-of-public-life/the-7-principles-of-public-life--2. These are:

1. SELFLESSNESS - Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest. They should not do so in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family or their friends;
2. INTEGRITY - Holders of public office should not place themselves under any financial or other obligation to outside individuals or organisations that might seek to influence them in the performance of their official duties;
3. OBJECTIVITY - In carrying out public business, including making public appointments, awarding contracts, or recommending individuals for rewards and benefits, holders of public office should make choices on merit;
4. ACCOUNTABILITY - Holders of public office are accountable for their decisions and actions to the public and must submit themselves to whatever scrutiny is appropriate to their office;
5. OPENNESS - Holders of public office should be as open as possible about all the decisions and actions that they take. They should give reasons for their decisions and restrict information only when the wider public interest clearly demands;
6. HONESTY - Holders of public office have a duty to declare any private interests relating to their public duties and to take steps to resolve any conflicts arising in a way that protects the public interest;
7. LEADERSHIP - Holders of public office should promote and support these principles by leadership and example.

Code of conduct for board members

The Government expects all holders of public office to work to the highest personal and professional standards. In support of this, all non-executive board members of UK public bodies must abide by the principles set out in the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. The Code sets out the standards expected from those who serve on the boards of UK public bodies and will form part of your terms and conditions of appointment.

Management of outside interests and consideration of reputational issues

Holders of public office are expected to adhere and uphold the Seven Principles of Public Life and the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. Before you apply you should consider carefully: 

• any outside interests that you may have, such as shares you may hold in a company providing services to government; 
• any possible reputational issues arising from your past actions or or public statements that you have made; 
• and/or - any political roles you hold or political campaigns you have supported; 

which may call into question your ability to do the role you are applying for.

You will need to answer relevant questions in relation to these points when making an application. Many conflicts of interest can be satisfactorily resolved and declaring a potential conflict does not prevent you from being interviewed. If you are shortlisted for an interview, the panel will discuss any potential conflicts with you during that interview, including any proposals you may have to mitigate them and record that in their advice to ministers. Alongside your own declaration, we will conduct appropriate checks, as part of which we will consider anything in the public domain related to your conduct or professional capacity. This may include searches of previous public statements and social media, blogs or any other publicly available information. The successful candidate(s) may be required to give up any conflicting interests and their other business and financial interests may be published in line with organisational policies. 

Details of declared political activity will be published when the appointment is announced, as required by the Governance Code (political activity is not a bar to appointment, but must be declared).

Status of appointment

You will not become a member of the Civil Service. You will not be subject to the provisions of employment law.

Appointment and tenure of office

Appointments are for the term set out in this advert, with the possibility of re-appointment for a further term, at the discretion of Ministers.  Any re-appointment is subject to satisfactory annual appraisals of performance during the first term in the post. If re-appointed, the total time served in post will not exceed more than two terms or serve in any one post for more than ten years

Remuneration, allowances and abatement

Remuneration for this role is treated as employment income and will be subject to tax and National Insurance contributions, both of which will be deducted at source under PAYE before you are paid. 

You can claim reimbursement for reasonable travel and subsistence costs necessarily incurred on official business however these payments are taxable as earnings and will be subject to tax and national insurance, both of which will be deducted at source under PAYE before you are paid. 

Pension and redundancy

This is an office holder appointment and does not attract any benefits under any Civil Service Pension Scheme. You will not be eligible for redundancy pay as you are not an employee. No other arrangements have been made for compensation upon termination because an office holder who is appointed for a limited duration would have no expectation of serving beyond that period.

Application feedback

We will notify you of the status of your application. We regret that we are only able to offer detailed feedback to candidates who have been unsuccessful at the interview stage.

How to complain

We aim to process all applications as quickly as possible and to treat all applicants with courtesy.

Please contact publicappointments@gov.wales team in the first instance if you would like to make a complaint regarding your application at publicappointments@gov.wales. They will acknowledge your complaint upon receipt and respond within 15 working days.

How to complain to Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA)

If you are not content with the appointing department’s response, [and this appointment is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments], you may wish to further complain to the Commissioner at publicappointments@csc.gov.uk.Further information on how the Commissioner handles complaints can be found on the Commissioner for Public Appointments’ website www.publicappointmentscommissioner.independent.gov.uk/complaints

Data protection

The Cabinet Office will use your data in line with our privacy policy.

<Department to add details of own privacy notice> 

Contact details

For further information regarding the role of the Powys Teaching Health Board and the role of Chair please contact:

The Diary Secretary to the Director General Health and Social Services/NHS Wales Chief Executive, Welsh Government

Email: DStoDGforHealthandSocialServicesChiefExecutiveNHSWales@gov.wales

James Quance, Interim Board Secretary, Powys Teaching Health Board

Email: james.quance2@wales.nhs.uk

Welsh Government are working with Gatenbysanderson Ltd to support this recruitment campaign. If you would like a confidential discussion to ensure you maximise your application please contact Melanie Shearer at melanie.shearer@gatenbysanderson.com (07785 616548) or Carmel Bell at carmel.bell@gatenbysanderson.com (07917 826639).

If you need any further assistance in applying for this role, please contact publicappointments@gov.wales.

For further information about Public Appointments in Wales, please visit www.gov.wales/publicappointments