Staffline Recruitment Ireland
Practitioner , Belfast
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Practitioner
Location: PCC
Hours: Full-Time, 37.5 hours per week
Pay Rate: £15.88 per hour
Job Summary
The Senior Practitioner will deliver an effective engagement, involvement, advocacy, and support service to the public, including patients, service users, carers, families, and communities on both an individual and group basis across Northern Ireland:
Individual support:
- Engage on a one-to-one/family basis, offering advocacy, guidance, and confidential support to people who use HSC services over the phone and in person at meetings.
- Support them to become engaged and involved in HSC services.
- Provide individual advocacy support to the public which involves promoting the interests of the individual and helping them find their voice.
Group support:
- Support group sessions aimed at capturing the voice of the public and facilitate their involvement in providing feedback on Health and Social Care services with the intention of improving and informing service development and change.
- Work on a range of engagement and advocacy activities to enhance the participation of the public with health and social care services and the wider system to achieve change.
The post holder will support the public either individually or in groups at any stage of their journey with the PCC, e.g., at point of entry, early resolution, crisis intervention, signposting, and support including longer-term case work; to include Serious Adverse Incidents (SAIs) and Public Inquiries as designated. The post holder may be required to coordinate designated projects. Through this, they will deliver on the following organizational objectives:
- Listen and act on people's views: We represent the interests of the public by engaging with them to obtain their views on services and engaging with Health and Social Care (HSC) organisations to ensure that the needs and expectations of the public are addressed in the planning, commissioning, and delivery of health and social care services.
- Encourage people to get involved: We promote the involvement of patients, clients, carers, and the public in the design, planning, commissioning, and delivery of health and social care.
- Give confidential guidance: We provide assistance to individuals who have a concern relating to health and social care.
- Promote guidance and information: We promote the provision of guidance and information to the public by the HSC about the design, commissioning, and delivery of health and social care services.
Key Duties / Responsibilities
- To provide individual advocacy support to the public and their families which involves promoting the interests of the individual and helping them find their voice.
- To assist individuals in sharing their views about health and social care services and supporting them to get involved in change processes.
- To work across the PCC engagement structures including facilitating conversations with members, hosting Citizen Hubs, and facilitating Engagement Platform discussions and working groups.
- To provide 1:1 advice, guidance, and confidential support to people who use HSC services over the phone and in person at relevant meetings. This may include supporting individuals who have a concern, complaint, or issue relating to health and social care.
- To manage a defined caseload of individuals or group advocacy as determined by your line manager and meet with them as required.
- To participate in a Duty Rota, answering calls coming through the PCC helpline, providing immediate support and guidance, and working alongside team members to manage the PCC email inbox.
- To use problem-solving skills in the provision of guidance, signposting, and support to members of the public.
- Seek advice from colleagues and escalate to Service Managers where appropriate.
- To work with individuals to agree a tailored plan of action, taking account of specific needs and the resolution sought by them.
- To operate holistically and with a multi-agency approach, in partnership with other agencies and professionals as needed.
- To review and assess detailed case information and work with individuals and groups to express their concerns and formal complaints in a manner necessary to achieve resolution.
- To provide support as directed to families and individuals involved in HSC Complaints processes including Serious Adverse Incidents and Public Inquiries at the designated level of complexity.
- To maintain a comprehensive and current knowledge of relevant policies and procedures.
- To develop positive working relationships and networks with other organisations across the community, voluntary, and statutory sectors.
- To use supportive passporting to signpost individuals as needed to other services and sources of support, maximising their access to treatment and care.
- To recognise, respond, and provide support and signposting as needed where individuals are experiencing emotional distress e.g., bereavement, trauma, and emotional distress.
- To consider accessibility needs and actively work to overcome barriers e.g., literacy, additional needs, language, emotional distress, etc.
- To work with individuals with particularly complex or challenging issues.
- To identify and respond appropriately to specific risks that may present in the course of working with the public including suicidal ideation, protection of vulnerable adults, and child safeguarding.
- To actively work to empower individuals and to employ the PCC methodology in engaging, involving, and supporting the public; including through voice, partnership, mediation, advocacy, relationships, evidence, co-production, and innovations.
- To accompany individuals to meetings with service providers and relevant stakeholders, including preparing with them in advance and ensuring a clearly defined statement of purpose and desired outcome.
- To coordinate - on behalf of individuals - multi-agency meetings and assist in facilitating conversations to achieve a resolution.
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Requirements
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- 1a. A university degree or a relevant professional qualification and 2 years' experience in working in a paid capacity with vulnerable people who require support to overcome significant challenges. OR
- 1b. At least 5 years' experience in working with vulnerable people who require support to overcome significant challenges, to include 1 year's experience of coordinating projects or casework that involve partnership work and people engagement or advocacy. AND
- Experience of liaising with or working in statutory and voluntary agencies.
- Experience of developing effective relationships with service providers who are the subject of concerns, to achieve an appropriate balance between advocacy and constructive challenge to the benefit of users of the service.
- Experience of engaging with people and using advanced communication skills, including empathy and active listening, to establish rapport and work effectively to understand and resolve concerns.
If you are interested and available for this position, please upload your CV to the link or contact Stephanie Wilson at stephanie.wilson@stafflinerecruit.com. To be shortlisted for this role, all applicants MUST meet the essential criteria. Please note that these roles may be filled quickly, but your CV will be kept on file for future similar roles. As there are so many applications, unsuccessful candidates may not be contacted. Successful candidates may need to apply for an Access NI Certificate with Staffline regardless if you already have a valid certificate. It will be a cost of between £16-£32 depending on clearance level.
Desired Skills and Experience
Experience:
- 1a. A university degree or a relevant professional qualification and 1 year's experience in working in a paid capacity with vulnerable people who require support to overcome significant challenges. OR
- 1b. At least 4 years' experience in working with vulnerable people who require support to overcome significant challenges.
Qualifications:
- A good working knowledge of Health and Social Care Complaints Procedures.
- Hold or be working towards a professional qualification in advocacy or a similar relevant discipline.
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