Carer Navigator

Job Introduction
**Carer Navigator**

Fixed Term Contract for 2 Years

£11,880 per annum - Part Time

(Days and Hours of Work to be Agreed at Interview)

Age Well East is a values-driven organisation with a passion for making the greatest difference to people by supporting and empowering them to live happier and healthier lives. We are looking for aa Carer Navigator to work with us on a temporary basis, 18 hours per week (days and times to be agreed). In return, you will receive a salary of £11,880 per annum.

**Our Vision**

To be the go-to place for people to feel connected, informed and included as they grow older.

**Our Values**
- Trust
- Excellence
- Community

We have gone through significant growth since 2017 and provide a wide range of high-quality services across Essex. Each year we support thousands of people through advice and information; befriending; emotional support services; and friendship groups and activities. Our long-term ambition is to continue to grow so that we can make a difference to lives of people across Essex by continuing to develop our services and look for new areas of innovation.

**What do we offer?**

Age Well East is growing our reach and activity because of the high demand for support. It is an exciting time to be a part of what we are doing, and this opportunity is about genuinely making a big difference to people. We take great pride in what we do, who we help and how we transform lives.

**Benefits include**:

- 24 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, plus a birthday day and closure between Christmas and New Year (all leave is pro-rated accordingly for part-time)
- 5% Employer Pension Contribution
- Health Assured health package
- Death in Service Benefit
- Virtual GP Service
- Free on-site parking (head office)

**Location**

Fully office based at 63 North Hill, Colchester, Essex CO1 1PX

**Key Accountabilities**
- To provide direct support, advice, and information for people with unpaid caring roles, and for those they care for.
- To be an advocate for carers rights and their impact across our community.
- To work collaboratively with colleagues providing services within and across the newly commissioned countywide carers service in Essex.
- To contribute towards the wider organisational work to ensure validation, support and empowerment for those with unpaid caring roles across North East Essex.

**Purpose of the Role**

With a background, knowledge, or experience in providing support or services to unpaid carers the Navigator will respond to enquiries for support by telephone and in person through home visit or at group settings. A key aspect of this role is also to bring greater focus to carers needs, rights and entitlements for those already accessing Age Well East’s services and ensure parity of service access for those referred to the new service.

The Navigator will provide direct support for carers to access the newly commissioned countywide carers service, share and strengthen emotional support, engage with existing and new groups to facilitate the development peer to peer support and improve access to needs assessments, welfare benefits and other forms of entitlements.

A core element of the role will be to work collaboratively with colleagues across Age Well East to support increased identification of unpaid carers and strengthen their access to services which acknowledge the impact, purpose, and challenges of their caring roles.

**Duties & Responsibilities**
- Work collaboratively with internal and external colleagues to increase identification of unpaid carers, their needs and appropriate services, support, and empowerment options.
- Provide focus and support to resolve enquiries for assistance, signposting and handling onward referrals where needed.
- Provide expertise to support wider organisational delivery of services for people with unpaid caring roles.
- Capture impacts of work through case studies.
- Empower the voice of lived experience by supporting people with unpaid caring roles to develop peer support share their knowledge and expertise through existing and new channels.
- Attend and contribute towards meetings and groups through MS Teams and in person.
- Recruit, coordinate, and develop volunteers to support the delivery of the service.

**About the Role Holder**
- Empathetic
- Supportive
- Non judgemental
- patient
- Good communicator
- Organised
- Driving licence and access to own transport.

Essential:

- Experience of or knowledge in supporting people with unpaid carers roles utilising advice, information, and guidance in person centred way, including that gained through lived experience.
- Significant knowledge and understanding of the issues and challenges which impact people with unpaid caring roles training and/or personal experience.
- Experience of managing difficult situations and conversations with people.
- Ability to communicate with a wide variety of people and to work collaboratively.
- Experience of handling safeguar