Community Health and Well-Being Worker

Job summary

We are looking for people totake on Community Health and Wellbeing Worker roles within Wood Farm. You will be based at Hedena Health, a GP practice inHeadington, but will work across our OX3+ Primary Care Network.

As a CHWW, you will be in apatient-facing role engaging with members of the Wood Farm community toidentify ways to improve the health and wellbeing of the young, old and theirfamilies, connecting them to access appropriate support and community resources.This role bridges health and social services and the community. CHWW arepassionate role models who will provide advice and signposting to everyonewithin their communities, enabling them to make positive choices around healthand well-being. Youll meet people face to face, helping them to find localhealth services, offering to help them make appointments or signpost them tolocal services to support their needs.

Alongside participating inevaluation activities within a project team, you will play a significant rolein increasing health promotion and wellbeing, through a range of activitiesincluding: Outreach assessments, Signposting, Education, Group/Community events.

Dont worry about having previousNHS experience, full training will be provided, as you help us to deliversupport to the local communities in Wood Farm.

Kindly note: It is a fixed term contract until end of March 2025.

Main duties of the job

Monthly household visits within a defined geographical area to assess the health and social needs of everyone within a household, adopting a proactive and holistic approach when supporting the local community.

CHWW will:

Make contact with each household in a defined area on a regular basis, face to face or virtually as appropriate, listening and discussing health needs on each visit.

Identify vulnerable households or individuals in conjunction with health care teams.

Identify health and/or social care needs in conjunction with health care teams.

Act as an advocate to help households navigate the health and social care systems, access appropriate services and remove barriers to accessing services and resources.

Manage their time to ensure that visits are completed.

Adhere to the Lone Worker Policy when carrying out visits to households.

To work collaboratively with colleagues across health, social care and the third sector to provide patient-centred, integrated care.

Develop supportive relationships with local VCSE organisations, community groups and statutory services, to make timely, appropriate, and supported referrals for the person being introduced.

To liaise with the two practices (Hedena Health & Manor Surgery) and, where practicable, to standardise processes across the PCN.

To promote health coaching and social prescribing amongst the PCN and networked practices.

About us

Join a team that has successfully managed public health initiatives, fostered collaborations with neighbouring practices and actively participated in the Covid Vaccination programme, making a tangible difference in the lives of our patients. Our workplace culture places a strong emphasis on staff well-being, offering team building activities like Annual Away Days, exciting staff outings (including a boat trip this summer), and legendary summer and Christmas parties. We also have a Hedena running club for all those interested!

Located in the heart of Oxford next to a beautiful park, our office boasts free on-site staff parking, a sunny Quad for morning coffees, and regular deliveries of fresh fruit and homemade treats, enhancing the overall work environment.

Don't miss the chance to be part of a team that values your contribution. Apply today and discover a fulfilling career with a competitive compensation along with benefits such as additional leave, a company pension, free on-site parking, referral programs, and store discounts. We look forward to welcoming you to our innovative and friendly team at Hedena!

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key Duties & Responsibilities:

Monthly household visits (or more frequent if the household need requires it) within a defined geographical area (up to a maximum of 120 households) to assess the health and social needs of everyone within a household, adopting a proactive and holistic approach when supporting the local community.

Community Health Workers will:

Make contact with each household in a defined area on a regular basis, face to face or virtually as appropriate, listening and discussing health needs on each visit.

Identify vulnerable households or individuals in conjunction with health care teams.

Identify health and/or social care needs in conjunction with health care teams.

Act as an advocate to help households navigate the health and social care systems, access appropriate services and remove barriers to accessing services and resources.

Manage their time to ensure that visits are completed.

Adhere to the Lone Worker Policy when carrying out visits to households.

To work collaboratively with colleagues across health, social care and the third sector to provide patient-centred, integrated care.

Develop supportive relationships with local VCSE organisations, community groups and statutory services, to make timely, appropriate, and supported referrals for the person being introduced.

To liaise with the two practices (Hedena Health & Manor Surgery) and, where practicable, to standardise processes across the PCN.

To promote health coaching and social prescribing amongst the PCN and networked practices.

Educational

To provide personalised support to individuals, their families, and carers to ensure that they are active participants in their own healthcare and to empower them to take more control in manging their own health and well-being, to live independently and to improve their health outcomes through the following:

Providing interventions such as self-management, education, and peer support

To signpost household members to the correct healthcare professional/service.

Supporting people to establish and attain goals set by the person based on what is important to them, building on goals that are important to the individual.

