Head of Governor and Membership Office

Joining #TeamNELFT means you’ll become part of a welcoming and supportive working environment. We’re CQC rated Good, and we want you to join us on the journey towards an Outstanding rating. NELFT has sites across North East London, Essex, Kent and Medway. We provide community and mental healthcare services to adults and children within these areas.

The Trust has award winning equality and diversity initiatives and staff health and wellbeing activities. We invest heavily in your development, because when you are valued and supported, we provide the best care to our patients. We are a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader, have been featured in the Working Families Top 10 Employers benchmark for three consecutive years, and we have achieved a Carers UK Level 1 Accreditation. Along with our staff networks and training opportunities, we work hard to embed a just and compassionate culture here at NELFT.

Find out more about NELFT careers and what makes our Trust a great place to work, in this video

Job overview

We have an exciting opportunity for a Head of Governor and Membership Office and the success post holder will work closely with the Chair, Chief Executive Officer, the Board of Directors, the Council of Governors, and senior staff in NELFT by developing mutual respect and building constructive and trusting relationships – and at times using refined negotiation and interpersonal skills, particularly in respect of any contentious and/or sensitive information being discussed. In conjunction with the Chair, the post holder will provide support to the lead and deputy lead governors in discharging their responsibilities, ensuring good working relationships are developed and maintained.

As an ambassador for the Trust, you will be positively representing the organisation as an authoritative key contact and point for action for national/local organisations and individuals, providing advice and pastoral support to members of the Council of Governors to allow them to best fulfil their role, including supporting governors in translating regulatory requirements into meaningful ways to deliver their responsibilities and ensuring an appropriate focus on strategic matters rather than operational detail. 

Main duties of the job

This includes supporting the Council of Governors in focusing on, being effective in, and contributing fully and meaningfully to improving the services and outcomes for users of our services and communities. It will also include working with the Council of Governors to find innovative ways of working that will help them achieve their objectives, offering them pastoral care to ensure they feel supported, and supporting them in translating regulatory requirements into meaningful ways to deliver their responsibilities.

Working for our organisation

Probationary Period

This post will be subject to a probationary period. Internal applicants are exempt from the probationary period (unless you are an internal applicant currently part way through a probationary period or currently a bank member of staff).

High Cost Area Supplement

This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 15% of the basic salary (with a minimum of £4,551 to a maximum of £5,735).

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Maintaining and developing constructive and trusting relationships across a plethora of roles across the Trust, serving as an ambassador for the trust positively representing the organisation as an authoritative key contact and point for action for national/local organisations. Acting as a conduit between the Trust, Council of Governors and the Trusts membership; coordinating and signposting queries and requests received from Governors and supporting prospective governors through the election process. To lead on onboarding new governors and delivery of their induction. Maintaining, developing and promoting the Code of Conduct. Communicating with the Council of Governors, the Trust membership, users of our services, carers, and members of the public regarding Trust and membership activity, using a range of media. Producing present reports, strategies, and policies to the Council of Governors, including the communication of complex and/or sensitive information. This may include presentations at corporate induction events, training and induction sessions of the Council of Governors, staff meetings, public meetings, meetings of community groups, and membership recruitment events. Maintaining confidentiality at all times. Developing new ways of working and work with the Informatics and Communications team to ensure the provision and management of relevant communication systems with governors and the Trust membership. To develop and participate in initiatives for joint working with other organisations within the NHS or the Integrated Care Systems in which we work. Providing effective promotion and management of elections of public and staff members. 

Please see the attached job description and person specification for more information about this role and working at North East London NHS Foundation Trust. We encourage you to refer closely to this when completing your application.

We welcome your application even if you do not meet all the criteria listed in the person specification. Any development needs to help you succeed in the role, can be discussed at the interview stage.

Use of AI

Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used, then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

Demonstrable commitment to continuing professional development

Experience

Essential criteria

Extensive experience of communicating with and persuading a variety of stakeholders to plan, manage, and collaborate including across different organisations

Desirable criteria

Experience of operating at Board/committee level

Knowledge

Essential criteria

Strong analytical and critical reasoning skills capable of making informed decisions and judgements under pressure and/or where no obvious solution exists

Desirable criteria

capable of making informed decisions and judgements under pressure and/or where no obvious solution exists

Benefits

We believe in bringing your authentic and best self to work, in order to deliver the best care to our patients. We are committed to supporting our employees holistically. Here is a snapshot of what is on offer at NELFT:

A long-standing and award-winning approach to equality and diversity with supportive networks for ethnic minority staff, staff with disabilities or long term/chronic conditions and LGBT staff. A commitment to supporting colleagues to achieve a work life balance, through flexible working opportunities and our effortsto support our working parents and carers. This has resulted in us being recognised as a ‘Top 10 Family Friendly Employer’ from the Working Families Charity. Proactive health and wellbeing support, including access to our employee assistance programme, staff psychological support, individual wellbeing conversations and a network of health and wellbeing ambassadors. Detailed information about our wellbeing and benefits offer can be found in this link.

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that’s a job share, part time hours or another flexible pattern.