Job summary
The Best Start in Life Advisor will work with pregnant women and their families during pregnancy and the postnatal period to provide behavioural support and treatment in relation to tobacco smoking and optimise the Healthy Start initiative. You will build trusting relationships with women and their families which will enable you to recognise needs early. In collaboration with the woman and her family you will develop personalised plans, treatment recommendations and share information relating to Public Health.
This role will see you work as part of a small team that integrates with Maternity, Health Visiting, Smoking Advisors and community colleagues. As a member of the Public Health Team, you will be responsible for the delivery of the NHS Long Term Plan by reducing smoking in pregnancy as per the maternity pathway. As a smokefree champion, you will provide advice and support to patients and staff alike on stopping smoking, minimising harm from tobacco and health-related issues in line with best guidance. You will be involved in awareness raising sessions within the Perinatal Service as well as more widely across the Trust, reinforcing the training provided to staff to reduce harm from tobacco and the promotion of our Trust smokefree policy.
- Interview Date Tuesday 30 September 2025
- 37 Hours 30 Minutes/Week
NO AGENCIES PLEASE
Main duties of the job
- Organise own workload in a busy team. Maintain a high standard of work and prioritise own workload according to the needs of the service, individual needs including equality, diversity and social inclusion in all aspects of work.
- Take referrals, including self-referrals into the service and working with patients to identify the most appropriate tobacco dependency treatment pathway.
- Identifying and engaging with individuals and groups from target areas, including providing additional support to pregnant women and their families on a range of public health issues as appropriate.
- Supporting individuals to make informed choices about their health and wellbeing and supporting them in initiating and sustaining appropriate behavioural changes to improve their health.
- To support the Public Health Midwife in the coordination and organisation of the BSiL service and to act as a point of contact for advisors for issues pertaining to the practicalities of the day-to-day operational matters within the team
- Recording and reporting activities and results.
- To develop and sustain tobacco dependency support and referrals into the service.
About us
As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.
Our staff oversee over 6,500 patient contacts every day, delivering high standards of healthcare from the following sites:
o Freeman Hospitalo Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI)o Health Innovation Neighbourhood (on the former Newcastle General Hospital and Centre for Ageing and Vitality site)o Newcastle Dental Hospitalo Newcastle Fertility Centreo Northern Centre for Cancer Care, North Cumbriao Northern Genetics Serviceo Cramlington Manor Walks
These include a range of flagship services which deliver cutting-edge care (supported by state-of-the-art diagnostic services in both radiology and pathology) and are a catalyst for innovation to support pioneering clinical practice in the NHS.
We also have offices at Regent Point in Gosforth and community sites.
Please see attached information on what Staff Benefits we have to offer at our Trust under 'Documents to download' or 'Supporting documents'.
For further information on The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust please visit: Careers | Newcastle Hospitals | NHS | Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To work with the tobacco dependency team and public health team to provide behavioural support and treatment in relation to tobacco smoking to pregnant women.
- To support and manage prioritisation of a caseload in the tobacco dependency service to ensure safe, well organized and evidenced based care is provided to all that access the service. Provide support in a range of settings as required for the delivery of smoking cessation service, this may include work with people by phone, by video conference, or face-to-face.
- The BSiL Advisor role is multi-skilled and will involve working across a variety of core public health priorities to provide opportunities for the best start in life.
- To support the delivery of the service key performance and reporting indicators for tobacco dependency.
- To support the wider Best Start in Life programme of work within the public health and wider maternity team.
- To role model compassionate and inclusive leadership in order to shape the creation of a collective leadership culture within the trust.
- This means demonstrating a consistent leadership style which (a) engages, enables and empowers others (b) uses coaching to promote ownership of learning and quality improvement and (c) facilitates team working and collaboration within teams / departments and across organisational boundaries.
You will be redirected to Trac to apply for the vacancy. Please expand the job details section and read all of the information before applying for the vacancy
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To work with the tobacco dependency team and public health team to provide behavioural support and treatment in relation to tobacco smoking to pregnant women.
- To support and manage prioritisation of a caseload in the tobacco dependency service to ensure safe, well organized and evidenced based care is provided to all that access the service. Provide support in a range of settings as required for the delivery of smoking cessation service, this may include work with people by phone, by video conference, or face-to-face.
- The BSiL Advisor role is multi-skilled and will involve working across a variety of core public health priorities to provide opportunities for the best start in life.
- To support the delivery of the service key performance and reporting indicators for tobacco dependency.