Working with the social prescribing service to connect them to community-based activities which support their health and well-being.

To refer household members who require the intervention of other healthcare professionals.

Provide lifestyle advice such as smoking cessation, alcohol consumption, healthy diet, and physical exercise.

Provide up to date messaging, basic health education and give healthy lifestyle advice around breastfeeding, immunisation and screening following appropriate training.

Delivering health information using culturally appropriate terms and concepts

Deliver key messages on public health following appropriate training.

Understand issues and health inequalities that impact the local area.

To coach and motivate household members to identify their needs set goals and support them to implement their personalised health and care plan.

Clinical

To identify those eligible for childhood immunisations and adult health and cancer screening appointments and encourage the uptake of missed appointments.

Support chronic disease diagnosis & management through improved adherence to medication & early identification of signs & symptoms of chronic disease & its complications

To identify household determinants of ill health and health seeking behaviour and play an active role in resolving these through linkage into the health and social care system.

Navigational

Signpost to appropriate local services and resources

Support households to navigate the health and social care system and access the appropriate services for their needs.

Signpost and refer into to other existing community services.

Work closely with volunteers who will support the Community Health Worker role once fully identified.

Support

Develop meaningful relationships with the local community.

Offer informal counselling & empathetic listening and follow-up as needed with household members.

Adopt health coaching & motivational approaches including, problem solving & goal setting.

Helping people understand their health condition(s) and develop strategies to improve their health and wellbeing.

Record Keeping

Keep digital records that reflect household and community need and progress via secure tablet that will be linked to the clinical system used by the Practices.

Compliment GP records with the collected community outreach data

Contribute your work and findings to the local GP and multidisciplinary Community team.

Collect, collate, and share information about each visit with relevant partners in compliance with legislation.

To identify risk factors and categorise household members into appropriate risk banding.

Engagement

Engage with the community to ensure health services are satisfactory and appropriate in their design and delivery.

Facilitate networks within communities to strengthen sources of informal support.

Identify and advocate for the needs of individuals and the community by liaising between the health service and community.

Identify local community assets and promote a community-based prevention.

Set up/support community events, help household members complete applications and other paperwork, and complete checks on individuals with specific health conditions.

Provide support to local community groups and work with other health, social care, and voluntary sector providers to support household members health and well-being.

To facilitate groups of household members with group consultations to assist them to work with others to support their own goals.

Communication

Communicate effectively and appropriately with households, members of the team and other agencies.

Communicate information to households acknowledging barriers to understanding such as identified language and education needs.

Communicate information to households with empathy, understanding and reassurance in a non-judgemental way.

Additional requirements in keeping with provided mandatory training.

Professionalism:The post holder must provide high quality interactions irrespective of race, gender, and ethnicity of the community member, whilst honouring the values of choice, inclusion, advocacy, and ethical practice.

Confidentiality:The post holder must maintain confidentiality, security, and integrity of information relating to people during the course of duty.

Data protection:The post holder must be aware of their obligations in respect of the Data Protection Act 2018.

Safety:The post holder must be aware of their role in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults. They must also be aware of their responsibility in respect of the councils and General Practice lone working policies.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Good standard of education.

Desirable

A health or social care qualification.

Experience

Essential

Experience of working and communicating with the public.

Desirable

Experience of working within a health care setting.

Skills & Knowledge

Essential

Ability to communicate effectively and build trust with members of the public. Knowledge of the local community: its demographics, culture, local services, agencies and resources Relationship building, including initiating, developing, renewing, and sustaining community connections. A good listener Strong interpersonal and communication skills Social perceptiveness and observational skills Good problem-solving with creative thinking Positivity and Enthusiasm for improving the local community. Ability to be self-aware, sensitive and relate to a diverse range of people in a non-judgemental way. The ability to work effectively with a wide range of teams in a diverse community. Commitment to advocate for social changes that promote the health and well-being of the local community. Ability to work with minimal supervision. Ability to keep accurate records and collect data. Strong time management skill Basic IT skills (data entry and documentation) The ability to travel independently within the community. The ability to work flexibly in accordance with service needs.

Desirable

To have an understanding of the health inequalities that can impact on the health and wellbeing of the local population. Knowledge of basic health promotion and protection Awareness of health and social care issues that affect the local population. Ability to make appropriate (evidence based) decisions within a set of clear guidelines. Community based experience providing advocacy and support which has included public contact. Basic understanding of child development Knowledge of local languages Good IT skills.