Appointment of a dietitian member of the Education and Training Committee Health Professions Council

Transcription

1 Appointment of a dietitian member of the Education and Training Committee Health Professions Council Information pack for candidates Closing date: 12 noon on Monday 5 September 2011

2 Contents Page Introduction... 3 Overview - Members... 4 About the Health Professions Council... 5 role of the Education and Training Committee. 5-6 role of Education and Training Committee members... 6 Core competences required On appointment - additional information... 9 remuneration, time commitment, location... 9 appointment and tenure... 9 training, standards in public life, eligibility disqualification and removal from office conflicts of Interest, diversity How to apply Guidance on completing the application forms.appendix 1 The seven principles of public life...appendix 2 Also enclosed: Application form 2

3 Park House tel +44 (0) Kennington Park Road fax +44 (0) London SE1 4BU Chair: Dr Anna van der Gaag Chief Executive and Registrar: Marc Seale Dear Candidate Thank you for your interest in the post of dietitian member of the Health Professions Council s (HPC) Education and Training Committee. I hope you find this information pack helpful in setting out the duties of the Education and Training Committee and the competences and experience required of Committee members. The HPC is a regulator, and we were set up to protect the public. To do this, we keep a register of health professionals who meet our standards for their training, professional skills, behaviour and health. We currently register over 215,000 professionals from 15 professions. The Education and Training Committee is a statutory committee which advises the Council on matters relating to education, training and registration. The Committee comprises Lay Council members, and Council members and HPC registrants with involvement in higher education from each profession on the HPC register. A vacancy has arisen for a Dietitian to become a member of the Committee. If you believe that you can demonstrate the necessary skills to be the Dietitian member of the Education and Training Committee please complete the enclosed application form and return it to us by mid-day on Monday 5 September Anna van der Gaag Chair 3

4 Overview - Members The Education and Training Committee will comprise a maximum of 30 members. At least one of these members will be drawn from each HPC regulated profession. Key dates Closing date: 12 noon, Monday 5 September 2011 Shortlisting: Wednesday 14 September 2011 Interviews: Monday 26 September 2011 Panel decision: Before Friday 7 October 2011 The panel s decision will go to HPC Council on 20 October 2011 for approval. Any appointment will be from that date. The first Committee meeting will be on17 November. Essential Competences All candidates will need to demonstrate that they have the following experience and competences: Educationalist or practitioner with involvement in delivering higher education to the HPC regulated professions Ability to contribute to strategic direction in education and registration matters relevant to regulation Ability to explore accountability of self and others Awareness of equality and diversity issues Ability to listen and communicate effectively Ability to work effectively as part of a team Ability to inspire confidence and support amongst HPC stakeholders, particularly those from the professions and from the education sector Capacity and skill to understand the priorities of HPC stakeholders Eligibility As a candidate for this role you will currently be registered with the HPC. Please see page 10 for full details of eligibility Remuneration 310 per day plus travel and subsistence. Time commitment Approximately 6 days a year. Meetings are normally in London. Key contacts For more information regarding the selection process, please contact Louise Hart at the Health Professions Council: tel: louise.hart@hpc-uk.org 4

5 About the Health Professions Council The Health Professions Council (HPC) was established under the Health Professions Order It is a UK wide, multi professional health regulator. It currently regulates 200,000 professionals from 15 professions. The role of the HPC is to protect the health and wellbeing of people who use the services of health professionals on its register. The Council has a strong ethos of public and patient engagement, transparency, inclusion and rigour in all its endeavours. It has public protection at the heart of its functions. It operates by meeting the following aims; maintaining and publishing a public register of properly qualified members of the professions; approving and upholding high standards of education and training, and continuing good practice, investigating complaints and taking appropriate action; and working in partnership with the public, and a range of other groups including professional bodies; and promoting awareness and understanding of the aims of the Council. The Council also has powers to recommend to the Secretary of State for Health statutory regulation for unregulated professions. Following the publication in 2007 of the White Paper Trust Assurance and Safety: the regulation of health professionals in the 21 st century, the government implemented a series of reforms which affected all health regulators. The reforms brought about a smaller, appointed Council for the HPC, with parity of lay and professional members. The restructured Council comprises 20 members 10 lay and 10 registrant. The Council is the governing body of the HPC and has set up a number of statutory and non-statutory committees. Role of the Education and Training Committee The Education and Training Committee (ETC) is a statutory committee of the Council. It advises the Council on matters relating to education, training and registration. Role of Education and Training Panels The Education and Training Panels, whose membership is drawn from ETC, deal with Visitors' reports, annual monitoring reports and major or minor changes to programmes. The committee may convene panels of its members to:- (a) consider Visitors reports on the approval of education or training, qualification or institutions to which those report relate; 5

