Job Description

Community Navigator – Carers (supporting those who care for a family member or friend)
Hours of work: 37.5 or reduced hours may be considered for the right candidate
Annual Leave: 25 days Pro Rata
Salary: £22,000
Contract: Permanent
Employed by: Involve Kent
Responsible to: Team lead
Based: West Kent

Purpose of the job

Key tasks and responsibilities

• Actively seek to identify Carers, with special regard to identifying those new to a caring role, those who have been caring for a longer period but without support and unknown to statutory services, and Carers from seldom heard groups
• Working across the West Kent area reacting to high client numbers and completing holistic, strength-based assessments focusing on the Carer’s personal assets, interests, independence, social inclusion and environment
• Provide Carers with timely and accurate information, advice and access to support services completing action plans with Carers when appropriate
• Support Carers to navigate health and social care systems and to access community resources in the right way at the right time
• Work closely with health and social care colleagues to promote the importance of recognising and addressing Carers’ needs and assist in developing systems and protocols which will facilitate this
• Supporting people with basic information regarding benefits they may be eligible for and assisting with completing initial forms where appropriate. Referring onto more specialist organisations where more in-depth financial advice and support is required
• To undertake statutory Carers’ Assessments in accordance with relevant KCC policies and procedures, with Carers develop proportionate support plans and undertake reviews.
• As part of the assessment process identify if there is a need for a ‘NHS Rapid Access to Carer Support service’ and administer and make payments to Carers who are eligible
• Keep accurate electronic records using Microsoft office and accurately enter information onto a database
• Complete KCC approved Telecare and Trusted Assessor training and support people where eligible to access equipment and technology that helps them remain independent for longer
• Promote and support self-advocacy for Carers and where appropriate refer to an appropriate advocacy service
• Promote the benefits of the Kent Carers Emergency Card and if needed assist Carers’ in the application process, including helping Carers to think about and develop an emergency care plan for the person they care for
• Attend; networking events, promotional events, working groups to raise awareness of Carers’ issues, to influence strategic thinking and inform continuous service improvement
• Complete personal outcomes questionnaires with Carers at the start of interventions and at review with sensitivity and integrity
• Facilitate Carer support groups when needed
• Keep up to date with issues affecting Carers [both nationally and locally]
• Attend training, team meetings and regular supervision
• Contribute to tasks and processes as required to ensure the organisation can evidence that it meets its contractual obligations
• Complete outcome forms with Carers to ensure that the service has supported them appropriately, enabled them to achieve their goals and contribute to organisational performance improvement plans following feedback and evaluation from Carers
• Achieve demanding targets for numbers of people engaged and supported. Ensuring the service and support to people is outcome focussed and work innovatively to facilitate improved outcomes for Carers and those they support
• Any other tasks and responsibilities that may be identified as necessary as the service evolves and develops

Person Specification
Essential:

- Able to follow processes and systems, assessing people, developing action/support plans and following up in an outcome focussed way
- Excellent communication skills, able to negotiate, build relationships, advocate for people and inspire others
- Driven, target focused, highly motivated and resilient
- Outgoing, energetic, and passionate about improving the wellbeing of others
- Ability to learn and implement systems, policies and processes
- Good IT skills and experience of using a database or CRM system
- Able to work autonomously (remotely at times from Involve colleagues and manager). Able to take decisions and use professional expertise, but within a structured framework and existing systems and policies
- Driving licence and a car
- Experience of providing advice, guidance and information
- Knowledge of benefits and basic knowledge around eligibility or ability to quickly learn

Desirable:
- Experience of motivating, empowering and supporting people to achieve goals
- Background in health / social care or working with vulnerable / isolated people

This post is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check. Any offer of employment will be dependent on references and suitability determined by the Disclosure and Barring Service check.

Involve Kent is a Disability Confident organisation, please let us know if we can make the application process more accessible.

Involve Kent is committed to inclusion and welcomes applications from individuals from under represented groups.

(Please note due to volume of applications, we will only contact you if you are shortlisted for interview)