Teenage Cancer Trust Youth support Coordinator

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Job Description

 Teenage Cancer Trust Youth Support Co-ordinator                                                 

 DIVISION: Cancer and Associated Specialties                           

 GRADE: 5                   

 REPORTS TO: Teenage Cancer Trust- TYA Lead Cancer Nurse        

 ACCOUNTABLE TO: Teenage Cancer Trust- TYA Lead Cancer Nurse                        

 KEY JOB RESPONSIBILITIES
SUPPORTING YOUNG PEOPLE IN HOSPITAL

 Establish effective professional relationships with teenagers and young adults, using appropriate approaches and communication skills to identify individual’s interests, strengths, areas of concern/need and help them to participate in positive activity while in hospital.

Develop a programme of 1:1 and small-group diversionary and supportive activities and enable young people to participate as appropriate to their physical health and personal preferences.

 Use youth work techniques and approach to engage and empower young people in their cancer treatment plan, follow up schedule and self-care. Assist colleagues in effective communication with individual young people to achieve this aim.

 Provide emotional support to young people prior to, and during medical procedures. Accompanying them to provide non-clinical support as required.   

Collaborate with colleagues to identify health and wellbeing issues for the patient group and for individuals, and to provide young people with access to age-appropriate awareness and health promotion materials.

Assist in providing ward environments in which young people feel safe, welcomed, respected and encouraged, and that facilitate supportive social interaction between patients.

 Ensure recreational, craft and other non-medical equipment used by TYAs is maintained for safety and cleaned in line with relevant policies e.g. infection prevention, food hygiene.

 Co-ordinate agreed therapeutic hospital-based activities provided by internal or external agencies e.g. art therapy, music workshops, and liaise with the complementary therapy service.

Encourage teenagers and young adults in hospital to maintain their personal routines, independence, education/work and personal interests. Help them keep up their links with family, friends, school or work.

 Active participation in the TYA MDT, contributing to coordinated assessment and support. 

 Contribute to transition programmes for teenagers in the children’s service, working under guidance of clinical staff to help young people develop their understanding of their illness, treatment and self-care needs and supporting successful transfer from child to adult services.

Where appropriate and as requested by clinical colleagues, contribute to the support available for young people attending follow up clinics to identify their concerns and signposting them to sources of appropriate information, advice and support.

 PARTICIPATORY ACTIVITIES

Provide opportunities for social interaction, creative expression and informal support with other teenagers and young people with cancer such as social outings, ward-based activities, support groups and accompanying young people as required e.g. Teenage Cancer Trust   events such as UBE at Royal Albert Hall.

Identify, organise and promote opportunities for teenagers and young adults with cancer to engage in activities that encourage positive contribution and personal development, for example, activity weekends.

 Following TYA involvement in activities, provide feedback and share outcomes to relevant and appropriate management teams.

  Co-ordinate and contribute to the development of communications technology to facilitate the opportunity for therapeutic support encouraging social interaction and explore options for using internet for patient involvement and feedback.  

 RECORD KEEPING AND ADMINISTRATION

 Maintain professional records in line with Trust policies following contact with patients and completed activities.  Ensure personal information or observations about individual young people are appropriately shared with colleagues to support multidisciplinary care.

Record and report all concerns relating to needs assessment or safeguarding children or vulnerable young adults to each Ward Area Manager/Lead Nurses, as directed by Trust policies.

 Record any untoward incidents using Trust reporting systems.

 Undertake and record structured risk assessments for all organised activities in and out of the hospital liaising with the appropriate Ward/Lead Nurses and other colleagues as appropriate to manage risk.

 Ensure all necessary consents and medical information requirements are obtained for activities and maintain these records safely in collaboration with TYA management, in line with GDPR.

 Keep records of the referrals, contacts, activity/interventions and outcomes for patients accessing the service and be able to analyse the data to help inform practice

 Contribute to Trust data returns for Teenage Cancer Trust, and provide source data related to YSC activities as requested.

  Plan for and utilise Teenage Cancer Trust purchasing card and activity funds effectively to ensure maximum benefit from expenditure, in line with Teenage Cancer Trust policies.

  Provide agreed information on request to patients/families who wish to make financial or other donations to support TYA cancer services. 

 Ensure records of recreational and technological equipment maintenance are kept according to Trust requirements.

 NETWORKING

Develop strong and collaborative professional links with the hospital teams, working particularly closely with representatives and colleagues from other organisations, including on joint activities and projects where appropriate.

 Act as a contact for Teenage Cancer Trust and other organisations regarding patient participation, and liaise with TYA team to ensure each patient has made an informed choice to participate, with signed consents as required. Support individuals throughout these activities.

 Act as point of contact for Teenage Cancer Trust and other organisations regarding trips, treats, holidays and other opportunities. Liaise with TYA team regarding any such activities as appropriate.

 Be an active member of any TYA patient focus groups, and any other local TYA service development groups as appropriate, taking a lead on projects related to the YSC role as agreed with TYA lead Nurse.

 Attend Teenage Cancer Trust Youth Support Co-ordinator peer support calls

PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT  

Maintain own learning through personal study/reading and attending agreed study days or conferences. Undertake mandatory and other specific training required to fulfil the role and responsibilities

 Be responsible and proactive in maintaining personal physical safety and emotional wellbeing, utilising supervision and support systems on offer via the Hospital Trust, Teenage Cancer Trust and others.

 Teenage Cancer Trust Commitments

 Communicate closely with the Teenage Cancer Trust on service commissioning, development, and delivery at a regional and national level

 Contribute to the implementation of the Teenage Cancer Trust’s Strategy.

 Contribute to the delivery of Teenage Cancer Trust metrics and reporting as required

 Attend Teenage Cancer Trust events and meetings for mentorship and development as agreed with the Charity and Trust

 GENERAL DUTIES

Infection Control

To maintain a clean, safe environment, ensuring adherence to the Trust’s standards of cleanliness, hygiene and infection control.

Safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults

Nottingham University Hospitals is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.  All staff and volunteers are therefore expected to behave in such a way that supports this commitment.

 Information Governance

All staff have an individual responsibility for creating accurate records of their work and for making entries into and managing all NHS records effectively in line with the Health Record Keeping Policy and other Health Records and Corporate Records Management policies and procedures in order to meet the Trust’s legal, regulatory and accountability requirements.

 Health and Safety

To take reasonable care to prevent injury to themselves or others who may be affected by their acts or omissions.

 To co-operate fully in discharging the Trust policies and procedures with regard to health and safety matters.

 To immediately report to their manager any shortcomings in health and safety procedures and practice.

 To report any accidents or dangerous incidents to their immediate manager and safety representative as early as possible and submit a completed accident/incident form.

 To use protective clothing and equipment where provided

Governance

To actively participate in governance activities to ensure that the highest standards of care and business conduct are achieved.

 Health and Wellbeing

Employees are expected to take all reasonable steps to look after both their physical health and mental health. To support employees to achieve this NUH offers a wide range of health and wellbeing activities and interventions. The full programme can be viewed at on the staff intranet.