Health Visitor in Wigan

People at the Heart. One Team. Your Career at WWL.

There has never been a more exciting time to have a career in Health Visiting in Wigan, come and see what it's like to work in WWL community. We are now seeking to recruit dynamic and motivated Health Visitors to join the Health Visiting Service. Working pattern across Monday to Friday 0900-1700. Full and part time hours available.

We are looking to recruit motivated practitioners with initiative and drive and up to date knowledge of the wider public health agenda. You will work as part of a skill mixed team delivering the Healthy Child Programme (DH 2009) for a defined caseload within the Health Visiting Teams. You will need to have an understanding of children’s health issues and be passionate about how public health nursing can positively influence the lives of children and families. The ideal candidate should be able to demonstrate flexibility and creative thinking in respect of service delivery. We welcome applications from those who are currently studying their SCPHN qualification (HV) and are due to qualify within the near future. Please note we are unable to support new study for the course at this time.

Main duties of the job

• To assess health needs at the level of the individual, community group and population in accordance with local and national priorities.
• To contribute to the development of public health strategies, needs assessment/profiling and local policies and procedures as appropriate.
• To promote the development of local health improvement networks.
• To manage a defined caseload of clients, working within WWL and local service specific policy and guidelines.
• To assume the role of Lead Professional where appropriate with the aim of meeting health needs and to the co-ordination of support services as appropriate.
• To ensure the Healthy Child programme is effectively implemented in line with policy and delivered to the caseload population.
• To assess the health needs of children and their families, plan appropriate health improvement interventions with individual families and evaluate outcomes.
• To develop health plans with individuals and families based on shared assessment of health need, identifying in partnership, the requirement for future Health Visiting support.
• To offer direction, support and supervision to skill mix team colleagues in relation to delegated case work.
• To act upon appropriate referrals from other members of the Primary Health care team or other agencies and delegate work accordingly.
• To identify those children in need of protection, initiating Child Protection Referral when indicated and acting in accordance with Trust and Local Safeguarding Board policy and procedures.
• To participate in any proceedings required with regard to Trust Safeguarding Policy and procedure e.g. Case Conferences, Core Group and Early Help meetings.
• To complete Court Reports as requested and adhere to time scales mandated by Court and attend/participate in any subsequent Court proceedings.
• To ensure that Health Visiting interventions are clinically effective and evidence based.
• To provide information, advice and guidance on the management of health issues in a range of appropriate settings.
• To assess the need to follow up children accessing A+E department and Walk in Centre, taking appropriate action when necessary.
• To identify those children whose health requires referral on for more specialised professional intervention taking the necessary action to progress this.
• To develop evidence based interventions/care programmes on a range of subjects, for use with clients.
• To identify at an early age, those children requiring additional support and intervention and to adhere to clinical pathways in supporting those children.
• To promote the immunisation of infants and pre-school children according to Trust policy and in epidemic situations to the wider population as determined by local need.
• To identify minor childhood illness and as a Nurse Prescriber issue a prescription for treatment when indicated, appropriate and within the Health Visitors scope of practice.
• To contribute to the development of health education literature for local distribution, ensuring that clinical governance/quality assurance requirements have been met.
• To complete Health Visitor records, in compliance with Trust policy and Local service specific policy/procedure.
• To maintain record keeping skills and knowledge by undertaking regular training.
• To adhere to local service guidance in relation to the management of Records, including storage and transfer.
• To participate in research projects.
• To be actively involved with practice development in order to meet the needs of the client.
• To ensure current evidence base informs professional practice.
• To participate in audit activity as required.
• To ensure adherence to the Trust’s clinical governance and nursing strategies.

Communications and Key Working Relationships

• To show a strong commitment to team working, demonstrating respect and consideration to other team members and colleagues in partner agencies.
• To attend and participate in team allocation meetings.
• To attend and participate in Service Link meetings.
• To engage with and contribute to the development of the team and the service.
• To participate actively in the induction of new staff.
• To act as a positive and professional role model both within the service and when representing the service to the wider community.
• To lead and manage change, encouraging others to recognise the need for change, developing a shared vision and inspiring and motivating other team members.
• To participate in staff recruitment and selection when required.

Responsibility for Human Resources

• To attend in service training as required in order to maintain current practice.
• To adhere to the requirements of the NMC with regards to Revalidation.
• To undertake and complete mandatory training as required by Bridgewater Community Trust.
• To complete Safeguarding training as required and acquire and maintain a knowledge of current legislation and guidance.
• To identify personal training needs and take the necessary steps to meet those needs.
• Participates and engages with Personal Development Reviews.
• Maintains the up to date knowledge and skills required to safely undertake the role, identifying any training needs and ensuring they are met.
• Is conversant with and adherent to care pathways used with the service.
• Attends relevant in-service training and other professional seminars, lectures, courses, and study days.
• Completes mandatory training requirements annually.
• To attend for 1:1 supervision with the Team Leader.
• To attend and partake/engage in group clinical supervision.
• To attend and partake/engage in Safeguarding supervision.

Responsibility for Health & Safety

Compliance with the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 – the post holder is required to fulfil a proactive role towards the management of risk in all of their actions. This entails the risk assessment of all situations, the taking of appropriate actions and reporting of all incidents, near misses and hazards, and a statutory duty of care for their own personal safety and that of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions.

Responsibility for Teaching

Undertakes the role of preceptor, mentor and trainer as required by the service with regards to newly appointed staff and Student Nurses on placement. Assists in the education of learners.

Person specification

• Qualifications: Community Specialist practitioner in public health, Nurse prescriber.
• Experience: Multi-disciplinary and multi-agency working.
• Skills: Research ability, previous experience of delivering the healthy child programme, experience within the safeguarding arena, Newborn Behaviour Observation training and experience working within a 0-19 team.
• Knowledge: Up to date knowledge of key government policy and drivers within Public Health, Child development, working in a community setting, being a proactive colleague within the 0-19 team, Knowledge of WWL trust values.
• Additional: Ability to travel independently across the Trust, Ability to work flexibly in accordance with service needs, Speaks English to an appropriate standard.

Licensing & Regulatory Requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration. This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

On-Call

Please note that some roles may require participation in an on-call rota, particularly those that are operational in nature.