6 (b) (c) consider and, if thought fit, approve proposed changes to education courses, qualifications or institutions; consider and, if thought fit, approve matters arising from the monitoring of such courses, qualifications or institutions. Diversity A key priority for the HPC is its commitment to implementing equality and diversity policies and practice at all levels of its work. The Council must take the lead both in terms of supporting these aims and aspirations and developing the strategy. Role of Education and Training Committee members The aim of this recruitment process is to recruit a Dietitian member to the Education and Training Committee who will have the experience, capacity and skills to contribute to the oversight of the HPC s work in relation to education, training and registration. The HPC is committed to maintaining an Education and Training Committee that reflects a diverse range of interests. The HPC would expect all members to have a grasp of the principles of good regulation. Although experience in other regulatory work might be desirable, in general terms, the HPC would not seek applications from individuals already serving on another regulatory body Council. In summary, the role of an Education and Training Committee member is to: contribute their knowledge and expertise to meetings, to aid effective decision-making on matters relating to education and training and registration; support the Council s objectives; ensure that they have a good working knowledge of HPC s role, processes and other information that may help their role; carry out their work in accordance with the members code of conduct; and act as an ambassador for the HPC, representing the Council to stakeholders as required. 6

7 Core Competences Required Candidates will be required to demonstrate how they meet the core competences shown below. Some examples of how these may be met are shown in the table. Competence Educationalist or practitioner with involvement in higher education Evidence You should be an educationalist or practitioner with involvement in higher education. Ability to contribute to strategic direction Ability to explore accountability of self and others Understanding of the relationship between the purpose and values of an organisation and its strategic direction. Knowledge and experience of strategic planning and delivery, with the ability to scrutinise performance data. Experience of contributing to the achievement of objectives within time and resource constraints. Offer appropriate challenge to help achieve the best outcomes for the organisation. Able to support the executive team whilst holding them to account for their performance. Willingness to accept responsibility and to be held accountable for personal decisions and to accept shared responsibility for corporate decisions. Experience of evaluating own and others performance. Ability to consistently hold the line on corporate decisions Awareness of equality and diversity issues Able to explore and work with values of respect, inclusion, fairness and transparency and what these might mean in a regulatory setting. Awareness that equality and diversity issues are of key importance throughout any organisation. 7

8 Ability to listen and communicate effectively Ability to work effectively as part of a team Ability to inspire confidence and support amongst HPC stakeholders Capacity and skill to understand the priorities of HPC stakeholders Well developed listening skills. Good communication skills and the ability to put views across clearly and sensitively in a variety of settings. Awareness of, and acceptance, of diverse views. Experience of participating in group discussions. Involving and including others in a decision making process to achieve the best outcome for an organisation. Sharing expertise at the same time as being able to recognise expertise in others. Ability to reflect on own behaviour and impact on others. Knowledge and experience of working in partnership with one or more of HPC s key interest groups. Knowledge/experience in any of the following areas; governance, healthcare delivery, patient advocacy, consumer engagement, professional education, tribunals and enquiries, financial audit, quality assurance, management and research, voluntary, campaigning work. Knowledge and understanding of the prime purpose of regulation i.e. public protection Knowledge and experience of working with one or more of the HPC s key interest groups in any of the four UK countries. Knowledge and understanding of the wider social, political, and educational landscape in which regulation sits. Knowledge and understanding of the diversity inherent in the work of the HPC and differing viewpoints amongst key interest groups. 8

