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Job summary

Main area
Administration
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 6
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week (09:00 to 17:00 - based every day at place within B&D Service)
Job ref
395-CC035-26
Employer
NELFT NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Barking & Dagenham Hospital and NELFT Services within Barking & Dagenham
Town
Place Based
Salary
£38,682 - £46,580 per annum plus HCAS
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
Today at 23:59
Interview date
03/03/2026

Employer heading

NELFT NHS Foundation Trust logo

Patient Leader - Barking & Dagenham

NHS AfC: Band 6

Joining #TeamNELFT means you’ll become part of a welcoming and supportive working environment. We’re CQC rated Good, and we want you to join us on the journey towards an Outstanding rating. NELFT has sites across North East London,  and Essex. We provide community and mental healthcare services to adults and children within these areas.

The Trust has award winning equality and diversity initiatives and staff health and wellbeing activities. We invest heavily in your development, because when you are valued and supported, we provide the best care to our patients. We are a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader, have been featured in the Working Families Top 10 Employers benchmark for five consecutive years, and we have achieved a Carers UK Level 1 Accreditation. Along with our staff networks and training opportunities, we work hard to embed a just and compassionate culture here at NELFT.

Find out more about NELFT careers and what makes our Trust a great place to work, in this video

Job overview

We are looking for an individual who is passionate and assertive to join our Barking and Dagenham directorates in an exciting new role as a Patient Leader. This role will be a key member of the directorate leadership team, who believes the voice of the service user and carer should be at the forefront of everything we do.  We are looking for individuals who are committed to improving clinical services involving full co-production processes.

Applicants should have a keen interest in service improvement and in supporting and facilitating positive developments, be an effective communicator and be able to work proactively. 

You should have good organisational skills and be able to manage a varying workload efficiently.   

Candidates must have lived/living experience of accessing NELFT services and live in the Barking and Dagenham area.  Candidates must be able to work and travel within the directorate they are applying as these roles are directorate & place based.

Main duties of the job

This new and innovative posts focus on the need to bring strong leadership around the engagement and participation of people who use services and their carers in all aspects of both planning and delivery of services within the directorate. 

As a key member of the leadership team you will work collaboratively to promote improved outcomes for service users and improve service user and carer experience through new insights and perspectives.

They will provide strong leadership, advice and practical project work across the directorate in the development of a culture that is socially inclusive, values participation and diversity. Supporting and maintaining effective communication the post holder will need to develop relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.

Working for our organisation

Our Values 2025 - 2030

 

Working with our colleagues, patients and carers we have coproduced three new values that we aim to embed within our culture here at NELFT.

 

They are:

 

We are kind.

We are respectful.

We work together with our communities.

 

These three values help us to strive to provide the best care by the best people.

 

 

Starting with NELFT

NELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust.  All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks which will include mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment.  As part of the process new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers and attend a number of drop in sessions focussing in engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes.  The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.

 

Probationary Period

This post will be subject to a probationary period. Internal applicants are exempt from the probationary period (unless you are an internal applicant currently part way through a probationary period or currently a bank member of staff).

 

High Cost Area Supplement – Outer London

This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 15% of the basic salary (with a minimum of £4,714 to a maximum of £5,941 per annum (pro rata for part time).

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see the attached job description and person specification for more information about this role and working at North East London NHS Foundation Trust. We encourage you to refer to this when completing your application.

 

We welcome your application even if you do not meet all the criteria listed in the person specification. Please apply as soon as possible as some posts close early to limit the number of applications.

 

Certificates of Sponsorship

Although we are a registered sponsor organisation, we are unable to offer sponsorship for all job roles. Please check your eligibility under the UKVI points-based system. When calculating the basic salary for sponsorship, HCAS (High-Cost Area Supplement) is not included to ensure fairness and consistency within our Trust.

 

Use of AI

Please see attached document regarding acceptable use of AI during the recruitment process.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • A willingness to undertake further training and/or qualifications
  • NVQ level 2 or equivalent standard of literacy and numeracy
Desirable criteria
  • Educated to degree or equivalent level or equivalent, relevant experience
  • Further education/training in the areas of user and/or carer involvement

Other

Essential criteria
  • To be able to travel effectively between NELFT sites
  • Lives within the Borough

Trust Values

Essential criteria
  • Demonstration of Trust Values

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Experience of work on users and carer related issues
  • Experience of working in a health-related setting
  • Personal experience of accessing NELFT services
Desirable criteria
  • Personal experience of working within the voluntary sector and/or NHS
  • Experience of preparing and delivering presentations
  • Experience of working in a multidisciplinary team
  • The ability to demonstrate sound practical experience and understanding of current issues and challenges within the NHS

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Awareness of the national patient experience agenda
  • An awareness of NELFT & NHS priorities

Skills

Essential criteria
  • Excellent IT skills
  • Ability to work as part of a team
  • Able to develop and maintain positive working relationships
  • Ability to inspire, motivate and empower service users & carers
  • Ability to network and establish strong working relationships
  • Excellent communication skills written and verbal
  • Ability to engage with patients/ service users and carers with empathy and compassion
  • Commitment to the Trust’s Equality and Diversity scheme and core values

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Employers for CarersApprenticeships logoAge positiveDisability confident employerHappy to Talk Flexible WorkingDefence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - GoldEmployers Network for Equality & InclusionTop 10 Employer 2023

Applicant requirements

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Application numbers

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, we encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible to ensure consideration.

If you require any additional support during the application process please contact [email protected]. We are happy to make reasonable adjustments to support you throughout the recruitment journey.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Jo Hansford
Job title
Head of Involvement
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
07522 713837
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