Pathway Navigator

This is an exciting opportunity to work within the Integrated Children's Community Nursing and Therapy Team as a Pathway Navigator for the Early Years Social Communication Pathway. The post holder will have experience of working with or caring for a child/young person with social communication difficulties.

The Pathway Navigator role has recently been introduced in other organisations within the ICS footprint and provides formalised peer support and practical assistance to families and carers of children on Autism pathways. The role provides families and carers with support and an understanding of the assessment process with external agencies, partner organisations and referrers, and also keeps them informed of their options and supports to make informed choices in how they and their child are supported.

The Preschool Social Communication Pathway accepts children with delay in language and social communication difficulties. These children may have a more global delay in their development or may have behaviours suggestive of an autism spectrum disorder.

As an integral and highly valued member of the Preschool Social Communication Pathway team, the Pathway Navigator will provide formalised peer support and practical assistance to family carers in
order for them to access timely support and understand the Pathway processes and sign post to other services. They will support the team to ensure families are kept informed of their options and supported to make informed choices in how they and their child are supported.

The Pathway Navigator will take a lead role in advocating for the child, young person and family carers within the service and wider MDT Team.

They will also support the understanding of the assessment process with external agencies, partner organisations and referrers.

The Pathway Navigator will support children/young people and family carers understanding of the pathway through the provision of information and advice and enhance connection to local communities.

They will develop and deliver established parent group-based interventions alongside Pathway team members and other agencies.

The post holder will attend and contribute to relevant forums and conferences both within and outside UHMB to improve service delivery at a local and national level, including active involvement in the
continuing development of the team and service

They will participate and contribute to service development and generate ideas for service improvements.

We operate from three main hospitals - Furness General Hospital (FGH) in Barrow, the Royal Lancaster Infirmary (RLI), and Westmorland General Hospital (WGH) in Kendal, as well as a number of community health care premises including Millom Hospital and GP Practice, Queen Victoria Hospital in Morecambe, and Ulverston Community Health Centre.

FGH and the RLI have a range of General Hospital services, with full Emergency Departments, Critical/Coronary Care units and various Consultant-led services.

WGH provides a range of General Hospital services, together with an Urgent Treatment Centre, that can help with a range of non-life threatening conditions such as broken bones and minor illnesses.

All three main hospitals provide a range of planned care including outpatients, diagnostics, therapies, day case and inpatient surgery. In addition, a range of local outreach services and diagnostics are provided from community facilities across Morecambe Bay.