Job summary
Have you cared for a loved one who has accessed mental health services for an eating disorder?
Do you want to be part of the change to improve carer involvement and co-production in eating disorders care across the West Midlands?
We have an exciting opportunity for highly motivated and enthusiastic individual with lived experience of providing care and support to loved one accessing secondary care services for an eating disorder in a personal / unpaid capacity to join our team as a Senior Carer Co-Production and Engagement Facilitator.
As a Senior Carer Co-Production and Engagement Facilitator, you will be a valued member of supported West Mids. - the West Midlands Adult Eating Disorder Provider Collaborative. Employed by Midlands Partnership Foundation Trust but working across the West Midlands you will work part time hours ( hours per week) with a mix of working from home, community facing and hospital site-based work.
You will collaborate closely with our Professional Lead for Lived Experience Practice, who will offer professional supervision, support, and guidance. As part of an organization that values a diverse workforce, you'll find well-established learning and development opportunities.
Main duties of the job
In this role, you'll share relevant personal experiences and utilize insights and skills from your own journey of being a carer to a loved one navigating their way through an eating disorder to support other carers to feel heard and to share their experiences on both a one-to-one and group basis. With the support and guidance of our Professional Lead for lived experience practice you will lead on building up a network of carers who would like to share their experiences to elicit change. You will alsotake responsibility for designated projects and for co-ordinating co-production opportunities, including supporting with training and the production of relevant resources.
It is anticipated this will be a dynamic role with lots of variation and will include tasks such as;
1. Developing opportunities to engage and co-produce with carers
2. Facilitating and co-facilitating workshops to support co-production.
3. Co-facilitating training sessions.
4. Attending in-person events to promote our lived experience network and available opportunities.
5. Creating communication and marketing materials.
6. Providing support and supervision to other members of the lived experience workforce.
About us
By joining Team MPFT, you will be helping your communities and in return for this, we will support you by;
7. Supporting your career development and progression
8. Excellent NHS Pension scheme
9. Generous maternity, paternity and adoption leave
10. Options for flexible working
11. Up to 27 days annual leave (increasing with service up to 33 days) and the opportunity to purchase additional leave
12. Extensive Health and Wellbeing support and resources
13. If you work in our community teams, we pay for your time travelling between patients
14. Lease car if you complete more than 500 business miles per annum, fully insured and maintained (including tyres), mileage paid at lease car rate
15. Salary sacrifice car - fully insured and maintained (including tyres), your gross pay is reduced by the cost of the vehicle before tax, NI and pension deductions are calculated, mileage paid at business rates
16. Salary sacrifice bikes up to £2k
17. Free car parking at all trust sites
18. Free flu vaccinations every year
19. Citizens Advice support linked with a Hardship Fund for one off additional support up to £250 (if the criteria is met)
And more. We are proud to be a diverse and inclusive organisation and there is a choice of staff networks that help you meet like-minded people.
Please note, we may be required to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications
Job description
Job responsibilities
The opportunity has arisen to join the SupportED West Mids. Provider Collaborative Team as a Senior Carer Co-production and Engagement Facilitator for Adult Eating Disorder Services.
The role of Senior Carer Co-production and Engagement Facilitator has been developed specifically for people who have personal lived experience of caring for and supporting a loved one through an eating disorder. We recognise the importance of being able to come alongside an individual and build trusting relationships through the mutual understanding that can be found in a shared, experiences and challenges.
Investing in additional explicit lived experience posts within SupportED West Mids. Provider Collaborative team gives us an opportunity to further develop co-production, engagement, participation and feedback opportunities aimed at dissolving power imbalances and making people who access services and their carers/loved ones equal partners in the planning, delivery and monitoring of our services. We welcome diversity and value the unique skill set each member of our team brings.
The postholder for this role will be supervised and supported by the Professional Lead for Lived Experience Practice. They will join the Professional Lead for Lived Experience Practice at governance meetings amplifying the voices of those who access our services and offering the lived experience perspective in decision making about assuring quality, planning of services and investment decisions.
They will also take responsibility for designated projects and for co-ordinating co-production opportunities; facilitating sessions that bring together staff and people who access our services and their carers / loved ones to ensure we are constantly developing and improving our offer to meet the needs of our local populations.
Another key aspect of the role will be taking responsibility for supporting the development of our lived experience network, including the creation of communications, registering and supporting our lived experience reps to attend meetings, co-facilitating network meetings and assisting in the delivery of training.
Finally, the post holder will be on hand to support our peer engagement facilitators providing professional supervision and guidance as required.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES1. Promote, encourage and support lived experience involvement and influence service delivery from recent experiences and support networks where wide lived experience /carer consultation is required around planning of services.
2. Attend the relative collaborative and in-patient steering groups to oversee projects where participation from people accessing services and people working in services are required to co-produce work to bring about changes and improvements to services.
