Family Engagement & Liaison Lead

Transformationunitgm; Maidstone, Dartford; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A mental health provider is seeking a full-time Family Engagement Liaison Lead to work across Maidstone and Dartford, Kent. The role involves offering support and information to the families, friends, and carers of patients in forensic mental health services. Responsibilities include maintaining communication, coordinating support groups, and gathering feedback to enhance care quality. Ideal candidates should possess a relevant health and social care qualification, experience in mental health settings, and excellent communication skills. Join a passionate team dedicated to bettering mental health care.

Benefits

Health and wellbeing programme

Flexible working options

Qualifications

• Relevant qualification in Health and Social care and/or foundation degree
• Experience of working in a mental health/Learning Disability setting
• Previous experience of working with carers/families
• Awareness of the statutory frameworks that the NHS is subject to
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written
• Ability to maintain boundaries and form positive therapeutic relationships with service users and carers
• Ability to work alone and as part of a team
• Ability to proactively signpost to other services
• Ability to work effectively with carers and families within acute inpatient mental health services
• Working knowledge of the Mental Health Act 1983, the Care Act 2014 and the Equality Act 2010
• Knowledge of local authority and carer support agencies
• Knowledge of safeguarding
• Awareness of reflective practice
• Reliable and good time management skills
• Innovative and enthusiastic for working in a challenging area
• Able to work with a wide range of professional colleagues, service users and families/carers in a non-judgemental way

Responsibilities

• To work closely with families, friends and carers to offer support, advice and information.
• To facilitate meaningful communication between families, friends and carers, the service and the MDT and to maintain those open links of communication.
• To support and signpost families, friends and carers to enable them to access other relevant services.
• To assist in coordinating support and opportunities for families, friends and carers including coordinating psychoeducation groups and arranging 'drop ins'.
• To seek regular feedback from friends, family and carers and to act on this information to positively influence the quality of care given across the forensic inpatient services.
• To regularly check in with friends, family and carers to establish what they would like from our services and to then review the carer offering.
• To provide regular reports/feedback for Governance meetings relating to the above.

Job description

We are the Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust. We offer a range of ongoing benefits to our valued workforce. From an active health and wellbeing programme to regular recognition events, we work hard to provide varied benefits that make a difference to your work‑life balance.

Would you like to work flexibly? In the NHS, we are reminded every day of how important life is. As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us, for our patients and for you.

Job overview

Please note, at this stage, the role is open only to internal staff (including NHSP and Agency staff currently on placement within our organisation) and staff substantively employed within Kent and Medway NHS Trusts and the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB). Any individual who is at risk of redundancy will be given priority, provided they meet the essential criteria.

Kent & Medway Mental Health NHS Trust are looking to recruit a full time Band 4 Family Engagement Liaison Lead working across sites in Maidstone and Dartford, Kent.

The Family Engagement and Liaison Lead (FELL) works closely with the families, friends and carers of patients who are being assessed or treated by forensic mental health and learning disability services.

The successful candidate will be available to offer advice, support and information to families, friends and carers and play a valuable role in liaison between patients, their loved ones and the teams who are providing their care in secure hospital settings.

Using the principles of The Triangle of Care, the successful candidate will take responsibility for ensuring families, friends and carers are recognised within the care process and promoting opportunities for collaboration.

Main duties of the job

• To work closely with families, friends and carers to offer support, advice and information.
• To facilitate meaningful communication between families, friends and carers, the service and the MDT and to maintain those open links of communication.
• To support and signpost families, friends and carers to enable them to access other relevant services.
• To assist in coordinating support and opportunities for families, friends and carers including coordinating psychoeducation groups and arranging “drop ins”.
• To seek regular feedback from friends, family and carers and to act on this information to positively influence the quality of care given across the forensic inpatient services within Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust.
• To regularly check in with friends, family and carers to establish what they would like from our services and to then review the carer offering to ensure that we are meeting their needs.
• To provide regular reports/feedback for Governance meetings relating to the above.

Working for our organisation

We are the Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust. We care for the mental health and wellbeing of people across Kent and Medway. Our teams support adults with a wide range of mental health needs. Because we cover the whole county and both hospital and community settings, we can make care more joined up and easier to access for the 1.8 million people of Kent and Medway. Rated ‘Good’ by the CQC, we care for over 2,000 people in our hospitals and 54,000 in the community each year.

Our vision is simple: We are here to help communities not just live with mental illness, but live well. It’s why we’re passionate about working with communities to make mental health care better for everyone. And everything we do is guided by our values caring, inclusive, curious and confident.

Join us – if you share our passion for better mental health care and want to be part of a team that’s doing well together.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To work specifically with families, friends and carers to offer support, advice and information. This will include contacting families, friends and carers through a range of means including face‑to‑face, telephone, e‑mail, letters and virtually.

Please refer to the attached job description for the full details on the responsibilities and person specification.

Person specification

Training, Qualifications & Registration

• Relevant qualification in Health and Social care and/or foundation degree

Experience

• Experience of working in a mental health/Learning Disability setting
• Previous experience of working with carers/families

Knowledge and skills

• Awareness of the statutory frameworks that the NHS is subject to
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written
• Ability to maintain boundaries and form positive therapeutic relationships with service users and carers
• Ability to work alone and as part of a team
• Ability to proactively signpost to other services
• Ability to work effectively with carers and families within acute inpatient mental health services
• Working knowledge of the Mental Health Act 1983, the Care Act 2014 and the Equality Act 2010
• Knowledge of local authority and carer support agencies
• Knowledge of safeguarding
• Awareness of reflective practice
• Reliable and good time management skills
• Innovative and enthusiastic for working in a challenging area
• Able to work with a wide range of professional colleagues, service users and families/carers in a non‑judgemental way

In cases where we receive a high volume of applications for a post, it may be necessary to bring the closing date forward. Please submit your completed application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

Due to the high volume of applications received, it is not possible to respond individually to your application. Should you not hear from us within six weeks of the vacancy closing, please assume that your application has not been successful.

Probation Period. New employees external to the trust are subject to a six-month probationary period.

To deliver an effective service it is essential in some of our roles that you are able to travel between work bases in a timely manner.

Production of false or forged documents/qualifications in order to obtain employment is a criminal offence and will be reported to the Police.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check. Certain roles are subject to criminal record checks called Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks. Therefore, you will be required to submit a completed Disclosure form to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust are signed up to NHS England's Sexual Safety in Health Care Organisational Charter.

The trust takes a systematic zero‑tolerance approach to tackle any unwanted, inappropriate and/or harmful sexual behaviours within the workplace and in our care provision. We are committed to sexual safety which encompasses prevention, support and decisive action against perpetrators. We are committed to keeping you and our patients safe.

Use of AI when writing job applications

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AI cannot truly understand the specific job you’re applying for or what makes you a good fit. Therefore, it’s crucial to personalise any AI-generated content to accurately reflect your skills, experiences, and aspirations.

Relying solely on AI to write your application may result in generic, impersonal, and potentially inaccurate content. Always review and refine any AI-generated text to ensure it effectively communicates your experience, skills, accomplishments, and aspirations, and demonstrates your suitability for the position.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.