Job summary
This advert may close earlier than date published due to the high volume of applications.
Water Meadow View is a new mental health inpatient unit for adults who have learning disabilities, which is due to open in Winter 2025 on our site in Whittingham, Preston. As we prepare to open this unit, we have a brand new and exciting opportunity for a Lived Experience Quality Assurance Lead to join us and support the Multi-Disciplinary Team to deliver outstanding person-centred care.
Main duties of the job
This role will play a vital part in ensuring that the voices of people who use our service are embedded in everything we do.
One of the Trust's aims is to deliver the best possible care to our patients, and this new inpatient unit will do just that. Water Meadow View will offer clinical excellence, support, and safety, with patient-centred care at its heart.
The Lived Experience Quality Assurance Lead will be responsible for incorporating the insights and perspectives of individuals with lived experience into quality assurance (QA) processes. This role focuses on ensuring that Water Meadow View is developed and improved through the direct input of people who have first-hand experience of using the service. The role requires a deep commitment to co-production, inclusion, and continual improvement.
About us
Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of services including secondary mental health care across this area. Specialist provision comprises inpatient child and adolescent mental health services, perinatal mental health and forensic services including low and medium secure care.
The Trust also provides a range of physical health and well-being services in the community alongside a range of partners in the Lancashire, Cumbria and Sefton area.
Lancashire & South Cumbria Foundation Trust encourages flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as; term time, part time, compressed hours, flexi-time and career breaks. We encourage applicants to state clearly on their application forms this request and discuss these options at interview.
Job description
This role requires a person with lived experience of learning disability (as a service user, family member, direct support staff (PA)) with up-to-date knowledge of health policy and legislation applicable for learning disabilities and mental health inpatient services and experience of working together with the learning disability community and/or providers to reduce barriers to healthcare.
The post holder will be responsible for the leadership of co-produced quality improvement projects to ensure delivery of a high-quality specialist inpatient mental health service, meeting the complex and diverse needs of the learning disability population. Opportunities for line management support will be met by the service; however, the leadership of quality improvement projects will be the responsibility of this post-holder.
The key responsibilities of this role are:
* To lead quality assurance processes by integrating feedback and insights from individuals with lived experience.
* Act as a voice for individuals with Learning Disabilities, ensuring their perspectives shape service development and improvement.
* Promote a culture that values lived experience as a critical component of service improvement.
* Conduct quality assurance activities, including audits, service evaluations, observations and feedback collection.
* Work collaboratively with service users, families, and staff to co-produce improvements.
* Advocate for service users rights, dignity and high- quality care within Water Meadow View.
* Support training and awareness initiatives to enhance staff understanding of lived experience.
* To be an expert role model and provide leadership within Water Meadow View by ensuring systems are in place to share knowledge, expertise and examples of good practice.
* Support the governance and duty of care to safeguarding others by acting in accordance with Trust policy and procedures.
* Provide leadership to Peer facilitators working on the unit.
Person Specification
Education/Qualification: Degree or equivalent level of qualification.
Knowledge: Committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion, ensuring the voices of people with lived experience are heard. Knowledge of co-production approaches and principles, strong understanding of quality assurance principles and practices, and knowledge of the needs of people with learning disabilities and mental health problems.
Experience: This role requires a person with direct lived experience of learning disability (as a service user, family member, direct support staff (PA)), experience of supporting individuals access to health services or using mental health services, and experience of working collaboratively with staff, and others with lived experience and partnership working across a range of agencies.
Personal: Passionate about improving outcomes for people with learning disabilities, empathetic, open minded and a strong advocate for user-led service improvements, resilient and adaptable, able to work both independently and collaboratively, excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work with people from a variety of backgrounds and experiences.
Employer details
Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust
L7F9 L2092 Water Meadow View, Guild Lodge, Whittingham, Preston, PR3 2JH
Visit our website: https://www.lscft.nhs.uk/
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