Chair – Devon Partnership NHS Trust

At Devon Partnership NHS Trust (DPT), we support around 34,000 people every month through mental health, learning disability, neurodiversity, gender and children’s community services. Our work reaches communities across Devon, the wider South West and, for some services, the whole country.

It’s an exciting time to join us. Over recent years our income has grown by around 50% to more than £460m, and as lead provider for the South West Provider Collaborative we now help to commission specialist services for 5.8 million people. Through Children and Family Health Devon, we have also brought children’s community physical and mental health services across the county together under a single NHS provider for the first time. We’re proud to be rated Good by the Care Quality Commission, with an ambition to become Outstanding.

We’re now looking for a Chair to lead our Board through this next chapter. You’ll work in close partnership with our Chief Executive and executive team, offering support and constructive challenge in equal measure. You’ll help build trusted relationships with our partners across the NHS, local government and the voluntary sector, and make sure the voices of the people who use our services are heard in every conversation we have.

In terms of professional background we are very open. What matters most is a genuine commitment to excellent care, the credibility to represent the Trust regionally and nationally, and a leadership style that reflects our values of compassion, respect, inclusion and working together. While you don’t need to come with chairing experience, you will need Non-Executive Director credentials – although these could come from any relevant sector.

We believe the best Boards reflect the people they serve, and we warmly welcome applications from women, people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, disabled people and LGBTQIA+ people, all of whom are currently under-represented in Chair roles. As a Disability Confident Leader, we’re happy to make any adjustments you need throughout the process.

If you’d like to find out more, our recruitment partners at Hunter Healthcare would be delighted to have a confidential, no-obligation conversation with you. Please contact Rhiannon Smith (rsmith@hunter-healthcare.com) or Jenny Adrian (jadrian@hunter-healthcare.com, 07939 250362).

Candidate Information Pack