3. Provide professional supervision, guidance and peer support to colleagues in explicit lived experience roles.
4. Responsible for actively promoting, co-ordinating, and facilitating high quality involvement opportunities and co-production at all levels across the provider collaborative. Lead on coproduction and co-facilitation of lived experience network meetings.
5. Responsible for the development of communications and resources to support the smooth running of the lived experience network.
6. Develop a diverse range of opportunities for individuals to be involved in the ongoing review and evaluation of services including group and 1:1 sessions, online, virtual and creative opportunities.
7. Support lived experience network members with the completion of claim forms for remuneration following involvement in work on co-production projects.
8. Participation in remuneration and payment process for lived experience network members, for example providing initial sign off for attendance or involvement with a piece of work, processing of forms, collecting and distributing vouchers to those who do not wish to be remunerated via BACs.
9. Responsible for participating in the setting of quality standards for the service working with relevant managers to make service improvements where required.
10. Co-develop and co-facilitate training opportunities for a wide range of audiences including but not limited to other carers, lived experience reps, healthcare professionals, and colleagues from other sectors.
11. Participate in delivery of training for people who access services and people who work in services around Involvement and co-production.
12. Build effective working relationships with members of the SupportED West Mids. Provider Collaborative team and beyond, for example with partner providers, our local communities and VCSE sector organisations to ensure regular meetings occur and issues raised are concluded with action plans where required.
13. Identify and monitor themes from feedback which may require service improvements and report findings within appropriate governance structures.
14. Participate in collating information and contributing to reports for SupportED West Mids. specific to the involvement and co-production agenda.
15. Provide information to relevant collaborative meetings and steering groups around projects in planning, implementation phase or where outcome has been achieved.
16. To share and use your lived experience in an appropriate way, to break down any barriers and challenge stigma which may exist, adding to the quality of recovery orientated care and treatment.
17. Ensure up to date information is recorded to keep databases up to date with accurate lists of people interested in involvement opportunities.
18. Facilitating recruitment drives and seeking new opportunities to identify and work with lived experience representatives.
19. Participate in the development of the provider collaborative lived experience network to ensure governance processes are actively implemented at team level.
20. To contribute to the development of the lived experience offer within SupportED West Mids. and the wider lived experience network within MPFT.
21. Actively engage in learning and personal development opportunities.
22. Represent and uphold the values of the Trust and be an appropriate role model, promoting equality and diversity for all those accessing services, their carers and loved ones, staff and other stakeholders.
What We Offer:
20. Regular managerial and professional supervision.
21. Access to group supervision and support networks with colleagues in lived experience roles.
22. Opportunities to work alongside experienced mental health practitioners from diverse professional backgrounds.
23. Continuous professional development and training tailored to this role and future career growth.
Like the sound of what you are reading?
Can you travel independently to meet the needs of the role?
Do you have strong communication skills and the ability to share personal experiences constructively?
Are you commitment to co-production and shared decision-making principles?
If you are ready to take on this rewarding role, apply now and become a valued member of our inclusive and dynamic team.
Lived Experience of supporting a loved one receiving care for an eating disorder from secondary mental health services is essential to fulfil the person specification requirements for this role. W e would very much encourage you to reflect this, alongside your other skills, attributes and experiences, when thinking about how you meet the requirements of the person specification and submitting your application.
We are mindful that a loved one you are caring for may currently be being supported by eating disorder services. Please be aware that if this is the case, your application will not be disadvantaged but upon beginning employment with us, we would need to consider how your workload is managed to ensure safe working for your loved ones care and your employment. This is in line with our organisational practices for all staff working at MPFT.
If you would like to get in touch to discuss this role further please or call Emily on 07977348482 to organise a time to discuss your query.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
24. Lived experience of providing care and support to loved one accessing secondary care services for an eating disorder in a personal / unpaid capacity.
Desirable
25. HEE PSW training completed or able to demonstrate equivalent knowledge of peer working and willing to complete Health Education England accredited Peer Support Worker Training
Experience
Essential
26. Experience of being part of governance related meetings for example quality meetings, scrutiny groups, board discussions or any scheduled meetings where people have clear roles, responsibilities and accountabilities to ensure the organisation is doing the right things, in the right way, for the right people in a timely, inclusive, open, honest and accountable manner.
27. Experience of managing and setting up events, activities and training
28. Able to demonstrate and evidence examples of co-produced working.
29. Evidence of build effective interpersonal relationships with a diverse range of individuals with a wide range of needs
30. Experience of planning, organising and scheduling activities of self and others in a pressured working environment with changing priorities
31. Previous experience of working with people who are navigating recovery / experiencing mental illness from a range of different backgrounds and cultures.
Desirable
32. Experience of working or volunteering within NHS and/or 3rd sector mental health organisations
33. Can demonstrate examples of having used lived experience of mental health illness in service development projects.
SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE & ABILITIES
Essential
34. Understanding of eating disorders and the impact they can have on individuals, carers and their families
35. Experience of working with people who use services and their loved ones in involvement and experience projects and facilitating meetings.
36. Experience of facilitating large groups of people