Family Engagement Lead Northern Neonatal NetworkinSunderlandinSunderlandPUBLISHED FRI 6 DEC 2024

We have a unique and exciting opportunity for a motivated and confident individual to join our Northern Neonatal Network as a Family Engagement Lead.

This post is for 18 months and is jointly funded between the Local Maternity & Neonatal System (LMNS) and the Northern Neonatal Network (NNN) and is designed to be collaborative and to evolve to the family needs.

The post holder will work with families across the north east and north Cumbria to ensure that the voices of families who have a neonatal experience are heard. It is our wish that these families help to shape future neonatal experiences by highlighting where care can be improved and to also make sure that services are shaped in a way that is co-designed. The post holder will work within the national recommendations of the National Critical Care Review and will support Ficare practices, Baby Friendly Initiatives and other work continuing in our neonatal units. They will be expected to meet with families who are currently in units as well as meet with parents who are now in the community to gather feedback ensuring that equity and equality are maintained. The post holder will work with our existing care coordinators as well as the Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership and our third sector partners to ensure that care and support is the best that it can be for our families wherever they are across our geographical area.

The main duties of the role will be one that puts the voice of families who have had a neonatal experience at the forefront; hence the postholders time will primarily spent talking to and listening to parents. We expect the postholder to harness information from families in a variety of ways such as having listening events, on-line forums, face to face discussions and utilising data collection tools such as surveys to make sure that we get to the heart of what parents want. We also expect this information to be fed back to the NNN as well as the wider LMNS so that those voices are translated into collaborative working and that ultimately care, and treatment is sensitive to their needs, with the aim being that we have increased partnership working for the future.

You will be working within the NNN team where there is access to care coordinators, clinicians, and representatives of all ten neonatal units within the footprint. As part of the LMNS, there is access to the MNVP, as well as clinical staff and the maternity units across the north east; thus, providing many opportunities for collaborative working and access to meet the needs of our families.

To access this role, you should be expert by either neonatal experience or by profession and it is equally open to both.

If you are interested in becoming part of our fantastic team then we would welcome your application.

About us

PLEASE REFER TO THE ATTACHED JOB DESCRIPTION and PERSON SPECIFICATION FOR FULL DUTIES OF THE ROLE.

This post is a collaboration between the Northern Neonatal Network and the Local Maternity and Neonatal System and exists to ensure strong communication and the development of partnership and move towards greater integrated working to put the voice of families who use neonatal services across the Northeast and North Cumbria at the heart of what we do.

This post will help amplify the parent and family voice to develop, improve and enhance Family Integrated Care in all units across the region, developing family engagement initiatives and meeting the aims and key deliverables of the National Neonatal Critical Care Review (NCCR) 2and the neonatal commitments outlined in the NHS Long Term Plan (2and Three-Year Delivery Plan (2022).

A key role is to work across the region to help effect how neonatal services can be provided more effectively for all our varied communities, whilst championing consistency.

The post holder will forge key relationships with the network Care Coordinators, the Parent Advisory Group and the local MNVPs to compassionately seek out and listen to the voices of parents and families who have had a neonatal experience and help shape services accordingly.

This is a fixed term contract to 18 months and will be evaluated throughout.