Director of Corporate Governance

Wrightington Wigan & Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

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Job summary

Here at WWL, we pride ourselves on living by our values, and we are seeking a compassionate and inclusive leader for the pivotal role of Director of Corporate Governance.

As our Director of Corporate Governance, you will be at the forefront of ensuring Ward to Board governance structures are in place to ensure excellence, and the highest levels of assurance in relation to the quality and safety of the care we deliver.

You will lead our Freedom to Speak Up agenda, providing leadership to the Freedom to Speak Up Guardian, and ensuring our Trust Board has visibility and understanding of the concerns being raised within our Trust, and that we use these concerns to continuously learn and grow as an organisation.

Main duties of the job

The Director of Corporate Governance's role is to develop, maintain and continuously improve corporate governance arrangements and provide strategic advice and guidance to the Trust Board, Chair, Chief Executive, Executive and Non-Executive Directors on all matters relating to corporate governance.

The postholder will act as the Board Secretary and play a key coordination role within the Trust. They will be expected to use their initiative to identify opportunities to anticipate, support and streamline the work of the Board, Committees, executive meetings. They will manage the interface between the management and governance arrangements of the Trust and take every opportunity to ensure a high standard of reporting and debate.

As a key member of the Trust's Senior Leadership Team, the postholder will champion achievement of our strategic vision, leading in line with our values. Although they are not an Executive Director, they will report directly to the Chief Executive and be a member of the Executive Team.

The postholder will be the accountable officer for the Freedom to Speak Up agenda, ensuring appropriate arrangements are in place to provide assurance on organisational response to colleagues' concerns. They will also lead an efficient and effective executive support office.

The postholder will sit as part of the Executive On-Call Rota.

About us

Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are the proud providers of acute hospital and community services to the people of the Wigan Borough and surrounding areas. At WWL, we value our staff believing that 'happy staff, makes for happy patients'. We have a recognised track record in staff engagement, and living our values 'the WWL Way'.

WWL are committed to placing the patient at the heart of everything we do, and in the provision of safe, effective care that acknowledges and ensures dignity. With this in mind we are seeking to recruit people who share our values and beliefs.

At WWL we value the benefits a rich and diverse workforce brings to our community and therefore welcome applications from all sections of society.

Date posted

04 December 2024

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 9

Salary

£105,385 to £121,271 a year per annum, pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

302-24-6775101CPR

Job locations

Trust Headquarters

Wigan Lane

Wigan

WN1 2NN

Job description

Job responsibilities

Corporate Governance

Act as the chief advisor to the Board of Directors on all corporate governance matters.

Ensure that Board members and others are fully briefed on corporate governance developments, new law and guidance which might affect the Trust.

Review and monitor, on an ongoing basis, the Trusts Scheme of Delegation and Reservation.

Lead on the production of the Annual Report and Governance Statement working closely with the Chief Finance Officer and other relevant Executive Directors and senior managers.

Oversee the work programmes of all Trust Board committees, including the annual assessment of effectiveness, and lead the Trusts strategic risk management processes through the Executive Leadership Team and Wider Leadership Team.

Ensure good information flows to the Trust Board and its committees and between senior management and Non-Executive Directors where relevant.

Attend Board and committee meetings and ensure the Trust Board and its Committees are properly constituted, operated and supported, according to Standing Orders and the relevant legal and statutory framework.

Take responsibility for ensuring Trust governance arrangements are formally reviewed annually.

Ensure that the Trusts Corporate Governance Manual, including Standing Orders, for the Trust Board are in place, acted upon and reviewed as necessary

Ensure that the Trust fully complies with all elements of guidance and best practice around the Fit and Proper Persons test for all senior leadership roles.

Ensure the Board undertakes a formal well-led governance review every 3-5 years in line with NHS England guidance.

Ensure that effective processes are in place for the induction and professional development of Executive and Non-Executive Directors.

Ensure an annual appraisal process is in place for Non-Executive Directors and work closely with the Chair on this.

Lead the governance framework to ensure the Internal Audit work programme is developed, ensuring strong links to regulatory requirements.

Represent the Trust at external meetings with commissioners, regulators, other providers and public bodies.

Board Management

As the Board Secretary to the Trust, act independently of the Board and monitor the Trusts compliance with law, standing orders and observance of NHS England guidance. This will include ensuring the Trust Board and its Committees are properly constituted at all times.

Provide key support to the Non-Executive Directors in their roles as Chairs of Committees.

Act as the Trust lead for Conflicts of Interest and ensure there are systems and processes in place to support Board members and staff to declare interests and ensure unresolved conflicts of interest are managed appropriately.

Coordinate, on behalf of the Chair, the Trust Board development programme.

Ensure the effective provision of daily administrative support to the Executive Directors and Non-Executive Directors.

Lead the development and implementation of a Non-Executive Director Trust Induction Programme.

Support the Chair to ensure all Non-Executive Directors have access to and complete relevant training.

Ensure the effective administration of the Trusts Committee structure, including Board.

Support the Chair and Chief Executive in effective conduct of the Board through:

o Planning, preparation and timely submission of agendas, reports, minutes and supporting papers ensuring they comply with best governance practice

o Ensuring proper preservation of records of business including minutes and notes of actions

o Maintaining effective and dynamic forward plans for Board and sub-committees,

o Reviewing Board meetings with the Chair to ensure optimum use of Board Committee time

Ensuring that arrangements are in place for the safe custody and application of the common seal.

Corporate Risk Management / Assurance

Take a lead role, working closely with all Directors in the implementation and delivery of the Trusts agreed approach to Board Assurance.

Oversee management of the Board Assurance Framework documentation and administration, working with Executive Leads for strategic risks.

Ensure that the Trusts Annual Internal Audit Plan is designed, maintained and delivered to assist the Trust Board in gaining assurance against the risks described within the Board Assurance Framework.

Ensure the provision of effective risk management and governance structures and robust systems which assure implementation of the Trusts risk and governance objectives through the proactive identification and prioritisation of key organisational and clinical risks.

Oversee management of the Trusts Corporate Risk Register.

Promote a culture of control and contingency planning, anticipating the needs of the Trust, where there is no existing advice available.

Attend as a key member, on behalf of the Executive Team, the Risk Management Executive Group.

Compliance

Maintain an overview and monitor compliance with the Trusts Corporate Governance Manual, including Standing Financial Instructions (e.g. NHS provider license, National Oversight Framework)

Ensure appropriate returns are approved by the Board and submitted to regulators and external bodies in a timely manner.

Responsible for ensuring and evidencing compliance with the Code of Governance on an annual basis and making recommendations for improvement and further development of the associated control environment to the Board.

Maintain up to date knowledge of the changing governance framework.

Freedom to Speak Up

Trust Board lead for Freedom to Speak Up, ensuring appropriate arrangements are in place to provide timely and robust assurance on organisational response to colleagues concerns.

Leadership of the Freedom to Speak Up Guardian role, in partnership with the GM ICB Freedom to Speak Up Guardian.

Management of compliance and quality of the GM ICB Freedom to Speak Up Contract.

Strategic leadership of the raising concerns agenda across the Trust, ensuring we triangulate concerns with broader data points such as workforce metrics and incident reporting.