Run by Tell Us North CIC

Healthwatch Gateshead

(Run by Tell Us North CIC)

Committee Chair/Board Director

recruitment pack

May 2017

Dear Candidate

Thank you for expressing your interest inthe role of Chair of the Healthwatch Gateshead Committee.Please note that the Chair will also become a Director of the Tell Us North Board.

Healthwatch Gateshead is one of 152 local Healthwatch organisations established throughout England on 1 April 2013 under the provisions of the Health and Social Care Act 2012. There is a dual role to champion the rights of users of social care and health services and to hold the system to account for how well it engages with the public.

We have these functions:

Promoting and supporting the involvement of a diverse range of people in monitoring, commissioning (planning and buying) and providing social care and health services
Obtaining the views of the wider community about their needs and experiences of local social care and health services and make those views known to those involved in commissioning and delivering services
Providing information and signposting to the public about accessing social care and health services
Making reports and recommendations about how social care and health services could or should be improved
Providing information that supports Healthwatch England in its role to understand the needs, experiences and concerns of people who use services and speak out on their behalf

We also have a statutory place on the Health and Wellbeing Board in Gateshead.

We are looking for a motivated, publicly-aware person who is passionate about ensuring that the voice of the people of Gateshead is heard and taken into account in all aspects of health and social care services. Being Chair of Healthwatch Gateshead is a responsible, highly visible and important role in the borough and at the same time very fulfilling. To be successful the role requires between 2—3 days a month, however, this is variable depending upon activity and the timing of meetings.

If you wish to play a leading part in shaping the future of this service in Gateshead we would be delighted to hear from you.

Yours faithfully

Kate Israel

Chair, Tell Us North and Healthwatch Newcastle

Contents

How to apply

Healthwatch in Gateshead

Our values and principles

Tell Us North organisational structure

Role of the Chair of Healthwatch Gateshead

What sort of person are we looking for?

New Tell Us North Director and Committee member form

Tell Us North Director and Healthwatch Gateshead Committee member agreement

How we will use your information

How to apply

Please complete the form the end of this document and send a letter of application indicating why you are interested in applying, how you meet the requirements for this role (referring to the role description) and how you would see the service developing.

Your application letter should be no more than four pages of A4. This can either be sent by email or posted to the address below.Your experience could be gained through voluntary or professional experience, or both. It would be helpful if you could also indicate whether you can offer any particular skills or knowledge to Healthwatch Gateshead, such as marketing, research community engagement, specific knowledge of social care and health services etc.

Due to potential conflicts of interest there are restrictions on certain people becoming Healthwatch Gateshead committee members including: Councillors, people employed in social care; people employed in the provision or commissioning of social care, or statutory health services. Also, if you think there may be any other significant conflicts of interest please raise these with us.

Informal discussions with the Chair of Tell Us North and Healthwatch Newcastle, Kate Israel, about the role can be arranged by contacting Beth Nichol on 0191 3385720 or email .

Applications will be shortlisted by the members of the interview panel.

The closing date for applications is 5pm on Friday9June 2017.

Candidates must be available for interviewwc 19 June 2017(date TBC).

Please return completed applications to:

Wendy Hodgson

Operations Manager/Deputy Chief Executive

Healthwatch Gateshead

Davidson Building

Swan Street

Gateshead

NE8 1BG

T: 0191 4770033

Healthwatch in Gateshead

Healthwatch Gateshead is here to help residents of Gateshead have their say on health and social care services. We do this by making sure that your voice is heard by those who make decisions on your behalf.

We arean independent organisation, accountable to our local communities. We are able to be influential with the strength of the law and the national influence of Healthwatch England behind us. We hope that this will help us to be an effective local voice, speaking up for those whose voices are not often heard — not just those with the loudest voice. If service users don’t think things are good enough we will do everything we can to change them with our VCS partners.

Our strategic objectivesare:

To ensure that service users, patients, carers and the public are involved and engaged in the design and delivery of social care and health services
To provide accessible information that helps people to make choices about their own and their family’s social care and health needs
To support the improvement of the quality of social care and health services by identifying and prioritising key issues
To be a valued, influential and challenging critical friend to providers and commissioners of social care and health services and contribute to the representation of the views of Gateshead people
To be a transparent, effective and well governed organisation

Our values and principles

The way that we work is important if we want to make a big impact. Everything we do will be driven by the following values and principles:

Leadership —we will ensure that everything we do contributes to positive improvements in health and social care services

Independence —Healthwatch Gateshead will be an independent organisation, transparent, accountable and trusted to represent the communities of Gateshead

Critical friend —we will be constructive as well as challenging with service providers, ensuring that we provide evidence to support what we say and do

Committed to excellence — we will ensure that all of the work that we do meets national quality standards

Inclusive —we will support communities that are not normally heard and the voluntary and community groups that support them to have a voice and challenge inequality

Accountable— we will be driven by the commitment of local volunteers and the passion of our Board and we will share information about the organisation widely

Integrity — we will rise above individual and single organisational interests and ensure that all that we do is for the benefit of the public and health and social care service users

Value for money— we will make the best use of our resources, seeking to avoid duplication by working closely with those stakeholders who already carry out user engagement

Tell Us North organisational structure

The Tell Us North Board

Tell Us North is the Community Interest Company that holds the contract for Healthwatch Gateshead. It is a not for profit organisation with a Board of Directors.The Board is small, lean and strategic; many of its members are involved in local community and voluntary organisations in Newcastle and the North East but others have a business/public sector background.

All Directors have been recruited in line with the role description and person specification outlined in this document following equal opportunity recruitment procedures. The Board also has the ability to co-opt other people with specific skills to serve as associates to the Board for an agreed period of time.

