Our client are a long-established London charity providing specialist psychoanalytic understanding, treatment of and research into Adolescent Mental Health. With a strong clinical heritage and a deep commitment to addressing social and economic inequality, they support young people experiencing complex and enduring mental health challenges.

We are now seeking a new Chair of the Board of Trustees to lead the organisation through its next phase of development, as the current Chair comes to the end of their term.

This role is unremunerated, with travel expenses paid  Time commitment: Up to 2 days per month remote/ hybrid (with quarterly Trustee meetings and ad hoc meetings in person) Location: London (NW6)

About us

Founded in 1967 by a group of pioneering, internationally renowned psychoanalysts, our client was established with a clear purpose: to transform mental health support for adolescents during the critical transition to adulthood, and to tackle the significant health inequalities that exclude many vulnerable young people from accessing the help they need. 

They achieve this by providing age-specific, timely and effective psychoanalytic psychotherapies and practical support to at-risk young people struggling with serious mental health issues like anxiety, depression, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and disordered eating.

They have developed a clinical model that puts adolescent needs and development at its core. Their unique approach maximises engagement and achieves deep-rooted and long-lasting change. With nearly six decades of experience, they have evidenced that this model works.

The role

The Chair will provide strategic leadership to the Board of Trustees, ensuring that the organisation is well governed, financially sustainable and delivering its mission with integrity and impact. Working closely with the Chief Executive, the Chair will help shape and steward their long-term vision, strengthen Board effectiveness, and support the organisation to respond confidently to a changing mental health landscape.

This is a governance leadership role that also carries an important external dimension. The Chair will act as an ambassador, helping to raise its profile, build relationships and champion the value of psychoanalytic approaches to improving young people’s mental health.

About you

We are seeking an inspiring and committed individual with the time and capacity to engage fully in this role. The successful candidate will bring:

Significant senior leadership experience in a business, charitable, healthcare or public sector setting Demonstrable Board-level experience, with a strong understanding of governance and trustee responsibilities Financial acumen and experience overseeing organisational sustainability and risk Strategic insight and the ability to support and challenge executive leadership constructively Credibility and confidence to act as an ambassador and external advocate A strong commitment to safeguarding, equality, diversity, inclusion and wellbeing Experience of the mental health sector, or familiarity with psychoanalytic approaches, would be welcome but is not essential. We value curiosity, sound judgement and strong alignment with the Centre’s mission and values.

How to Apply    To express your interest in the role, please contact Prospectus. 

At Prospectus we believe passionately that a truly inclusive workplace leads to increased social impact. We are committed to supporting our clients to build more inclusive teams. To understand how we are performing, we ask that you kindly complete the brief equal opportunities questionnaire when you submit your application via our website. Please be assured that your responses are kept confidential, separate from your candidate record, are not part of any application you make, and that the consultants never see individual responses to the questionnaire.    Recruitment Timetable  Deadline for applications: 20th September (midnight)