Health Improvement Advisor for Tobacco Dependency inWorthing inWorthing PUBLISHED WED 27 NOV 2024

An exciting opportunity has arisen to recruit a team of motivated Band 4 Health Improvement Advisors for Tobacco Dependency. There are posts available at each of our 4 hospitals in Brighton, Worthing, Haywards Heath and Chichester.Please ensure you apply for the vacancy relating to your preferred base.THIS VACANCY IS FOR WORTHING, Worthing Hospital.

There are 60 hours a week (1.6 FTE) available for this role and Full-time and Part-time hours will be considered.

The successful post holders will join our existing small team of friendly and engaged Advisors and will be integral to delivering the Inpatients and the Maternity Tobacco Dependency Services. This involves working directly with pregnant people and acute inpatients, both face to face and via phone contact, to support access to appropriate Nicotine Replacement Therapy and Behavioural Support to quit smoking. The role will include some training delivery to clinical staff on the importance of Very Brief Advice to quit smoking and completing key documentation of smoking status. Post Holder's will be key in leading by example to embed a Smoke Free culture.

We are looking for enthusiastic individuals, who are passionate about health promotion and health behaviour change, to work with our patients to treat their tobacco dependency throughout pregnancy or following an admission to our hospitals. The service is a key part of achieving the Saving Babies Lives and the NHS Long Term Plan.

This role will deliver the key aims of the Tobacco Dependency Programme as per the NHS Long Term Plan and the Saving Babies Lives bundle by delivering tobacco dependency treatment in both Maternity and Acute Inpatient settings. Working as part of a team to cover all sites across University Hospitals Sussex Foundation Trust, this role involves working directly with patients and their families, in both face to face and virtual/telephone consultations and follow ups. Working within recommended protocols and guidelines you will provide intermediate smoking cessation support throughout pregnancy using interventions such as CO monitoring, nicotine replacement therapy and vapes. You will make referrals to community Smoking Cessation services and follow up all patients 28 days after discharge to offer further support and record outcomes.

You will have excellent record keeping skills and will maintain databases for National Reporting on outcomes for all patients that you work with. You will have excellent communication and rapport building skills, utilise Motivational Interviewing techniques and be able to work as part of a cross-site team, whilst being able to work with minimal direct supervision during patient consultations. The role will include some training delivery to clinical staff on the importance of delivering Very Brief Advice to quit smoking to patients and will be key in leading by example to embed a Smoke Free culture.

About us

Communication

Communicate the benefits of quitting smoking non-judgmentally and effectively and give support to those wanting to quit.

Ability to communicate with a diverse range of people in a compassionate and personalised way, including the ability to build rapport with clients.

Communicate effectively with a range of staff across disciplines, grades, and organisations.

Communicate updates to the Programme Lead and wider clinic team to help with patient flow and access

Ability to overcome barriers to understanding, e.g. patient/client has physical impairment, mental health condition or learning disabilities.

Utilise communication skills to foster good working relationships with tobacco dependency service team and staff within other teams and partner agencies to strengthen service delivery.

Communicate potentially sensitive information to service users and other health professionals

Communication with health professionals in other agencies, locally and nationally regarding service provision and potential patient referral.

To attend a range of internal and external meetings as required

Promote smoke free homes and support and advise patients about the risks of second-hand smoke to others in their home, including unborn babies for pregnant people and children in the home.

Ability to utilise reflective listening and persuasive skills, along with a positive attitude towards change to maintains relationships with difficult or reluctant to engage clients.

Deliver factual clinical information with patients using reassurance, tact, empathy.

Communicate effectively with patients including by telephone, including agreement of most appropriate tobacco dependency support programme to meet their requirements.

Service Delivery and Improvement

Regularly meet with the Tobacco Dependence Programme Management Team to assess and direct progress and to discuss opportunities for service improvement including more effective use of resources and an improved service for patients where identified

Respond to referrals within agreed timescales. Book own appointments and manage own caseload, ensuring that all patient referrals and follow ups have been appropriately actioned.

