About this role
Job summary
We are excited to offer an opportunity to join our newly established Perinatal Advocacy and Family Support Service, developed as part of the Trust's response to national maternity reviews and the wider maternity and neonatal improvement programme.
University Hospitals Sussex is also the subject of an Independent Maternity Review (IMR), commissioned by the Department of Health on behalf of the Secretary of State. The review is due to commence in October 2026 and is expected to run for at least three years. It will examine around 1,000 cases dating back to at least 2018, with the aim of understanding what happened, providing answers for families and identifying learning to improve care across the Trust and wider NHS.
This is an important and highly sensitive programme, with a significant impact on families, current and former staff and the wider organisation. The successful candidate will be embedded within Perinatal teams and will provide administrative and coordination support to the programme team, helping to manage the workload associated with the Sussex review, alongside recommendations arising from other national maternity reviews and investigations.
Main duties of the job
Coordinate referrals, appointments, meetings, training, engagement events and other service activities. Act as a professional and compassionate first point of contact for women, families, staff and professionals accessing the service. Provide administrative support to advocacy, family support, wellbeing, patient experience and review teams. Support Birth Reflections, restorative practice, family engagement and maternity and neonatal learning initiatives. Maintain accurate records, databases, referral pathways and waiting lists, ensuring information is handled confidentially and in accordance with Trust requirements. Support the collection, monitoring and reporting of service data, producing reports, spreadsheets and other information to support evaluation, governance and quality improvement. Support referral prioritisation through the administration of agreed assessment and outcome measures, escalating concerns appropriately in line with established protocols. Work collaboratively with advocacy teams, family support professionals, governance and patient experience colleagues and the Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP).
About us
Working for our organisation
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 abuddy to help new members settle in. We're proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 3) and a Veteran Aware Trust.
Candidate Pack
This vacancy is advertised as a time-limited opportunity is expected to be undertaken on a secondment basis. Before applying, employees must discuss the opportunity with their current line manager to confirm whether they may be released from their substantive role if successful. Release to undertake a secondment is not an automatic entitlement and must be agreed by all relevant parties: the employee, their current line manager, and the recruiting line manager.
Job description Job responsibilities
Provide comprehensive administrative and coordination support across maternity and neonatal advocacy, family support, wellbeing, Birth Reflections, patient experience and review-related services. Act as a sensitive and professional first point of contact for women, families, staff and professionals, managing enquiries and correspondence appropriately and confidentially. Coordinate referrals, appointments, meetings, listening events, restorative discussions, reflective practice, support interventions and training activities, ensuring timely follow-up and appropriate escalation. Maintain accurate and up-to-date electronic records, databases, referral trackers and waiting lists, ensuring compliance with Trust information governance and data protection requirements. Support the administration and monitoring of referral pathways, including agreed assessment questionnaires, screening tools and outcome measures, escalating concerns or identified risks to the appropriate clinical or professional lead. Collect, collate and quality assure service data, producing reports, statistics, dashboards and presentations to support service monitoring, governance, audit, evaluation and quality improvement. Provide administrative support to governance meetings, family engagement forums, reviews and service development activities, including preparation of agendas, minutes, action logs and supporting documentation. Support the promotion and delivery of staff wellbeing, advocacy, Birth Reflections and family engagement services through communications, events, training and awareness activities. Provide administrative support for procurement, purchase orders, invoices and monitoring of expenditure in accordance with Trust procedures. Contribute to the development and continuous improvement of administrative systems, processes and service delivery, working independently within established policies and escalating issues appropriately. Maintain professional development through mandatory training, appraisal and role-specific learning, and support the induction of new team members where appropriate.
Person Specification
Essential Essential
NVQ Level 3 or Diploma or have equivalent experience in similar post GCSE English & Maths Experience coordinating referrals, appointments, meetings etc Experience maintaining complex databases Experience producing reports, statistical information & performance data Advanced Microsoft Office skills including Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook, Teams etc
Desirable
Experience working within perinatal teams, family support, counselling etc. Experience supporting referral management processes, waiting list coordination etc. Knowledge and understanding of trauma informed approaches Experience using CareFlow, BadgerNet, SharePoint or other NHS admin systems
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.
Employer details Employer name University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (279)
Address TBC
Worthing
BN11 2DH
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)