Job summary
Do you consider yourself an Expert by Experience, have past, current lived experience of accessing mental health services either as a service user or as a carer/advocate & hold a desire to guide service development and co-production?
My name is Joanna Burton, Quality Lead for Primary and Community Mental Health (PCMH) which is an exciting and innovative partnership between SHSC NHS Foundation Trust, Primary Care Sheffield & Mind.
We are seeking an innovative, creative and compassionate Expert by Experience Practitioner who will enjoy the challenge of working across teams and systems and will help us to work together so we can support and enable real and lasting improvements.
The postholder has a vital role in supporting active communication between clinical services, VCSE and Expert by Experience partners and people who use services, their families and carers.
The Expert by Experience Practitioner will provide an open and honest approach to supporting people to share their experiences across the Primary Care Networks and enable future learning and development for services and PCMH more widely.
This post is a part-time (0.75WTE) post and offered at 28 hours per week. The working pattern will be agreed at appointment, so that it meets the needs of the successful applicant and the service.
If you are unsure of any potential financial impact of working part-time you may wish to check out the following link: www.gov.uk/benefits-calculator
Main duties of the job
The postholder will:
- Engage and liaise with advocacy services.
- Regularly touch base with Primary Care Networks, to understand any themes arising through advocacy and align with other methodologies being used such as The Quality of Experience Questionnaire.
- Provide accurate, appropriate and timely information about PCMH, act as a liaison with the clinical teams to resolve issues or pass on comments and ideas for improvement.
- To provide non-clinical advice to patients, relatives and carers and, if necessary, refer enquiries on.
- To be able to communicate personal and sometimes contentious information using tact and empathetic skills, whilst maintaining a diplomatic approach.
- Be able to provide advice and signposting when issues require wider input, act as a liaison between the service user/family carer members and wider services to enable resolution of non-clinical issues.
- Where issues relate directly to clinical care, ensure the clinical team are updated and engaged on issues, supporting an honest dialogue between parties to attempt to come to a resolution.
- Maintain an accurate data base of advice/signposting and intervention given within services, e
- Ensure people who use services, their families and carers are aware of alternative routes to raise concerns including Advocacy, Citizens Advice, PCMH Complaints Process and CQC raising concerns.
About us
Sheffield is a national trailblazer site. We're transforming mental health provision across Sheffield by providing personalised, trauma-informed care at a Primary Care Network level. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8x-WxYcSBo8).
We are a partnership between Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS FT, Primary Care Sheffield and Sheffield Mind. Everyone who works in Sheffield Primary and Community Mental Health (PCMH) is passionate about delivering services and care of a high standard and quality.
The people who use our service, their carers and our communities are at the centre of everything we do. We know that the people who use mental health services are the true experts on how those services should be delivered and developed. By listening and acting on people's views and experiences we can improve our services for everyone who uses them. As a new service we are constantly evolving and are continually looking for ways to make our service the best it can be, for both the people who use it and the staff that deliver it.
Job description
Job responsibilities
This is not an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities and in discussion with the manager the postholder may be required to undertake other duties which fall within the Banding of the post. The job description will be reviewed regularly in the light of changing service requirements and any such changes will be discussed with the post holder.
The post holder should be comfortable in the use of computer technology, have basic keyboard skills and have the ability to use email.
- Maintain and develop the Service user and carer networks.
- Act as a super connector between networks and individuals both with lived experience and staff within the clinical areas to advance the co-production and lived experience agenda.
- Provide advice and support to clinical teams to advise and guide them on how to engage in a co-productive way.
- Support the provision of training for service users, carers, and staff.
- Gather evidence and report back on changes to services which have taken place as a direct result of learning from service user and carer experience.
- Support the evaluation and analysis of feedback from events which request attendance and participation from those with lived experience, to ensure actions are taken forward and used to inform our approach to quality improvement.
All employees are expected to observe the following:
Equal opportunities and dignity at work statement of intent
The Trust is a major employer and provider of services. We are committed to building a workforce which reflects the diversity of and meets the needs of the local community.
We oppose all forms of discrimination on legal and moral grounds and recognise that discrimination creates barriers to achieving equality for everyone.
The Trust is committed to making equality of opportunity and fair treatment a reality whereby an individual can seek, obtain and continue employment without unfair discrimination.
As an equal opportunities employer, we will ensure that all job applicants and employees receive fair and equal treatment and will not be disadvantaged by unjustified conditions or requirements.
The Trusts Equal Opportunities and Dignity at Work Policy underpins the Trusts commitment to achieve equality and fairness at work and to ensure that individuals or groups are not unfairly discriminated against.
We are committed to improving our practice through signing up to initiatives such as Stonewall Champions, the Disability Standard/Disability Confident and Mindful Employer.
Safeguarding children and adults
The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people (anyone under the age of 18) and adults. It expects all staff, volunteers and contracted staff to share this commitment and act in such a way that safeguards and promotes the health and wellbeing of children, young people and adults.
Staff must ensure that they are familiar with the signs and symptoms of abuse and know what to do if any such concerns are raised.
Staff are expected to know about and follow the Trusts safeguarding children and safeguarding adult policies which can be found on the Trust intranet and participate in related mandatory/statutory training.
