Family Ambassadors

The Family Ambassador provides families and carers with the information they need to understand what happens when a child, aged up to 18 is admitted to a child and adolescent mental health inpatient unit.

The Family Ambassador has lived experience as a parent or carer of a child who has spent time in a child and adolescent mental health inpatient unit. They have lived experience of the child and adolescent mental health inpatient system.

A Family Ambassador will:

  • Provide information to families and carers to help them to understand what happens when their child, aged up to 18 is admitted to an inpatient mental health unit.
  • Make sure that families and carers are heard, treated as equal partners and that their unique perspective forms part of the decision-making.
  • Work with families and carers from when the child is admitted to a mental health inpatient unit, until they are discharged. Letting the families and carers know what to expect at each of the following stages:
    • pre-admission,
    • admission,
    • during the child’s stay
    • discharge
  • Work with clinical teams at the child and adolescent mental health inpatient units situated within the Humber and North Yorkshire area (Hull, East Riding, North Lincolnshire, North-East Lincolnshire, York and North Yorkshire) however this is a non-clinical role.

The Family Ambassador post will sit alongside the newly developed Humber and North Yorkshire Keyworker Service.

Related Resources

For further information about the Family Ambassador role please click the links below:

Family Ambassador: Background Family Ambassador: Background - YouTube

How can a Family Ambassador Help? Family Ambassador: How can a Family Ambassador help? - YouTube

Family Ambassador Overview - Family Ambassador: Overview - YouTube

Co-chair of the Parent Council, Jeremy Harris, explains the important role that new Family Ambassadors will play in supporting families who have children in mental health inpatient units - NHS England on LinkedIn: ‘It will help parents navigate the really important issues around their… | 11 comments

Contact 

For more information please contact: hnf-tr.familyambassadorenquiries@nhs.net Telephone: 01482 205425