Sexual Health Advisor in Luton

Provide confidential, holistic sexual and contraceptive health care and education to clients and their partners, in a welcoming, sensitive and non‑judgemental manner. Provide appropriate counselling and expert information, advice and training on all sexually transmitted infections (STI's) and wider Sexual Health issues to clients and professional/voluntary groups as required. Manage the client recall/treatment Partner Notification system. Demonstrate a flexible approach to days/hours worked and actively participate in changes to the planned rota to ensure that the service has appropriate cover for all clinics/sites.

Work with clients and their partners on a one‑to‑one basis using a motivational interviewing/health coaching approach to educate/enable them and to promote positive sexual health choices, relationships and outcomes. Provide information, support and short‑term counselling to clients with concerns around sexual assault, termination of pregnancy, relationship or sexual identity issues, etc. Identify Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE), sexual assault, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and Child/Adult Safeguarding concerns and follow reporting/management protocols.

Main duties of the job

• Assess, inform and motivate/coach clients on a one‑to‑one, often single intervention basis, to help improve their sexual and contraceptive health and well‑being.
• Provide education and counselling on preventing or minimising the risk of infection by promoting safer sex practices and effective condom use and condom negotiation.
• Provide advice, information, education and counselling according to NICE/SSHA and BASHH guidance for clients testing or diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection, to increase understanding of how STI's are acquired, transmitted and successfully treated.
• Convey the importance of treatment compliance and follow‑up and risks of untreated infection.
• Process positive test results, informing/recalling clients and actioning treatment and follow‑up as needed.
• Carry out effective Partner Notification.
• Identify and encourage sexual contacts of people diagnosed with certain STI's to attend Sexual Health Clinics for appropriate investigation, treatment and advice in order to achieve optimum outcomes and prevent onward transmission.
• Provide comprehensive assessment of clients' other social, emotional or sexual difficulties, acknowledging how this can impact behaviours and refer/signpost accordingly.

About us

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics‑led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.

Our values

We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience – we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and creating a culture that values differences.

Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering the first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarise yourself with all requirements of the job.

Job responsibilities

• Health education, promotion and training.
• Inform and improve clinical practice by maintaining up to date knowledge and awareness of developments in HIV STIs and related subjects.
• Maintain up to date knowledge and awareness of developments in Society of Sexual Health Advisors Codes of Ethics, Conduct and Guidelines for Good Practice.
• Initiate, co‑ordinate, conduct Health Advisor research and audits in order to evaluate and improve clinical practice.
• Contribute to the services learning environment as a positive role model and through participation in the delivery of service teaching programmes for internal and external staff.
• Demonstrate a committed, proactive approach to own appraisal and Personal Development Plan.
• Maintain contemporaneous, accurate records of all interviews, interventions and Partner Notification in accordance with best practice and to facilitate the evaluation / verification of outcomes.
• Develop, implement and evaluate Health Advisor policies and protocols to ensure consistently high quality, standardised professional practice.

Administrative

• Develop and update suitable induction/orientation/training programmes for new Health Advisors.
• Attend and represent Health Advisors at service, multi‑agency meetings as necessary.
• Collection of data/statistics required for research purposes.
• Promote a non‑judgemental climate of understanding, enabling clients to freely express their anxieties, needs and concerns.
• Liaise with Health Advisors in other Clinics as necessary.
• Enter outcomes on positives database to monitor and evidence performance against local commissioner and national targets.
• Perform pre and post HIV test discussion and counselling to those clients deemed to be at particular risk or to have particular needs.

Person Specification

• Qualifications: Degree in Healthcare/Social Sciences or similar, Registered Nurse with current NMC registration, Customer Care Course, STIF Course.
• Experience: Health Advisor experience in a GUM/HIV clinic setting, Evidence of continual professional development.
• Knowledge: NHS Sexual Health & HIV Standards of Care, Research and evidence‑based practice, Service improvement, Understanding of the need for confidentiality awareness at all times.
• Communication Skills: Excellent verbal, non‑verbal and written communication skills, Ability to adapt interactions to communicate effectively with a diverse range of individuals/groups.
• Skills: Strong assessment and analytical skills, Motivational interviewing and health coaching, Strongly empathetic, Counselling skills, Able to prioritise/re‑prioritise, Able to implement change, Demonstrable organisational abilities & motivational skills, Proficient using Microsoft Word, Power Point, email and Positives and HIV databases.
• Personal Characteristics: Strong interest in Sexual Health/HIV, Non‑judgemental, mature attitude, Team player, Sensitive to clients' needs.
• Physical/Mental Effort: Resilience to workplace pressures/changing priorities/interruptions, Attention to detail/need to concentrate during interactions with clients or recording/entering data, Good hand strength/dexterity.

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.