Appointment details

Homes England Chair

Summary

• Organisation: Homes England
• Sponsor department: Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
• Location: Various
• Sectors: Property
• Skills: Communication
• Number of vacancies: 1
• Time commitment: 2 day(s) per week
• Remuneration: £95000 per annum
• Length of term: 3 years
• Application deadline: Midday on 17 December 2024

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Timeline for this appointment

1. Opening date

   19 November 2024

2. Application deadline

   Midday on 17 December 2024

3. Sifting date

   17 January 2025

4. Interviews expected to end on

   7 February 2025

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the appointment

Introduction from the Minister

Thank you for your interest in the role of Chair of the Board of Homes England.

A high-performing Homes England is essential to achieving the government’s ambitious housing agenda. The Deputy Prime Minister and I want the Agency to be relentlessly focused on delivering the homes the country so desperately needs, while also prioritising quality of build and good placemaking.

The Public Bodies Review of the Agency which was published last year detailed its significant contribution to date. However, it also made clear that changes are required to maximise the impact that Homes England delivers.

As Chair, you would be responsible for ensuring the effective operation of the Homes England Board, while playing a leadership role across the sector. Your primary responsibility would be to ensure Homes England delivers the mandate set by the Deputy Prime Minister.

However, you would be expected to support the Board in bringing expertise, support, and challenge to the Chief Executive and the wider executive team. In doing so, you would ensure the organisation continues to deliver its overall objective of boosting growth through new housing supply and place-based regeneration.

As such, experience of delivering projects on the ground and working with local partners will be key. We would also welcome candidates with a strong public sector or commercial background, and experience of leadership roles in organisations operating complex financial and risk management systems.

Full details of the role, responsibilities and commitments are set out in this document. We want to receive applications from a wide range of individuals, and we are committed to increasing the diversity of Boards across our Arm’s Length Bodies. We particularly welcome applications from people with ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, sexual orientation, age and disability characteristics currently underrepresented on Homes England’s Board.

We are looking for a Chair that is motivated and inspired by improving the lives of people across the country. If you believe you have the experience and qualities we are seeking, the Department looks forward to receiving your application.

Information about the work of Homes England Board can be found on the https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/homes-england.

Matthew Pennycook MP 

Minister of State for Housing and Planning 

Appointment description

Chair responsibilities:

• The Chair will be responsible for the sound and effective operation of the Homes England Board. They will guide and influence the Agency at a strategic level providing confident, clear and consistent leadership. They will also lead the Agency’s relationship with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Housing, who they will meet on a regular basis.
• The Chair will act as an ambassador for the Board and for Homes England, helping to build and develop collaborative strategic partnerships that support and promote Homes England’s core mission. The successful candidate will influence and network with key decision-makers and stakeholders and explain how the organisation is delivering Government objectives.
• The Chair is expected to operate within the relevant standards and duties, including the Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB) Corporate governance code for central government departments and Managing Public Money. These provide the benchmark for good practice in corporate governance. As an NDPB, Homes England also needs to have regard to codes and standards in the public sector, including Cabinet Office guidance on Corporate governance in central government departments.
• As the Chair of Homes England, there would be further organisation specific governance documents that would be expected to operate within, including the 2023 Framework document with MHCLG. The Chair is responsible to the Deputy Prime Minister and for supporting their wider strategic policies.

Key objectives of the Chair include:

• Leading the Board to scrutinise and challenge the financial and delivery performance of Homes England.
• Building capacity and capability at Board and executive level to ensure Homes England has the required experience and expertise to fulfil its mission and objectives.
• Ensuring the Board actively supports the running of Homes England and its ongoing implementation of the recent Public Bodies Review recommendations.
• Embedding effective working relationships with the department and wider government through governance processes including the Homes England Framework Document.
• Strengthening the Board’s oversight of the organisation and holding the executive to account for organisational performance.
• Accounting to Ministers on Homes England’s performance and leading the communication of performance to Parliament and stakeholders.

Organisation description

Homes England is the government’s Housing and Regeneration Agency.

We’re here to drive the creation of more quality homes and thriving places so that everyone has a place to live and grow. We’re a national agency that supports local places across England by working in partnership with thousands of organisations, big and small.

We believe that affordable, quality homes in well-designed places are key to improving people’s lives. We work to together with private, public and third sector organisations to deliver a range of interventions and support to accelerate the pace of house building and regeneration across the country.

Board composition

Our 15 members are appointed by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Biographies for all of our current members can be found here.

We have four committees: Audit and Risk; Investment; Nominations and Remuneration; and Change.

