Early Years Health Advisor, Brunel Health Group

Job description

Job responsibilities

1. Main Purpose and Aims of the role:

To support the promotion of healthy behaviours and lifestyles with a particular focus on new parents and their children in hard to reach communities using the resources and information available through the NHS Better Health/Start for Life Programme. https://www.nhs.uk/start-for-life/baby/.

This will be achieved by providing education and support to individuals and their neighbourhoods through a range of service provision delivered largely through group sessions, with some opportunities for 1 to 1 provision.

The key aims of the role will be to facilitate group sessions in delivery of education, information and advice to secure the following;

To help reduce childhood obesity by offering advice to new parents about feeding including the introduction of solid foods and encouraging healthy food choices for babies and children;

Offer smoking cessation advice to new parents that smoke

Provide education to new parents on managing minor illness themselves to promote self-care and management, and when & where to seek help(including advice and encouragement on childhood immunisations)

Promotion of good dental health care;

Group sessions will include arranging potential expert advice and support as required for example, the attendance of a dental nurse.

The postholder will also be required to connect individuals into other community groups, activities and other support through the voluntary sector for example to enable people to manage and improve the health and well being of both themselves and their children.

The postholder will need to be adaptable and flexible to meet the language needs of specific patient groups, enabling communication and full engagement of those who find accessing health services and advice challenging.

1. Responsible to: Research and Development Manager, Brunel Health Group

2. Main duties and responsibilities :

The role of the Early Years Health Advisor in this environment will be:

To facilitate group discussions and sessions focusing on providing the following education and support for:

Introducing solid foods and feeding babies and children in a healthy and nutritional way within budget constraints;

Smoking Cessation advice to new parents that smoke;

Managing minor illness in babies and young children, and when and where to seek help (including advice and encouragement on childhood immunisations);

Promotion of good dental health

The role will involve engaging with a range of partners including those within public health nursing teams and community midwifery for example, to ensure that access to this support is facilitated particularly from those harder to reach communities and who already may have risk factors including obesity and smoking.

1. Administrative and professional responsibilities

Professional responsibilities

To work within local protocols and policy guidelines.

To provide 1 to 1 support as required (and if capacity allows) and to ensure that all appropriate arrangements are made for the safety of the postholder and the patient.

Safeguarding is everyones business. All Brunel Health Group employees share a responsibility both corporately and individually to ensure that every person is treated with dignity and respect and protected from others who may abuse them. We have a duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, young people and adults and must raise any concerns without delay.

Administrative responsibilities

Support the co-ordination and arranging of group sessions across the Swindon and Shrivenham area to enable good access to those individuals who are often hard to reach;

Ensure accurate notes of all consultation and treatments are recorded on computer and systmone.

Ensure accurate completion of all necessary documentation and computer entry associated with patient health care and registration with the practice on systmone.

Ensure collection and maintenance of statistical information required for regular and ad hoc reports to enable the impact of these services improving the health and well being of the population of Swindon and Shrivenham. Specific emphasis should be placed on the delivery of those hard to reach communities. Appropriate reports will need to be developed and shared with the Brunel Health Group to monitor progress and measure impact i.e. evaluation.

In addition, the Early Years Health Advisor Team will need to ensure that feedback is recorded from those that attend (and those where possible who do not) to ensure that the service can develop.

5. Research projects

Co-operate and participate as required in any research projects within the practice, PCN or the Brunel Health Group.

6. Education and training of students and practice or PCN staff.

Participate in the education and training of students of all disciplines and the induction of all members of practice staff with special responsibility for nursing staff.

7. Liaison and collaboration with partners within the Swindon and Shrivenham area

Maintain effective liaison with other agencies and staff concerned with patient care and with all other disciplines within the Brunel Health Group, with appropriate regard to confidentiality relating specifically to the patient.

Given the nature of the role, there will be an expectation that the postholder will engage with partners across the Integrated Care Alliance to optimise opportunities to improve the health and wellbeing of our population. This will include working in partnership and collaboration with other professionals ( clinical and non clinical) including public health, local authority, secondary care etc.

8. Professional development.

Maintain continued education by attendance at courses and study days as deemed useful or necessary for professional development.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• GCSE Grade C or above in Maths and English or equivalent qualifications

Desirable

• Training in motivational coaching and interviewing or equivalent experience

Experience

Essential

• Knowledge of the local health and social care
• provision
• Experience of working and facilitating people and discussions in groups

Desirable

• Experience of working with VCSE( in paid or unpaid capacity) including with volunteers and small community groups
• Experience of partnership/collaborative working and of building relationships across a variety of organisation
• Experience of working as a social prescriber in a different setting

Personal Attributes,Skills and Competencies

Essential

• Ability to listen,empathise with people and provide person centred support in a non-judgemental way
• Able to get along with people from all backgrounds and communities, respecting lifestyles and diversity
• Commitment to reducing health inequalities and proactively working to reach people in all communities
• Able to support people in a way that inspires trust and confidence, motivating others to reach their potential
• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing with people, their families, carers, community groups, partners and stakeholders
• Ability to identify risk and assess/manage risk when working with individuals
• Have a strong awareness and understanding of when it is appropriate or necessary to refer people to other health professionals or agencies.
• Excellent organisational skills and prioritise workload
• Ability to work in a multidisciplinary environment, being able to work collaboratively within a team and able to work independently
• Ability to establish good collaborative working relationships with partners ( both clinical and non clinical)
• Establish and maintain good data recording and reporting to support evidence based practice and to be able to influence improvements in health and social care
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office packages e.g. Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Outlook.
• Use of electronic patient record systems ensuring accurate information is updated within the patients record.

Desirable

• Able to speak more than one language ( particularly those of high prevalence in Swindon and Shrivenham)

Other requirements

Essential

• Possess a full driving licence and have access to a car for work purposes and being able to travel around the locality to deliver the service.
• Possess evidence of DBSC check (although BHG will progress an application for this specific role once appointed).

Desirable

• Possess determination, perseverance and emotional resilience
• Ability to work flexibly and enthusiastically within a team or own initiative

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Westrop medical practice

Address

Newburgh Place

Highworth

Swindon

SN6 7DN

Employer's website

https://www.westropmedicalpractice.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)