About this role
Job summary
As part of our commitment to strengthening maternity and neonatal services ahead of the Independent Maternity Review, we are establishing a new Family Liaison Officer (FLO) Team across University Hospitals Sussex.
We are recruiting FLOs across UHSussex, with one post aligned to each site: Princess Royal Hospital (PRH), Royal Sussex County Hospital (RSCH), Worthing Hospital (WH) and St Richard's Hospital (SRH).
Each FLO will be based at a designated site while working collaboratively across the Trust under the leadership of the Perinatal Advocacy Lead, ensuring a consistent and compassionate approach across maternity and neonatal services.
These newly created roles will act as a key point of contact for women, families and staff, helping to improve communication, coordinate support and enhance the experience of care. Working closely with clinical teams, FLOs will promote family-centred care and contribute to service improvement across maternity and neonatal services.
The FLO team will help ensure families feel informed, listened to and supported while promoting openness, learning and positive experiences.
These three-year fixed-term opportunities offer the chance to develop leadership, communication, quality improvement and service development skills while contributing to a significant programme of maternity transformation.
Participation in the Manager on Call rota is required.
Main duties of the job
Act as a key point of contact for women, birthing people and families who have experienced adverse maternity or neonatal outcomes, including bereavement, birth trauma, serious incidents and concerns about care. Provide compassionate, trauma-informed and restorative support to families throughout their care journey and any review or investigation processes. Support families to access information, services and resources, ensuring they feel informed, listened to and supported. Build and maintain effective relationships with families, clinical teams and external agencies to improve communication and coordination of care. Act as a key worker and advocate for families, signposting to appropriate support services where required. Collect, review and analyse information and data to support service improvement, reporting and response to enquiries. Prepare reports, provide updates and attend internal and external meetings as required. Support perinatal staff by offering guidance, facilitating communication and helping resolve concerns and queries. Contribute to improving patient experience, family-centred care and learning across maternity and neonatal services. Support ongoing maternity and neonatal improvement programmes, including work associated with the Independent Maternity Review. Work collaboratively across all maternity and neonatal sites within University Hospitals Sussex. Participate in the Manager on Call rota.
About us
At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always deliver Excellent Care Everywhere, as shown in our Outstanding for Caring CQC rating. Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of staff networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We're proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 3) and a Veteran Aware Trust.
Candidate Pack https://www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/resources/candidate-information-pack/
Job description Job responsibilities
This is an exciting opportunity to help shape the future of family-centred care within University Hospitals Sussex. Successful candidates will play a key role in enhancing the experience of women, birthing people and families, ensuring they feel informed, supported and listened to throughout their maternity and neonatal journey.
As a three-year fixed-term opportunity, these posts provide an excellent platform for career development, enabling candidates to broaden their leadership, communication, quality improvement and service development skills while contributing to a significant programme of maternity transformation.
Applicants should be able to demonstrate experience of working with families in challenging and sensitive circumstances, with a strong understanding of trauma-informed practice, compassionate communication and family-centred care.
If you are passionate about supporting families, improving experiences and driving positive change within maternity and neonatal services, we would love to hear from you.
Join us and help create a compassionate, inclusive and responsive service for women, babies and families across University Hospitals Sussex.
Internal applicants should note that this opportunity will be offered on a secondment basis. Before applying, internal colleagues must discuss the opportunity with their current line manager to confirm whether they can be released from their substantive role if successful. Release to undertake a secondment is not automatic and must be agreed between the colleague, their current line manager, and the recruiting line manager.
Person Specification
Essential Essential
NMC Registered Nurse or Midwife Recent experience of working in perinatal services Qualification in mediation, counselling and/or restorative practice or demonstrable equivalent experience Significant post registration experience Understanding of professional and current issues in maternity & neonatal services Experience of supporting families following adverse maternity, neonatal or paediatric outcomes Understanding of handling clinical incidents and compaints
Desirable
Masters level qualification in related field or equivalent experience Experience of managing multidisciplinary teams Public Health or health inequalities qualification
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Essential
Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role)
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.
Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details Employer name University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (279)
Address PRH, RSCH, SRH, WH
University Hospitals Sussex
Worthing
BN11 2DH
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)