Non-Executive Director with a Financial / Audit Background
As University Hospitals Dorset we are a three site acute trust with 'university hospital' status through our partnership with Bournemouth University, working with an annual budget of £730m.
We offer highly regarded health services, employing some 10,000 staff. Our ambitious £250m estates programme is well on the way to delivering state-of-the-art facilities over the next two years to meet the current and future healthcare needs of the populations we serve.
In an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with over seven miles of sandy beaches you'll find inspirational opportunities to achieve your perfect work/life balance. With the New Forest and the Purbecks on our doorstep, we're also less than three hours from London by road or train. The thriving towns of Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch give way to idyllic villages and unspoilt landscapes just minutes from our hospitals.
We believe that having a diverse workforce, and allowing people to be themselves, is essential in ensuring we offer an inclusive, welcoming and productive place to work.
We especially welcome applications from minority groups in the community who may be underrepresented in our workforce.
At UHD our active staff network groups are the Women's Network, Black Asian Minority Ethnic Group (BAME), Pride Network, European (EU), Pro Ability Staff Network, and the Armed Forces Support Group.
As a Trust we are proudly signed up to the Disability Confident and Armed Forces Covenant guaranteed interview schemes.
We are aware that some candidates may choose to use AI tools to support the preparation of their application. While this is not discouraged, we kindly remind applicants that submissions should remain an honest and accurate representation of your own experience and suitability. Personal integrity is an important part of the recruitment process.
Job overview
Non-Executive Directors play a crucial role in bringing an independent perspective to the Boardroom, in addition to the specific knowledge and skills they hold. You will need to have a genuine commitment to patients and the promotion of excellent health care services.
The best boards are those that reflect the workforce and communities they serve. We are an inclusive employer and welcome applications from all backgrounds to ensure our board reflects the diversity of our communities and encourages diversity of thought.
We are looking for individuals with experience in the following areas:
* Finance experience, with ACA or equivalent qualifications. We would particularly welcome candidates who have exposure to working at a senior level, within or with, central government departments, agencies and arm's length bodies. This appointee will either Chair the Finance and Performance Committee or the Audit Committee.
You will need to be a thoughtful and curious Non- Executive Director who can bring a diverse level of thought and experience to our collegiate and lively Board team.
The successful candidate will have recent Board-level senior management and leadership experience in large and complex organisations. Candidates should be able to Chair a Board Committee.
Main duties of the job
Non-Executive Directors fulfil a vital role in the leadership of the Trust. They work alongside the Chair and the Board to determine the overall strategic direction of the Trust and to provide active leadership within a framework of prudent and effective controls.
This includes ensuring the Trust meets its aims, internal and external performance targets and regulatory requirements. Non-Executive Directors bring specialist skills and experience to ensure that the Board acts in the best interests of patients, the community and the wider public.
Accountable to the Chair of the Trust and the Council of Governors, Non-Executive Directors are expected to devote around 3-4 days per month to the role. Non-Executive Directors must register to be a public member of University Hospital Dorset NHS Foundation trust through a simple process.
Working for our organisation
Thank you for your interest in the role of Non-Executive Director with a finance and audit background at University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust (UHD).
All of us at Team UHD are committed to our Patient First improvement System and we share the same core objectives: to see our patients sooner; to be a great place to work; to improve patient experience; improve patient safety and to use every NHS pound wisely.
We have an exciting future ahead as we work to Transform Care. Key priorities include embedding our Patient First methodology, delivering services within our allocated budgets and exceeding our quality and safety targets.
In addition, we are investing in significant energy reduction programmes to achieve our target of 80% decarbonisation by 2030. We have opened the new BEACH building, creating a major emergency care hospital; and by 2026 we will have created the largest planned care hospital in England.
None of this can be achieved in isolation - we work best when we work collaboratively, both outside the Trust with partners from other health and care organisations across our Dorset ICB, and internally with our 10,000+ committed and fabulous colleagues. We are now looking for a new colleague to join our Board as a Non-Executive Director and help steer us through this transition to achieve our vision of providing excellent, efficient and productive healthcare for our patients and wider community.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Key Responsibilities
* Provide proactive effective leadership within a framework of processes, procedures and controls.
* Set the Trust's vision, strategic aims, values and standards of conduct and ensure that its obligations to its members, patients and other stakeholders are understood, clearly communicated and met.
* Ensure compliance with the Trust's terms of authorisation, its constitution, mandatory guidance issued by NHS England and relevant statutory requirements and contractual obligations.
* In accordance with agreed Board procedures, monitor the performance and conduct of the directors in meeting agreed goals and objectives and statutory responsibilities, including the preparation of annual reports and annual accounts and other statutory duties.
* Ensure that the organisation values diversity in its workforce and demonstrates equality of opportunity in its treatment of staff and patients and in all aspects of its business.
* Ensure that the Trust exercises its functions effectively, efficiently and economically.
