Job title: Participation and Involvement Facilitator
Remuneration: NJC Scale 21 £19,126
Hours:
Annual Leave:
35 hours
20 days per annum plus Bank Holidays
Contract: Fixed-term 1 year
Responsible to: Powys Mental Health Alliance Trustees/
Management Group
Location: Powys-wide/flexible – main office and line manager in Brecon, some home working, hot desks available at various locations (e.g. Newtown,
Llandrindod Wells).
Aims of the Post:
To coordinate a pool of volunteers and representatives, with the support of the Stronger in Partnership Network, to maintain an effective Patients’ Council in Shelton and Bronllys
Hospital.
To support the development of the patients’ council model, with the support of the Stronger in Partnership Network, for people in the community.
To coordinate the support, through the Stronger in Partnership
Network, that service users and carers need, to ensure that they are enabled to become involved in the opportunities for involvement in Powys.
To work with the Stronger in Partnership Network to help maintain and develop the commitment from the key partners
(which includes the service user and carer representatives) to genuine involvement across Powys.
Working jointly with Powys Agency for Mental Health to develop mechanisms through which the key issues emerging from service users and carers across Powys can be identified.
This system will be developed to inform representation roles.
To promote and publicise Stronger in Partnership and the service user and carer involvement work in Powys.

1.
To develop mechanisms (e.g develop the Powys Mental Health
Contact Database) to record the details of the service users and carers across Powys who are interested in becoming involved.
2.
To assist in the recruitment process of service users and carers to the
Stronger in Partnership network by operating an induction process that includes training, introduction and information and begins to identify people’s interests, skills and development needs.
3.
To record and promote the opportunities identified through the
Stronger in Partnership Network, for service user and carer involvement.
4.
To coordinate and liaise with the Stronger in Partnership Network to enable service users and carers to be given the opportunity, with appropriate support and development opportunities they need, to be able to be involved in the work. Ensuring that through the network they have access to the following: a.
Personal support to undertake their roles which might include peer support, informal and formal supervision and /or mentoring b.
Practical and emotional support c.
Payment and or reimbursement of any expenses they incur d.
Relevant training e.
Accessible, understandable and up-to-date information, in suitable formats, about issues relevant to their role
5.
Identify and report service user and carer needs in terms of involvement to the Stronger in Partnership network and the management group.
6.
Identify the barriers to meaningful involvement and the things that are working well, and report these to the Stronger in Partnership group and the management group every quarter.
7.
Enter and collate data and information about involvement activities and collate feedback from individuals to support the monitoring and evaluation required by the project.
8.
Maintain financial and administrative systems appropriate to the post. e.g. coordinate expense claims by liaising with relevant agencies.
9.
To undergo any training as necessary.
10.
Create and maintain links with the Stronger in Partnership Network regionally.
11.
Adhere to Powys Mental Health Alliance procedures and policies.

I.T. Skills
Person Specification
Criteria
Experience,
Qualifications and training
Knowledge
Essential
An interest in mental health and experience of mental health issues either through work (paid or unpaid) or through personal experiences.
Ability to travel within Powys.
Desirable
Experience of supporting volunteers.
Experience of involvement/
Participation.
Project management skills.
Experience of providing training and presentations.
Protection of Vulnerable
Adults (POVA).
Understanding of the principles of service user and carer involvement.
Understanding of the value of lived experience within the planning, design, implementation and design of mental health services.
Understanding the role of service user participation and involvement in personal recovery.
Understanding of multi-agency working.
Understanding of the voluntary sector.
Understanding the different support that carers and service users may need to be genuinely involved.
Good computer skills must include experience of using: Able to use Microsoft
Microsoft Word and Excel,
Email and Internet.
Powerpoint, Publisher, updating websites, virtual networks.
Skills/Personal
Qualities
Language
Flexibility
Good communication skills, the ability to communicate with a wide range of people.
Good active listening skills, empathy.
Ability to build effective relationships.
Good networking skills.
Good negotiating and influencing skills.
Change management experience.
Good organisational skills.
Ability to work within a team.
Enthusiasm for service user and carer involvement.
Good problem solving skills.
Innovative and creative.
An understanding and commitment to equal opportunities and cultural diversity.
Ability to work on own initiative and set and meet own goals and deadlines set by others.
Communicate in English and Welsh.
A flexible attitude and able to switch easily and quickly between working alone and as part of a team.
To be able to work across Powys, based in Brecon at least one day a week. You will be able to spend time working from home, and at the other day services in
Powys (e.g. Newtown, Welshpool, Llandrindod Wells).
Willing to work outside of normal office hours if necessary.
Ability to travel within Powys.

http://www.wales.nhs.uk/documents/strongerpartner2e%5B1%5D.pdf
The Stronger in Partnership 2 guidance (2008), recommended by Welsh
Assembly Government, is aimed to help us build the framework and mechanisms that ensure service users and carers are involved in the design, planning, delivery and evaluation of mental health services.
In Powys and nationally in Wales there is a growing commitment to Stronger in Partnership 2. There has been a Stronger in Partnership group in Powys for a number of years and they will now be working with others to explore how we might use the guidance as a way of developing service user and carer involvement further.
The post holder will be facilitating this work.
 Create and communicate opportunities for involvement in the design, planning, delivery and evaluation of mental health services.
 To identify service users and carers that would be willing to be involved in the Stronger in Partnership Network.
 Develop and adopt service user and carer involvement standards and policies
 Facilitate involvement of service users and carers in any practical ways that they are able
 Develop solutions to the need for one-to-one support required by service users and carers becoming involved in the Stronger in Partnership Network
 Develop mechanisms for capturing and sharing issues emerging from the network and filtering these issues to the relevant fora and representatives.
 To review the needs emerging from the service user and carers involved in the network and decide what action can be taken to address these needs.
 Provide regular updates about Stronger in Partnership within the meetings and events they attend.
 Publicise the work of Stronger in Partnership
 Monitor and evaluate service user and carer involvement using the Stronger in Partnership 2 Guidance as a framework