About this role
Job summary
The Aftercare Practitioner plays a vital role in extending compassionate care beyond clinical intervention, acting as a professional and empathetic point of contact for patients, families, and bystanders following involvement with the service. Based at LIVES HQ in Horncastle and working part-time, the post holder ensures individuals receive timely, clear information about their care, alongside appropriate support and signposting to external services. While not a counselling or fundraising role, the position supports the organisations mission through engagement, awareness, and ongoing connection.
Reporting to the Medical Director, the role is central to enhancing patient experience and strengthening aftercare pathways, particularly for those affected by cardiac arrest and trauma. The Aftercare Practitioner develops accessible resources, coordinates sensitive patient and crew reunions, and manages feedback and messages of thanks. Working with healthcare partners and internal teams, they build understanding of patient journeys and outcomes, ensuring learning is used to improve services.
Combining clinical knowledge with strong interpersonal skills, the post holder maintains professional boundaries, supports safeguarding processes, and ensures all interactions are handled with sensitivity and confidentiality. This role offers the opportunity to shape a developing service area and make a tangible difference to people following life-changing events.
Main duties of the job
Act as the primary point of contact for patients, families, and bystanders following incidents attended by the service, responding to enquiries with empathy, professionalism, and sensitivity. Provide clear, accessible information about care provided and likely next steps, and signpost individuals to appropriate external support services as required. Offer compassionate, non-clinical support while maintaining appropriate professional boundaries.
Coordinate and facilitate patient and crew reunions in a sensitive and respectful manner, and manage messages of thanks and feedback so they are shared meaningfully with staff and volunteers. Support individuals wishing to maintain engagement with the organisation, ensuring this is managed appropriately.
Develop and continuously improve aftercare pathways, communication channels, and resources, ensuring they are accessible, accurate, and responsive to the needs of those affected by cardiac arrest and trauma. Build and maintain a network of partner organisations to strengthen signposting and support.
Work collaboratively with hospitals, ambulance services, and internal teams to understand patient outcomes and care pathways, contributing to learning, service improvement, and organisational insight. Participate in incident reviews, complaints, and safeguarding processes, ensuring accurate documentation and adherence to data protection and professional standards.
About us
For more than half a century LIVES has been at the heart of Lincolnshire's emergency medical response
Working alongside the NHS, our highly trained volunteers and clinical staff respond to 999 and urgent healthcare calls delivering immediate pre-hospital care to people experiencing medical emergencies often arriving first when every second counts
From cardiac arrests and trauma incidents to life-threatening medical conditions we provide critical early treatment, support patients and families at the scene and help save and improve lives across urban rural and remote communities throughout the county
The postholder will work as part of a small friendly team with the ability to genuinely influence and improve the quality of service provided to patients and their families
LIVES supports flexible working patterns, and this could be a great portfolio role for someone wishing to continue clinical practice alongside
Job description Job responsibilities
1. Patient, Family and Bystander Contact
Act as the primary point of contact for patients, families, and bystanders following incidents attended by the service Respond to enquiries, questions, and feedback with empathy, professionalism, and sensitivity Provide clear, accessible information about the care provided and what individuals may expect next Signpost to appropriate external support services where required Provide support to bystanders who may have been affected by their involvement in an incident Provide compassionate aftercare support to patients and families, including sensitively signposting those who express interest to appropriate supporter or fundraising opportunities that help sustain and expand the charitys wider services. Actively support the organisations charitable mission by contributing to fundraising, awareness, and engagement activities alongside clinical duties.2. Reunions and Ongoing Engagement
Coordinate and facilitate patient and crew reunions in a sensitive and appropriate manner Manage messages of thanks and feedback, ensuring they are shared meaningfully with staff and volunteers Support individuals who wish to maintain a connection with the organisation, while maintaining clear boundaries 3. Aftercare Pathway Development and Resources
Develop and continuously improve aftercare processes, ensuring there are clear, consistent, and accessible routes for individuals to make contact Design and maintain appropriate communication channels (e.g. email, web, referral routes) Identify, build, and maintain a network of external support services to enable effective signposting Develop and maintain clear, accessible information resources for patients, families, and bystanders (e.g. FAQs, website content, guidance materials) Ensure all aftercare information is accurate, appropriate, and reflects the needs of those affected by cardiac arrest and trauma 4. Partnership Working
Liaise with hospitals, ambulance services, and other partners to understand patient outcomes and care pathways Build effective working relationships with external organisations to support aftercare and signposting Ensure all information sharing is appropriate, proportionate, and compliant with data protection requirements 5. Learning and Service Improvement
Contribute to the organisations understanding of patient outcomes, particularly in cardiac arrest and trauma Identify themes, insights, and opportunities to improve clinical care and patient experience Work closely with clinical and governance teams to ensure learning is captured and acted upon Participate and support with coroner cases, claims, incidents and complaints in collaboration with the wider quality team 6. Safeguarding and Professional Practice
Maintain appropriate professional boundaries at all times Recognise and escalate safeguarding concerns in line with organisational policies Ensure accurate and appropriate documentation of all contacts and interactions
Assist with management of the safeguarding process in collaboration with the wider quality team
Person Specification
Knowledge and Skills Essential
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to handle sensitive conversations Ability to provide reassurance and guidance without delivering counselling Understanding of the importance of confidentiality, safeguarding, and professional boundaries Ability to identify appropriate support services and build effective signposting pathways Ability to develop clear, accessible written content for a range of audiences Strong organisational skills and ability to manage a varied workload
Qualifications Essential
Registered healthcare professional (e.g. nurse, paramedic, allied health professional or similar)
Personal Attributes Essential
Compassionate, empathetic, and emotionally intelligent Calm and resilient, with the ability to manage exposure to difficult situations Proactive and able to develop new approaches and ways of working Professional, with sound judgement and clear boundaries Collaborative and committed to improving patient outcomes Demonstrable alignment with the organisations values and commitment to compassionate, patient-centred care
Experience Essential
Experience of supporting patients and/or families to understand care, treatment, and outcomes Experience of working with individuals in sensitive or potentially distressing situations
Desirable
Experience within a charity or voluntary sector environment is advantageous but not essential
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.
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 LIVES
Address Boston Road Industrial Estate
Horncastle
Lincolnshire
LN9 6SB
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://lives.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)