(**) Non-Executive Director

NHS Trust; Southend-on-Sea; On-site; GBP 14,000 - 17,000; Part time

Job summary

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Non-Executive Director to provide independent oversight and constructive challenge to the Board. You will help set strategic direction, hold the Executive Team to account for delivery of the annual plan, and ensure patient safety and governance systems are robust.

The role requires a substantial commitment (roughly 3–4 days per month), requires a high level of integrity, and will involve working with Governors and partners to address health

Qualifications

• Postgraduate qualification or equivalent senior leadership experience.
• Recognised clinical qualification or equivalent senior professional credibility in healthcare quality or patient safety.
• Experience with governance, risk and assurance in NHS contexts.

Responsibilities

• Assist the Board in setting strategic direction with Governors' views.
• Hold the Executive Team to account for delivery of the annual plan.
• Provide constructive challenge on areas needing improvement or assurance.
• Ensure patient safety is central and staff can speak up.
• Ensure effective risk management and governance across the Trust.

Skills

Leadership

Data analysis

Quality & safety analysis

Education

Postgraduate qualification or equivalent senior leadership experience

Recognised clinical qualification or equivalent senior professional credibility

Job description

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust is one of the biggest trusts in the country, following the merger of Mid Essex, Basildon and Southend hospitals in April 2020.

Main area Non-Executive Director Grade Non-Executive Director Contract Fixed term: 3 years (Option to extend for a further two terms, subject to Council of Governors approval) Hours Part time - 5 hours per week (Approximately 20 Hours / 3-4 days per month) Job ref 390-NR-COR-SO-5808

Site MSE Town Southend Salary £15,000 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 24/11/2026 23:59

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust is the only acute hospital provider in the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System (ICS), which is a system of health and care partners working together for our local population.

Within Mid and South Essex there are 149 GP practices, operating from over 200 sites, forming 27 Primary Care Networks and one Ambulance Trust. There are also three main community and mental health service providers who work together through a community collaborative.

We collaborate with other valuable partners, including three Healthwatch organisations, nine voluntary and community sector organisations and three top tier local authorities, with seven district, borough and city councils, as well as our local universities.

Job overview

As members of a unitary Board, Non-Executive Directors (NEDs) share a collective duty to promote the success of the organisation and maximise benefits for patients and the wider public.
The Board is collectively accountable for the performance of the NHS Foundation Trust. NEDs provide constructive challenge and scrutiny of the Trust’s performance against its agreed goals and objectives. They must assure themselves of the integrity of financial, clinical and other information and seek assurance that effective systems of governance and risk management are in place and operating effectively.

NEDs play a vital role in bringing an independent perspective to Board discussions, alongside the specific knowledge, skills and experience they contribute.

NEDs are also expected to uphold the highest standards of probity and integrity, act in accordance with the Trust’s values, and foster positive and effective working relationships within the Boardroom.

Interviews to be held in February 2027

Main duties of the job

As a Non-Executive Director, you will:

To assist the Board of Directors in setting the strategic direction of the organisation, whilst considering the views of the Council of Governors.

Together with the Board of Directors, hold the Executive Team to account for the delivery of the agreed strategic objectives and Trust’s annual plan.

To provide constructive, considered and appropriate challenge to the Board of Directors on areas where improvements are needed or assurance is lacking.

To ensure that the Trust places patient safety at the heart of its work and that mechanisms are in place to ensure staff are able to speak up.

To ensure that the Trust manages risk effectively.

To provide advice and guidance to the Trust on issues relevant to the NED’s own skills, expertise and experience.

Together with the Board of Directors, work with local communities and collaborate with partner organisations to address health inequalities and ensure that the Trust provides the best possible care for local communities.

Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of duties.

Working for our organisation

Our ambition is to deliver excellent local and specialist services, to improve the health and well being of our patients, and provide a vibrant place for staff to develop, innovate and build careers.
We aim to make the most of our skills and experiences so we can become the best we can be. As one organisation we will recruit the finest and retain more specialist staff due to more employment opportunities across our Trust

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

As a Non-Executive Director, you will help shape the Trust’s strategic direction while providing independent oversight and constructive challenge to the Executive Team. The role is responsible for ensuring strong governance, effective risk management, high-quality patient care, regulatory compliance, and a culture that prioritises patient safety, staff wellbeing, equality, diversity and inclusion.

You will support the Board in driving transformation and continuous improvement, ensuring services are informed by population need, patient and staff insight, clinical evidence, and sustainable use of resources. The role also champions research, innovation, community engagement and co-production, helping to reduce health inequalities and improve outcomes for patients and local communities.

NEDs work closely with the Council of Governors, support senior appointments, participate in Board and committee evaluations, undertake service visits, and provide advice based on their professional expertise. The position requires a minimum commitment of 3-4 days per month, participation in ongoing development activities, and compliance with the Fit and Proper Persons Test and conflict of interest requirements.

We look forward to your application!

Person specification

Qualifications

• Postgraduate qualification or equivalent senior leadership experience.
• Demonstrable research literacy, with the ability to critically evaluate and apply evidence, data and improvement methodologies to improve services and outcomes.
• A recognised clinical qualification or equivalent senior professional credibility in healthcare quality, patient safety, improvement or transformation.

Experience

• Senior or Board-level experience in a large, complex and regulated organisation.
• Demonstrable experience of leading or delivering transformation and sustained improvement within a large and complex organisation.
• Demonstrable experience of using co-production or community-led approaches to shape strategy, service redesign, research or improvement.
• Experience of engaging effectively with diverse and underrepresented communities.
• Experience of scrutinising performance, risk and assurance information, providing independent challenge and influencing complex strategic decisions.
• Previous NHS experience.
• A current or previous senior academic appointment.
• Lived and/or personal experience of being a carer or a service user.
• Experience of leading community engagement projects to tackle health inequalities.
• Previous Non-Executive Director experience.
• Academic, research or clinical education leadership experience.

Knowledge and understanding

• Regulatory environment, including the roles of CQC, NHS England, and the commissioning and provider landscapes.
• Governance, risk and assurance frameworks.
• NHS context and challenges.
• Political awareness and system understanding.
• Legal duties of Boards, NEDs and the Council of Governors.

Skills and attributes

• Strong leadership and influencing skills.
• Strong ability to analyse complex clinical, operational, and financial data.
• Ability to interrogate clinical quality and safety information and distinguish assurance from reassurance.
• Sound judgement and diplomacy.
• Commitment to patient care and staff engagement.
• Champion of equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Champion of an open and transparent culture focusing on continuous learning and improvement.
• Personal integrity aligned with Nolan principles.

Please be aware as per the new Immigration guidelines we cannot sponsor candidates with a salary (full time or pro Rata) under the current minimum threshold.

Please note, the selection processes at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust are in place to ensure we recruit candidates with the right skills and values, please be advised that the use of AI in applications are monitored. We remain vigilant against candidates who misuse these tools to generate an application that doesn’t accurately reflect their skills, and you will be required to declare on your application if AI has been used before submitting your application.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

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.