Family and Carer Ambassador | Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust in Rochford

Please note you must have the right to work in the UK to apply for this position. We are unable to sponsor this job role.

As a Family and Carer Ambassador, you will provide practical and emotional support to families and carers of those with complex mental health needs. You will also offer advocacy to ensure that the families/carers and patients’ needs and views are heard and acted on, whatever their communication needs are. You will identify and address cross-organisational challenges. You will work closely with key agencies across the health, education, social care and voluntary sector; this will also include links with adult services where either there are requirements for transition planning to adult services or where the families/carers are receiving adult service support.

To be successful in this role, you must be proactive and compassionate, have a great eye for detail, excellent organisational skills and strong communication skills. You must be passionate and sensitive about effecting change, and empowering patients, families and carers. This is a new post; therefore, although having clear parameters and expectations, there will be opportunities to shape and influence the role and build and develop important relationships with stakeholders and partners. Lived experience is a key aspect of this role.

What is lived experience? It is the knowledge and understanding you get when you have personally lived through something. Examples of lived experience include being a carer to family or friends, extensive experience of working on a ward, or being service users.

EPUT are looking for motivated staff who share our Trust values of Care, Learn and Empower. In return, EPUT can offer you a range of benefits and development including:

• Season Ticket Loans
• Excellent Training facilities and opportunities
• Buying and Selling annual leave scheme
• The opportunity to work bank shifts and expand knowledge and experience in other areas
• Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars and Cycle to Work

The Trust supports and actively encourages flexible working for all employees. We offer many options and you are encouraged to ask the recruiting manager what is possible for this role. If appointed, you will have the opportunity to apply for a flexible working request from the first day of your employment.

Join our Staff bank. What is Staff Bank? Our EPUT NHS staff bank is an entity managed by the trust that hires clinical and non-clinical healthcare professionals to take on shifts at our trust hospitals and community settings. Here at EPUT we maintain our own bank of specialist staff to ensure that we are able to offer safe and effective care at all times. All our permanent staff are automatically enrolled onto the staff bank; however, this does not mean you have to work any additional shifts, but the option is there for you if you wish. If you are joining our Trust in a fixed term role, please indicate on your New Starter Paperwork that you wish to join our staff bank.

Your responsibilities will include:

1. Working with carers and families from admission to the unit to discharge.
2. Helping carers/families understand the inpatient system and processes and being a source for high quality information that is easy to understand.
3. Working proactively with the allocated inpatient units, supporting communication processes between the clinical unit and carers/families; enabling units to create a compassionate and responsive approach to families and carers.
4. Empowering families/carers to access information and to be part of planning (with CYP consent).
5. Having knowledge and networks of the local area to support carers and families with information and signposting.
6. Being a point of liaison with the Unit on family and carer matters, specifically quality improvement initiatives to enable more robust and inclusive engagement/involvement.
7. Helping families/carers raise concerns where necessary and taking action to elevate those concerns if necessary.
8. Championing the role of “families/carers as partners” within units, supporting the families and carers to ensure their voice is heard and they are seen as equals in patients’ inpatient care pathway.
9. Maintaining accurate records and complying with local procedures for record keeping, confidentiality and security.
10. Acting as a champion for families, carers, patients and their interests and involving the public and patients in the policy development and decision-making.
11. Ensuring all public and patient contact with the office is of the highest professional standard.
12. Embedding patient and public involvement at all levels of decision making.
13. Providing carer support to carers, friends and families of those admitted to the ward.
14. Ensuring all 72 hour carer phone calls are completed and followed up.
15. Ensuring all carers receive a copy of the wards carers pack, including our carer letter.
16. Inviting carers to ward reviews.
17. Collating themes from the carer cards in reception to support development to the strategy and our service.
18. Leading on the monthly carers group, ensuring carers are invited and followed up.
19. Maintaining professional boundaries with both service leaders and carers at all times.
20. Documenting carer input on the Carenotes system and ensuring information is circulated to the team.
21. Referring carers to Carer services and support.
22. Building links with local carer charities, such as Carers Support West Sussex.
23. Attending the locality Triangle of Care meeting, held quarterly, to represent the carers voice and review our carer involvement through the use of the Triangle of Care self-assessment.
24. Creating a relapse prevention and support plan with the carer.
25. Initiating and following up referrals to carer support.
26. Monitoring the progress of the carer strategy and linking into the triangle of care lead.

Promoting Rights and Signposting:

1. Sharing information to support understanding and preparing for Care Plan Approach (CPA) meetings; understanding and preparing for Care Education and Treatment Reviews (CETR).
2. Family and individual’s rights, including legal frameworks (MHA, MCA, Human Rights Act, Child and Families Act).
3. The community teams and their roles (CYPS, CAMHS, IASS, CCGs).
4. Signposting to groups in their local area and on Social Media.
5. Information about key policies (e.g. NICE, STAMP, Transforming Care).
6. Signposting when they may need legal advice and how to go about this.

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of the duties and responsibilities of the post and the post holder may be requested to carry out any other duties which are appropriate to their post and banding. The post may change over time to meet organisational requirements and the job description may be changed after consultation with the post holder at any time.

Professional, Training, and Development:

1. Completing mandatory training in line with Trust policy and procedures.
2. Participating in the staff appraisal process and undertaking it for any staff you manage.
3. Participating in local induction programmes for new staff as required.
4. Complying with policies and agreed procedures for annual leave, sickness and time owing.
5. Keeping yourself updated on all matters relating to Trust policy.
6. Being professionally accountable for the maintenance of standards and professional practice as set by Trust Policies/Procedures, and relevant professional codes of standards and guidelines.
7. Contributing to the learning environment conducive for students and other staff in training.
8. Contributing to the maintenance and development of the Trust nursing/AHP strategy.
9. Promoting awareness of the professional role within the team and across the service.