Forum Central Third Sector Representative – LYPFT Council of Governors
We are recruiting a new third sector learning disability representative on the Leeds and York NHS trust Council of Governors, to provide a link between the third sector and the Board of Directors. The Council of Governors is the voice of the people in helping to shape our services and it plays a vital role in LYPFT’s governance structure.
About the role
The Third Sector Representative is a full voting member of the Council. The role entails championing the work of the LYPFT Council of Governors across the city and advocating for the diverse Third Sector within the Council. The successful candidate will work with the Forum Central team in gathering and synthesising views from the sector to feed into the Council, as well as feeding back from the Council via Forum Central. It is an excellent opportunity to ensure that:
- The Third Sector is able to to influence high-quality health and care support and services and to contribute to improving wellbeing in Leeds
- The LYPFT Council of Governors harnesses the power of the Third Sector.
- City partners receive the valued input and insight of the Third Sector and harness their contribution to Best City outcomes
Candidates for both roles must be able to provide time and capacity to commit to:
- Attending all face-to-face Council meetings, including a Governor pre-meet, scheduled 3 times per year, dates for 2026 are
- Thursday 26 February 2026 12:30pm – 4.30pm
- Tuesday 7 July 2026 12:30pm – 4.30pm
- Tuesday 6 October 2026 12:30pm – 4.30pm
- Attending the Forum Central Health & Care Leaders Network when appropriate.
- Attending monthly Third Sector Reps and Reference Group when possible.
- Having regular contact with the Forum Central team members to discuss input from the sector across the agenda and for ongoing support
- Attend LYPFT Induction sessions and 121 sessions with the Lead Governor, Ian Andrews alongside the Appointed Mental Health Governor Gabriella Obeng Nyarko
Commitment
LYPFT Council of Governor meetings are held 3 times each year, each lasting around 4 hours (three in person with lunch provided and one online) and requiring approximately 3 hours preparation/feedback time.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Applicants should be able to demonstrate and give examples, evidencing skills and knowledge in the following areas:
- Have a good understanding of the Learning Disability sector, including citywide strategy.
- Understand the Mental Health strategy for the city and key partners within the broader strategic context for health and social care in particular.
- 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 Council to account
- Have experience of contributing to multi-agency meetings
Support for the role
The role is supported by a member of the team; the Forum Central Third Sector Advocates/Representatives Relationship Officer for the board, as well as the wider team, who provide:
- An induction which will address any training and development needs and provide information and data about Leeds Third Sector, Forum Central and representation.
- Links and introductions to the Forum Central membership and wider partnerships
- Support for actions following meetings (e.g. accessing research, data, engagement with the wider sector) as required
- Access to simple feedback mechanisms
- Forum Central will communicate key messages arising from any Council meetings to the wider sector (through the FC Website, Ebulletin, etc.)
- Support is available to enable capacity if a lack of capacity is a barrier to you or your organisation.
Selection process
Interested parties should provide an expression of interest to [email protected] explaining how you meet the role criteria.
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 express your interest by Thursday 5 March 2026.
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].
