Healthy Weight

Practitioner

Uist and Benbecula

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HEALTHY WEIGHT PRACTITIONER North Uist/Benbecula

Band 5 (£25,351 - £31,966) Pro Rata

plus Distant Island Allowance £1074 Pro Rata

15 hours per week Fixed Term post – 2 years

We require an enthusiastic Healthy Weight Practitioner to support our Healthy Weight work across the Western Isles. This post will be based in North Uist/Benbecula but will work closely with the practitioners based in the Lewis & Harris and South Uist & Barra.

The postholder will work closely with the dietitians and the health promotion department to promote healthy weight in our communities. The post will involve supporting people throughout the Western Isles to manage their weight through the delivery of one to one and group weight management programmes. Work will be with both adults and children, including the Healthy Families programme, HENRY, for which training will be provided. In addition to this the postholder would be supporting dietitians in the delivery of some group education programmes, both in person and online, for weight management and type 2 diabetes.

There will also be some public health work in a range of settings from nurseries and schools to workplaces and retirement clubs and a range of other initiatives to support the ongoing healthy weight work. Experience of working in weight management or behavioural change would be an advantage.

A key outcome of these posts is to assist in the development of a local healthy weight strategy. A driving licence and access to a vehicle is essential as well as a willingness to travel. A significant proportion of the interventions will be delivered remotely so IT skills and a good telephone manner are essential. This post is not eligible for relocation expenses.

For informal discussion or further information about this exciting opportunity please contact: Karen France, Nutrition and Dietetic Manager on telephone 01851 708279 or email [email protected]

1. JOB IDENTIFICATION

Job Title: Healthy Weight Practitioner – North Uist & Benbecula

Responsible to: Nutrition and Dietetics Manager/Head of Health improvement

Department(s): Health Promotion and Nutrition and Dietetics

Directorate: Public Health

Last Update: April 2018

2. JOB PURPOSE

2.1 The post holder’s main responsibilities will be to:  Contribute to and advise on the development and implementation of specialist nutrition local health improvement programmes.  Develop and maintain public health information and support structures  Facilitate and provide training courses in own area of expertise  Maintain information directories and data collection systems  Deliver specialist health improvement programmes 2.2 The post holder will take a lead on one or more health topics, in this case nutrition. They will keep up to date with latest recommendations in their topic area/s and share this with colleagues within health improvement, across the

NHS, Local Authority and with external agencies to inform both practice and policy. There will also be opportunities to be involved in many other aspects of health improvement which will depend on Board and departmental priorities; the previous experience, training and skills of the appointed post holder and skill mix within the existing team. All health improvement staff are also assigned an area of the Western Isles where they are based, working alongside colleagues in that locality to deliver on health improvement in line with local need.

3. ORGANISATIONAL CHART

Nutrition and Dietetic Manager Head of Health Improvement

Senior Health Improvement Specialist Officers Dietitians

Dietitians Healthy Weight Health Promotion Practitioner Officer

Dietetic Assistant

4. ROLE OF DEPARTMENT The post holder will work as part of the Nutrition and Dietetic Service, working in partnership with the Health Promotion Department The Health Promotion Department has the specialist role within NHS Western Isles and the Western Isles as a whole in overseeing and developing health improvement. A major part of its role is developing new and evidence based approaches to tackling health issues and inequalities in the Western Isles and developing the skills of other professionals, volunteers, agencies and organisations in promoting health. The postholder will work within national and strategic frameworks including, but not limited to Setting the Table, SIGN Guidelines, Best Practice Guidelines, Hungry for Success, Food in Hospitals, Health Promoting Hospital Services, Obesity route Map

Specifically this involves:

 Determining health promotion priorities, including health needs assessment and meeting health improvement targets  Delivering health improvement programmes at individual or group level, including child and adult healthy weight programmes, health checks, healthy eating and mental health self-help  Co-ordination of health improvement, including building alliances for health, campaigns and projects  Consultation and advice in the development of strategies, policies and the planning, implementation and evaluation of health improvement programmes  Professional development and training, including specialist led courses and advice and input into training programmes  Information and resources: use of the on-line health improvement resource service to source information and resources.  Research and evaluation: in addition to researching and evaluating its own work, Health Improvement can also advise and support other individuals and agencies in the Western Isles.

