Chair
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- Employer:
- South West Yorkshire Partnership Teaching NHS Foundation Trust
- Location:
- West Yorkshire
- Remuneration:
- up to £50,000 per annum for a time commitment of 2.5 to 3.5 days per week
- Closing date:
- 9am Friday 17th April 2026
- Job Ref:
- GSe131270
Associated documents
Description
South West Yorkshire Partnership Teaching NHS Foundation Trust is here to help people reach their potential and live well in their communities by providing high-quality care in the right place at the right time. Our compassionate, dedicated and enthusiastic staff are committed to living our values every day in providing a range of community, mental health and learning disability services to more than 1.22 million people across Barnsley, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield. We also provide some low and medium secure (forensic) services to the whole of Yorkshire and the Humber and some wellbeing services in other parts of Yorkshire.
Our current Chair, Marie Burnham, is stepping down after five successful years in the role and we are seeking an exceptional new Chair to lead our ambitious board and Members’ Council through our next period of transformation as we align our aims to ‘Fit for the Future: the 10 year health plan for the NHS in England’. This is a rare opportunity to lead a high performing board, influence our Trust’s future direction, support our continuous development and champion our critical services as a key partner during a period of system reform.
We are seeking a strategic, inclusive, and values‑driven leader with a strong track record of board‑level experience in complex, regulated, and people‑centred environments. Approachable and collaborative, you will bring a deep commitment to good governance and improving the lives of people who need and access our services. Comfortable operating in a complex stakeholder environment, you will quickly build constructive relationships our wider health and care system. As Chair you will role model our open, learning culture where colleagues feel safe, empowered to speak up, and supported to drive continuous improvement
If you are inspired by this exceptional opportunity to lead our board and Members’ Council, we would be delighted to hear from you. Find full details on our recruitment microsite via Apply. For a confidential conversation, please contact our recruitment partners at GatenbySanderson:
Helen Barkham – helen.barkham@gatenbysanderson.com
Emily Smith – emily.smith@gatenbysanderson.com
Emma Pickup – emma.pickup@gatenbysanderson.com
You must live within the regions of Yorkshire, the Humber, Cumbria, Durham, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire or Lincolnshire and we welcome applications from all aspects of society, including people from BAME and LGBT+ communities, people with disabilities, younger people, service users and carers.
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How to Apply
- Please submit an up to date copy of your CV, along with a Supporting Statement that addresses the criteria set out in the person specification, using examples to demonstrate how you meet the essential requirements.
- A completed fit and proper person form – the template can be downloaded from the same place as the job description.
- Detail any employment or education gaps.
- You should provide the names, positions, organisations, and contact details for your referees, which must be your line managers and include your current and most recent employer. The referees should cover at least two roles as the minimum. Please note, should you be appointed, you will be required to provide references covering your last 6 years of employment as per the new NHS Fit and Proper Person regulations. Where there have been gaps in employment, this six year period will be extended accordingly. Referees will only be contacted for those proceeding to the final stage - we will always gain your permission before we contact referees.
- Let us know any difficulty you may have with the indicative timetable.
- Check that your contact details are correct before you submit.
Once you have submitted your application, you will receive an automated email to confirm that you have applied. If you do not receive this email, please make contact with GatenbySanderson.