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Role details

Chair - Maternity and Newborn Safety Investigations Authority

Application deadline 31 October 2022

Summary

Organisation
Maternity and Newborn Safety Investigations Special Health Authority
Sponsor department
Department of Health and Social Care
Location
Various
Sectors
Health and Social Care
Skills
Number of vacancies
1
Time commitment
3 day(s) per week
Remuneration
£63000 per annum
Length of term
3 Years
Application deadline
Midday on 31 October 2022

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Timeline for this appointment

  1. Opening date

    2 September 2022

  2. Application deadline

    Midday on 31 October 2022

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the role

Role description

The Chair will provide leadership, strategic direction and challenge to the Maternity and Newborn Safety Investigations Special Health Authority and ensure that it establishes a reputation as a vigorous and trustworthy organisation with patients and the wider public, clinicians and NHS organisations both locally and nationally.

The Chair will ensure that the Authority undertakes independent, timely and meaningful investigations into cases of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality; and that these contribute to maternal and neonatal safety at local and national level. They will also ensure that all of this action is with a view to improving local capacity for investigations to be conducted locally at trust level.

The Chair will lead and support the newly established Board of Non-Executive Directors (NEDs) and MNSI Executive Directors (EDs). The Chair will hold the Chief Executive and Finance Director to account and will share corporate responsibility for the decisions of the MNSI Board and the performance of the organisation.

Along with the NEDs and other board members, the Chair will contribute to stakeholder engagement, accountable governance and effective systems for financial control and risk management.

Chair Designate

The new Authority is expected to be legally established from April 2023, at which point the new Chair’s formal appointment to the new Authority will begin. However, we are looking to agree the appointment and appoint the chosen candidate as Chair Designate by the start of 2023.

The time commitment required as Chair Designate may be less than required when Chair. This will be subject to discussion with the chosen candidate. If the time commitment is less, remuneration will be pro-rata to the rate for the role of Chair

The Chair’s specific responsibilities will include:

Board Leadership  

  • Lead a newly appointed team, chairing and overseeing the performance of the Board to the highest standards, and in doing so set an agenda which is focused on strategy, performance, and accountability.
  •  Ensure the Board and Committees are suitably structured with appropriate terms of reference.
  •  Chair the Governance and Nomination Committee and ensure regular consideration of succession planning and the composition of the Board and its Committees.
  • Support the effective recruitment, induction, training and development of new NEDs and EDs and the continuous development of the Board’s capability.
  • Oversee the recruitment of future Chief Executives, appointed by the Chair and NEDs, with the consent of the Secretary of State.
Strategic Direction
  • Oversee the setting of the strategic direction of the MNSI; creating a ‘vision’ for where the new body sits within the NHS landscape, building upon existing good practice and how it influences positive change.
  • Provide board level oversight and accountability to MNSI’s responsibilities to deliver investigations that improve maternal and neonatal safety and to build local investigation capacity.
  • Provide insight on the developments and issues facing the NHS independent sector and from patient representative groups to board discussions, ensure the Board has access to accurate, high quality and timely information for decision making. 
Organisational Development
  • Monitor performance and evaluate investigatory functions against key objectives and strategic outcomes.
  • Oversee the development of the organisation and board’s culture.
  • Support and challenge the Chief Executive and Executive team on decisions made and advise the DHSC on the performance of the NEDs.
Stakeholder management
  • Build collaborative relationships within the NHS locally and nationally, and where relevant the private sector, ensuring the organisation is independent, influential and not distant from providers and the wider NHS.
  • With the Chief Executive, set the tone for excellent engagement with key stakeholders, system partners, service users and Government and ensure their views are communicated in the decision-making process.
Governance and assurance 
  • Working with the Board, ensure accountability for expenditure and effective management of resources, seeking efficiency savings and achieving cost reductions where possible (both in the running of the organisation and in its operational activity) and that the strategy and supporting business plans are delivered.
  • Ensure high standards of governance and effectiveness of the Board
  • Promote high standards of integrity, probity, ethics, diversity &inclusion.
  • Lead an evaluation of the performance of the organisation, Board and its Committees at least once a year, and act on the results by recognising the strengths and addressing areas of improvement.

