Family Support Worker | and University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Job Overview

The NHS has committed in the Long-Term Plan to improving care for children and young people (CYP) with complications related to severe obesity and establishing specific clinics in relation to this. NNUH has been commissioned to deliver a Complications Related to Excess Weight (CEW) service. The clinic will be a leader in the field of paediatric obesity using innovative modes to deliver the highest quality patient care.

This service will be supported by a full and specialised multi-disciplinary team providing a bio-psychosocial model for managing conditions and delivering care to our most complex paediatric patients presenting with complications related to excess weight, recognising this is a long-term condition.

• Identify the factors involved in the development of severe obesity;
• Identify and manage complications with input from appropriate tertiary services; improving the efficiency of care delivery and the overall patient journey.
• Deliver an individualised holistic plan to optimise compliance and outcomes.

The post holder will have responsibility for actively participating as a key member of the CEW team. They will provide quality services for an identified client group under the supervision of the CEW Social Worker within the service. The post holder will be accountable and work autonomously within the clearly defined boundaries of the job description and personal competencies, and carry out specific delegated tasks.

This may include some extended roles delegated by the CEW Social Worker.

The post holder will facilitate joined-up working with other services involved, in particular schools and children’s services. Where appropriate, the post holder will attend multi-agency meetings such as Early Help and Family network meetings on behalf of, or in conjunction with, other team members, to support integrated care planning. They will work creatively to support CYP to engage with appropriate community services and facilities to develop and support their identified goals.

As part of this relatively new government initiative, there also is scope to further develop CEW processes and interventions to improve outcomes. To support the delivery of a high-quality, safe and compassionate healthcare service, all staff are expected to act as a role model to others in all aspects of their work and consistently demonstrate NNUH’s ‘PRIDE’ values of People focused, Respect, Integrity, Dedication and Excellence.

The post holder will be expected to work within a multi-disciplinary team to deliver high-quality family/patient-centred care and evidence-based interventions. They must work collaboratively across a range of disciplines, developing knowledge and expertise to enable them to perform non-complex, protocol-limited tasks with minimal supervision. They will support families to put into practice and embed behaviour changes related to weight‑management advice provided by the multi-disciplinary team, both through hospital and community-based interventions.

This may involve advice and support on a variety of matters, including issues such as parenting skills, problem solving, motivation and engagement.

The post holder will work with people with a diverse range of additional needs that often impact on CYP and their families, including neurodiversity, physical and/or learning disabilities, mental health and psycho-social issues, domestic abuse and familial conflict. The post holder will provide valuable observations and feedback to the multi-disciplinary team to help individualise the care pathway for the CYP and their families.

• To be aware of and adhere to all Trust policies and guidelines when undertaking any activities, e.g. Infection Control and Uniform / Dress Code.
• To provide and deliver a high standard of child and family-centred patient care.
• To ensure safe use, maintenance and storage of personal and NNUH equipment.
• To make assessment judgements around what may or may not be significant changes in a child or young person’s condition, involving observations and engagement skills and understanding whether or not to report any changes to a qualified…