Practitioner, Belfast

Job Title: Practitioner (Public Sector) - Belfast, Lurgan or Omagh - £14.53/hr

Location: Can be Belfast, Lurgan or Omagh.
Start Date: March 2025
Hours: Monday - Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Contract: Full-Time, Temporary (Immediate start and end of contract is 31 March 2026.)

Pay: £14.53 per hour

JOB SUMMARY

The Patient and Client Council Practitioner will deliver an effective involvement, advocacy and support service to the public, including patients, service users, carers and families on both an individual and group basis across Northern Ireland:

• Individual support - provide 1:1 advice, guidance and confidential support to people who use HSC services over the phone and in person at meetings. Support them to become engaged and involved in HSC services. Provide individual advocacy support to the public which involves promoting the interests of the individual and helping them find their voice.

• Group support - support group sessions aimed at capturing the voice of the public and facilitate their involvement in giving feedback on Health and Social Care services and shaping their development. Work on a range of involvement and advocacy activities to enhance the participation of the public with health and social care services and the wider system to achieve change.

The post holder will support the public at any point of their journey with the PCC e.g. at point of entry, early resolution, crisis intervention, signposting and support including longer term case work. Through this they will deliver on the following organisational objectives:

• Listen and act on people's view
  • We represent the interests of the public by engaging with them to obtain their views on services and engaging with Health and Social Care (HSC) organisations to ensure that the needs and expectations of the public are addressed in the planning, commissioning and delivery of health and social care services.

• Encourage people to get involved
  • We promote the involvement of patients, clients, carers and the public in the design, planning, commissioning and delivery of health and social care.

• Give confidential advice
  • We provide assistance to individuals who have a concern relating to health and social care

• Promote advice and information
  • We promote the provision of advice and information to the public by the HSC about the design, commissioning and delivery of health and social care services

KEY DUTIES / RESPONSIBILITIES

Service Delivery:

• To deliver an effective involvement, advocacy and support service to the public across Northern Ireland on an individual and group basis

Individual Support and Involvement Services

• To provide individual advocacy support to the public and their families which involves promoting the interests of the individual and helping them find their voice
• To assist individuals in sharing their views about health and social care services, and supporting them to get involved in change processes
• To work across the PCC engagement structures including facilitating conversations with members, hosting Citizen Hubs and facilitating Engagement Platform discussions and working groups
• To provide 1:1 advice, guidance and confidential support to people who use HSC services over the phone and in person at relevant meetings. This may include supporting individuals who have a concern, complaint or issue relating to health and social care
• To manage a defined caseload of individuals as determined by your line manager and meet with them as required.
• To participate in a Duty Rota, answering calls coming through the PCC helpline, providing immediate support and advice and working alongside team members to manage the PCC email inbox
• To use problem solving skills in the provision of advice, signposting, and support to members of the public
• Seek advice from colleagues and escalate to Service Managers where appropriate.
• To work with individuals to agree a tailored plan of action, taking account of specific needs and the resolution sought by them.
• To operate holistically and with a multi-agency approach, in partnership with other agencies and professionals as needed
• To review and assess detailed case information and work with individuals to express concerns in the format necessary to achieve resolution
• To maintain a comprehensive and current knowledge of relevant policies and procedures
• To develop positive working relationships and networks with other organisations across the community, voluntary and statutory sectors
• To use supportive passporting to signpost individuals as needed to other services and sources of support, maximising their access to treatment and care

Essential Criteria

Excellent organisational skills with the ability to multi-task efficiently achieving targets and meeting deadlines while maintaining a high level of accuracy.

Ability and commitment to engage and communicate with vulnerable people from diverse backgrounds, age, gender and ethnicity and support them to voice their views, wishes and fully participate in decision making.

Be highly motivated with excellent negotiation and persuasion skills and an ability to develop and maintain constructive relationships with all key stakeholders.

Ability to work independently using own initiative within a framework of supervision and following organisational policies and procedures.

Ability to prioritise workload to adapt to changes in environment and meet deadlines and targets

Demonstrate strong written, verbal and ICT communication skills and a capacity to adapt.

Desirable Criteria

1. A good working knowledge of Health and Social Care Complaints Procedures

2. Hold or be working towards a professional qualification in advocacy or a similar relevant discipline

How to Apply

If you are interested, upload your CV via the link or contact Stephanie Wilson at [email protected].

Shortlisting Criteria: All applicants must meet the essential criteria. Due to high application volumes, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Access NI Check: Successful candidates may be required to apply for an Access NI Certificate (fee applies).