Acas Council member. Information for Applicants

Transcription

1 Acas Council member Information for Applicants November 2014

2 CONTENTS Foreword 1. Introduction 2. The Role 3. Terms of Appointment 4. How to Apply 2

3 FOREWORD I am delighted that you are considering applying for this important appointment by the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS). The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) is an independent Non- Departmental Public Body which is sponsored, and largely funded, by BIS. It has statutory responsibilities to promote the improvement of employment relations and to provide conciliation services where there are disputes between employers and trade unions, and in actual and potential claims to the Employment Tribunal. Acas also offers individuals and organisations a range of support and advisory services directed at improving workplaces, working life and employment relations, including a telephone helpline, online guidance and training. While Acas is independent of Ministers, it is a key BIS partner and plays an important role in delivering BIS and wider Government objectives. Acas services contribute to delivering a competitive, efficient and effective labour market which supports economic growth and employment. The Acas Council members are high profile and key appointments. The Council is responsible for setting the overall strategic direction of Acas, for determining its priorities and for overseeing the development of Codes of Practice and guidance on workplace matters. This role will offer significant personal and professional challenges, will carry considerable influence and will be personally rewarding. If you have the experience, skills and drive we are looking for, we very much hope you will consider applying for this post. Sir Brendan Barber Acas Chair 3

4 1. INTRODUCTION The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is looking for one new Council member for the Acas Council, the governing body for the Advisory, Conciliation, and Arbitration Service (Acas). We are seeking one employee representative with understanding of issues facing employees in the workplace. The candidate would normally hold a senior post within a trade union but this is not pre- requisite. We encourage and invite applications from all over Great Britain. The appointment will be made by the Secretary of State and the term of appointment is for three years, starting from April 2015, with the option to extend for a further three years, subject to satisfactory performance. Further details on remuneration and terms and conditions are set out later in this pack. Background The role of Acas Acas overarching mission is to improve organisations and working lives through better employment relations and all of the services provided by Acas are intended to promote good employment relations and ensure that workplace disputes are kept to a minimum. To safeguard Acas independence, and to provide appropriate strategic direction and control, a governance body the Acas Council was established by statute. Membership is drawn from business, trade unions, and independents such as academia and the law. Acas works impartially with employers and employees. The main services that it currently provides are: Advice on workplace matters through a helpline which received just under 900,000 calls in 2013/14 and a website with over 4 million visitors annually. Conciliation services which help resolve disputes between employers and individual employees or groups of employees last year Acas advisers were involved in around 41,000 individual cases and 858 collective conciliations. Early Conciliation was introduced in April This service now makes it mandatory for claimants to notify Acas of their intention to claim at an Employment Tribunal, allowing for an opportunity to settle disputes at an early stage. Tailored training and advice for individual organisations. In 2013/14, Acas trained nearly 30,000 delegates. Further information about the work of Acas and recent reports can be found at: 4

5 The role of the Acas Council The overall responsibility for the governance of Acas rests with the Chair of the Acas Council. The Council itself comprises the Chair and 11 part-time members who are leading figures from business, unions, the law, academia and other sectors. The Council is responsible for determining the strategic direction, policies and priorities of Acas and for ensuring that its statutory duties are carried out effectively. As well as determining Acas strategic direction the Council ensures that Acas: Observes high standards of corporate governance at all times, including meeting public service requirements in relation to management of risk and of information; Properly safeguards public funds and works as economically, efficiently and effectively as possible; Sir Brendan Barber is the Chair of the Acas Council. The current Council members are: Neil Carberry Director of Employment & Skills at the CBI. *Jonathan Baume former First Division Association General Secretary. Dr Mary Bousted General Secretary to the Association of Teachers & Lecturers. Paul Butler Managing Director of Butler and Trinity Ltd. Professor Linda Dickens Emeritus Professor of Industrial Relations at the University of Warwick. Jane McNeill Joint Head of Old Square Chambers. John Hannett General Secretary of Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers. Vikki Hawes Director of Aldridge Consulting Ltd. Professor Paul Willman Professor of Management at the London School of Economics. Paul Nowak Assistant General Secretary of the TUC. Mike Gooddie Vice President, Labour Relations & Human Resources Business Partner for Asda Logistic Services, AsdaWalmart. A full-time Chief Executive chairs the Executive Management Board and is responsible for the running of Acas operations in line with Council strategy. The Chief Executive is also Acas Accounting Officer i. Regional Directors are responsible for delivery of Acas services across England, Scotland and Wales. 5

