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Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, Chair

Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV) provides inpatient and community mental health, learning disability, and autism services to a population of over 2 million people across County Durham, Darlington, Teesside, North Yorkshire, and York. We are geographically one of the largest NHS Foundation Trusts in England, and also a provider of forensic and health & justice services across the North East, Cumbria, and parts of Lancashire. Working in a collaborative, multi-agency environment, we are a large and complex organisation operating out of more than 90 sites, with an annual income of over £550 million and almost 8,500 staff.In our new Chair, we are seeking a values-driven and inspirational leader who will provide our Board with strong leadership, vision, and strategic oversight. You will therefore need exemplary leadership skills gained at board level, supported by experience of managing complex stakeholder relationships. Your political acumen and communication skills will give you the personal credibility needed internally with staff and patients, and externally with our partners. Most importantly, you will share our values of Respect, Compassion, and Responsibility; who you are as a person matters to us and our communities.

We want our Board to be as inclusive and diverse as possible, and we are keen to attract candidates who can bring diverse perspectives. We warmly welcome expressions of interest from the widest possible range of backgrounds, particularly those who are under-represented at board level in the NHS.

To learn more about this exceptional role and the recruitment process, please visit our dedicated recruitment website . For an informal conversation, please contact Helen Barkham, Niamh Blair, or Robin Staveley at GatenbySanderson via helen.barkham@gatenbysanderson.com.

Key dates:

Closing date: Monday 12 January 2026
Preliminary interviews with GatenbySanderson: w/c 19 January 2026
Final interview and stakeholder activity: 16 and 17 February 2026

For further information please visit the TEWV website.  To view the job description and person specification, please scroll to the bottom of the page, tick to agree to the privacy policy, then click ‘Continue to full details and application’.

How to apply:

  • Please submit an up to date copy of your CV, along with a Supporting Statement that addresses the criteria set out in the person specification, using examples to demonstrate how you meet the essential requirements.
  • A completed fit and proper person form – the template can be downloaded from the same place as the job description.
  • Detail any employment or education gaps.
  • You should provide the names, positions, organisations, and contact details for your referees, which must be your line managers and include your current and most recent employer. The referees should cover at least two roles as the minimum. Please note, should you be appointed, you will be required to provide references covering your last 6 years of employment as per the new NHS Fit and Proper Person regulations. Where there have been gaps in employment, this six year period will be extended accordingly. Referees will only be contacted for those proceeding to the final stage – we will always gain your permission before we contact referees.
  • Let us know any difficulty you may have with the indicative timetable.
  • Check that your contact details are correct before you submit.
Date published: 18 December, 2025
Date last updated: 18 December, 2025

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