5. KEY RESULT AREAS 1. Undertaking needs assessment: For patients e.g. healthy eating or weight management, and identifying appropriate types and levels of support, including whether to refer on to more specialist support e.g. dietetics For groups e.g. the needs of people with learning difficulties around physical activity levels and nutrition.

For communities e.g. access to healthy options in a particular area of the Western Isles. This would use the skills of obtaining and listening to people’s views about their priorities and health and wellbeing, and factors e.g. environmental issues that affect their health

2. Recording or writing up needs assessments in the form of reports, including different versions for different audiences.

3. Delivering health improvement programmes on a group or individual basis in line with local needs and local public health and health improvement strategy.

4. Implementing specific actions from local strategies for health promotion / health improvement. E.g. Action: Continue the development of food for health, working in partnership with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar access officer, setting clear actions for the next 5 years.

5. Producing clear and concise communications that outline the benefits of improving health and well being and the risks of not doing so, to influence decision makers e.g. to managers and employers of small businesses.

6. Supporting or participating in multi-agency projects to promote a healthy context or social environment.

7. Delivering specialist training on a group or individual basis to members of the public or other professionals, e.g. nutritional content of foods to workplaces or care home staff. This training can sometimes be of a sensitive nature, for example, raising the issue of healthy weight and needs developed facilitation skills as well as an ability to support distressed staff or group members if necessary.

8. Support other professionals in developing health improvement skills by delivering training (e.g. theories and practice of behaviour change, or raising the issue of alcohol use or weight issues) or by motivating and mentoring them in their day to day practice.

9. Undertake ongoing monitoring and evaluation of own and others work to ensure effectiveness and efficiency and compliance with quality standards. Develop or amend procedures and protocols (Food in Hospitals)if necessary.

10. Complying with NHS WI health and safety policy and procedures.

11. Contributing to development of organisational policies and procedures e.g. development or review of NHS WI healthy eating policy.

12. Promoting the importance of health in the workplace to own and other organisations, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs)

13. Within specific area of responsibility, contributing to development, monitoring and evaluation of health promotion/improvement strategies and policies, e.g. Maternal and Infant Nutrition Strategy

14. Contributing to the health promotion component of wider strategies e.g. Mental Health Strategy

15. Setting up partnerships with other statutory and voluntary organisations that will enable new and existing service delivery to be done more effectively.

16. Use understanding of organisational cultures and skills in behaviour change to have an understanding of the importance of different organisational cultures and how to bring about organisational change.

17. Taking overall responsibility for the day to day management of their area project (this entails all systems i.e. finance, health and safety etc ensuring that they match best practice)

18. Working with and for communities to improve health and wellbeing – using a range of community development approaches and methods of needs assessment, planning and development, implementation and evaluation of services, programmes and/or interventions. The post holder should work towards developing effective public involvement as appropriate to their work.

19. Will occasionally be required to undertake public health consultations (participatory appraisals).

20. Occasional requirement to create a range of publications using desk top publishing and other software, produce reports and small funding bids.

7a. EQUIPMENT AND MACHINERY

 Daily use of Personal Computer (PC) and printer for letter writing, electronic diaries, producing presentations on PowerPoint and data management and database creation on a daily basis  Use of telephone to contact a range of individuals and partners  Use of laptop, multimedia projector and overhead projector for presentations  Use of television/DVD for display of health promotion DVDs  Use of large display boards for health promotion presentations  Use of car for travel to and from meetings/venues for work events etc  Use of Microsoft packages such as Word to an advanced level, Excel, Outlook.  Producing presentations using Microsoft PowerPoint.  Substantial use of the internet and different search engines for evidence.  Audit, monitoring and reporting systems (such as Public Health Performance, Local Health Plan, Department of Public Health Business Plan, Director of Public Health Annual Report, Health Improvement Scotland, Single Outcome Agreements)

7b. SYSTEMS

1. Microsoft Office – Word and Excel, Powerpoint, Publisher 2. Ability to effectively operate Internet and Intranet applications. 3. Ability to effectively operate Data-bases e.g. ISD Smoking Cessation database.

