Job Remit

Area Officer (Tayside)

Overall Purpose

The overall purpose of the post is to further the aims and objectives of Children’s Health Scotland (CHS) by helping children and young people meet their healthcare needs in partnership with parents, carers and professionals. Specifically the post-holder will work with key partners and families to ensure that child healthcare policy, planning and service development in NHS Tayside meet the needs of children, young people and their families in Tayside. He/she will develop and build on existing networks and take forward the child health agenda for CHS.

Accountability

The post-holder is accountable to the CHS Executive Committee via the National Co-ordinator. The post-holder will provide regular written work reportsto the line manager and Executive Committee.

Location

The post maintains a home office requiring regular travel within the designated Board area to carry out the duties of the post. The post-holder is also required to attend staff team meetings approximately every six-eight weeks in Edinburgh or Glasgow.

Key Responsibilities

  • Develop and maintain links with health service managers and other key colleagues within Healthcare and other relevant voluntary and statutory organisation in the area to promote awareness of CHS
  • Represent the needs of parents/carers, sick children and young people on child health strategic planning groups and other relevant committees in the Board area
  • Liaise with groups of parents, children and young people, including those in hard to reach groups about childhealth rights and how to prepare/support children at times of illness
  • Empower service users to bring change to the health care system through talks, workshops and distribution of information
  • Disseminate information to child health care providers in the area
  • Take part in public presentations and deliver talks on the work of CHSas appropriate
  • Produce regular progress reports to CHS Executive Committee and to funders of our work in Tayside
  • Deliver hospital playbox sessions to families, early years groups etc
  • Organise the loan and return of CHS Hospital Playboxes within the area as required
  • Conduct all business and activities in line with budgetary requirements liaising with the National Co-ordinator as appropriate
  • Assist with fundraising identifying local opportunities as appropriate
  • Carry out all administrative duties associated with the post
  • Maintain and report accurately on targets through statistical recording in accordance with Data Protection legislation
  • Attend and contribute to CHS conferences, Executive Committee Meetings and Staff Meetings, training days as appropriate
  • Contribute to CHS publications, publicity material and CHS social media activity
  • Carry out any other relevant duties as may be deemed appropriate

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential Criteria

-Experienced in working with children and young people and their families

-Awareness of the needs of sick children and their families from a wide range of customs and backgrounds

-Knowledge of NHS structures

-Excellent networking skills with ability to form/maintain excellent working relationships with a wide variety of people, including from statutory and voluntary agencies

-Good communication/presentation skills, both orally and in writing and experience in communicating confidently with professional groups

-Analytical skills and ability to assess needs and identify gaps in services

-Ability to forward plan and prioritise workload, meet deadlines and targets, to motivate self and work on own initiative

-Good team working skills

-Excellent ICT skills –Microsoft Office packages, email, use of internet

-Competent user of social media

-Good organisational and administrative skills

-Ability to interpret and record numerical and statistical data

- Ability to work hours flexibly including very occasional weekends/evenings

-Ability to demonstrate commitment to personal development and training

- Current driving licence and access to car

-Commitment to maintaining anti-discriminatory practice at all times

-Commitment to the aims of CHS and willingness to adhere to the underpinning values of the charity

Highly Desirable

-Working knowledge of guidelines and legislation in relation to sick children, young people and families

-Experience in field of child health or early years

-Experience of voluntary sector and inter-agency working

February 2018