9 On appointment Remuneration The remuneration will be 310 per day. Remuneration is taxable under Schedule E and subject to Class I National Insurance contributions. It is not pensionable. Members will also be eligible to claim allowances, at rates set centrally, for travel and subsistence costs necessarily incurred on Council business. Warning: Impact of appointment on people in receipt of benefits. Your appointment may have an effect on your entitlement to benefits. If you are in receipt of benefits you should seek advice from the Benefits Agency. Time commitment and location It is expected that a commitment of approximately 6 days per year will be required for members. Council and Committees normally meet in London. Appointment and tenure of office The post of Committee member is a statutory appointment and is not subject to a contract of appointment. This is a public appointment or statutory office, and is not subject to the provisions of employment law. It is proposed that Committee members will hold office for a maximum of two terms of up to four years per term. Re-appointments can be made at the end of the first period of office for a further maximum period of four years, subject to a satisfactory performance appraisal and the needs of the Health Professions Council. However, a degree of change is often sought and there should be no expectation of automatic reappointment. Member may serve a maximum of two terms in any 20 year period. To ensure that public service values are maintained at the heart of the HPC, members will be required, on appointment, and in addition to a commitment to the seven principles of public life, to subscribe to the HPC Code of Conduct. A copy can be obtained from the HPC website, using the following link: Training The appropriate training and induction will be provided on appointment. 9

10 Standards in public life You will be expected to demonstrate high standards of corporate and personal conduct, including impartiality, objectivity and integrity in the implementation of the role and responsibilities. To ensure that these principles are maintained, all successful candidates will be asked to subscribe to a Code of Conduct, which is available on the Council website here: You should note particularly the requirement to declare any conflict of interest that arises in the course of Council business and the need to declare any relevant business interests, positions of authority or other connections with other commercial, voluntary, academic or public bodies. You must also confirm that they understand the standards of probity required by public appointees outlined in the Seven Principles of Public Life. These principles are set out by the Committee on Standards in Public Life, and are listed in Appendix 2. Eligibility Each appointed member shall live or work wholly or mainly in the United Kingdom. A member shall only be eligible for appointment if they are currently registered with the HPC). A member will not be eligible for appointment if he/she is the subject of any allegation, investigation or proceedings concerning his fitness to practise in the HPC. Disqualification from appointment Appointments to many public bodies are governed by regulations which include details of circumstances in which an individual may be disqualified from holding office. The criteria for disqualification is set out in the Health Professions Council (Constitution) Order There are circumstances in which an individual will not be considered for appointment. They include: 10

11 people who have been convicted in the United Kingdom, and received a prison sentence or suspended sentence of 3 months or more in the last 5 years; anyone who has been declared bankrupt or has made a composition or arrangement with their creditors; anybody who has been dismissed, other than by reason of redundancy, from any paid employment with a public body; anyone who has had an earlier term of appointment as the chair or member of a public body terminated in certain circumstances; anyone who is suspended from, has been removed from or subject to conditions on registration of any professional body; anyone who is under a disqualification order under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986; anyone who has previously been removed from trusteeship of a charity by the court or the Charity Commissioners. Further advice about disqualification for appointment can be given by contacting the Louise Hart by louise.hart@hpc-uk.org or on Removal from appointment of a member under the Health Professions Order 2001: There are a number of reasons the Council may remove a person from office as a member of the Committee, including a serious and persistent insufficiency in his/her attendance, conduct or performance in the meetings of the committee; and a serious breach of the members code of conduct. To see a full copy of the Health Professions Order 2001, follow the link below or to find out more about our work, please visit the HPC website at: Conflict of Interests Close relationships with other committee or Council members or panellists may be considered a conflict of interest, and therefore it must be declared at the application stage of the appointment process. Any other perceived conflicts of interest will be fully explored by the Panel at shortlisting or interview stage. Diversity and Equal Opportunities The HPC is committed to the principle of public appointments on merit with independent assessments, openness and transparency of process and to providing equal opportunities for all, irrespective of race, age, disability, gender, marital status, religion, sexual orientation, transgender and working patterns. 11

