DEFRA is the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy.
A third of all farmland in England is managed by tenant farmers who play an important role in delivering our food security and environmental objectives alongside being an integral part of rural communities and local economies. Establishing a Commissioner for the Tenant Farming sector forms a key part of this, working alongside the joint Defra / industry Farm Tenancy Forum to encourage collaborative landlord and tenant relationships.
The role is the first of its kind in England and will be a unique leadership role. The candidate requires specialist industry knowledge of agricultural tenancy agreements and experience in facilitating solutions between tenant farmers, landlords and their advisors. Specific professional qualifications are also desirable for successful delivery of the role (such as rural chartered surveyor, agricultural lawyer, agricultural valuer, or facilitation skills and experience).
The primary purpose of this role is to provide a trusted, confidential and impartial point of contact and advice for tenants, landlords and advisors who have concerns about poor behaviour and complaints that the Agricultural Landlord and Tenant Code of Practice on responsible conduct for the sector is not being followed. The commissioner will investigate concerns raised with the aim of facilitating solutions in a collaborative and impartial way and signposting sources of further advice if needed.
This is an exciting opportunity to take up a new role aimed at delivering a thriving tenant farming sector through the adoption of the Agricultural Landlord and Tenant Code of Practice and its three key principles of; Clarity, Communication and Collaboration.
The primary purpose of this role is to ensure effective enaction of the Agricultural Landlord and Tenant Code of Practice for England. Within a framework that you will design in collaboration with professional regulators and other interested stakeholders, you will provide a trusted, confidential and impartial point of contact for tenants, landlords and advisors who have concerns about unreasonable behaviour of other parties, where there are clear cases of poor conduct or unfair practice in the sector (that are outside the remit of existing professional bodies complaints services) and are non-compliant with the Code of Practice. You will investigate concerns raised with the aim of facilitating solutions in a collaborative, impartial and timely way and signposting sources of further advice if needed (from an approved list of relevant industry and professional bodies).
This is a non-statutory role, and you will need to build strong relationships across the sector to foster trust and encourage collaboration. This will be a role in a priority policy area for Defra and requires a candidate with the experience to establish a new function and impartial complaints facilitation service. You will need to hit the ground running in understanding the sector and its key players.
You will work closely with the joint Defra/Industry Farm Tenancy Forum whose membership represents, tenants, landlords and professional advisors. You will attend the Forum’s quarterly meetings to provide anonymised reports on the number and type of concerns and cases raised with you to help understand trends and issues and make recommendations on whether any further wider sector action might be needed.
You will also provide an important service for the tenanted sector promoting uptake of the Code of Practice, and providing information and guides for the sector as may be needed and in cooperation with the Farm Tenancy Forum.
You will be supported by one full time civil servant who will provide office management, stakeholder engagement, research and administrative support for the Commissioner role.
Initially, the role will be on the basis of 3 working days, with the potential to increase to full time if demand for the commissioners’ complaint facilitations services requires it. This can be a flexible arrangement, although must accommodate senior management and external engagement requirements. This role will be reviewed by Defra after two years of operation in consultation with the Farm Tenancy Forum and other interested stakeholders to assess effectiveness, benefits and impacts and the future of the role. The success criteria for the effectiveness of the role will be based on the demand and performance of the complaints facilitation service.
The principal activities the Commissioner will deliver are:
* The Commissioner will develop and deliver a complaint handling facilitation service, working collaboratively with appropriate professional regulators to set out the scope of this new service and ensure there is no duplication of existing professional complaints services. The service will focus on investigating concerns and complaints raised about unreasonable behaviour, where there are clear cases of poor conduct or unfair practice in the sector and non-compliance with the Code of Practice. This will be delivered in a confidential, impartial way to encourage solutions and help to resolve concerns in a collaborative and timely way. Where the Commissioner cannot resolve concerns, they will signpost sources of relevant professional advice from an approved list of relevant industry and professional bodies (not individual firms).
* Building strong relationships with the industry; helping to improve standards of conduct in the sector through a proactive advocacy role focused on promoting responsible behaviour and practice. Publicising the Code of Practice and encouraging all parts of the sector to follow it.
* Providing reports to the joint Defra / industry Farm Tenancy Forum on the number and type of concerns and cases that are reported to the Commissioner (redacted and unattributable) to help understand trends and issues and make recommendations on whether any further sector wide action might be needed.
* Gathering and promoting examples of good practice in the sector through regular blogs and articles in the farming media to encourage and showcase collaborative tenant landlord and advisor relationships.
* Signposting tenants, landlords and advisors to sources of advice on dispute resolution options and services (from an approved list of relevant industry and professional bodies, not individual firms).
* Working collaboratively with the professional regulators and bodies to discuss and develop ways to deliver a more coordinated review and oversight of general trends in agricultural arbitrations and alternative dispute resolution and identify where improvements can be made. The Commissioner will engage with the professional bodies and the Farm Tenancy Forum to develop the scope and objectives of this review and activity.
* To provide a neutral, professional, qualified resource to the Farm Tenancy Forum in drafting and developing more topic specific guidance or codes of practice that the industry feels are needed.
* To be an expert member of the joint Defra/industry Farm Tenancy Forum.
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