The Role of a Joint Chair
To carry out the role effectively the Joint Chair will cultivate a strong, collaborative partnership with the Boards of both organisations, in particular building strong relationships with the Chief Executive and Non-Executive Directors as well as with key external stakeholders in Stockport and Tameside & Glossop and the Greater Manchester system of which both Trusts are part.
Many responsibilities in this role description will be discharged in partnership with the Chief Executive. The Joint Chair and Chief Executive must be clear about their individual and shared roles, as well as their respective responsibilities towards their unitary Boards.
Working in partnership with the Chief Executive of both Trusts, the Joint Chair will set the tone for the collaboration between both organisations and will act as a role model for a culture which is inclusive, respectful and reflecting the Trusts’ vision and values in every interaction. This includes the development of updated governance arrangements to allow the organisations to work more efficiently with the development of updated governance arrangements.
The Joint Chair is ultimately responsible for ensuring that the population the Trusts serve and the wider systems in which the organisations sit receive the best possible care in a sustainable way.
Responsibilities of the Joint Chair
The Joint Chair has a unique role in leading two NHS Foundation Trust Boards of Directors and Councils of Governors. The role combines the duty to lead effective governance, consistent with the Nolan principles and NHS values, whilst delivering a long-term vision and strategy for both organisations.
The Joint Chair will lead the two organisations enabling both Trusts to harness the strengths of each other, sharing innovation and opening up opportunities for greater collaboration for the benefit of the populations the Trusts serve. Fundamentally, the Joint Chair is responsible for the effective leadership of each Board and will be pivotal in creating the conditions necessary for the effectiveness of the two Boards, both collectively and individually.
Central to the Joint Chair’s role are the following key areas of responsibility:
- Provide highly effective, visible and authentic leadership of both Boards of Directors and the Councils of Governors.
- Work with the ICSs and the Boards of both organisations to develop a strategy to improve the health of the populations the Trusts serve by leading the organisations collectively and holistically, acting as a catalyst for change and ensuring the services delivered are appropriately specified, supported and resourced.
- Determine and implement sustainable and appropriate collaborative arrangements between the two organisations that can develop and evolve over time.
- Develop and empower the executive leadership of the organisations to optimise collaboration and outcomes whilst holding to account for strategy delivery.
- In their role as an ambassador, lead in developing relationships and partnership working.
The Joint Chair will be expected to continue to ensure that the Trusts are recognised as leading organisations where people participation, co-production, staff engagement and quality improvement are at the heart of what we do.