Perinatal Advocacy, Wellbeing and Family Support Administrator
Band 4
Main area Women & Childrens Grade Band 4 Contract 3 years (3 years fixed term contract) Hours
- Full time
- Part time
- Job share
37.5 hours per week Job ref 279-8284527-SEP26
Employer University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site TBC Town Worthing Salary £28,392 – £31,157 Per annum Pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 05/10/2026 23:59
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.
Job overview
We are excited to offer an opportunity to join our newly established Perinatal Advocacy and Family Support Service, developed as part of the Trust’s response to national maternity reviews and the wider maternity and neonatal improvement programme.
University Hospitals Sussex is also the subject of an Independent Maternity Review (IMR), commissioned by the Department of Health on behalf of the Secretary of State. The review is due to commence in October 2026 and is expected to run for at least three years. It will examine around 1,000 cases dating back to at least 2018, with the aim of understanding what happened, providing answers for families and identifying learning to improve care across the Trust and wider NHS.
This is an important and highly sensitive programme, with a significant impact on families, current and former staff and the wider organisation. The successful candidate will be embedded within Perinatal teams and will provide administrative and coordination support to the programme team, helping to manage the workload associated with the Sussex review, alongside recommendations arising from other national maternity reviews and investigations.
Main duties of the job
- Coordinate referrals, appointments, meetings, training, engagement events and other service activities.
- Act as a professional and compassionate first point of contact for women, families, staff and professionals accessing the service.
- Provide administrative support to advocacy, family support, wellbeing, patient experience and review teams.
- Support Birth Reflections, restorative practice, family engagement and maternity and neonatal learning initiatives.
- Maintain accurate records, databases, referral pathways and waiting lists, ensuring information is handled confidentially and in accordance with Trust requirements.
- Support the collection, monitoring and reporting of service data, producing reports, spreadsheets and other information to support evaluation, governance and quality improvement.
- Support referral prioritisation through the administration of agreed assessment and outcome measures, escalating concerns appropriately in line with established protocols.
- Work collaboratively with advocacy teams, family support professionals, governance and patient experience colleagues and the Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP).
Working for our organisation
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 abuddy to help new members settle in. We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 3) and a Veteran Aware Trust.
This vacancy is advertised as a time-limited opportunity is expected to be undertaken on a secondment basis. Before applying, employees must discuss the opportunity with their current line manager to confirm whether they may be released from their substantive role if successful. Release to undertake a secondment is not an automatic entitlement and must be agreed by all relevant parties: the employee, their current line manager, and the recruiting line manager.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- Provide comprehensive administrative and coordination support across maternity and neonatal advocacy, family support, wellbeing, Birth Reflections, patient experience and review-related services.
- Act as a sensitive and professional first point of contact for women, families, staff and professionals, managing enquiries and correspondence appropriately and confidentially.
- Coordinate referrals, appointments, meetings, listening events, restorative discussions, reflective practice, support interventions and training activities, ensuring timely follow-up and appropriate escalation.
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date electronic records, databases, referral trackers and waiting lists, ensuring compliance with Trust information governance and data protection requirements.
- Support the administration and monitoring of referral pathways, including agreed assessment questionnaires, screening tools and outcome measures, escalating concerns or identified risks to the appropriate clinical or professional lead.
- Collect, collate and quality assure service data, producing reports, statistics, dashboards and presentations to support service monitoring, governance, audit, evaluation and quality improvement.
- Provide administrative support to governance meetings, family engagement forums, reviews and service development activities, including preparation of agendas, minutes, action logs and supporting documentation.
- Support the promotion and delivery of staff wellbeing, advocacy, Birth Reflections and family engagement services through communications, events, training and awareness activities.
- Provide administrative support for procurement, purchase orders, invoices and monitoring of expenditure in accordance with Trust procedures.
- Contribute to the development and continuous improvement of administrative systems, processes and service delivery, working independently within established policies and escalating issues appropriately.
- Maintain professional development through mandatory training, appraisal and role-specific learning, and support the induction of new team members where appropriate.
Person specification
- NVQ Level 3 or Diploma or have equivalent experience in similar post
- Experience maintaining complex databases
- Experience producing reports, statistical information & performance data
- Experience working within perinatal teams, family support, counselling etc.
- Experience supporting referral management processes, waiting list coordination etc.
- Knowledge and understanding of trauma informed approaches
- Experience using CareFlow, BadgerNet, SharePoint or other NHS admin systems
- RSA III Typing
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
- Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
- Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role)
Important information for applicants:
A Note on AI Use in Applications
UHSussex values authenticity and encourages applicants to ensure that all application materials accurately reflect their own skills, experience, knowledge and motivations. Candidates may use AI and digital tools to support the preparation of applications, for example to assist with spelling, grammar, structure or accessibility needs. However, applicants remain responsible for the content submitted and should ensure that it genuinely represents their own abilities and experience. Where there are reasonable concerns that an application does not authentically reflect the applicant’s own knowledge, skills, experience or suitability for the role, the Trust reserves the right to explore this further and, where authenticity cannot be satisfactorily demonstrated, to reject the application.
Closing Adverts Early: In the event of exceptional interest, we may close adverts earlier than specified.
Flexible Working: If you would like to explore potential options regarding flexible working please speak with the appropriate recruiting/line manager.
DBS Checks: As part of our commitment to a safe working environment, we undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check on all new employees where the role is eligible for a criminal record check . We make offers in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1975.
Skilled Worker Visa: Applications for Skilled Worker sponsorship are welcome for the roles that meet the Visa and Immigrations eligibility criteria. For further information please visit the gov.uk website searching for Skilled Worker. It is your responsibility as the applicant to ensure that you meet this criteria.
UHSussex reserves the right to close the role early if we receive a high volume of applications
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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.
Name Rosie Jennings Job title Perinatal Workforce Matron Email address rosie.jennings@nhs.net Telephone number 01903 205111 Additional information
For more information, please contact Rosie via email: rosie.jennings@nhs.net
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