Vacancy -- Education Workforce Council Appointment of members (6)

Vacancy details

Education Workforce Council
A blend of in person and virtual attendance will be required. Face to face meetings are held in Cardiff and virtual meetings are held via Microsoft Teams.

Members will not be paid for their services but will be reimbursed for travel and subsistence costs incurred. Council members who are self-employed or in contracted employment where additional cover is arranged by the employer (at an additional cost to them) may claim a fixed daily rate to facilitate the member’s release.

12
year

Function of body

What is the EWC?

The EWC is the independent professional regulator for the education workforce in Wales. With over 80,000 registrants, it is Wales’ largest regulatory body and has the widest register of education practitioners in the world.

The principal aims of the EWC are to:

• contribute to improving the standards of teaching and the quality of learning in Wales;
• maintain and improve standards of professional conduct amongst teachers and persons who support teaching and learning in Wales; and
• to safeguard the interests of learners, parents and the general public and maintain public trust and confidence in the education workforce.

What does the EWC do?

The EWC’s main functions are to:
• establish and maintain a Register of Education Practitioners.
• maintain a Code of Professional Conduct and Practice for the education workforce.
• investigate and hear allegations of unacceptable professional conduct, serious professional incompetence or relevant criminal offences that might call into question a registered practitioner's fitness to practise.
• accredit programmes of initial teacher education and monitor their compliance with national criteria.
• provide advice to the Welsh Government and others on matters related to the education workforce and teaching and learning.
• monitor induction and hear induction appeals (where applicable) for teachers.
• promote careers in the education workforce.
• undertake specific work in relation to teaching and learning at the request of the Welsh Government.

What is the role of the Council?

Individually, and as a collective, Council members are expected to:
• ensure that high standards of administration and decision making are observed at all times.
• establish the overall strategic direction of the Council by means of oversight of the production of the Strategic Plan.
• oversee the delivery of planned results by monitoring performance against agreed strategic objectives and targets.
• ensure that the Council does not exceed its powers or functions, whether defined in statute or otherwise, or through any limitations on incurring expenditure set out in any Welsh Government financial terms and conditions.
• act independently as individuals and be mindful not to convey the views of their employers / organisations for which they have an affiliation.
• respect the collective decisions and policies of Council in the public arena. Members must work responsibly with other members and must treat each other with courtesy and respect to promote constructive working relationships.

The EWC has the following standing committees, comprised of Council members:
• Executive Committee;
• Registration and Regulation Committee; and
• Audit and Scrutiny Committee.


Further information on the EWC’s work can be obtained by emailing information@ewc.wales or visiting https://www.ewc.wales


Role description

The Council consists of 14 members including the Chairperson. The Chairperson is elected from amongst its membership in accordance with the Education (Wales) Act 2014 and the Council’s Standing Orders. Members represent a range of interests of the education workforce in Wales. The Council sets the strategic direction for the EWC and is responsible for its governance. Members of the Council are expected to bring independent judgement to bear on the 
Council’s strategy, performance and accountability. Members must act corporately in the interests of the Council which in turn acts in the wider interests of registered practitioners, learners and the public rather than in the interests of a particular constituency. Members should take decisions in the interest of the Council without favour to any organisation or association, whether educational or otherwise.
Members must always bear in mind the need for integrity in all they do. Members have corporate responsibility for ensuring that the Council complies with any statutory or administrative requirements for the use of public funds and its income from registration fees.
All members are expected to comply with the Code of Conduct and Best Practice for Council Members. In addition, as specified in paragraph 3(5) of Schedule 1 to the Education (Wales) Act 2014, members of the Council act as an individual and not as a representative of any organisation or body to which they belong, nor any person, organisation or body that nominated them.

Welsh language skills

The Welsh Government acknowledges the importance of developing and growing bilingual capabilities in public appointments in Wales, and welcomes applications from candidates who demonstrate their capability to work in both English and Welsh.  The following list of language requirements represents an objective assessment by the recruiting body of the Welsh language skills required to undertake the duties of this particular post.
Desirable
Can read simple material on everyday topics with understanding
Can write simple work-related correspondence
Can understand basic conversations about everyday topics
Can hold simple work-related conversations

Person specification


Person specification

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.

The essential criteria successful candidates will need to demonstrate to the selection panel are:
1. an understanding of the functions and strategic objectives of the EWC, and the priorities of its stakeholders.
2. the ability to read, digest and analyse documents and contribute to discussions at a strategic level.
3. effective communication, displaying the ability to listen, influence and challenge constructively.
4. the ability to build effective relationships and work as part of a team, fostering trust and confidence in colleagues.
5. a commitment to equality issues, identifying and challenging discriminatory practices.
6. an understanding of and empathy towards the Welsh language and a commitment to the Council’s compliance with the Welsh Language Standards.
7. a commitment to Nolan’s ‘Seven Principles of Public Life and the additional principles outlined in ‘The Conduct of Members (Principles) (Wales) Order 2001’.


The EWC is committed to promoting the Welsh language and adheres to the Welsh Language Standards. Therefore, it is desirable for applicants to possess Welsh language skills to undertake the duties of Council member

Interview dates

30 January 2023
3 February 2023

Closing date

09/11/2022, 16:00

Additional information

How to apply

To apply for this role, click on the ‘Apply’ button below. The first time you apply for a post, you will need to complete a registration form for the Welsh Government’s online application system.  You will only need to register once, and you will be able to keep yourself updated on the progress of your application, and any other applications you make, via your registered account.

Once you’ve registered, you’ll be able to access the application form.  To apply you will need to submit two supporting documents. The first, a document outlining how your knowledge, skills and experiences meet the criteria for the role as outlined in the information for candidates.  This document should be no more than 2 sides of A4.  Your application may be rejected if you exceed this limit.  The second document is a full, up to date CV.  The two documents should be uploaded to the ‘Reasons for applying’ section of the online application form.

In your application, you will also be asked to provide details of any activities which have helped you to develop skills that would be useful in a public appointment role, and list the organisations for which you undertook these activities.  We also need to know about any political activity that you’ve undertaken over the last 5 years. 

It is recommended that you register for an account and access the application form as soon as possible so that you see how the application form is structured, before starting to prepare your evidence.  You don’t have to complete the application form all in one go.  You can save your responses, and log in and out as required, until you’re ready to submit – just follow the guidance in the application form.

If you’d like to apply for this opportunity in Welsh, please use the ‘Newid Iaith / Change Language’ link at the top of this page, to take you to the Welsh version of this advert, from which you can apply in Welsh.

If you need any further assistance in applying for this role, please contact the Welsh Government’s Public Appointments Team on  PublicAppointments@gov.wales.

For further information about Public Appointments in Wales, please visit www.gov.wales/publicappointments

Commissioner for Public Appointments logo

This vacancy is closed to applications.