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Patient and Family Liaison Clinician (PFLC) Team Leader
THE DORSET AND SOMERSET AIR AMBULANCE CHARITY
Dorset and Somerset Region
Part-time
24th November 2025

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Patient and Family Liaison Clinician (PFLC) Team Leader – Air Ambulance Charity - Current Job Vacancy

Reports to: Operations Manager / Air Operations Officer

Location: Dorset and Somerset Region

Hours: Negotiable; maximum of 0.7 WTE

Salary: Band 7 (indicative)

About Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance (DSAA)

Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance (DSAA) provided Prehospital Critical Care for 1,835 patients in 2024. The destination hospitals for these patients included University Hospital Southampton, Southampton Children’s Hospital, University Hospitals Dorset, Dorset County Hospital, Salisbury Hospital, Yeovil Hospital, Musgrove Park Hospital, Royal Bath Hospital, Southmead Hospital, Bristol Royal Infirmary and Bristol Children’s Hospital.

Every year DSAA contributes to the life journeys of thousands of Dorset and Somerset people. Many of these patients are so severely injured or ill that they do not recall the events or clinical care provided on scene, and many suffer life-changing injuries. As a result, some of our patients must endure enormous physical and mental challenges during their recovery, and they require highly specialised support to bridge the gap between pre-hospital critical illness and rehabilitation. This support is provided by the patient and family support clinician team.

Role Summary

The PFLC Team Leader will primarily focus on patient need through regular follow-up of patients whilst working as part of the team. Additionally, the PFLC Team Leader will provide leadership and coordination of the PFLC team at Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance (DSAA). This role ensures the delivery of high-quality, compassionate, and clinically informed support to patients and families following pre-hospital critical care interventions. The Team Leader will act as a key link between the PFLC team, DSAA clinical operations, and regional healthcare networks, promoting best practice, consistency, and innovation in patient and family liaison.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Coordination

  • Act as part of the team following up on patients and families alongside colleagues
  • Lead and support the PFLC team, ensuring consistent standards of care and communication
  • Provide mentorship, supervision, and professional development opportunities for PFLC colleagues
  • Coordinate team schedules, hospital visits, and residential outreach to ensure coverage across the region
  • Ensure PFLN database data quality and co-ordinate management of PFLN workload across the team

Clinical Governance & Quality Assurance

  • Oversee the development and implementation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for PFLC activities
  • Organise the PFLC contribution to DSAA clinical governance days, including case reviews and audits
  • Ensure compliance with SWAST, NHS, and DSAA governance frameworks, including lone working and risk assessment protocols

Stakeholder Engagement

  • Organise the representation of the PFLC team at regional trauma and critical care network meetings
  • Build and maintain relationships with hospital teams, charitable organisations, and other liaison services (e.g., Police Family Liaison)
  • Act as a visible ambassador for DSAA within clinical environments and public forums

Service Development

  • Identify opportunities for service improvement and innovation in patient and family support
  • Provide feedback to DSAA leadership on emerging needs, trends, and outcomes from PFLC work
  • Collaborate with DSAA charity staff to ethically manage patient engagement in fundraising and awareness initiatives

Complex Case Support

  • Support the PFLC team to manage complex emotional and psychological cases, including bereavement support and trauma-informed care
  • Support PFLC clinicians in managing sensitive communication and referrals to specialist services

Person Specification

Education and qualifications

Essential

  • GMC registered doctor, HCPC registered paramedic or NMC registered nurse
  • Evidence of post graduate study or role specific further training in critical care
  • Full UK driving license

Desirable

  • Postgraduate qualification in leadership

Previous experience (Paid/ Unpaid relevant to job)

Essential:

