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Role details

Education Workforce Council Appointment of members (6)

Application deadline 9 November 2022

Summary

• Organisation: Education Workforce Council
• Sponsor department: Welsh Government
• Location: Wales
• Sectors: Education
• Skills: Change Management
• Number of vacancies: 6
• Time commitment: 12 day(s) per annum
• Length of term: 4 years
• Application deadline: 4pm on 9 November 2022

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Timeline for this appointment

1. Opening date

   28 September 2022

2. Application deadline

   4pm on 9 November 2022

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the role

Role description

The Council consists of 14 members including the Chairperson. The Chairperson is elected from amongst its membership in accordance with the Education (Wales) Act 2014 and the Council’s Standing Orders. Members represent a range of interests of the education workforce in Wales. The Council sets the strategic direction for the EWC and is responsible for its governance.

Members of the Council are expected to bring independent judgement to bear on the Council’s strategy, performance and accountability. Members must act corporately in the interests of the Council which in turn acts in the wider interests of registered practitioners, learners and the public rather than in the interests of a particular constituency. Members should take decisions in the interest of the Council without favour to any organisation or association, whether educational or otherwise.

Members must always bear in mind the need for integrity in all they do. Members have corporate responsibility for ensuring that the Council complies with any statutory or administrative requirements for the use of public funds and its income from registration fees.

All members are expected to comply with the Code of Conduct and Best Practice for Council Members. In addition, as specified in paragraph 3(5) of Schedule 1 to the Education (Wales) Act 2014, members of the Council act as an individual and not as a representative of any organisation or body to which they belong, nor any person, organisation or body that nominated them.

Organisation description

What is the EWC?

The EWC is the independent professional regulator for the education workforce in Wales. With over 80,000 registrants, it is Wales’ largest regulatory body and has the widest register of education practitioners in the world.

The principal aims of the EWC are to:

• contribute to improving the standards of teaching and the quality of learning in Wales;

• maintain and improve standards of professional conduct amongst teachers and persons who support teaching and learning in Wales; and

• to safeguard the interests of learners, parents and the general public and maintain public trust and confidence in the education workforce.

What does the EWC do?

The EWC’s main functions are to:

• establish and maintain a Register of Education Practitioners.

• maintain a Code of Professional Conduct and Practice for the education workforce.

• investigate and hear allegations of unacceptable professional conduct, serious professional incompetence or relevant criminal offences that might call into question a registered practitioner's fitness to practise.

• accredit programmes of initial teacher education and monitor their compliance with national criteria.

• provide advice to the Welsh Government and others on matters related to the education workforce and teaching and learning.

• monitor induction and hear induction appeals (where applicable) for teachers.

• promote careers in the education workforce.

• undertake specific work in relation to teaching and learning at the request of the Welsh Government.

What is the role of the Council?

Individually, and as a collective, Council members are expected to:

• ensure that high standards of administration and decision making are observed at all times.

• establish the overall strategic direction of the Council by means of oversight of the production of the Strategic Plan.

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.

The essential criteria successful candidates will need to demonstrate to the selection panel are:

1. an understanding of the functions and strategic objectives of the EWC, and the priorities of its stakeholders.

2. the ability to read, digest and analyse documents and contribute to discussions at a strategic level.

3. effective communication, displaying the ability to listen, influence and challenge constructively.

4. the ability to build effective relationships and work as part of a team, fostering trust and confidence in colleagues.

5. a commitment to equality issues, identifying and challenging discriminatory practices.

6. an understanding of and empathy towards the Welsh language and a commitment to the Council’s compliance with the Welsh Language Standards.

7. a commitment to Nolan’s ‘Seven Principles of Public Life and the additional principles outlined in ‘The Conduct of Members (Principles) (Wales) Order 2001’.

The EWC is committed to promoting the Welsh language and adheres to the Welsh Language Standards. Therefore, it is desirable for applicants to possess Welsh language skills to undertake the duties of Council member.

Application and selection process

How to apply

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  [ADD CONTACT DETAILS]

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

To apply for this role, click on the ‘Apply’ button on the [1] 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: [2] 

PublicAppointments@gov.wales.

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

References

Visible links

1. https://cymru-wales.tal.net/vx/lang-en-GB/mobile-0/appcentre-3/brand-2/candidate/jobboard/vacancy/7/adv/

2. http://PublicAppointments@gov.wales.

Advisory Assessment Panel (AAP)

The selection panel will be chaired by Claire Horton, Welsh Government and will also comprise Angela Jardine, Chairperson EWC and David Pritchard, Social Care Wales as an Independent Panel Member. We anticipate that during November 2022 the panel will have decided who will be invited for interview in January 2023. It is our intention that interviews will take place online via Microsoft Teams.

Eligibility criteria

In order to comply with the requirements which govern the appointments to the EWC, that are set out in Regulation 5 of the Education Workforce Council (Appointments and Membership) (Wales) Regulations 2014, no person is eligible for appointment where: (a) the person is barred from regulated activity relating to children within the meaning of section 3(2) of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006;

(b) the person is prohibited from teaching by virtue of a direction under section 142(1)(a) of the Education Act 2002; (c) the person is prohibited from being employed as a teacher by virtue of a prohibition order under section 141B of the Education Act 2002; (d) a disciplinary order is made in respect of the person under Schedule 2 to the 1998 Act by virtue of which the person becomes ineligible for registration under section 3 of the 1998 Act; (e) a disciplinary order is made in respect of the person under section 26(3) of the 2014 Act by virtue of which the person becomes ineligible for registration under section 9 of the 1998 Act; (f) the person is disqualified from being employed as a teacher in any school by virtue of an order made— a. by an Independent Schools Tribunal under section 470 of the 1996 Act, or b. by the Secretary of State or the Welsh Ministers under section 471 of the 1996 Act; or (g) the person is ineligible for registration as a teacher, or disqualified from being a teacher in any school or further education institution in another part of the United Kingdom.

Security clearance

The successful candidate will be required to undertake Baseline Personnel Security Standard checks in line with the Civil Service guidelines. 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 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

Members will not be paid for their services but will be reimbursed for travel and subsistence costs incurred.

Council members who are self-employed or in contracted employment where additional cover is arranged 

by the employer (at an additional cost to them) may claim a fixed daily rate to facilitate the member’s release.

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 [1] publicappointments@gov.wales team in the first instance if you would like to make a complaint regarding your application at [2] 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 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.

Contact details

If you need further information regarding the selection process or need any assistance applying for these roles, including any reasonable adjustments to enable you to apply, please email publicappointments@gov.wales.

For further information regarding the Education Workforce Council and the role of its Council members please contact Hayden Llewellyn (EWC Chief Executive) or Beverley Curtis (EWC Corporate Governance Officer). They can be contacted via telephone (029 2046 0099) or email (corporate.governance@ewc.wales).