Family Support Worker

The role requires assessment and delivery of care in the community; involving the patient, parents and family systems where there are complex social needs. The intervention level ranges from the specialist tertiary hospital based multidisciplinary team to community teams including: community health teams; social care; education; wellbeing services and primary health care. The main purpose of the role is to liaise with and advocate for services and resources on behalf of families; to provide direct practical support, financial advice, emotional and social support for families; as well as signposting. The role will require a significant amount of liaising with a range of relevant agencies and teams, and where relevant, to make appropriate and timely referrals to appropriate local services.
Interventions routinely cross professional and Acute Health Trust and Community Mental Health Trust boundaries and sometimes involve Child Protection work. The job can be highly distressing, dealing with such issues as chronic illness and family breakdown, and may deal with issues such as acute physical distress or illness, serious mental illness and safeguarding.
The job involves providing home and community support for the child and family to facilitate lifestyle changes and improve health and wellbeing outcomes for children and young people with complications associated with excess weight., Work independently/alongside psychology to identify physical and psychosocial needs of the family and contribute to the development of individualised plans of care to address needs.
Encourage and supervise the interaction of young people with activities, using motivational approaches.
To provide education, advice and support the child and family in order to make appropriate lifestyle choices to promote health, well-being and minimise biopsychosocial complications of excess weight.
To support and liaise with external agencies to provide quality care for patients.
Work with external agencies to provide appropriate activities within both hospital and the community to meet the needs of this patient group.
To keep records of the numbers and types of patients receiving recreational services/input and to assess social and emotional capabilities before and after intervention.
To attend and contribute to appropriate multi-disciplinary meetings.
To assist young people to develop links and contacts with other young people with complications of excess weight.
To work collaboratively with other family support workers in the UK, working alongside other professionals to offer an alternative view to working with young people.
Initiate and use risk assessments where required for activities within clinic and in the community.
Initiate, plan, co-ordinate, monitor and evaluate work which broadens access to social activities for young people.
To develop and maintain a close working relationship with people from the community as well as with those involved in other elements of the team's work.
Empower and support the family to identify a personal health plan with SMART goals and coaching support behavioural changes to achieve and maintain these.
Help individuals identify how their behaviour and context may affect their health and well-being.
Contribute to the reduction of inequalities in health through promoting and supporting people to develop healthier behaviours in the lifestyle in the context of their own and local services.
To account for culture and spiritual requirement needs of the patient and family to promote equity, diversity, privacy and dignity.
Assisting in the support of families in distressing situations
Act as an advocate for child and family. Help parents relatives and friends to communicate their needs and overcome potential language barriers and cultural difference.
Support and empower children, young people, and families to make appropriate choices about their care and ensure that these choices are respected.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust is a health and social care organisation dedicated to providing high-quality care with compassion to improve the health and wellbeing of the people we care for, as well as supporting and empowering them to lead a fulfilling life.
Our clinical teams deliver many NHS services, not only via inpatient and primary care settings, but also within the community. These services include children's, adult and older people's mental health, forensic and specialist mental health, learning disabilities, primary care and liaison psychiatry, substance misuse, social care, research and development.
To achieve our goal, we look to recruit high-calibre candidates who share our vision and values. As an equal opportunities employer, we encourage applications from all sectors of the community, particularly from under-represented groups including people with long term conditions and members of our ethnic minority and LGBTQ+ communities.
Please be advised we reserve the right to close adverts earlier than the closing date should we receive sufficient applications., Here at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT) we are dedicated to providing high quality care with compassion. We deliver many of the NHS services that are provided outside of hospital and in the community such as physical, mental health and specialist services.
We are a health and social care organisation, offering a wide range of services, including:
+ Integrated physical and mental health services for adults and older people;
+ Specialist mental health and learning disability services;
+ Children and young people's mental health services;
+ Children's community services in Peterborough;
+ Social care;
+ Ground-breaking research
We strongly encourage applications from all sections of the community, particularly from under-represented groups including disabled people and members of our ethnic minorities and LGBTQ+ communities. For further information about our positive equality, diversity and Inclusion work, please visit https://www.cpft.nhs.uk/equalityanddiversity.
CPFT is looking to build upon its pool of temporary workers with Temporary Staffing Services (TSS). You will be asked at interview if you would be willing to register with TSS. This is an excellent opportunity for those looking to take on additional hours that are flexible around your personal circumstances.
Please be advised that in line with the WHO Health Workforce Support and Safeguards List, 2020 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust currently are unable to accept applications from overseas candidates whose country of residence is classed as a 'Red List' country.
Applicants who require entry into the UK will be required to provide a valid police certificate from the relevant authority from each country (except the UK) where the applicant has been present for 12 months or more, 10 years before the date of visa application, while aged 18 or over.
If you are successful at interview you will be subject to pre-employment checks, including a DBS (if appropriate), references and Occupational Health. To ensure a smooth process please bring all identity documents to your interview. A list of required identity documents will be attached to your interview invitation.
All communications will be sent to you via TRAC Systems. By applying for this post you are agreeing to CPFT transferring the information contained in this application to TRAC. If you are made an offer, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.