Governor and Membership Engagement Officer

ATrust wide role in relation to Corporate Affairs work, managing the day to dayrunning of the Corporate Affairs service including facilitating Board levelmeetings, providing advice and support as required to both the team andstakeholders, acting as the key contact for the Council of Governors inaddition to the planning, implementation and support of membership recruitmentand engagement activity, informed by the Membership and Engagement Strategy. Main duties of the job The post holder will be required to work independently,managing own workload and that of the staff they line manage. The post holder will be responsible for the Trustsmembership engagement and recruitment activity in addition to being the mainpoint of contact and support for the Council of Governors. The role will line manage the Corporate AffairsTeam and provide support to the team, as well as deputising for the CorporateAffairs Manager in appropriate duties. The post holder will undertake supportfor a number of meetings, providing facilitation and minute taking. About us If you are being interviewed you must accept an interview slot in the system to continue, even if you have arranged with the manager You must be able to produce ALL certificates stated essential in the person specification or you will not be able to complete pre-employment checks We provide hospital services from two acute sites - Darlington Memorial Hospital and University Hospital of North Durham. We have a centre for planned care in Bishop Auckland and provide care from community hospitals in Chester-le-Street, Shotley Bridge, Barnard Castle, Sedgefield and Weardale as well as over 80 other community based settings and providing care in patients' homes. We particularly welcome applications from disabled and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates as BAME and disabled people are currently under-represented From April 1 2024 we are unable to offer sponsorship for healthcare roles that do not meet the minimum salary, If you are in the UK on a VISA please ensure you have no restrictions that would prevent you from taking this post. Full Job Descriptions can be found in the adverts supporting documents, Managerial Line manager for Corporate Affairs Team, responsible for theday to day running of the Corporate Affairs Team. Line management of staff to include absence management inaccordance with Trust policy, recruitment and selection of staff, dealing withHR issues, undertaking appraisals, allocation of work, ensuring staff undertakemandatory and role specific training, authorised signatory for approval oftravel expenses. Provide specialist support and development to the CorporateAffairs Team. Ensure the implementation of best practice and standardiseoffice systems and processes. Provide induction, advice and training to new members ofstaff as required. To monitor workload and performance against accuracy andtimeliness standards across the secretarial team, taking any necessarycorrective action to ensure these are met Membership and Engagement Responsible for the planning, implementation and support ofmembership recruitment and engagement activity, informed by the Membership andEngagement Strategy. Responsible for the planning, implementation and support ofthe Annual General Meeting. Administer elections and appointments to the Council ofGovernors Administer applications to become / to be removed as, a Memberof the Foundation Trust in accordance with Constitutional requirements Manage, maintain and develop the Trusts membership database Serve as an ambassador for the Trust, positivelyrepresenting the organisation as an authoritative key contact, and action pointfor national and local organisations and individuals. Responsible for the development and maintenance of thewebsite pages associated with all functions of Corporate Affairs. Secretariat Deputise for the Corporate Affairs Manager in respect of theBoard, its Committees and membership. To act independently in planning and co-ordinating,attending and servicing a range of meetings within the Trust; being responsiblefor the booking of accommodation and refreshments, preparation of agendas, collationand distribution of timely and high quality documentation to attendees,recording of discussions and decisions taken at meetings, the compilation andproduction of accurate minutes, the composition of letters arising out ofmeetings and dealing with all follow-up actions. Re-arranging meetings asnecessary. Liaise with internal and external meeting attendees andpresenters as part of the process of planning and co-ordinating meetings above. This may include Board members of other organisations and those of equivalentseniority. Use of highly developed typing skills for the production oftimely and accurate meeting documentation. To provide routine procedural advice on corporate governanceissues. To maintain paper-based and electronic statutory registersand the records management system. To be the first point of contact in relation to queriesregarding committee meetings. Foundation Trust and Council of Governors Provide administrative support and advice to the Council ofGovernors, its Committees and membership within the Trusts legal andregulatory framework. To provide and arrange training for the Governors in allaspects of their responsibilities : identifying and sourcing appropriatetraining, arranging training dates, organising slots and overseeing / delivering administration of all aspects of the training day. Ensure suitable systems and processes are in place for therecording and archiving of records. Gather, collate and record evidence for Board Members andGovernors relating to the Fit and Proper Persons Test. Promote at all times a positive image of the CorporateAffairs Department and the wider Trust. Maintain and continuously improve sustainable systems andprocesses for all of the above activities within the Trust Secretariat / FoundationTrust Office. Corporate Records and Freedom of Information Maintain and implement an effective system for recording,controlling and responding to all requests for information received by theTrust under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 andEnvironmental Information Regulations. Manage a caseload of requests received under the FOIA andEIR, ensuring the collation and production of quality responses within the timeframe set out by the Act and support colleagues during absence to ensure aconsistent provision of service. To act independently in ensuring that all requests forinformation are registered to the system and managed in a way that enables theTrust to comply with the requirements of the Act as regards disclosure and responsetimes. Act as a designated point of contact for applicants underthe FOIA and EIR, and where appropriate; liaise with the requesting party overthe nature of the request, the provision of additional detail about it and theneed for an extension of time for responding. Provide advice and guidance to managers and teams on therequirements of the FOIA and EIR, and their duties and responsibilities underit. Responsible for the development and maintenance of theTrusts publication scheme and disclosure log Escalate issues with FOI and EIR requests and responsetimes, as appropriate to the Corporate Affairs Manager. Develop and deliver internal training in accordance with theFOI and EIR Training programme. Maintain current knowledge of the application of the FOIAand EIR and associated case law. Ensure the maintenance and development of up to date,accurate and complete libraries of policies and procedures, including PatientInformation Leaflets in line with the Policy for Policies and Corporate RecordsPolicy, including both electronic and paper libraries and the CDDFT QualityInsights System in line with need; Provide advice, education and communicationto Care Groups and corporate directorates to support the implementation of thePolicy for Policies and corporate records requirements within their areas. Support the development, update and dissemination oftemplate documentation to assist Care Groups and corporate directorates incomplying with the Policy for Procedural Governance Documents. Support the development and implementation of a limitedprogramme of audits to monitor compliance with the corporate records policy forinternal and external assurance purposes. Provide support and guidance to Care Groups and documentauthors in respect of the use of the Procedural Documents function of the CDDFTQuality Insights System, including but not limited to producing monitoringreports, accessing and navigating the system. General Communicate business sensitive information; agreement orcooperation from NHS staff at all levels of the organisation is required. Responsibility for managing the Corporate Affairs filingsystem. Proposes changes to Policies and Procedures with regard tochanges in national policy and changes in law.Implements Policies and Procedures for own area which impact across theTrust. Assist patients and members of the public in incidentalcontacts. Any other duties relevant to the grade

