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Role details

The Corporation of Trinity House - Non-Executive Director

Application deadline 2 June 2023

Summary

• Organisation: Trinity House
• Sponsor department: Department for Transport
• Location: London
• Sectors: Transport
• Skills: Accountancy
• Number of vacancies: 1
• Time commitment: Adhoc
• Remuneration: £18938 per annum
• Length of term: 3 Years
• Application deadline: 5pm on 2 June 2023

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Timeline for this appointment

1. Opening date

   8 May 2023

2. Application deadline

   5pm on 2 June 2023

3. Sifting date

   26 June 2023

4. Interviews expected to end on

   5 September 2023

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the role

Introduction

Trinity House is a charity dedicated to safeguarding shipping and seafarers, providing education, support and welfare to the seafaring community. The Corporation’s vision is to be a key influencing UK maritime charity promoting the safeguarding of shipping and seafarers.

The Corporation is the General Lighthouse Authority (GLA) for England, Wales, Gibraltar and the Channel Islands. Trinity House’s GLA remit is financed by advances made by the Department for Transport, from the General Lighthouse Fund, whose principal income is from Light Dues levied on ships using ports in the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man and the Republic of Ireland. These advances, based on the annual cash requirements of Trinity House, finance both revenue and capital expenditure

Role description

This role is a non-executive voting member of Trinity House’s Lighthouse Board and an Associate Member of the

Corporation. The position contributes to the corporate governance and leadership of Trinity House through providing

support, knowledge and expertise to Executive Directors. Specifically, this role includes chairing the Lighthouse Board’s

Audit and Risk Assurance Committee. The successful individual is appointed to the Lighthouse Board by the Court of

Trinity House, on the nomination of the Secretary of State for Transport. The Board encourages applicants from outside

the maritime sector.

The main functions of this position are:

•  Taking a keen interest in the role, organisation, activities and the people of Trinity House
• Providing advice and guidance to the Executive across the range of the responsibilities of the Lighthouse Board
• Adding value and wider experience to the Board by providing a fresh, impartial viewpoint
• Contributing to, and bringing an independent judgment to bear on issues of policy, strategy, resources and standards of conduct
• Offering constructive criticism and challenge to the Executive to ensure that all aspects of strategy and delivery of policy are scrutinised for effectiveness and efficiency
• Being involved in scrutinising and assessing the performance and progress against agreed corporate objectives and targets
• Maintaining a critical overview of the organisation’s financial controls and the integrity of financial information 
•  Being a member, or Chair, as required by the Board, of the Nominations & Governance Committee and the Executive Directors’ Remuneration Committee
•  If required by the Board, being the Chair or a member of the General Lighthouse Authorities' Joint Strategic Board and/or the Department for Transport’s Investment Committee
• If required by the Board, acting as Senior Independent Director and Deputy Chair of the Board.

All Secretary of State for Transport nominations for Trinity House must comply with the Governance Code set out by the

Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments. (December 2016) (“the Code”). All appointees will be expected to

observe the Principles of Public Appointments:

•  Ministerial Responsibility
• Selflessness
•  Integrity
•  Merit
• Openness
•  Diversity
• Assurance
•  Fairness

Organisation description

Trinity House is a charity dedicated to safeguarding shipping and seafarers, providing education, support and

welfare to the seafaring community with a statutory duty, under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1995 to be the

General Lighthouse Authority for England and Wales, the Channel Islands, Gibraltar and waters to the outer

limit of the Exclusive Economic Zone. The Corporation’s vision is to be a key influencing UK maritime charity

promoting the safeguarding of shipping and seafarers.

The Corporation of Trinity House was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1514, to regulate pilotage on the River Thames and

provide for aged mariners. A Charter of Confirmation was granted in 1685 and although supplemental Charters were

granted for specific purposes between 1870 and 2022, the 1685 Charter remains the Corporation’s principal governing

document.

The Corporation is the General Lighthouse Authority (GLA) for England, Wales and the Channel Islands. As such it is one of

three GLAs covering the United Kingdom and Ireland whose functions are carried out under powers given by the

Merchant Shipping Acts. However, the funding, operations and management of these statutory functions are entirely

separate from those of the Corporation’s charity undertakings which are carried out by a Corporate Board responsible for

the two Trinity House Charities. Trinity House’s GLA remit is financed by advances made by the Department for Transport,

from the General Lighthouse Fund, whose principal income is from Light Dues levied on ships using ports in the United

Kingdom, the Isle of Man and the Republic of Ireland. These advances, based on the annual cash requirements of Trinity

House, finance both revenue and capital expenditure.

