Vacancy -- Appointment of an Independent Member - Life Sciences - Public Health Wales NHS Trust

Vacancy details

Public Health Wales NHS Trust
Public Health Wales is the National Public Health Institute in Wales. It has an all-Wales remit, occupies over 50 premises across Wales and has a policy of taking public meetings out into the communities it serves. The successful candidate will therefore be required to travel to all parts of Wales, although a significant number of meetings and Board related events will be held at the Headquarters in Cardiff. Some overnight stays will be required.

The post of Independent Member will be paid at £ 9,360 per annum .paid monthly or quarterly in arrears as agreed with the Trust.    

Where an Independent Member is allowed time off from their current employment with pay to perform their duties, they will receive no additional remuneration for undertaking the Independent Member role. They will be treated in the same way as other employees who are given paid time off to undertake public duties.  

4
month

Function of body

The purpose of Public Health Wales is Working to Achieve a Healthier Future for Wales. We do this by working locally, nationally and internationally to protect and improve the health and wellbeing of the population of Wales and reduce health inequalities. 

We have approximately 1,700 staff across Wales and a budget of over £120 million. The organisation employs the majority of the specialist public health resource in Wales.

Our strategy
We have spent the last twelve months developing a new transformational Long Term Strategy which will take us to 2030 in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. We believe that this exciting strategy, and our seven new strategic priorities, will provide a focus for us to ensure that we will make the greatest impact we can to improve health and wellbeing in Wales. The Strategy is supported by a first three year plan – our Strategic Plan, 2018 – 2021. This outlines in more detail what we will achieve over the next three years towards the implementation of the Strategy 2030. At the heart of our new Strategy is collaboration and involvement - working together with people across communities in Wales, our staff, our partners across all different sectors, the Welsh Government and our international colleagues. We believe that together we can transform health in Wales.   

What we do
Public Health Wales provides the public health knowledge, scientific expertise and intelligence to lead change and the intellectual challenge to make sure public services focus on delivering health improvement and reducing inequality.

Our challenges
Health and local government are among the devolved issues so, working nationally and locally, Public Health Wales has access to both policy levers and local delivery systems. Public Health Wales, health boards and local authorities work closely together to promote public health in their areas and will jointly identify and set the local strategic agenda. However, fundamental challenges to improving public health remain. 

The role of the Board
The three key roles through which the board of Public Health Wales NHS Trust demonstrates leadership within its organisation are:

  • Formulating strategy.
  • Ensuring accountability by holding the organisation to account for the delivery of the strategy and through seeking assurance that systems of control are robust and reliable
  • Shaping a positive culture for the Board and the organisation.

 

The role of the Board member focuses on four key areas:

  • Strategy – to contribute to strategic development and decision-making.
    Performance – to ensure that effective management arrangement and an effective team are in place at the top level of the organisation. To help clarify which decisions are reserved for the Board and then ensure that the rest are clearly delegated and to hold management to account for its performance in meeting agreed goals and objectives through purposeful challenge and scrutiny, and to monitor the reporting of performance.
    Risk – to ensure that financial information is accurate and that financial controls and systems of risk management and assurance are robust and defensible.
    Behaviour – to live up to the highest ethical standards of integrity and probity and comply fully with the Code of Conduct. Board members should demonstrate through their behaviour that they are focusing on their responsibilities to citizens, the organisations and its stakeholders.

Our challenges
Health and local government are among the devolved issues so, working nationally and locally, Public Health Wales has access to both policy levers and local delivery systems. Public Health Wales, health boards and local authorities work closely together to promote public health in their areas and will jointly identify and set the local strategic agenda. However, fundamental challenges to improving public health remain. 

Role description

This is a great opportunity to use your skills and experience to make a contribution to our purpose which is Working to Achieve a Healthier Future for Wales.

Role and responsibilities

Independent Members will among other things:

  • Play a full and active role in the governance of the Trust, including clinical, information, corporate and collaborative governance.  You will take an active part in discussions, providing your opinion and constructive challenge and support to the Board on key issues. 
  • Contribute to the work of the Board based upon your independence, your  past experience and knowledge, and your ability to stand back from the day to day operational management; 
  • Contribute and accept corporate decisions to ensure a joined up, robust and transparent decision making process by the Board;
  • Be expected, in time, to fully understand the business through active involvement to enable the effective performance of the organisation;
  • Work closely with other public, private and voluntary organisations and will make sure that the views of patients, carers and families are fully involved in helping to shape, develop and improve services;
  • Analyse and critically review complex information and contribute to sound decision making. 
  • Contribute to the financial governance of the Trust, ensuring it is open and honest in its work by contributing fully in the decision making process.