Provide in-depth, tobacco dependency consultations, including:

• • Assessment of nicotine dependency
  • Offer or review of nicotine replacement therapy products and vapes
  • Information about what support is available to support a quit
  • Assess the patient's readiness and ability to quit
  • Prompt commitment from the patient
  • Discussion of behavioural strategies
  • Agree tobacco dependence treatment plans with the patient and record on hospital systems
  • Follow up and record outcomes

Keep contemporaneous notes on hospital IT systems to record activity, treatment plans and outcomes.

Support the delivery of training to staff groups across the Trust for Tobacco Very Brief Advice

Provide ad hoc advice to ward staff on the provision of nicotine replacement therapy products to manage nicotine withdrawal symptoms where approproiate.

Support delivery and development of innovative ways of working with clients including the use of novel technologies.

Analyse trends and highlight issues and problems and propose remedial actions using IT software and systems where appropriate.

Be responsible for ensuring the Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system continues to evolve in line with service requirements.

Uphold professional standards and act as advocate for the Department.

Maintain a highly organised office environment to maintain confidentiality and data protection and model office standards to the wider team.

Have responsibility for maintenance of stock of carbon monoxide monitoring kits including raising purchase orders and requisitions using the Trusts electronic systems, following up to the point of conclusion. Have responsibility for calibration and maintenance of carbon monoxide monitors.

People Management and Development

Work with minimal supervision, always operating within the assessed level of competence as set out by line manager.

Be aware of how to report incidents, concerns or complaints and escalate any concerns or complexities to Tobacco Dependency Programme Management, Midwifery Team or Nurse in Charge on wards, as appropriate

Follow policies and participate in discussions on proposed changes to procedures.

To support the delivery of tobacco dependence training to the wider multidisciplinary team across the Trust.

Monitor, develop and evaluate client feedback in order to make service improvement recommendations and learn from good practice and successes.

Keep up to date with local and national policies and guidelines to implement best practice.

Advocate for the service, communicating its purpose to the public and encouraging screening, using a wide range of effective communication skills

Participate in evaluation of service to inform future delivery and development.

To support other team members taking a shared approach to teamwork.

Patient Care Delivery

Work within the agreed and relevant policies and procedures and know how to access them.

To manage own caseload for daily inpatients smokers list and electronic maternity referrals and their associate interpretation and administration, which will include identifying patients in electronic systems to check information and ward, booking appointments and completing Tobacco Dependency Consultations, documenting discussions, treatment plans and Nicotine Replacement administered and follow ups.

Deliver Carbon Monoxide (CO) monitoring to a high standard and engage in the data collection and collation of CO rates in pregnancy and post-partum and for inpatients as a way to engage in smoking cessation

Dispense Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) according to the Trust protocol.

To be responsible for documenting patient care on EPR systems and clearly recording actions taken including follow up and mandatory reporting outcomes

To maintain detailed and accurate records (manual and electronic) that are consistent with legislation, policies and procedure, regarding interventions and advice given.

To contribute to the community pharmacy/Local Authority smoking cessation pathways. Be a contact person for community treatment providers, ensuring they are clear on processes, adhere to processes and monitor with data

Deal sensitively and politely with patients and their families face to face, by telephone or email including responding to complaints as directed.

Observe and participate in the quality management systems within the teams, ensuring that a high quality and professional service is maintained to the patients.

Promote the general health and wellbeing of people who use the service through offering healthy lifestyle advice, support and local self-referral information (e.g., healthy eating, physical activity, stress management).

Undertake any duties necessary to support the high-quality service.

Learning and Development

Attend mandatory training updates as required.

Undertake training as necessary in line with the development of the post and as agreed with the line manager as part of the personal development process.

Achieve and demonstrate agreed standards of personal and professional development within agreed timescales.

Identify own learning needs and jointly plan training requirements with your line manager

Participate in the Trusts appraisal process to discuss how your role will help deliver the best possible care to our patients and help to deliver any changes in service.

This job description is an outline of the role and responsibilities. From time to time due to the needs of the service, we may ask you to flexibly undertake other duties that are consistent with your role and banding, including project work, internal job rotation and absence cover.

The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the department and the organisation.