Job Summary
You'll work as a member of the Health Visiting Service within a designated locality. You'll be supporting the team to deliver on public health priorities in Somerset, delivering to children and families in line with current national Public Health agendas.

You will play a key role in safeguarding and early intervention, working directly with vulnerable children and families and providing specialist advice to parents, carers and educational settings. You will also collaborate with partner agencies, including early years providers, social care and community organisations, to help deliver targeted programmes that promote child development, wellbeing and safety across the community.

Main Duties of the Job

• Work with vulnerable children and families in line with national and local policies. Provide specialist support and advice regarding the health and wellbeing needs of children.
• Work in partnership with other agencies, particularly the Local Authority, supporting the delivery of programmes of intervention for individual children and families.
• Deliver national and local programmes on an individual, group and community level.
• Participate in the delivery of the National Healthy Child Programme 0-5 years, including developmental checks as allocated, attendance at baby clinics.
• Participate in the promotion and delivery of young peoples clinics in partnership with the educational and community establishments to promote general health and wellbeing of children and young people.
• Identify need through Family Health Needs Assessment and provide personalised advice, support and interventions to parents and carers regarding health and social issues.

About Us
We are proud to offer an environment that is supportive and rewarding, working as part of a team who are passionate about the work they do to improve the lives of people in Somerset.

We offer great training and development opportunities, with supportive management. As well as this, we have some fantastic employee benefits available:

• Membership of the NHS Pension Scheme, subject to meeting certain criteria, or Auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme and optional pension enhancement through our Additional Voluntary Contribution scheme.
• Stable, family friendly working patterns, working between 9:00 - 5:00 Monday to Friday.
• Prioritised superb Safeguarding, Clinical, and Restorative supervision.
• The opportunity to fulfil your leadership role within the team.
• Continuing Professional Development opportunities.
• Generous annual leave allowance (plus bank holidays), with the opportunity to purchase up to 2 weeks additional leave.
• Staff discounts in gyms.
• Employee Assistance for the times you may need some support and a variety of employee wellbeing services.
• My Staff Shop offering discounts in shops, online shopping, restaurants, cinema tickets, insurance benefits and more.

Job Responsibilities
Job Summary
1. Work as a member of the Health Visiting service within a designated locality supporting the Health Visiting Team to deliver on public health priorities in Somerset to children and families in line current national Public Health Agendas, working to National and Local objectives as defined by Service Specifications under the supervision and guidance of a Health Visitor.

2. Work with vulnerable children and families in line with national and local policies relating to safeguarding children and to provide specialist support and advice to children, families and schools regarding the health and wellbeing needs of children. Reporting to Health Visitor.

3. Work in partnership with other agencies, particularly the Local Authority, including children social care and early years settings. Support the delivery of programmes of intervention for individual children and families.

4. Deliver national and local programmes on an individual, group and community level. Supervise and guide the Health Visitor team assistant practitioners and administrator.

Key Responsibilities under supervision and guidance of the Health Visitors
5. Participate in the delivery of the National Healthy Child Programme 0-5 years, including developmental checks as allocated, attendance at baby clinics.

6. Identify need through Family Health Needs Assessment and provide personalised advice, support and interventions to parents and carers regarding health and social issues. Complete contemporaneous electronic record keeping including report writing and client records in line with the organisations policies and NMC code of Practice.

7. Participate in the promotion and delivery of young people's clinics in partnership with the educational and community establishments to promote general health and wellbeing of children and young people.

8. Work collaboratively as a member of a multi-disciplinary team with other agencies to maximise the Health Visiting service contribution to health improvements in the local community.

9. Facilitate and deliver targeted groups in a variety of settings.

10. Contribute to the delivery of health and social learning programmes for young people with identified needs.

11. Contribute to the delivery of care programmes for vulnerable children in conjunction with the Health Visiting team, families, school and other professionals.

12. Liaise with Health Visiting teams regarding children who may have additional needs relating to transition between pre-school and school and support the transition.

13. Understand, uphold and promote the aims of the councils equality, diversity and inclusion policies; health, safety and wellbeing of self and others; and Organisational values in everything you do. Equality and Diversity practice covers both interaction with staff, service users and communities and includes challenging discrimination and promoting equality of opportunity for all.

The postholder will complete a period of induction to achieve the competences required to undertake the role.

Contacts & Relationships
School Nurse/Health Visiting teams across Somerset.
Children, young people and families.
Early Years Education Providers, Head Teachers and Schools.
Community Services, Fire and Police.
Public Health Directorate, Somerset CCG.
Heads of Service, Children and Young People Provider Services and Locality Leads.
Primary Care GP practices.
Midwifery Services, Paediatric Services, Integrated Therapy Services.
Voluntary Sector.
External relationships with other agencies and Acute NHS Trusts.
Allied partnerships, e.g., Drug & Alcohol Action Team, perinatal mental health.
Communicate in person, face to face, in writing and, where appropriate, electronically with all the above contacts.

Further information specific to this job
Somerset Councils dynamic Working Strategy will be applied to this position.

This job requires a criminal background check (DBS) via the disclosure procedure.

Person Specification
Experience
Essential

• Experienced in the use of IT applications, specifically experience of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Email.
• Community experience and/or experience in working with children/families.
• Experience of working across organisational boundaries in a health care setting.
• Experience of delivering programmes in a community setting and providing a range of diverse services.
• Ability to recognise and manage challenging situations in a calm and professional manner.
• Able to take instruction and direction and work effectively as part of a team.

Desirable

• Experience of working with children and families with additional special needs.
• Experience and knowledge of child protection procedures.
• Experience of working with and or knowledge of child and maternal health issues e.g., parental emotional health and wellbeing, smoking cessation, substance misuse, parenting issues.

Knowledge
Essential

• Working knowledge of Safeguarding policies and procedures.
• Ability to record and retrieve information on charts/paper and electronic patient records.

Desirable

• Understanding of quality standards and audit.
• Knowledge of key national and local public health priorities.
• Understanding of child and pre/post-maternal health issues.
• Working knowledge of using the RIO records system.

Qualifications
Essential

• Registered Nurse on Part 1 of NMC register.
• Registered Midwife.
• Evidence of continued professional development.
• Ability to undertake PMVA training to required level for role.
• Ability to speak fluent English as stated in Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016).

Personal Attributes
Essential

• Excellent interpersonal skills influencing, negotiating and communication (written and verbal) skills.
• Aptitude and confidence for working with a rapidly changing environment.
• Supportive and able to foster an open and learning culture.
• Proven organisational and time management skills.
• Group facilitation skills.
• Compassionate exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate effectively with patients, carers and relatives remaining sensitive and empathetic.
• Listens to others views respecting and valuing individual patient needs.
• Professional and patient focussed approach with inspirational skills, acting as a role model to colleagues and junior staff members.
• Excellent organisational skills, ability to manage own time and plan timed activities for staff and service users.
• High standards of written communication skills with the ability to use email and internet.

Desirable

• Able to work as part of a multi professional team.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship
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).

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all sections of the community.