For over 70 years the Anna Freud Centre has championed innovation, research and practice to improve and support children and young peoples’ mental health. The charity implements its mission by advancing, translating, delivering and sharing the best science and practice with everyone who impacts the lives of children and families. It believes that every child and their family should be at the heart of the care they receive, and works in partnership with professionals to deliver results.

One in eight children aged between 5 and 19 has at least one diagnostic mental health problem and yet less than 35% of children with mental health problems get any help. The Anna Freud Centre reaches over one million children and young people through schools and colleges by providing trusted resources, training and supporting the workforce, and researching how best to support pupils and students. It is building a world-class workforce for the UK; the charity trained more than 25,000 mental health and other professionals last year alone and it currently has 330 post-graduate students in collaboration with UCL.

To transform the experience of children and young people with mental health issues and their families, the Centre:

• Carries out research to improve the understanding of mental health and resilience and to evaluate and improve the treatments and services that children and families are offered
• Develops new approaches, tools and services that aim to support children, young people and families in distress
• Teaches and trains a new generation of clinicians and researchers in the latest skills and tools to improve mental health globally
• Takes a leading role in the development of policy and practice in the UK and beyond to ensure that it is built on science, tested experience and has the input of children, young people and their families
• Collaborates nationally and internationally in partnerships which jointly develop a step change in child mental health and wellbeing

The Anna Freud Centre has an ambitious five-year strategy to close the gaps in mental health support by empowering children, young people, their parents, carers and the millions of professionals working with children and learning from them. It has set six strategic goals to transform the mental health of the current and future generations, with a seventh goal to transform the organisation. You can view an overview of its five-year strategy here.

The new Trustee will be joining the Board as the Centre looks to implement its ambitious five-year strategy. The main responsibilities of the Trustee will include:

• Providing support and advice on the Centre’s purpose, vision, goals and activities
• Translating the risks and opportunities of your specific area for other Trustees, to enable the Board as a whole to engage in an informed way
• Driving organisational delivery and improvement
• Drawing on networks, as appropriate, to support the Centre's work

In addition to their responsibilities as a Trustee, the successful candidate will also Chair the relevant Board sub-committee, the People and Culture Committee (PCC). In this role they will:

• Lead the sub-committee meetings and act as the key spokesperson, representing and championing the work to the Board of Trustees
• Make certain that the Terms of Reference for sub-committee members are being followed, and objectives are met
• To oversee the process governing the annual review of the CEO and Chief Officers’ remuneration.
• Ensure that key strategic People objectives and EDI objectives are progressed in line with the relevant strategies.

All Trustees play a crucial role on the Board, helping to ensure that the Centre achieves its mission and delivers on its strategic objectives.

The Anna Freud Centre is looking for a new Trustee to join the Board, and is interested in hearing from those with experience in people & culture, human resources, or EDI expertise.

Applicants will bring senior-level experience in human resources and of driving people and culture strategies. Candidates will possess extensive knowledge and experience of human resources at a strategic level. They will likely have served as an HR Director or Director of People at a comparably complex, multi-disciplinary organisation. The Centre is open as to the applicant’s sector background, but will appreciate the central importance driving impactful strategy at-scale in a commercial environment.

Finally, the successful candidate should have recent and relevant knowledge of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion matters. They will help to ensure that there are appropriate EDI policies and procedures in place within the charity and champion best practice. Those with professional experience in the EDI field that have a background in HR are welcome to apply. 

The successful candidate will be able to work at a strategic level whilst understanding the detail and complexities of delivery, and also appreciating the difference between a non-executive and executive role. They will be committed to the Centre’s mission and willing to lead according to the Centre’s values of compassion, inclusivity, collaboration, creativity, equity, courage and integrity.

Michael Samuel MBE, Chair
Catherine Bedford
Tori Cadogan
Andrew Evans
Pamela Hutchinson OBE
Anne-Marie Huby
Namrata Kamdar
Professor Linda Mayes
Peter Oppenheimer
Daniel Peltz OBE, Treasurer
Professor Steve Pilling
Dominic Shorthouse, Deputy Chair
Sarah Wood OBE

Additionally, Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales is a Patron of the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families.

There are four two-hour Board meetings per year, of which currently one or two are held in person and the remainder held remotely or hybrid. The Trustee will also contribute to chairing the PCC sub-committee; the sub-committees meet 3-4 times per year.

Reimbursement of reasonable out-of-pocket expenses (including, but not limited to, hotel, travel costs, costs for care for dependants whilst carrying out Trustee duties, provisions of special transport, equipment or facilities for a Trustee with a disability or communication support to allow a Trustee to participate in Trustee meetings) will be provided.

Trustees will be appointed for a three-year term of office with an option for renewal for a further two terms to a maximum of nine years.