6 The Council of Acas is established under statute and has corporate responsibility for all actions taken by its Members, relating to Acas duties, including any wrongful ones. This means that, if judgement is made against the Council by any Court, any financial settlement would normally be made out of the Service s funds rather than from the personal assets of individual Members. *denotes stepping down 2. THE ROLE Acas Council is a tripartite body, with one vacancy to fill. Membership is drawn from representatives of employers, employees and independents such as academia and the law. Role Description Key Responsibilities Members of the Council have corporate responsibility to ensure that the Service fulfils its statutory duties, and complies with any statutory and appropriate administrative requirements for the use of public funds. Responsibilities of the Council include working with the Chair and the CEO of Acas in the following areas: Establishing Acas overall strategic direction as set out in statute and in the Acas Strategic and Business Plans; Publishing Codes of Practice and guidance materials to support the improvement of employment relations; Overseeing the delivery of planned results by monitoring performance against agreed strategic objectives and targets which take into account any guidance issued by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS); Overseeing the use of resources as set out in the letter of delegated authority to the Chief Executive from the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS). Members of the Council have a duty to ensure that public funds which for this purpose should be taken to include all forms of receipts from fees, charges and other sources are properly safeguarded and that Acas conducts its operations as economically, efficiently and effectively as possible, with full regard to relevant statutory provisions; Maintaining high standards of corporate governance. 6

7 Person Specification Essential Criteria Acas Council members must: Have the ability to work at senior leadership / operational level; Have a strong understanding of issues relating to employment relations; Be open-minded strategic thinkers, able to bring their own experience to bear on issues under discussion; Be able to demonstrate the ability to operate at Board level; Have the ability to make important and difficult objective decisions within fixed timeframes, whilst maintaining independence of mind; Be able to challenge constructively the opinions of others, work to achieve a shared consensus and accept collective responsibility for decisions made by the Acas Council; Have excellent communication skills, both oral and written, and be able to express themselves clearly and succinctly; Be able to extract the essence of an argument from papers or presented evidence; and A solid understanding of corporate governance, a good understanding of financial control and reporting, performance and delivery. Additional essential criteria Acas Council is a tripartite body, with one vacancy to fill. We are seeking one employee representative with understanding of issues facing employees in the workplace. The candidate would normally hold a senior post within a trade union but this is not pre-requisite. Desirable criteria An understanding and experience of handling issues in the employment sphere; A clear understanding and track record of promoting diversity. 7

8 3. TERMS OF APPOINTMENT Organisation: (Acas) The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service Location: The Acas head office is based in London where the majority of the work will be conducted but occasional visits to regional offices or events outside London will also be expected. Start date of: April 2015 Appointments Term: This appointment is made by the Secretary of State and is expected to commence in April The appointment will, in the first instance, be for three years. Subject to satisfactory performance, and at the discretion of the Secretary of State, there is a possibility of being offered reappointment for a further term of 3 years. Time commitment: The time commitment is on average 2 days per month with at least 6 Council meetings a year. Part of this commitment includes attendance at an external planning and review event and members are also expected to attend other sub-committees as required. Sub-committees meet at least three times a year. In addition to attendance at these meetings, Council members are expected to participate in sub-groups which advise on the production of new codes of practice and employment relations guidance issued by Acas. Remuneration: Members receive an annual remuneration of 1,695 in addition to 172 for each day of attendance. Expenses: Members will be reimbursed for reasonable travel expenses and subsistence expenses. Conflicts of Interest This role may be combined with other appointments paid or unpaid provided that these can be carried out without giving rise to conflicts of interest. Candidates will be asked to declare potential conflicts of interest on the application form. Public bodies are expected to maintain a register of members' interest to avoid any danger of board members being influenced, or appearing to be influenced, by their private interests in the exercise of their public duties. The chair and all board members are therefore expected to declare any personal or business interest which may influence, or may be perceived to influence, judgement. Equal Opportunity & Diversity Information BIS is committed to providing: equal opportunities for all, irrespective of race, age, disability, gender, marital status, religion or belief, sexual orientation, gender 8

9 identity and working patterns; and to the principle of public appointments on merit with independent assessments, openness and transparency of process. Political Activity Political activity in itself is no bar to appointment. To allow the panel to explore such activity with the candidates in the context of their ability to perform in the role, candidates should declare any significant political activity (which includes holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election) which they have undertaken in the last five years. This information will only be provided to the panel for those applicants selected for interview. Details of the successful candidate s declared political activity must be published by appointing Departments when the appointment is publicised. References The names of two referees are asked for as part of the application process. Referees must be people who know the applicant in a capacity to comment on their suitability for the post for which they have applied and will be expected to have authoritative and personal knowledge of their achievements. References will be taken on all candidates selected for interview as soon as the interview arrangements have been made. Referees should be advised accordingly. Data Protection The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is required by the Commissioner for Public Appointments to retain information, for at least two years, about the people who apply for public appointments, and to make this information available for audit purposes if requested. Applicants are advised that their application form (or CV) and any supporting documents will be retained by BIS for at least two years. Information held electronically, including applicants contact details and the monitoring information provided as part of the application process will also be held for at least two years. Alternative Formats The further particulars and application form are available in alternative formats on request (braille, large print, tape, CD, etc) to meet the needs of applicants with disabilities. Guaranteed Interview Scheme for Disabled Persons BIS operates a guaranteed interview scheme for people with disabilities (as defined by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995) who meet the minimum criteria for this appointment as published in these notes. If you wish to apply for consideration under this scheme, please complete the enclosed form and return it with your application form. In addition, if you require any special arrangements at our interview location, please give details in a covering letter to enable us to make appropriate arrangements. 9

