Vacancy -- Appointment of Chair - Emergency Ambulance Services Committee

The Emergency Ambulance Services Committee (EASC) is hosted by Cwm Taf Health Board. It is responsible for the joint planning and commissioning of Emergency Ambulance Services, Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services (NEPTS) and the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS) Wales on behalf of Local Health Boards (LHBs) in Wales.

 

Commissioning of these services in Wales is a collaborative process underpinned by a national collaborative commissioning quality and delivery framework for each service. All seven Health Boards and the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust have signed up to the framework.

 

The framework provides a mechanism to support the recommendations of the 2013 McClelland Strategic Review of Ambulance Services. It puts in place a structure which is clear and directly aligned to the delivery of better care. 

 

The framework introduces clear accountability for the provision of emergency ambulance services and sees the CASC and EASC acting on behalf of health boards and holding WAST to account as the provider of emergency ambulance services and non-emergency patient transport services, and EMRTS to account as the provider of the emergency medical retrieval and transfer services.

 

The LHBs are as follows:

 

• Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board;
• Aneurin Bevan University Health Board;
• Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board;
• Cardiff & Vale University Health Board;
• Cwm Taf University Health Board;
• Hywel Dda University Health Board; and
• Powys Teaching Health Board.

 

Each LHBs function includes planning, funding, designing, developing and securing the delivery of ambulance services for the citizens in their respective areas. The EASC directions provide that the seven LHBs in Wales will work jointly to exercise functions relating to the planning and securing of emergency ambulance services functions.


Purpose and Delegated functions


The Committee has been established for the purpose of jointly exercising those functions relating to the planning and securing of emergency ambulance services on a national, all-Wales basis, on behalf of each of the seven LHBs in Wales. 

 

LHBs are responsible for those people who are resident in their areas.  Whilst the Committee acts on behalf of the seven LHBs in undertaking its functions, the duty on individual LHBs remains, and they are ultimately accountable to citizens and other stakeholders for the provision of emergency ambulance services for residents within their area.

The Committee’s role is to:

•   Determine a long-term strategic plan for the development of emergency ambulance services in Wales;
  
  
•   To ensure alignment with the three year medium plans developed by the Health Boards;
   
•   Develop national policies for the equitable access to safe and sustainable, high quality emergency ambulance services across Wales, whether planned, funded and secured at national, regional or local level;
  
  
•   Produce an annual plan for agreement by the Committee following the publication of the individual LHB’s Corporate and Annual Quality / Delivery Plans;
   
•   Establish mechanisms for managing the in year risks associated with the agreed service portfolio and new pressures that may arise;
   
•   Secure the provision of emergency ambulance services at a national level, including those to be delivered by providers outside Wales; and
   
•   Establish mechanisms to monitor, evaluate and publish the outcomes of emergency ambulance service provision and take appropriate action.

 

The Committee must ensure all its activities are in exercise of these functions or any other functions that may be conferred on it.  Each LHB shall be bound by the decisions of the Committee in the exercise of its roles. 

 

To fulfil its functions, the Committee shall lead and scrutinise the operations, functions and decision making of the Management Team undertaken at the direction of the Committee. The Committee shall work with all its partners and stakeholders in the best interests of its population across Wales.

The Chair is responsible for the effective operation of the Committee:

 

•  Chairing Committee meetings;
  
  
•  Establishing and ensuring adherence to the standards of good governance set for the NHS in Wales, ensuring that all Committee business is conducted in accordance with Emergency Ambulance Services Committee Standing Orders; and
  
  
•  Developing positive and professional relationships amongst the Committee’s membership and between the Committee and each LHB’s Board.

The Chair shall work in close harmony with the Chair of each LHB and shall ensure that key and appropriate issues are discussed by the Committee in a timely manner with all the necessary information and advice being made available to members to inform the debate and ultimate resolutions.

 

The Chair is directly accountable to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services in respect of their performance as Chair, to each LHB Board in relation to the delivery of the functions exercised by the Committee on its behalf and, through the host LHB’s Board, for the conduct of business in accordance with the defined governance and operating framework.

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.

 The Chair will demonstrate the following qualities:

 

• Strong interpersonal skills with personal impact and credibility to be an effective advocate and ambassador with strong influencing and negotiating skills;

 

• Drive and determination, with the ability to instil vision and develop defined strategies to pursue long and short-term goals;

 

• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to be clear and succinct and to facilitate understanding of complex issues while demonstrating respect for the views of others;

 

• Sound judgement, sensitivity and political awareness.

 

Candidates must also demonstrate:

 

• A clear understanding and commitment to equality and diversity.

Whilst you are not expected to exhibit experience in all the following areas, you will need to demonstrate to what degree you possess experience, skills or understanding in the following areas.


Desirable Criteria:

• finance experience and/or business acumen;
  
  
• experience of NHS Wales and emergency services;
  
  
• understanding of the wider public/third sector;
  
  
• academic background or awareness; and
  
  
• knowledge/ experience of commissioning is desirable.

 

Welsh Language

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

Candidates shortlisted for interview will be required to expand on how they meet the essential criteria above using examples and evidence.

03/08/2018, 16:00

Key facts about the post

Location


Meetings held in Health and Care Research Wales, Cardiff and the National Collaborative Commissioning Unit, Nantgarw.

      

Time Commitment

Up to 2 days per week

Tenure of office


Initial appointment of 4 years. 


Remuneration           

The Chair is entitled to receive a taxable remuneration of £322 per day.  Members are also entitled to travel and other reasonable expenses within reasonable limits.

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 received a sentence of imprisonment (whether suspended or not) for a period of not less than three months without the option of a fine;

b.         is the subject of a bankruptcy restrictions order or an interim order or has made a composition or arrangement with creditors;

c.         has been dismissed, other than by reason of redundancy, from paid employment with a health service body;

d.         has had his or her membership as chair, member or director of a health service body terminated, other than by reason of redundancy, voluntary resignation, reorganisation of the health service body, or expiry of the period of office for which that person was appointed.

 

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.

 

Applicants should also note that being a member of the Emergency Ambulance Services Committee is a disqualifying post for membership of the National Assembly for Wales under the National Assembly for Wales (Disqualification) order 2015. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/1536/contents/made.

 

Conflict of Interests

You will be asked to declare any private interests which may, or may be perceived to, conflict with the role and responsibilities as Chair of the Emergency Ambulance Services Committee, including any business interests and positions of authority outside of the role in the Emergency Ambulance Services Committee.

 

Any conflicts of interest will be explored at interview.  If appointed, you will also be required to declare these interests on a register which is available to the public.

 

Standards in public life

You will be expected to demonstrate high standards of corporate and personal conduct. All successful candidates will be asked to subscribe to the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies, you can access this document at: 

http://www.bl.uk/aboutus/governance/blboard/Board%20Code%20of%20Practice%202011.pdf.

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 Unit on 03000 616095 or PublicAppointments@gov.wales.

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