Family Liaison Assistant

The FLA is an extremely challenging, yet rewarding role, supporting the Family Liaison Officer (FLO), and Patient Safety Team Manager in ensuring the Trust meets its statutory and national obligations under Duty of Candour and to contribute to the continual improvement of service delivery.

The successful candidates will be able to demonstrate their ability to communicate effectively with compassion and empathy, building a rapport to support and encourage the engagement of patients and families throughout the difficult process of an investigation into a patient safety incident. Working closely in partnership with investigators and patients or their families, excellent listening skills and the confidence to conduct difficult, but open and honest conversations in a professional and sensitive manner with individuals at all levels or those who may be distressed or grieving, is required.

This is an extremely demanding role which requires resilience, both emotionally and mentally and individuals will need the strength to remain calm when working under pressure. Whilst the successful candidates will be great team players; the ability to work on their own initiative and manage a workload with competing priorities is required.

In return, the successful candidates will have flexible hybrid working and be welcomed into a very supportive and proactive team, with the opportunity to learn and develop within the field of Patient Safety and Family Liaison.

Reporting directly to the Family Liaison Officer, this role will support the delivery of the Trust’s Duty of Candour and Family Liaison responsibilities.

As an FLA there will be requirement to engage with, and support patients and families involved in patient safety incident investigation processes following death or harm whilst receiving Trust care. The post holder will have daily contact with patients and families who may be distressed, angry or grieving where the ability to be able to overcome barriers to understanding or cooperation is vital. They must be able to demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively, providing and receiving complex, sensitive or contentious information where persuasive, motivational, negotiating training, empathetic or reassurance skills are required.

Offer high level organisation, administrative, project support, reporting and written skills

Be a point of reference for the Duty of Candour and Being Open process and, as such, must display a considerable degree of initiative, possess mature judgement and maintain a calm, friendly and efficient manner when dealing with or referring queries on as appropriate

At South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) we have a culture where everyone is valued for being themselves. Our aim is to work together to promote the most inclusive environment possible, which attracts people from the widest range of backgrounds and experiences to enrich the work that we do together, for the benefit of all of our employees, our patients and the communities we serve. We offer flexible working opportunities, inclusive policies and a range of feedback mechanisms to support individuals and to enable a positive, welcoming environment where our people and their careers can thrive in.

We employ over 5,000 employees mainly clinical, operational and emergency response staff as well as supporting roles. We also employ Doctors and volunteers which include community first responders and fire co-responders.

We take all the steps needed to provide the most compassionate patient care possible whilst also providing an enjoyable and safe place to work. We actively promote a positive set of behaviours as being key to our performance both individually and collectively. Our recruitment, selection and screening processes are designed to uphold these standards and we invite all our candidates to actively share with us through these processes how they will bring these behaviours to life.

To view the Trust's Mission, Vision, Values and Goals click here

For further information about this role please see attached the job description and person specification attached.