Are you interested in being a Board Member of one of the most exciting and innovative healthcare organisations in the country? Do you want to help shape the future of healthcare in one of the largest and most diverse areas of London?  

If so,  North West London Acute Provider Collaborative (APC), is looking for two values-driven, forward-thinking Non-Executive Directors to join our Board in Common. We are an innovative partnership of the four acute NHS trusts in the North West London Integrated Care System (ICS):

• Chelsea & Westminster NHS Foundation Trust 
• The Hillingdon Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 
• London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust  
• Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. 

Established in 2022, the Collaborative is one of the largest provider collaboratives in England. Overall, it runs 12 hospitals, employs 33,500 staff and serves a local population of over 2.2 million across Central, West and North West London.

Working with our skilled and passionate workforce, governors, and community partners, the Collaborative has big ambitions to improve health and wellbeing in our local communities, improving impact and outcomes by delivering personalised, place-based care, and tackling health inequalities.

We believe that, together, we have all the elements to create one of the best health systems in the world; a committed and diverse workforce, world-leading research and innovation and deepening relationships with our communities and stakeholders. If we share and embed the best of what we see across our four trusts in terms of ways of working, outcomes and experience, we have the potential to do something extraordinary.  

The roles

We are seeking two Joint Non Executive Directors to help turn our exciting potential into tangible impact and help us achieve our strategic ambitions. Working across two Trusts and sitting on the Board in Common, you will play a crucial role in bringing an independent perspective to the boardroom in addition to any specific knowledge and skills you bring. Non Executive Directors have a duty to uphold the highest standards of integrity and probity and to foster good relations in the boardroom and across the organisations.   

We are seeking a:

• Board member for London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, where they will chair the Finance and Performance Committee, and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, where they will be a member of the People Committee and the Audit Committee.   
• Board member for The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, where they will chair the Audit Committee, and Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, where they will be a member of the Quality and Safety Committee and the Finance and Performance Committee.

As we make progress in our collaborative journey, we are looking for forward-thinking, committed individuals with great drive and determination to provide the oversight and guidance that will help all of our organisations to achieve their full potential.

Responsibilities

Non-Executive Directors have a responsibility to:

• Support the Chair, Chief Executives, Vice Chairs and Executive Directors in promoting the Trusts’ values;
• Work with the Chair, CEO, Vice Chairs, Governors and other Board members to create a culture that encourages visionary and innovative thinking, acting on and promoting transformation and ideas generated within and outside the organisation;
• Support a positive culture throughout the Trust and adopt behaviours in the boardroom and elsewhere that exemplify the corporate culture;
• Constructively challenge the proposed decisions of the Board and ensure that appropriate challenge is made in all other relevant circumstances;
• Help develop proposals on priorities; risk mitigation; values and standards, and contribute to the development of strategy;
• Ensure that any relevant committee is well informed and has timely access to all the information it requires;
• Provide leadership to any relevant committee to ensure that it is effective in its role and that internal control systems are in place and operating;

Key working relationships

External: Patients, Patient Groups, Members, NHS England, Care Quality Commission (CQC), North West London Integrated Care System, Local Authority leadership, relevant educational/research bodies or regulatory/monitoring bodies.

Internal: Non-Executive Director colleagues; Council of Governors, Chief Executive and Executive and Divisional Directors, all staff, volunteers.

External relationships

Non-Executive Directors have a duty to:

• Represent the organisation to patients, governors, members, suppliers, government, fellow NHS bodies, regulators, the media and wider stakeholders;
• Ensure effective communication with Governors, members and other key stakeholders, ensuring that all Directors are aware of the views of those who commission or choose to use the Trust’s services;
• Scrutinise the performance of the executive management in meeting agreed goals and objectives;
• Satisfy themselves as to the integrity of financial, clinical and other information;
• Satisfy themselves that financial and clinical quality controls and systems of risk management and governance are sound and that they are used;
• Take account of external advice as necessary;
• Ensure that they receive adequate information to monitor the reporting of performance. Board focus

Non-executive Directors are expected to:

• Work alongside other non-executives and executive colleagues as an equal member of the Board;
• Bring independence, external perspective, skills, and challenge to strategy development;
• Hold the executive to account by providing purposeful, constructive scrutiny and challenge;
• Shape and actively support a positive culture for the trusts in which they are appointed.  

Non-Executive Directors are responsible (acting in the relevant committees) for:

• Participating in the appraisal of executive directors, including the chief executive, appointing the Chief Executive (with the approval of the Council of Governors or NHS England);
• Determining appropriate levels of remuneration of Executive Directors;
• Contributing to the appraisal of the Chair;
• Participating in succession planning for key Executive posts;
• Promoting and enable positive working relations with the Council of Governors in Foundation Trusts.
  

