Join the Board of Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance, supporting them in their provision of life-saving, pre-hospital critical care.
Image credit: Katharine Davies Sherborne, Times
Who we are
Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance (DSAA) provides life-saving pre-hospital critical care to patients in need. We are the local air ambulance charity and a vital part of the community.
Since March 2000, DSAA has been there for critically ill and injured people when they need us the most. Our team’s enhanced skills, specialist equipment, and drugs, along with the speed of our response, can make the difference between life and death.
Our highly skilled pilots, critical care practitioners, nurses, and doctors are operational for 19 hours a day (7 a.m. – 2 a.m.), 365 days a year; together, they work tirelessly to save lives.
Our pilots use their incredible flying skills to reach patients in the local community, often in remote locations, by the roadside, in a park or on a beach. Our clinical team provide complex and life-saving interventions to stabilise and treat patients at the scene of the incident. Together, our clinical and aviation team brings the hospital to the patient wherever they may be, giving them the best possible chance of survival.
About the role
Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance is controlled by a Board of Trustees that embraces a balanced spectrum of skills and experience, including healthcare, aviation, legal, business, finance, military services, charities and local affairs. To enhance the expertise around the table, DSAA is looking to recruit an Aviation Trustee.
Trustees are appointed in accordance with the DSAA constitution and fulfil their responsibilities within clearly defined and approved Terms of Reference. The Board comprises a Chair and up to twelve other trustees. It has two Sub-Committees responsible, respectively, for staffing, remuneration, and finance. It is policy to maintain a balance in county representation on the Board.
Representatives from Gama Aviation and South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASfT) also attend Board meetings, as required, to provide additional operational advice.
Who we are looking for
We are looking for a highly collaborative team player who will participate and contribute to the Board, bringing independent thinking and objectivity and taking shared responsibility for decisions, outcomes and activities delegated by the Board.
With the wide-ranging challenges facing air ambulance charities, you will be prepared and able to make complex decisions, maintain an independent mindset and challenge constructively. A commitment to continuous improvement and the delivery of high-quality service will be key.
Bringing your passion for working collaboratively across the Board, you will also have a strong commitment to the Dorset and Somerset communities, be able to effectively engage with a range of stakeholders and have a strong focus on the best interests of patients, service users and all staff.
Candidates will need skills, knowledge and expertise in one or more of the following areas:
- Air ambulance, HEMS, rotary-wing or wider aviation operations
- Aviation safety, risk, compliance, audit or assurance
- CAA, AOC, Continuing Airworthiness or relevant aviation regulatory frameworks
- Operational assurance, incident learning, quality improvement or safety culture
- Aviation partnerships, contracts, suppliers, infrastructure or innovation
In addition to looking for people with aviation expertise, as outlined above, we are also seeking those with:
- Governance skills.
- Senior-level experience in aviation operations.
- Safety, regulation, compliance, engineering, airworthiness, air ambulance services or a related field.
- Strategic and commercial awareness: Ability to interpret aviation contracts, investment decisions, performance information and sustainability considerations.
- Commitment: A strong commitment to the charity’s mission, values and safe delivery of life-saving care.
- Excellent communication skills: Ability to explain complex aviation matters clearly to trustees, staff, volunteers and stakeholders.
- Collaborative challenge: Ability to work constructively while providing independent specialist advice, scrutiny and challenge.
The key to success in the role is to work effectively with colleagues and to have a positive, open and transparent working relationship with the rest of the Board to support the delivery of the strategy in line with DSAA’s vision, mission and values.
Experience working within the air ambulance or health sectors is not essential, although you will need to demonstrate local knowledge, understanding and connectivity with the diverse communities served by DSSA.
We believe we can significantly improve the health and well-being of the communities we serve, and we would like you to contribute your experience and expertise to this effort.
Time commitment and term of office
The roles are voluntary, requiring a commitment of one day per month and Trustees are appointed for an initial period of three years.
