Non-Executive Chair of the Board and Trust DirectorNHS

Job summary

The Non-Executive Chair provides independent leadership to the BrisDoc Healthcare Services Ltd Board and is responsible for its overall effectiveness.

The Chair will ensure the Board provides effective strategic leadership, scrutiny and constructive challenge; maintains appropriate oversight of quality, safety, performance, finance, workforce and risk; and operates in a way that reflects BrisDoc's Values, social purpose and employee-owned ethos.

The Chair will also play an important role in shaping the culture of the Board, ensuring that BrisDoc's Values are reflected in how the Board leads, makes decisions, challenges and holds itself and the organisation to account.

The Chair will establish a strong supportive and appropriately challenging relationship with the Chief Executive, promote effective relationships across the Board and act as a credible strategic ambassador for BrisDoc.

We welcome candidates from a broad range of professional and sector backgrounds who can demonstrate the leadership, judgement and governance experience required for the role.

Main duties of the job

The Non-Executive Chair provides independent leadership to the BrisDoc Healthcare Services Ltd Board and is responsible for its overall effectiveness.

The Chair will ensure the Board provides effective strategic leadership, scrutiny and constructive challenge; maintains appropriate oversight of quality, safety, performance, finance, workforce and risk; and operates in a way that reflects BrisDoc's Values, social purpose and employee-owned ethos.

The Chair will also play an important role in shaping the culture of the Board, ensuring that BrisDoc's Values are reflected in how the Board leads, makes decisions, challenges and holds itself and the organisation to account.

The Chair will establish a strong supportive and appropriately challenging relationship with the Chief Executive, promote effective relationships across the Board and act as a credible strategic ambassador for BrisDoc.

We welcome candidates from a broad range of professional and sector backgrounds who can demonstrate the leadership, judgement and governance experience required for the role.

Job description

1. Board Leadership and Governance The Chair will:

• lead an effective, inclusive and appropriately challenging Board;
• ensure Directors contribute fully and constructively and share collective responsibility for Board decisions;
• maintain clear boundaries between Board oversight and Executive management;
• ensure Board agendas, information and assurance support effective scrutiny and decision-making;
• promote high standards of governance, integrity, openness and accountability; and
• ensure the Board regularly reviews its effectiveness, composition, skills, experience, diversity and ways of working;
• ensure appropriate Board succession planning and ongoing development.

2. Strategy, Performance and Assurance The Chair will:

• ensure the Board sets and maintains a clear strategic direction and oversees delivery against it;
• maintain appropriate Board oversight of quality, patient safety, organisational performance, finance, workforce, risk and long-term sustainability;
• ensure the Board balances risk and opportunity appropriately and supports innovation and improvement where these further BrisDocs strategy and purpose;
• ensure equality, inclusion, health inequalities and community needs are considered in Board decision-making and strategic oversight;
• ensure the Board has effective governance and assurance arrangements.

3. Chief Executive and Executive Team The Chair will:

• build a strong, open and appropriately challenging relationship with the Chief Executive;
• provide support, counsel and constructive challenge while maintaining independence;
• lead the Chief Executives objective-setting, appraisal and performance review;
• ensure the Board holds the Chief Executive and Executive team to account for delivery, culture, and leadership conduct;
• ensure matters relating to the Chief Executive that require Board consideration or action are brought to the Board; and
• support effective succession planning for the Chief Executive and wider Executive leadership.

4. Values, Culture and Employee Ownership The Chair will:

• visibly champion BrisDocs Values and employee-owned ethos;
• ensure organisational culture and leadership behaviours receive appropriate Board attention;
• create a Board environment in which difficult issues and behaviours can be challenged openly, irrespective of role or seniority;
• ensure that how results are achieved is considered alongside what is achieved;
• ensure the Board remains connected to the experiences and perspectives of patients, service users, communities and co-owners;
• ensure patient, service user, community and co-owner insights inform strategy, culture and Board oversight; and promote effective relationships between the BrisDoc Board, BrisDoc Trustee Ltd, Employee Directors and Co-owners Council.

5. External Leadership and Statutory Responsibilities The Chair will:

• act as a credible strategic ambassador for BrisDoc;
• build constructive relationships with system leaders, regulators, other Chairs, elected members and key partners;
• discharge the legal duties of a company director and act in accordance with BrisDocs governing documents;
• exercise independent judgement and appropriately manage conflicts of interest; and
• meet applicable statutory, regulatory and Fit and Proper Persons requirements.

About us

BrisDoc Healthcare Services Ltd is an employee-owned social enterprise providing NHS primary, urgent and community healthcare services across Bristol and the wider South West.

We employ around 600 co-owners across a diverse clinical, operational, professional and support workforce. BrisDoc combines the responsibilities of an NHS healthcare provider with a strong commitment to co-ownership, social purpose and long-term sustainability.

BrisDoc operates a Combined Board arrangement through which much of the business of the BrisDoc Healthcare Services Ltd Board and BrisDoc Trustee Ltd Board is considered together, while each retains its distinct legal and governance responsibilities.