Health Visitor
Job Description
Job summary
The States of Guernsey are looking for a Health Visitor (band 6) to join their team at Public Health.
This will provide an exciting opportunity for the post holder to have overall management of a defined caseload, and the provision of a full range of health visiting servcies to those families, including Universal, MECSH and safeguarding work. In adition there is also the opportunity to deliver community based group activities.
Reflective supervision is encouraged for all aspects, clinical, safeguarding and MECSH. Opportunity for professional development is readily available. This is a small but supportive skill mixed team team who work hard to promote the health and development of the pre-school children on our Islands
Main duties of the job
To manage and prioritise a caseload.
To assess, plan and deliver a high quality Health Visiting Service.
To refer children to Paediatricians, Speech and Language Therapists, Social Workers,GPs, Orthoptists, Physiotherapists, Educational Psychologist, Audiologist, Dieticiansand School Nurses, etc.
To provide specialist advice to other agencies such as Health and Social Care, Police,Housing and Environmental Health.
To provide information which enables families to make informed choices about theirhealth.
To liaise with statutory and voluntary agencies to meet the needs of our clients.
To work towards a family centred Public Health agenda, which fits in with identifiedPublic Health priorities.
To be aware of the need to be vigilant to child protection issues and act accordingly.
To be aware of, and the need to comply with all Health and Social Care policies,procedures, guidelines, and to follow all Health Visiting standards and philosophies
About us
The Island of Guernsey is in the English Channel in the Bay of St Malo, 50km off the north-west coast of France and 120km from the English coast.
Guernsey has a population of around 63,000 and in Alderney just under 2,000. Working in a relatively small Health and Social Care Service like ours means you can effectively work with colleagues across the services, health and social care professionals can collaborate not only with each other but also other agencies, the third sector and the community.
We offer an attractive relocation policy and competitive salaries with great career opportunities, modern facilities, excellent training, revalidation and registration support and a healthy work-life balance.
As a health or social care professional who chooses to join our team, you can look forward to working in an environment that gives you the time to care that you hoped for when choosing this career.
Job responsibilities
Communication:
To communicate with clients of varying educational abilities, social circumstances anddifferent cultural backgrounds, in order to maximise the health potential of the childand family.
To communicate with a wide range of agencies such as Social Services, Mental HealthServices, Police, Education, General Practitioners, and Womens Refuge.
To use negotiation skills and tact when dealing with contentious issues such as childprotection concerns, domestic violence, postnatal depression, bereavement, illness anddisability.
To be able to engage families in planning their care according to need and promotinghealth enhancing activities.
In the absence of the MASH health representative to attend the Multi Agency SupportHub (MASH) providing information and feeding back to colleagues.
To participate in child protection case conferences, writing comprehensive clearreports, and verbally presenting information to case conferences.
To maintain accurate contemporaneous records according to local policy andprofessional guidelines.
To provide verbal and written reports, including statistics on the activities of HealthVisitors to the Team Manager: Health Visiting, School Nursing & Childrens Community
Visitors to the Team Manager: Health Visiting, School Nursing & Childrens CommunityNursing Services.
Clinical:
To be responsible for assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating clients care.
To be responsible for organising and carrying out screenings and child health promotionactivities, of pre-school children on an identified caseload.
To be able to assess normal development, and instigate appropriate action and orreferral where a health or social problem is identified.
To be able to assess minor medical conditions and have the skills to safely advise ontheir management.
To be vigilant in recognising children in need and families who are vulnerable andsupporting them appropriately, acting as the lead professional where appropriate.
To recognise signs and indicators of child abuse and the risk factors within a family andrefer on to Social Services as necessary.
To take responsibility for Nurse Prescribing in line with Nurse Prescribing Formulary andthe local protocols for Nurse Prescribing as appropriate
To undertake screening of mothers for postnatal depression.
To provide support and resources for mothers with postnatal depression and or familiesin times of stress/crisis.
To manage and undertake baby clinics.
To provide specialist advice to families on a wide range of topics, which affect childrenand families health and well being such as breastfeeding, safe weaning, reducing therisks of sudden infant death and behaviour management.
To act on referrals from other agencies across the Health and Social Care spectrum.
To administer medication and immunisations as prescribed.
Management:
Develop, implement, monitor and evaluate clinical protocols and procedures inagreement with the Senior Manager.
Propose changes to clinical practice based on research evidence.
Take part in Clinical, safeguarding and MECSH Supervision.
Have input into future planning of services.
To provide cover for other staff in the event of sickness, annual or study leave. Ensureexpected staff requirements, for example, resignation, planned or unexpected sicknessor absence is reported in a timely manner to the Team Leader or Manager.
Undertake Appraisals of junior staff.
Supervise Staff Nurses, and other grades of nursing staff, allocating work and providingsupport on a daily basis.
Participating in recruitment of new staff and organise and participate in Induction ofnew staff.
Responsible for assessing training needs, education and training of Student Nurseswhilst on community placement, to plan and implement a programme of training andeducation to meet learning requirements of Student Nurses.
Provide advice, insight and information relevant to policy and service planningprocesses.
Ensure resources and equipment are maintained to a safe standard.
Report accidents, incidents and complaints, take remedial action where appropriateand ensure necessary documentation is completed and reported to the Team Leader.
Leadership:
To be aware of the developing needs of the Health Visiting Service in order to forecastfuture needs, training and resource issues and to take forward the Public Healthagenda.
To keep abreast of research evidence which may impact on practice and be motivatedto change own practice according to such evidence.
Influence others to change practice according to need.
Provide support and advice to colleagues on complex issues.
Research:
To organise and take part in local research and audit.
To use information from research to inform developments within the Health VisitingService.
Training:
To arrange and take part in the Induction of new staff.
To assess and mentor Student Nurses.
To facilitate courses and study days as necessary and act as a resource for the Instituteof Health and Social Care Studies, secondary schools and College of Further Education.
To undertake statutory training on an annual basis.
To provide health and parenting education to parents and carers on a formal andinformal basis.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- RN and Health Visiting Qualification, Diploma or Degree, plus continuing professional development
- RGN, RHV, Diploma or SCPHN
Desirable
- Nurse Prescribing Qualification
Experience
Essential
- Willingness to support management of change, development and working practice
- Ability to set personal objectives and manage time, priorities and stressful situations
- Ability to work as part of the team and other agencies
- Commitment to the development of excellent services which focus on improved outcomes for children
- Awareness of equal opportunities and valuing diversity.
- Car driver with clean driving licence
- Self-motivated with a proactive and flexible, helpful approach.
