• Welcome
• Background
  • Who we are
  • The Merger Objectives
  • Our Trust
  • Organisation Structure
  • Business Plans, Objectives and Accounts
  • Further Information
• The Role
  • Job Descripton
  • Person Specification
  • Terms of the Appointment
  • Indicative Timetable and Recruitment Package
• How to Apply
• Downloads and Links

A personal introduction from Maggie Wheeler, Chair

Dear Candidate

Welcome to Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. We hope that what you read on these pages will inspire you to want to come and join us as a Non Executive Director and work with us to build on our achievements.

We are a successful Foundation Trust, which has already gained recognition nationally and internationally. No strangers to change, our staff have proved themselves adaptable and innovative.

Our Executive Directors are competent, focused, and skilled – our Non Executives add value, challenge and support. Our Board of Governors act as critical friends and help keep us in touch with the people we serve. Together we have achieved much. Our latest achievement is our merger with our neighbouring Trust in Suffolk to form one of the largest mental health trusts in England.

To take full advantage of the merger we need to make sure we have a Board that can meet the challenge of such a large organisation without losing sight of what we are here for – to provide excellent mental health services for people locally.

We boast some of the lowest bed numbers and occupancy rates in the country – testament to our integrated acute services really working. We passionately believe in a Whole Life approach to mental ill health, and all our work is towards enabling people to recover from mental illness and to continue living the life they choose while unwell.

We cover a huge area, with the challenges of both urban and very rural environments. We operate from a number of sites across our large patch. We have been upgrading our buildings – I don’t pretend they are all perfect, but the new ones are great, partly designed by service users and incorporating environmentally friendly features too.

We are looking for people who bring the knowledge and understanding that we are both running a multi million pound business, and providing a vital service for vulnerable people. You will need to understand governance, finance and the responsibilities of a unitary board – but you also need compassion, understanding and humour.

Please read on, please do ring me, or better still arrange to come and see us. I look forward to talking to you.



Maggie Wheeler
Chair