Job summary
37.5 hours per week.

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Wellbeing Team to help reduce health inequalities among the most disadvantaged communities in our city. The Wellbeing Team delivers public health services across Plymouth, including a wide range of activities aligned with the Public Health Outcomes Framework and the national Treating Tobacco Dependency Programme.

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.

Main duties of the job
The core function of this post is to support the Treating Tobacco Dependency (TTD) Programme within University Hospitals Plymouth (UHP) inpatient services.

The postholder will also contribute to workstreams across the wider Wellbeing Team, providing an exciting opportunity to work across both secondary care and community settings.

As part of the national drive towards a smokefree nation, this role will focus on smoking cessation, particularly among marginalised groups and individuals with complex needs. You will influence, support and promote positive lifestyle choices and behaviours, leading to improved health outcomes and a reduction in preventable ill health.

The role involves working with a diverse range of clients in a variety of settings, using different interventions and approaches to identify potential risks to health and wellbeing. While the primary focus will be on smoking cessation, the successful postholder will also be expected to contribute to wider prevention workstreams as required.

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.

Job responsibilities
1. JOB DETAILS
Job Title: Health Improvement Practitioner
Band: Band 4 AfC
Locality: Mental Health and Wellbeing
Base: Hybrid/ Livewell Southwest/ University Hospitals Plymouth
Responsible to: Health Improvement Manager

2. 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 several health improvement outcome measures. It provides a One You service to the public around the key lifestyles which contribute to health outcomes, for example, Smokefree, Drink Less, Eatwell and Move More programmes. The Team also runs 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.

3. DEPARTMENTAL POSITION

4. MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

• Carry out one-to-one interventions for behavior change after appropriate training.
• Carry out group interventions for behavior 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.
• 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.
• 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 neighborhoods 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 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)
• Ability to frequently travel independently and in a timely manner between Livewell Southwest sites and community locations including areas not served by public transport.
• 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 appropriat

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, traveler sites, mental health units. Some unsociable hours may be worked; evenings and weekends

Person Specification
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.
• 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.

Qualifications
Essential

• NVQ level 3 in health or relevant subject and 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.

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.

Experience
Essential

• Experience of community 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.
• Experience of working in a hospital and/or mental health setting.

Additional requirements
Essential

• Ability to frequently travel independently and in a timely manner between Livewell Southwest sites and community locations including areas not served by public transport.
• Flexible hours.
• Team player.

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).