8. ASSIGNMENT AND REVIEW OF WORK 1. Objectives agreed annually with Line Manager. With support from Head of Health Improvement, draft own section of workplan, negotiating with other team members around areas of strength, interest and development needs.

2. Bi-monthly supervision from line manager.

9. DECISIONS AND JUDGEMENTS

1. Making judgements about the use of appropriate sources of information i.e. colleagues, reference materials and other written materials.

2. The post holder is required to make decisions on an ongoing basis about how best to achieve objectives, how a project is doing in terms of meeting deadlines, and changes that need to be made to the programme in order to achieve objectives – e.g. about methods to use to reach different target groups.

3. Interpreting results of health checks and needs assessments and deciding what course of action to take e.g. to support patients referred to the dietetics team for Tier 2 weight management and monitor patients who have completed Tier 3 programmes but require ongoing support.

4. Making judgements about how best to communicate sometimes difficult messages to public and other professionals, for example about the levels of childhood obesity.

5. Evaluating own knowledge of health promotion and specific topics. Developing own personal development plan to meet any identified needs. Generating and using appropriate learning opportunities and applying own learning to the future development of your health promotion practice.

10. MOST CHALLENGING/DIFFICULT PARTS OF THE JOB

1. Balancing the requirement to meet national targets with the need to provide high quality individualised services locally. 2. Using influencing skills to encourage and build capacity of individuals, communities and other agencies to endorse and implement health improvement. 3. Ability to cope with the lack of ‘quick wins’ in health improvement; changes in policy, behaviour and attitudes often takes years to achieve. 4. Targeting resources to areas of most need, altering practice where necessary. 5. Being able to work on all health improvement topic areas to a high standard. 6. Planning and prioritising tasks, setting and adhering to realistic, timely deadlines.

11. COMMUNICATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS

1. Working with individuals and groups to communicate health promotion messages and information on health improvement 2. Participating in meetings to develop and implement health promotion services. Meetings can involve complex decisions regarding funding, project sustainability and service provision. 3. Working with local media, including preparation of press releases, written articles and interviews. 4. Any of the above may involve particularly sensitive topics and issues, such as childhood obesity or suicide prevention 5. Presenting information using presentations, different layouts, images and structure, adapting it as appropriate to the needs and interests of different audiences and its intended purpose. 6. Maintaining information directories and data collection systems relating to own areas of responsibility. 7. Creating reports, describing conclusions, recommendations and problems accurately using this information, in-putting smoking cessation data into national database. 8. Delivering training on health promotion / health improvement topics to a wide range of individuals and organisations. This involves working with others across professional and organisational boundaries, for example, developing and delivering training to Western Isles Council staff on drug and alcohol policies. 9. Dealing with enquiries from the public on a range of health improvement topics including those which could be of a sensitive.

12. PHYSICAL, MENTAL, EMOTIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEMANDS OF THE JOB 1. Work involves a combination of sitting, standing and walking – light physical effort. 2. Concentration is required for writing business plans and reports, analysing monitoring information, and delivering presentations. Work is reasonably predictable, although there may be a need to change from one piece of work to another in response to requests for information, requirement to cover for a colleague’s absence etc. 3. There is some exposure to emotional effort; no line-management responsibilities. There is a requirement to lift and load heavy bags (2 small suitcase size bags, weighing approx 20 kilos) of equipment into a car and then out again 4 times, on 2 – 4 days a week when delivering training or setting up displays

