Paediatric Diabetes Youth Worker

Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust; Oldham; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization in the UK is seeking a Paediatric Diabetes Youth Worker to support young people with diabetes during their transition to adult services. This role involves working closely with a multi-disciplinary team to enhance young people's self-care behaviors and navigate healthcare systems. Key responsibilities include maintaining relationships with patients, supervising transition clinics, and coordinating supportive activities. Candidates should have a professional qualification in Youth Work and experience with young people in healthcare settings.

Benefits

Competitive benefits package

Flexible working opportunities

Protected hours for health and wellbeing activities

Qualifications

• Experience of working with young people in health care or community settings.
• Previous experience as a youth worker in a Diabetes team.
• Knowledge of hospitalisation effects on young individuals.

Responsibilities

• Create and maintain relationships with patients and caregivers.
• Supervise patients attending transition clinics.
• Coordinate and supervise social support networks.

Skills

Good interpersonal skills

Comfortable working with Children & Young People

Experience in research

Education

A Professional Qualification in Youth Work

Job description

Paediatric Diabetes Youth Worker

The closing date is 30 December 2025

An exciting opportunity has arisen to recruit a Youth Worker to the Paediatric Diabetes team within The Northern Care Alliance. The postholder will work across the areas of Bury, Rochdale, Oldham and Salford as part of the multi-disciplinary team using specific skills to contribute to the non-clinical aspects of care for young people with diabetes, their families and carers.

The post holder will focus on ensuring young people will be effectively supported in the process of transition. This will involve engagement and communication with young people to support and develop positive self-care behaviours, promote engagement with the diabetes team and provide strategies to navigate healthcare systems for their long-term health needs.

The Youth Worker is an integral member of the diabetes clinical team and will work very closely with the Lead Nurses. Transition is the process whereby young people prepare for the transfer to adult services. The appointed candidate will play a key role in the 3 processes of transition; beginning of transition where the concept is introduced, the middle phase where the CYP and their family get actively into transition and the final phase when the CYP are integrated into adult service.

Communicating with young people is imperative within this role to support the young person's overall well-being, encompassing physical, mental and social health. The role will focus on empowering young people to manage their health conditions and navigate healthcare.

Main duties of the job

• Create and maintain relationships with patients, parent/carers.
• Direct supervision using experience and knowledge to ensure patients attend transition clinics.
• Working alongside the young people, use informal or formal assessment to establish the needs of this patient group.
• Using these results, work closely with the healthcare team in establishing an appropriate response to support these young people.
• To provide and lead recreational facilities and youth work activities for young people under the care of the diabetes team.
• To devise and develop ways in which a peer group support can be achieved.
• Work with young people to prepare them for specific activities, treatment plans and transition to adult services.
• To coordinate and supervise social support networks to encourage social interaction and support to young people in order to aid adjustment to diagnosis.
• Provide active outreach to young people struggling to engage with health services.
• To coordinate creative and therapeutic activities and implement a range of strategies. Liaise with complementary therapies, music workshop, community and youth groups to contribute to these strategies.
• To develop collaborative projects with similar services, organisations, and other agencies and communities.

About us

The Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust (NCA) provides hospital and integrated health and social care services to over one million people living across Greater Manchester. Our 20,000 colleagues care for people in hospital and in the community, working across Bury, Rochdale, Oldham and Salford, to save and improve lives.

As a large NHS trust we are committed to enhancing the health of our local population by delivering consistently high standards of care and working closely with local authorities and key partners. We believe in our power and potential to make a difference and we're always looking for people who demonstrate our three core values - care, appreciate and inspire - to join our team.

In return, we can offer you a job role with purpose and flexibility. The size and scale of the NCA means we can provide more challenge and opportunities so your career can always be moving in the right direction. By joining us you can also access a competitive benefits package, including a fantastic annual leave allowance, flexible working opportunities and protected hours for health and wellbeing activities, helping you to achieve more personal downtime and a better work-life balance.

Learn more about us in our Candidate Information Pack.

Job responsibilities

To read more information about the advertised role, and the main job duties/responsibilities please open the Job Description and Person Specification located under the supporting documents heading. You can also read more information about working at the Northern Care Alliance within the attached Candidate Information Pack or by visiting our careers website: www.careers.northerncarealliance.nhs.uk

Person Specification

Qualifications

• A Professional Qualification (DipHE/FdA/BA(hons) in Youth Work Endorsed by the National Youth Agency or Equivalent)
• Research qualification

Knowledge, Training & Experience

• Experience of working with young people from a variety of backgrounds in either a health care setting or a youth and community setting.
• Previous experience as a youth worker in Diabetes team.
• Knowledge of the effects of hospitalisation/chronic illness on the young person, family and peers.

Skills and abilities

• Good interpersonal skills. Effectively communicate with adolescent and young people.
• Comfortable working with Children & Young People and their families.
• An understanding of cultural differences.
• Experience in research.

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.

Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust