Your opportunity to be a Third Sector Representative on a city-wide or regional board.

Expressions of interest welcome. We are happy to have an informal conversation about the role with you – please get in touch with hello@forumcentral or Claire Nixson to arrange a call.

Further information about the current vacancies:

Better Lives Board

The Board is seeking expressions of interest from 3 representatives – there are currently vacancies under the areas of Advocacy, Unpaid Carers and Disability.

The date of the next Better Lives Board Meeting is: Thursday 16 January 2025, 10.30 AM to 12.30 PM. All meetings are hybrid and run once every two months.

Please email [email protected] outlining your suitability for the above roles (no more than 400 words, or a short video explanation if you prefer).

Roles will be re-advertised until filled.

Why become a rep?

Becoming a Forum Central Third Sector Representative is an exciting personal and professional development opportunity, and a rewarding experience. Third Sector Reps use their knowledge and experience to feed into spaces of strategic decision making around health and care in Leeds. Reps make a difference and offer a unique insight into health inequalities among different populations in Leeds. Being a third sector rep puts you in direct contact with other professionals with a similar passion for improving health outcomes in Leeds. Being privy to the knowledge and skills shared in these spaces is not only professionally fulfilling, but also gives you the space to have input into health priorities which matter to both you and the third sector at large.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities of a Rep

Applicants should be able to demonstrate and give examples, evidencing skills and knowledge in the following areas:

  • Be confident speaking on behalf of the sector, without a personal or organisational bias
  • Have a commitment to people’s voices being at the heart of decision making in Leeds
  • Be committed to reducing health inequalities and improving outcomes for people
  • Understand key relevant concepts including wider determinants of health and intersectionality
  • Have strong knowledge of the health and care system in Leeds and in particular the Third Sector, voluntary and community services and an understanding of the importance of place and asset based provision
  • Understand the strategic context for health and care in Leeds and the issues facing Third Sector organisations delivering health and care outcomes in Leeds
  • Strong communication skills and the ability to be a confident strategic voice for our diverse Third Sector with a willingness to challenge constructively and hold the board to account
  • Have experience of contributing to multi-agency meetings
  • Knowledge and/or understanding of the particular challenges faced by the cancer population, with particular interest in those communities facing the most health inequalities in this area e.g. poorer outcomes, late diagnosis.

Support to the role

All Reps are supported by the Forum Central team. You will be assigned a single key contact who can support you before and after the board meeting. All Reps are invited to attend a monthly online meeting of the Reps and Reference group to keep you up-to-date with third sector key messages and developments, and equally this gives you the chance to feedback and get peer support.

Selection process

Anyone who is interested is welcome to get in touch to talk through your suitability for the role.

Please send your expression of interest to [email protected] outlining why you’d make a good representative of the third sector in Leeds.

The expression of interest should be no longer than 400 words. Alternatively, you may submit a short video application explaining your suitability for the role.

Please indicate in your application if you would be happy for us to contact you about further opportunities in third sector representation.

Contact

If you have any questions or would like more information on the roles please contact [email protected].