Appointment details

Non-Executive Member of UK Health Security Agency

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

Summary

Organisation: UK Health Security Agency
Sponsor department: Department of Health and Social Care
Location: Various
Sectors: Health and Social Care
Skills
Number of vacancies: 1
Time commitment: 3 day(s) per month
Remuneration: £7883 per annum
Length of term: Ministers determine that the length of the appointment will be up to 3 years.
Application deadline: Midday on 17 February 2025

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Timeline for this appointment

Opening date

24 January 2025
Application deadline

Midday on 17 February 2025
Sifting date

13 March 2025
Interviews expected to end on

9 April 2025

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the appointment

Introduction from the Chair

Dear candidate,

Thank you for your interest in the role of Non-Executive Member (NEM) of the UK Health Security Agency Advisory Board.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) prevents, prepares for and responds to infectious diseases, and environmental hazards, to keep all our communities safe, save lives and protect livelihoods. We provide scientific and operational leadership, working with local, national, and international partners to protect the public’s health and build the nation’s health security capability.

This is an exciting time to be joining UKHSA, which was formed from four previous organisations at the height of Covid and has since radically downsized and stabilised. In the context of volatile geo-politics, climate change, increasing human mobility and changes in societal attitudes, our next three-year strategy is crucial in fulfilling our broad public health remit.

The UKHSA Advisory Board provides support, advice and constructive challenge to the Chief Executive and Executive on the development and delivery of UKHSA’s priorities. The successful candidate will be exposed to leading edge scientific activity and an expansive learning opportunity as part of a diverse board.

Diversity at UKHSA is about reflecting the communities we serve, holding the principles of equality and inclusion at the heart of everything we do and all that we stand for, embracing differences, creating possibilities, and growing together. We aim to foster a culture where individuals of all backgrounds feel confident in bringing their whole selves to work, feel included and their talents are nurtured, empowering them to contribute fully to our purpose.

If you believe you have the experience and qualities to contribute our work and the future development of UKHSA, we very much look forward to hearing from you.

Ian Peters

Chair of the UKHSA

Appointment description

Ministers are seeking to make 1 appointment to the board of the UKHSA.

UKHSA Non-Executive Members (NEMs) provide independent and constructive challenge to enable the Board to achieve its responsibilities. All NEMs must be independent of management and able to allocate sufficient time to the Board to discharge their responsibilities effectively. This includes ensuring that high standards of corporate governance are observed at all times and ensuring that the Agency operates in an open, accountable and responsive way.

As a NEM, you will:

Contribute to the development of the Agency’s strategic direction and strategic objectives, taking into account your own understanding of the external environment that could impact on the achievement of these objectives.
Contribute to the governance of the Agency by ensuring that independent oversight is maintained on the Agency’s operational effectiveness, patient engagement, risk management, financial efficiency and working relationship with key stakeholders.
Monitor the overall performance of the Agency and advise UKHSA’s Executive on the delivery of the agreed strategic imperatives and business plan objectives.
Become an active and constructive member of at least one of the four UKHSA Board Committees and take on at least one special interest role, so that the Board can benefit from independent, specialist expertise built outside the Agency.
Act as an ambassador for the Agency at all times and help connect the Agency with stakeholders in other organisations when appropriate. Individual NEMs may be asked to represent the Agency in external meetings in some situations, but only with the prior agreement of both the Chair and the Chief Executive.
Identify any matters that may adversely affect the reputation or public trust in the Agency’s work, through a broad understanding of the wider UK and international environment in which the Agency operates.
Act as a “critical friend” by providing independent counsel, support and constructive challenge to members of the Executive Committee without straying into the day-to-day management of the organisation.

Organisation description

UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) prevents, prepares for and responds to infectious diseases, and environmental hazards, to keep all our communities safe, save lives and protect livelihoods.

We provide scientific and operational leadership, working with local, national and international partners to protect the public’s health and build the nation’s health security capability.

UKHSA is an executive agency, sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care.

We are a centre of scientific and operational excellence in health protection. Our reach is local, national and global as we collaborate and share learning across the NHS and wider health and care system and with partners to improve health security worldwide. The threats we protect against range in type, scale and intensity, covering infectious diseases – from pathogens with pandemic potential to everyday infections such as measles – and environmental threats including radiation, chemical, nuclear and extreme weather events.

UKHSA’s Strategic Plan 2023 to 2026 sets out our goals and strategic priorities for the next 3 years, to protect the nation’s health from current and future threats.

We have 3 overarching goals supported by a commitment to improving health outcomes for groups whose health is disproportionately affected.

Prepare - UKHSA aims to ensure that the country is fully prepared for, and wherever possible can prevent, future health security hazards. We establish which threats are on the horizon, develop the right evidence, insight and tools to best protect against them and have the right tested response plans in place to protect the population.

Respond - UKHSA protects people from health threats every day. We deliver agile, rapid, evidence-based responses at a local, national and international level. We respond to infectious disease outbreaks, health security incidents, and ongoing health security threats.

Build - We continue to build and invest in the scientific, public health and operational capabilities needed to protect the country’s health now and in the future. We are modernising our approaches and technology, ensuring we are a high-performing and efficient agency.

For most of UKHSA’s work, our remit covers England as health protection is largely a devolved policy area. We hold some UK-wide responsibilities on reserved matters where the UK government has retained policy responsibility.

Details of UKHSA’s Governance structure, including previous Advisory Board minutes, can be found at: Our governance - UK Health Security Agency - GOV.UK

Board composition

Advisory Board meetings take place at UKHSA’s London headquarters with two regional meetings taking place each year.

Upcoming meeting dates: 11 March 2025, 8 July 2025.

Person specification

Essential criteria

To be considered, you must be able to demonstrate that you have the qualities, skills, and experience to meet all the essential criteria for appointment:

A career track record of achievement in a significant senior role in either the public or private sector.
An ability to operate effectively on the board of a significant national organisation, with the highest standards of personal propriety in relation to governance, accountability and conduct.
Demonstrable interest in the work of the UKHSA, and particularly in the development of new and improved methods of prevention, detection and response to infectious diseases and other threats to the nation’s health.
Excellent communication skills, sound judgement and demonstrable experience of strategic thinking, with the ability to scrutinise and challenge complex proposals constructively.

Desirable criteria

We would particularly welcome applications from candidates with previous senior experience in the pharmaceutical industry.

Application and selection process

How to apply

Thank you for your interest in the appointment of a Non-Executive Member to the UKHSA’s Board.

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), we recommend you limit your CV to around 2 pages
a supporting statement (2-page limit) setting out how you meet the criteria for appointment as set out in the person specification for the role
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.

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
Conflicts of interest
Political Activity and social media
Standards in public life and ensuring public confidence.

Overview of the application process

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)

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.

The panel will include:

Will Jones, DHSC Senior Sponsor for UKHSA - Panel Chair
Ian Peters, Chair of the UKHSA
Alyson Coates, NED for the NHS Counter Fraud Authority - Independent Panel Member

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 ralph.cabrega@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:

Selflessness - Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest.
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.
Objectivity - Holders of public office must act and take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias.
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.
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.
Honesty - Holders of public office should be truthful.
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.

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 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.

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 UK Health Security Agency and the role of a Non-Executive Member please contact:

Name: Will Jones

Tel: 02079724328

Email: will.jones@dhsc.gov.uk

Attachments

Candidate Information Pack

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