JOB DESCRIPTION & PERSON SPECIFICATION

Job Title:Expert By Experience

Hourly Rate: £17.00

Reports to:Living Options Devon

Job Purpose

To work alongside Care Quality Commission (CQC)Compliance Inspectors carrying out an inspections in either a health or social care service as part of the Acting Together contract.

Experts offer a different perspective and it is hoped others who use services will feel able to share how they feel and whether the service they are getting is good enough for them as an individual.

Experts By Experience are expected to promoteEquality, Diversity and Human Rights throughout their role.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

You will be involved in what is called an inspection of a service. A service can be either residential or community based and can be a health service or social care service.

You will need to follow the guidance in your handbook.

You are bound by the policy and procedure of Choice Support Organisation in addition to CQC’s code of conduct, confidentiality agreement and process for involvement when reviewing a service.

You will use the current essential standards and related 16 outcomes as the tool to check services. These standards are currently being reviewed and work is being piloted on the use of inspecting services against the 5 key question areas, Is it : safe.? effective.? caring.? responsive to people’s needs.? well-led.?

You will be led by the inspector on the inspection as to what outcomes you will focus on.

You will attend induction training.

You will attend other specific training identified as part of the acting together contract and/or for your personal development.

You will communicate directly with people who use services.

You will observe the interaction between people using the service and thestaff within the services.

You will observe and notice things about the services environment.

You will meet new people.

You will need to produce a written report(with or without support).

You must wear an Expert by Experience Identity Badge at all times whilst carry out the role.

Inspections and other work carried out by this role

Compliance Inspections:

AnExpert by Experience has a maximum of 7 hours to complete the whole compliance inspection process. In this time you have to:

-Understand the outcomes that you have been asked to look at by the inspector.

-Talk to the inspector before the visit

-Carry out your duties during the visit

-Writeyour report and comment on the draft report

-Experts only have 3 – 4 hours allocated visiting the service

-If the visit requires additional hours these will be agreed before the inspection takes place.

Mental Health Act Visits:

An Expert by Experience who has experience of being detained under the Mental Health Act has a maximum of 12 hours to complete their whole process of a Mental Health Act Visit.In this time they have to:

-Understand the areas they have been asked to look at

-Meet with the MHA commissioner before the visit for a planning and briefing meeting.

-Carry out the tasks agreed at the planning meeting during the visit

-Have a debriefing with the MHA commissioner following the visit

-Experts and the commissionerhave up to 7 hours to spend together on the visit.

-Whilst there is some flexibility, their visit should be no longer than

7hours at the most.

Domiciliary Care Agency Inspections:

Some Experts by Experience may make telephone calls to people who use services particularly for Domiciliary Care Agency inspections.

There is a detailed process to follow which is explained in additional training and is in your handbook.

NHS Trust Inspections:

Some Experts by Experience may take part in inspections of NHS Trusts.

These inspections usually take place over 3 to 5 consecutive days.

There is a detailed process to follow which is explained in additional training and is in your handbook.

Other areas of work an Expert may cover:

Experts by Experience may also be asked to facilitate group meetings of people who use services.

An Expert by Experience may also be asked to take part in:

  • Consultation events
  • Developing methodology
  • CQC staff training events, and
  • Specific pieces of work outside inspection visits

Person Specification:

Essential Requirements

Experts must have at least 6 months personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses health, mental health and/or social care services.

The experience of services must be no more than 5 years old, and 10 years for people that have experience of using learning disability services and for people who have experience of being detained under the Mental Health Act.

For example:

Experts that have a physical or sensory disability themselves, to be an expert by experience who reviews and inspects those services used by other people who have physical and /or sensory impairments. Their experience of using those services must not be more than 5 years old.

You must have a positive attitude towards people who use services.

You must complete a Barring & Disclosure Service(BDS) check,previously known as a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB)in the role of expert by experience.

You must have basic report writing skills (with or without support)