Introduction
Recruitment Round for the Animal Welfare Committee and Animal Sentience Committee.
This is a joint recruitment round for the Chairs of the Animal Welfare Committee (AWC) and the new Animal Sentience Committee.
You may apply for the position of AWC Chair, the Animal Sentience Committee Chair, or both if your skills and experience are relevant to vacancies on both committees.
Additional introductions
Hello and welcome!
I am Gareth Baynham-Hughes, the Director of Animal and Plant Health and Welfare at
Defra and Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) for the Animal Welfare
Committee and the new Animal Sentience Committee. I’m very
pleased that you are considering applying to join the committees
and am very much looking forward to working with the successful
candidates.
The Animal Welfare Committee plays a key role in informing policy
makers in Defra and the Devolved Administrations through its
provision of expert advice on the welfare of animals. The Animal
Welfare Committee’s advice is well-respected and carries weight
with both Government and industry.
We are also launching the Animal Sentience Committee. The Animal Welfare (Sentience)
Act 2022 has recently been granted Royal Assent. The Act recognises in law that animals
are sentient beings and establishes the Animal Sentience Committee. The Committee will
consider how the welfare of sentient animals is taken into account in central Government
policy making decisions.
The two Committees present exciting opportunities to innovate and build on the UK’s
strong animal welfare reputation. I’m delighted that you’re looking to apply and hope to
meet you soon.
Best wishes,
Gareth
Appointment description
Responsibilities of the AWC Chair
The Chair has responsibility for providing effective leadership and is the public face of the AWC. Typical responsibilities will include working with Government policy teams, Committee members and external stakeholders to produce expert scientific and veterinary advice in a wide range of formats, leading Committee meetings and representing the Committee at external events. The Chair is accountable for:
• Leading collective consideration of the issues, taking account of the full range of relevant evidence, including any guidance issued by the sponsor departments.
• Ensuring that the Committee works within its terms of reference.
• Ensuring that the Committee’s policy on openness is adhered to and that the Committee’s advice is comprehensible to members of the public.
In detail, this means the Chair is responsible for:
• The operation and output of the Committee, including assessing the workload and ensuring that the volume of work does not compromise the rigour of the discussion.
• Ensuring that the Committee meets at appropriate intervals, and that the minutes of meetings and any advice to Departments accurately record the decisions taken.
• Ensuring that the Committee makes best use of its available funding, in line with its work plan.
• Ensuring that every member has the opportunity to be heard and that no view is ignored or overlooked, using, where appropriate, a structured process which ensures that all views are captured and explored.
• Embedding a culture of inclusion and equal opportunity for all, where the diversity of individuals’ backgrounds and experiences are valued and respected.
• Ensuring that any significant diversity of opinion among the members is fully explored and discussed and, if it cannot be reconciled, is accurately reflected in the advice.
• Providing final quality assurance and signing off all AWC advice, opinions and research.
• Meeting with Defra and Devolved Administration Ministers and reporting the views of the Committee to Defra and Devolved Administrations.
• Ensuring that new members are briefed on appointment and their training needs considered.
• Developing and maintaining strategic relationships with decision-makers and opinion-formers, e.g. sector groups, welfare groups and the research community.
• Responding appropriately to complaints, if necessary, with reference to the sponsor departments.
• Overseeing liaison between the Committee and other bodies, e.g. Animal Sentience Committee, Animal Health and Welfare Board for England, Zoos Expert Committee, Scottish Animal Welfare Commission, European Forum for Animal Welfare Councils (EuroFAWC).
Please refer to the attached Candidate Pack for full details.
Responsibilities of the Animal Sentience Committee Chair
The Chair has responsibility for providing effective leadership and is the public face of the Animal Sentience Committee. Typical responsibilities will include working with Government policy teams, Committee members and external stakeholders to produce expert reports, leading Committee meetings and representing the Committee at external events. The Chair is accountable for:
• Leading collective consideration of the issues, taking account of the full range of relevant evidence.
• Ensuring that the Committee works within its statutory remit. Ensuring that the Committee’s policy on transparency is adhered to.
In detail, this means the Chair is responsible for:
• The operation and output of the Committee, including assessing the workload and ensuring that the volume of work does not compromise the rigour of the discussion.
• Ensuring that the Committee meets at appropriate intervals, and that the minutes of meetings and any advice to Departments accurately record the decisions taken.
• Ensuring that the Committee makes best use of its available funding, in line with its work plan.
• Ensuring that every member has the opportunity to be heard and that no view is ignored or overlooked, using, where appropriate, a structured process which ensures that all views are captured and explored.
• Embedding a culture of inclusion and equal opportunity for all, where the diversity of individuals’ backgrounds and experiences are valued and respected.
• Ensuring that any significant diversity of opinion among the members is fully explored and discussed and, if it cannot be reconciled, is accurately reflected in the advice.
• Providing final quality assurance and signing off all Animal Sentience Committee reports.
• Meeting with Defra Ministers and reporting the views of the Committee to Defra and other Government Departments.
• Ensuring that new members are briefed on appointment and their training needs considered.
• Developing and maintaining strategic relationships with decision-makers and opinion-formers, e.g. sector groups, welfare groups and the research community.
• Responding appropriately to complaints, if necessary, with reference to the sponsor departments.
• Overseeing liaison between the Committee and other affiliates of the Animal Welfare Centre of Expertise and other Government Committees, e.g. AWC, Animal Health and Welfare Board for England, Zoos Expert Committee.
