Family and Carer Support Worker
About us
At Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust we provide a range of mental health, learning disability, substance misuse, primary care and other specialist services designed around the needs of people in our city.
We have a dedicated and skilful team of people caring in Sheffield, which you could become a part of.
Our values are at the heart of everything we do. These are: working together for our service users, respect and kindness, everyone counts, commitment to quality, improving lives.
Job overview
This is an exciting opportunity to develop a new role for the families and carers of people under the care of the Sheffield Early Intervention Service. The post holder will provide general information, personalised advice, support, advocacy and link work for those families and carers.They will be part of a multi-disciplinary team from whom they will receive support and supervision. They will support families and carers in understanding psychosis and how this may impact their relationship with their loved one. The postholder will work out in the community, holding a caseload, and will work with family members, service users and carers.
Main duties of the job- To provide structured emotional and practical support for families and carers of people supported by the Early Intervention Service (EIS).
- To develop and co-facilitate groups and other opportunities for families and carers to connect with each other (e.g. EIS Relatives Group, educational groups, workshops for family members, etc.).
- To increase the engagement of families and carers with available support services.
- To refer families and carers on to specialist carer support services and make referrals to Adult Social Care Services, Department of Work and Pensions and other services as appropriate.
- To work with the team to engage families and carers from marginalised communities, particularly from under-represented communities, such as ethnically diverse groups, Gypsy, Roma Travellers, LGBTQI+ community etc. ensuring information and communication is appropriately adapted and culturally sensitive.
- To develop effective working relationships with key voluntary and statutory services.
Working for our organisation
At SHSC, we prioritise the well-being and safety of both our service users and employees. It is our policy and a condition of employment that all employees must join the DBS Update Service. This service carries an annual fee, which employees are responsible for paying up front.However, employees may claim this cost back through the Trust's Employee Expenses Reimbursement Policy. For those requiring a Basic DBS check, it is necessary to register for a DBS Online Account.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities- To provide structured emotional and practical support for families and carers of people supported by the Early Intervention Service (EIS).
- To develop and co-facilitate groups and other opportunities for families and carers to connect with each other (e.g. EIS Relatives Group, educational groups, workshops for family members, etc.). You will collaborate with team colleagues from across the service in order to best support the needs and preferences of families, friends, and carers.
- To increase the engagement of families and carers with available support services.
- To refer families and carers on to specialist carer support services and make referrals to Adult Social Care Services, Department of Work and Pensions and other services as appropriate.
- To work with the EIS colleagues (e.g. systemic family therapists, clinical psychologists, CBT therapists, recovery workers) to consider the additional needs of wider support networks that may extend beyond families of origin. To include the needs of less formal social networks, e.g., non-residing partners, neighbours, work colleagues, friends etc.
- To support families and carers, and the EIS team more widely, in their understanding of the unique challenges and dilemmas that families and carers can face in supporting a loved one with severe and complex psychological difficulties including hearing voices, suspiciousness, and paranoia.
- To work with the team to engage families and carers from marginalised communities, particularly from under-represented communities, such as ethnically diverse groups, Gypsy, Roma Travellers, LGBTQI+ community etc. ensuring information and communication is appropriately adapted and culturally sensitive.
- To develop effective working relationships with key voluntary and statutory services.
- To understand and observe all safeguarding policies and procedures, specifically in relation to families and carers and the challenges they face.
- To be aware of and attend relevant seminars and teaching sessions around the wellbeing of families and carers.
- To ensure that electronic client records and other information systems are completed accurately and in-line with SHSC clinical and information governance policy.
- To lead on the achievement of targets for the recording and reporting of the Key Performance Indicator (KPI) of carer education and support in line with the National Clinical Audit of Psychosis (NCAP).
- To adhere to SHSC organisational policies and procedures relating to risk and personal safety.
- To participate in regular supervision, team meetings, and other meetings as required.
- To maintain appropriate professional boundaries at all times.
- To identify own training and development needs in conjunction with your line manager and participate in training opportunities as directed.
- To work autonomously, under pressure and within agreed deadlines
- To be able to act calmly in emergencies and to respond in a professional manner to behaviour or situations which may be stressful and challenging
Person specification
Knowledge
Essential criteria- Understanding of mental health and associated systems
- An understanding of the issues and concerns of carers
- Ability to manage to manage challenging situations, and behave in a professional manner.
Qualifications
Essential criteria- NVQ level 3 qualification or equivalent in Care or mental health
Experience
Essential criteria- Direct work with families and carers
- Experience of building supportive relationships with people with mental health needs
- Experience of being a carer, or supporting friends and family of people with mental and/or physical health difficulties
- Experience of co-facilitating group work
- Experience of working with people from marginalised communities
Other
Essential criteria- Demonstrate an ability to engage with and empower families and carers
- Demonstrate an understanding of systemic oppression
Please think about your personal values and how these align with our values when you are applying. Find out more about our organisation through our website.
We are a Disability Confident employer level 2 and hope to achieve level 3 this year. We offer a guaranteed interview to disabled applicants who meet all of the essential criteria for a role. When you apply you will have the opportunity to let us know if you require adjustments to be made, please contact us if you are not sure or if you require adjustments to the application process itself.
Our six staff network groups welcome new members, these are:
- The Ethnically Diverse Staff Network Group
- The Disability Staff Network Group
- The Lived Experience Staff Network Group
- The Rainbow Staff Network Group
- The Staff Carers Staff Network Group
- The Women’s Staff Network Group
We know how important flexible working can be to applicants and therefore we encourage you to discuss any working arrangements as part of this process. We will always aim to accommodate requests, wherever possible.
The Trust is committed to safeguarding adults and children and as part of our safe recruitment practice the successful applicant(s) will be subject to a check with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) if it is deemed appropriate for the role.The cost of the DBS check (currently up to £48.23) must be met by the successful applicant(s).
When applying for this post you will redirected to complete your application in our preferred applicant management system, Trac. If you are successfully offered a role, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.In addition, in submitting an application, you authorise our Trust to confirm any previous NHS service details via the ESR IAT process should you be appointed.
Please note, all communication regarding your application will be made via email, please ensure you check your junk/spam folders as emails are sometimes filtered there.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) when writing job applications
If you choose to use AI or other tools to assist in writing your application, it's essential to personalise this information, particularly your supporting statement.
While AI can help streamline the writing process, these tools cannot fully grasp the context or requirements of the job you’re applying for, nor can they accurately reflect your skills, knowledge, and experience. It is crucial that you personalise your supporting statement by articulating these in your unique voice.
Relying solely on AI to write your application or supporting statement is not advocated by SHSC and could negatively impact your chances of success in the application process.
For example, AI responses…- usually lack relevance and fail to address the key criteria outlined in the job description and person specification.
- may come across as generic and fail to distinguish you from other applicants.
- may be ambiguous or open to misinterpretation. Without careful review and editing, the supporting statement could convey messages that are unclear or misconstrued by hiring managers.
- may include qualifications, skills, knowledge or experience that you do not possess, potentially leading to misrepresentation.
Supporting Statement
The supporting statement is an opportunity for you to showcase how your qualifications, knowledge, skill and experiences align with the requirements and criteria outlined in the job description and person.
Recruiting managers score applications based on the criteria listed in the person specification. Managers will be looking for evidence of how you meet these criteria. To increase your chances of securing an interview, provide examples of how you have applied your skills and knowledge in real-life situations.Share work-related successes and challenges you’ve navigated that align with the criteria. These could be from various aspects of your life, including work, education, and personal experiences.
Consider structuring your statement with clear headings or bullet points. This approach will help both you and the recruiting manager navigate through your application more effectively.