- Suffolk User Forum
- Address: Ipswich, Suffolk IP5 2BY
- Salary: £42,839 per annum pro rata, £22.23 per hour
- Hours: 30 hours per week
- Contract: Permanent, required as soon as possible
- Reference: 0802
Help us make ‘nothing about us, without us’ a reality. We’re looking for a warm, values led Coproduction and Lived Experience Lead to embed coproduction across Suffolk User Forum and help the wider Suffolk mental health system do the same.
You will manage a Lived Experience Coordinator and a Volunteer Coordinator, lead our quarterly Coproduction Steering Group and work groups, and represent Suffolk User Forum in coproduction and engagement programmes with the Integrated Care Board and Suffolk County Council. You will also lead internal and external coproduction projects, keep lived experience central to service design and to how we work, and write clear reports for our Chief Executive Officer and Board.
Your responsibilities
In this role, you will provide visible, values-led leadership that brings SUF’s 2026 to 2029 strategy to life. You will champion coproduction across the organisation, ensuring lived experience, including voices less often heard, shapes our work, our governance and the wider mental health system.
You will lead our Coproduction Steering Group, setting clear agendas, supporting accessible papers and ensuring actions are genuinely co-produced. You will keep our CEO, Board, and members informed through clear, timely updates that demonstrate impact and accountability.
You will represent SUF with the Integrated Care Board, Suffolk County Council, NHS partners and VCSE organisations, building trusted relationships and influence. You will support people with lived experience to take part in recruitment, tenders, programme boards and service redesign, ensuring involvement is meaningful, fair and well supported.
You will lead coproduction projects from start to finish, shaping clear outcomes and supporting the CEO with project development for funding bids. You will help deliver our strategic priorities, including Conversation Cafes, focus groups, Stepping Forward events and self-advocacy resources.
Working closely with the SUF leadership team, you will provide supportive line management to our Lived Experience Coordinator and Volunteer Coordinator, helping them grow in confidence and capability. You will strengthen volunteer pathways, create safe and welcoming spaces for members and carers, and remove barriers so more people can take part.
You will also help us measure impact, keep accurate records, handle information safely and ensure our language, materials and activities reflect our vision, mission and people-centred approach. Through this work, you will help grow SUF’s membership and influence.
What you will need
Qualifications
- Relevant qualification or equivalent experience in coproduction, mental health, lived experience leadership or community development
- GCSE Maths and English (or equivalent)
- Commitment to ongoing professional development.
Experience
- Leading coproduction or lived‑experience involvement
- Writing clear, accessible reports
- Working collaboratively with partners, staff and volunteers
Skills
- Strong communication and facilitation skills
- Able to build trusting relationships and manage priorities
- Confident using Microsoft applications
Values
- Committed to SUF’s values and people‑centred approach
- Acts with integrity, champions equality and diversity, and is open to learning
Other
- Able to travel across Suffolk
- Flexible approach, including occasional evenings or weekends
About us
Suffolk User Forum is an independent organisation led by lived experience. We make sure people’s real voices shape mental health services, guided by the principle ‘nothing about us, without us. Our vision is for lived experience to be at the heart of mental health services. Our mission is to support people with lived experience, including people in primary care, secondary care and inpatient settings, to influence service design, delivery and decisions through inclusive, co-created spaces.
Our 2026–2029 strategy focuses on building community and connection, embedding coproduction, strengthening self-advocacy, and growing membership, supported by accessible engagement and strong partnerships.
What we will offer you
We are a small, values-led charity with a big voice in Suffolk, trusted for our integrity and our commitment to lived experience. You will join a warm, supportive team where your judgement is respected, your ideas are welcomed, and your work leads to real change in mental health services. We offer flexibility, meaningful relationships and the chance to shape a more compassionate system for the people of Suffolk.
For more information
Please read the Recruitment Pack (Word).
To find out more, please get in touch with Jayne Stevens by calling 01473 907087.
How to apply
Please submit your completed Application Form (Word) and Equal Opportunities Form (Word) by email to hello@suffolkuserforum.co.uk.
You do not need to complete the Equal Opportunities form, but you will help us by doing so. The information that you provide will stay confidential, will be stored securely (separately from your application form), and will only be accessed by SUF staff who need to do so.
Closing date: 12 pm, 10 July 2026
Interview date: 14 July 2026
Lived Experience panel date: 16 July 2026
