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Role details

Department for Health and Social Care - Non-Executive Directors

Application deadline 27 November 2022

Summary

• Organisation: DHSC Departmental Board
• Sponsor department: Department of Health and Social Care
• Location: Various
• Sectors: Health and Social Care
• Skills: Business
• Number of vacancies: 4
• Time commitment: 3 day(s) per month
• Remuneration: £15000 per annum
• Length of term: 3 years
• Application deadline: 6pm on 27 November 2022

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Timeline for this appointment

1. Opening date

   16 November 2022

2. Application deadline

   6pm on 27 November 2022

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the role

Introduction

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is seeking to appoint 4 non-executive board members. As a Non-Executive Board Member, the successful candidate will provide external advice and expertise, underpinned by consideration from an independent standpoint, which informs the Department's decision-making process.

The non-executive will:

• Sit on the Departmental board, chaired by the Secretary of State for the DHSC;

• Advise on performance and transformation, operational issues and the effective management of the Department;

• Provide independent scrutiny for the Department upon request;

• Advise on cross-government initiatives and policies;

• Advise and support on the operational implications and efficacy of policy proposals, focussing on getting policy translated into results;

• Work with senior officials and their offices to continue to improve Departmental performance;

• Have the financial acumen to ensure that Departmental finances are managed properly during a period of budget reductions;

• Bring commercial experience and expertise to the role – to be able to constructively challenge the board on issues pertaining to development of strategy and risks to its delivery;

• Have the professional credibility and authority to challenge DHSC leaders;

• Provide independent, constructive and insightful analysis of DHSC strategy and performance; and

• Be able to build relationships and offer mentoring, support and guidance to senior leaders in the department.

Policy will be decided by Ministers alone, with advice from officials. For more information on Departmental boards and government non-executives please see: Role of government non-executives and departmental boards - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Role description

Our Non-Executive Directors will offer a fresh perspective on our work, drawing on their skills and experience from a wide range of sectors both nationally and internationally. We are interested in people with diverse backgrounds with proven leadership experience in large scale delivery organisations in the private, public or voluntary sectors or with expertise in the clinical, life sciences or local government sector. If you believe you have the ability, experience and enthusiasm to join us we look forward to hearing from you.

As a NED of DHSC, you will participate in regular board activities and have a strong understanding of corporate governance and a commitment to the principles of public service, with the highest standards of personal propriety in relation to governance, accountability, risk and financial management. As the current NED Chair of our Audit and Risk Committee is stepping down next year, we would like to hear from applicants who would have an interest and the necessary skills to undertake that role also.

We are particularly interested to hear from applicants who can bring skills and experience in one or more of the following areas, though candidates with relevant experience in other areas will be considered for the posts:

Experience of local government or adult social care sectors to bring a perspective to the Board and support to the Department’s priorities to reform adult social care and improve health across some of the country’s most challenged communities.

Financial experience and expertise, to support the Department’s finance, audit and risk processes, and to be able to constructively challenge the board on issues such as commercial governance.

Experience within an NHS leadership setting to support the Department’s challenges to support frontline delivery and work to improve the public’s experience of the NHS.

Experience and from the life sciences sector to support the Department to deliver on its bold life sciences vision to deliver life-changing innovation in health care.

Organisation description

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is at the heart of delivering the Government’s priorities and supporting Ministers to enable everyone to live more independent, heathier lives for longer. The Secretary of State has clear priorities for the operational performance of the health and social care system, alongside the NHS Long Term Plan and Government Manifesto commitments.

Non-Executives attend the Departmental Board which meets quarterly and is chaired by the Secretary of State and attended by the Department’s most senior officials. The Board’s role is to bring independent advice, support and challenge to the Executive Team to help shape the Department’s work, particularly in terms of delivery.

Non-Executives are also expected to contribute to the work of Departments in the following areas:

• Independence: provide an independent perspective and assurance, including advice to the Permanent Secretary, on the capability of the Department. Provide independent support, guidance and challenge on the progress and implementation of the business plan

• Strategy: constructively challenge and contribute to the development of strategy and business planning, including the setting and development of key objectives and targets

• Performance: scrutinise the performance of the organisation in meeting agreed goals and objectives, and monitor the reporting of performance, including financial targets

• People: develop and encourage appropriate behaviours to maintain or improve the departmental people strategy, including ethical and directional issues such as diversity and senior jobholder moves

• Governance: satisfy themselves that governance, internal control and risk management systems are effective and capable of delivering relevant, accurate and timely management and financial information to the Board

• Support: the Board in developing skills and tools to help it engage with strategic issues in ways which have practical resonance;

• Connect: the Board to people and organisations who can provide different perspectives, opinions and expertise which will assist in furthering the business of the Department

• Specialist Responsibility: underpin, support and specialise in one or more areas of work, supplementing skills and experience already in place across Human Resources, Digital, Finance, Operations, Commercial, Risk and Policy.

Board composition

Policy will be decided by Ministers alone, with advice from officials. 

The DHSC Board is made up of a mixture of Non-Executive Directors, Ministers and Official. For more information on Departmental boards and government non-executives please see Our governance - Department of Health and Social Care - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

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.

• Previous Non-Executive Director experience on a public or private sector Board. 

• Significant experience of leading and supporting the development of strategy and business change across the public or private sectors. 

Desirable criteria

• Significant life sciences, local government, NHS Leadership and/or adult social care experience preferably with a track record of delivery in our most challenged communities
• Significant financial experience relevant to organisational financial controls, audit and risk.
• Experience of taking high level ideas, turning them into deliverable products or programmes; and monitoring delivery programmes to successful outcomes; 
• Ability to understand complex strategic issues quickly, and analyse and resolve difficult problems; 
• An understanding of the sectors and partners with which the Department operates, and their commercial drivers and; 
• An understanding of the key challenges faced by the public sector and the ability to bring experience to bear on these challenges; 
• An engaging and collaborative working style with the ability to adapt to a wide range of political and non-political partners; 
• A strong desire to support the successful delivery of the department core agenda; and
• The ability to contribute and inspire confidence with a wide range of stakeholders in both formal environments (such as Board meetings) and in less formal environments (such as one-to-one meetings with executives)

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 neds@dhsc.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

We will deal with your application as quickly as possible and will keep you informed at key stages.

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)

• Shona Dunn (DHSC Second Permanent Secretary), Panel Chair
• Kate Lampard (DHSC Lead NED), Representative of Organisation
• TBC, Independent Panel Member

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.

Eligibility criteria

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

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. 

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

If you need further advice, please email neds@dhsc.gov.uk

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 DHSC 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. 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. 

Status of appointment

As this is a Non-Executive Director position, 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 neds@dhsc.gov.uk in the first instance if you would like to make a complaint regarding your application. We 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 DHSC privacy notice can be found at DHSC privacy notice - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Contact details

Odgers Berndtson are assisting with the recruitment. For further information regarding the role of the DHSC Non-Executive Director please contact Carmel Gibbons.

Email: healthcare@odgersberndtson.com

For any queries about your application status or the selection process, please email neds@dhsc.gov.uk

Attachments

• Monitoring form

• NED Role specification

• NED Role advert