13. KNOWLEDGE, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED TO DO THE JOB

FACTOR ESSENTIAL DESIRABLE

EXPERIENCE Experience of working in public Experience in delivery of training health/health improvement/nutrition or Experience of multi-agency /partnership working related field

QUALIFICATIONS Educated to degree level Certificate in Health Promotion or equivalent TRAINING RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS KNOWLEDGE Knowledge of public health/health Familiarity with word-processing, spreadsheet and AND SKILLS improvement/Scottish Dietary Goals database working. acquired through training or extended Skills in motivational interviewing courses and experience to degree level Project management skills equivalent

Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills Computer literate Ability to manage a busy agenda, work to deadlines and prioritise own workload efficiently. DISPOSITION Flexible attitude Ability to work as part of a team and also to work independently Respect for others and non-judgemental attitude Willingness to undertake training / further professional development to fill in gaps in experience / qualification OTHER Ability to work in a non-smoking environment Full driving licence

14. JOB DESCRIPTION AGREEMENT A separate job description will need to be signed off by each jobholder to whom the job description applies.

Date: Job Holder’s Signature: Date:19.03.2021 Head of Department Signature:

The Western Isles, also known as the Outer Hebrides, are a chain of islands which lie 55km off the west coast of Scotland. The islands have a population of around twenty-seven thousand people.

Those who enjoy outdoor activities will find that the islands have a lot to offer. Outdoor pursuits such as horse riding, hiking, and fishing are popular, as are water sports such as canoeing, surfing, and kayaking. Further information about outdoor and sporting activities can be found on the Outer Hebrides Tourism Information website.

The local Council website provides information regarding schools, jobs, bus timetables, and opening times of the leisure centre.

The Board works in partnership with Hebridean Housing Partnership (HHP), which means that Key Worker Status will form part of their Housing Allocation Policy. For more information, please visit the HHP website.

If you have any specific queries regarding your move, please do not hesitate to contact your Line Manager, who will do their best to answer them.

Links

visitouterhebrides.co.uk welovestornoway.com hebrides-news.com hebrideanhousing.co.uk cne-siar.gov.uk

About NHS Western Isles

The Western Isles Health Board employs over one thousand members of staff, excluding GPs and Dentists. There are three main hospitals situated in the Western Isles:

Stornoway—Western Isles Hospital (Ospadal nan Eilean Siar) Benbecula—Uist and Barra Hospital (Ospadal Uibhist agus Bharraigh) Barra—St Brendan’s Hospital

There are a number of GP and Dental Practices across the Western Isles. Community nursing services operate out of general practice premises and at community offices in key locations.

There are only two medical practices in Stornoway: the Broadbay Medical Practice on Francis Street (tel 01851 703588) and the Group Practice on Springfield Road (tel 01851 703145). Both have a pharmacy attached to the practice for the dispensing of prescriptions.

Web wihb.scot.nhs.uk

The latest information about the Board’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic can be found on the Board’s dedicated website.

Web coronavirus.wi.nhs.scot

Transport Information

The islands are accessible from mainland Scotland by ferry or by plane (please note that both services can be affected in the winter).

There are three airports on the Western Isles: Stornoway Airport, Benbecula Airport, and Barra Airport. The following destinations can be reached from these airports:

Stornoway Airport—Benbecula, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Manchester Benbecula Airport—Glasgow, Inverness, Stornoway Barra Airport—Glasgow

All flights to and from the Western Isles are operated by Loganair.

If you live in the Highlands and Islands region of Scotland, you can apply for cheaper air travel through the Air Discount Scheme. Further information on the discounts available can be obtained via the Air Discount Scheme website.

There are nine ferry ports operating in the Western Isles. Routes run between the islands, as well as to and from the mainland. All routes are operated by Calmac. Further information on the individual routes, including timetables and prices, can be obtained via the Calmac website.

Links

Ferry Travel: Air Travel: calmac.co.uk loganair.co.uk

Car Hire: Air Discount Scheme: carhire-hebrides.co.uk airdiscountscheme.com lewis-car-rental.com