The staff team

The Chief Executive provides vision, leadership, management and operational direction to the delivery of the contracts. The Chief Executive is responsible for overall support to Tell Us North, external liaison, policy and strategy, and representing Tell Us North, Healthwatch Newcastle and Healthwatch Gateshead in the absence of Board and Committee members.

The Deputy Chief Executive/Operations Manager Gateshead performs the Deputy Chief Executive role across all Tell Us North functions and is the central operational face and voice of Healthwatch Gateshead.

The threeProject Managerslead on projects identified as a priority for Healthwatch Newcastle and Healthwatch Gateshead and engage in any local projects looking at service design/redesign or delivery.

The Marketing and Project Coordinatorsupports the initiation, development and successful completion of projects, supports the effective operation of the Board and oversees marketing and communication strategies to promote the work of Healthwatch Newcastle, Healthwatch Gateshead and Tell Us North to a variety of audiences.

The Volunteer and Outreach Coordinators plan and deliver a programme of outreach and engagement activities across the community to gather the views of people who use health and social care.

The Finance and Administration Officers take responsibility for administrative support to Tell Us North, including the Board, Healthwatch Champions and staff team.

Role of the Chair of Healthwatch Gateshead

The Chair of Healthwatch Gateshead Committee will also become a Director of the Tell Us North Board. The role of the Chair is to lead and to set the strategic direction of Healthwatch Gateshead.

1. Provide leadership and strategic direction to Healthwatch Gateshead

Support the service so that it achieves its vision
Ensure appropriate standards of behaviour are maintained in line with an agreed code of conduct

2. Act as an ambassador for the service

Uphold the reputation and values of Healthwatch Gateshead
Build and maintain good relationships with key stakeholders
Network and promote the achievements, purposes and benefits of Healthwatch Gateshead
Ensure Healthwatch Gateshead is represented on key decision-making boards

3.Promote good governance

Ensure policies and procedures are in place
Review and update the business plan

4.Oversee performance of the organisation

Support the Tell Us North Board in reviewing the performance of Healthwatch Gateshead
Ensure Healthwatch Gateshead promotes its achievements and addresses any underperformance
Lead on time limited subgroups as needed

5.Encourage wide participation in Healthwatch Gateshead

Support the building and maintaining of effective working relationships with the voluntary and community sector (VCS)
Support the organisation to ensure the involvement of those communities whose voices are seldom heard
Support the organisation to influence service providers and commissioners to encourage them to fulfil their duties in relation public service user and carer involvement

What sort of person are we looking for?

Skills and competencies

Leadership qualities
Strategic planning
Able to think through and grasp complex issues
Able to inspire others
Effective communication and influencing skills
Negotiation and influencing
Understanding of financial statements and preparing budgets

Knowledge and experience

Knowledge of, and some connection to, Gateshead— particularly health and adults’ or children’s social care services
Understanding of the challenges facing the NHS and local government
Experience of working with a range of partners, networks and partnerships
Knowledge of health and social care services in Gateshead
Knowledge of policy developments in health and social care at both a national and a local level
Understanding legal duties

Values and disposition

Able to demonstrate a strong commitment to equality and diversity
Co-operative and supportive approach
Passionate about promoting better outcomes in health and social care
Committed to high standards in customer care
Commitment to upholding the Nolan principles of public life
Personal credibility and integrity

Time commitment

Time commitment will vary on a month to month basis, but is expected not to exceed the equivalent of 2—3 days per month.

NewTell Us North Director and Committee member form

This form asks for your contact details and for information we will need if you become a Healthwatch Gateshead Committee member. We also ask you to confirm you are eligible to be a Director of Tell Us North.

Your details

Full name
Home address
Postcode
Telephone numbers / Day / Evening
Mobile
Email address
Date of birth (dd/mm/yy) / Nationality

Communicatingwith you

How would you like to receive Committee and other papers? / Email / Post
What address would you like to receive Committee and other papers? / Home / Other

If other, please give details below but please make sure any post sent to this other postal or email address will be dealt with confidentially.

Address
Postcode
Email address

Supporting you as a Committee member

Please let us know if you need an interpreter or if you have any other requirements which would enable you to fulfil your role as a Committee member.

Tell Us North Director and Healthwatch Gateshead Committee member agreement

I am committed to working to achieve the aims of Tell Us North and Healthwatch Gateshead.I understand the responsibilities and liabilities I am taking on by becoming a Director of Tell Us North CIC and Chair of the Healthwatch GatesheadCommitteeand agree to devote the necessary time and effort to the role.

I understand that if I am unable to attend three consecutive meetings I may be asked by the Board to resign, as this amount of absence would make it difficult for me to carry out my responsibilities.

I declare that I am not disqualified from acting as aBoard Director and that:

I am aged 16 years or over at the date of this election or appointment

I am capable of managing and administering my own affairs

I do not have an unspent conviction relating to any offence involving deception or dishonesty

I am not an undischarged bankrupt nor have I made a composition or arrangement with, or granted a trust deed for, my creditors (ignore if discharged from such an arrangement)

I am not subject to a disqualification order under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 or to an Order made under section 429(b) of the Insolvency Act 1986

I have not been removed from the office of charity trustee or trustee for a charity by an Order made by the Charity Commissioners or the High Court on the grounds of any misconduct or mismanagement nor am I subject to an Order under section 7 of the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1990, preventing me from being concerned in the management or control of any relevant organisation or body

Signed / Date

How we will use your information

We will use your contact details to communicate with you while you are a Board Director and Committee member.

We will also use your details to comply with reporting requirements for Companies House by providing them with your full name, home address, telephone number, email address, nationality and date of birth. Your details will be added to the register of companies on the Companies House website but these require a subscription to access them.Please talk to the Chair or Chief Executive if you would like to know more about this.

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