Role details

Home Office Non-Executive Director

Application deadline 24 April 2023

Page contents:

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

Summary

Organisation: Home Office Departmental Board
Sponsor department: Home Office
Location: London
Sectors: Judicial, Prisons & Policing
Skills: Legal, Judicial
Number of vacancies: 1
Time commitment: 3 day(s) per month
Remuneration: £15000 per annum
Length of term: Three years
Application deadline: 11:59pm on 24 April 2023

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Timeline for this appointment

Application deadline

11:59pm on 24 April 2023
Sifting date

5 May 2023
Interviews expected to end on

5 June 2023

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the role

Introduction

The Home Office is one of the great departments of state and is the lead for immigration and passports, drugs policy, crime, fire, counterterrorism, and police. Our objectives are to keep the country safe and our citizens secure; cut crime and the harm it causes, including cyber-crime and serious and organised crime. We manage civil emergencies and protect vulnerable people and communities by reducing terrorism and controlling migration. We provide world-class public services, and contribute to prosperity by seeking to maximise the benefits of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union.

Role description

The Non-Executive Directors will:

· Support the Secretary of State in her role as chair of the Home Office Departmental Board, enabling the Board to provide advice, support, and challenge on Departmental delivery and strategy.

· Constructively challenge and contribute to the development of strategy and business planning, including the setting and development of key objectives and targets.

· Work with the Permanent Secretaries and their Executive Team to scrutinise the performance of the organisation in meeting agreed goals and objectives, and monitor the reporting of performance, including financial targets.

· Support the delivery of a portfolio of departmental priorities by providing independent scrutiny, support and assurance.

· Attend approximately four Departmental Board meetings per year, and contribute effectively to its subcommittees, as required.

· 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.

· Follow the Seven Principles of Public Life set out by the Nolan Committee on Standards in Public Life.

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

· Board Level senior operational leadership experience, as an Executive/C-Suite member in large and complex organisations with a specific focus on delivery, ideally in digital, data and technology; automation and efficiency; transformation; operational delivery; or Audit and Risk Assurance.

· 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;

· 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; and

A strong desire to support the successful delivery of the Department’s core agenda

Desirable criteria

· Proven record of leading complex transformation programmes, including experience of process and systems transformation.

· An understanding of how government works, including the role of Departmental Boards, and of the role of NEDs in relation to those of executives and Ministers.

· Audit, Risk and Assurance Experience at a senior level.

· Experience within the digital and / or data sector.

· Knowledge of relevant policy areas, including one or more of migration, crime and policing, national security, and the housing sector (including planning policy and the planning system).

· Legal expertise.

· Strategic communications experience.

Application and selection process

How to apply

In order to apply you will need to provide:

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;
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;
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;
Disability Confident – If you want to be considered for the disability confident scheme, If you want to be considered for the disability confident scheme, please complete the form in Annex B. It is not necessary to state the nature of your disability. Whether you choose to apply under the Disability Confident scheme or not, you can still ask us to make particular arrangements for you when attending an interview. You can also contact us if you want to discuss the criteria for the role or have questions regarding your application. Applicants who meet the minimum criteria in the job specification are guaranteed an interview. Selection will be on merit.
Reasonable adjustments - requests for reasonable adjustments that you would like to the application process (if applicable);

Completed applications should be submitted to HOBoardSecretariat@homeoffice.gov.uk with '

HOME OFFICE NED RECRUITMENT 2023’

in the email title field.

Overview of the application process

This role is being completed in accordance with the Government’s Governance Code on Public Appointments , which sets out the regulatory framework for public appointments processes. The Code is based on three core principles – merit, openness and fairness.

The competition will be chaired by Matthew Rycroft (Permanent Secretary), who will ensure the appointments are made in accordance with the Code.

The Home Office Board Secretariat Team will acknowledge your application on behalf of the Home Office and keep you updated on the progress of the competition.

At the short-listing meeting, the panel will assess each application against the essential criteria and decide who to recommend for interview with the Secretary of State.

Interviews are expected to take place in Central London and to last for between 30 and 45 minutes. Further details about the format will be provided to you in advance.

The decision to appoint this role rests with the Home Secretary. Appointable candidates will be invited to meet with the Home Secretary before she makes a final decision.

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 HOBoardSecretariat@homeoffice.gov.uk

Security clearance

The successful candidates will be required to have or to obtain security clearance to Security Check (SC) level. Pre-appointment checks will also be undertaken on immigration and criminal convictions. The role will be offered on a conditional basis until the successful candidate has passed all checks. 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:

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

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. If re-appointed, 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 Travel and subsistence expenses incurred on Panel business.

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 Home Office public appointments team in the first instance if you would like to make a complaint regarding your application at publicappointments@homeoffice.gov.uk They will acknowledge your complaint upon receipt and respond within 20 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.

https://papt-candidate-packs-live.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/Home-Office-Privacy-Notice-Final.pdf

Contact details

If you have any questions about the appointments process, contact publicappointments@homeoffice.gov.uk or you have any queries about any aspect of this role, or merely wish to have an informal discussion, then please contact the Home Office Board Secretariat team HOBoardSecretariat@homeoffice.gov.uk

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