In the event of excessive applications being received this vacancy may close earlier than the stated closing date; you are encouraged to submit your application as soon as possible.
Important note on completion of reference section of application form
All references from current and previous employers will be sought and must cover a minimum of 3 years employment. When completing the reference section of your application form, please provide the address, telephone number and work email address of each of your current/previous line managers that cover 3 years of employment. Where possible this should be from two separate employers. Failure to complete this section may result in your application not being processed.
Please note it is a requirement of this Trust that all successful applicants pay for their DBS certificate if a check is required for the post. This will be done through deduction from your monthly pay over a maximum of three months. It is also a requirement that all successful applicants register or are registered with the DBS update service where a DBS is required.
All new entrants to the NHS will be appointed on the minimum of the pay scale in line with Terms & Conditions.
Job overview
Please note that to be eligible to apply for this role candidates must reside in the North East or North Cumbria (i.e. the geographical area covered by the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care System).
We are seeking a Non-Executive Director to complement our existing Board Members, using their skills and experiences to help us to achieve our ambitions and strategy.
We are seeking a Non-Executive Director with a legal qualification and significant legal experience. We recognise the value that legal expertise can add to our Board of Directors, providing constructive feedback and input into complex issues.
Note that Non-Executive Directors must be a member of one of the public constituencies of Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust (which includes the whole of the North East and North Cumbria in line with the geographical boundaries of the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care System).
Main duties of the job
As a Non-Executive Director, you will work alongside the Chair, other Non-Executive Directors and Executive Directors of the Trust as a full member of the Board. You will be individually and collectively accountable with the other Directors for the success of the organisation and will have the responsibility to constructively challenge the decisions of the Board and help develop proposals on priorities, risk mitigation, values, standards and strategies.
As a qualified lawyer you will bring independent legal knowledge and judgement to the work of the Board and its committees, utilising your subject matter knowledge to constructively contribute to debate and decision-making.
Non-Executive Director appointments are made by the Trust's Council of Governors taking into account local needs and the requirements of the Code of Governance for NHS Provider Trusts.
A Non-Executive Director with communications experience would add real value to our Board discussions - ensuring that we adopt the most effective approach to communicating with our patients, people, the public and partners. This is a desirable rather than essential criterion in our person specification.
Non-Executive Directors are chosen for their breadth of experience, appropriate calibre and personal qualities.
A Non-Executive Director of the Trust, or any other NHS Foundation Trust, may not be or become a Governor of the Foundation Trust.
Working for our organisation
At Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust we provide a wide range of acute, community and older people9s mental health services to our local community and beyond. We also provide a range of specialist services including bowel screening for a population of around 7 million people and specialist gynaecological cancer treatments from the Scottish Borders through to Cumbria and Whitby.
We employ over 5,100 people and have over 400 hospital beds across the Gateshead area. We have an annual turnover of around £400 million and our wholly-owned subsidiary, QE Facilities, provides a wide range of high-quality services to the Trust and other NHS organisations.
Our philosophy is that to achieve the best patient care and outcomes we must be clinically-led and management supported - this is an integral part of our approach to everything we do.
We have three main strategic ambitions: to be a Northern Centre of Excellence for Women9s Health; to be a leading provider of diagnostic services; and to be an outstanding district general hospital. We believe that by achieving these ambitions we will be able to make a valuable contribution to the healthcare of the people of Gateshead, but also to the wider North East and North Cumbria.
We are proud to be rated as "+good" overall by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) at our last full inspection. Our maternity services were inspected in 2023 and we were delighted to be rated as 'good' with a number of areas of outstanding practice highlighted.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The Non-Executive Director role has been aligned to the six leadership competency areas outlined in the NHS England Leadership Competency Framework:
* Driving high-quality and sustainable outcomes
* Setting strategy and delivering long-term transformation
* Promoting equality and inclusion, and reducing health and workforce inequalities
* Providing robust governance and assurance
* Creating a compassionate, just and positive culture
* Building trusted relationships with partners and communities
Further details can be found in the attached recruitment pack.
Person specification
Qualifications & skills Essential criteria
* A recognised legal qualification and associated significant legal experience
* A deeply-rooted commitment to the delivery of safe, high-quality, compassionate and joined-up care, and to its continuous improvement
* High level of understanding and interest in healthcare issues
* Ability to understand and contribute to the strategic direction of a large and complex organisation
* Proven leadership skills
* Clear understanding, and acceptance, of the legal duties, liabilities, and responsibilities of Non-Executive Directors
* Ability to fulfil fit and proper person requirements of the role
Values Essential criteria
* A commitment to NHS values and principles of NHS Foundation Trusts
* Ability to work with and influence senior leaders in the NHS across all professional/management disciplines
Experience Essential criteria
* Ability to work with and influence senior leaders across all professional/management disciplines
* High level of understanding and interest in healthcare issues
* Clear understanding, and acceptance, of the legal duties, liabilities, and responsibilities of Non-Executive Directors
* Sufficient time and commitment to fulfil the role
Desirable criteria
* The temperament, ability and experience to work at a Board level (previous Board-level experience is desirable, but not essential) as full support will be offered
* Previous experience of chairing committees is desirable, but not essential as full support will be given
* Awareness / willingness to develop an awareness of mass public health issues which may affect the Trust
* Communications experience at a senior level
Applicants who have not been contacted within 4 weeks of the closing date are to assume that their application has been unsuccessful.
Applications from job seekers who require Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications where the post is eligible. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here: Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.
Candidates who require sponsorship are strongly advised to visit the UK Border Agency website and familiarise themselves with what is required. There is a facility on this site to access the points based calculator and work through an example which should assist candidates in their understanding of the process.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
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
* Non-Executive Director Recruitment Pack ( PDF, 587.9 KB )
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