• Conducting investigations and assessments into how Departments have taken evidence into account.
• Issuing selection judgement and auditing the outcomes of any reports conducted by the Committee.
Please refer to the attached Candidate Pack for full details.
Organisation description
About the AWC
The AWC is a non-statutory, expert committee of Defra and the Scottish and Welsh Governments. The Committee:
• Provides independent, authoritative, impartial and timely expert veterinary and scientific advice to Defra and the Scottish and Welsh Governments:
o on the welfare of farmed animals (including farmed animals on agricultural land, at market, in transit and at the place of killing), companion animals and wild animals kept by people; and
o on any other matters that might be considered necessary to improve standards of animal welfare.
• Provides independent scientific support and advice, as requested, in line with Article 20 of Council Regulation (EC) No.1099/2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing. The Welfare at Killing standing committee fulfils this role and also advises the Northern Ireland Executive in this respect.
You may be asked to join the Welfare at Killing standing committee if you have the relevant skills and experience in the welfare of animals at the time of killing.
You can find more information about the AWC, including the Committee’s terms of reference and its recent publications, here
Defra and the Scottish and Welsh Governments have ambitious animal welfare programmes underway. Animal welfare is a devolved matter but there is excellent cooperation and collaboration across the administrations. This is an exciting time to join the AWC. You will have the opportunity to shape a refreshed AWC, whilst ensuring that the highly regarded expert scientific and veterinary advice the AWC delivers continues to support and guide Government decision making.
About the Animal Sentience Committee
The Animal Sentience Committee is a new Committee, established under the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022. The Act provides assurance about how the welfare of sentient animals is taken into account in central Government policy decisions. The Committee’s remit does not extend to devolved matters.
The Animal Sentience Committee scrutinises policy decision making. It has statutory powers to produce reports containing its view on whether, or to what extent, the UK Government is having, or has had, all due regard to the ways in which policy decisions might have an adverse effect on the welfare of animals as sentient beings. The Committee ensures that UK Government policy decisions are appropriately informed by a scientific understanding of the impacts of those decisions on the welfare of sentient animals. The Animal Sentience Committee, therefore, is also able to select which UK Government policy decisions it wishes to investigate and needs the capability and capacity to fulfil this function.
You can find the Animal Sentience Committee’s draft Terms of Reference here.
This is an opportunity to help set the direction of a new expert Committee, which will consider how individual central Government policies take account of animal welfare. We are looking for individuals with experience in the animal welfare sector, who would like to be a part of this new Committee.
Essential criteria
AWC Chair
We are looking for a Chair with a range of skills and experience, including, but not limited to:
• Practical knowledge and experience chairing meetings/committees with good prioritisation skills.
• Strong and progressive leadership skills.
• The ability to understand and value different perspectives and to build productive working relationships both within and outside the Committee.
• Good communication skills with experience of playing a leading role in informing the strategic direction of organisations in an expert veterinary or scientific advisory capacity and making sure that expertise is heard and respected by the people shaping the policies.
• Confidence in engaging publicly.
• Experience of working with Government Ministers.
• Experience of working with stakeholders in an open, honest and transparent manner.
• The ability to see the bigger picture, including how animal welfare links to the environment and health.
In your application, please provide examples, where applicable, of:
• How you have used your written and oral communication skills to put forward views clearly and cogently in discussion and to contribute effectively to the formulation of written advice when presenting complex findings to a generalist audience.
• Your ability to think analytically and creatively when considering evidence and contributing to advice.
• Your ability to understand and value different perspectives and to build productive working relationships both within and outside the Committee.
• Your ability to work as part of a team to deliver agreed objectives.Please refer to the attached Candidate Pack for full details.
Animal Sentience Committee Chair
We are looking for a Chair with a range of skills and experience, including, but not limited to:
• Practical knowledge and experience chairing meetings/committees with good prioritisation skills.
• Strong and progressive leadership skills.
• The ability to understand and value different perspectives and to build productive working relationships both within and outside the Committee.
• Good communication skills with experience of playing a leading role in informing the strategic direction of organisations in an expert veterinary or scientific advisory capacity and making sure that expertise is heard and respected by the people shaping the policies.
• Confidence in engaging publicly.
• Experience of working with Government Ministers.
• Experience of working with stakeholders in an open, honest and transparent manner.
• Expertise in the policy decision making process.
• Experience of leading a new committee in its development and evolution, ensuring it is established and functioning in line with the Animal Sentience Committee’s purpose as set out in the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022 and operates effectively and efficiently.
• Ability to understand, influence, and lead within a complex political or administrative system, corporate or public body, while remaining objective and evidence led.
In your application, please provide examples, where applicable, of:
• How you have used your written and oral communication skills to put forward views clearly and cogently in discussion and to contribute effectively to the formulation of written advice when presenting complex findings to a generalist audience.
• Your ability to think analytically and creatively when contributing to advice for Government.
• Your ability to understand and value different perspectives and to build productive working relationships both within and outside the Committee.
• Your ability to work as part of a team to deliver agreed objectives.
• Expertise in veterinary or other relevant science, or animal ethics.
• How you have used your extensive knowledge and understanding of animal welfare legislation and policy to think analytically and creatively when contributing advice or in your engagement with Government Departments in policy development.
• Your awareness of current research/science in the animal welfare space and the ability to assess to what extent decision making is led by relevant research/science.