Health Improvement Practitioner

Job responsibilities

Job responsibilities:

Carry out specialist one-to-one interventions for behaviour change after appropriate training.

Carry out specialist 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.

Contribute to the delivery of training programmes for other professionals /interested parties internally and externally. This will include Treating Tobacco Dependency workshops and training sessions.

Generate income through training programmes and explore other areas for income generation.

Contribute at network meetings and team events.

Monitor and evaluate outcomes via processes, procedures, and systems.

Give feedback on performance and local intelligence to senior management team.

Ensure that all stakeholders receive up-to-date information on a wide range of health improvement topics.

Support health fairs, and other community engagement events to deliver health promotion and brief interventions.

Contribute to the communications and marketing strategy by collecting case studies and photos.

Develop fact sheets and resources.

Contribute to research and development as directed.

Act as a Health Champion, Making Every Contact Count.

Be up to date with a range of health improvement topics through competency-based learning.

Key Working Relationships:

Plymouth health Improvement team staff

The wider Plymouth Community Healthcare staff

Plymouth City Council

Secondary care staff

Primary Care

Childrens Centres

Community and Voluntary Sector organisations.

Work Development

To carry out needs assessments to identify the health improvement requirements of local neighbourhoods where good health is particularly at risk

To prepare work plans in response to needs assessments.

Service Delivery

To plan delivery of interventions in partnership with key contacts

To directly deliver interventions with priority targeted groups

To advise and provide specialist support on interventions to key contacts

To organise training for staff and volunteers within key contact groups in conjunction with training providers.

Marketing and Promotion

To design and produce health promotion displays, presentations and publicity

To market and promote the Health Improvement Practitioner role within the priority areas.

To advise PCH of effective interventions to promote health. This will involve advising both clinicians and commissioners via the team structure

Collect case studies to promote success and good news stories to the media and internally

Evaluation and Monitoring

To develop systems to enable activity and outcomes data to be collected

To maintain appropriate records of interventions, attendance and effectiveness

To respond to evaluation findings through development the work programme

To carry out patent satisfaction surveys

Professional Development

To attend appropriate training to enable the role to progress

To acquire new skills and knowledge in response to the developing needs of the post

Skills and Responsibilities:

Communication and Relationship skills

Communication with clients who want to improve their health and wellbeing

Communication with the wider public health staff and partners who work in this area

Provide and receive complex information: barriers to understanding

Potential communications difficulties such as language and disability

Delivering training on different aspects of health promotion

Analytical and Judgement Skills

Skills for evaluating client motivation

Judgement on appropriate level and type of support required

Planning and organisational skills

Plan and organise work plan with support of line manager

Organise set up of clinics/ groups with support of team

Plan and organise case-load

Physical skills

Undertake physical activity sessions (after training)

Able to drive

Ability to use computer and key board

Able to carry stands and equipment for events such as health fairs

Responsibility for patient and client care

Responsibility for client care delivery according to protocol and training standards

Keep records and protect data as per protocol

Provide advice, support using motivational interviewing and a range of behaviour change techniques aimed at achieving sustainable goals

Develop client self-care through education and motivation

Provide advice on medication such as Stop Smoking medications

Responsibility for policy and service development

Follow departmental policies

Contribute to the development of policy, guidance etc. through own experience and insights

Responsibility for physical and financial resources

Discuss all orders with line manager before ordering goods

Work with health promotion team on resource procurement

Check equipment as necessary

Responsibility for human resources

May be required to demonstrate responsibilities to other members of the team

Co-facilitate training to colleagues

Support staff with lifestyle interventions as appropriate

Responsibility for information resources

Keep up to date client records

Input into development of information resources such as leaflets, posters, fact sheets, website and social media

Responsibility for research and development

Participate in audits and evaluation research

Freedom to act

Follows procedures and treatment plans, some lone working

Scope and develop own work opportunities through partnerships and identification of need.

Physical Effort

Combination of sitting, standing, walking and may lift health improvement equipment and presentation equipment

Mental effort

Concentration on client support

Counselling support

Reading documents and assimilating knowledge e.g. NICE guidance

Emotional effort

Occasional exposure to clients who may be distressed due to outcome, anxiety, family problems, withdrawal etc

Working conditions

Office conditions, community centres etc. May be outside at open air events. May include institutions, traveller sites, mental health units. Some unsociable hours may be worked; evenings and weekends

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.

The Working Time Regulations apply to all employees of LSW. LSW will not permit staff in all employments to work in excess of 48 hours in any one week except where there are exceptional service needs where an absolute limit of averaging over a reference period of 17 weeks would apply.

LSW has adopted NO SMOKING and NO ALCOHOL policies for staff, which applies to all posts. Details of the policy are available on request and will be included in the statement of main terms and conditions of service of staff appointed.

Knowledge

Essential

• 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.
• Understanding and commitment to Community Development approaches.
• Knowledge of monitoring and evaluation methodology.

Desirable

• Awareness of sources of up-to-date relevant data/information i.e., national and local guidance relating to health promotion interventions.
• Knowledge of Treating Tobacco dependency/smoking cessation.

Qualifications

Essential

• NVQ 3/ C&G or similar level qualification in a health or related field and or evidence of experience to diploma level or equivalent.

Desirable

• Trained Smoking Cessation Advisor (NCSCT).
• Evidence of continuing professional/personal development in health improvements/behaviour change/public health.

Experience

Essential

• Minimum of 1-year experience of community/hospital health promotion work.
• Experience and ability to work on a one-to-one basis and with local groups on specific health initiatives.
• Demonstrable experience of working with a wide range of people and groups.
• Experience of working with and sustaining partnerships with statutory, public, private and community voluntary sector.

Desirable

• Quantitative and/or qualitative research.
• Experience of leading/developing and implementing Health Promotion initiatives.
• Experience of delivering Smoking cessation interventions.

Additional Requirements

Essential

• Full current driving licence and access to a car or other appropriate form of transport.
• Flexible hours.
• Team player.

Specific Skills

Essential

• Able to deliver training sessions in group sessions using effective leadership and facilitation skills.
• Ability to sustain good working relationships with local people, colleagues, external organisations and partnerships.
• Ability to self-motivate and motivate people to effect behaviour change.
• Ability to prioritise plan and manage workload.
• Project planning and management, including monitoring analysis and evaluation of projects.
• Multi-media communication and presentation skills.
• Development of health education resources.
• IT literate.

Desirable

• Data analysis and interpretation.
• Budgetary management.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).