If you’d like to add a Sexual Health Advisers job to this site email paul.madden@chelwest.nhs.uk

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our friendly, dynamic and award winning service at 56 Dean Street (Sexual Health and HIV clinic part of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Foundation Trust) for the next few months to provide cover for one of our existing Health Advisers who is on Maternity Leave.

This will suit an existing experienced Health Adviser and would expect you to have an excellent working knowledge of HIV and Sexual Health. You will be part of an established Health Adviser team and will provide key duties including partner notification, HIV pre-test discussion and follow up of patients diagnosed with HIV.

Please note this is not a permanent position. Full Time preferred but part time considered.

Please note we are also looking for experienced Health Advisers to work on Saturdays (Band 6 Staff Bank rates apply)

For further information or a visit please call Marco Rossi Senior Health Adviser on 020 331 59502

NHS Pensions Choice Exercise
Purpose

Nic Greenfield, Director of Pay, Pensions and Non Medical Education, wrote to all SHA workforce Leads on 22 May 2009 about the NHS Pension Choice Exercise (PCE), which is referenced in both the Operating Framework and the Standard Contract. NHS Pensions have issued two employer Newsletters so far on the Pension Choice Exercise.

The purpose of this note is to draw your urgent attention to the need to identify staff that may be part of a TUPE or TUPE like transfer on or after 1 October 2009 to an employer who cannot offer membership of the NHS Pension Scheme.

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• At least two years as a Health Adviser
• Management experience of both people and projects

ACCOUNTABLE TO: Clinical Issues to the Consultant in GUM/ HIV

MANAGERIALLY RESPONSIBLE TO: Principal Health Adviser where they are in post or a relevant senior member of staff e.g. a directorate manager.

JOB SUMMARY

• To manage, supervise and develop the HA service to ensure provision of:
  Advice, information, education and counselling to patients diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea, herpes, syphilis and hepatitis B & C.
• To carry out partner notification, to ensure the attendance and treatment of contacts.
• To provide ongoing support and counselling for those with associated concerns e.g. rape, termination of pregnancy, sexual identity, relationship and psychosexual issues etc.
• To provide pre test HIV discussion and post test discussion and/ or counselling.
• To provide follow up counselling and psychosocial care for HIV antibody positive patients as required.

CLINICAL RESPONSIBILITIES

1. To provide information to patients diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection: how they are acquired, transmitted and treated.
2. To provide education and counselling on preventing or minimizing the risk of infection.
3. To provide effective partner notification to ensure contact(s)’ attendance and treatment by index (patient) referral as detailed in the SSHA PN policy.
4. To stress the importance of medical treatment and follow-up.
5. To discuss HIV with patients who may have been at risk or are worried.
6. To provide pre HIV test discussion and post HIV test counselling.
7. To provide initial post-test HIV counselling for newly diagnosed patients, their partners, significant others and offer ongoing counselling and psychosocial care dependant on the health advisers training, experience and supervision.
8. To provide a safe environment whereby patients can discuss their concerns and ask questions.
9. To provide comprehensive assessment of patients’ other social, emotional or sexual difficulties and to follow up or refer on as appropriate.
10. To record interventions accurately and concisely in patient files.
11. To ensure patients are followed up adequately if they need to reattend for results treatment or counselling by letter, phone, or home visit, or through GP, FHSA or other means.
12. To keep confidential records for the purpose of partner notification.
13. To take a lead in sexual health promotion work within the clinic and community.
14. To keep statistics on all patient contacts and interviews to enable audit and evaluation of services.
15. To liaise with other health advisers in GUM and exchange relevant information in order to facilitate partner notification.
16. To liaise with other local or national agencies as appropriate.
17. To establish good working relationships with medical, nursing, and administration staff within the clinic, as well as with professionals from other departments e.g. Accident and Emergency, Gynaecology, Psychiatry.
18. To take part in teaching programs as required for nursing staff, medical students or other statutory or voluntary bodies.
19. To continue professional development and training by attendance and contribution at relevant clinic/ Trust/ regional/ national meetings, seminars, workshops and conferences.
20. To participate in regular supervision and staff appraisal.
21. To be aware of the confidential nature of the clinic and work within the legal responsibilities as laid down in the Venereal Diseases Regulations 1974 and the NHS Trust Act 1991
22. To work within SSHA guidance e.g. Code of Ethics, Code of Conduct, Guidelines for Good Practice, PN Policy

MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES

1. To supervise and develop the health adviser service, to ensure the provision of their key duties which are: partner notification, pre and post test discussion/ counselling, sexual health promotion, counselling and administrative duties i.e. recall of patients.
2. To coordinate and supervise the health advisers rota and ensure continuous provision of a health adviser service
3. To recruit new health advisers to the service. To provide an induction, orientation and training programme for new staff.
4. To implement a system of appraisal incorporating individual performance reviews for all health advisers.
5. To provide regular ongoing management supervision of health advisers, to promote and encourage their professional development.
6. To coordinate the clinical supervision of the health advisers.
7. To act as a first line manager to health adviser(s) i.e.-coordinate annual leave, rotas, statistical returns.
8. To attend, promote and represent health advisers at all multidisciplinary, departmental and other appropriate meetings.
9. To initiate coordinate, implement and evaluate health advising policies, protocols through research and audit.
10. To develop and maintain close working relationships with the appropriate medical and nursing staff within the clinic/ Trust.
11. Liaise with other principal/ senior health advisers within the region/ nationally in order to standardise the quality of the health adviser service.
12. To develop and maintain links with related health, social and educational services available in the area and to liaise as necessary with statutory and voluntary agencies.
13. To set up, coordinate the appropriate teaching/ training for other health professionals as required e.g. for nursing staff, medical students or other statutory or voluntary bodies i.e. school teachers or pupils.
14. To manage health adviser community led projects/ services.
15. To ensure the effective use of resources within the HA team.
16. To ensure staff work within the legal responsibilities as laid down in the Venereal Diseases Regulations 1974 and the NHS Trust Act 1991.
17. To ensure staff work within SSHA guidance e.g. Code of Ethics, Code of Conduct, Guidelines for Good Practice, PN Policy

• Registered Nurse (1st level) or
• CQSW/ Diploma Social Work or
• A relevant degree: Psychology, health Science, Social Sciences, Health Promotion, Education or
• A relevant higher qualification e.g. a MSC in Counselling, Health Education/ Promotion, Public Health
• A Counselling Qualification at Certificate level

ESSENTIAL PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE/ RELEVANT EXPERIENCE:

• To have worked in a healthcare setting
• To have used counselling/ counselling skills with patients either face to face or by telephone
• To have a working knowledge of clinical and psychosocial aspects of Sexually Transmitted Infections, HIV or related sexual health issues
• To have knowledge/ experience of sexual health education/ promotion with individuals and within a group setting
• To have experiences of teaching and lecturing

JOB DESCRIPTION

POST TITLE: Health Adviser

ACCOUNTABLE TO: Clinical Issues to the Consultant in GUM/ HIV

MANAGERIALLY RESPONSIBLE TO: Senior Health Adviser where they are in post or a relevant senior member of staff e.g. a clinic manager

JOB SUMMARY

• To provide advice, information, education and counselling to patients diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea, herpes, syphilis and hepatitis B & C.
• To carry out partner notification, to ensure the attendance and treatment of contacts. To provide ongoing support and counselling for those with associated concerns e.g. rape, termination of pregnancy, sexual identity, relationship and psychosexual issues etc.
• To provide pre test HIV discussion and post test discussion and/ or counselling.
• To provide follow up counselling and psychosocial care for HIV antibody positive patients as required.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

1. To provide information to patients diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection: how they are acquired, transmitted and treated.
2. To provide education and counselling on preventing or minimizing the risk of infection.
3. To provide effective partner notification to ensure contact(s)’ attendance and treatment by index (patient) referral as detailed in the SSHA PN policy
4. To stress the importance of medical treatment and follow-up.
5. To discuss HIV with patients who may have been at risk or are worried.
6. To provide pre HIV test discussion and post HIV test counselling.
7. To provide initial post-test HIV counselling for newly diagnosed patients, their partners, significant others and offer ongoing counselling and psychosocial care dependant on the health advisers training, experience and supervision.
8. To provide a safe environment whereby patients can discuss their concerns and ask questions.
9. To provide comprehensive assessment of patients’ other social, emotional or sexual difficulties and to follow up or refer on as appropriate.
10. To record interventions accurately and concisely in patient files.
11. To ensure patients are followed up adequately if they need to reattend for results treatment or counselling by letter, phone, or home visit, or through GP, FHSA or other means.
12. To keep confidential records for the purpose of partner notification.
13. To take a lead in sexual health promotion work within the clinic and community.
14. To keep statistics on all patient contacts and interviews to enable audit and evaluation of services.
15. To liaise with other health advisers in GUM and exchange relevant information in order to facilitate partner notification.
16. To liaise with other local or national agencies as appropriate.
17. To establish good working relationships with medical, nursing, and administration staff within the clinic, as well as with professionals from other departments e.g. Accident and Emergency, Gynaecology, Psychiatry.
18. To take part in teaching programs as required for nursing staff, medical students or other statutory or voluntary bodies.
19. To continue professional development and training by attendance and contribution at relevant clinic/ Trust/ regional/ national meetings, seminars, workshops and conferences.
20. To participate in regular supervision and staff appraisal.
21. To be aware of the confidential nature of the clinic and work within the legal responsibilities as laid down in the Venereal Diseases Regulations 1974 and the NHS Trust Act 1991.
22. To work within SSHA guidance e.g. Code of Ethics, Code of Conduct, Guidelines for Good Practice, PN Policy.