Appointment to the Health and Social Care Professionals Council – July 2012
In accordance with the Government’s recent decision to widen the opportunity for board membership of state bodies, the Minister for Health, Dr. James Reilly, TD, invites expressions of interest from suitably qualified and experienced persons interested in being appointed to the Health and Social Care Professionals Council. The Minister is currently seeking to appoint one member to the Council to represent the interest of the general public. A person appointed to represent the interest of the general public may include members of advocacy groups and users of services provided by the designated professions.
Background Information
The Health and Social Care Professionals Council (the Council) is an independent regulator established to protect the public by promoting high standards of professional conduct and professional education, training and competence amongst registrants of 12 designated health and social care professions.
It was established under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 (the Act). CORU is the umbrella term used to describe the Health and Social Care Professionals Council and the 12 registration board established for each of the professions governed by the Act.
The 12 professions are (a) Clinical Biochemists; (b) Dietitians; (c) Medical Scientists; (d) Occupational Therapists; (e) Orthoptists; (f) Physiotherapists; (g) Podiatrists; (h) Psychologists; (i) Radiographers; (j) Social Care Workers; (k) Social Workers; (l) Speech and Language Therapists; and any other health and social care profession deemed appropriate by the Minister for Health.
The Council’s role is to establish the corporate requirements for the organisation; to oversee and co-ordinate the registration boards and to deal with complaints against registrants of the professions, through establishing and managing the Fitness to Practise regime.
The Council
The Health and Social Care Professionals Council has 25 members and has a lay majority.
The Council consists of a Chairperson, who is not be eligible to be a registrant and 24 ordinary members, who consist of
- 12 members, who each represent one of the 12 professionals, ultimately these members will be elected by the registrants of their profession and nominated by the Registrant Board. Until such time, the Minister for Health will appoint the posts, subject to legislative amendments
- 12 members of whom
- One is a representative of the management of public health/social care services
- One is a representative of the management of a voluntary/private sector organisation
- One is a representative of 3rd level educational establishments involved in the education of the professions to be registered
- 6 are representatives of the interest of the general public
- 3 are persons who have such qualifications, interests and experience as, in the opinion of the Minister, would be of value to the Council to perform its duties.
Term of Office
Members of Council hold office for a term of 4 years from the date of his/ her appointment. No person may hold office as a member of the Council for more than 2 consecutive terms.
Functions of the Health and Social Care Professionals Council
The object of the Council is
To protect the public by promoting high standards of professional conduct and professional education training and competence among registrants of the designated professions
The Council shall do all things necessary and reasonable to further its object and shall exercise its powers and performs its functions in the public interest.
The main functions of the Council are to
- Oversee and co-ordinate the activities of the registration boards
- Provide administrative support and secretarial assistance to registration boards and their committees
- Receive applications and make decisions concerning applications that have been refused by the registration boards
- Enforce standards of practice for registrants of the designated professions, including the code of professional conduct and ethics adopted by their registration boards
- Establish committees of inquiry into complaints against registrants
- Make decisions and give directions relating to the imposition of disciplinary sanctions on registrants
- Advise the Minister for Health, either on its own initiative or at the Minister’s request, on all matters relating to the Council’s functions in the Act
- Encourage registration to collaborate with each other, where practicable, including in the professional education and training of registrants
- Issue guidelines for the purpose of dealing with transitional provisions for the registration of existing practitioners
The Council has collective responsibility to the public in the performance of its duties.
Probity and Conflict of Interest
Council members on appointment assume significant duties such as responsibility for the proper conduct of the Council’s affairs, to hold information obtained in their role as a Council member confidential and to act in accordance with public policy and high standards of probity.
In order to qualify for appointment a person must not have any conflicts of interest likely to interfere with his/her ability to play a full part on the Council.