This will include regular meetings of the Board, Committees and external relationships; regular contact with the Chair and more flexible arrangements for ad-hoc events, reading and preparation. Therefore, a degree of flexibility will be required.
We anticipate the time commitment for this role will be one day per month.
Trustees will be reimbursed for reasonable and receipted out-of-pocket expenses, including mileage, parking and public transport.
To view the role description and person specification, please go to the ‘How to Apply’ tab above, fill in your details and download the candidate pack.
For further information or to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultant at Peridot Partners:
Marie McQuade | marie@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07903 442646
Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance is a registered charity in England and Wales (No. 1078685).
Image credit: Claire Baker
About us
Our service
Our cohort of clinicians includes senior emergency physicians, intensive care consultants and anaesthetists, critical care nurses, and specialist practitioners in critical care.
When responding to incidents by air, we provide a critical care team consisting of at least a doctor, specialist practitioner, and pilot for each mission. The doctors are predominantly drawn from NHS Hospital Trusts across the region, and the practitioners are from the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT). Some clinicians have joined us from further afield, broadening the team’s skills and experience.
Our patient and family liaison nurses support patients who have been treated by our team and can answer questions they might have about their pre-hospital care. They also provide links to patient support services and other charities aligned with the patient’s condition and encourage peer support links with other similarly injured patients.
Gama Aviation, which operates our aircraft, provides our pilots. They are carefully selected because air ambulance flights are more challenging than regular non-emergency flight services. They have extensive experience in low-level operations and instrument flying.
We operate 19 hours a day (7 a.m. – 2 a.m.), providing a critical care service using our AgustaWestland 169 (AW169) helicopter and critical care car. We also use our outreach cars to provide an enhanced care service across Dorset and Somerset.
The facts
When patients are critically ill or injured, arriving at a hospital with specialist expertise to enable immediate life-saving care is key to their survival.
Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance plays a key role in this chain of survival as our clinical team stabilises patients while the aviation team rapidly travels vast distances.
Our vision: Innovation and collaboration are maximised to continually improve patient outcomes and all who need it receive excellent clinical care.
Our mission: To save and enhance lives through the funding and provision of an air ambulance service, with an air and road-delivered critical care capability.
Core values
- Teamwork: Aircrew, business partners, employees, trustees, volunteers and the community – one team
- Respect: We treat everyone with the highest degree of dignity, equality and trust.
- Accountability: We take responsibility for our performance in all of our decisions and actions.
- Integrity: We demonstrate honesty and fairness in every action that we take.
- Innovation: We anticipate change and capitalise on the many opportunities that arise.
Learn more about us
Thank you for your interest in this role. Please download the Role Description and Person Specification.
To formally apply, please submit a CV and supporting statement (ideally a maximum of 2 sides of A4 each) that clearly outline your suitability for the role against the criteria provided in the person specification, including your interest and motivation in applying for this position.
Please include your home address, contact email and mobile.
Please ensure that your application is emailed to response@peridotpartners.co.uk, inserting “Application: Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance — Trustee (Aviation)” into the subject field. You will receive an acknowledgement of receipt within 2-3 days. If you do not receive an acknowledgement, please contact our admin team.
For further information or to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultant at Peridot Partners:
Marie McQuade | marie@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07903 442646
As a sector-leading executive search consultancy, we know the importance of creating recruitment processes that are fair, inclusive and free from bias. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a process that values differences.
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Timetable
We are in the process of confirming closing and interview dates. Once confirmed, we will update the site and contact applicants.
Equal Opportunities Monitoring
Peridot and Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance are committed to promoting equality and diversity. To help us raise awareness and support a culture that is diverse and recognises and develops the potential of all, we need to appreciate the profile of candidates who apply for positions. We will send you an equality monitoring survey at the point of receiving your application and at the time of placement. This ensures that our processes remain inclusive and equitable throughout, and provides us with important data to help us showcase our impact.
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