12 We welcome applications from all sections of the community and from people with diverse experience and backgrounds for these posts. How to apply To apply for these posts you must complete the enclosed application form and return it by 12 noon on Monday 5 September Please send your completed applications to: Louise Hart Secretary to Council Health Professions Council Park House 184 Kennington Park Road London SE11 4BU or by to: louise.hart@hpc-uk.org Electronic versions of the forms can be downloaded from our website at Braille, large print and tape versions of this information pack and the application forms are also available on request. Please refer to the guidance notes in Appendix 1 of this pack when completing your forms. Acknowledging your application Once we receive your application we will process your application as quickly as possible and will keep you informed at key stages. After the closing date for applications: we will acknowledge receipt of your application (by if provided) and check it for completeness and eligibility. For convenience all forms can be downloaded from our website completed on your PC, and ed to: louise.hart@hpc-uk.org we will rely on only the information you provide to assess whether you have the experience required at the appropriate level. Please ensure that you provide written evidence to support how you meet all of the relevant criteria; 12

13 Interviews By 14 September, a decision will have been made as to which candidates will be invited for interview, taking account of the evidence provided on your application; we will contact you to let you know whether or not you will be interviewed. If you are invited to interview this is likely to be by phone. Please ensure that you leave contact details with which you will be available during this week. interviews will take place in London on 26 September if invited to interview, the panel will question you about your experience and expertise and ask specific questions to ascertain whether you meet the specified competences. The panel s questions will require answers which include examples of when you have demonstrated these particular behaviours in your professional or personal life. Wherever possible, the examples you give should be taken from the areas of experience you illustrated on your application form and CV and demonstrate the level at which you are able to work effectively. The outcome of your application if, in the view of the panel, you have the skills and experience, and have best met the competences required, you will be recommended for appointment the Health Professions Council will consider the interview panel s recommendation and will make the final decision on the appointment at their meeting on 20 October 2011; if you are successful, you will receive a letter from the Health Professions Council appointing you as a member of the Education and Training Committee; if you are unsuccessful, you will be notified by the Health Professions Council. 13

14 Appendix 1 Guidance on completing the application form When filling in your application form, please either complete electronically or write legibly and use black ink. You should complete all the sections. If a section does not apply, please state Not applicable. Downloading the application forms from the internet: For convenience, a copy of the application forms can be downloaded from our website at and be completed on your own PC. It can then be ed back to us at louise.hart@hpc-uk.org Please note: applications received after the closing date cannot be considered. If you are posting your application form please allow sufficient time for delivery. If you intend to post a hard copy of your application and would like us to confirm receipt, please put your name, address and a stamp on the acknowledgement card included in this information pack (hard copy only) and return it with your application form. If you return your application by or have provided us with an address on your application form, you will receive confirmation of receipt by e- mail. 14

15 Appendix 2 The seven principles of public life All candidates for public appointments are expected to demonstrate a commitment to, and an understanding of, the value and importance of the principles of public service. The seven principles of public life are: Selflessness Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest. They should not do so in order to gain financial or other benefits for themselves, their family or their friends. Integrity Holders of public office should not place themselves under any financial or other obligation to outside individuals or organisations that might seek to influence them in the performance of their official duties. Objectivity In carrying out public business, including making public appointments, awarding contracts, or recommending individuals for rewards and benefits, holders of public office should make choices on merit. Accountability Holders of public office are accountable for their decisions and actions to the public and must submit themselves to whatever scrutiny is appropriate to their office. Openness Holders of public office should be as open as possible about all the decisions and actions that they take. They should give reasons for their decisions and restrict information only when the wider public interest clearly demands it. Honesty Holders of public office have a duty to declare any private interests relating to their public duties and to take steps to resolve any conflicts arising in a way that protects the public interest. Leadership Holders of public office should promote and support these principles by leadership and example.