Organisation description

This is a post for the new Maternity and Newborn Safety Investigations (MNSI) Special Health Authority. 
The MNSI will continue the maternity investigation programme, which is currently a function of the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB). 
The Functions of the Special Health Authority will be to:
a.undertake independent investigations of qualifying maternity cases and producing reports on investigations findings
b.consider data, conclusions and recommendations made in its investigation reports to identify key trends and provide system-wide learning to the health system at local, regional and national level; and 
c.collaborate with appropriate bodies to escalate safety concerns
The Special Health Authority is expected to consist of approximately 175 staff and have a budget of approximately £16m. Staff will transfer over to the Special Health Authority from the current Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch once established.
The Special Health Authority will contribute to improving safety in maternity by conducting independent, safety investigations, which will contribute to the Governments ambition to halve the number of stillbirths, maternal deaths, neonatal deaths and brain injuries.
Once appointed, the Chair Designate is expected to contribute to activities and decisions regarding the establishment of the new Special Health Authority, including the new board, with whom the successful candidate will work to support the establishment of the MNSI which is expected to be operational by April 2023.
The MNSI Chair will:
  • provide leadership, strategic direction and challenge to the MNSI Special Health Authority and ensure that it establishes a reputation as a vigorous and trustworthy organisation with patients and the wider public, clinicians and NHS organisations both locally and nationally.
  • ensure that the Authority undertakes independent, timely and meaningful investigations into cases of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality; and that these contribute to maternal and neonatal safety at local and national level. They will also ensure that all this action is with a view to improving local capacity for investigations to be conducted locally at trust level.
  • lead and support the newly established Board of NEDs and MNSI (EDs)The Chair will hold the Chief Executive and Finance Director to account and will share corporate responsibility for the decisions of the MNSI Board and the performance of the organisation.
  • Along with the NEDs and other board members, they will contribute to stakeholder engagement, accountable governance and effective systems for financial control and risk management.

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

The Department of Health and Social Care values and promotes diversity and encourages applications from all sections of the community. The boards of public bodies should reflect the population they are there to serve. Boards also benefit from fresh perspectives, and we are always keen to encourage candidates new to public appointments to consider applying for our roles.
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.
  • Strong strategic leadership skills, with an ability to develop a high-performing organisation and demonstrated by a career record of achievement at the highest levels. 
  • Ability to lead the Board of a significant new national organisation, deliver robust board level governance and accountability, and develop a positive culture. 
  • Excellent communication and influencing skills, able to collaborate effectively with stakeholders,particularly with the related professions to drive change in a complex system. 
  • Knowledge of the NHS and/or of investigations methodology.

Application and selection process

How to apply

For further information please find below links to DHSC's candidate information pack and monitoring form:

In order to apply you will need to provide:

  1. A  Curriculum Vitae which provides your contact details, details of your education and qualifications, employment history, directorships, membership of professional bodies and details of any relevant publications or awards;

  2. A supporting statement setting out how you meet the criteria for appointment, as set out in the person specification for the role;

  3. Information relating to any outside interests or reputational issues;

  4. Diversity monitoring information. This allows us to see if there are any unfair barriers to becoming a public appointee and whether there are any changes that we could make to encourage a more diverse field to apply. You can select “prefer not to say” to any question you do not wish to answer. The information you provide will not be used as part of the selection process and will not be seen by the interview panel;

  5. Disability Confident – please state if you want to be considered for the disability confident scheme;

  6. Reasonable adjustments - requests for reasonable adjustments that you would like to the application process (if applicable);

Please provide the information at points 3-6 above on the relevant form, or as part of your supporting statement.
Completed applications should be submitted to appointments.team@dhsc.gov.uk - please quote ref: VAC-1756 in the subject field.

The Advisory Assessment Panel reserves the right to only consider applications that contain all of the elements listed above, and that arrive before the published deadline for applications.

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 have best met the criteria, who should be recommended for interview. Ministers will then be consulted on the Panel’s recommended shortlist. If you have applied under the Disability Confident Scheme and you meet all the essential criteria, then you will also be invited for an interview.

  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 Panel may invite you to make a brief presentation at the start of the interview and will go on to question you about your skills and experience, including asking specific questions to assess whether you meet the criteria set out for the post. The Panel will also explore with you any potential conflicts of interest or any other issues arising from your personal and professional history which may impact on an appointment decision.

  6. Details of the panel’s assessment of interviewed candidates are provided to Ministers, including whether they have judged a candidate to be appointable to the role. 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.

  7. Ministers may choose to meet with candidates before deciding the outcome. Candidates should therefore be prepared for a short time gap between interview and a final appointment decision being made. Candidates who have been interviewed will be kept informed of progress.

