Advanced Health Improvement Practitioner

NHS; Plymouth; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job description

Advanced Health Improvement Practitioner

37.5 hours per week. 18 months Fixed Term Contract

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Wellbeing Team to reduce health inequalities amongst the most disadvantaged in our City. The Wellbeing team deliver public health services within Plymouth, including a wide range of activities under the Public Health Outcomes Framework.

As part of the national drive towards a smoke-free nation, this newly created post will focus on smoking cessation, particularly amongst marginalised groups and those with complex needs. You will seek to influence, improve and promote positive lifestyle choices and behaviours, leading to better health outcomes and a reduction in preventable ill health.

The post will involve working with a diverse range of clients in various settings using different interventions and modalities to identify possible risks to health. The focus will be on smoking cessation, but the successful post holder will be expected to work across all the prevention workstreams as required.

This role may not be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route; please refer to the Direct Gov website for more information with regards to eligibility.

Please note that Livewell may close the job advertisement earlier than the specified deadline if a high number of applications are submitted. Therefore, we recommend you submit your application at the earliest opportunity.

All Livewell staff are expected to be able and willing to work across a 7-day service.

Main duties of the job

As a fully integrated member of the Wellbeing team, the post holder requires experience of partnership working, negotiation skills, excellent communication skills, and project planning. You will be required to undertake health needs assessments, be responsive to emerging public health priorities, and engage in research.

You will be expected to have a sound knowledge of health inequalities and the wider determinants of health. You should be flexible, innovative, and enthusiastic about working within the context of public health.

The post holder will need to travel and attend to service users based across Plymouth and other geographical areas. A full and valid driving licence and access to a car for work purposes is required. Reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act will be taken into account for the successful applicant.

About us

Livewell Southwest is an independent, award-winning social enterprise providing integrated health & social care services for people across Plymouth, South Hams & West Devon, as well as some specialist services for people living in parts of Devon & Cornwall. With teams in community hospitals, GP practices, sports centres, health & wellbeing hubs.

As an organisation with a strong social conscience, we always value being kind, respectful, inclusive, ambitious, responsible, and collaborative. Transforming services to make them sustainable, ensuring that we value, support & empower each other.

We are committed to involving the people we care for, families & carers in everything that we do, working towards co-production where we can. Helping us to deliver the right care for people, in the right place & at the right time. By putting people at the centre of what we do, we ensure to support people to lead healthy independent lives & be the very best at helping people to live well.

Valuing our employees making an investment in their development a priority. We offer:

• Protected CPD time for registered staff
• Various development pathways and ongoing regular training packages for all staff
• Access & funding for training including Care Certificate, Assistant Practitioners Course & Scholarship Into Nurse Training
• A Robust Preceptorship
• A bespoke induction programme
• Existing members of the NHS Pension Scheme can continue their membership when they join the organisation.

Job responsibilities

4. MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

• Carry out specialist one-to-one and group interventions for behaviour change
• Liaise with partners to help reach target populations and communities.
• Actively seek out Hard to Reach populations and help them to engage in health lifestyle initiatives.
• Actively seek out Livewell Southwest teams who would benefit from Wellbeing training and who can help deliver brief interventions and referral to the Wellbeing Team.
• Income generate through training programmes and explore other areas for income generation.
• Contribute at network meetings and team events.
• Monitor and evaluate outcomes through specified processes, procedures and systems.
• Give feedback on performance and local intelligence to lead manager and head of service.
• Ensure that all stakeholders receive up-to-date information on a wide range of health improvement topics.
• Develop, promote and co-ordinate health activities and other community engagement events to deliver health promotion and brief interventions- signposting into the One You service or partner services such as Options and Harbour.
• Contribute to the communications and marketing strategy
• Develop resources.
• Develop and deliver training programmes
• Contribute to research and development
• Act as a Health Champion, Making Every Contact Count.
• Be up-to-date with a range of health improvement topics through competency-based learning.

4.1 Responsibility for People Management

• The post holder will be responsible for the induction of new team members.
• The post holder will be responsible for the line management of junior staff, providing day-to-day management and supervision, absence management and appraisal.
• The post holder will be responsible for ensuring that clinics run smoothly.
• The post holder will be responsible for the delivery of training to groups of people.

4.2 Responsibility for financial and/or physical resources

• Collect data regarding purchasing and invoicing to support managers budgetary requirements.
• Responsible for stock control and security as appropriate. e.g. training resources, nicotine replacement Therapy.

4.3 Responsibility for administration

• Ensure records are up-to-date and stored as per record keeping policy.
• Responsible for developing training packs, presentation, leaflets and hand-outs.

4.4 Responsibility for people who use our services

• Responsible for giving advice and support to members of the public over the phone, face-to-face and digitally.
• Responsible for case load management.
• Required to attend external events, speaking to members of the public or event administration.
• May be required to present information at steering groups, forums, events, seminars and conferences.

4.5 Responsibility for implementation of policy and/or service developments

• The post holder will contribute to service development and implement changes to established working processes as appropriate.
• The post holder may be responsible for writing policies, procedures and guidance documents.

4.6 Other Responsibilities

• Share all data collection with Business Hub for data analysis, performance and audit purposes.

5. COMMUNICATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS

The post holder will interact with the general public, work colleagues, external stakeholders, Livewell Southwest employees at a variety of venues and workplaces.

Design and produce health promotion displays, presentations and publicity.

Establish, maintain, and seek opportunities to promote effective channels of communication across LSW and the wider community.

Market and promote the One You branding and underpinning health improvement messages with a particular focus on priority areas.

