Introduction
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is a Crown Executive Non-Departmental Public Body sponsored by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
HSE is the national independent regulator for health and safety for those at work and those affected by work activities. Its wide range of activities includes overseeing major hazard safety regimes (including offshore oil and gas and onshore chemical processing), workplace inspections, accident investigations, policy development and publishing guidance and research.
DWP is seeking one Non-Executive Directors (NED) with a range of established skills/competence to join HSE’s Board. We are looking for candidates who can provide experience from other organisations with challenges on a similar scale to HSE.
Introduction from the Chair
Sarah Newton Chair of the Health and Safety Executive
I joined the HSE Board as its Chair in 2020, following a career in the business and voluntary sector, as well as serving for nine years as a Member of Parliament and a Non-Executive Director on an NHS Trust. I am passionate about building relationships to ensure that we work together to improve work related ill health and protect workers in their place of work.
HSE has a world class reputation as an effective regulator working with a wide range of stakeholders to prevent death, serious injury and ill health to those in the workplace and those affected by work activities.
Great Britain continues to be one of the safest places to work but there is still much more to do. In the current climate, it has shown the scale of challenge that HSE still faces in making Britain an even healthier and safer place to work – this is why we have a new strategy ‘Protecting People and Places’. The new strategy is designed to keep HSE focused on tackling both new and traditional risk, at the right time and in the right way. It has clear objectives and themes, to guide our future interventions and regulatory activities, such as HSE’s role as the Building Safety Regulator and in the chemical’s regime, post EU Exit.
We must continually adapt our approach to work effectively and seek out new opportunities. We must continue to drive home the importance of managing risk as good proportionate risk management is essential for sustainable economic growth.
Working with our broad range of stakeholders, both in the public and private sector, we are looking for a Board member who is committed, engaged and enthusiastic in working with others to protect people and places. We need someone who will share our vision and future direction for HSE and is willing to help us face our challenges. There will be exciting prospects to help steer HSE through the next few years, which will be a great opportunity.
I am personally committed to promoting greater diversity in HSE, which includes on the HSE Board, and I would warmly welcome applications from the widest possible field of candidates.
If you have questions about the appointment process, you can contact Qash Mahmood, DWP Public Appointments Team, on alb.publicappointments@DWP.gov.uk
Additional introductions
Peter Schofield, DWP Permanent Secretary
I want DWP and our arm’s-length bodies to be places where everyone, whatever their background, feels encouraged to achieve their potential. I believe attracting talented individuals from diverse backgrounds, including regional diversity and the full range of socio- economic groups, will allow us to be better able to provide the best possible support to those we serve.
DWP continues to support Cabinet Office in working towards 50% of all public appointees to be female and 14% of all public appointments to come from ethnic minority backgrounds. We value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone.
If you are looking for an opportunity to use your talents to make a difference to the lives of millions of your fellow citizens, we look forward to hearing from you.
Appointment description
The successful candidate will contribute to the Board’s role in leading HSE, with the opportunity to influence the future direction of health and safety in Great Britain.
Key responsibilities include:
• Helping lead the work of HSE by operating effectively as a Board Member and contributing to Board meetings and discussions;
• Chairing or participating in the activities of Board Committees;
• Building and maintaining effective working relationships with a broad range of networks and stakeholders;
• Providing guidance on financial management and ensuring the effective scrutiny of HSE's financial practices, in line with public sector accountability standards;
• Representing HSE externally, acting collectively in representing its decisions to stakeholders and the general public;
• Acting as a critical friend to HSE’s senior staff, particularly in their area of expertise; and
• Demonstrating a commitment to the Seven Principles of Public life.
Organisation description
The HSE Board oversees all these activities and is responsible for delivering Government policy and advising Government on health and safety issues.
HSE is a well-respected, world-class regulator but needs to tackle the future by developing innovative, modern strategic approaches to influence further improvements.
HSE has published a new strategy that recognises and accommodates the impacts of the changing world of work, industrial and technological advance, the green economy, the role of HSE in post EU Exit chemicals regulation and the Building Safety Regulator.
The new strategy provides HSE with an enabling tool, direction, and principles through which HSE has the flexibility to innovate, reform and trial new ways of working to establish those with the greatest effect, whilst maintaining those that have been proven to have a positive effect and have stood the test of time.
Further information about HSE can be found at:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/index.htm Regulation of appointment
This post is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. For more information, please refer to the
Commissioner’s website Essential criteria
We are seeking a candidate with the right skills and abilities to complement the existing Board members. Successful candidate will need to demonstrate:
• Ability to effectively contribute at Board level, think strategically and provide robust and reasoned challenge;
• Ability to build positive, productive relationships, and communicate with a range of stakeholders;
• Ability to work in a sensitive area, sometimes under the pressure of close public scrutiny;
• Ability to champion change and learning, while helping the Executive Committee think through the risks and mitigations;
• Significant experience of local government, mostly at a senior level; and
• A financial or accounting qualification and demonstrable, relevant experience in financial management and scrutiny in Public Sector.
Desirable criteria
The following criteria are desirable, Candidates would not need to demonstrate all necessary of these below:
• The ability to chair or be a member of an Audit and Risk Committee;
• Willingness to develop knowledge of the environment within which the public sector operates including a good understanding of parliament; and
• Ongoing connections with stakeholders in Wales.
