About this role
Job summary
This is an exciting opportunity for someone with an interest in improving services for children, young people, and their families. Working in partnership with people who use services is at the heart of this role, helping to ensure that the support and services developed by Mindworks reflect the needs and experiences of those who access them.
The successful applicant will have recent first-hand experience of accessing or navigating youth mental health services, either for themselves or in a caring or supporting role.
Lived experience is a vital part of how we design, develop, and improve our services. We are committed to embedding these perspectives throughout our organisation to ensure our work is informed by the people we serve.
This role supports the co design of services which is a founding principle of Mindworks. This post is suitable for someone who is enthusiastic and motivated about the involvement of people who use services and their carers and who would like to ensure that participation opportunities are created and meaningful.
This post will sit within our School Based Needs Service, operating within an alliance of partners, aligned with the iTHRIVE framework for system change. This role will develop positive relationships within schools, enabling children to have their say on areas affecting service delivery.
Main duties of the job
Support our participation strategy implementation. Directly engage with children, young people and families. Perform administration and coordination duties. Partnership working. Engaging with staff at all levels of Mindworks to promote participation initiative. Networking with schools, Mindworks partners and other organisations e.g. Surrey County Council Users Voice groups to learn and share best participation practice. Connect with participation colleagues and structures across Surrey including the SABP Central Experience Team for adults, to support alignment of approaches. Support the Induction on Participation and co-production.
This role is also responsible for leading Amplify, a youth led Shadow Board, made up of young people who are passionate about helping develop services. Amplify meet in the evenings and so ability to work out of office hours is necessary.
About us
Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is the leading provider of mental health, learning disability, neurodevelopmental and drug and alcohol services in Surrey and North East Hampshire. We support people of all ages and are passionate about providing high quality care that is delivered at the right time as close to home as possible to help people recover and stay well.
We are one of the top 10 mental Health, Learning Disability and Community Trust to work for nationwide. Our Trust is an inclusive and supportive employer that offers a wide range of staff networks, flexible working, free parking and excellent health and wellbeing support. We also provide a wide range of opportunities to help staff develop and progress.
Surrey is a beautiful county lying just 30 minutes away from Central London and from the South Coast. Our historic market towns and bustling districts are enveloped in wonderful countryside, and our excellent road and rail networks bring the rest of the country within easy reach. For international travel, both Gatwick and Heathrow airports are nearby.
Please note that we reserve the right to close posts as soon as sufficient applications are received.
Regrettably, due to UK Home Office requirements we cannot offer sponsorship for all our job roles.
Applicants must have the right to work in the UK for the duration of the role.
We look forward to receiving your application!
Job description Job responsibilities
Please check the job description & person specification document for more information on the requirements for this job.
This is a Surrey wide post. The base can be flexible but there is an expectation that you will be a car driver who will travel to schools and teams across the County as needed.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Educated to degree level or equivalent experience in a related field Evidence of continuous professional development
Experience Essential
First-hand recent experience navigating or accessing youth mental health services for yourself/on behalf of someone else. Why this matters: We require this experience to ensure we meaningfully embed lived experience into our organisational structures. Experience of undertaking administrative/coordinator responsibilities Experience of working collaboratively with individuals in different roles Experience of working with children and young people and their families in a variety of settings including via facilitation of groups/workshops Experience of engaging with, collecting and analysing experience data/other survey data Experience of working in organisation such as the NHS, schools, the voluntary sector and/or in another mental health environment Experience of co-ordination and planning of projects Experience of developing and improving services Excellent communication skills
Desirable
Experience of database/spreadsheet management Experience delivering training Post Graduate qualification or training in Research Methods/specialist research techniques and/or proven experience in a similar role Confident user of a range of digital tools and platforms to support communication, engagement, administration and presentation of information (Microsoft Forms, Canva, Mentimeter etc).
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.
Employer details Employer name Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Address 18 Mole Business Park
Randalls Road
Leatherhead
KT22 7AD
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.sabp.nhs.uk/working-for-us (Opens in a new tab)