Oral Health Improvement Practitioner

Job summary

37.5 hours per week.

Plymouth Community Dental Service (PCDS), part of Livewell Southwest are looking for an enthusiastic and committed person to lead on their Oral Health initiatives.

This exciting new post will have the opportunity to work along side our amazing specialist lead team and to make a significant impact on the oral health of PCDS patients and the most vulnerable in the wider community.

If you have experience of leading and delivering oral health improvement programmes and enjoy working with communities to improve oral health outcomes, this new role might just the the job for you.

"please note that 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"

Main duties of the job

The post holder will work within PCDS to develop, implement and evaluate defined Oral Health Improvement activities. Working closely with clinicians to ensure effective and efficient delivery of oral health programmes in line with national oral health strategies such as Delivering Better Oral Health, an evidence-based toolkit.

The post holder willundertake oral health appointments with patients of the service, including adults/children and those with additional needs or who are medically compromised and to undertake fluoride varnish application under the prescription of a clinician.

This role will also work within the wider Livewell services and other key external organisations supporting vulnerable groups in the local community with oral health initiatives and support the PCDS Fluoride varnish nurse team.

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 Southwest staff are expected to able and willing to work across a 7 day service.

Job Share(s) Considered

About us

Livewell Southwest is an independent, award-winning social enterprise providing integrated health & social care services for people across Plymouth, South Hams & West Devon, as well as some specialist services for people living in parts of Devon & Cornwall. With teams in community hospitals, GP practices, sports centres, health & wellbeing hubs.

As an organisation with a strong social conscience, we always value being kind, respectful, inclusive, ambitious, responsible and collaborative. Transforming services to make them sustainable, ensuring that we value, support & empower each other.

We are committed to involving the people we care for, families & carers in everything that we do, working towards co-production where we can. Helping us to deliver the right care for people, in the right place & at the right time. By putting people at the centre of what we do, we ensure to support people to lead, healthy independent lives & be the very best at helping people to live well.

Valuing our employees making an investment in their development a priority. We offer:

Protected CPD time for registered staff

Various development pathways and ongoing regular training packages for all staff

Leadership & mentoring programmes

Access & funding for training including Care Certificate, Assistant Practitioners Course & Scholarship Into Nurse Training

A Robust Preceptorship

A bespoke induction programme

Existing members of the NHS Pension Scheme can continue their membership when they join the organisation.

Date posted

04 November 2024

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 5

Salary

£29,970 to £36,483 a year pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Job share, Flexible working

Reference number

B9832-2024-D18-2

Job locations

200 Mount Gould Road

Mount Gould

Plymouth

Devon

PL4 7PY

The Dental Access Centre

Baring Street

Plymouth

PL4 8NF

Scott Dental Access Centre

Scott Business Park, Beacon Park Rd

Plymouth

pl2 2pq

Job description

Job responsibilities

JOB PURPOSE

The postholder will work within the Plymouth Community Dental Service PCDS to develop, implement and evaluate defined Oral Health Improvement activities. Working closely with clinicians to ensure effective and efficient delivery of oral health programmes in line with national oral health strategies such as Delivering Better Oral Health, an evidence-based toolkit.

This role will undertake oral health appointments with patients of the service, including adults/children and those with additional needs or who are medically compromised and to undertake fluoride varnish application under the prescription of a clinician.

SCOPE AND RANGE

This post will provide a comprehensive oral health service for patients with complex needs, as well as evidence-based oral health promotion to key population groups, in line with national and local strategies for reducing inequalities in oral health.

The provision of Oral Health Promotion is multifaceted, requiring a range of inter-personal, presentational, and organisational skills, as well as an understanding of the impact of social and environmental determinants of health. The ability to work independently and flexibly is an essential part of this post.

Responsibility for People Management

Facilitate and support with on-going staff training in oral health promotion to the wider dental team and other healthcare professionals where appropriate.

Ensure oral health improvement programmes are patient focussed.

Work together with peers to ensure service promoting oral health; identifying new ways of working regarding oral health promotion where necessary.

Collaborate and work in partnership, developing and strengthening professional working relationships to improve oral health outcomes with other health care professionals.

Under take appraisals on junior staff where necessary

Responsibility for financial and/or physical resources

Ensure effective marketing and communication systems are used within the service for oral health promotion, including the use of digital approaches. All resources to be produced to a professional standard.

Organise, update and distribute oral health resources to support intervention of the wider dental team.

Responsibility for administration

Identify appropriate measures of targeting patient groups commissioned to be seen by the service regarding oral health promotion.

Ensure oral health promotion data is kept up to date and reviewed at least annually.

Monitor and evaluate oral health promotion activities as required, maintain appropriate records and produce quarterly reports of activities undertaken relevant to an agreed work plan

To collate data and provide reports promptly for CDS managers, Dental Board and meetings with commissioners

Responsibility for people who use our services

Lead on undertaking oral health clinics, providing appointments with patients of the service each week (including those with special needs / neurodivergent / medically compromised) and the application of fluoride varnish where necessary as prescribed by a clinician.

Work in partnership with the whole dental team and other relevant health professionals on oral health promotion.

Undertake oral health promotion in dental surgeries across the service, wider Livewell departments, residential homes and local schools where required as necessary.

Work responsibly, independently and flexibly.

Have the skills to work well with both adults and children across all the special care group

Responsibility for implementation of policy and/or service developments

Responsible for ensuring oral health promotion is embedded into all aspects of health care delivery within the service in line with current guidelines such as Delivering Better Oral Health.

Communicate confidently and efficiently including presenting information to people from different backgrounds and abilities with varying levels of literacy and health literacy.

Act as a point of contact and source of knowledge and skills for both internal and external enquiries to the service regarding oral health.

Maintain up to date knowledge on national policies regarding oral health and NICE guidelines where relevant.

Identify best practice in oral health promotion and incorporating the practice into key working relationships.

Develop and deliver interventions to improve oral health in conjunction with key national oral health guidelines such as mouth care matters and delivering better oral health toolkit.

Comply with standards and evidence-based guidelines developed in the Community Dental Services through its Clinical Governance audit and training programmes

Other Responsibilities

You may be required to support the oral health nurses with the fluoride varnish project with primary schools and oral health messaging.

You will also be required at times to undertake dental nurse duties clinically in surgery.

You may be required to represent the service on the Plymouth Oral Health Improvement Group, in conjunction with Plymouth City Council, Public Health and other oral health providers.

Ability to be able to visit different locations within the city to support with oral health promotion for the dental service.

COMMUNICATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS

This postholder will work with patients of the service, other dental colleagues to inform of up-to-date oral health promotion toolkits.

Oral health promotion will also be undertaken with wider Livewell colleagues (such as in-patient settings), local residential homes and local schools.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF THE JOB

This post will undertake oral health activity in a dental surgery setting as well as talks in local schools and residential homes.

Driving between different locations will be necessary.

Creation of and maintaining of oral health resources as well as collation of oral health promotion evidence to be collated using various administrative systems, such as excel and good keyboard skills required.