Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and wear (CNTW) NHS Foundation Trust

Lived Experience Ambassador

The closing date is 10 March 2026

Job summary

The North East and North Cumbria Provider Collaboratives are recruiting four Lived Experience Ambassadors to help shape specialised services for:

Children and young people mental health services

Adult low and medium secure services

Adult Eating disorder services

Perinatal mental health services

In your supporting information section of your application, please state which of the above provider collaboratives you would be interested in working with.

We are looking for people who can bring valuable insight through their direct experience of the above-mentioned mental health services, this may be as someone who has used inpatient or community mental health services or, as a carer (for example a family member, friend or partner).

Lived Experience Ambassadors will use their experience to help others understand the impact of accessing mental health services, including the challenges and barriers people can face.

Each Lived Experience Ambassador will have core hours linked to a primary service. There will also be opportunities to work across Provider Collaboratives, using a hybrid approach with the option to undertake additional hours where available (maximum of 100 additional days' work per year across the four posts)

Main duties of the job

Provider Collaboratives were introduced as part of the NHS Long Term Plan to strengthen partnership working and improve specialist care. Their aim is to ensure people who use services receive high quality care, as close to home as possible and are supported to stay connected with their communities.

The main responsibilities for postholders will be to attend and contribute to meetings within the Provider Collaborative governance structure, work alongside Lived Experience Advisory Groups (LEAG's) and participate in the newly established Lived Experience Review Group, which will report into the Partnership Board, outcomes from the Partnership board will be taken back to these groups creating a structured and meaningful feedback loop, that embeds lived experience at the heart of commissioning decisions. The role will also be involved in coproducing documentation, policies, and communication to reflect the needs of services users and carers.

We ask postholders to represent the views of the wider community, recognising the importance of mental health, learning disability and autism services being shaped by the voices of people who use them. This will involve working in a constructive, thoughtful and solution focused way.

The role requires a combination of home and face to face working, with travel across the North East and North Cumbria.

About us

We aim to attract and retain a diverse, talented and committed workforce, who are caring and compassionate, and therefore able to meet the demands of the modern NHS now and in the future. In return we can offer a dynamic working environment in which to build a career.

NHS Employees identified as at risk of compulsory redundancy and those eligible for the NENC Re-Deployment careers hub will receive prior consideration.

Date posted

24 February 2026

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

Depending on experience £6000 per annum - plus opportunity for additional hours

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

18 months

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

263-SS26-013-LB

Job locations

Home Based

Newcastle upon Tyne

NE3 3XT

Job description

Job responsibilities

The roles are 18-month fixed term, postholders will report to the Lived Experience Lead for Commissioning and be accountable to the Chair of the Provider Collaborative Partnership Board. These posts are intended to help establish and develop a new approach to lived experience involvement with the Provider Collaboratives. Learning from the roles, alongside ongoing evaluation, will inform future decisions about how this work is sustained and developed beyond this initial phase.

Please find attached job descriptor for full details.

Advertising date : 24th February 2026

Closing date : 10th March 2026

We welcome your application.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please find attached job descriptor for full details.

Advertising date : 24th February 2026

Closing date : 10th March 2026

We welcome your application.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

Personal lived experience of using inpatient or community mental health services or being a family, partner, or friend carer for someone who has.

Skills

Essential

Passion for improving services through co-production and partnership working.
Ability to reflect personal experiences constructively and respectfully to influence positive change.
Confident in offering a representative voice on behalf of wider service users and carer communities.
Have an understanding and experience of person-centered approaches and how this should shape people's care and support.
Comfortable communicating with diverse range of individuals, including service users, their families, and professionals.

Traits

Essential

Awareness of what good support looks like in hospital and community settings.
Confidence to communicate well verbally with senior leaders about strategic issues, with a focus on lived experience.
Empathy, compassion and an understanding of the complex challenges of mental health and disability issues
Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
Willingness to learn and engage in ongoing training or development
Understand and be committed to equal opportunities and diversity.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

Personal lived experience of using inpatient or community mental health services or being a family, partner, or friend carer for someone who has.

Skills

Essential

Passion for improving services through co-production and partnership working.
Ability to reflect personal experiences constructively and respectfully to influence positive change.
Confident in offering a representative voice on behalf of wider service users and carer communities.
Have an understanding and experience of person-centered approaches and how this should shape people's care and support.
Comfortable communicating with diverse range of individuals, including service users, their families, and professionals.

Traits

Essential

Awareness of what good support looks like in hospital and community settings.
Confidence to communicate well verbally with senior leaders about strategic issues, with a focus on lived experience.
Empathy, compassion and an understanding of the complex challenges of mental health and disability issues
Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
Willingness to learn and engage in ongoing training or development
Understand and be committed to equal opportunities and diversity.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.