Role description and person specification
The variety of issues will require Council members that can add value through knowledge, experience or expertise gained in their current or previous roles. This will involve the ability to balance a strategic view of key decisions with a specialist or expert perspective, while being committed to the principle of collective decision making that underpins the Council’s role. It will also require understanding and experience of what it takes to develop a well-run, responsive and high performing public sector organisation. Having some appreciation of the environment in which the Council operates and being patient/service user focused is desirable. Confidentiality is a key element to this role.
Skills
In order to carry out the functions of members of the Health and Social Care Professionals Council, it is necessary that members have skills or expertise in some or all of the following areas:
- A knowledge/experience of the Irish health and social care system, and of the knowledge competences and skills required by the designated professions
- An understanding of the issues involved in delivering services
- An understanding of educational approval and monitoring requirements in health and social care education
- Experience of working in a partnership environment, particularly linking the needs of services to the needs of communities, business, research and innovation
- An awareness of emerging developments in health and social care research and practice, or particular expertise in some aspect of these developments
- A knowledge and appreciation of good corporate governance practices
- Experience of strategic management and managing organisational change
- Experience of chairing a group, and working effectively as part of a committee to reach sound solutions to problems
- The ability to articulate and advocate the views, concerns and expectations of consumers especially those who have experience as users of health and social care professional services.
Candidates should note that dependent on level of interest the selection process may include a short interview.
Time Commitment and Remuneration
Successful applicants will be expected to attend up between five and ten Council meetings each year and members may also be nominated by the Council to serve on sub-committees. Council meeting currently take approximately 3 hours. Members will be required to devote as much time to duties of the Council as necessary for the proper and efficient discharge of their duties. This will include time in preparation for Council meetings, attending and preparing for committee meetings, stakeholder meetings and events and other ad hoc meetings as required. By applying for the position it is assumed that you can meet this time commitment. CORU do make every effort including use technology to reduce the time of meetings and travel for members.
Members are obliged to comply with the relevant provisions of the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies. This Code includes a description of the role and responsibilities of board members
Members will serve on a part-time basis and there is no remuneration for the positions. However members are entitled to claim travel and subsistence allowances, in respect of journeys undertaken to attend meetings of the Council or to transact its business, in accordance with approved public sector rates
Meetings are usually held at CORU offices located in Sandyford, Dublin 18
Training
Appropriate induction training will be provided to all new members
Appointment process
The Department is committed to the principles of public appointments based on merit, with independent assessment, openness and transparency. By submitting an expression of interest the applicant accepts that appointments are made in the exercise of a statutory discretion, that the Minister is not obliged to consider the expressions of interest offered, that he is not confined to recommending an appointment from amongst those who have expressed an interest and is not bound by any statement set out in the notice.
How to apply
Anyone interested in being considered for appointment as a Board member should submit an application form via the following link www.publicjobs.ie/publicjobs/campaignAdvert/5508.htm together with detailed Curriculum Vitae not exceeding 3 pages.
In submitting expressions of interest, applicants should also set out clearly any actual or potential conflicts of interest that may arise should they be appointed to the Board.
The application process will consist of the following steps:
When you click on 'Apply for this job' you will be brought to the registration page. If you are already registered on www.publicjobs.ie you can log in using your username and password.
If you have not previously registered you will need to register your details, then you must go to “Choose a Job Category” on the left side of the screen. Click on “Membership of a State Board” and then click 'Apply for this job'.
Step 1 - Download a PDF Application Form. This is an application form which you should complete and save to your PC.
Step 2 - Complete the Online Application Form. Most of this will be pre-filled from your registration profile. Then you will be asked to upload the PDF Application Form that you previously saved.
Step 3 - Attach a combined detailed CV not exceeding 3 pages.
By submitting an expression of interest the applicant accepts that appointments are made in the exercise of a statutory discretion, that the Minister is not obliged to consider the expressions of interest offered, that he is not confined to recommending an appointment from amongst those who have expressed an interest and is not bound by any statement set out in the notice.
Applications will be accepted up to and including 9th August 2012.
We will treat all applications/expressions of interest confidentially and information will only be given to the appropriate personnel.
