Family Ambassador

Overview

This is an exciting opportunity to support the transformation of children and young people’s specialist Tier 4 inpatient and intensive community mental health services. As a Family Ambassador you will ensure the needs and views of parents and families are heard and acted on, providing warmth, personal skills and effective communication to support families with a young person in Tier 4 CAMHS services.

• Work with parents and families from pre‑admission to discharge.
• Help parents and families understand the inpatient system and processes, providing clear, high‑quality information.
• Work proactively with the allocated inpatient unit to support communication processes between the clinical unit and parents/families, enabling a compassionate and responsive approach.
• Empower parents to access information and to be part of planning, where the young person consents.
• Provide local area knowledge to support parents and families with information and signposting.
• Serve as a point of liaison on family and carer matters, supporting quality‑improvement initiatives for inclusive engagement.
• Help parents raise concerns and, where appropriate, take action to raise those concerns.
• Use lived experience to encourage clinical teams to value lived experience in meaningful conversations at all levels.

• NVQ 4 level or equivalent qualification or significant proven experience.
• Experience working as part of a team, engaging and supporting others; receiving supervision and instruction.
• Understanding of confidentiality and the Data Protection Act.
• Personal lived experience of a family member who has been in inpatient mental health, learning disability services or required complex support across health, social care or education.

• Comfortable sharing lived experience and acting as a champion for the value of lived experience within the inpatient unit and the wider provider collaborative team.
• Strong empathy, understanding, kindness and the ability to build trust and rapport with families, professionals and the wider team.
• Ability to communicate effectively with families to help them navigate Tier 4 services and best support their young person.

Based at Emerald Place Clinic, Farmfield Drive, Charlwood, Horley, RH6 0BN. This is a 15‑hour per week post with a flexible working approach; a regular presence at the unit is expected, but hours can be arranged and split across the week. Some home or remote working is supported.

Flexible working. Full induction programme, training and ongoing support. Access to professional development opportunities.