Job summary
- Main area
- Clerical
- Grade
- Band 7
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Part time - 18.75 hours per week
- Job ref
- 351-SPS1467-TG-B
- Employer
- Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- L7F9 L2092 Water Meadow View
- Town
- Whittingham, Preston
- Salary
- £47,810 - £54,710 per annum, pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 04/01/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Lived Experience Quality Assurance Lead
Band 7
Our Vision is to provide the best mental health, learning disability, autism, community, and physical health services for the populations we serve.
As an integrated Trust, Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCFT) delivers a comprehensive range of services, including:
- Primary and secondary mental health care for children and adults, including specialist inpatient child and adolescent mental health provision, perinatal mental health, and forensic services with low and medium secure care.
- Specialist mental health inpatient care for individuals with learning disabilities, alongside specialist community support for children and adults with learning disabilities and autism, including intensive support.
- Extensive community physical health and well-being services for children and adults, covering prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and long-term condition management.
The Trust was first established in 2002 and employs approximately 7,500 staff who provide care from more than 400 sites. The organisation offers opportunities for medics, mental health, general nurses, children’s nurses, allied health professionals, psychology, administration and clerical staff, apprentices and volunteers, as well as those specialising in learning disabilities and community physical health services.
For more information visit our website via Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS FT.
Job overview
Previous applicants need not apply
This advert may close earlier than date published due to the high volume of applications.
Water Meadow View is a new mental health inpatient unit for adults who have learning disabilities, which is due to open in Winter 2025 on our site in Whittingham, Preston. As we prepare to open this unit, we have a brand new and exciting opportunity for a Lived Experience Quality Assurance Lead to join us and support the Multi-Disciplinary Team to deliver outstanding person-centred care. This role will play a vital part in
ensuring that the voices of people who use our service are embedded in everything we do.
For this role it is essential that the applicant has lived experience of learning disability (as a service user, family member, direct support staff such as a Personal Assistant) with up-to-date knowledge of health policy and legislation applicable for learning disabilities and mental health inpatient services and experience of working together with the learning disability community and/or providers to reduce barriers to healthcare.
Main duties of the job
One of the Trust's aims is to deliver the best possible care to our patients, and this new inpatient unit will do just that. Water Meadow View will offer clinical excellence, support, and safety, with patient-centred care at its heart.
The Lived Experience Quality Assurance Lead will be responsible for incorporating the insights and perspectives of individuals with lived experience into quality assurance (QA) processes.
This role focuses on ensuring that Water Meadow View is developed and improved through the direct input of people who have first-hand experience of using the service. The role requires a deep commitment to co-production, inclusion, and continual improvement.
Working for our organisation
LSCFT values diversity and inclusion, recognising that talent from varied backgrounds creates a flexible, creative, and effective workforce. We actively challenge discrimination and welcome applications from all, regardless of age, disability (including those with experience of accessing or caring for someone who has accessed mental health or learning disability services), ethnicity, gender, religion, belief, or sexual orientation.
Our aim is to reflect the communities we serve, so we particularly encourage applications from under-represented groups. If you’d like to discuss your application, please ask.
We also welcome individuals with lived experience relevant to the role or service area, as your insight brings authenticity to our services.
LSCFT support flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as term time, part time, compressed hours and flexi-time.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The post holder will be responsible for the leadership of co-produced quality improvement projects to ensure delivery of a high-quality specialist inpatient mental health service, meeting the complex and diverse needs of the learning disability population. Opportunities for line management support will be met by the service; however, the leadership of quality improvement projects will be the responsibility of this post-holder.
The key responsibilities of this role are:
- To lead quality assurance processes by integrating feedback and insights from individuals with lived experience.
- Act as a voice for individuals with Learning Disabilities, ensuring their perspectives shape service development and improvement.
- Promote a culture that values lived experience as a critical component of
service improvement. - Conduct quality assurance activities, including audits, service evaluations, observations and feedback collection.
- Work collaboratively with service users, families, and staff to co-produce improvements.
- Advocate for service user’s rights, dignity and high- quality care within Water Meadow View.
- Support training and awareness initiatives to enhance staff understanding of lived experience.
- To be an expert role model and provide leadership within Water meadow View by ensuring systems are in place to share knowledge, expertise and examples of good practice.
- Support the governance and duty of care to safeguarding others by acting in accordance with Trust policy and procedures.
- Provide leadership to Peer facilitators working on the unit
For more details on this vacancy please review the attached job description and person specification
Person specification
Education/Qualification
Essential criteria
- Degree or equivalent level of qualification.
Desirable criteria
- Training qualification
- Leadership Qualification
- Continuous Improvement/Quality Improvement/Project Management qualification
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion, ensuring the voices of people with lived experience are heard.
- Knowledge of co-production approaches and principles
- Strong understanding of quality assurance principles and practices
- Knowledge of the needs of people with learning disabilities and mental health problems, including those detained under the Mental Health Act
Desirable criteria
- Knowledge of policies, legislation, and best practices related to learning disability inpatient care
Experience
Essential criteria
- This role requires a person with direct lived experience of learning disability (as a service user, family member, direct support staff (PA))
- Experience of supporting individuals access to health services or using mental health services
- Experience of working collaboratively with staff, and others with lived experience and partnership working across a range of agencies
- Ability to facilitate group discussions, develop and lead workshops, co-production sessions and focus groups.
Desirable criteria
- Experience of using co-production methodologies to improve services
Personal
Essential criteria
- Passionate about improving outcomes for people with learning disabilities
- Empathetic, open minded and a strong advocate for user-led service improvements
- Resilient and adaptable, able to work both independently and collaboratively
- Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work with people from a variety of backgrounds and experiences
- Willingness to share with own judgement, personal experiences and insights in a balanced and reflective way.
- Good level of computer literacy, the role will include frequent use of Microsoft Word, Outlook and Teams.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
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.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Jolene Swain
- Job title
- Recruitment Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
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