Family Support Worker - Complications of Excessive Weight

We are currently looking to recruit an enthusiastic and motivated Family Support worker to join our Psychological Medicine Service for Children, Young People and their Families, based at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge and employed by CPFT. This is a large team comprised of Clinical Psychologists, Counsellor Practitioners, Nurses, a Family Therapist, Counselling Psychologist and Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists.

Based at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge, the post holder will provide a specialist support to people accessing a new Paediatric service called ‘CEW’, Complications related to Excess Weight

This post is to work as part of a multi-disciplinary healthcare team working into the Complications of Excess Weight CEW clinic, based at Addenbrooke’s Hospital. This is a regional service covering East of England.

The post involves working alongside Medics, Nurses, Psychologist, Assistant Psychologist, Family therapist and Dietitians. It involves working with children, young people and their families, where there are complex medical needs associated with excessive weight requiring hospital and community based interventions. This post is part of a wider pilot project for meeting the healthcare needs of this group of young people.

The role requires assessment and delivery of care in the community; involving the patient, parents and family systems where there are complex social needs. The intervention level ranges from the specialist tertiary hospital based multidisciplinary team to community teams including: community health teams ; social care; education; wellbeing services and primary health care.

The main purpose of the role is to liaise with and advocate for services and resources on behalf of families; to provide direct practical support, financial advice , emotional and social support for families; as well as signposting. The role will require a significant amount of liaising with a range of relevant agencies and teams and where relevant to make appropriate and timely referrals to appropriate local services.

Cambridgeshire & Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust is a health & social care organisation dedicated to providing high quality care with compassion to improve the health & wellbeing of the people we care for, as well as supporting & empowering them to lead a fulfilling life.

Our clinical teams deliver many NHS services not only via inpatient and primary care setting but also with the community. These services include Children, Adult & Older Peoples mental & physical health, Forensic & Specialist mental health, Learning Disabilities, Primary Care & Liaison psychiatry, Substance misuse, Social care, Research & Development.

To achieve our goal, we look to recruit high calibre candidates that share our vision & values. As an equal opportunities employer, we encourage applications from all sectors of the community, particularly from under-represented groups including disabled people & members of our ethnic minorities & LGBTQ+ communities.

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for full details of responsibilities

1. Work independently/alongside psychology to identify physical and psychosocial needs of the family and contribute to the development of individualised plans of care to address needs.
2. Encourage and supervise the interaction of young people with activities, using motivational approaches.
3. To provide education, advice and support the child and family in order to make appropriate lifestyle choices to promote health, well-being and minimise biopsychosocial complications of excess weight.
4. To support and liaise with external agencies to provide quality care for patients.
5. Work with external agencies to provide appropriate activities within both hospital and the community to meet the needs of this patient group.
6. To keep records of the numbers and types of patients receiving recreational services/input and to assess social and emotional capabilities before and after intervention.
7. To attend and contribute to appropriate multi-disciplinary meetings.
8. To assist young people to develop links and contacts with other young people with complications of excess weight.
9. To work collaboratively with other family support workers in the UK, working alongside other professionals to offer an alternative view to working with young people.
10. Initiate and use risk assessments where required for activities within clinic and in the community.
11. Initiate, plan, co-ordinate, monitor and evaluate work which broadens access to social activities for young people.
12. To develop and maintain a close working relationship with people from the community as well as with those involved in other elements of the team’s work.
13. Empower and support the family to identify a personal health plan with SMART goals and coaching support behavioural changes to achieve and maintain these.
14. Help individuals identify how their behaviour and context may affect their health and well-being.
15. Contribute to the reduction of inequalities in health through promoting and supporting people to develop healthier behaviours in the lifestyle in the context of their own and local services.
16. To account for culture and spiritual requirement needs of the patient and family to promote equity, diversity, privacy and dignity.
17. Assisting in the support of families in distressing situations
18. Act as an advocate for child and family. Help parents relatives and friends to communicate their needs and overcome potential language barriers and cultural difference.
19. Support and empower children, young people, and families to make appropriate choices about their care and ensure that these choices are respected.