About this role
Job summary Chair - Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust | Remunerated for circa 3 days per week A Rare Opportunity of National Importance
Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust is one of the country's most influential organisations working to improve the health of children and young people.
Sheffield Children's has been dedicated to providing world class services to children and young people for 150 years; we provide a wide range of integrated healthcare, including community and mental health as well as acute and specialist services to patients locally, regionally, nationally and internationally, with an annual income of circa £350m.
We are rated 'Good' by the CQC and have many areas of outstanding practice upon which to build as we deliver our strategy 'Caring Together'. We are proud of our history and achievements and remain ambitious to build on those foundations, determined to deliver even better care outcomes for the patients and families we serve in the future.
Main duties of the job
Following in Professor Laura Serrant's footsteps, we are seeking to appoint another inspirational, values-driven Chair who will lead us into a new era. This is an exciting time for a new Chair to join us, as we open The Spark, home to the National Centre for Child Health Technology (NCCHT) at Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park with the opportunity for Sheffield Children's to play an even greater role on local, regional and national platforms.
Our partnerships are strong at a local level and nationally. We also work very closely with Sheffield Children's Hospital Charity to fund things that are over and above standard NHS provision.
Few Board Chair roles nationally will offer such an opportunity to influence the life chances of future generations of children and young people - not just in Sheffield and South Yorkshire, but nationally and internationally through our many specialist services with clinicians considered amongst the best in the world.
About us
Sheffield Children's is an NHS Trust dedicated to integrated healthcare for children and young people providing both physical and mental health care. We call it integrated care, but it simply means all the support a child needs is connected, with our hospital and community teams working as one.
Our whole-child approach means we support children not just in a moment of need, but throughout their entire health and care journey, be that in hospital, school or at home, with kindness, expertise, and unwavering commitment.
Over the past 150 years, we have continued to improve children's health locally, nationally and around the world. We do this through outstanding clinical care, ground-breaking research and a steadfast commitment to addressing health inequalities.
In 2026, we launched our five year plan, Caring Together 2030, which sets out how we will continue to make a meaningful difference to children's health. It focuses on the three shifts in the 10 year plan and our drive to strengthening inclusion, supporting our colleagues and driving innovation.
As a marker of our ambition for the future, this year we will open a new building called The Spark, which will be home to the National Centre for Child Health Technology. This exciting development will bring world-first innovation, research and training to Sheffield, helping us improve care for children and strengthen our role as a leader in child health.
Job description Job responsibilities
As our new Chair you will have the opportunity to lead a highly capable Board that prides itself on keeping patients at the heart of its decisions and be part of an organisation that is committed to enhancing the health and wellbeing for the millions of people who live in our communities. The successful candidate should demonstrate inspirational leadership qualities gained at board level in organisations of complexity and influence, with the capability to not only lead a board of directors, but to play an important leadership role at system and on a national stage.
We want our Board to be as inclusive and diverse as possible. We encourage applications from individuals who bring lived experience that equips them both for the leadership aspects of the role but also brings an understanding of some of the challenges of our local communities. If you share our values, attitudes and behaviours, please contact us.
If you are unable to apply online, please email: [email protected]
Person Specification
Values Essential
A clear commitment to the NHS and the trust's values and principles Genuine desire and interest to create a healthier future for children and young people
Strategic Essential
Experience of leading and delivering against long-term vision and strategy Experience leading transformational change, managing complex organisations, budgets and people
People Essential
Strong interpersonal, communication and leadership skills Experience of building effective teams, encouraging change and innovation and shaping an open, inclusive and compassionate culture through setting the right tone at the top and championing diversity at, and across, all levels Strongly focused on the experience of all colleagues and patients Fully attentive towards issues of equality, diversity and inclusion
Professional acumen Essential
Prior board experience (any sector, executive or non-executive role) Evidence of successfully demonstrating the NHS provider chair competencies in other leadership roles An ability to identify and address issues, including underperformance, and to scrutinise and challenge information effectively for assurance
Outcomes focus Essential
A demonstrable interest in health and social care and a strong desire to achieve the best sustainable outcomes for all patients and service users through encouraging continuous improvement, clinical excellence and value for money Strong understanding of financial management, with the ability to balance the competing objectives of quality, operational performance and finance An appreciation of constitutional and regulatory NHS standards
Partnerships Essential
A desire to engage with the local population and to collaborate with senior stakeholders across the health and care system Experience managing conflict, finding compromise and building consensus across varied stakeholder groups with potentially conflicting priorities
Desirable skills, experience and attributes Essential
Prior experience as a non-executive director (any sector) Prior senior experience of complex organisations outside the NHS, ie private, voluntary or other public sector providers of similar scale
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details Employer name Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust
Address Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust
Western Bank
Sheffield
S10 2TH
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.sheffieldchildrens.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)