• Our Audit and Risk Committee works with the board on risk control, governance, financial control and statutory reporting. The committee is authorised by the board and the Regulation Committee to investigate any activity within these areas.
• Our Investment Committee oversees Homes England investment, land programmes and projects, and certain corporate issues.
• Our Nominations and Remuneration Committee meets 4 times a year. It is responsible for advising on overall pay and rewards, the remuneration, contractual and pension arrangements of staff at director level and above, and setting and agreeing the annual performance objectives, remuneration terms and other terms and conditions of employment of the chief executive and other chief officers, subject to DLUHC and HM Treasury spending team approval.
• Our Change Committee supports the board by providing oversight of corporate change and culture initiatives, and by making decisions in respect of change programmes and projects.

The role of our Board is to provide strategic leadership and to promote our long term, sustainable success. Board Members have corporate responsibility for ensuring that Homes England fulfils the overall aims and objectives set out in legislation, as well as the mission and objectives it has been set by the Secretary of State.

Board Members also have responsibility for ensuring that Homes England complies with any statutory or administrative requirements for the use of public funds and assets.

Further reading:

Corporate governance in central government departments – code of good practice.

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

• Comprehensive experience at Board level as a Chair or Non-Executive of a large organisation supporting, challenging and holding to account a strong executive team and showing the ability to communicate an organisation’s objectives and capabilities clearly to both internal and external audiences.  
• Experience of delivering significant housing, regeneration or infrastructure projects. 
• Extensive experience of stakeholder engagement in public facing positions, with evidence of using influencing and networking abilities to form positive partnerships with a diverse range of stakeholders, in particular Local Authority partners.  
• Strong experience of leadership in a commercial or public sector context, along with notable financial and risk management acumen.   
• A passion and enthusiasm for public service and working with Government in meeting the challenges of the housing market.  

Desirable criteria

• Experience in the housing sector, including social housing. 
• Experience working with central Government Departments and Ministers. 
• Experience of leading an organisation during uncertainty and change.   

Application and selection process

How to apply

To apply for this role, please submit your application no later than 12:00 noon on 17th December 2024.

All applications must submitted here.

In order to apply you will need to provide:

1. 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;
2. A supporting statement setting out how you meet the criteria for appointment, as set out in the person specification for the role;
3. Information relating to any outside interests or reputational issues;
4. 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;
5. Disability Confident – please state if you want to be considered for the disability confident scheme; and
6. Reasonable adjustments - requests for reasonable adjustments that you would like to the application process (if applicable).

Please provide the information at points 3-6 above on the relevant form, or as part of your supporting statement.

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.

Should you encounter any issues with your online application or are unable to apply online please contact tessa.kinsella@gatenbysanderson.com

If you would like an informal conversation about this role, please contact our search partner, GatenbySanderson: tim.hills@gatenbysanderson.com  ​

Overview of the application process

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)

Joanna Key (Panel Chair) - MHCLG Director General for Regeneration, Housing and Planning 

Sarah Healey - Permanent Secretary of the MHCLG

Neil Sachdev - Chair of the HM Land Registry Board

Tony Poulter (Senior Independent Panel Member) - Non-Executive Member of the Department for Transport Board. Tony previously led a Public Body Review into Homes England.

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.

Pre-appointment scrutiny

Pre-appointment scrutiny by select committees is an important part of the process for some of the most significant public appointments made by Ministers. It is designed to provide an added level of scrutiny to verify that the recruitment meets the principles set out in the Governance Code on Public Appointments. This scrutiny may involve the relevant select committee requesting and reviewing information from the Department and the Minister’s preferred candidate. The select committee may also choose to hold a pre-appointment hearing.

If you are confirmed as the government’s preferred candidate for this role, the department will be in touch to confirm next steps. In most cases your name and CV will be provided to the relevant select committee in advance of the hearing.  Following a date being agreed for a pre-appointment hearing with the committee you will be asked to complete a questionnaire in advance of that. Following the hearing, the government will review and respond to the Committee’s report before confirming the appointment. 

Full information can be found in the Cabinet Office’s guidance here. 

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 Tim Hills (tim.hills@gatenbysanderson.com).

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 ‘essential 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

The Seven Principles of Public Life (also known as the Nolan Principles) apply to anyone who works as a public office-holder.

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 ten years in any one post. 

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 Gatenby Sanderson in the first instance if you would like to make a complaint regarding your application at tim.hills@gatenbysanderson.com. They will acknowledge your complaint upon receipt and respond within 15 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.

MHCLG's privacy policy is attached to this advert.

Contact details

Tim Hills - tim.hills@gatenbysanderson.com.

MHCLG's Public Appointments Team - publicappointments@communities.gov.uk.

Attachments

• MHCLG Privacy Notice