- To support the wider Best Start in Life programme of work within the public health and wider maternity team.
- To role model compassionate and inclusive leadership in order to shape the creation of a collective leadership culture within the trust.
- This means demonstrating a consistent leadership style which (a) engages, enables and empowers others (b) uses coaching to promote ownership of learning and quality improvement and (c) facilitates team working and collaboration within teams / departments and across organisational boundaries.
You will be redirected to Trac to apply for the vacancy. Please expand the job details section and read all of the information before applying for the vacancy
Person Specification
Qualifications & Education
Essential
- Knowledge of public health/community services/maternity care procedures and practices; acquired through NVQ3 plus additional training to diploma level equivalent, or equivalent through short courses or experience
- Level 3 qualification in relevant subject or equivalent experience
- Must be able to demonstrate the English language proficiency level required for this post
Desirable
- Certificate/Professional qualification in a related area
- Level 2 smoking cessation training
- Motivational behaviour training
Knowledge & Experience
Essential
- Experience of working and communicating with vulnerable families
- Experience of working in a health or voluntary community setting
- Experience of working with local community groups, health sector or voluntary sector in some capacity
- Knowledge and understanding of underlying determinants of health and issues facing people in communities of multiple deprivation
- Experience of monitoring and evaluation
- Experience of working with pregnant women/families in a community setting
- Experience in using I.T.
Desirable
- Supervisory experience
- Knowledge of behaviour change methods
- Knowledge of health needs of the local community
- Experience of working with pregnant women and families
- Experience of working with diverse communities and groups
- Experience of working in health promotion
Skills & Abilities
Essential
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team
- Excellent communication skills and the ability to develop methods to manage barriers to effective communication with communities and individuals Passionate about improving outcomes for women and babies by supporting behaviour change during pregnancy
- An understanding of confidentiality and the ability to adhere to and implement Information Governance guidelines
- Ability to manage own caseload
- Ability to work independently under a specific care plan
- Ability to manage own time effectively
- Be able to learn from your own experiences
- Ability to work with minimal supervision and act decisively and ask for help when needed
- Ability to document information in clear English
- Ability to be flexible in working hours and environments to meet the needs of the service
- Strong commitment to trust working ethos, quality standards and personal and professional development
- A professional yet approachable manner when working with patients
- Excellent communicator and influencer (able to build rapport with people easily)
Desirable
- Ability to source and distribute information to help patients, including signposting to other services
- Able to use carbon monoxide monitors
- Knowledge of nicotine replacement therapy
Person Specification
Qualifications & Education
Essential
- Knowledge of public health/community services/maternity care procedures and practices; acquired through NVQ3 plus additional training to diploma level equivalent, or equivalent through short courses or experience
- Level 3 qualification in relevant subject or equivalent experience
- Must be able to demonstrate the English language proficiency level required for this post
Desirable
- Certificate/Professional qualification in a related area
- Level 2 smoking cessation training
- Motivational behaviour training
Knowledge & Experience
Essential
- Experience of working and communicating with vulnerable families
- Experience of working in a health or voluntary community setting
- Experience of working with local community groups, health sector or voluntary sector in some capacity
- Knowledge and understanding of underlying determinants of health and issues facing people in communities of multiple deprivation
- Experience of monitoring and evaluation
- Experience of working with pregnant women/families in a community setting
- Experience in using I.T.
Desirable
- Supervisory experience
- Knowledge of behaviour change methods
- Knowledge of health needs of the local community
- Experience of working with pregnant women and families
- Experience of working with diverse communities and groups
- Experience of working in health promotion
Skills & Abilities
Essential
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team
- Excellent communication skills and the ability to develop methods to manage barriers to effective communication with communities and individuals Passionate about improving outcomes for women and babies by supporting behaviour change during pregnancy
- An understanding of confidentiality and the ability to adhere to and implement Information Governance guidelines
- Ability to manage own caseload
- Ability to work independently under a specific care plan
- Ability to manage own time effectively
- Be able to learn from your own experiences
- Ability to work with minimal supervision and act decisively and ask for help when needed
- Ability to document information in clear English
- Ability to be flexible in working hours and environments to meet the needs of the service
- Strong commitment to trust working ethos, quality standards and personal and professional development
- A professional yet approachable manner when working with patients
- Excellent communicator and influencer (able to build rapport with people easily)
Desirable
- Ability to source and distribute information to help patients, including signposting to other services
- Able to use carbon monoxide monitors
- Knowledge of nicotine replacement therapy
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.
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).
Additional information
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.
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).
