Trustee: Chair of Policy, Partnerships & Research Committee (Voluntary Role)

Job Reference ZZZZZ
Closing Date Tuesday 01 Jun 2021

Every life lost to suicide is a tragedy, and Samaritans’ vision is that fewer people die by suicide. That’s why we work tirelessly to reach more people and make suicide prevention a priority.
As the UK and Ireland begin to emerge from an extraordinarily challenging period, with many facing hardship, never has it been more important for Samaritans’ work. We are looking for a Trustee who will bring exceptional skills and experience, combined with shared values.
Approaching the development of our new strategy, we are seeking Trustees to support us through implementing key priorities, enhancing diversity and inclusion at Samaritans, building on our influential voice across the UK and Ireland and expanding our service to be there for more service users.
As Chair of the Policy, Partnerships & Research Committee you will play a key role in realising Samaritans’ ambition to significantly raise our voice and influence in the corridors of power in the coming years. You will lead the committee in making the best use of our research and the evidence flowing from our services to expand our influence across Governments, national health services, medical and allied professionals, media and other key decision-makers in the public mental health system. You will manage the committee in ensuring our policy positions and approach to service delivery (including strategic partnerships) are enhanced by high-quality research and evidence to ensure our service offer meets the demands of an increasingly wide and diverse audience.
You may currently be working in Government, academia, the NHS, business or a voluntary organisation, but it is critical that you bring the mindset of a senior decision-maker and can use your past experience at Director level to steer the committee to ensure we maximise our impact.
In addition, the successful applicant will bring experience and knowledge with which to lead Samaritans, a deep commitment to Samaritans, our mission and values and the ability to provide effective support and challenge to the Board of Trustees. As a Trustee, you will play a key role in shaping the means of achieving our vision and will promote and develop Samaritans, ensuring we remain accessible, relevant, available, sustainable and consistently driven to delivering our mission.
About the Role
Term: Trustees are usually appointed for three years, with the possibility of a second three-year term.
Location: The role is home-based and may involve some travel within the UK and ROI. As a minimum, attendance is required at four Board of Trustee meetings each year, four Committee meetings, a Board away day, two Regional Council meetings and the annual meeting of Council of Samaritans.
Remuneration: The role is voluntary.
Application process: Please apply via Samaritans’ careers website https://samaritans.peoplehr.net/Pages/JobBoard/Opening.aspx?v=b632c0ea-8209-4651-b1d5-f10de5df4610 by Tuesday 1st June. You will be asked to attach a copy of your CV and a cover letter, containing a personal statement about how you meet the experience, knowledge and skillset outlined in the role description. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to interview by video conference, likely w/c 14th June.
Please include details of two referees within the application.
Because of the nature of our work, we carry out Criminal Records Checks, Bankruptcy Checks and we check the Removed Trustee list and the Register of Disqualified Directors.
Samaritans is wholly committed to inclusion and diversity and to building a culture and environment where everyone is appreciated for the unique person they are. We warmly welcome applications from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences.
We are dedicated to making reasonable adjustments to support candidates throughout our recruitment process. We are flexible in how we receive information and if you would like to apply via a different format, please let us know by email, which can be found within the role description.
PLEASE DO NOT APPLY VIA THIS WEBSITE, ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE MADE DIRECTLY TO THE SAMARITANS USING THE FOLLOWING LINK:
https://samaritans.peoplehr.net/Pages/JobBoard/Opening.aspx?v=b632c0ea-8209-4651-b1d5-f10de5df4610