Family and Carer Ambassador | Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust; Rochford; Hybrid; GBP 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare provider in the UK seeks a Family and Carer Ambassador to support and advocate for families of patients with complex mental health needs. This role involves working closely with various agencies and empowering families in their care journey. The ideal candidate will possess strong communication and organisational skills, alongside a proactive and compassionate approach. Lived experience is highly valued in shaping this position. The position also allows for flexible working arrangements.

Benefits

Season Ticket Loans

NHS discounts for staff

Excellent training facilities

Flexible employment options

Qualifications

• Proactive and compassionate approach in supporting families and carers.
• Ability to identify and address challenges across organisations.
• Lived experience related to care-giving or being a service user.

Responsibilities

• Provide support to families and carers of patients with complex mental health needs.
• Advocate for patients and their families in care settings.
• Maintain accurate records and follow confidentiality procedures.

Skills

Organisational skills

Communication skills

Empathy

Detail-oriented

Job description

Please note you must have right to work in the UK to apply for this position.

Due to current Home Office Guidelines, we are unable to sponsor this job role.

Role Overview

As a Family and Carer Ambassador, you will provide practical and emotional support to families and carers of those with complex mental health needs. You will also offer advocacy to ensure that the families / carers and patients’ needs and views are heard and acted on, whatever their communication needs are. You will identify and address cross‑organisational challenges. You will work closely with key agencies across health, education, social care and the voluntary sector; this will also include links with adult services where either there are requirements for transition planning to adult services or where the families / carers are receiving adult service support.

To be successful in this role, you must be proactive and compassionate, have a great eye for detail, excellent organisational skills and strong communication skills. You must be passionate and sensitive about effecting change, and empowering patients, families and carers. This is a new post; therefore, although having clear parameters and expectations, there will be opportunities to shape and influence the role and build and develop important relationships with stakeholders and partners.

Lived experience is a key aspect of this role.

What is lived experience?

It is the knowledge and understanding you get when you have personally lived through something.

Examples of lived experience

• Being a carer to family or friends
• Extensive experience of working on a ward
• Being a service user

Benefits & Development

• Season Ticket Loans
• NHS discounts for staff
• Excellent training facilities and opportunities
• Buying and Selling annual leave scheme
• The opportunity to work bank shifts and expand knowledge and experience in other areas
• Salary sacrifice schemes including lease cars and Cycle to Work
• Day One Flexible Employment

The Trust supports and actively encourages flexible working for all employees. We offer many options and you are encouraged to ask the recruiting manager what is possible for this role. If appointed, you will have the opportunity to apply for a flexible working request from the first day of your employment.

Staff Bank

Our EPUT NHS staff bank is an entity managed by the Trust that hires clinical and non‑clinical healthcare professionals to take on shifts at our trust hospitals and community settings. We maintain our own bank of specialist staff to ensure we can offer safe and effective care at all times. All permanent staff are automatically enrolled onto the staff bank; however, enrolment does not mean you must work any additional shifts – it is an option if you wish. If you are joining the Trust in a fixed‑term role, indicate on your new starter paperwork that you wish to join the staff bank.

Key Responsibilities

1. Work with carers and families from admission to the unit to discharge.
2. Help carers/families understand the inpatient system and processes and be a source for high‑quality information that is easy to understand.
3. Work proactively with the allocated inpatient units, supporting communication processes between the clinical unit and carers/families; enabling units to create a compassionate and responsive approach to families and carers.
4. Empower families/carers to access information and to be part of planning (with CYP consent).
5. Have knowledge and networks of the local area to support carers and families with information and signposting.
6. Be a point of liaison with the unit on family and carer matters, specifically quality improvement initiatives to enable more robust and inclusive engagement/involvement.
7. Help families/carers raise concerns where necessary and take action to escal0ate those concerns if necessary.
8. Champion the role of “families/carers as partners” within units, supporting families and carers to ensure their voice is heard and they are seen as equals in patients’ inpatient care pathway.
9. Maintain accurate records and comply with local procedures for record keeping, confidentiality and security.
10. Act as a champion for families, carers, patients and their interests and involve the public and patients in the policy development and decision‑making.
11. Ensure all public and patient contact with the office is of the highest professional standard.
12. Embed patient and public involvement at all levels of decision making.
13. Provide carer support to carers, friends and families of those admitted to the ward.
14. Ensure all 72‑hour carer phone calls are completed and followed up.
15. Ensure all carers receive a copy of the ward’s carers pack, including our carer letter.
16. Invite carers to ward reviews.
17. Collate themes from the carer cards in reception to support development to the strategy and our service.
18. Lead on the monthly carers group, ensuring carers are invited and followed up.
19. Maintain professional boundaries with both service leaders and carers at all times.
20. Document carer input on the Carenotes system and ensure information is circulated to the team.
21. Refer carers to carer services and support.
22. Build links with local carer charities, such as Carers Support West Sussex.
23. Attend the locality Triangle of Care meeting, held quarterly, to represent the carers voice and review our carer involvement through the use of the Triangle of Care self‑assessment.
24. Create a relapse prevention and support plan with the carer.
25. Initiate and follow up referrals to carer support.
26. Monitor the progress of the carer strategy and link into the triangle of care lead.

Promoting Rights and Signposting

1. Share information to support understanding and preparing for Care Plan Approach (CPA) meetings; understanding and preparing for Care Education and Treatment Reviews (CETR).
2. Family and individual’s rights, including legal frameworks (MHA, MCA, Human Rights Act, Child and Families Act).
3. The community teams and their roles (CYPS, CAMHS, IASS, CCGs).
4. Signpost to groups in their local area and on Social Media.
5. Information about key policies (e.g., NICE, STAMP, Transforming Care).
6. Signpost when they may need legal advice and how to go about this.

Professional, Training and Development

1. Maintain a continuing professional development portfolio.
2. Complete mandatory training in line with Trust policy and procedures.
3. Participate in the staff appraisal process and undertake for any staff you manage.
4. Participate in local induction programmes for new staff as required.
5. Comply with policies and agreed procedures for annual leave, sickness and time owing.
6. Keep yourself updated on all matters relating to Trust policy.
7. Be professionally accountable for the maintenance of standards and professional practice as set by Trust Policies/Procedures, and relevant professional codes of standards and guidelines.
8. Contribute to the learning environment conducive for students and other staff in training.
9. Contribute to the maintenance and development of the Trust nursing/AHP strategy.
10. Promote awareness of the professional role within the team and across the service.

This advert closes on Tuesday 16 Dec 2025.