Seek opportunities to raise awareness of health, promoting message through the Comms team and wider partners.

6. PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF THE JOB

This section should describe the nature, level, frequency and duration of the physical effort (sustained effort at a similar level or sudden explosive effort) required for the job. It takes account of any circumstances that may affect the degree of effort required, such as working in an awkward position or confined space. The physical skills required in the job should also be described e.g. requirements for speed and accuracy, keyboard, driving skills etc.

There is likely to be frequent sitting and standing.

Frequent effort to lift and manual handing of equipment.

Keyboard work will be used throughout the working day

The post holder will be required to maintain competencies relevant to the role.

Some training may inflame emotions e.g., Suicide Prevention and Mental Health First Aid. The post holder may need to seek support from colleagues or line manager on such occasions.

The post holder will use VDU for high proportion of time. However, all staff will be entitled to a workstation assessment and VDU check.

The post holder will be required to work across a range of different community and health care settings.

The service requires cover between 0800-1800 therefore some flexibility of working hours will be required to ensure the service is always covered. There will be some evening and weekend requirement.

7. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR ALL POSTS

The post holder is required to comply with all relevant policies and procedures pertinent to their post. Current versions can be found on the intranet or via your manager. The areas listed below are those Livewell Southwest currently places particular emphasis on. Failure to follow correct policies and procedures may result in disciplinary action.

In accordance with the Risk Management Strategy, employees will participate, whenever required, with the risk management process. They will support line managers by attending mandatory and statutory training, completing incident/accident forms for every adverse event or near miss that occurs, report all defects and complaints, and communicate any dangerous situation to individuals potentially at risk.

7.2 Health and Safety at Work

You must co-operate with those in authority and others in meeting the statutory requirements and in following policies and procedures. A copy of the Health and Safety Policy is available from the intranet or from the Risk Management Department.

You are reminded that in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 you have a duty to take reasonable care to avoid injury to yourself and to others affected by your work activities.

You will be notified where your post carries a requirement for immunisation.

You may be required to be able to undertake physical intervention training and participate in physical intervention as part of a physical intervention team and Basic Life Support (BLS).

7.3 Infection Control

Livewell Southwest is determined to eradicate healthcare-acquired infection and puts a great deal of emphasis on the responsibility of all staff to ensure their own personal and others compliance with Infection Control (including Hand Washing) Policies. All staff must comply with infection control policies and guidance, attend relevant updates and report issues of concern to their immediate line manager (if no action or explanation received, then it is the individuals responsibility to escalate their concerns to the Director of Operations or Chief Executives Office).

7.4 Safeguarding Children and Adults

All employees have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and adults and are required to act in such a way that at all times safeguards their health and wellbeing. Familiarisation with and adherence to national and local safeguarding adults and children policies is an essential requirement upon all employees. Livewell Southwest has specific safeguarding policies and in addition, employees also have a responsibility to practice and work within the multi-agency policy developed by the Safeguarding Adults Board and the Safeguarding Children Board. Staff are also required to participate in related mandatory/statutory training.

7.5 Research

For clinical posts at bands 5 and 6, there is an expectation that engagement in research will be part of this role. Therefore, an awareness of the value and relevance of research is expected and the post holder should either support existing research within their specialty area as appropriate or identify opportunities to raise awareness of research possibilities. For clinical posts at band 7 and above, the post holder will be required to actively participate in complex audits using research methodology, or participate as required in clinical trials or equipment testing, and will demonstrate high level involvement in local ongoing research projects.

7.6 Sustainability and climate change

All staff are expected to take responsibility for the reduction of carbon emissions within their area of the organisation. In particular this may relate to reducing energy consumption, making low carbon travel choices, consideration of goods and services being purchased, and waste reduction.

7.7 Other

This Job Description is not exhaustive and may change as the post develops, but such change will not take place without consultation between the post holder and their manager. Job descriptions should be reviewed at least annually at the appraisal meeting.

Please see supporting information for full Job Description and Person Specification.

Person Specification

Experience

• Minimum of 6 months experience of community work
• Minimum of 6 months experience of health promotion
• Experience of motivating participants to effect behaviour change
• Demonstrable experience of working with a wide range of people and groups using a strength-based approach
• Experience of working with statutory, public and voluntary sector bodies
• Experience of delivering training to a varied group of delegates.
• Minimum of 6 months experience working with individuals with mental health issues
• Group work leadership and facilitation skills
• Multimedia communication, marketing and presentation skills.
• Training skills including training needs analysis and evaluation.
• Demonstrate project planning and management skills/experience including monitoring and evaluation of projects

Specific Skills

• Able to drive across Plymouth & other geographical areas.
• Able to work out of hours with notice eg evenings and weekends
• Ability to work both autonomously and as part of a team and manage own caseload

Knowledge

• Knowledge and understanding of mental health issues/diagnosis and the effect on the individual, this includes impact to their physical health
• Knowledge and understanding of the psychology of behaviour change
• Knowledge of the benefits of health improvement interventions
• Understanding of determinants of health and health inequalities
• Knowledge of social marketing and health needs assessment
• Knowledge of monitoring and evaluation methodology
• Understanding and commitment to Community Development approaches

Qualifications

• Registered with professional body (e.g. NMC or HCPC) or has UK Public Health registration (UKPHR).
• Evidence of continuing professional/personal development in health improvements/behaviour change/public health.
• Evidence of competency in IT skills/ECDL or equivalent
• Working towards UKPHR.
• Health promotion certificates such as Brief Interventions for Alcohol, Mental Health First Aid
• Training Qualification
• Motivational Interviewing qualification

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Full-time, Part-time, Job share, Flexible working