* Work alongside other non-executives and executive directors as an equal member of the Unitary Board and share responsibility with the other directors for the decisions made by the Board.
* Provide visible leadership in developing a healthy culture so that staff believe Non-Executive Directors provide a safe point of access to the Board for raising concerns. Champion an open, honest and transparent culture within the organisation.
* As a member of Board committees, appoint, remove, support, encourage and where appropriate 'mentor' senior executives.
* Commit to working to, and encouraging within the Trust, the highest standards of probity, integrity and governance and contribute to ensuring that the Trust's internal governance arrangements conform with best practice and statutory requirements.
* Ensure that financial information is accurate, that financial controls and risk management systems are robust and defensible, and that the Board is kept fully informed through timely and relevant information.
* Provide analysis and constructive challenge to information on organisational and operational performance.
* Show commitment to working with key partners as part of the Integrated Care System to drive improvement in health outcomes and to tackle health inequalities.
* Act as an ambassador for the Trust in engagement with stakeholders including patients and the community and ensure patients' interests are at the forefront of decision making.
* Declare annually that you are a fit and proper person and able to fulfil these responsibilities.
HOW TO APPLY
To be considered for this role, please submit the following documents by email to the addresses below:
* A CV including your address and contact details. Please highlight and explain any gaps in your employment history.
* A supporting statement outlining your motivation for applying and your understanding of the NHS and this role. Please include your personal responsibilities and achievements in previous roles, and explain how your experience aligns with the person specification.
* Details of three referees, including their names, positions, organisations, and contact information. Your referees should be line managers and cover your most recent employer, any regulated health or social care roles, or positions involving children or vulnerable adults. References may be requested prior to interview and shared with the selection panel. In line with NHSE's Fit and Proper Persons Test framework, if appointed, your references and other background checks will be shared with the Trusts and NHS England.
* Any dates you would be unavailable, should you be shortlisted for an interview.
Please note: Alongside your CV and supporting statement, which must be emailed as described above, you are also required to complete your application through Trac via the NHS Jobs website.
For more information, please contact:
Melissa Duncan - Head of Resourcing
[email protected]
Lianne Paddison-Casbierd - Deputy Head of Resourcing
[email protected]
Important:
All CVs and supporting must be emailed to Melissa Duncan and Lianne Paddison-Casbierd at the addresses above. In addition, your full application must be submitted through Trac via the NHS Jobs website.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
* Educated to degree level
* Qualification and membership with CIPFA, ACA, ACCA, CIMA
* Understand principles of corporate and clinical governance
knowledge and Experience
Essential criteria
* Qualified accountant with recent and relevant financial experience ideally with an audit / assurance background.
* Significant record of leadership, management of change and personal achievement within a substantial and complex organisation
* Experience of complex risk assessment and management
* Experience of strategy development and delivery and evidence of delivering transformational change
* Experience of fostering relationships/partnerships across multi-stakeholder organizations
* Experience of ensuring compliance to standards of corporate and clinical governance
* Extensive experience in managing complex financial budgets, and of strategic financial planning.
* Ability to balance patient experience and ability with financial performance experience of performance management and holding to account for performance and quality
* Understanding of clinical quality, financial control and performance
Desirable criteria
* A substantial number of years Board level in a highly regulated sector
* Working as an executive or non-executive Board member of a large complex health or social care organization
Skills and Attributes
Essential criteria
* Ability to assess organisation and financial risk and assign strategic priorities
* Effective influencing and communication skills with a high level of ability to gain support and influence, both internally and externally
* Previous experience of chairing complex meetings with a demonstrable ability to chair an assurance Committee of the Board of Directors, and the aptitude to rapidly develop a sophisticated understanding of assurance in an NHS context
* Politically astute, adept at building partnerships and relationships with stakeholders
* Evidence of leading positive change and being a champion of diversity, equality and inclusion
* Ability to assess performance based on complex, multi-factorial data
* Able to be an ambassador for the Foundation Trust with partners and members and to effectively represent the Trust to its patients and regulators
* Uphold the highest standards of conduct set out in "The Seven Principles of Public Life"
* Committed to improving healthcare and role modelling the values of the Trust
Please note:
Staff recruited are expected to be available to work flexibly across all our Trust locations to meet service demands.
This advert may be closed early if sufficient applications are received.
COVID-19 vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself and our patients from the virus when working in our healthcare settings. Whilst this vaccination is not a condition of employment we do encourage our staff to get vaccinated.
Internal Candidates: staff employed prior to merger who voluntarily change jobs will be appointed to UHD terms and conditions.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Documents to download
* JD - Page 7 ( PDF, 931.8 KB )
* PS - Pages 8 - 9 ( PDF, 931.8 KB )
* Candidate Pack - Finance / Audit NED ( PDF, 1014.1 KB )
* DBS - FAQs ( PDF, 102.0 KB )
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