Family and Carer Support Worker
Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust
The closing date is 13 April 2025
Job summary
This is an exciting opportunity to develop a new role for the families and carers of people under the care of the Sheffield Early Intervention Service. The post holder will provide general information, personalised advice, support, advocacy and link work for those families and carers. They will be part of a multi-disciplinary team from whom they will receive support and supervision. They will support families and carers in understanding psychosis and how this may impact their relationship with their loved one. The postholder will work out in the community, holding a caseload, and will work with family members, service users and carers.
Please be advised there is a cap on this post and once reached the post will close.
Main duties of the job
- To provide structured emotional and practical support for families and carers of people supported by the Early Intervention Service (EIS).
- To develop and co-facilitate groups and other opportunities for families and carers to connect with each other (e.g. EIS Relatives Group, educational groups, workshops for family members, etc.).
- To increase the engagement of families and carers with available support services.
- To refer families and carers on to specialist carer support services and make referrals to Adult Social Care Services, Department of Work and Pensions and other services as appropriate.
- To work with the team to engage families and carers from marginalised communities, particularly from under-represented communities, such as ethnically diverse groups, Gypsy, Roma Travellers, LGBTQI+ community etc. ensuring information and communication is appropriately adapted and culturally sensitive.
- To develop effective working relationships with key voluntary and statutory services.
About us
At SHSC, we prioritise the well-being and safety of both our service users and employees. It is our policy and a condition of employment that all employees must join the DBS Update Service. This service carries an annual fee, which employees are responsible for paying up front. However, employees may claim this cost back through the Trust's Employee Expenses Reimbursement Policy. For those requiring a Basic DBS check, it is necessary to register for a DBS Online Account.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To provide structured emotional and practical support for families and carers of people supported by the Early Intervention Service (EIS).
- To develop and co-facilitate groups and other opportunities for families and carers to connect with each other (e.g. EIS Relatives Group, educational groups, workshops for family members, etc.). You will collaborate with team colleagues from across the service in order to best support the needs and preferences of families, friends, and carers.
- To increase the engagement of families and carers with available support services.
- To refer families and carers on to specialist carer support services and make referrals to Adult Social Care Services, Department of Work and Pensions and other services as appropriate.
- To work with the EIS colleagues (e.g. systemic family therapists, clinical psychologists, CBT therapists, recovery workers) to consider the additional needs of wider support networks that may extend beyond families of origin. To include the needs of less formal social networks, e.g., non-residing partners, neighbours, work colleagues, friends etc.
- To support families and carers, and the EIS team more widely, in their understanding of the unique challenges and dilemmas that families and carers can face in supporting a loved one with severe and complex psychological difficulties including hearing voices, suspiciousness, and paranoia.
- To work with the team to engage families and carers from marginalised communities, particularly from under-represented communities, such as ethnically diverse groups, Gypsy, Roma Travellers, LGBTQI+ community etc. ensuring information and communication is appropriately adapted and culturally sensitive.
- To develop effective working relationships with key voluntary and statutory services.
- To understand and observe all safeguarding policies and procedures, specifically in relation to families and carers and the challenges they face.
- To be aware of and attend relevant seminars and teaching sessions around the wellbeing of families and carers.
- To ensure that electronic client records and other information systems are completed accurately and in-line with SHSC clinical and information governance policy.
- To lead on the achievement of targets for the recording and reporting of the Key Performance Indicator (KPI) of carer education and support in line with the National Clinical Audit of Psychosis (NCAP).
- To adhere to SHSC organisational policies and procedures relating to risk and personal safety.
- To participate in regular supervision, team meetings, and other meetings as required.
- To maintain appropriate professional boundaries at all times.
- To identify own training and development needs in conjunction with your line manager and participate in training opportunities as directed.
- To work autonomously, under pressure and within agreed deadlines
- To be able to act calmly in emergencies and to respond in a professional manner to behaviour or situations which may be stressful and challenging
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To provide structured emotional and practical support for families and carers of people supported by the Early Intervention Service (EIS).
- To develop and co-facilitate groups and other opportunities for families and carers to connect with each other (e.g. EIS Relatives Group, educational groups, workshops for family members, etc.). You will collaborate with team colleagues from across the service in order to best support the needs and preferences of families, friends, and carers.
- To increase the engagement of families and carers with available support services.
- To refer families and carers on to specialist carer support services and make referrals to Adult Social Care Services, Department of Work and Pensions and other services as appropriate.
- To work with the EIS colleagues (e.g. systemic family therapists, clinical psychologists, CBT therapists, recovery workers) to consider the additional needs of wider support networks that may extend beyond families of origin. To include the needs of less formal social networks, e.g., non-residing partners, neighbours, work colleagues, friends etc.
- To support families and carers, and the EIS team more widely, in their understanding of the unique challenges and dilemmas that families and carers can face in supporting a loved one with severe and complex psychological difficulties including hearing voices, suspiciousness, and paranoia.
- To work with the team to engage families and carers from marginalised communities, particularly from under-represented communities, such as ethnically diverse groups, Gypsy, Roma Travellers, LGBTQI+ community etc. ensuring information and communication is appropriately adapted and culturally sensitive.
- To develop effective working relationships with key voluntary and statutory services.
- To understand and observe all safeguarding policies and procedures, specifically in relation to families and carers and the challenges they face.
- To be aware of and attend relevant seminars and teaching sessions around the wellbeing of families and carers.
- To ensure that electronic client records and other information systems are completed accurately and in-line with SHSC clinical and information governance policy.
- To lead on the achievement of targets for the recording and reporting of the Key Performance Indicator (KPI) of carer education and support in line with the National Clinical Audit of Psychosis (NCAP).
- To adhere to SHSC organisational policies and procedures relating to risk and personal safety.
- To participate in regular supervision, team meetings, and other meetings as required.
- To maintain appropriate professional boundaries at all times.
- To identify own training and development needs in conjunction with your line manager and participate in training opportunities as directed.
- To work autonomously, under pressure and within agreed deadlines
- To be able to act calmly in emergencies and to respond in a professional manner to behaviour or situations which may be stressful and challenging
Person Specification
Knowledge
Essential
- Understanding of mental health and associated systems
- An understanding of the issues and concerns of carers
- Ability to manage to manage challenging situations, and behave in a professional manner.
Qualifications
Essential
- NVQ level 3 qualification or equivalent in Care or mental health
Experience
Essential
- Direct work with families and carers
- Experience of building supportive relationships with people with mental health needs
Desirable
- Experience of being a carer, or supporting friends and family of people with mental and/or physical health difficulties
- Experience of co-facilitating group work
- Experience of working with people from marginalised communities
Other
Essential
- Demonstrate an ability to engage with and empower families and carers
Desirable
- Demonstrate an understanding of systemic oppression
Person Specification
Knowledge
Essential
- Understanding of mental health and associated systems
- An understanding of the issues and concerns of carers
- Ability to manage to manage challenging situations, and behave in a professional manner.
Qualifications
Essential
- NVQ level 3 qualification or equivalent in Care or mental health
Experience
Essential
- Direct work with families and carers
- Experience of building supportive relationships with people with mental health needs
Desirable
- Experience of being a carer, or supporting friends and family of people with mental and/or physical health difficulties
- Experience of co-facilitating group work
- Experience of working with people from marginalised communities
Other
Essential
- Demonstrate an ability to engage with and empower families and carers
Desirable
- Demonstrate an understanding of systemic oppression
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.
