Paediatric Epilepsy Youth Worker

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen to recruit a Youth Worker to the Paediatric Epilepsy team within The Northern Care Alliance. The postholder will work across the areas of Bury, Rochdale, Oldham and Salford as part of the multi-disciplinary team using specific skills to contribute to the non-clinical aspects of care for young people with epilepsy, their families and carers.

The post holder will focus on ensuring young people will be effectively supported in the process of transition. This will involve engagement and communication with young people to support and develop positive self-care behaviours, promote engagement with the epilepsy team and provide strategies to navigate health care systems for their long-term health needs.

The Youth Worker is an integral member of the epilepsy clinical team and will work very closely with the NCA Epilepsy nurses and medical team.

Communicating with young people is imperative within this role to support the young people’s overall well-being, encompassing physical, mental and social health. The role will focus on empowering young people to manage their health conditions and navigate healthcare.

Main duties of the job

• Create and maintain relationships with patients, parent/carers.
• Direct supervision using experience and knowledge to ensure patients attend transition clinics
• Working alongside the young people, use informal or formal assessment to establish the needs of this patient group.
• Using these results, work closely with the healthcare team in establishing an appropriate response to support these young people
• To provide and lead recreational facilities and youth work activities for young people under the care of the epilepsy team
• To devise and develop ways in which a peer group support can be achieved.
• Work with young people to prepare them for specific activities, treatment plans and transition to adult services.
• To coordinate and supervise social support networks to encourage social interaction and support to young people in order to aid adjustment to diagnosis.
• Provide active outreach to young people struggling to engage with health services
• To coordinate creative and therapeutic activities and implement a range of strategies. Liaise with complementary therapies, music workshop, community and youth groups to contribute to these strategies
• To develop collaborative projects with similar services, organisations, and other agencies and communities

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To read more information about the advertised role, and the main job duties/responsibilities please open the Job Description and Person Specification located under the supporting documents heading. You can also read more information about working at the Northern Care Alliance within the attached Candidate Information Pack or by visiting our careers website: www.careers.northerncarealliance.nhs.uk