10 HOW TO APPLY All applicants are required to provide the following: Curriculum vitae (maximum 3 pages) with your education and professional qualifications and full employment history. A short supporting statement (max 1500 words) giving evidence and specific examples of your ability to meet the essential competencies and additional skills and competencies outlined in Role and Person Specification. A completed equal opportunities monitoring form. This form will not be disclosed to anyone involved in assessing your application. A completed online political activity submission that will form part of your online application. This information will only be provided to the panel for those applicants selected for interview. Details of the successful candidate s declared political activity must be published by appointing Departments when the appointment is publicised. The names and contact details for two referees. These must be people who know you in a capacity to comment on your suitability for the post and will be expected to have authoritative and personal knowledge of your achievements. References will be taken on all candidates selected for final interview as soon as the interview arrangements have been made. Referees should be advised accordingly. Applications should be submitted only through this website: The closing date for applications is: noon on Monday 24 th November 2014 Provisional Timetable Advert date: Sunday 02 November 2014 Closing date: noon on 24 th November 2014 Sifting complete by: 01 December 2014 Preliminary interviews: w/c 12 January 2015 Short listing held: w/c 26 th January 2015 Interviews held: w/c 16 February 2015 Provisional appointment start date: April 2015 Please note: Acas will hold an open day in London on Friday 14th November, where those interested in this role will have the opportunity to find out more about 10

11 Acas. If you are interested in attending or for a confidential discussion please contact Katrina Paget or Gary Evans at GatenbySanderson on Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first serve basis. The appointments process The successful candidates will be chosen by a Selection Panel, chaired by the BIS representative. The selection panel will include: Sir Brendan Barber (Chair of Acas Council) Rebecca Bradfield (BIS Representative) Sarah Veale (TUC Representative) Nicola Walker (CBI Representative) Catharine Seddon (independent panel member) How we will deal with your application We will deal with your application as quickly as possible (timings below are indicative). Once you have submitted your application, its receipt will be acknowledged. If you do not receive an automatic acknowledgement, please contact GatenbySanderson on before the closing deadline. Your application will be assessed against the essential criteria and your experience for the post. By end of the week commencing 1 st December the panel will aim to have decided the candidates who will be invited for initial interview, taking account of the evidence provided by candidates in their CVs and supporting statement. You will be advised of the outcome of your application by by GatenbySanderson during the following week. If successful, you will be invited to a preliminary interview, conducted by telephone with GatenbySanderson. Interviews will take place w/c 12 th January 2015 and will be biographically and competency based, assessing fit against the essential criteria for the role, the understanding of the role and the challenges faced and details of any actual or perceived conflicts of interest. By end of the week commencing 26 th January 2015 the panel will aim to have decided the candidates who will be invited for final interview, taking account of the evidence provided by candidates in their CVs and supporting statement and through the preliminary interview. You will be advised of the outcome of your application by telephone by GatenbySanderson during the following week. Interviews will be held at GatenbySanderson, 12 Appold Street, London EC2A 2AW. 11

12 If invited for interview, the panel will question you about your experience and expertise and ask specific questions to explore whether you meet the specified essential criteria. If, in the view of the panel, you have the skills for the post and are one of the appointable candidates, your name will be recommended to Ministers for appointment. If you are successful, you will receive a letter formally appointing you as a member of the Acas Council. If you are unsuccessful, you will be notified accordingly. If your application is unsuccessful and you would like feedback, please contact GatenbySanderson on OCPA Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments This appointment comes under the scrutiny of the Commissioner for Public Appointments, Sir David Normington, and his office. The role of the Commissioner for Public Appointments is to regulate Ministerial appointments to the boards of public bodies and statutory office to ensure that selection of appointable candidates is on the basis of merit after a fair and open process. The Seven Principles The principles of public life apply to anyone who works as a public office-holder. This includes all those who are elected or appointed to public office, nationally and locally, and all people appointed to work in the civil service, local government, the police, courts and probation services, Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs), and in the health, education, social and care services. All public office-holders are both servants of the public and stewards of public resources. The principles also have application to all those in other sectors delivering public services. 1. Selflessness Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest. 2. Integrity Holders of public office must avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence them in their work. They should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends. They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships. 3. Objectivity Holders of public office must act and take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias. 4. Accountability Holders of public office are accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and must submit themselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure this. 12

13 5. Openness Holders of public office should act and take decisions in an open and transparent manner. Information should not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for so doing. 6. Honesty Holders of public office should be truthful. 7. Leadership Holders of public office should exhibit these principles in their own behaviour. They should actively promote and robustly support the principles and be willing to challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs. Complaints Procedure The Department s public appointments processes are conducted in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments Code of Practice, which can be found at If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Code and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact Mini Krishnan (mini.krishnan@bis.gsi.gov.uk) in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, the Commissioner will consider complaints where the principle of appointment on merit, through fair and open competition, and the Recruitment Principles, have not been met. 13