Governors and Community Governors - Charity Member Opportunities

St Andrews Healthcare is a thriving Charity with a proud history of helping individuals with mental health needs find hope. St Andrews is the country’s largest charitable provider of specialist mental healthcare and helps patients with some of the most complex, challenging mental health needs. The Northampton hospital opened in 1838, and it has built a reputation for transforming the lives of those affected with the most challenging of situations. Over 185 years later, the charitable purpose has remained almost unchanged: to relieve suffering, give hope and promote recovery. The Charity provides a range of services tailored to individuals living with complex mental health needs, both in hospital and in the community.

Member Role

The role of Members within St Andrews is similar to that of an owner or shareholder, in that they have collective responsibility for how the Charity is run and do this by holding the Board of Directors/Trustees to account. Members support in the achievement of the Charity's Vision of Imagining a society in which everyone living with mental health need is heard, valued and has a hope for their future and its 2028 Mission of being a local, regional, national and international leader in helping people with complex mental health need transform their lives. All Members are unpaid, and their main role is to know that the Charity:

• Has a clear strategy and defined goals and objectives against which to measure performance
• Prioritises patient outcomes
• Is well run
• Makes the best of its resources
• Is open and accountable

Our current needs

We are currently seeking applicants for a new Community Governor role from within the communities surrounding our three main hospital locations, Essex, Birmingham and Northampton. Applicants should be representative of their local communities and may be involved in healthcare, education or community volunteering activities. Appointments will be for between one and three year initial terms and can be extended if agreed between the Governor and the Charity. We are currently seeking applicants for our new fixed term Governor roles. Appointments will be for an initial three year term and may be extended if agreed between the Governor and the Charity.

Application Closing Date: 7 September 2025

Interview Dates: 27 and 30 October 2025

Meetings

The Court of Governors (Members) meets at least four times per year, with one being the Annual General Meeting (AGM). All meetings of the Members are usually planned at least a year in advance, with formal notice of the AGM being issued in writing at least 14 days in advance. At the AGM, Members/Governors receive accounts for the previous financial year, receive the Directors' report, accept retirements, appoint Directors and the Chairman for the coming year and confer thanks and honorary titles. Deal with any other matters raised with them.

At the scheduled (quarterly) meetings of the Court of Governors (Members), attendees will be presented with papers and reports on the following:

• Chair update
• CEO Report
• Quality Update
• Financial Performance Report
• Governor Assurance Reports
• Governor Visit Reports

Time Commitment

Overall, the Charity expects Members/Governors to dedicate at least 12 days per year to attending meetings and other activities on behalf of the Charity. Governors will be required to:

• Attend at least two Members/Governors meetings per year, with one being the AGM.
• Undertake ward or service visits, at least two visits per year.
• Engage in other activities to support the Charity, as agreed with the Charity.
• Members may also be asked to attend Charity Committees or Groups.

If this is the case, some flexibility will be applied regarding ward or service visits, but member visits remain a crucial means of gathering frontline staff feedback and leveraging knowledge from Committee/Group meetings. It is preferred for all Members to have a St Andrews email account to ensure access to Charity-wide communications, such as newsletters and videos.

Additional Responsibilities

The Charity is keen to ensure that its Governors play an active role and are looking for Governors who contribute by bringing their skills and experiences to the role. There are several ways Governors can get involved:

• Undertaking ward or service visits and feeding back information to improve patient or carer experience;
• Being involved with the Patient Experience Team to ensure the patient voice is heard;
• Attend BENS Patient Forum and Governance Groups or Committee meetings;
• Attend the Diversity and Inclusion Steering Committee;
• Engage with the Charity's Carer Strategy to develop the carer experience;
• Support the Charity's Voluntary Services programme;
• Becoming a befriender to one of the Charity's patients;
• Helping at the patients social club and with other activities;
• Mentoring senior staff;
• Supporting fundraising;
• Promoting the Charity within their networks;
• Offering skills and/or experience to the Charity as a critical friend;
• Other activities where a Governor could offer specific skills and experience.

Person Specification

Any successful candidate for any of the classes of Member is likely to possess some of the following:

• Experience and Understanding
• Worked at a senior level in the health or commercial sector ideally in a customer facing organisation or service sector
• An understanding of, or worked in a senior capacity in the private, public or voluntary sectors
• An appreciation of the requirements and constraints of running an organisation with charitable status, and which needs to meet high standards of accountability within a regulated sector
• Current or recent experience of a mental health organisation, which may include personal or carer experience
• Professional experience, such as Medical/Clinical (ideally mental health), Finance, Risk and Audit, Investments, Property or Estates, HR and Talent Management, Education and Academia, property or law, Technology, IT and Cyber, Legal, Fundraising, Research, Volunteering.

Personal Attributes

• Commitment to the ethos of St Andrews Healthcare.
• Governors should have a high degree of empathy with and understanding of what the Charity seeks to do and how it seeks to do it
• Good communication skills and the ability to relate to a wide range of people and constituencies, both inside and outside the Charity
• Good influencing skills in relation to Members of the Court of Governors, the Board and the Executive
• Capability to operate effectively beyond their own area of expertise, with willingness to learn
• Effective strategic and political skills with an understanding of how to influence key decision-makers
• Commitment to equal opportunities and the promotion of diversity
• Independence of thought and judgement with personal integrity
• Ability to work as a team member
• Ability to play a strategic role to effect change successfully
• Ability to evaluate and interpret information independently

If you would like any more information about these opportunities, please contact our Recruitment Team.