Inclusive Boards is delighted to be supporting the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) in recruiting 140 Legally Qualified Chairs. The NMC regulates over 867,000 nurses, midwives, and nursing associates across the UK. In this key role, you will lead Fitness to Practise hearings, provide legal advice to panel members, and make fair, evidence-based decisions that safeguard patients and maintain public confidence in the professions.
Sometimes the NMC need to consider if a professional on their register is fit to practise without restriction. Where concerns are raised, these may be considered by one of their practice committees.
NMC panel members, who sit on those practice committees, are independent decision makers and play a hugely important role in protecting the public and upholding confidence in the nursing and midwifery professions.
This is an exciting opportunity to use your legal expertise in public service. As a Legally Qualified Chair, you will make an important contribution to protecting patients, maintaining public confidence in the professions we regulate and ensuring that decisions are fair, proportionate and evidence based.
About the role:
A Legally Qualified Chair is a qualified lawyer (barrister, solicitor or advocate) who chairs Fitness to Practise panels and provides legal advice to the panel where necessary. Legally Qualified Chairs play a vital role in protecting the public, maintaining confidence in the professions we regulate, upholding proper professional standards and ensuring our decisions are fair, evidence based and free from bias.
They also support the NMC’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.
Key details:
Competencies
Your behaviours, strengths and experience will be assessed against the role’s competencies and behaviours at every stage of the selection process. This criteria includes:
- Leadership of hearings
- Judgement and high quality decision-making
- Legal expertise
- Effective working
- Collaboration and communication.
Your response can be based on any aspect of your life, experiences and activities, not just your professional work but there should be reference to legal skills and ability in your response.
Values
Evidence of these values and behaviours will be assessed at both application and interview stages. The NMC’s values and behaviours are:
- Integrity
- Fairness
- Respect
- Equity
- Effectiveness.
Eligibility
We want to hear from people who meet the NMC’s eligibility criteria and who can demonstrate the values and competencies above. If you’re unsure about your Eligibility an FAQ document is available here.
Qualifications and Experience
- Ten years’ experience as a solicitor, barrister or advocate at the time of appointment
- have a 10-year general qualification (within the meaning of section 71 of the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990); or
- be an advocate or solicitor in Scotland of at least 10 years’ standing; or
- be a member of the Bar of Northern Ireland of at least 10 years’ standing
- Current good standing (no open investigations, active disciplinary actions or unresolved compliance breaches and all required fees and filings up to date) with your regulator and you must hold a valid practising certificate
- Experience of drafting clear, coherent and concise documents that can be easily understood by a lay reader.
To find out more and access the candidate pack and application form visit: www.inclusiveboards.co.uk/nmc-lqc