Chamber and committees

Sources:

Higher Education Statistics Agency, Scottish Further Education

Funding Council and Scottish Executive.

Notes:

*Age data was not collected for students on non-vocational courses until 1998-99, therefore figures for 1997-98 are not held centrally.

Information for the most recent year (2000-01) is not yet available. This is because the information is collected after the end of each academic year. We have therefore included figures for 1997-98 to illustrate a three-year period.

The initial assessment of any application for recognition by the Sports Council should be the responsibility of the home country Sports Council in which the application originated. If the home country Sports Council concerned, following the initial assessment, considers it appropriate, a case is then presented by that council for further consideration by the five Sports Councils in the United Kingdom.

In their assessment, the home country Sports Councils employ a range of criteria. These include physical skills; physical effort; accessibility; rules and organisation; strategy and tactics; essential purpose; physical challenge; risk; uniqueness of the activity; level of participation; and other considerations such as political, moral and ethical issues.

There is no process involved in designating an activity as a recreation. By its definition, recreation encompasses a limitless range of activities.

Core criteria were that candidates must:

• have management experience at a senior or board-equivalent level in the voluntary, public or private sectors
• demonstrate leadership and motivation skills
• demonstrate the ability to see the "bigger picture"
• demonstrate the ability to think and plan ahead
• demonstrate the ability to understand complicated issues
• demonstrate the ability to work as part of a team
• be an effective communicator at all levels with good listening and interpersonal skills
• be able to take decisions on a collective basis
• be confident and willing to challenge and test proposals on which the board must decide
• demonstrate a strong personal commitment to the NHS
• demonstrate an understanding of, and interest in, government health policies
• be committed to engaging positively and openly with key partners and the public
• be committed to the idea of public service accountability, honesty, openness and equality of treatment and opportunity
• be able to spend around three days per week as Chair on the work of the board

Desirable criteria were that candidates would have:

• experience in serving in the voluntary sector, particularly in an organisation with links to the health sector
• experience of other countries' approach to health education and improvement
• specialist skills or knowledge relevant to HEBS

Candidates were short-listed for interview by Trevor Jones (Chief Executive, NHS Scotland), Ken Thomson (Head of Health Improvement Strategy Division, Scottish Executive Health Department) and Alistair Dempster (Independent Assessor).

Those interviewed were invited to prepare a four minute presentation on "Making Health Improvement a Reality". The presentations were delivered at interview.

The interviews were conducted by those who selected the short-list

As part of her induction as an independent assessor, Anne McLean attended the interviews as an observer but took no part in the interview process.

This is available from the website at:

http://www.ocpa.gov.uk/leaflets/codeofpractice.pdf