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Role details

Member of the Independent Reconfiguration Panel

Application deadline 11 July 2023

Summary

• Organisation: Independent Reconfiguration Panel
• Sponsor department: Department of Health and Social Care
• Location: Various
• Sectors: Health and Social Care
• Skills: Communication, Casework and Complaints Handling
• Number of vacancies: 6
• Time commitment: 2 day(s) per month
• Remuneration: £300 per day
• Length of term: Ministers will determine the length of the appointment, which will be up to 2 or 3 years.
• Application deadline: 11:59am on 11 July 2023

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Timeline for this appointment

1. Opening date

   12 June 2023

2. Application deadline

   11:59am on 11 July 2023

3. Sifting date

   21 July 2023

4. Interviews expected to end on

   10 September 2023

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the role

Introduction from the Chair

Dear candidate,  

Thank you for your interest in becoming a member of the Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP). 

As an advisory public body, the IRP is committed to providing independent, expert advice to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and others on effective NHS service change in England. 

Since 2003 we have provided advice on a vast range of proposals across the healthcare system and I am proud of our reputation as a trusted source of impartial advice to support health ministers in their decision making so that the quality and sustainability of care for patients can be improved.

We are a diverse and inclusive panel and welcome applications from a broad range of talented individuals with a proven track record of experience in either nursing or healthcare management and leadership. 

We are looking to appoint members who can demonstrate sound judgement with excellent communication skills and knowledge of the issues involved in complex service change in order to form recommendations based on an analysis of the evidence.

This is an exciting time to be joining the IRP. The Health and Care Act (2022) provided new intervention powers for the Secretary of State to call in and make decisions on reconfiguration proposals. The IRP will build on existing good practice to help inform this new process and we may see increased demand from ministers for our expert advice.

If you are passionate about health and have the skills, knowledge and experience we are looking for, we very much look forward to receiving an application from you.

Best wishes,

Professor Sir Norman Williams

Chair of the Independent Reconfiguration Panel

Role description

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care is looking to make new appointments to the Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP) to include two clinical members with either nursing or secondary care experience and up to four managerial members.

As an IRP member you will work with the Chair and Panel members to:

• collectively review proposals for changes to health services in England and provide independent expert advice and recommendations to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care; 

• consider complex written evidence with the potential for site visits to local NHS services and oral evidence hearings with stakeholders if required; 

• provide informal advice on service change to the NHS, local authorities and other interested parties upon request to promote best practice; 

• maintain the reputation of the IRP as a trusted source of independent advice with a commitment to the values of equality, diversity and inclusion; and 

• keep up to date with national strategies and ministerial priorities for the Department of Health and Social Care which may impact on reconfiguration policy such as the New Hospitals Programme.

Organisation description

The Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP) is an advisory non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care to provide formal advice to health ministers on proposals for NHS service change in England.

The IRP is led by the Chair, Professor Sir Norman Williams, who is supported by a Panel of 15 members made up of experienced clinicians, senior managers and lay representatives, with wide-ranging skills, knowledge and expertise, including an understanding of the difficult trade-offs involved in complex service change and a commitment to integrity and the principles of public service.

The current Local Authority Regulations (2013) require NHS organisations to consult local authorities on any proposals under consideration for substantial changes to local health services. A local authority may contest a proposal by making a referral to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care who may in turn request formal advice from the IRP before making a decision on whether the proposal may proceed.

This is a significant time to join the IRP. The Health and Care Act (2022) provided new powers for the Secretary of State to intervene at any point of the reconfiguration process and will retain the role of the IRP as a trusted independent and authoritative source of advice to ministers to support their decision making.

The IRP also offers ongoing informal support and guidance to the NHS, local authorities and other interested parties on achieving successful service change to ensure that decisions about reconfigurations are sustainable and result in improved services for patients.

Further information about the structure, role and work of the IRP can be found on our website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/independent-reconfiguration-panel 

IRP code of practice 

The IRP code of practice is available at  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/irp-code-of-practice/irp-code-of-practice   

Board composition

The Panel meets six times a year on the second Tuesday of January, March, May, July, September and November. Additional meetings are arranged on an ad hoc basis for members to review casework and provide formal advice to ministers. Members are expected to have sufficient availability to commit at least one to two days a month to the work of the IRP, although this may vary dependent on caseload.

Currently most meetings take place virtually on Microsoft Teams with an annual face to face meeting requiring travel to London.

Our governance - Independent Reconfiguration Panel - 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

Ministers are seeking to make 6 appointments to the Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP). 

The membership of the IRP is equally drawn from three groups: Clinical, Managerial and Lay.  To be considered, you must be able to demonstrate that you have the knowledge, skills and experience to meet all the essential criteria for appointment.

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: 

• knowledge and experience of the issues and trade-offs involved in complex service change and transformation;

• the ability to critically analyse lengthy and possibly contradictory detailed evidence, often to short deadlines;

• sound judgement and decision-making skills to formulate recommendations with difficult compromises, including those in which all parties may be dissatisfied with the outcome; and

• excellent communication skills with the ability to constructively challenge and build consensus in Panel discussions.

