Are you looking for a job where you can make a real difference? At Phyllis Tuckwell, we pride ourselves on offering exceptional care to our patients and their families and carers.
Phyllis Tuckwell is seeking to appoint an experienced Patient and Family Advisor to join our Patient and Family Services team. This role will be based across our Farnham and Guildford sites and will also involve working within the community. You will provide emotional, social and practical support to patients under the care of the hospice who are living with life‑limiting illnesses, as well as to their families.
If you would like to feel part of a welcoming and committed team, benefit from strong peer and managerial support, and want to develop your career with excellent training and education opportunities, we would be delighted to hear from you.
Main duties of the job
About You:
* Have relevant experience of working within hospice, hospital, clinical or social settings
* Demonstrate experience of working with adults and families affected by life‑limiting or terminal illness
* Be skilled in undertaking holistic assessments that address physical, emotional, social, spiritual and practical needs
* Have an understanding of safeguarding legislation
* Be able to work independently and as part of a busy team
* Work across the Farnham and Guildford sites as well as visits in the community
For a full list of essential requirements, please refer to the job description and person specification document.
About Us
We are based in Farnham and Guildford and provide bespoke, compassionate palliative and end‑of‑life care for people living with an advanced or terminal illness, across West Surrey and North‑East Hampshire.
We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive culture, with the principles of fairness and equality at its core. We are an equal opportunities employer, who values and respects our employees unique knowledge, skills and experiences. We warmly welcome applications from all sections of the community. All appointments are made following a fair and equitable process, based on merit, job requirements and business need.
We Offer:
* Continuation of NHS Pension or Phyllis Tuckwell Group Personal Pension Plan (matched contributions up to 7.5%)
* Employee Assistance Programme
* Blue Light Discount Card
* Access to learning and professional development opportunities (we have an on‑site education team)
A Great Place to Work
* Flexible hours and flexible working
* Clinical supervision and support
* 97% of our staff are proud to work for Phyllis Tuckwell **Phyllis Tuckwell Birdsong Hospice staff survey 2023
This post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.
Job responsibilities
PHYLLIS TUCKWELL
JOB DESCRIPTION
POST: Patient and Family Advisor (Patient and Family Services)
Accountable to: Patient, Family, Carer Manager and Safeguarding Lead
Job purpose:
The Patient and Family Services Team deliver emotional, social and practical support to patients and their families facing life‑limiting illness and bereavement. They work in conjunction with the Phyllis Tuckwell (PT) multi‑disciplinary team to facilitate the provision of high quality compassionate and holistic care. The role involves coordinating and delivering social care for patients with advanced illnesses and their families, either at home or in care settings.
1.0 Key Areas of Responsibility:
* 1.1 Care Planning and Delivery: Develop and implement personalised care plans following best practices, focusing on advocacy, empowerment, and individual needs. Provide options for patients and carers affected by social, financial or emotional challenges. Support patients and families in care planning, including guidance around sources of funding, care options, Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) and wills.
* 1.2 Care Coordination and Advocacy: Advocate on behalf of patients to ensure their preferences are central to care decisions. Act as a link between Phyllis Tuckwell (PT) and external agencies such as Local Authorities, NHS and other organisations. Connect patients and families with other internal services and signpost to external organisations (mental health, housing, legal services).
* 1.3 Family and Carer Support and Advice: Undertake holistic assessment and regular review of carer needs, exploring appropriate support options tailored to each situation. Provide individualised 1:1 support to carers, including emotional support, practical guidance, care alternatives and funding advice, while signposting to other relevant agencies or services. Support carers through key transitions in a patient’s care journey such as hospital discharge, changes in care setting or changes in care needs, offering emotional reassurance, practical information and coordination to help them navigate these changes with confidence. Deliver training sessions and guidance to families to equip them for the challenges of caring at the end of life.
* 1.4 Emotional and Psychosocial Support: Provide immediate crisis intervention and emotional support for patients and families during times of distress or uncertainty. Monitor emotional wellbeing throughout a patient’s journey, identifying distress early and offering timely support or referral to counselling or psychological services.
* 1.5 Support for Children, Young People and Families: Deliver age‑appropriate support to children and young people experiencing anticipatory grief or bereavement. Facilitate group programmes such as bereavement cafe or bereavement support groups for children and young people. Collaborate with schools, alongside the counselling team, to provide educational workshops and guidance on supporting bereaved students.
* 1.6 Team Collaboration: Work with multidisciplinary teams, including attendance to MDTs (multi‑disciplinary meetings) and volunteers to reflect on and enhance patient care.
* 1.7 Community Engagement: Participate in local community initiatives to raise awareness of PT services. Build and maintain partnerships with external organisations (i.e. hospitals, schools, voluntary groups).
* 1.8 Safeguarding: Identify and escalade safeguarding concerns appropriately, in line with statutory guidance and organisational policy. Take a proactive approach to early intervention and prevention by recognising early signs of vulnerability, supporting individuals and families to navigate complex care situations, and helping to reduce risks before harm occurs.
* 1.9 Group Work: Lead and/or co‑facilitate group work with patients and/or carers.
* 1.10 Diversity: Ensure sensitivity to cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds.
* 2.0 Managerial: Effective time and workload management. Adherence to PT policies (especially around patient safety and governance). Appropriate escalation of concerns or risks.
* 3.0 Training and Development: Contribution to staff and volunteer training, and to a collaborative learning environment. Participation in activities to share good practice. Attendance at multi‑disciplinary meetings both internal and external as and when necessary. Engaging in relevant training activities and keeping current with professional developments. Review and commitment to developing own learning needs through the appraisal process.
* 4.0 Research: To be aware of key developments in policy, research and practice; participate in research projects should opportunities present themselves. To actively contribute and take part in any quality measuring systems that Phyllis Tuckwell is involved with, relating to patient care.
* 5.0 Safeguarding, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: Role holders are required to ensure the safeguarding of vulnerable adults and that all legal requirements relating to Mental Capacity Act 2005, Mental Health Act 1983 (amended 2007), and Liberty Protection Safeguards (2020) are considered and adhered to in relation to patient care. Phyllis Tuckwell is committed to equal opportunities and inclusivity, valuing and respecting everyone as individuals, with diverse opinions, cultures, lifestyles and circumstances. This job description is underpinned by Phyllis Tuckwell’s philosophy, culture and core values, which actively embrace diversity and inclusion, and promote total team spirit.
This job description is a broad reflection of current duties, but it is not exhaustive. It will be regularly reviewed to reflect priorities and developments during the year.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Educated to GCSE level (or equivalent), including English and Maths
* NVQ Level 3 (or equivalent) in Health & Social Care, Social Care, Counselling Skills, or a related field
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.
Patient, Family and Carer Support Manager
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