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

Person specification

Independent Members will demonstrate the following qualities: 

Knowledge and Experience

  • An understanding and an appreciation of public health issues;
  • The ability to contribute effectively at Board level;
  • The ability to understand the role and work of the organisation and ensure the Board is central to the delivery of its services;
  • Experience in analysing complex information and contributing to sound evidence-based  informed decision making;
  • Ability to work with the Executive Directors and other Board members to ensure the Board leads the organisation effectively. Where necessary you will demonstrate skills that will enable you to hold the Executives to account, with appropriate challenge, for performance whilst maintaining a constructive relationship;
  • Ability to contribute to the governance of the organisation, ensuring it is open and honest in its work by contributing fully in the decision making process;
  • Ability to provide a knowledgeable, impartial and balanced perspective on a range of sensitive and complex issues;
  • A broad understanding of the governance requirements which need to be in place to comply with legislation, for example Data Protection Act (DPA), health and safety at work etc;
  • An appreciation of the requirements of the Well-being and Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and the influence that this must have on ensuring a “Healthier, Happier and Fairer Wales” for the population of Wales and future generations.

For this role, it is also desirable for the independent Member to have experience in financial and strategic business planning at a senior level.

Personal Attributes and Skills

The Trust has defined a set of shared core values – Working together, with trust and respect, to make a difference. To help demonstrate your commitment to these values you will need to be able to demonstrate the following:-

  • Good communication skills and the ability to actively engage with our staff, and staff representatives,  at all levels within the organisation
  • The ability to act as an ambassador for the organisation and represent it at various events and conferences
  • The skills and ability to work as part of a team and in partnership with other key organisations.

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.

Role Specific Criteria

  •  We are particularly interested in receiving applications from people with experience of working within the field of Life Sciences.


Interview dates

25 June 2018
29 June 2018

Closing date

30/05/2018, 23:55

Additional information

Welsh Language
Welsh language skills are desirable for this appointment. All candidates will be expected to display empathy towards the language and demonstrate leadership to strengthen bilingual service provision within the NHS in Wales. 

Expenses
You will be entitled to be re-imbursed, if appropriate, against receipts for travel and subsistence expenses incurred while on Trust business.  Expenses must be claimed within three months of them being incurred unless there are exceptional circumstances.

Childcare and other dependent expenses may also be paid, on production of receipts, for additional costs incurred while undertaking Trust work.

Tenure of office
The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services determines the length of the appointment, which will initially be up to four (4) years. However, this is subject to the Independent Member remaining eligible for the role for the duration of the term. Board members may stand for a maximum of eight (8) years.

Accountability
Members are appointed by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services and are accountable to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services via the Chair for carrying out their duties and for their performance.

Assistance for Disabled Members
Where appropriate all reasonable adjustments will be made to enable members to effectively carry out their duties.

Eligibility

A person shall be disqualified from appointment if he/she:

a.         has within the preceding 5 years been convicted in the UK, Channel Islands or the Isle of Man of any offence and has had passed on him/her a sentence of imprisonment (whether suspended or not) for a period of not less than 3 months;

b.         has been adjudged bankrupt or has made a composition or arrangement with his creditors;

c.         has been dismissed, otherwise than by reason of redundancy, or non-renewal of a fixed term contract, from any paid employment with a health service body;

d.         is a person whose tenure of office as the chair, member or director of a health service body has been terminated because his/her appointment is not in the interests of the health service, for non-attendance at meetings or for non-disclosure of pecuniary interest;

e.         is an employee of a health service body

Subject to the exception noted in (e), it is the policy of the Welsh Government that all recent employees of LHBs and NHS Trusts should serve a non-involvement break before being considered for an NHS Public Appointment. 

Any other information that may materially affect your application for appointment should be declared in the application form under the Conflict of Interests section. 

Applicants should be persons who conduct themselves at all times in a manner which will maintain public confidence. 

In particular, applicants are required to declare whether they are aware of anything in their private or professional life that would be an embarrassment to themselves or to the Welsh Government if it became known in the event of appointment. 

Candidates should also note that membership of a LHB is a disqualifying office for membership of the National Assembly for Wales under the National Assembly for Wales (Disqualification) Order 2015.

Conflicts of Interest

You should particularly note the requirement for you to declare any private interests which may, or may be perceived to, conflict with the role and responsibilities as Independent Members of Public Health Wales NHS Trust including any business interests and positions of authority outside of the role in Public Health Wales NHS Trust.

If appointed, Independent Members must declare these interests and seek confirmation from the Chair of Public Health Wales NHS Trust that no conflict has arisen and if it is appropriate for them to remain a board member. 

Standards in public life
Independent Members will be expected to adhere to the standards of good governance set for the NHS in Wales, which are based on the Welsh Government’s Citizen Centred Governance Principles and incorporate Nolan’s “Seven Principles of Public Life”.

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 Corporate Shared Service Centre Helpdesk on 03000 61 6095 / 03000 25 3762  or email publicappointments@gov.wales 

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

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This vacancy is closed to applications.