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Appointment details

Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) x4 Members

Summary

• Organisation: Sports Grounds Safety Authority
• Sponsor department: Department for Culture, Media and Sport
• Location: London
• Sectors: Culture, Media & Sport
• Skills: Audit and Risk, International Experience, Legal, Regulation
• Number of vacancies: 4
• Time commitment: 1 day per annum
• Remuneration: £265 per day
• Length of term: 3 years
• Application deadline: 7pm on 18 November 2022

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Timeline for this appointment

1. Opening date

   21 October 2022

2. Application deadline

   7pm on 18 November 2022

3. Sifting date

   2 December 2022

4. Interviews expected to end on

   12 January 2023

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the appointment

Introduction

The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is seeking to appoint 4 members of the SGSA Board to replace current Board Members as their terms of office come to an end.  Applications are welcomed from underrepresented groups to ensure the Sports Ground Safety Authority reflects the diverse society it serves.

Appointment description

The Board is the principal governing body within the organisation. As such, it is responsible for:

1. establishing and taking forward the strategic aims and objectives of the SGSA within its regulatory framework and policy framework determined by the Secretary of State;

2. establishing and taking forward the strategic aims and objectives of the SGSA within its regulatory framework and policy framework determined by the Secretary of State;

3. overseeing, and holding to account, the day to day leadership of the organisation;

4. ensuring that adequate governance, audit and control systems are in place to ensure statutory and administrative requirements are met, including that the SGSA operates within its statutory authority and delegated authority given by DCMS, in accordance with any other conditions relating to the use of public funds; and that, in reaching decisions, the Board takes into account guidance issued by DCMS; 

5. monitoring, and ensuring the effective management of risk, including reputational risk, communicating these with DCMS; 

6. ensuring that the responsible minister is kept informed of any changes which are likely to impact on the strategic direction of the SGSA Board or on the attainability of its targets, and determining the steps needed to deal with such changes; 

maintaining adequate oversight of the organisation's activities, in particular its finances, to ensure that public money is spent with probity in accordance with government policy and guidelines and that bribery and corruption are prevented; and appointing with the responsible minister or Prime Minister’s approval a Chief Executive and, in consultation with the department, set performance objectives and remuneration terms linked to these objectives for the Chief Executive which give due weight to the proper management and use and utilisation of public resources.

1. Assisting the Chair in ensuring that the SGSA fulfils its current responsibilities as defined in the Management Agreement with DCMS; and

2. Assisting the Chair in delivering the SGSA’s statutory objectives. Board Members may also take on additional responsibilities such as membership of the Audit and Risk Committee.

Organisation description

The SGSA is the safety regulator for football grounds in England and Wales and the UK Government’s independent advisor on sports grounds safety.  The Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) was established by statute as an Arms Length Public Body in 2011 taking on the full responsibilities of its predecessor body, The Football Licensing Authority.  

The three core functions of the SGSA are:

1. To issues licenses to league and international football grounds in England and Wales to allow them to permit spectators to watch matches and to oversee local authorities in their duties to sports ground safety and safety certification

2. Provide strategic support for sports grounds, governing bodies and others, both in the UK and internationally

3. Set and raise standards globally through developing guidance, particularly the Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds (Green Guide)

The SGSA is funded by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) with an annual budget of £1.9m (2020/21) which includes £1.5m of grant in aid and employs 20 staff, of which 13 are regionally based inspectors, led by its CEO Martyn Henderson. 

The Board of the SGSA comprises of a Chair and eight Board members appointed by the Secretary of State.  

The SGSA enforces the Government’s All Seater Policy introduced in 1994 for the top two tiers of the Football League which was introduced as a result of the inquiry led by Lord Justice Taylor following the Hillsborough tragedy. Following a 2019 manifesto commitment to introduce safe standing, the SGSA is working closely with DCMS officials, football bodies and fans to implement this historic change.     

Strategic Goals

SGSA’s core purpose is to ensure that everyone can enjoy sport safely and it aims to improve the safety of the sports sector, both domestically and internationally.  The SGSA has developed a reputation as the leading expert on stadia safety and, in addition to its work as an effective regulator of football stadia in England and Wales, is now working with a wide range of sports across the globe. The SGSA’s aims for the 2020-25 strategic plan period are:

1. Continuously improve its performance as the safety regulator for football grounds in England and Wales. The first priority will be to fulfil its regulatory remit, as set by the UK’s Parliament. Advances in stadium technology, resourcing challenges across safety partners, the governance within the domestic game, and the threat from terrorism mean that the SGSA’s role is more important than ever. To deliver this the SGSA will: 

1. Develop and maintain a robust evidence base

2. Make targeted and risk-based use of its statutory powers

3. Identify and promote good practice, including through dissemination of world-leading guidance.

4. Improve the training and qualifications available to the sector

2. Raise the profile and status of sports grounds safety in the UK and internationally.  As a national regulator the SGSA encourages and facilitates collaboration and cooperation between governing bodies, clubs, local authorities, emergency services and fans. The SGSA delivers long term safety campaigns and champions the work of the sports ground safety sector.

