Appointment details

Parole Board for England and Wales - Non-Executive Committee Member

Summary

• Organisation: Parole Board
• Sponsor department: Ministry of Justice
• Location: London
• Sectors: Judicial, Prisons & Policing
• Skills: Change Management, Communication, Transformation
• Number of vacancies: 1
• Time commitment: 18 day(s) per annum
• Remuneration: £400 per day
• Length of term: 3 years
• Application deadline: 11:59pm on 17 March 2025

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Timeline for this appointment

1. Opening date

   24 February 2025

2. Application deadline

   11:59pm on 17 March 2025

3. Sifting date

   7 April 2025

4. Interviews expected to end on

   9 June 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 joining the Parole Board Non-Executive Management Committee. This appointment is made by the Parole Board with the approval of Ministry of Justice (MoJ) Ministers.

The Parole Board is an independent body which sits as a court to protect the public by risk assessing the most serious and complex prisoners to decide whether they can be safely released back into the community. Our work is of critical importance to victims and public safety, as well as prisoners and their families, but it also has a wider role in maintaining public confidence in the justice system.

The Parole Board’s Management Committee is responsible for setting the Parole Board’s objectives and business plans; reviewing key management information relating to the performance and operations of the Parole Board, and approving the Parole Board’s budget and annual accounts.

We are very keen to increase the diversity of our membership. A significant proportion of the prison population are from a black, Asian or other minority ethnic groups and a lack of representation can impact on trust and confidence. We are an inclusive organisation and recognise that diversity is one of our greatest strengths. We welcome applications from people from all backgrounds.

This is a very exciting time to join the Parole Board. We have modernised our ways of working, we are updating our rules and we are becoming more transparent. If you believe that you have the experience and qualities that we are seeking, we hope that you will consider applying for this important position. 

Caroline Corby, Chair of the Parole Board for England and Wales 

Cecilia French, Chief Executive of the Parole Board for England and Wales

Appointment description

We are looking for an experienced Board Member to serve as a Non-Executive Committee Member on our Management Committee. In addition, you will be expected to join at least one of our sub-committees.

In the role Non-Executive Committee Members: 

●      Support the Parole Board in the provision of clear, strong and visible leadership; 

●      Support the Parole Board to fulfil its statutory functions effectively whilst maintaining its independence and its status as a court-like body; 

●      Support the Management Committee in ensuring that it takes appropriate account of guidance provided by the Minister responsible or sponsor department; 

●      Work with the Management Committee to develop and produce a forward business agenda; 

●      Constructively challenge and contribute to the strategy and business planning of the Parole Board including the setting of key objectives and targets; 

●      Help promote high standards of propriety and advise on the efficient and effective use of resources; 

●      Ensure that the Parole Board operates in accordance with conditions relating to the use of public funds. 

The core responsibilities of the Management Committee are:

●      Formulating the Parole Board’s overall strategy.

●      Monitoring, supporting and, where appropriate, challenging the Parole Board’s operation and performance.

●      Approving Casework policy.

●      Formally approving the Parole Board’s budget, its annual report and annual accounts.

●      Establishing Sub-Committees to support its performance.

●      Supporting the operation of a Members’ representative body to represent the views of the membership and ensuring that it has appropriate access to the Parole Board Executive and Chair.

To find out more about the Parole Board’s Governance click here

Organisation description

To find out more about the Parole Board please click here - Parole Board - GOV.UK

Board composition

The Management Committee’s members are:

·       Caroline Corby, Chair

·       Peter Rook, Judicial Vice Chair

·       Cecilia French, Chief Executive Officer

·       Alan Clamp, Non Executive Committee Member

·       Julie Dent, Non Executive Committee Member

·       Keira Shepperson, Non Executive Committee Member

·       Cassie Williams, Parole Board Member

·       Maneer Afsar, Parole Board Member

·       Ifty Ahmed, Parole Board Member

Person specification

Essential criteria

●      Proven senior leadership experience with the ability to provide constructive advice and challenge in a manner which inspires confidence with the Management Committee, sponsors and key stakeholders.

●      The ability to think strategically, analyse information and debate complex issues at the highest levels.

●      The ability to work effectively as part of a team, to motivate and empower others to achieve desired outcomes.

●      A track record of facilitating and supporting change.

●      A commitment to and understanding of diversity, equality and inclusion.

Desirable criteria

• An understanding of the criminal justice system and the work of the Parole Board.
• Knowledge of the workings of Government and Whitehall.
• An understanding of Arms-Length Bodies and sponsorship arrangements.

Application and selection process

How to apply

If you wish to apply, please provide the following by 23:59 on Monday, 17 March 2025.

●      A detailed CV (maximum 3 sides) setting out your career history, with responsibilities and achievements.

●      A covering letter (maximum 2 sides) highlighting your suitability for the role and how you meet the person specification. Please note that the covering letter is an important part of your application and will be assessed.

●      Details of two professional referees together with a brief statement of their relationship to you and over what period of time they have known you who are available to be contacted before interview.

As part of the process you will also be asked to complete a:

●      diversity monitoring form

●      conflicts of interest / political activity form

To find out more, request support when applying, or have an informal confidential discussion before applying, please get in touch with Ayshea Winchester at Ayshea.Winchester@ParoleBoard.Gov.uk

To apply please email your application to Ayshea.Winchester@ParoleBoard.Gov.uk

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.