Essential

• Experience of working in an administrative role in a complex organisation
• Line Management Experience
• Significant experience in planning and organising complex meetings
• Experience of attending meetings and recording minutes of meetings accurately
• Events planning
• Experience in developing and implementing projects and quality improvement initiatives, managing office systems and developing SOPs.
• Demonstrable understanding of the principles and application of the FOI Act 2000
• Administrative experience in a role requiring adherence to deadlines and KPIs
• Experience in delivering training, coaching and providing advice and guidance.
Desirable
• NHS Experience
• Experience of corporate records management
• Experience of dealing with Freedom of Information and Environmental Information Regulation Requests
Qualifications Essential
• Educated to degree level (or equivalent demonstrable experience)
• Minimum 5 GCSE at grades A to C (English Language Essential) or equivalent qualification, or equivalent knowledge gained through work experience
• Evidence of continuous professional development
Desirable
• Specific qualifications and training related to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 or policy and records management.
• HNC or first degree in public administration or membership of (or working towards) ICSA qualifications
• Marketing or Public Relations qualification
Special Requirements Essential
• Present a professional image at all times
• Ability to travel independently across Trust sites and to attend meetings outside of normal office hours as required
Special Skills & Knowledge Essential
• Flexible approach to work and adaptable to change.
• Ability to deal confidently and successfully with conflict
• Able to organise own workload and prioritise competing deadlines and work streams
• Able to delegate and manage a team of staff
• Self-motivated and able to work on own initiative and part of a team.
• Proven track record of professionalism and commitment to quality.
• Excellent general secretarial and office administration skills.
• Excellent communication skills, ability to communicate at all levels, verbally and written with individuals and groups, both internal and external.
• Ability to convey expert knowledge to lay-people
• Ability to communicate business sensitive information
• Ability to work within a confidential environment
• Good organisational skills and ability to meet deadlines
• IT skills, literate in Microsoft packages including Outlook, Word, Access, Excel and Power point
• Experience in using virtual meeting packages.
• Knowledge of Data Protection and Caldicott Principles and demonstrate understanding of confidentiality and the associated legal and policy requirements
Desirable
• Knowledge of the NHS environment and legislation and guidance relevant to corporate records management in the NHS and Freedom of Information Act