Community Health and Wellbeing Worker

As a community health & wellbeing worker (CHWW) you will understand, & be working in, your local community. The outreach work of a CHWW is essential in helping to address the rising inequalities in health & social care & in identifying unmet need in the community.

This requires building long-term trusted relationships with a range of householders (pre-identified), regardless of their age. The role will develop consistent relationships with these households with the aim of improving the health & wellbeing of communities they live in.

The CHWW will provide a bridging role between community, voluntary sector & health & social care.

Shortlisted applicants will have a chance to meet the current team & ask questions prior to interview.

As this is a local community-based role our preference is for applicants from the local St Austell area, however consideration will be given to applicants with the right experience from outside of the St Austell area.

Full or part time position available. Fixed term contract.

Benefits include:

• Flexibility in working hours
• 6 weeks annual leave + bank holidays (pro-rata)
• Study leave
• Electric car & bike salary sacrifice schemes

St Austell Healthcare has a strong multidisciplinary team including GPs, ANPs, Nurses, Paramedics, Physiotherapist and Pharmacists and an ethos for innovation and collaboration with health and social care partners.

We are an award winning, happy team and take pride in our work and the care we offer our 38,000 patients.

We are constantly seeking new ways of working to enhance service provision and the patient experience, introducing new technologies and methods of working to meet the expectations of our patient group. We are ambitious and wish to provide the best service we can for our patients.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Monthly household visits (or more frequent if the household need requires it) within a defined geographical area (defined as a micro area). The visit entails building relationships and providing relevant knowledge to individual householders as identified. This is a proactive and integrated approach.

Relationships

• Develop meaningful relationships within the local community including the Community Hubs
• Getting to know the wider support services eg housing, education and employment at regular training sessions
• Have regular contact with the local social prescribing team and the local GP practices
• Build close relationships with the CHWWs from the other sites across the integrated care area via monthly training sessions

Support

• Empathetic listening ear to each householder
• Adopt a trauma informed approach to supporting each householder (through training)
• Adopt low level health coaching and motivational interviewing approaches including goal setting as necessary (following training)

Navigational

• Support households to navigate the community and statutory services appropriate to their needs
• Signpost and refer into to existing services as necessary including housing, education, employment and financial support
• Identify local community assets and promote a community-based prevention working closely with the local social prescribing team
• Identify and advocate for the needs of individuals and the community by sharing this information with your multi-disciplinary team

Educational

• Provide lifestyle advice such as smoking cessation, alcohol consumption, healthy diet, and physical exercise as necessary (following training)

Health awareness

• As directed by the local GP practice, prompt householders with regards to immunisation, health screening appointments and general appointments
• Complete notes on each household visit on a template (paper and electronic)
• Record activity into the relevant computer database
• Contribute your work and findings to the local multidisciplinary team as necessary.

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.
• A comprehensive induction and training programme…