Tees, Esk & Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust: Chair

Closing Date: 9am,Monday 12th January 2026

About the Organisation

Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust 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. They 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, they 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.

Everything they do is guided by ‘Our Journey to Change’ and their Values. This is their commitment to co-creating a great experience for their patients, carers, and colleagues, and to being a great partner. Whilst they remain rated as ‘Requires Improvement’ by the CQC, their inspection earlier this year reflected they have made significant progress in improving their services, with their mental health crisis services and health-based places of safety rated as ‘Good’. The report also highlighted that staff shared a vision and culture, worked with capable and compassionate leaders, and there were sound structures in place for staff to speak up. They are tremendously proud of their continued improvement, and they remain committed to making sure that their Trust is a great place to work, and that they continue to provide safe, kind, and effective care for their communities.  They have a committed and engaged Council of Governors who work tirelessly with staff and the Board to improve services for patients and carers. Their patients are at the heart of everything they do and TEWV is an exemplar in co-production and co-design. 

About the role

In their new Chair, they are seeking a values-driven and inspirational leader who will provide their 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 their partners. Most importantly, you will share their values of Respect, Compassion, and Responsibility; who you are as a person matters to us and their communities.

They want their Board to be as inclusive and diverse as possible, and they are keen to attract candidates who can bring diverse perspectives. They 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 their dedicated recruitment website https://join-tewv.com 

For an informal conversation, please contact Helen Barkham, Niamh Blair, or Robin Staveley at GatenbySanderson via helen.barkham@gatenbysanderson.com.

Timetable

Closing date: Monday 12 January 2026, 9am.

Preliminary interviews with GatenbySanderson: w/c 19 January 2026

Final interview and stakeholder activity: 16 & 17 February 2026

Other Information

Remuneration: £50,000 (currently under review) for circa 3 days per week

Location: West Park Hospital, Darlington