Knowledge and experience

• Substantial senior board-level experience and a track record of executive leadership gained in a complex organisation, whether private, public, or voluntary sector, ideally where collaborative working is key.
• Evidence of providing effective strategic direction supported by knowledge of governance and how Boards should add value
• Experience of supporting cultural change programmes
• Experience of supporting large-scale transformational change
• Strategic partnership / alliance experience and an understanding of stakeholder engagement
• Experience of communicating complex messages in a strategic context, internally and externally
• Experience of community engagement or working with under-represented groups 

Specific experience in one or more of the following:

• Audit and risk management;
• Governance, assurance and risk, and capability to bring independent financial scrutiny;
• Clinical leadership experience gained from any discipline, with a strategic level understanding of quality and/ or assurance;
• Strategic HR/OD that promotes collaboration, innovation, health and well-being and is passionate about sharing, advising and assuring in this area;
• Strategic partnership / alliance experience and an understanding of stakeholder engagement;
• Experience of communicating complex messages in a strategic context, internally and externally, and leading large scale change;
• Experience of large scale, complex healthcare IT project deployment;
• Experience of commissioning and interpreting complex legal advice
• Experience of community engagement or working with under-represented groups.

Skills and abilities

• Skills in strategic or operational management such as strategic business planning, workplace development, clinical and quality assurance, customer focus or wider business services experience (e.g. customer services, place based or demographic planning, estates planning, stakeholder engagement, change management).
• Ability to chair a board-level committee, with an understanding of the wider determinants of health including the needs of our local patient community, the roles and responsibilities of the Council of Governors, statutory and regulatory requirements, risk management and board assurance processes.

Please note: applicants must also submit a diversity monitoring form alongside their cover letter.

Remuneration and time commitment

• The time commitment for a Non-Executive Director role is around 3-4 days per month although it is possible that more time may be required given the strategic change agenda in the NHS
• The remuneration for a Joint Non-Executive Director is currently £18,000 per annum and will be reviewed annually in April.
• The successful candidate will need to devote sufficient time to ensure satisfactory discharge of his/her duties. This will comprise a mixture of set commitments (such as a monthly Board/ Board Sub-committee meetings) and more flexible arrangements for ad hoc events.
• Remuneration is taxable and subject to National Insurance Contributions. It is not pensionable.
• The successful candidate is also eligible to claim allowances for travel and subsistence costs incurred whilst on Trust business.

Given the significant public profile and responsibility members of NHS Boards hold, it is vital that those appointed inspire confidence of the public, patients, and NHS staff at all times. NHS England makes a number of specific background checks to ensure that those we appoint are “fit and proper” people to hold these important roles in NHS trusts. More information can be found the NHS England website.

Appointment & Tenure of Office

• This appointment will be for up to 3 years and will be subject to annual performance reviews. Renewable on review for a further 3 years
• You should also note that this post is a public appointment or statutory office rather than a job and is therefore not subject to the provisions of employment law. To ensure that public service values are maintained at the heart of the National Health Service, you are required to subscribe to the Code of Conduct and Standing Orders and Standing Financial Instructions for the Trust(s).
• As a Non-Executive Director, you must demonstrate high standards of corporate and personal conduct. Details of what is required of you and the NHS Board on which you serve are set out in the Codes of Conduct referenced above.
• You will be required to declare any conflict of interest that arises during Board business and also declare any relevant business interests, positions of authority or other connections with commercial, public or voluntary bodies.
  

The Trusts operate a scheme under which disabled applicants, who have demonstrated the level of expertise required for the post, will be assured of an offer of an interview:

• Disabled applicants can choose to be considered under the scheme;
• Their written application will be considered in the same way as other applicants;
• Panel members will not be informed that the applicant has applied under the GIS until after they have done their assessment;
• If the panel considers that, on paper, the GIS applicant has demonstrated the minimum criteria required for the post, they will be offered an interview.

Finding out more information, dates to consider & Open Event

 You can attend our online open event between 18.00 - 19.00 31st October 2023.  To register your interest in our open event – or just to find out more about the roles - please contact Mark Bate via email: [email protected]  or phone 075 3567 8656.

Closing Date: 2nd November 2023
Stakeholder Panel Sessions: 16th and 17th November 2023
Final Panel: 21st or 22nd November 2023.

For NHS England enquiries, contact Miriam Walker t: 0113 825 0009 or e: [email protected]

We are keen to hear from those who share our vision and ambition. We value and promote diversity and believe that the best boards are those that reflect the workforce and communities they serve. We particularly welcome applications from women, people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities and people with disabilities who are currently under-represented in non-executive roles. As such, we are open to appointing people who have gained their resilience and experience outside of the usual settings and who can bring fresh thinking to our board. 

If you are committed to improving the health and wellbeing of your local population by joining the NHS, we would love to hear from you.