In addition, candidates should also meet the following essential criteria from one of the relevant membership groups: 

Clinical member – secondary care

• A fully qualified specialist consultant working in the NHS with a high calibre background in clinical and service issues relating to one or more of the following: urgent and emergency care; obstetrics and gynaecology; or another acute medical or surgical specialty.

Clinical member – nurse

• A registered nurse currently or recently employed in the NHS at consultant or more senior level, with a high calibre background in clinical and service issues relating to one or more of the following: general acute services and care of the elderly; specialist acute services; and/or women’s and children’s services.

Managerial member: 

• High calibre experience in healthcare management, ideally currently or recently employed in the NHS at chief executive or director level. You are likely to have experience in managing complex service change and offer skills in service redesign, major business cases, change management and public consultation.

Application and selection process

How to apply

The Department of Health and Social Care’s Honours and ALB Public Appointments Unit is managing this recruitment campaign.  

In order to apply, you will need to create an account or sign in on the “Apply for a public appointment” website.

Once you are logged into your account, click on 'apply for this role' and follow the on-screen instructions.  To apply, all candidates are required to provide:

• a Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• a Supporting Statement
• equality information
• information relating to any outside interests or reputational issues

Guidance on what to include in your CV/Supporting Statement and tips for applying can be found in the corresponding sections below and on the public appointment website: Public appointments - GOV.UK. 

We will ask you to check and confirm your personal details to ensure your application is accurate. 

You will also have the opportunity to make a reasonable adjustment request or apply under the disability confident scheme before you submit your application.

You will also be required to make any declarations related to standards in public life and ensuring public confidence in your Supporting Statement.  Further information on this can be found in the relevant section below.

If you are unable to create an account and apply online, or if you have any problems submitting your application online, please contact Daniel Clemence on 0113 2545335

Applications must be received by midday on Tuesday 11 July 2023.

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.

In completing an application, please firstly note the following in relation to:

• Disqualification from appointment
• Outside interests and reputational issues: Conflicts of interest
• Outside interests and reputational issues: Political Activity and social media
• Standards in public life and ensuring public confidence.

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)

The panel will include: 

• Jason Yiannikkou, DHSC senior sponsor as the panel chair

• Sir Norman Williams, Chair of IRP as a panel member

• Philippa Helme, former senior leader in the House of Commons Service, as the 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 Daniel.Clemence@dhsc.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. These are:

1. Selflessness - Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest.
2. Integrity - Holders of public office must avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence them in their work. They should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends. They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.
3. Objectivity - Holders of public office must act and take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias.
4. Accountability - Holders of public office are accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and must submit themselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure this.
5. Openness - Holders of public office should act and take decisions in an open and transparent manner. Information should not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for so doing.
6. Honesty - Holders of public office should be truthful.
7. Leadership - Holders of public office should exhibit these principles in their own behaviour and treat others with respect. They should actively promote and robustly support the principles and challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs.

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

The IRP Members are remunerated at a rate of £300 per day for a time commitment of one to two days per month.

Remuneration for this role is treated as employment income and will be subject to tax and National Insurance contributions, both of which will be deducted at source under PAYE before you are paid. 

You can claim reimbursement for reasonable travel and subsistence costs which are properly and necessarily incurred on official business, in line with the travel and subsistence policy and rates for the organisation to which you are applying. However these payments are taxable as earnings and will be subject to tax and national insurance, both of which will be deducted at source under PAYE before you are paid.  

Pension and redundancy

This is an office holder appointment and does not attract any benefits under any Civil Service Pension Scheme. You will not be eligible for redundancy pay as you are not an employee. No other arrangements have been made for compensation upon the end of your term of appointment because an office holder who is appointed for a limited duration would have no expectation of serving beyond that period.

Application feedback

We will notify you of the status of your application. We regret that we are only able to offer detailed feedback to candidates who have been unsuccessful at the interview stage.

How to complain

We aim to process all applications as quickly as possible and to treat all applicants with courtesy.

Please contact the DHSC ALB public appointments team in the first instance if you would like to make a complaint regarding your application at appointments.team@dhsc.gov.uk

They will acknowledge your complaint upon receipt and respond within 15 working days.

How to complain to Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA)

If you are not content with the appointing department’s response you may wish to further complain to the Commissioner at publicappointments@csc.gov.ukFurther information on how the Commissioner handles complaints can be found on the Commissioner for Public Appointments’ website https://publicappointmentscommissioner.independent.gov.uk/regulating-appointments/investigating-complaints/

Data protection

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

The DHSC privacy notice can be found at DHSC privacy notice - GOV.UK.

Contact details

For further information regarding the role of the IRP and the role of a member please contact:

Richard Jeavons, IRP Chief Executive

Tel: 07768 884056

Email: Richard.Jeavons@dhsc.gov.uk 

Attachments

• IRP Candidate Information Pack