Job summary
Are you ready for a new, exciting and rewarding challenge? The Refugees and Asylum Seekers Team in the Integrated Local Services (ILS) Directorate at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (GSTT) is looking for a highly motivated, engaging Health Navigator to directly support clients in navigating through health care services and meeting their health care needs. In the Integrated Local Services Directorate, our services work closely with all inpatient teams at Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and King's College Hospital, and collaborate closely with social services, mental health services and the voluntary sector. The post holder will be predominately based at the Initial Accommodation and hotels that accommodate this client group and will be expected to travel to the Tessa Jowell Health Centre in Dulwich as needed. We are looking for a committed person with a passion for excellent customer service and experience of coordinating health services, building strong relationships with clients and colleagues, and collating data and reports around clinical activity to inform service delivery and improvement. The successful candidate will be able to prioritise competing demands and respond to urgent requests whilst maintaining routine tasks and meeting deadlines. The navigators will be part of a young and dynamic team, if you are interested in applying we recommend you contact/visit us for further information.
Main duties of the job
- Support clinicians with the review of patient care and/ or health access and follow ups using the appropriate systems in line with Trust and local policies.
- Follow up patient referrals and take the appropriate actions.
- Identify new arrivals and outreach to explain the role of the NHS, the Health Inclusion Team and if they consent, begin the registration process.
- Respond to the health care queries from existing clients, for example prescription issues, appointments and transport issues.
- Respond to non-health related queries but directing the client to the right service.
- Communicate effectively with clients who may not speak English, by using telephone interpreting services.
- Co-ordinate and provide administrative support to the relevant teams to ensure that all the relevant paperwork and clinical information is available.
- Accompany clients with complex needs to medical appointments and booking taxis and arrange transport as when required.
About us
The Asylum Seekers and Refugees Service works across Lambeth, Southwark, and Lewisham to provide a high-quality comprehensive health service for refugees and asylum seekers, who have difficulty accessing primary care services. We are an excellent award-winning service (two-time Winner of Lammy Award, Regional Winner of Health and Social Care Award for Improving Health and Reducing Inequalities, Inclusion Award Winner of Kolfoworla Abeni Pratt Fellowship, Winner of BMJ Award, Winner of GSTT Care Award) that aims to assist these clients to access mainstream health services.
Key services provided are:
- Assistance with GP registration,
- Health screening (i.e. TB, blood borne virus screening, sexual health screening, baseline routine blood tests)
- Comprehensive health assessment
- Minor illness / injury management
- Chronic disease management
- Harm reduction work
- Wound care
- Case management of complex clients
- Referral to other services as appropriate
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Lead on facilitating clients/families in understanding, engaging with and accessing NHS services to meet their health care needs by working directly with clients and closely with a wide range of clinical and managerial staff.
- Support holistic care planning and co-ordination of services, particularly for those who have complex needs and are at risk of falling through the gaps, ensuring the best outcomes. The work will involve working with adults and children and where required focusing on the needs of the families and children with guidance from the team leaders.
- A key aspect of the role involves daily and direct (e.g. face to face and telephone) communication with clients many of whom have recently arrived in the UK, may not speak English and have not accessed the NHS before, and other health and social care professionals. The role requires use of judgment in responding to the needs of individuals. The level of judgment required relates to identifying the complexity of the situation, providing appropriate advice and escalating to the clinicians/management where appropriate.
- Build strong relationships with clients/families in order to help clients stay engaged in services and helping them to navigate through health care services and systems and promoting clients health.
- Be responsible for providing a high standard of professional and client focused service to access a range of Trust-wide specialities and will support the service on a day-to day operational basis.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Lead on facilitating clients/families in understanding, engaging with and accessing NHS services to meet their health care needs by working directly with clients and closely with a wide range of clinical and managerial staff.
- Support holistic care planning and co-ordination of services, particularly for those who have complex needs and are at risk of falling through the gaps, ensuring the best outcomes. The work will involve working with adults and children and where required focusing on the needs of the families and children with guidance from the team leaders.
- A key aspect of the role involves daily and direct (e.g. face to face and telephone) communication with clients many of whom have recently arrived in the UK, may not speak English and have not accessed the NHS before, and other health and social care professionals. The role requires use of judgment in responding to the needs of individuals. The level of judgment required relates to identifying the complexity of the situation, providing appropriate advice and escalating to the clinicians/management where appropriate.
- Build strong relationships with clients/families in order to help clients stay engaged in services and helping them to navigate through health care services and systems and promoting clients health.
- Be responsible for providing a high standard of professional and client focused service to access a range of Trust-wide specialities and will support the service on a day-to day operational basis.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Good general education with English and Maths to GCSE standard or equivalent
- Evidence of some formal further training in short courses, experience of a range of admin practices and with significant experience of hospital administration
Desirable
- Working knowledge of EMIS/EPIC
- Level 2/3 Diploma in Health and social care
- Customer services qualification/training
experiance
Essential
- Proven patient advocacy and problem solving experience within a health/social care environment
- Ability to deal with a range of issues independently and efficiently
Desirable
- Experience of working with marginalised groups, such as refugees and asylum seekers.
- Experience of using Language Line with patients/clients whose first language is not English
Skills
Essential
- Demonstrable experience of data collection, presentation, report writing and handling of data quality issues
- Strong IT skills, particularly with relation to Microsoft Office packages, e.g. Word, Outlook and Excel
Desirable
- Understanding of refugees and asylum guidance and developments
- Understanding of peer review process and governance processes
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Good general education with English and Maths to GCSE standard or equivalent
- Evidence of some formal further training in short courses, experience of a range of admin practices and with significant experience of hospital administration
Desirable
- Working knowledge of EMIS/EPIC
- Level 2/3 Diploma in Health and social care
- Customer services qualification/training
experiance
Essential
- Proven patient advocacy and problem solving experience within a health/social care environment
- Ability to deal with a range of issues independently and efficiently
Desirable
- Experience of working with marginalised groups, such as refugees and asylum seekers.
- Experience of using Language Line with patients/clients whose first language is not English
Skills
Essential
- Demonstrable experience of data collection, presentation, report writing and handling of data quality issues
- Strong IT skills, particularly with relation to Microsoft Office packages, e.g. Word, Outlook and Excel
Desirable
- Understanding of refugees and asylum guidance and developments
- Understanding of peer review process and governance processes
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.
