Full Time Role. Competitive Salary
An exciting opportunity is available for an enthusiastic, dynamic, and motivated Healthy Lifestyle Practitioners with experience and a special interest in health promotion and the delivery of NHS health checks within the Healthy Communities integrated lifestyle service in Staffordshire.
Playing a pivotal role in the wider Staffordshire team, the ideal candidate may be based in the Stafford or Tamworth and Lichfield areas but will need to be open to travel and supporting teams in other areas including Newcastle and North Staffordshire, Burton, Uttoxeter, Cannock and South Staffordshire as required.
This position will require the successful applicant to be competent working alone as well as supporting the existing teams to deliver our NHS Health Check Service. You will be responsible for the front-line delivery of the service to help improve the health and wellbeing of local communities and will need to support clients on a one-to-one basis and be able to identify needs for further physical and mental wellbeing support.
The service offers support for eligible adults through preventative screening to identify and manage those at risk of a range of vascular diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, dementia, and kidney disease and to offer them appropriate advice, referral or follow up.
This can be a fast-paced role at busy events therefore this role requires a pro-active approach, and you must be able to manage your appointment time and react quickly to change. Additional duties may include admin support, one to one patient support calls and events promotion. We are therefore looking for a candidate who can demonstrate a flexible, versatile, and responsive ‘can do’ approach.
The successful candidate will:
- Have strong time management, empathy, communication, and interpersonal skills.
- Possess a minimum of 1 year experience working in community-based services or public health.
- Have experience of, or a strong interest in delivering NHS Health Checks.
- Display an awareness of key health messages around the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and managing key risk factors: smoking cessation, diet, physical activity, social isolation, weight management and alcohol consumption.
- Be a pro-active individual who enjoys working at community events and can motivate and support individuals in community-based settings.
- Training will be provided however a nutrition or other health degree (or equivalent) is advantageous.
- Applicants with other health qualifications or degrees may be considered for split service roles.
- Willingness to support other areas of Staffordshire is required.
Please email your CV and supporting statement to [email protected] and [email protected]
Closing date: 10th November 2021 Interviews: TBC
Please note: Interviews will be held virtually via Teams
We do reserve the right to close this advertisement early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.
JOB DESCRIPTION
HEALTHY LIFESTYLE PRACTITIONER – NHS HEALTH CHECKS
MAIN PURPOSE
The Healthy Lifestyle Practitioner’s key responsibilities are to be functional within the NHS Health Check team and to deliver Health Checks across all localities.
SUMMARY OF RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES
The post holder will:
- Support the contract team to ensure the NHS Health Check service is of high profile and there is strong awareness in relation to the Gateway of entry in the service.
- Identify and engage with individuals from agreed target groups and communities to facilitate communication regarding promoting their health and wellbeing, and the service.
- Develop and maintain relationships with individuals who are experiencing the greatest inequalities in health and provide information to individuals about the relationship between behaviours and health.
- Make contacts, develop, and maintain professional links within communities including promoting the Health Checks Service and your health role to contact groups where there may be barriers to understanding.
- To champion and adhere to processes and procedures to identify and strive for continuing improved quality throughout the client/patient’s pathway, together with robust data management.
- To meet internal and external performance management requirements given to you by the NHS Health Check Lead and Service Manager.
- Be responsible for ensuring rigorous and regular data inputting to ensure accurate records are maintained in accordance with EH procedures, to ensure compliance with Information Governance and Data Protection in relation to patient information.
- The post holder is expected to work within the requirements of the 6 C’s – Care, Compassion, Competence, Communication, Courage and Commitment.
- Support at local in-person (and sometimes virtual) events, helping to set up and close-down as appropriate.
- Deliver preventative screening via NHS Health Checks and mini-MOT’s to identify and manage those at risk of a range of vascular diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, dementia, and kidney disease, and advise on our other available services relevant to the patient.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
- SKILLS & ABILITIES
- Have strong interpersonal and communication skills.
- Able to plan and be flexible with good time management skills.
- Be an excellent communicator, able to express to other organisations the benefits of working together.
- Excellent written, verbal, non-verbal communication, and presentation skills.
- Computer literate – ability to maintain and monitor information systems in line with the national minimum dataset and adapt to reflect local needs.
- Able to take specific deliverables and use appropriate policies, principles, and guidelines to ensure successful delivery.
- Friendly, supportive, and encouraging to people in difficult (sometimes frustrating) situations.
- Organised, flexible and adaptable approach to working.
- Confident and competent at monitoring, managing and reporting own screening equipment needs.
- Value and respectful of other people – regardless of background or circumstances.
- Able to respect confidentiality.
- Good empathy skills.
2. KNOWLEDGE
- Sound knowledge of challenges to achieving health improvement amongst vulnerable and deprived communities.
- Good understanding of NICE guidance, national and local recommendations relating to NHS Health Check screening services.
- Sound knowledge of application of behavioural change theoretical principles, to facilitate, motivate and empower individuals / local communities to make substantive and sustainable behaviour change.
- Display an awareness of key health messages around the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and managing key risk factors: smoking cessation, diet, physical activity, social isolation, weight management and alcohol consumption.
3. EXPERIENCE
- Delivering health services, health promotion and/or health awareness within the local community at events and within local community venues.
- Experience supporting clients with referrals to other support services.
- Experience of developing effective relationships with key stakeholders.
- Experience in working at events.
- Experience in working in community and/or GP settings.
- Possess a minimum of 1 year experience working in community-based services or public health.
4. QUALIFICATIONS
Required:
- Education to GCSE Standard at grades A-C for a minimum of 5 GCSEs (or equivalent) including Mathematics and English language or literature.
Desirable:
- Recognised Health Check Training Certification & Health Trainer qualifications e.g., City & Guilds Level 3 Certificate for Health Trainers, or equivalent, or Royal Institute of Public Health Level 2 Understanding Health Improvement or equivalent, (with a commitment to achieve qualification if not already qualified).
- NCSCT Smoking Cessation Certified.
- Training will be provided however health degree (or equivalent) is advantageous.
5. SPECIAL CONDITIONS
- Full UK Driving license with access to a car with business travel insurance for work.
- Working in a variety of settings including the community, youth, and community centres.
- Some evening and weekend work.
- This post involves working with vulnerable adults and as such the post holder will be required to apply for a disclosure of criminal records at an enhanced level (DBS).