Job responsibilities
Main duties and responsibilities
- To identify and engage effectively with referred patients on health-related goals.
- Listening and interpreting complex health information into understandable terms about health improvement.
- To support patients to recognise and change their current lifestyle and to identify how their way of life might affect their health.
- To provide health education to people and encourage healthy lifestyles/promote long term behavioural change, in line with the NHS recommendations.
- To encourage and motivate people, using creative ways of addressing unhelpful behaviours.
- To be respectful and non-judgemental of people's lifestyles, and to be able to encourage them in choices and actions that are acceptable and achievable to them, while being aware of cultural considerations in regard people's lifestyles e.g., diet/physical exercise.
- To be aware of and sensitive to barriers to adopting a lifestyle change such as affordability, accessibility and life circumstances.
- Organise and manage sessions to identify and engage with individuals and raise awareness, e.g., smoking cessation and diet.
- Enable patients to make choices and develop an 'action plan' to change behaviour and sustain those changes, leading to more healthy choices and actions by interpreting local and national strategy.
- To maintain a high level of confidentiality in all aspects of work including patient records and conversations.
- Support individual's 'action plan' over an agreed timescale. Review and revise 'action plans' with individuals as appropriate.
- To maintain accurate information systems of records and activities, complete data sheets and explore trends and formulate strategies with line manager.
- To take immediate action, in line with existing policies and procedures, when faced with a high-risk situation (i.e., suicidal behaviour).
- Identify health and social care resources and signpost/facilitate access (e.g., to healthy activities or health service provision) and, if necessary, attend health activities with individuals to encourage involvement.
- Work in partnership with Public Health, Acute, Community Services and voluntary groups and other groups developing health improvement initiatives.
- Works to collect information as part of the local evaluation and contributes to national research work.
- Act as a resource for colleagues and maintain an up-to-date database or self-help/ voluntary and funded schemes across Nottinghamshire.
Communication and Relationship Skills
- High level of autonomy meeting patients on an individual basis and in groups
- Line management available by telephone contact and pre-arranged meetings
- Works with others involved in health improvement strategy
- Maintain excellent communication with patients on their health plan and support progress as appropriate
- Demonstrate a variety of communication methods for patients and their relatives who may have additional needs
- Maintain excellent communication and provide guidance to colleagues and other agency workers on health-related issues
- Communicate effectively with a wide range of people at all levels
- Demonstrate excellent customer care skills as a role model to others
- Recognise and respond appropriately to aggressive behaviour
- Promote effective communication with people who are troubled or in distress
- Share information as appropriate with individuals, families, groups or communities
- Acknowledge the need to recognise and work with patients from other cultures and respecting their diverse views
Education and Training
- Maintain a personal development plan and an annual programme of learning and development using a personal portfolio which ensures best practice
- Participate in individual performance review on an annual basis
- Keep up to date with policies, procedures and protocols relating to the patient group / organisation and relevant practice
- To assess personal development with supervisor through the knowledge and skills framework
- Attend further training as identified with the line manager
Administrative and Information technology
- IT skilled. Record patient activity and interventions in a contemporaneous manner, whilst acting on this information as necessary
Clinical Governance
- Identify risk issues that impact on the patients’ health or social are needs
- Take appropriate action to the significance of the risk and consistent with protection procedures, applying protection procedures, following lone worker procedure
- Demonstrate effective team working inclusive of all relevant professionals
- Report all accidents / incidents, and all ill health, failings in equipment and / or environment to line managers
- Contribute towards audit and data collection as required
- Once assessed as competent will be accountable for their own practice within their sphere of responsibility when identified and agreed with the Manager and the organisation in which the post holder works
Other duties and responsibilities
- Develop multiagency working across communities and with voluntary and statutory organisations to improve health and address health inequalities, using a community development approach.
- Work with existing groups to identify and engage with individuals with health issues. Start appropriate groups (if necessary) to identify and engage with individuals with health issues.
- Encourage and build trusting relationships and encourage participation and involvement in a variety of initiatives with communities and professionals.
- Be an active member of the Team, demonstrating own work to new members and working with other individuals engaged in health improvement to promote healthy living.
- Plan work to meet the health improvement objectives of the Public Health team within an agreed timescale, managing own time and resources and prioritising workload in liaison with manager.
- Attend and participate in staff induction, training, development reviews and personal development planning as requested.
- Identify, assess and manage risks.
- Actively promote equal opportunities, challenge oppressive behaviour and ensure service provided is equitable.
Please download the supporting documentation for full role details.
