Oral Health Improvement Practitioner

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

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.

Knowledge and skills

Essential

• Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills, including digital based.
• Understanding of the factors affecting oral health and the scope of oral health improvement programmes in improving oral health
• Ability to work on own initiative and organise own workload with minimum supervision and often working to tight and changing timescales.
• Ability to prioritise tasks.
• Excellent computer skills
• Evidence of good persuasive and motivational skills
• Ability to present information verbally to peers in a clinical setting.
• Make decisions as to best practice.
• Act in a professional manner at all times
• Organises tasks and activities to make optimum use of clinical time.
• Knowledge of the equipment and materials used in dental / surgical procedures.
• Competent in recognizing and dealing with medical emergencies.
• Carries out performance checks and daily maintenance on dental equipment.
• Knowledge of Health and Safety regulations.
• Knowledge of Cross Infection control measures.
• Carries out clinical and administrative work without direct supervision.
• Promotes best practice and a high level of patient care for the Plymouth Community Dental Services Ltd.

Desirable

• Evidence of Continuing Professional Development.
• Knowledge of Dentally software system

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working as a member of a team
• A minimum of 2 years oral health promotion post qualification.
• Experience of delivering / developing health education programmes.

Desirable

• Experience of working in a sedation setting
• Assists with the induction of new staff.
• Trains and supports new and less qualified staff.
• Experience of working in the salaried, community or personal dental services within the NHS.
• Experience of working within Special Care Dentistry, paediatric and/or Oral Surgery.
• Experience in undertaking extra duties to support your team and/or service.

Specific skills

Essential

• Specific skills
• Fluent in spoken and written English language.
• Calm reassuring manner
• Empathy with all patient/client groups including those with special care needs.
• Passionate in oral health promotion and promoting improved health and wellbeing.
• Able to motivate patients and clients.
• Proactive approach
• Positive outlook and self-motivated with a commitment to succeed.
• Works and communicates with all members of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Ability to travel to other locations as required.
• Computer literate including use of Dentally dental package.
• Application form / interview

Desirable

• Computer literate

Qualifications

Essential

• NEBDN Qualification/City & Guilds NVQ3 or equivalent in Dental Nursing
• Registered as a Dental Nurse with the GDC
• Post-certificate qualification in Oral Health promotion
• GCSE Grade A-C (or equivalent) English and maths

Desirable

• NEBDN qualification in Dental Sedation Nursing
• Post-certificate qualification in fluoride varnish application
• Additional Dental Nurse qualifications.

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).