  • Must have experience managing and leading a clinical team.
  • Must have extensive post qualification experience within critical care
  • Extensive experience working in a Patient and Family Liaison Clinician role
  • Extensive experience of in-hospital pathways of care for emergency and critical care patients (including major trauma, cardiac and paediatric patients) through emergency department, emergency surgery, intensive care, rehabilitation and re-enablement
  • Experience of working with regional healthcare networks relevant to the care of prehospital patients (e.g. trauma networks)
  • Documented evidence of engagement with DSAA such as familiarisation days, training days and clinical governance
  • Experience of managing challenging conversations requiring highly complex communication skills and dealing with sensitive information including families receiving life changing news
  • Experience of managing the care of bereaved relatives and providing bereavement support
  • Evidence of experience with leading service improvement and developing clinical practice
  • Evidence of furthering personal learning

Desirable:

  • Experience in a clinical role within DSAA destination hospitals (University Hospital Southampton, Southampton Children’s Hospital, University Hospitals Dorset (Poole & Bournemouth), Dorset County Hospital, Salisbury Hospital, Yeovil Hospital, Musgrove Park Hospital, Royal Bath Hospital, Southmead Hospital, Bristol Royal Infirmary, Bristol Children’s Hospital)
  • Experience of working in the third sector (voluntary or paid)

Skills, knowledge, ability

  • Ability to develop and negotiate professional and sustainable working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, providing persuasive and reassuring evidence of the benefits to patients and families
  • The ability to work effectively under pressure with indirect exposure to highly distressing and emotional circumstances and occasionally direct exposure to traumatic circumstances
  • Ability to prioritise and organise a varied workload across multiple locations
  • Both a proven team worker combined with an ability to work independently and use own discretion for interpreting how to action job description within the boundaries of set policies, seeking advice as necessary
  • Knowledge of community services and charities available to support patients and families
  • Knowledge of patient outcome measures for use within research and audit; understanding of research principles and methodology with the ability to participate in research and development activity pertinent to this role
  • Ability to present complex and highly sensitive information confidently, and to impart knowledge to groups in a training capacity
  • Proficient with SharePoint/Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Data processing and analytical skills
  • Commitment to continuing professional development
  • Awareness and understanding of health and safety requirements
  • Ability to frequently drive to hospitals and patient’s homes within Dorset and Somerset region and occasionally further afield
  • Ability to travel in the air ambulance and rapid response vehicle and observe the patient challenges within prehospital critical care and the operational challenges of the DSAA critical care team

Aptitude and personal characteristics

  • Open and honest communication
  • Awareness of own limitations
  • Willing and able to contribute to DSAA outreach- whether it be an education role, presenting to large multi-professional groups or dealing with the public
  • Demonstrate a commitment and recognition to the core values and beliefs of the NHS
  • Able to deliver on the NHS constitutional patient pledges and rights
  • Respectful to and able to promote equality in opportunity, employment and service delivery
  • Able to ensure care of own health and wellbeing and demonstrate emotional intelligence and insight into own wellbeing while carrying out this role
  • The ability to perform the requirements of the post to an acceptable standard
  • Committed and consistently upholds the charities mission vison and values
  • Committed to the values-based principles of high-quality patient care to include compassion, care, competence, communication, courage and commitment in all aspects of service delivery
  • Able to work within the trust’s attendance targets
  • Ability to perform the requirements of the post to an acceptable standard
  • Demonstrates a positive and flexible approach in line with the changing nature of the trust service delivery model

Working Conditions

  • Home based role with ability to frequently drive to hospitals and patient’s homes within Dorset and Somerset region and occasionally further afield
  • Occasional travel in the air ambulance and rapid response vehicle and observe the patient challenges within prehospital critical care and the operational challenges of the DSAA critical care team
  • Occasional travel to charity fundraising events or meetings
  • Flexible/negotiable hours (min 0.5 WTE up to 0.7 WTE)

Why Join Us?

Working for Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance means being part of a dedicated and compassionate team committed to supporting patients and families during their most challenging times. Your leadership will directly impact the quality of care and support provided across Dorset and Somerset. We offer a supportive environment, opportunities for professional growth, and the chance to make a real difference in your community.

How to Apply

Please email your CV and Cover letter to: employment@dsairambulance.org.uk

Closing date: 24th November 2025

Interviews/Selection: 11th December 2025

For further information or an informal discussion please contact Paul Owen by email: Paul.Owen@dsairambulance.org.uk or phone 07534 110692.

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