Health Advising

Job overview

We are looking for an experienced and enthusiastic Band 7 Health Adviser to lead our team at the Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust.

The post holder will lead the health advising team to provide care within the sexual health service, working closely with other staff across the service to facilitate continuity of care. As part of the multi-disciplinary team, the post holder will work to provide evidence based sexual health care alongside advice to promote health and well-being.

As Senior Health Adviser, the post holder will be responsible for interpreting and managing positive results and ensuring appropriate follow up is in place, including partner notification. The Health Adviser is also responsible for providing health promotion advice and psychological support. The role includes working with vulnerable young people and adults, being able to analyse complex facts or situations and exercise professional judgement and as such requires the ability to communicate with sensitivity.

There is a strong emphasis on safeguarding and the post holder will be part of the safeguarding team to ensure that all young and/ or vulnerable people are appropriately reviewed and followed up as appropriate to ensure their safety and wellbeing.

There will be a requirement to supervise and develop junior staff/students in all aspects of care.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will work as team lead for the Health Advising Team across the level 3 bSHaW service, working closely with the multidisciplinary team

• To deliver specialist care management, within an integrated sexual health model, by providing psycho-social support and health promotion/education to the service users alongside clinical management.
• To participate in the further development of partner notification/ contact tracing processes, applying public health principles, to reduce transmission of STIs/HIV and to improve the sexual health of the community.
• To manage positive results and offer/ provide treatment in a timely manner.
• To work with the Health Advising team to manage the patient recall system to ensure appropriate follow up for patients.
• To participate in the delivering of contraception advice and care to reduce unwanted pregnancies
• To give telephone advice and support to the public and professionals.
• To work within a clinical governance and performance management framework.
• To be proactive in the modernization of the service promoting integrated working practices and cooperation across service sites and stakeholders

Working for our organisation

Listen to why colleagues think we are a great place to work! -

What does Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust offer you?

• As part of our BHT family, you’ll benefit from learning and development opportunities to support your career progression.
• We offer flexible and agile working opportunities, alongside your NHS benefits of generous annual leave entitlement, pension and access to NHS discount schemes.
• We provide a range of health and wellbeing services to promote a healthy, happy workforce.

Why work for us?

• We’re committed to promoting inclusion and making sure all colleagues feel they belong. We encourage new colleagues from a diverse range of backgrounds to apply.
• As an employer, we aim to create a workplace where differences are valued and colleagues treat one another with dignity and respect.
• Greater diversity within our BHT family improves positive outcomes for the people and communities we serve.
• A keen supporter of the Armed Forces Community who know the value of employing a service leaver/veteran and their families.

What do we stand for?

• Our vision is to provide outstanding care, support healthy communities and be a great place to work.
• Our mission is to provide personal and compassionate care every time.
• Our care values are collaborate, aspire, respect and enable.

Person specification

Education and Qualifications

Essential criteria

• • Registered Nurse - level 1 – current NMC registration or other qualification appropriate to role for example Psychologist, Education/Teaching.
• • Educated to level 6 (degree) or above.
• • Post registration professional development in sexual health - STIF (sexual transmitted foundation) integrated or health advising theory & competency accredited, NDFSRH (nurse diploma faculty of sexual & reproductive health) or Level 6 (Degree) studies
• • Management and leadership qualification/course or training
• • Specialist safeguarding/vulnerable child and adult training/education in addition to baseline

Desirable criteria

• • Counselling qualification or experience
• • Qualification in Teaching and assessing eg 997/8 or City &Guilds course.
• • Qualified as Non-Medical prescriber V300
• • Motivational interviewing qualification & experience

Experience

Essential criteria

• • Current or very recent experience of working in an integrated sexual health service as a health advisor providing direct patient care
• • Experience of working with PGD’s (patient group directives) to provide treatment for a range of sexually transmitted infections and access to contraception
• • Experience of supervising & developing junior nursing/health advising colleagues including students to ensure delivery of effective patient centred care in a sexual health service.
• • Experience of leading a team in the NHS
• • Experience of safeguarding vulnerable children and adults
• • Experience of working collaboratively with other teams and agencies
• • Experience in leading staff appraisals – reviews, objective setting and PDP
• • Experience in clinical audit and implementing relevant actions/sharing learning
• • Experience in collaborative MDT working to achieve service improvement and change.

Desirable criteria

• • Where qualified current experience using V300 and evidence of post qualification education to maintain competency.
• • Experience of implementing/updating policies and guidelines
• • Experience in participating in health care research and evaluating options for service improvement.
• • Experience of Budget management
• • Experience of leading clinical supervision sessions individually and/or as a group

Special Considerations

Essential criteria

• • Ability to travel between service sites working a minimum of 2 days per week at each site
• • Able to work a flexible rota to ensure effective service delivery including evening and weekend working

PPE requirements: Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust requires all colleagues to wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) in accordance with our infection prevention and control procedures.

Flu vaccinations remain the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course our patients from the viruses when working in our healthcare settings. We encourage our staff to be vaccinated when recommended.

Application deadline: This post will close on the closing date stated at midnight, however if we receive a large number of applications or there is a change in circumstance, we may be required to close a job before the advertised date.

Application information: If you are offered a job, information will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records (ESR) system.

Shortlisting: The monitoring and safeguarding sections are not made visible to the shortlisting panel. The safeguarding section may be made visible to the interview panel, dependent on the role being recruited into.

Travel expenses: It is Trust policy that travel expenses for interviews will not be reimbursed.

Smoking: All Trust sites are NO SMOKING. Smoking in all areas of the buildings and premises is prohibited.

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