Job Description

Job Title:Lay Member (Role 1)

Responsible to:Surrey Downs CCG Chair and Governing Body

Time commitment: 2 days per month

Tenure: 3 years (then subject to re-appointment)

Remuneration: In the region of £8,000 per annum

Main Location:Surrey Downs CCG HQ, Leatherhead

Role summary

As well as sharing responsibility with other Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) Board members for all aspects of governing body business, this Lay Member will bring specific expertise and experience, as well as their knowledge as a member of the local community, to the work of the governing body. Their focus will be strategic and impartial, providing an independent view of the work of the CCG that is external to the day-to-day running of the organisation.

Job purpose

The Lay Member with a lead role in overseeing key elements of governance brings specific expertise and experience to the work of the governing body. The role provides strategic and impartial focus and an external view to the work of Surrey Downs CCG that is removed from the day-to-day running of the organisation.

The Lay Member has the specific role of overseeing key elements of governance including:

  • Chairing the Remuneration and Nominations Committee and Primary Care Committee
  • remuneration and managing conflicts of interest
  • ensuring that the governing body and the wider CCG behaves with the utmost probity at all times
  • ensuring that effective whistle blowing and anti-fraud systems are in place.

As a member of the governing body the Lay Member has a shared responsibility for ensuring that the CCG exercises its functions effectively, efficiently, economically, with good governance and in accordance with the terms of the CCG constitution.

The role is key, along with the rest of the governing body, in ensuring that Surrey Downs CCG acts in the best interests of the health of its patient population at all times. This role will help ensure that the CCG commissions high quality services which are responsive to the views of local people, improves patient outcomes, secures the best use of public money and adheres to the NHS Constitution.

Main responsibilities

The Lay Member is responsible for:

  • Overseeing the key elements of audit, remuneration and managing conflicts of interest
  • Ensuring the governing body and the wider CCG behaves with the utmost probity at all times
  • Ensuring effective whistle-blowing and anti-fraud systems are in place
  • Chairing the Primary Care Committee
  • Chairing the Remuneration and Nominations Committee
  • Member of the Audit and Finance and Performance Committees
  • Helping ensure that, in all aspects of the CCG’s business, the public voice of the local population is heard, expectations understood and where appropriate, met
  • Creating and protecting opportunities for patient and public empowerment in the work of the CCG
  • Demonstrating commitment to continuously improving outcomes, tackling health inequalities and securing the best use of public money
  • Embracing effective governance, accountability and stewardship of public money and demonstrating an understanding of the principles of good scrutiny
  • Demonstrating commitment to clinical commissioning, the CCG and to the wider interests of the health services
  • Providing appropriate challenge across the governing body
  • Giving an unbiased view on possible conflicts of interest
  • Helping to ensure the interests of patients and the community remain at the heart of discussions and decisions and that mechanisms are in place to ensure the views of member practices are heard and taken into account
  • Representing and upholding the values of the CCG and being an appropriate role model, promoting equality and diversity for all its patients, staff and other stakeholders
  • Upholding the Nolan Principles of Public Life and the values set out in the NHS Constitution demonstrating them in personal conduct and the development of the culture of the CCG
  • Upholding the proposed Standards for members of NHS Boards and Governing Bodies in England as currently being developed by the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence

Specific attributes and competencies

The Lay Member will need to:

  • beable to give an independent view on possible internal conflicts of interest
  • live within the local community or be able to demonstrate how they are otherwise

able to bring that perspective to the governing body

  • be competent to chair meetings

This Job Description is subject to review and development from time to time in liaison with the post holder. As an employee of Surrey Downs CCG you will be required to adhere to all CCG policies and procedures.

Standards of business conduct

The post holder will be required to comply with the CCG’s Standing Orders and Standing Financial Instructions and, at all times, deal honestly with the CCG, with colleagues and those who contact the CCG including patients, members of the public, stakholders and suppliers.

Confidentiality

To ensure confidentiality in all matters relating to patients and staff and to information obtained

during the course of employment. To not release such information to anyone else other than acting in an official capacity.

Performance review

This Job Description only covers key areas of responsibility. Specific objectives will be subject to annual review and consultation with the post holder and may develop to meet changing needs of the service.

Patient and public involvment

Surrey Downs CCG has a statutory duty to ensure that patients, clients and members of the public are involved in decisions about local healthcare. Employees should be mindful of this and do what they can, as appropriate to their role and level of responsibility, to meet this duty.

Equal opportunities

The CCG aims to maintain the goodwill and confidence of its own staff, service users and the general public. Surrey Downs CCG strives to be an employer of choice and aims to ensure that no job applicants, employees or patients are unfairly disadvantaged on the grounds of gender, disability, race, ethnic origin, colour, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, trade union membership, or any other factors that are not relevant to their capability or potential. At all times employees should carry out their duties in accordance with our Equal Opportunities Policy.

Health and safety

The post holder will be required to observe local Health and Safety arrangements and take reasonable care of him/herself and persons that may be affected by his/her work ensuring compliance with the requirements of the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974).

Other duties
This Job Description is not exhaustive and the post holder may be required to undertake other such duties from time to time as are consistent with the responsibility of the grade.

Person Specification

Job title: Lay Member (Role 1)

Department:CCG Governing Body

The attached Job Description outlines the main duties and responsibilities of this post. The person specification below lists the requirements necessary to perform the job. Candidates will be assessed according to the extent to which they meet the specification. It is therefore important that applicants pay close attention to all aspects of the person specification when deciding if their skills, experience and knowledge match these requirements.

Essential / Desirable / Assessment method
Qualifications /
  • Educated to degree level or equivalent
/
  • Post-graduate management qualification e.g. MBA, Diploma in Health Service Management or equivalent
/
  • Application form and certificate

Experience and Knowledge /
  • Recent and relevant financial and audit experience, sufficient to enable competent engagement with financial management and reporting in the organisation and associated assurances.
  • An understanding of the principles of value for money and an ability to challenge performance on this basis
  • General understanding of health and an appreciation of the broad social, political and economic trends influencing it
  • Good understanding of the role of effective communications and engagement with patients, public, workforce and stakeholders
  • A good understanding of national policy, including planned reforms and the new emerging NHS landscape
/
  • Experience of working in a collaborative decision-making group such as a board or other high level committee working
  • Have an understanding of the resources allocations devolved to NHS bodies and a general knowledge of the accounting regime within which a CCG will operate
/
  • Application form and interview

Skills /
  • Have the necessary skills to assess and confirm that appropriate systems of internal control and assurance are in pace for all aspects of governance including financial and risk management
  • Ability to effectively chair meetings as required
  • Capability to understand and analyse complex issues, drawing on a breath of data to inform decision-making, and to see that information ethically to balance competing priorities and make difficult decisions.
  • Ability to take an objective view, seeing issues from all perspectives, especially external and user perspectives
/
  • Numeric skills
/
  • Application form and interview

Other /
  • Candidates should live within the local community or be able to demonstrate how they are otherwiseable to bring that perspective to the governing body
  • Ability to travel as required
/
  • Application form and interview

Page 1 of 6March 2015