Health and Wellbeing Coach in Cambridge

This is a part-time vacancy, and we are offering between 25.50 hours per week. Salary is £31,600 pro rata (£21,488 pa 25.5 hours/week). The post-holder will be supporting the three practices of Ely South Primary Care Network (PCN).

There are no specific professional qualifications required to apply, but the successful candidate will be able to demonstrate:

• Experience working with people in a health or social care setting.
• An understanding of how Coaching can help people identify and develop their existing strengths and skills to improve their wellbeing and health.
• A pragmatic, respectful, non-judgemental approach.
• A desire to make a difference.

Main duties of the job:

Health and Wellbeing coaches empower people to manage their own health and improve their health outcomes. Based on what is important to each person, coaches help to improve a person's knowledge, skills and confidence in managing their health, building on their strengths and supporting them to make changes that impact their health and wellbeing. Health and Wellbeing Coaches provide both one-to-one coaching and group sessions. You will be enthusiastic about improving outcomes for our patients and have experience in using coaching methods or approaches such as motivational interviewing to help people improve their health and wellbeing. Excellent communication skills, relationship-building, and patient-focus are essential to the success of this role.

You will be proactive with a flexible attitude, keen to work as part of a team and keen to develop effective and enduring relationships between Primary Care and partner organisations. The role involves working directly with patients to co-create health and wellbeing plans that are individualised, holistic, and realistic, and use a coaching approach to achieve goals. The Coach will work with Practice colleagues and other community organisations and will help identify areas for improvement in services.

About us:

Ely PCNs are a collaborative group of seven GP Practices in East Cambridgeshire. We are considered an innovative and high-achieving PCN and have a track record of making a positive difference for our patients and partners. Ely PCNs is a key part of a wider network of health and social care organisations in East Cambridgeshire and together we are having real success supporting our local population with their health, wellbeing and social needs. Our PCN employs 30+ staff including Social Prescribers, Pharmacists, Physios, Care Coordinators and Coaches. We currently have eight Health and Wellbeing Coaches in our team. The team is supported by Vandana Manocha, our Lead Health and Wellbeing Coach. All Coaches have access to ongoing skills development, support, and supervision with Vandana and GPs and are able to build their skills and experience within the role. The post-holder will have a permanent contract of employment with Staploe Medical Centre in Soham, Cambs (Lead Practice for Ely South PCN).

Job responsibilities:

The Health and Wellbeing Coach is a key role within Ely Primary Care Network (PCN), with the aim of improving health outcomes for patients living within the PCN catchment area. The successful candidate will work collaboratively with colleagues across the three GP practices within Ely South PCN, alongside other Health and Wellbeing Coaches, Social Prescribers, Care Co-ordinators, and partners in secondary health and social care services. The post-holder will work closely with patients with low to medium complexity needs, who will usually have one or more long-term conditions. The role involves direct work with patients and their families via telephone, video consultation, and face-to-face appointments. You will support individuals to take proactive steps to better manage their physical and mental health, focusing on what matters most to them.

The post-holder will be responsible for delivering both individual and group health coaching sessions, using a range of coaching techniques to support people to take an active role in their health and wellbeing. You will play a critical role in engaging and motivating patients and facilitating access to interventions such as self-management education and peer support. You will manage and prioritise a caseload according to individual needs, priorities, and levels of support required. The successful candidate will be kind, reflective, and self-aware, with a genuine enjoyment of working with a diverse range of people. You will have strong communication and negotiation skills, and a firm belief that individuals have untapped strengths and resources that can be unlocked through high-quality, non-judgemental support. You will be proactive, flexible, and committed to working as part of a multidisciplinary team, as well as to your own professional development and that of your colleagues.

The post-holder will work closely with members of the primary care and multidisciplinary teams, contributing to the management and decision-making around care and service provision for individual patients. This will include:

• Supporting effective team working within primary care by undertaking appropriate practice-based tasks, attending team meetings as required, and working with complex care teams.
• Supporting individuals to access appropriate community resources and services, working with families and/or carers where appropriate.

Key Tasks:

• Deliver one-to-one and group consultations via phone, video, or face-to-face.
• Use a person-centred, strength-based coaching approach focused on what matters to individuals.
• Build trusting, respectful, and non-judgemental relationships, valuing diversity and individual choices.
• Support people to set goals, build skills and confidence, and overcome barriers to self-management.
• Promote shared decision-making, personalised care planning, self-management education, peer support, social prescribing, and access to care coordination where appropriate.

Referrals, partnerships and engagement:

• Promote health coaching as part of personalised care and supported self-management within the PCN.
• Build strong working relationships with GP practices, multidisciplinary teams, and local partner organisations.
• Encourage appropriate referrals through engagement, information sharing, and regular feedback.
• Proactively promote equality, inclusion, and access, including self-referrals and engagement with underserved communities.

Information gathering and reporting:

• Gather and record information to support monitoring of outcomes and impact of health coaching.
• Encourage feedback from individuals, families, carers, and referral partners.
• Ensure accurate recording of activity using agreed clinical systems and SNOMED codes, in line with data protection and information governance requirements.

The above list is not exhaustive.

Person Specification:

Additional Criteria:

• Satisfactory DBS check.
• Satisfactory employment references.
• Ability to attend practice sites regularly.
• Ability to travel easily to the community when required.
• Good fit with the PCN leadership team.
• Good fit with the Practice teams.
• Absence of referee concerns/complaints.
• Driver with access to vehicle.

Knowledge and skills:

• Knowledge of the personalised care approach.
• Understanding of the determinants of health to include social, economic and environmental factors.
• Understanding of, and commitment to, equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Knowledge of IT systems to include the ability to use word processing skills, emails and internet.
• Knowledge of coaching models and approaches.
• Knowledge of public health issues in the local area.
• Knowledge and experience of training volunteers.
• Knowledge of the needs of patients with long term conditions.
• Knowledge of community development approaches.

Experience:

• Experience of supporting people, their families and carers in a related role (can include unpaid work).
• Using IT systems to record, analyse and communicate information accurately.
• Experience of working in: a community development context, or health and social care, or learning support, or public health/health improvement.
• Experience of supporting people with their mental health, either in a paid, unpaid or informal capacity.
• Experience of partnership/collaborative working and of building relationships across a variety of organisations including the voluntary sector.
• Experience of data collection and using tools to measure the impact of services.
• Experience using clinical systems e.g. SystmOne and/or EMIS.
• Experience using a case management system e.g. JOY.

Personal skills and attributes:

• Well-organised, diligent, and attentive to detail.
• Ability to build strong working relationships.
• Works well as part of a team.
• A good fit with the HWBC team.
• Self-motivated and able to prioritise.
• Able to build and maintain relationships whilst maintaining appropriate professional boundaries.
• Resilient; ability to work under pressure and manage personal stress.
• Enthusiasm to continue to learn and develop.
• Demonstrate a willingness to participate in shaping the future of the organisation by taking on responsibilities and projects in addition to core workload.

Qualifications:

• GCSE or equivalent in both Maths and English at Grade C / 4 or above.
• Demonstrable commitment to professional and personal development.
• Training in motivational coaching, behavioural change/goal setting.
• Evidence of further training and qualifications.
• PCI accredited level 1 health coaching training.

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.