Health Improvement Practitioner

Livewell Southwest

The closing date is 08 May 2022

Original post: https://beta.jobs.nhs.uk/candidate/jobadvert/B9832-MHWB-191

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Falls Prevention Team within the Livewell Southwest Wellbeing services.

The team is now integrated within the health improvement service, and we are looking for motivated individuals ready to embrace the opportunities and challenges as we strive towards our ambitious plans.

You will contribute to reducing falls and fall-related injuries across Plymouth, supporting older adults to live their best lives; utilising behaviour change skills to support engagement and longer-term adherence to physical activity, specific falls prevention programmes and other health improvement programmes supported by the team.

You will have experience of delivering exercise and a willingness to learn and gain new skills to support both 1:1 Otago and FaME (Falls and Management Exercise) exercise programmes to progressively improve participants strength and balance.

The post holder will also be responsible for conducting multifactorial assessments for individuals who are independent with activities of daily living, referring to and working in close collaboration with physiotherapists and therapy support workers within the team, the wider multi-disciplinary team and partner organisations.

The role is an 18 month fixed term contract.

Interview date: 25th May 2022

Main duties of the job

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 a number of health improvement outcome measures. It provides a ‘One You’ service to the public around the key lifestyles which contribute to health outcomes, E.g., Smokefree, Drink Less, Eatwell and Move More. The Team run an extensive programme of training with an emphasis on mental health and wellbeing, also facilitating the Wellbeing at Work Programme and Workplace Wellbeing Champion Scheme. As a team within Livewell Southwest they are responsible for other elements of health promotion such as the national Flu Campaign, in-house workplace wellbeing and training, Smokefree Policy and some CQUINs (Commissioning for Quality and Innovation measures).

They also support delivery of falls prevention activities. The falls prevention team are responsible for the delivery of multifactorial falls risk assessments for older adults, who are at risk or who have fallen, the delivery of group-based strength and balance classes (Falls Management Exercise (FaME), home based exercise delivery (Otago), and play a preventative role by spreading the message of the importance of strength and balance exercises and other evidence-based falls prevention activities.

About us

Livewell Southwest values its staff and makes investment in their development a priority. Currently we offer the following development opportunities for staff:

• A minimum of three days protected CPD for registered staff

• Development pathways for unregistered staff from apprentice to bands 2, 3 and 4 and for registered staff in bands 5, 6, 7 and 8

• Leadership programmes

• Coaching and mentoring

• Medicines Management, leg Ulcer Management and Assessment Training

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

• Robust Preceptorship

• An induction programme tailored to your needs

• Relocation package may be considered for the right candidate for certain roles

Livewell Southwest can allow existing members of the NHS Pension Scheme to continue their membership when they join the organisation.

Job description

Job responsibilities

MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

• Accept and take responsibility for self-referrals and referrals of older adults who have been identified as at risk of falling or who have fallen.

• Conduct multifactorial falls risk assessments with individuals who manage their activities of daily living, after appropriate training.

• Refer and liaise with other falls prevention team members, for example physiotherapists, therapy support workers, and the wider multi-disciplinary team.

• To work under the indirect supervision of a Registered Practitioner.

• Provide basic equipment, once training is provided, for example a mobility aid.

• Carry out specialist one-to-one interventions for behaviour change after appropriate training, including delivery of home-based strength and balance exercise, for e.g., the Otago exercise programme.

• Carry out specialist group interventions for behaviour change after appropriate training, including delivery of strength and balance exercise, for e.g., the FaME programme.

• Complete baseline and completion assessments, along with supporting and signposting to onward strength and balance programmes and physical activity opportunities in the community.

• 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 LSW teams who would benefit from Wellbeing training and who can help deliver brief interventions and referral to the Wellbeing Team.

• Develop and deliver training programmes for other professionals /interested parties internally and externally. This may include Mental Health First Aid, Suicide Prevention, Alcohol Brief Intervention, Brief Advice for Healthy Lifestyles, Making Every Contact Count, falls prevention and physical activity.

• Income generate through training programmes and explore other areas for income generation.

• 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.

• Develop, promote and co-ordinate health activities 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.

• Contribute to research and development as directed.

• Act as a Health Champion, Making Every Contact Count.

• Be up to date with a range of health improvement topics through competency-based learning.

• Recognise and work within own competence.

• Take responsibility for own CPD.

• As a clinician, the post holder may be required to dispense flu inoculations

Full job description is available as a supporting document.

Person Specification

Specific skills

Essential

• Strong communication skills.

• Able to undertake physical activity sessions.

• Ability to sustain good working relationships with local people, colleagues, external organisations and partnerships.

• Ability to motivate participants to effect behaviour change

• Ability to prioritise plan and manage workload.

• Project planning and management, including monitoring and evaluation of projects.

• Group work, leadership and facilitation skills.

• Multi-media communication and presentation skills.

• Development of health education resources.

• Training skills including training needs analysis and evaluation.

• IT literate.

Desirable

• Data analysis and interpretation

Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to Vocational Level 4 (NVQ 4) in care or comparative or equivalent Health & Social Care qualification or clinical experience & knowledge.

• Evidence of continuing professional/personal development in health improvements/ behaviour change/public health/ exercise.

• Endorsed exercise qualification, or equivalent experience and knowledge.

Desirable

• Level 3 Exercise Referral qualification, or equivalent.

• Postural stability instructor (PSI) training course (Later Life Training).

• Recognised chair-based exercise or falls prevention activity leader qualification, for example, Later Life Training or Otago.

• Member of CIMPSA (if exercise professional).

Additional requirements

Essential

• Self-motivated and able to work on own initiative.

• Committed to equality of opportunity within an anti-discriminatory framework.

• Resilience and commitment.

• Ability to positively influence the actions of others.

• Ability and willingness to work across Plymouth.

• The post holder will need to travel and attend to service users based across Plymouth and other geographical areas. Full and valid driving licence and access to a car for work purposes is required. Reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act will be taken into account for the successful applicant.

• Ability to work flexible hours.

• Team player.

• Maintain own CPD.

Experience

Essential

• Minimum of 1-year experience of community work.

• Minimum of 1-year experience of health promotion.

• Experience and ability to work on a one-to-one basis and with local groups on specific health initiatives.

• Demonstrable experience of delivering physical activity / exercise programmes to a range of people, ideally older adults.

• Experience of working with statutory, public and voluntary sector bodies.

• Experience of developing and sustaining partnerships within public, private and community/voluntary sectors.

Desirable

• Quantitative and/or qualitative research.

• Experience of leading/developing and implementing Health Promotion initiatives.

• Experience in falls prevention/frailer older adults.

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.

• Knowledge of the benefits of undertaking strength and balance training to prevent falls.

• Knowledge of NICE guidelines relating to older adults.

Desirable

• Up-to-date knowledge of developments in health-related strategies.

• Awareness of sources of relevant data/information.

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Livewell Southwest

Address

200 Mount Gould Road

Mount Gould

Plymouth

Devon

PL4 7PY

Employer's website

https://www.livewellsouthwest.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)