Healthy Lifestyles Practitioner in Southend-on-Sea

Exciting entry level opportunities are available to join our Healthy Lifestyle and NHS HealthCheck Team. The role will have a special interest in delivering NHS HealthChecks and supporting health promotion/delivery within the Healthy Communities Integrated Lifestyle Service in Southend-on-Sea. NHS Health Checks offer support for eligible adults through preventative screening which includes taking blood pressure, finger prick blood tests for cholesterol and blood glucose, discussing lifestyle habits (physical activity, smoking, alcohol, diet etc), and identifying the need for referral either into our own Tier 2 lifestyle and prevention services, community service signposting and/or for further clinical assessment. The service aims to identify and support those at risk of a range of vascular diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, dementia, and kidney disease.

The ideal candidate will be based in our Southend-on-Sea office, however the candidate needs to be open to travel across Southend-on-Sea to support the delivery of the Health Checks and delivery of the integrated service. Clinics run from 09:00 – 20:00 hours Monday to Saturday (no more than 8 hour days). This position will require the successful applicant to be competent working alone as well as with others. You will be responsible for the front-line delivery of the service and supporting clients on a one-to-one basis.

Main duties of the job

• You will be responsible for maintaining and replenishing your own equipment and communicating across the team and with the Health Check Coordinator to ensure a quality service is delivered.
• This can be a fast-paced role and will require a pro-active, versatile approach and can-do attitude to succeed. You must be able to manage your appointment time and be able to respond quickly to change.
• Additional duties may include admin support, one to one patient support calls, cover other healthy lifestyle services when required and other events promotion.

The Ideal Candidate will:

• Have strong time management, empathy, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to take responsibility for own quality delivery needs and provide proactive communication.
• Have experience of, or a strong interest in delivering NHS Health Checks or public health service delivery.
• Display an awareness of key health messages around the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and managing key risk factors: smoking cessation, diet, physical activity, social isolation, weight management and alcohol consumption.
• A competent individual who enjoys working at community events both indoor and outdoor.
• Ideally possess a minimum of 1 year experience working in community-based services or public health.
• Training will be provided however a nutrition or other health degree (or equivalent) is advantageous.

About us

Everyone Health Ltd supports people to live healthier lives. We offer advice and guidance and our evidence based prevention and treatment solutions enable individuals to take action to make a positive change. Our behaviour change dynamic services are co-designed by our service users as we continually strive to make a difference. Mostly we are a company full of passionate individuals who love to help people achieve their health goals.

Job responsibilities

The Healthy Lifestyle Practitioners key responsibilities are to be functional within the NHS Health Check team and to deliver Health Checks across required localities and to assist with the integrated service delivery.

Summary of Responsibilities and Duties

• Support the contract team to ensure the NHS Health Check service is of high profile and there is strong awareness in relation to the Gateway of entry in the service.
• Identify and engage with individuals from agreed target groups and communities to facilitate communication regarding promoting their health and wellbeing, and the service.
• Develop and maintain relationships with individuals who are experiencing the greatest inequalities in health and provide information to individuals about the relationship between behaviours and health.
• Make contacts, develop, and maintain professional links within communities including promoting the Health Checks Service and your health role to contact groups where there may be barriers to understanding.
• To champion and adhere to processes and procedures to identify and strive for continuing improved quality throughout the client/patients pathway, together with robust data management.
• To meet internal and external performance management requirements given to you by the NHS Health Check Lead and Service Manager.
• Be responsible for ensuring rigorous and regular data inputting to ensure accurate records are maintained in accordance with EH procedures, to ensure compliance with Information Governance and Data Protection in relation to patient information.
• The post holder is expected to work within the requirements of the 6 Cs Care, Compassion, Competence, Communication, Courage and Commitment.
• Support at local in-person (and sometimes virtual) events, helping to set up and close-down as appropriate.
• Deliver preventive screening via NHS Health Checks and mini-MOTs to identify and manage those at risk of a range of vascular diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, dementia, and kidney disease, and advise on our other available services relevant to the patient.

Person Specification

• Skills & Abilities
• Have strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Able to plan and be flexible with good time management skills.
• Be an excellent communicator, able to express to other organisations the benefits of working together.
• Computer literate ability to maintain and monitor information systems in line with the national minimum dataset and adapt to reflect local needs.
• Able to take specific deliverables and use appropriate policies, principles, and guidelines to ensure successful delivery.
• Friendly, supportive, and encouraging to people in difficult (sometimes frustrating) situations.
• Organised, flexible and adaptable approach to working.
• Confident and competent at monitoring, managing and reporting own screening equipment needs.
• Value and respectful of other people regardless of background or circumstances.
• Able to respect confidentiality.
• Good empathy skills.

Qualifications

• Education to GCSE Standard at grades A-C for a minimum of 5 GCSEs (or equivalent) including Mathematics and English language or literature.
• Recognised Health Check Training Certification & Health Trainer qualifications e.g., City & Guilds Level 3 Certificate for Health Trainers, or equivalent, or Royal Institute of Public Health Level 2 Understanding Health Improvement or equivalent, (with a commitment to achieve qualification if not already qualified).
• NCSCT Level 2 Smoking Cessation Certified.
• Certificate in Level 4 Personal Training.
• Level 4 Award in Nutrition (RSPH or AfN Certified).
• Training will be provided however health degree (or equivalent) is advantageous.

Experience

• Delivering health services, health promotion and/or health awareness within the local community at events and within local community venues.
• Experience supporting clients with referrals to other support services.
• Experience of developing effective relationships with key stakeholders.
• Experience in working at events.
• Experience in working in community and/or GP settings.
• Possess a minimum of 1 year experience working in community-based services or public health.
• Sound knowledge of challenges to achieving health improvement amongst vulnerable and deprived communities.
• Good understanding of NICE guidance, national and local recommendations relating to NHS Health Check screening services.
• Sound knowledge of application of behavioural change theoretical principles, to facilitate, motivate and empower individuals / local communities to make substantive and sustainable behaviour change.
• Display an awareness of key health messages around the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and managing key risk factors: smoking cessation, diet, physical activity, social isolation, weight management and alcohol consumption.

Special Conditions

• Full UK Driving license with access to a car with business travel insurance for work.
• Working in a variety of settings including the community, youth, and community centres.
• Some evening and weekend work.
• This post involves working with vulnerable adults and as such the post holder will be required to apply for a disclosure of criminal records at an enhanced level (DBS).
• 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.