With a mandate that has expanded considerably since 1514, The Corporation of Trinity House is today the UK’s largestendowed

maritime charity, the General Lighthouse Authority (GLA) for England, Wales, the Channel Islands and Gibraltar

and a fraternity of men and women selected from across the nation’s maritime sector. As defined by Royal Charter, Trinity

House is governed by the Master, HRH The Princess Royal, the Wardens and Assistants of the Court of Elder Brethren, with

support from a broad maritime fraternity of some 30 Elder and 400 Younger Brethren. Brethren are members for life and

represent Trinity House at almost every level of maritime activity in Britain. They comprise men and women from the

Merchant Navy, the Royal Navy, pilotage, port and harbour authorities, the maritime leisure sector and the fishing industry,

and support services ashore such as maritime insurance, classification societies, regulatory bodies and maritime education.

As such, Trinity House can be confident that this pool of expertise enables it to carry out its role as a General Lighthouse

Authority and to engage with and support all stakeholders within the maritime community. Every year the charity gives

grants totalling around £4m to the charities it supports. These include the provision of cadet training schemes, welfare

provision for retired mariners and educational programmes teaching safety at sea skills.

Further details of Trinity House’s unique history can be found here.

Board composition

The Court of Trinity House, which consists of 31 voting Elder Brethren, gives delegated authority to:

 the Lighthouse Board (to fulfil Trinity House’s remit as a General Lighthouse Authority (GLA)), and

the Corporate Board which primarily focusses on the charitable and investment side of Trinity House.

The Lighthouse Board is chaired by Vice Admiral Sir Alan Massey, former Second Sea Lord and latterly Chief Executive of

the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA). It consists of four Executive Directors: (the Deputy Master, Captain Ian

McNaught), as Chief Executive; the Director of Operations (Commodore Rob Dorey); the Director of Business Services (Mr

Ton Damen); and the Director of Navigational Requirements (Commander Nigel Hare). Three other Non-Executive

Directors sit on the Board together with the Board Secretary. They do not form part of the fraternity of Brethren.

Person specification

Essential criteria

• Financial management experience at a senior level in a large and complex organisation
•  A recognised qualification in accountancy
•  Governance experience, including in relation to strategic planning, performance and risk management
•  Experience and the skills to be an effective chair of a range of committees.
• Non-Executive Directors must possess a range of competencies required to contribute effectively at board level, including:
•  General business management skills
•  High level leadership
•  Strategic thinking and planning
•  Effective team-working
•  Excellent communication skills.

Desirable criteria

•  Experience of working in a regulated industry
•  Management experience gained at a senior level in a large and complex organisation
•  Previous experience as a Non-Executive Director or member of a board of trustees.

Application and selection process

How to apply

If apply online is disabled

Applications should therefore include the following: ? A supporting letter, evidencing (by factual information and concrete examples) the knowledge, experience, personal attributes and competencies to meet the requirements of the role as described in the section of this document entitled ‘The Individual’. You should also set out your reasons for wishing to be considered for this appointment. ? A full CV giving your education and professional qualifications and a full career history, paid or unpaid and any relevant achievements ? A completed online Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form via the Odgers Berndtson website. The preferred method of application is online at www.odgers.com/87143 where the documents above can be uploaded and the online Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form should be completed. If you are unable to apply online please email your application to 87143@odgersberndtson.com. The closing date for applications is 17.00 on Friday 2 June 2023. All applications will be acknowledged – if you have not received an acknowledgement within five working days please contact Callie Foster on 020 7518 2689. To discuss any aspect of the appointment, please contact: Paul Butterworth AFNI, Partner, Odgers Berndtson on +44 (0)207 529 6367

Overview of the application process

[Standard text on a regulated public appointment process will appear as follows; this can be deleted/overwritten for adverts for appointments that are not regulated]

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)

Deputy Master, Captain Ian McNaught, the Chair, Sir Alan Massey (Panel Chair), Jacquie Findlay (independent panel member), and Lisa Gilmour (Head of Maritime and Appointments, DfT representative)

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  [ADD CONTACT DETAILS]

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

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. [remove if role is unremunerated]

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.  [check and confirm the appointing body's travel and subsistence policy]

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 (ADD contact details) public appointments team in the first instance if you would like to make a complaint regarding your application at (ADD email address). They will acknowledge your complaint upon receipt and respond within 15 working days.

Data protection

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

Contact details

Paul Butterworth AFNI, Partner, Odgers Berndtson

on +44 (0)207 529 6367