3. Become the strategic safety partner of choice for governments, sports governing bodies and the organisers of major events. The SGSA is in a unique position to operate across many disciplines to ensure safety is considered at a strategic level.

4. Improve efficiency and performance as a non departmental public body. The SGSA is a small organisation and therefore must be lean and efficient in its operations to both discharge its statutory duties and meet the growing demand for services.

This year the SGSA has already supported the delivery of a successful and safe 2022 Commonwealth Games. The SGSA has also published an independent evaluation of licensed safe standing in seated areas. Priorities for the remainder of 2022 will be:

• Once completed, to work with DCMS and others to implement the recommendations from the review of SGSA currently being undertaken.

• Work in partnership across the sector to address systemic issues relating to stewarding.

• Support the UK Government and the five national Football Associations in the 2028 EURO bid.

The SGSA is embarking upon an exciting and challenging period both at home and abroad and the Secretary of State is seeking four new Non Executive Directors to support the Chair and CEO to deliver on this ambitious strategy. We welcome candidates from diverse backgrounds who can apply their experiences to these demanding roles.

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

All candidates will need to demonstrate in their application that they meet the following essential criteria:

• An understanding of and commitment to the objectives of the SGSA, and the principles of spectator safety and security in sports, particularly in relation to football;

• An understanding of the governance structures in sport; 

• The ability to think strategically at board-level, exercise sound judgement, represent their own area of expertise in the full range of board discussions; 

• A collegiate approach and understanding of the challenges of working in/with a small organisation;

• An understanding of corporate governance within the public sector;  and

• A commitment to improving opportunities for people throughout the UK and access to and engagement with as wide a range of people as possible including people from low socio-economic backgrounds.

Additional criteria

In addition to the essential criteria outlined above, candidates for individual Board roles must also be able to demonstrate one or more of the following additional criteria:

• Senior level legal experience, preferably in licencing law;

• Senior level safety management experience, preferably including crowd management;

• Senior level experience within a sports body;

• Senior level experience within the emergency services or health and safety sector; or

• Senior level experience in a financial role, including effective oversight of audit, risk and compliance.

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 publicappointments@dcms.gov.uk

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 Advisory Assessment Panel for this campaign will be:

• Adam Conant, DCMS Chair and Head of Sports - Government Official
• Derek Wilson, SGSA Chair - ALB Representative
• Camilla Poulton - Independent Panel Member (IPM)

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 joseph.cox@dcms.gov.uk.

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 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 DCMS public appointments team in the first instance if you would like to make a complaint regarding your application at joseph.cox@dcms.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 Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) controls the information you provide in your application for a Public Appointment role. 

All information provided will be processed in compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and the General Data Protection Regulation and used to progress the relevant public appointment campaign. 

DCMS will not disclose any information you provide unless required to do so in accordance with ‘access to information regimes’ (these are primarily the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004).  

Applicant details will not be shared outside of the Public Appointments process ahead of a potential Public Appointment announcement of the successful candidate/s. 

Data provided by applicants to Public Appointments may be shared with the Cabinet Office. This is in order to comply with the legal obligation required by the Governance Code of Public Appointments under article 3.1 of the Public Appointments Order in Council 2106.  

Other potential recipients of data within scope of the Public Appointments process include the Advisory Assessment Panel (AAP) for each campaign, the Arms Length Body to which the role/s and campaign relates, the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA), the Prime Minister’s Office, The Palace (if a King’s appointment) and the Privy Council (if Privy Council approval is required).

Anonymised diversity data for Public Appointment applicants and appointees will also be shared with Cabinet Office and OCPA in order to meet the public equality duty as set out in section 149 of the Equality Act 2010.

Due diligence will also be undertaken for applicants shortlisted for interview.  Applicants should expect this to include searches for public statements and social media, blogs or any other publicly available information.

Your information will be retained by the Department for two years from the date the information is received after which it will be destroyed.

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

Contact details

If you have any questions regarding your application or the process please contact joseph.cox@dcms.gov.uk.

Attachments

• Declaration of Conflicts of Interest Form