Job summary
The Family Liaison Officer (FLO) will support families and loved ones through the difficult process of an investigation into a death, or serious incident which has occurred within a service provided by the Trust. This will include the day-to-day management of the interaction of the family in the investigation and close liaise with the Investigating Officer to ensure that families are treated appropriately, professionally and with respect for their needs.
Main duties of the job
As a senior leader in the Trust, the post holder will contribute to the leadership of the patient safety agenda across the organisation. This will include working closely with the Patient Safety Lead and Manager, Patient Safety Specialists, informatics colleagues, Datix team, complaints team, PALS team, communications colleagues, and colleagues in our directorates. The post holder will have responsibility for briefing Directorate, Executive and Board members regarding feedback from families and loved ones, including delivering regular reports.
The post-holder will support the Deputy Chief Nurse, patient safety colleagues, trust-wide investigators and directorate colleagues, with the overview and co-ordinating function for leading and developing the Trust approach to supporting families and loved ones post serious incident.
The post-holder will build upon their specialist knowledge and function as an expert professional leader within patient safety, effectively contributing to the Trust agenda.
The post holder will hold their own portfolio of projects as agreed with the Patient Safety Lead and Manager, and the Deputy Chief Nurse, which will align to the Trust Strategy.
The post-holder will lead and contribute to the local delivery of the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework and Learning from Patient Safety Events, ensuring we meet system-wide and national requirements and expectations.
About us
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest providers of mental health services in the country. It provides services locally across Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark as well as regionally, nationally and internationally. The Trust has a turnover of approximately £300+ million and employs about 5,000 staff. The PMOA Operations Directorate provides specialist mental health services to adults with mental health problems in the Borough of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark as well as nationally. Its portfolio of services includes community services, in-patient and national specialist services.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To provide a main point of contact for all families and loved ones involved in a serious incident.
- To establish communications with families and loved ones, and guide and support them through the investigation process to the conclusion as naturally dictated by the circumstances. The FLO will assist in providing clear and accurate information about the Trusts investigation processes.
- To work closely with the central investigation team and directorate colleagues to identify families and loved ones who require the support of the FLO and establish a clear communications plan/route for each individualised case. In circumstances where families are estranged the FLO will need to deal with the challenge of appropriate sharing of information.
- To work with families and provide an individualised and appropriate level of support that is identified as being required. This communication could be by telephone, digitally or home visit.
- To create a professional relationship of trust and honesty, which will enable the families to ask the questions that they wish to be answered as part of the investigation process.
- To listen and manage queries in a proactive manner, signposting individuals to other services when necessary, for example but not exclusive: General Practitioner, Counselling services for example Cruise, Hospice Services, Red Lipstick Foundation, Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide (SOBS), and the Coroners Officer for details on pending inquests. It may be necessary to establish the first contact with these services of behalf of the individuals.
- To accurately record all communication records and plans, and assure that our clinical record is updated to incorporate this information.
- To support the family or loved one with the receipt and interpretation of the final investigation report (where appropriate), sign posting questions back to the original investigating officer or service manager as appropriate.
- Maintain accurate record keeping providing data analysis and learning stories for inclusion in Board level reporting; this must include themes and the capture of satisfaction with the role function for future planning. The postholder must be confident to present these stories in a multitude of professional meetings inclusive of Trust Board.
- Provide formal reports analysing the effectiveness of the family liaison service.
- Become an expert in legal terminology of Duty of Candour.
- Attend Coroners courts, when required, as a representative of the Trust in coordination with our legal services team.
- Provide Family Liaison skills training.
- Has the ability to risk assess and escalate concerns to the most appropriate person.
- Is able to research and update Trust policies and practices with regard to difficult but honest and open conversations becoming an internal expert.
- Responsible for horizon scanning and developing external networks to stay updated on national best practice and initiatives relating to family and carer liaison support.
- Contribute to the implementation of the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF).
- Work closely with colleagues in the psychology directorate, when required.
- To deputise for the team manager as required, including responsibilities for budgets and payments.
- To work within the patient safety budget.
- To manage financial commitments, e.g. payments for work from members of the Involvement Register, in line with Trust Policies.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To provide a main point of contact for all families and loved ones involved in a serious incident.
- To establish communications with families and loved ones, and guide and support them through the investigation process to the conclusion as naturally dictated by the circumstances. The FLO will assist in providing clear and accurate information about the Trusts investigation processes.
- To work closely with the central investigation team and directorate colleagues to identify families and loved ones who require the support of the FLO and establish a clear communications plan/route for each individualised case. In circumstances where families are estranged the FLO will need to deal with the challenge of appropriate sharing of information.
- To work with families and provide an individualised and appropriate level of support that is identified as being required. This communication could be by telephone, digitally or home visit.
- To create a professional relationship of trust and honesty, which will enable the families to ask the questions that they wish to be answered as part of the investigation process.
- To listen and manage queries in a proactive manner, signposting individuals to other services when necessary, for example but not exclusive: General Practitioner, Counselling services for example Cruise, Hospice Services, Red Lipstick Foundation, Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide (SOBS), and the Coroners Officer for details on pending inquests. It may be necessary to establish the first contact with these services of behalf of the individuals.
- To accurately record all communication records and plans, and assure that our clinical record is updated to incorporate this information.
- To support the family or loved one with the receipt and interpretation of the final investigation report (where appropriate), sign posting questions back to the original investigating officer or service manager as appropriate.
- Maintain accurate record keeping providing data analysis and learning stories for inclusion in Board level reporting; this must include themes and the capture of satisfaction with the role function for future planning. The postholder must be confident to present these stories in a multitude of professional meetings inclusive of Trust Board.
- Provide formal reports analysing the effectiveness of the family liaison service.
- Become an expert in legal terminology of Duty of Candour.
- Attend Coroners courts, when required, as a representative of the Trust in coordination with our legal services team.
- Provide Family Liaison skills training.
- Has the ability to risk assess and escalate concerns to the most appropriate person.
- Is able to research and update Trust policies and practices with regard to difficult but honest and open conversations becoming an internal expert.
- Responsible for horizon scanning and developing external networks to stay updated on national best practice and initiatives relating to family and carer liaison support.
- Contribute to the implementation of the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF).
- Work closely with colleagues in the psychology directorate, when required.
- To deputise for the team manager as required, including responsibilities for budgets and payments.
- To work within the patient safety budget.
- To manage financial commitments, e.g. payments for work from members of the Involvement Register, in line with Trust Policies.
Person Specification
Application form
Essential
- oClear understanding of the bereavement process.
- oExperience of, or awareness of specific factors relating to working in a culturally diverse inner-city area.
- oClear understanding of the bereavement process.
- oExperience of work with the general public within a public facing service such as health care, volunteer sector support, police.
- oDegree or equivalent
- oCompassionate, with the ability to deal with distressed families and loved ones.
Desirable
- oRegistration as a healthcare professional
- oInvestigation qualification
Person Specification
Application form
Essential
- oClear understanding of the bereavement process.
- oExperience of, or awareness of specific factors relating to working in a culturally diverse inner-city area.
- oClear understanding of the bereavement process.
- oExperience of work with the general public within a public facing service such as health care, volunteer sector support, police.
- oDegree or equivalent
- oCompassionate, with the ability to deal with distressed families and loved ones.
Desirable
- oRegistration as a healthcare professional
- oInvestigation qualification
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Additional information
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