Risk management
Staff should be aware of the principles of risk management and adopt appropriate practice to reduce the risk to themselves and others. In particular, staff should observe the Trusts Risk Management Strategy, Risk, Incident and Serious Incident reporting and management policies, Health and Safety regulations and the risk management training requirements for all staff.
Infection prevention and control
Staff are expected to comply with the Trusts Infection Prevention and Control policies and conduct themselves in such a manner as to minimise the risk of causing healthcare associated infections.
Job description
Job responsibilities
This is not an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities and in discussion with the manager the postholder may be required to undertake other duties which fall within the Banding of the post. The job description will be reviewed regularly in the light of changing service requirements and any such changes will be discussed with the post holder.
The post holder should be comfortable in the use of computer technology, have basic keyboard skills and have the ability to use email.
- Maintain and develop the Service user and carer networks.
- Act as a super connector between networks and individuals both with lived experience and staff within the clinical areas to advance the co-production and lived experience agenda.
- Provide advice and support to clinical teams to advise and guide them on how to engage in a co-productive way.
- Support the provision of training for service users, carers, and staff.
- Gather evidence and report back on changes to services which have taken place as a direct result of learning from service user and carer experience.
- Support the evaluation and analysis of feedback from events which request attendance and participation from those with lived experience, to ensure actions are taken forward and used to inform our approach to quality improvement.
All employees are expected to observe the following:
Equal opportunities and dignity at work statement of intent
The Trust is a major employer and provider of services. We are committed to building a workforce which reflects the diversity of and meets the needs of the local community.
We oppose all forms of discrimination on legal and moral grounds and recognise that discrimination creates barriers to achieving equality for everyone.
The Trust is committed to making equality of opportunity and fair treatment a reality whereby an individual can seek, obtain and continue employment without unfair discrimination.
As an equal opportunities employer, we will ensure that all job applicants and employees receive fair and equal treatment and will not be disadvantaged by unjustified conditions or requirements.
The Trusts Equal Opportunities and Dignity at Work Policy underpins the Trusts commitment to achieve equality and fairness at work and to ensure that individuals or groups are not unfairly discriminated against.
We are committed to improving our practice through signing up to initiatives such as Stonewall Champions, the Disability Standard/Disability Confident and Mindful Employer.
Safeguarding children and adults
The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people (anyone under the age of 18) and adults. It expects all staff, volunteers and contracted staff to share this commitment and act in such a way that safeguards and promotes the health and wellbeing of children, young people and adults.
Staff must ensure that they are familiar with the signs and symptoms of abuse and know what to do if any such concerns are raised.
Staff are expected to know about and follow the Trusts safeguarding children and safeguarding adult policies which can be found on the Trust intranet and participate in related mandatory/statutory training.
Risk management
Staff should be aware of the principles of risk management and adopt appropriate practice to reduce the risk to themselves and others. In particular, staff should observe the Trusts Risk Management Strategy, Risk, Incident and Serious Incident reporting and management policies, Health and Safety regulations and the risk management training requirements for all staff.
Infection prevention and control
Staff are expected to comply with the Trusts Infection Prevention and Control policies and conduct themselves in such a manner as to minimise the risk of causing healthcare associated infections.
Person Specification
essential-qualifications+technical skills
Essential
- Educated to degree level OR able to demonstrate significant lived experience accessing mental health services as a service user and/or carer, guiding service development and providing advice and training to people or their carers accessing mental health services (equivalent to degree level).
- Working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.
essential-lived experience
Essential
- Lived experience of accessing Health and Social Care services, either as a service user, carer or family member.
essential-communication+co-production
Essential
- Knowledge and understanding of methods to support coproduction with people who use services.
- Skilled listener and able to support people to work with statutory services in order to improve outcomes.
- Demonstrates high level engagement skills and empathy to support engagement with individuals who use services, their families and carers.
- Ability to work alone or as part of a team.
- Effective communication skills with an ability to communicate effectively at all levels, including report writing.
- Understanding of health and social care complaints procedures, data protection, the public involvement agenda, legislation, clinical governance, and commissioning
- Experience of working directly with service users and carers, with effective skills in planning and co-producing service developments.
Desirable
- Experience of working in a patient facing role resolving concerns or in coproduction on projects/improvements
Person Specification
essential-qualifications+technical skills
Essential
- Educated to degree level OR able to demonstrate significant lived experience accessing mental health services as a service user and/or carer, guiding service development and providing advice and training to people or their carers accessing mental health services (equivalent to degree level).
- Working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.
essential-lived experience
Essential
- Lived experience of accessing Health and Social Care services, either as a service user, carer or family member.
essential-communication+co-production
Essential
- Knowledge and understanding of methods to support coproduction with people who use services.
- Skilled listener and able to support people to work with statutory services in order to improve outcomes.
- Demonstrates high level engagement skills and empathy to support engagement with individuals who use services, their families and carers.
- Ability to work alone or as part of a team.
- Effective communication skills with an ability to communicate effectively at all levels, including report writing.
- Understanding of health and social care complaints procedures, data protection, the public involvement agenda, legislation, clinical governance, and commissioning
- Experience of working directly with service users and carers, with effective skills in planning and co-producing service developments.
Desirable
- Experience of working in a patient facing role resolving concerns or in coproduction on projects/improvements
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.
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).
Additional information
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.
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).
