Health Champion

Enfield Unity Primary Care Network is the second largest PCN in England representing over 158,000 patients across 17 GP Practice sites. Our aim is to improve services and outcomes for patients by supplying a well-trained, motivated workforce.

Health Champions have an important role to play in helping people in their community to make positive changes to their health and wellbeing by encouraging others to make healthy lifestyle choices. Enfield Unity Primary Care Network are looking for an experienced Health Champion as part of a network of Health Champions across the Enfield voluntary sector.

Our Health Champions will have an understanding of all areas of health improvement:

Physical activity
Signposting people to gyms, community and online exercise classes

Healthy eating
Such as introducing people to healthy cookery classes in their area or encouraging their workplace to provide morefruit and vegetables for employees

Heart Health
- Support a healthy lifestyle to encourage better cardiovascular health including blood pressure and pulse checks

Cancer Screening
-Explaining, promoting and myth busting concerns around screening programmes.

Vaccination & Immunisations
-Explaining, promoting and myth busting concerns around vaccinations and Immunisations.

Mental health support
Direct people to mental health support services and work with people on their mental resilience through practices like mindfulness

Signposting to local services
Develop an in-depth knowledge of services to direct people to such as sexual health support, smoking cessation resources or drop-in centres.

The successful applicants will be based over one or two of Enfield Unity PCN's 17 sites with regular outreach to local community services.

Medicus Health Partners (MHP) is the lead practice for Unity PCN and will be the employing organisation.

The successful applicant will have access to the training, support, and governance systems in place at MHP.

Applications are welcome from those with existing primary care or GP practice experience, or applicants that have a keen interest to develop clinical experience in primary care.

You will join a dynamic multi disciplanary team, helping to make a real difference to peoples lives by empowering them to take control of their health and wellbeing, using a holistic approach and connecting people to community groups and statutory services for practical and emotional support.

Main Duties

Networking
- Work with the local Health Champions network, support them in achieving the PCNs reducing health inequalities aims and objectives.

Inequalities in health Understand local health inequalities and help to develop policies and strategies for addressing these.

Effective communication
- Support health messages and encourage local Health Champions to reach their community to make positive changes to their health & wellbeing.

Organise Health Champion training, meetings and health promotion events in the community.

Specific Duties The duties and responsibilities may include any or all of the items in the following list.

1. Attend health promotion events at GP Practices and in the community and voluntary organisations.

2. Provide blood pressure checks and healthy lifestyle advice to members of the community.

3. Provide support, information, training and guidance to Health Champions on the various health promotion areas of focus as directed by the PCN Inequalities Lead.

4.Co-design health improvement programmes, materials and training.

5. Support patients to utilise decision aids in preparation for a shared decision making conversation.

6. Support people to take up training and employment, and to access appropriate benefits where eligible.

7. Assist people to access self-management education courses, peer support or interventions that support them in their health and wellbeing and increase their activation level.

8. To be aware of the PCN philosophy and to treat people with dignity and respect, offer constructive support to colleagues and the general public.

9. To be responsible with other members of the team for maintaining and monitoring the PCN & practice systems

10. Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work.

11. Inform the lead GP of any concerns regarding the role and any professional development needed.

12. Be aware of own professional boundaries and what to do when you have reached them.

13. Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the teams performance.

14. Promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the PCN Health & Safety Policy.

15. Computer data entry/data allocation and collation; processing and recording information in accordance with procedures

16. Providing clerical assistance to PCN staff as required from time to time, including word/data processing,…