Role details

Gambling Commission 6x Commissioners

Application deadline 20 February 2023

Page contents:

Summary
About the role
Person specification
Application and selection process
Additional information for candidates
Attachments

Summary

Organisation: Gambling Commission
Sponsor department: Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Location: West Midlands
Sectors: Culture, Media & Sport
Skills: Accountancy, Business, Commercial, Communication, Human Resources, Technology / Digital, Legal, Regulation, Transformation
Number of vacancies: 6
Time commitment: Adhoc
Remuneration: £295 per day
Length of term: 4 - 5 years
Application deadline: 5pm on 20 February 2023

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Timeline for this appointment

Opening date

16 January 2023
Application deadline

5pm on 20 February 2023
Sifting date

7 March 2023
Interviews expected to end on

25 April 2023

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the role

Introduction

The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is seeking to appoint six new Commissioners to the Gambling Commission.

This process will seek to appoint six candidates, including three with expert experience in one of the following fields:

Consumer Protection and Insight
Data Science and Digital Innovation
Law Enforcement

DCMS is committed to eliminating discrimination and advancing equality of opportunity in its public appointments. We particularly encourage applicants from underrepresented groups, those based outside London and the South-East and applicants who have achieved success through non-traditional educational routes. This ensures that boards of public bodies benefit from a full range of diverse perspectives and are representative of the people they serve.

Role description

Under the leadership of the Chair, the Commissioners have responsibility for (in summary):

Ensuring that the Gambling Commission fulfils its statutory objectives and duties;
Ensuring that any statutory or administrative requirements for the use of public funds are complied with;
Setting the overarching strategy for the organisation and making strategically significant decisions;
Setting organisational risk appetite and ensuring a framework for effective identification and mitigation of top risks;
Ensuring that the Board receives and reviews regular information and data concerning the management of the Commission;
Setting the overarching stakeholder engagement strategy;
Demonstrating high standards of corporate governance at all times.

Commissioners are expected to commit one day per week on average, with sufficient flexibility to cope with variations of workload. This will include attending Board meetings at the Commission’s Birmingham office. Commissioners will also be asked to serve as members of Board sub-committees.

The Commission are committed to a diverse board, able to draw on a wide range of experience, and would welcome applications from across the UK.

Organisation description

The Gambling Commission was set up under the Gambling Act 2005 to regulate commercial gambling in Great Britain. Since 2013, the Commission also regulates the UK’s National Lottery under the National Lottery etc Act 1993. The Commission is an independent non‐departmental public body (NDPB) sponsored by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

The Commission has over 300 staff, mostly based in Birmingham but embracing hybrid working post-pandemic.

The Commission’s work in respect of commercial gambling is funded by fees, paid by around 2,800 operators that it licences. The British commercial gambling industry generates a gross gambling yield of £14.1bn per year.

The Commission is also responsible for licensing and regulating the UK’s National Lottery. Since launching in 1994, National Lottery players have collectively raised more than £45bn for 660,000 good causes across the UK, transforming lives and contributing to the arts, sport, heritage and communities.

In addition, the Commission regulates society and other lotteries, with a number of major charities and public organisations now running lotteries to contribute to fund-raising activity.

The Commission’s activities in relation to the commercial sector are driven by the three licensing objectives in the Gambling Act 2005:

Keep crime out of gambling
Ensure that gambling is conducted fairly and openly
Protect children and other vulnerable people from being harmed or exploited by gambling.

The Commission’s activities in relation to the National Lottery are driven by the overriding duties in the National Lottery etc Act 1993:

That the National Lottery is run, and every lottery that forms part of it, is promoted with all due propriety
That the interests of every participant in a lottery that forms part of the National Lottery are protected
Subject to those duties, that the net proceeds of the National Lottery are as great as possible.

The Commission’s current strategic priorities

The gambling sector in Great Britain is constantly changing. Changes in consumer behaviour and the rapid growth of technology mean that it never stands still for long. It is a uniquely challenging environment.

