Non-Executive Director & Chair of Finance and Performance Committee

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional healthcare provider is seeking a Non-Executive Director to support strategic direction and chair the Finance and Performance Committee. The role requires substantial board-level experience in finance and governance, a commitment to patient safety, and strong leadership skills. The ideal candidate will have a financial qualification and experience in risk management and strategic planning within a complex organization. This position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the healthcare service in the community.

Qualifications

• Experience of working at Board level in a large financial role.
• Understanding of the NHS strategic challenges.
• Knowledge of governance, assurance, and risk management.

Responsibilities

• Chair the Finance and Performance Committee meetings.
• Work with Corporate Governance Team on meeting agendas.
• Provide independent financial acumen to governance functions.

Skills

Leadership skills

Negotiation skills

Analytical skills

Strong commitment to patient care

Education

Finance Qualification

CIPFA, CFA, ACA, ACCA or CIMA qualification

Job description

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) have a duty to act with a view to promoting the success of the organisation, maximising the benefits for its patients and the public.

The Board is collectively responsible for the performance of the NHS Foundation Trust. NEDs constructively challenge and scrutinise the Trust's performance against agreed goals and objectives. They should satisfy themselves as to the integrity of financial, clinical and other information, and ensure that systems of governance and risk management are robust.

NEDs play a crucial role within the Board as, in addition to any specific knowledge and skills that they may have, they provide an independent perspective.

Furthermore, it is the duty of a NED to uphold the highest standards of probity and integrity as per the Trust's values, as well as encouraging good relations within the Boardroom.

The post holder will be expected to chair the Finance and Performance Committee (FPC) and participate fully as a member of any other assigned Committees. The post holder will be a member of the Integrated Care Board FPC.

Main duties of the job

As a Non-Executive Director, you will:

• 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.
• Provide constructive, considered and appropriate challenge to the Board of Directors on areas where improvements are needed or assurance is lacking.
• 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.
• Ensure that the Trust manages risk effectively.
• 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.

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 Chair of the Finance and Performance Committee, you will:

• Chair the Finance and Performance Committee meetings, ensuring the agenda runs to time, all attendees are given the opportunity to participate, and the behaviours displayed are in line with Trust values.
• Work with the Corporate Governance Team and Committee's Executive Lead to plan meeting agendas, ensuring the cycle of business is followed and any arising actions are addressed.
• Bring independent financial acumen to the work of the Committee across its governance, risk management, assurance and financial control functions.
• Escalate any areas to the Trust Board within the Committee's responsibilities that have inadequate assurance or require further mitigation - in accordance with the protocols determined by the Trust Board.

The purpose of the Committee is to provide scrutiny of financial, estates, digital, operational performance, procurement and environmental sustainability in order to provide assurance and make recommendations, as appropriate, to the Board of Directors.

This Committee is responsible for:

• Financial Performance and Recovery.
• Annual Planning and Delivery
• Financial Governance
• Financial Sustainability
• Operational Performance
• Strategy Development (those strategies that are within the Committee's remit)
• Review of Risks on the Board Assurance Framework (those relevant to the Committee)

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Finance Qualification

Desirable criteria

• Qualification and membership with one or more of the following: CIPFA, CFA ACA, ACCA or CIMA.

Experience

Essential criteria

• Experience of working at Board or near-Board level in a large and complex organisation, with significant senior-level responsibility in a financial role.
• Experience of risk management and financial control; with professional experience in risk, governance, or audit.
• Extensive experience in managing financial budgets, and of strategic planning and options appraisal.
• Track record of delivering against defined KPIs and of holding others to account for performance.

Desirable criteria

• Previous experience of chairing committees.
• Experience of working in a regulated environment.
• Extensive experience of providing independent challenge and scrutiny.

Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Understanding of the components of a complex organisation and the processes of planning, financial control, performance management and governance, assurance and risk management.
• Knowledge and understanding of the strategic challenges facing the NHS.
• Understanding of determinants of good quality, safe and effective patient care and of the wider determinants of good mental and physical health.
• Knowledge of local systems and key stakeholders.

Desirable criteria

• Sound understanding of the NHS -national and local agendas.
• Clear understanding of the legal duties, liabilities and responsibilities of Non-Executive Directors in the NHS.

Skills

Essential criteria

• A strong commitment to patient care, staff engagement and partnership/collaborative working with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Strong leadership and negotiation skills.
• Politically aware, able to engage and influence others, with effective working relationships internally and externally.
• Analytical skills relating to performance targets and strategic objectives.
• Skills in critical appraisal of research / evidence.

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. The use of AI in applications is monitored, and candidates who misuse these tools to generate an application that doesn't accurately reflect their skills will be required to declare on their application if AI has been used before submitting their application.