Recruitment for Service User, Carer and Family Representatives in the Redesign of the current Serious Adverse Incident Process

Overview

Do you or someone you have cared for have experience of being involved in a Serious Adverse Incident and/or do you have a general interest in patient safety issues and improvement of Health and Social Care services in Northern Ireland?

There is a clear and strong evidence base underpinning the need to redesign the current Serious Adverse Incident process. We are looking for two people with lived experience of our healthcare system to work with us to shape and develop a new framework to replace the current process.

By getting involved, you could help us improve this important aspect of health and social care.

Why your views matter

Purpose of the Role

The Department of Health is seeking two individuals to be members of its Redesign Development Group tasked with redesign of the current Serious Adverse Incident process.

Working as part of a team, together with policy and professional leads from across the health system, you will play an important role in developing a new framework for the identification, review and capture of learning from patient safety incidents/events to be applied across the health and social care (HSC) system in Northern Ireland.

The Department of Health is seeking your input based on your lived experience and unique views and perspectives as a service user, carer or family member.

In the role you will:

• Work respectively and collaboratively in partnership with others, respecting their views and opinions in open and honest discussion.
• Bring constructive and positive engagement and challenge with a focus on the common purpose of the Group which is to deliver an improved framework for the future.
• Bring your views and perspectives as a service user, carer or family member. You will be supported by the Patient and Client Council (PCC) to link with wider network groups with a shared interest in this work, aimed at helping support you with your contribution to the programme.
• Attend, prepare for and participate in meetings. These will mostly be in-person at locations to be finalised, we will work with you to accommodate accessibility requirements. It is anticipated that the Redesign Development Group will meet 4 times a year (frequency of meetings will be kept under review) however it is likely that you will be invited to other meetings and workshops as part of this work.
• Maintain strict confidentiality in respect of all discussions and information provided to you while working on the programme.

You are asked to note that the Redesign Development Group is not a forum for discussing the detail of individual Serious Adverse Incidents should you or a family member have been involved in one in the past.

Skills and experience         

Applications are invited from people with the following skills and experience:

• Experience of having been involved in a Serious Adverse Incident review in the last 5 years, and/or a general interest in patient safety issues and improvement of Health and Social Care services.
• Experience of respectfully discussing and communicating your views, working constructively with others as part of a group.
• A positive and solution/ task focused outlook and an ability to be objective.
• An interest and ability to review and consider a range of information (you will be supported with this as required).
• Commitment to open and inclusive discussion, and to maintaining confidentiality.
• Have the time to prepare for and participate in meetings and review papers.

How we will support you:

We commit to provide you with a range of supports to assist you in your contribution to the programme. This includes: 

• Introduction and induction to the work of the Group providing an overview of the programme and taking time to answer your questions.
• Having a direct point of contact within the policy team.
• Support and communicate with you before, during and after meetings.
• A commitment by us to provide you with ongoing supports as required as part of your work on the Group. Also, facilitating support links with the Patient and Client Council.
• Providing you with reasonable training as appropriate to help in delivering the core work of the Group and where that training is available.
• Reimbursement of reasonable expenses directly related to the programme.
• Printing hard copies of papers as required.

Application process

Applications are invited from residents of Northern Ireland who are users of health and/or social care services, and/ or care for or are family members of someone using health and/or social care services.

Please complete the survey below. If you require paper copies or need assistance completing the form please email: sarah.parkinson@health-ni.gov.uk.

There will be other opportunities to have your views as a service user/carer or family member heard as part of this programme as the work develops. Please indicate if you consent to your details being retained for these purposes.

What happens next

The Department of Health will select two individuals to participate in the programme from the information received, we will contact everyone who expresses an interest with an outcome by 1 December 2023.