Vacancies
'Welcome to our trustee vacancies’ recruitment page.
Being a trustee in a charity is a rewarding role and a responsible one. We are accountable to members for ensuring that we stay true to our values and for using our resources as wisely as possible. On this page you can find out more about SUF, what being a trustee entails and how to apply. If you would like to arrange an informal chat, our contact details are below. Thank you for your interest.”
Guenever Pachent,
Chair of SUF’s board of trustees.
Our trustee vacancies
We welcome applications from people who have an understanding of mental health services, especially through personal experience as a service user or carer. We know that diverse board membership leads to better decision making and so we are keen to appoint from diverse backgrounds, younger people and women.
There are three specific roles where we need additional expertise on our board at the moment. These are as treasurer, fundraiser and vice-chair. The closing date for applications is 18th December 2022 and we will hold interviews in the new year.
Informal discussion
If you would like an informal chat about the role please email Guenever@suffolkuserforum.co.uk (Chair) or Robert.nesbitt@suffolkuserforum.co.uk (trustee / company secretary) with your contact details and we will be in touch.
Trustee role descriptions
Trustee recruitment brochure
Our Impact and Annual Report for the year April 2020 to March 2021
What skills are needed
We particularly welcome applications from mental health service users, Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic (BAME) individuals, women, and younger people (18+), as they are currently under-represented on our trustee board. We would value new trustees with the following skills.
• Information governance & data security.
• Fundraising.
• Human resources.
• Working with diverse communities.
We are also seeking a Trustee Treasurer with financial skills and a Vice Chair.
Your role as a board member
As a trustee you will join our board which focuses on our charitable objectives, ensuring we continue to be an inclusive and trusted mental health user led network, that values, promotes and strengthens the user voice for positive change, independence, legal rights, choice, and control. The SUF board sets the overall strategic direction, scrutinises our processes and decisions, ensures our standards of governance are upheld and maintained. The trustee role in Suffolk User Forum (SUF) is voluntary and is not a paid position. Our Board meets in person at our Kesgrave Office.
Make a difference
The role of the trustee is a rewarding one. Our trustees are central to our organisation`s leadership, governance, strategic direction, and team support. This is an opportunity to contribute to the development of our charity at a particularly formative time when the impact of COVID 19 has exacerbated already difficult mental health problems. Our organisation is also beginning to deliver on behalf of the NHS, the Healthy Together supporting service users living with Severe Mental Illness (SMI) to access physical health services. Our trustee board is friendly, and all new trustees are fully supported with induction and training.
Additional Information
Trustees are appointed for a three-year term, which can be renewed. The Board meets 10 times a year with occasional additional sub groups as required. Board meetings are held on Monday afternoons at the end of each month (see SUF Events Calendar). The estimated time needed for the role is roughly half a day a month for trustees, and approximately one to two days a month for the treasurer and vice chair. You can find out more about the work of our board in our Chairs Updates letter, which is sent to our SUF Community membership after each board meeting.
