Families and Outreach Coordinator

HOURS OF WORK: 24 or 32 hours per week £27,500 FTE – Actual Salary = 24h £16,500 PA / 32h £22,000

PLACE OF WORK: ECHO charity Office, 1 Royal Street, London SE1 7LL, Office & hospital-based Evelina London Children’s Hospital, with some community.

DAYS OF WORK: Mandatory Monday team day & Thursday will be an 8 pm finish. Actual days/hours to be agreed.

RESPONSIBLE TO: People and Impact Lead

TYPE OF CONTRACT: 2 years

BENEFITS INCLUDE: 25 days annual leave (pro rata) increasing to 28 in service, winter shopping day off, workplace pension & flexible working.

ECHO’s Outreach Coordinator will provide support to families of children and young people aged 0-25 affected by CHD (Congenital Heart Disease) and patients. This role will have around 20% of time to focus on finding out the needs of 18-25 patients, parents, and siblings, and developing support and information for them.

We are an independent charity who support families treated by the Evelina, London & Royal Brompton, and Harefield hospital networks, and the CHD network of 47 local hospitals, and are based close to the Evelina London Children’s Hospital.

Can you:

• Work in a hospital environment, on the phone, and online;
• Plan visits or events such as a zoo trip or a party;
• Support children, young people, and families through diagnosis, treatment, care, and, at times, the loss of a child;
• Provide needs-led emotional, social, and practical support to children with heart conditions, their siblings, parents, and carers?
• Research the needs of 18–25-year-olds, develop peer support and programmes for them, and deliver this on a small budget with patient and carer input throughout?

This role provides high-quality emotional, social, and practical support to children with heart conditions, their siblings, parents, and carers, from birth to 25 years. You will deliver 1-to-1 outreach in the hospital and the community, lead play and wellbeing activities, and maintain a visiting programme across children’s departments, including PICU, Cardiac, and NICU.

20% of your focus is supporting young people aged 18–25, identifying their needs, assessing numbers, and developing peer support programmes. The role also involves creating resources and accurate information for families, offering guidance for those facing bereavement or loss, promoting wellbeing across hospitals and networks, planning events, contributing to closed social media groups, maintaining records, and capturing impact through case studies and testimonials.

You will embrace our database, AI, and tools that can support families and our small charity to make a bigger impact. You will have experience of working in emotionally demanding situations, be dedicated to supporting people, and be able to guide families through the impact of medical diagnosis, treatment, and bereavement with compassion and understanding.

Support:

• Provide a safe space for families, in person, online, and on the phone.
• Provide support to children, young people, and parents/carers affected by CHD from diagnosis to adult.
• Research the support needs of younger adults, from 18 – 25 years across the CHD community, including patients, siblings/young carers, and parents/carers.
• Ensure EDI is a primary focus for ECHO – help us ensure everyone can access our services.
• Be there from diagnosis throughout childhood – work with our Youth Worker & Families and Volunteer Coordinator to ensure our families are supported.
• Create ways to utilise the ECHO database to understand our own memberships.
• Provide information and support to families of children with heart conditions and those with additional needs.
• Review and upgrade information for families, build strong relationships with referrers by attending meetings, providing talks and outreach across the network hospitals, delivering paediatric Cardiology services via Evelina London and the Royal Brompton.
• Seek to offer support services to families treated locally in network hospitals – Annual mail out & visit.
• Represent families throughout the community and consider the varied needs of ECHO members and how they might be included in our service offering.
• Research what do young parents under 25 need, what about the needs of patients who are 18-25.
• Provide fun sessions to children, young people and families.
• Bringing like-minded people together, our events are a vital part of your work - some will be out of hours.

Please use the link above to send us your CV and a Cover letter that demonstrates you meet the above criteria.

Closing date: 3rd June midnight. The first interview will be held online the week beginning: 8th June with an in-person interview for shortlisted candidates at the ECHO office on 15th June.

This role will need DBS, two references, and an honorary contract with the NHS. ECHO is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from everyone.