Family Liaison Officer Lead

Job description

Job responsibilities

To be the main point of contact for families, significant others and carers during patient safety incident learning response related to a service user. Identifying and establishing relationships with families and carers as soon as possible.

Establishing communications with affected families, guide and support them through the investigation process to the conclusion as required; to meet the needs of each family/ carers as is reasonably possible. Beingculturally aware and informed about the specific needs of the patient, their family and carers.

Work alongside the learning response leads about the progress of the investigation / review to ensure that relevant information is conveyed to the family in accordance with the communication plan.

Create a professional relationship of trust and honesty that will enable families to ask the questions that they wish to be answered as part of the investigation / review process.

Listen and manage queries in a proactive manner, signposting individuals to other services when necessary including bereavement and other types of counselling. It may be necessary to establish the first contact with these services on behalf of the individuals.

Contribute to formal reports to Trust meetings including the Trust wide Quality and Safety Group and Learning Collaborative Partnership. Reports may include case studies, identification of learning and arrangements for sharing lessons, activity data and analysis of the effectiveness of the family liaison services offered by the Trust.

Become a Trust expert resource in relation to understanding, interpretation and implementation of Duty of Candour obligations as required by the NHS Standard Contract and the Care Quality Commission regulation 20. Assist with the audit of the Trust wide compliance to regulation 20.

Attend Coroners courts when required as a representative of the Trust in coordination with the investigating officers.

Work closely with colleagues in the psychology directorate, when required.

Has the ability to risk assess and escalate concerns to the most appropriate person.

Design and deliver family liaison and duty of candour communication skills training to Trust staff. Engage bereaved families and carers in delivering training where appropriate in either a group of one to one session. Being prepared and flexible to short time scale requests for training.

Provide supervision to Family Liaison Officers that are assigned a FLO case, ensuring the cases are discussed and emotional support is provided.

Stay updated on national best practice and initiatives relating to family and carer liaison support.

Work with bereaved families and carers to develop services in association with Trust clinical services and external partners, such as the Samaritans and other organisations. Support the Trust commitment to a zero suicide ambition.

On an on-going basis, assess risks relevant to the role and raise any concerns to the most appropriate person.

Lead officer for developing, reviewing and updating Trust policies and guidelines relevant to their remit in accordance with best practice and national guidance.

Responsible for benchmarking exercises and developing external networks in order to stay updated with family engagement activities and practice in other organisations including private and voluntary sectors.

To be responsible for horizon scanning through detection of early trends and themes in incidents and cases.

Contribute towards the decision-making situations, requiring analysis and comparison of a range of options. There will be complex situations and facts which will require analysis and assessment and may be conflicting. To provide analytical summary relating to clinical information.

Provide reports and briefings for the Head of Patient Safety Incident Management on Duty of Candour compliance, FLO activity, potential risks and identified learning.

Draw up clear guidelines for Family Liaison Officers, highlighting expectations in terms of formulating communication plans with families, liaising with patient safety incident investigators, recording information and attending meetings as part of the patient safety incident response process.

Ensure the role of Family Liaison Officer is fully equipped with skills, knowledge, situational and behavioural awareness to provide compassionate and professional support following a patient safety incident.

Arrange and chair bi-monthly Family Liaison Officers peer supervision sessions, ensuring there is an agreed agenda, action points are followed up and appropriate speakers are invited to the meetings. Engage in live events and teaching sessions for Family Liaison Officer Role to promote and encourage attendance at group training opportunities.

Contribute to the development and improvement of a systems learning approach and cultural changes associated with the introduction of the patient safety incident response framework and lead on allocated improvement and innovation projects.

o undertake/lead patient safety incident reviews in line with defined requirements ensuring that these are completed within the required timeframe in a robust and unbiased manner when there are capacity issues with the patient safety incident management team.

To undertake Quality Assurance Peer Review of Learning Response Reports that have taken place, using the Peer Review Tool.

To have supervisory responsibility for junior staff within the team

Responsible for monitoring Family Liaison expenditure against budget spend.

Person Specification

Education / Qualification

Essential

• Masters degree or equivalent experience
• Evidence of continuing professional development

Desirable

• Regi

Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge and understanding of the NHS Patient Safety Incident Response Framework.
• Knowledge and understanding of Duty of Candour and Being Open.
• Knowledge of incident reporting systems.
• Knowledge of confidentiality and GDP regulations.
• Able to investigate and analyse incidents
• Able to provide and receive complex, sensitive or contentious information.
• Excellent communication skills - written, verbal and presentational.
• Empathy, ability to deal with distressed and highly sensitive patients/relatives relationships.
• Excellent organisational skills demonstrating the ability to prioritise and manage a number of conflicting requirements and complex issues in a professional manner.
• Excellent report writing.
• Ability to challenge conflicting views at any level within the organisation.
• Ability to understand and analyse complex data.

Desirable

• Investigative skills and competencies
• Experience of incident and risk management

Skills / Experience

Essential

• Literate in IT/Computer Skills.
• Good oral and written communication skills based on fluency on the English language.

Personal qualities

Essential

• Shares the Trust's beliefs and models this in their attitude and behaviour
• Ensures that the organisational values We Care, We Learn and We Empower are demonstrated by self and others every day and that any matters of concern are addressed in a timely way, either directly; or raised with the relevant Line Manager; or through the relevant processes within the Trust as appropriate
• Proven ability and knowledge of techniques that can support and motivate staff in ensuring their recovery from consistent exposure to adverse events
• Credibility and enthusiasm for patient safety Values, diversity, inclusion and difference; operating with integrity and openness
• Resilience and coping mechanism for delivery with high turnaround of work activities

Additional qualities

Essential

• Fitness Analysis as appropriate
• Ability to travel across sites and across the Trust boundaries to attend meetings, etc,

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

Address

The Lodge

Runwell Chase

Wickford

SS11 7XX

Employer's website

https://eput.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)