The Commission’s Strategy 2021-2024 presents a vision of a gambling market that is safer and fairer for consumers. The strategy focuses on ﬁve key objectives:

Protecting children and vulnerable people from being harmed by gambling
A fairer market and more informed consumers
Keeping crime out of gambling
Optimise returns to good causes from the National Lottery
Improving gambling regulation

Drawing from the strategic objectives, current priorities include:

Responding appropriately and effectively to the Gambling Act Review
Managing a smooth transition from the 3rd to the 4th National Lottery Licence
Continuing to drive improvements in consumer protection and prevention of harm, and evaluating the impact and success of changes already introduced
Combatting illegal gambling

Board composition

The Board currently comprises 6 Commissioners including the Chair, Marcus Boyle.

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

An understanding of the policy and/or legislative environment within which a regulator such as the Gambling Commission operates;
Evidence of working as part of a team towards a shared goal, including ability to make a strong personal contribution;
The ability to analyse complex material and take well-reasoned decisions;
A commitment to improving opportunities for people throughout the UK and access to people from a diverse range of backgrounds.

The Gambling Commission is seeking at least three general members as well as candidates with expert experience in the following fields: Consumer Protection and Insight; Data Science and Digital Innovation; and Law Enforcement. When submitting your application please indicate which role you are applying for.

Consumer Protection and Insight: Applicants for the Consumer Protection and Insight role must demonstrate their experience of engagement with consumer groups research and/or enforcing consumer rights.

Data Science and Digital Innovation: Applicants for the Data Science and Digital Innovation role must demonstrate experience of using data for compliance or performance management in a regulated sector.

Law Enforcement: Applicants for the Law Enforcement role must demonstrate expert knowledge and experience in criminal investigations.

Desirable criteria

General Members

Expertise or experience in the following fields would be desirable for general members

Corporate experience in a regulated sector
Regulatory experience
Improving financial effectiveness and assurance
Communications and Public Affairs
Stakeholder Management
Human Resources
Supporting organisational change

Data Science and Digital Innovation: Experience delivering digital innovation, particularly in the financial or entertainment sector.

Law Enforcement: Knowledge or experience addressing gambling-related crime, financial crime and/or money laundering.

Application and selection process

How to apply

To apply, please send:

A CV of no more than two sides of A4; this should provide details of your education and qualifications, employment history, directorships, membership of professional bodies and details of any publications or awards;
A supporting statement setting out how you meet the criteria for appointment, as set out in the person specification for the role;
Information relating to any outside interests or reputational issues; please complete the attached Declaration of Conflicts of Interest Form
Diversity monitoring information - please follow this link. 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;
Disability Confident – please state if you want to be considered for the disability confident scheme;
Reasonable adjustments - requests for reasonable adjustments that you would like to the application process (if applicable);

Completed applications should be sent to: publicappointments@dcms.gov.uk. Please put ‘Gambling Commission Application’ in the subject line and specify which of the roles you are interested in.

If you have any questions about the appointments process, please contact Fi Darcy at fiona.darcy@dcms.gov.uk or publicappointments@dcms.gov.uk.

If you would like to speak about the role itself, please contact Helen Child at the Gambling Commission at hchild@gamblingcommission.gov.uk.

DCMS is unable to provide feedback at the shortlist stage due to the volume of applications we receive. Feedback can be provided if requested to candidates following the interview stage.

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

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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)

Ben Dean - Director of Sport, Gambling and Ceremonials - Panel Chair
Marcus Boyle - Chair of Gambling Commission - Representative of Organisation
Yasmin Diamond, CB - EVP Global Corporate Affairs at IHG - 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 a public appointment.

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

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

You cannot be considered for a public appointment if:

you are disqualified from acting as a company director (under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986);
have an unspent conviction on your criminal record;
your estate has been sequestrated in Scotland or you enter into a debt arrangement programme under Part 1 of the Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Act 2002 (asp 17) as the debtor or have, under Scots law, granted a trust deed for creditors.

When you apply, you should declare if:

you are, or have been, bankrupt or you have made an arrangement with a creditor at any point, including the dates of this.
you are subject to a current police investigation.

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

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

If you need further advice, please contact publicappointments@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 please state in your email please if you want to be considered for the disability confident 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. These are:

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;
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;
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;
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;
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;
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;
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.

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

Please see the attached documents for the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport's privacy policy.

Contact details