Overview of the application process

Public appointments are made on merit following a fair and open competition process. Whilst this appointment is not regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments, we aim to conduct the process as much as possible 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.

Advisory Assessment Panel (AAP)

• Caroline Corby, Chair of the Board
• HH Peter Rook KC, Judicial Vice-Chair of the Board
• Andrew Humphrey, Interim Head of Public Bodies Centre of Expertise, MoJ
• Rommel Pereira, Independent Member of the Panel

Advisory Assessment Panels (AAP) include an official from the body and an independent member. 

Eligibility criteria

There must be no employment restrictions, or time limit on your permitted stay in the UK. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for at least three years prior to your application

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

If you have a complaint about any aspect of the way your application has been handled, we would like to hear from you. In the first instance please email: Ayshea.Winchester@ParoleBoard.Gov.uk quoting the appropriate reference number.

Complaints must be received within 12 calendar months of the issue or the closure of the recruitment competition, whichever is the later.

We will acknowledge your complaint within two working days of receipt and reply within 20 working days of receipt. We will tell you if we cannot meet this deadline for any reason and provide an expected reply date.

Data protection

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

Privacy Notice: Public Appointments

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is committed to the protection and security of your personal information.

It is important that you read this notice so that you are aware of how and why we are using such information. This privacy notice describes how we collect and use personal information during and after your relationship with us, in accordance with data protection law.

MoJ is the data controller for the personal data used for the purposes of making public appointments.

The type of personal data we process

We currently collect and use the following information:

• Name;
• Contact details;
• Employment history and qualifications
• Curriculum vitae and other background information relevant to your application, including sift and interview assessments made by the advisory assessment panel;
• Information you provide on interests relevant to the role you are applying for;
• Political activity;

·      Health information as required to facilitate access and participation in events (e.g. venue access and dietary requirements).

·      Due Diligence checks;

• As part of the recruitment process, for those candidates being invited to interview, the Department will undertake due diligence checks to assess their suitability for the role, including (alongside consideration of their own declaration of relevant interests) evidence of their conduct and/or professional capacity as demonstrated by information about them in the public domain.

How we get your personal data and why we have it

We receive most of your personal data through your application and declaration form.

We also gather personal information indirectly, from various sources as part of the due diligence checks. This will include, for examples:

• your public social media activity, including searches on sites such as LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook
• Searches for any relevant news stories
• The Electoral Register (http://search.electoralcommission.org.uk/)  

·      Companies House (https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/)

·      The Insolvency Register website (https://www.gov.uk/search-bankruptcy-insolvency-register)   

In submitting your application you acknowledge that such due diligence will be undertaken in respect of you and that copies of search results may be saved, stored securely, and used as part of the recruitment process in line with this privacy notice. Processing of such data is necessary to protect the reputation of the Department. Candidates may be asked about their public profiles/search results, at interview. 

We process your personal data for the purposes of making public appointments in accordance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments. More information about this work is available from the Commissioner for Public Appointments' website.

Where we need to share your personal data with others, we ensure that this data sharing complies with data protection legislation. For the purposes of this work we may need to share your personal information with:

·      The Cabinet Office

·      The Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the lawful basis we rely on for processing your personal information is:

·      Performance of a public task.

The legal bases on which the MoJ processes special categories of information you have provided, is on the basis of:

·      The substantial public interest in the Secretary of State appointing suitable candidates to the role. substantial public interest condition.

International Data Transfers

There are no international transfers

How we store your personal data

If you are successful in an application and appointed we will hold your data for three years from date appointment ends and then delete.

If you are unsuccessful in your application your data will be held for two years from end of campaign and then deleted.

Your Rights

• Your right of access - You have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information.
• Your right to rectification - You have the right to ask us to rectify personal information you think is inaccurate. You also have the right to ask us to complete information you think is incomplete.
• Your right to erasure - You have the right to ask us to erase your personal information in certain circumstances.
• Your right to restriction of processing - You have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
• Your right to object to processing - You have the right to object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.

·      Your right to data portability - You have the right to ask that we transfer the personal information you gave us to another organisation, or to you, in certain circumstances.

Depending on the lawful basis on which your personal data is being processed, not all rights will apply.

You are not required to pay any charge for exercising your rights. If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you If you wish to exercise your data protection rights please contact:

Disclosure Team

Post point 10.38

102 Petty France

London

SW1H 9AJ

data.access@justice.gov.uk

How to complain

If you have any concerns about our use of your personal data, you can contact the MoJ data protection officer;

Data Protection Officer

Ministry of Justice

5th Floor, Post Point 5.18

102 Petty France

London

SW1H 9AJ

dpo@justice.gov.uk

You can also complain to the ICO if you are unhappy with how we have used your data.

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Helpline number: 0303 123 1113

ICO website: https://www.ico.org.uk

Contact details

To find out more, request support when applying, or have an informal confidential discussion before applying, please get in touch with Ayshea Winchester at Ayshea.Winchester@ParoleBoard.Gov.uk

To apply please email your application to Ayshea.Winchester@ParoleBoard.Gov.uk