  8. Once the decision on the appointment has been made, interviewed candidates will be advised of the outcome of their application, including whom they may approach for feedback. Successful candidates will be issued with their Terms & Conditions and a letter of appointment should they agree to take up the position.

Further information about appointments, including tips on applying, can be found on our guidance pages on gov.uk.

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 panel will include:
  • William Vineall, DHSC senior sponsor for the MNSI as Panel Chair
  • Sean O'Kelly –Chief Inspector of Hospitals at the Care Quality Commission as Panel Member
  • Matthew Jolly –National Director for maternity at NHSE as Panel Member
  • Julia Chain –Chair of the Human Embryology and Fertilisation Authority as Independent Panel Member

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.

In addition, legislation related to MNSI sets out how individuals are disqualified from appointment as a MNSI Member, if:
(a) you were:
(i) refused inclusion in a list maintained pursuant to regulations made under sections 91 (persons performing primary medical services), 106 (persons performing primary dental services), 123(persons performing primary ophthalmic services) or 147A (performers of pharmaceutical services and assistants) of the NHS Act 2006 due to any matter concerning your honesty or probity
(ii) included in such a list but that inclusion is suspended or subject to conditions due to any matter concerning your honesty or probity
(iii) included in such a list but have been removed or contingently removed from that list due to any matter concerning your honesty or probity
(iv) similarly prevented from providing primary medical, dental ophthalmic or pharmaceutical services elsewhere in the United Kingdom in circumstances corresponding to those set out in paragraphs (i) to (iii) in relation to England, and where you dispute whether a matter concerns your honesty or probity, that question, is to be determined by the Secretary of State.
(b) you have:
(i) within the previous five years been convicted in the United Kingdom of any criminal offence or been convicted elsewhere of any offence which, if committed in any part of the United Kingdom would constitute a criminal offence
(ii) as a consequence of that conviction, been sentenced to a sentence of imprisonment (whether suspended or not); and
(iii) neither the conviction has been quashed nor the sentence reduced to a sentence other than a sentence of imprisonment (whether suspended or not) on appeal
(c) you are the subject of a bankruptcy order within the meaning of section 381 of the Insolvency Act 1986, or of a bankruptcy restrictions order or an interim bankruptcy restrictions order under Schedule 4A to that Act, the subject of a debt relief restrictions order or an interim debt relief restrictions order under Schedule 4ZB to the Insolvency Act 1986, the subject of a bankruptcy restrictions order or an interim bankruptcy restrictions order under Schedule 2A to the Insolvency (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 or sequestration of your estate has been awarded and not recalled, or you are a debtor who has not been discharged within the meaning of the Bankruptcy (Scotland) Act 2016, or are the subject of a bankruptcy restrictions order or interim bankruptcy restrictions order under Part 13 of the Bankruptcy (Scotland) Act 2016 (bankruptcy restrictions orders and interim bankruptcy restriction orders).
You cannot hold the following positions whilst simultaneously acting as the chair of the Maternity and Newborn Safety Investigations Special Health Authority:
a) A member of the House of Commons.
b) Chair or non-executive director of an NHS Trust in England, or a chair, vice-chair or non-executive director of an NHS Trust in Wales
c) Chair or non-officer member of the NHS Counter Fraud Authority
d) Chair or non-officer member of the NHS Business Services Authority
For further advice please contact Rachael Onoghojobi on 0207 210 5742.

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 essential criteria for the role, set out in the advert, 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

We 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 additional 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

As this is an office holder 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. There is no automatic presumption of reappointment; each case should be considered on its own merits, taking into account a number of factors including, but not restricted to, the diversity of the current board and its balance of skills and experience. In most cases, 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 which are properly and necessarily incurred on official business, in line with the travel and subsistence policy and rates for the organisation to which you are applying. 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 the end of your term of appointment 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 the DHSC public appointments team in the first instance if you would like to make a complaint regarding your application at appointments.team@dhsc.gov.uk. 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 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 https://publicappointmentscommissioner.independent.gov.uk/regulating-appointments/investigating-complaints/

Data protection

The Cabinet Office will use your data in line with our privacy policy.
The DHSC privacy notice can be found at DHSC privacy notice - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Contact details

For further information regarding the role of the MNSI and the role of the Chair please contact:
For any queries about your application status or the selection process, please contact Rachael Onoghojobi in DHSC’s Public Appointments and Honours Unit: