Job summary
- Main area
- Maternity and Neonatal Service
- Grade
- Band 7
- Contract
- 3 years (Fixed term or secondment opportunity)
- Hours
- Full time
- Part time
- Job share
- Job ref
- 279-8312414-SEP26
- Employer
- University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- PRH, RSCH, SRH, WH
- Town
- Worthing
- Salary
- £49,387 - £56,515 per annum pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 06/10/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Specialist Family Liaison Officer
Band 7
About our Trust
At UHSussex we’re proud to be at the heart of the NHS. As one of the UK’s largest acute trusts, we’re a leading example of the excellence, the ambition and the values that have embodied the NHS for over 70 years.
Our hard-working, talented and dedicated people work together towards a common goal – to deliver Excellent Care Everywhere for our patients, our people and our communities. Whatever your role here at UHSussex you will play a part in driving us forwards and in improving the lives of patients across Sussex.
At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us deliver Excellent Care Everywhere. Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of staff networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 3) and a Veteran Aware Trust.
We value compassion, inclusion and respect as our core values. We treat our patients and staff with the same compassion and empathy we expect for ourselves. We’re here for them when they need us, and we go above and beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in our wellbeing programme for staff which is extensive and designed to support you when you need it, including where possible, flexible working to support work life balance - because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.
As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching and training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us and throughout your career we will help you to grow and develop. We hope that in choosing UHSussex you are choosing a long and happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make and feel valued for all that you do.
As part of our commitment to access for all, please see the different ways you can access the application form: https://apps.trac.jobs/accessibility?_ts=1
We look forward to receiving your application and the start of your journey with UHSussex.
Job overview
As part of our commitment to strengthening maternity and neonatal services ahead of the Independent Maternity Review, we are establishing a new Family Liaison Officer (FLO) Team across University Hospitals Sussex.
We are recruiting FLOs across UHSussex, with one post aligned to each site: Princess Royal Hospital (PRH), Royal Sussex County Hospital (RSCH), Worthing Hospital (WH) and St Richard's Hospital (SRH).
Each FLO will be based at a designated site while working collaboratively across the Trust under the leadership of the Perinatal Advocacy Lead, ensuring a consistent and compassionate approach across maternity and neonatal services.
These newly created roles will act as a key point of contact for women, families and staff, helping to improve communication, coordinate support and enhance the experience of care. Working closely with clinical teams, FLOs will promote family-centred care and contribute to service improvement across maternity and neonatal services.
The FLO team will help ensure families feel informed, listened to and supported while promoting openness, learning and positive experiences.
These three-year fixed-term opportunities offer the chance to develop leadership, communication, quality improvement and service development skills while contributing to a significant programme of maternity transformation.
Participation in the Manager on Call rota is required.
Main duties of the job
- Act as a key point of contact for women, birthing people and families who have experienced adverse maternity or neonatal outcomes, including bereavement, birth trauma, serious incidents and concerns about care.
- Provide compassionate, trauma-informed and restorative support to families throughout their care journey and any review or investigation processes.
- Support families to access information, services and resources, ensuring they feel informed, listened to and supported.
- Build and maintain effective relationships with families, clinical teams and external agencies to improve communication and coordination of care.
- Act as a key worker and advocate for families, signposting to appropriate support services where required.
- Collect, review and analyse information and data to support service improvement, reporting and response to enquiries.
- Prepare reports, provide updates and attend internal and external meetings as required.
- Support perinatal staff by offering guidance, facilitating communication and helping resolve concerns and queries.
- Contribute to improving patient experience, family-centred care and learning across maternity and neonatal services.
- Support ongoing maternity and neonatal improvement programmes, including work associated with the Independent Maternity Review.
- Work collaboratively across all maternity and neonatal sites within University Hospitals Sussex.
- Participate in the Manager on Call rota.
Working for our organisation
At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always deliver Excellent Care Everywhere, as shown in our Outstanding for Caring CQC rating. Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of staff networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 3) and a Veteran Aware Trust.
Candidate Pack https://www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/resources/candidate-information-pack/
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
This is an exciting opportunity to help shape the future of family-centred care within University Hospitals Sussex. Successful candidates will play a key role in enhancing the experience of women, birthing people and families, ensuring they feel informed, supported and listened to throughout their maternity and neonatal journey.
As a three-year fixed-term opportunity, these posts provide an excellent platform for career development, enabling candidates to broaden their leadership, communication, quality improvement and service development skills while contributing to a significant programme of maternity transformation.
Applicants should be able to demonstrate experience of working with families in challenging and sensitive circumstances, with a strong understanding of trauma-informed practice, compassionate communication and family-centred care.
If you are passionate about supporting families, improving experiences and driving positive change within maternity and neonatal services, we would love to hear from you.
Join us and help create a compassionate, inclusive and responsive service for women, babies and families across University Hospitals Sussex.
Internal applicants should note that this opportunity will be offered on a secondment basis. Before applying, internal colleagues must discuss the opportunity with their current line manager to confirm whether they can be released from their substantive role if successful. Release to undertake a secondment is not automatic and must be agreed between the colleague, their current line manager, and the recruiting line manager.
Person specification
Essential
Essential criteria
- NMC Registered Nurse or Midwife
- Recent experience of working in perinatal services
- Qualification in mediation, counselling and/or restorative practice or demonstrable equivalent experience
- Significant post registration experience
- Understanding of professional and current issues in maternity & neonatal services
- Experience of supporting families following adverse maternity, neonatal or paediatric outcomes
- Understanding of handling clinical incidents and compaints
Desirable criteria
- Masters level qualification in related field or equivalent experience
- Experience of managing multidisciplinary teams
- Public Health or health inequalities qualification
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Essential criteria
- Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
- Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role)
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Application numbers
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Rosie Jennings
- Job title
- Recruitment & Retention Matron
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01273 696955
- Additional information
Please do get in touch with Rosie via email ([email protected]) if you would like to discuss the role further.
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