Health Improvement Practitioner

Job summary

37.5 hours per week.

Do you have experience in supporting behaviour change? Do you enjoy having the opportunity to enable others? If so, then keep reading!

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Livewell Wellbeing Team.

Main duties of the job

This post is focused on working with clients to identify possible risks to health and advising on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The postholder will explore ways to help clients reduce harm and encourage health and well being using behaviour change techniques.

You will work with a whole range of clients in a variety of settings to help them change lifestyle behaviours which are harmful to their health. Much of the work will focus on the health inequalities in the city and will be targeted to meet the needs of those in the most deprived areas.

The main focus of this post will be supporting the One You Plymouth service. This will include NHS Health Checks, Tier 2 Weight Management programme and community wellbeing walks.

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.

About us

Livewell Southwest is an independent, award-winning social enterprise delivering integrated health and social care services across Plymouth, South Hams, and West Devon, with specialist services in parts of Devon and Cornwall. Our teams work in community hospitals, GP practices, sports centres, and health hubs.

As an organisation with a strong social conscience we are guided by our values,kindness, respect, inclusivity, ambition, responsibility, and collaboration. We focus on transforming services to ensure sustainability, while empowering staff and those we serve.

We involve the people we care for, along with their families and carers, in shaping the care they receive, striving to deliver the right care at the right time and place. Centering our work on individual needs helps people lead healthy, independent lives.

We prioritise employees' development, offering protected CPD time, training pathways, leadership programs, and funding for qualifications like the Care Certificate and Nurse Training Scholarships. Our induction and preceptorship programs ensure a smooth transition into our organisation.

Livewell Southwest values diversity and encourages applications from all sections of the community, including those with armed forces experience, lived experience of mental health, neuro-diverse conditions and learning disabilities. If you need assistance or reasonable adjustments during the application process, contact the Recruiting Manager listed in the job advert.

Date posted

17 December 2024

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£26,530 to £29,114 a year pa, pro-rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working, Home or remote working

Reference number

B9832-2024-NM-9614

Job locations

200 Mount Gould Road

Mount Gould

Plymouth

Devon

PL4 7PY

Job description

Job responsibilities

JOB DETAILS

Job Title:

Health Improvement Practitioner

Band:

Band 4 AfC

Locality:

Mental Health and Wellbeing

Base:

Hybrid Working

Home/ Livewell Southwest

Responsible to:

Health Improvement Manager

JOB PURPOSE

The Wellbeing Team is the provider service for the Office of the Director of Public Health within Plymouth City Council. The Team is responsible for a number of health improvement outcome measures. It provides a One You service to the public around the key lifestyles which contribute to health outcomes, Eg. Smokefree, Drink Less, Eatwell and Move More. The Team run an extensive programme of training with an emphasis on mental health and wellbeing. They also facilitate the Wellbeing at Work Programme and Workplace Wellbeing Champion Scheme.

MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

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

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 smoking cessation brief intervention training.

Develop and deliver training programmes for other professionals /interested parties internally and externally.

Contribute at network meetings and team events.

Monitor and evaluate outcomes via processes, procedures and systems.

Give feedback on programme delivery to senior management team.

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.

Collect case studies and photos for promoting service.

Develop fact sheets and resources.

Contribute to team research and development.

Act as a Health Champion.

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

Responsibility for People Management

The post holder will be responsible for the induction of new team members.

The post holder may 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 may be responsible for the delivery of training.

Responsibility for financial and/or physical resources

Collect information regarding purchasing and invoicing to support managers budgetary requirements.

Responsible for stock control and security as appropriate, e.g. training resources, nicotine replacement therapy

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.

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

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.

Other Responsibilities

Share all data collection with the Wellbeing Team Business Hub for data analysis, performance and audit purposes

COMMUNICATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS

The post holder will interact with the public, work colleagues, stakeholders, Livewell Southwest colleagues and workplaces.

Design and produce health promotion displays, presentations and publicity.

Establish and maintain effective channels of communication across Livewell Southwest and the wider community.

Support the promotion of the One You branding and underpinning health improvement messages with a particular focus on priority areas.

Seek opportunities to raise awareness of health promoting messages through the communications team and wider partners such as national campaigns.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF THE JOB

This role requires the post holder to engage in physical activity.

There is likely to be frequent sitting and standing.

Frequent lifting and manual handing of equipment for health events, clinics and training following appropriate training.

Concentration required when delivering client support and health improvement interventions.

Concentration required for reading documents and assimilating knowledge.

Some training delivery may be emotive 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.

Some one-to-one and group interventions may be upsetting for the client. 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. All staff will complete a workstation assessment and VDU check.

The post holder will be required to travel to a variety of settings including Livewell sites, University Hospitals Plymouth, community centres/settings.

Service core hours are 0800-1800 and there may be some evening and weekend requirement. Some flexibility of working hours is required.

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.

Risk Management

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.

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).

Infection Control

LSW 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).

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. LSW 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.

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.

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.

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.