Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust is seeking to appoint a bank of Lay Chairs to support Advisory Appointments Committees for consultant appointments. Lay Chairs play an important independent role in ensuring that panels are conducted fairly, consistently and in line with the relevant regulations, Trust processes and our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.
What we are looking for
- A genuine commitment to patients and the promotion of first-class health care services.
- A degree level or equivalent education; or other senior level relevant experience; in a business or leadership environment.
- The ability to facilitate a group; to reach sound, impartial decision-making, exercising reasoned judgement and applying professional expertise and knowledge.
- The ability to facilitate constructive and productive panel discussions, enabling all panel members to contribute to decision making and managing disagreements between panel members.
- Experience chairing senior committees and working in complex governance structures.
- The ability to prepare written outcomes that explain and justify decisions in an accurate, clear, and concise manner.
- There is no requirement to have a background in healthcare, but the post holder must have an awareness of the range of work undertaken by Surrey & Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust and the Trust values.
Post duties:
- To ensure the timetable set for the AAC process is reasonable.
- To oversee the shortlisting of candidates to ensure fairness and consistency
- To ensure, at the interview stage, that sufficient time is allowed for prior discussion and agreement on the questions that the panel will ask and the structure of the interviews, a suitable period for each interview and adequate time for post-interview discussion.
- To ensure appropriate reasonable adjustments are made where appropriate.
- Manage other parts of the selection process i.e., presentation (if planned)
- Keep the references confidential until the panel agree who to offer the role.
To ensure that AAC members:
- Are given an opportunity, prior to interview, to clarify points of detail concerning the job description and/or person specification
For further information, please see the attached job description and person specification for a full list of duties and responsibilities.
We are a leading local employer with a diverse workforce of approximately 6,000 staff, dedicated to providing healthcare services to a growing population of around 780,000 individuals.
Our Trust provides both emergency and planned healthcare across East Surrey, North-East West Sussex, and South Croydon – covering towns like Crawley, Horsham, Reigate, and Redhill. Our main hospital, East Surrey in Redhill, offers a full range of acute and specialist services and is also the closest trauma unit to Gatwick Airport. We also provide outpatient, diagnostic, and planned care services at sites including The Earlswood Centre, Caterham Dene Hospital, Oxted Health Centre, Crawley Hospital, and Horsham Hospital.
We are proud to be an inclusive employer, and we work hard to create an environment where everyone feels valued and supported. At our Trust, we strive to be the best place to work and receive care. We are dedicated to supporting you in your current role while helping you grow and develop your career. As part of our team, you will have access to excellent training opportunities, flexible working, dedicated support networks, and a strong emphasis on health and wellbeing to ensure a thriving and positive work environment.
For further information regarding the role please read the attached job description and person specification.
