Job Description
The post holder will work closely with the Community Midwifery Team and as part of a multi-disciplinary team, working within the competencies they have attained through formal and informal education and training, to provide tobacco treatment advice and support to pregnant women, partners and household members who smoke, to support treating their tobacco dependence.
This post has funding as part of a 1-year pilot to target enhanced support within communities that we have identified as having a high prevalence of women who are still smoking at time of delivery and have often failed to engage with existing support to stop smoking services.
In Gloucestershire we have not seen a reduction in smoking at time of delivery (SATOD) rates in the last decade, so we are therefore stepping up our provision of Tobacco Dependency support and creating a multi- professional team that will provide personalised, targeted support in the communities who have the highest SATOD rates.
Working under the guidance and support of the lead midwife for treating tobacco dependency and wider multi professional team focussed on tackling health inequalities and associated higher incidence of poor outcomes in pregnancy, using quality improvement methodology. This post holder will contribute to tackling inequalities in health through working flexibly and in innovative ways to target tobacco dependency support to specific communities with higher smoking prevalence within Gloucestershire, with the aim of increasing the number of women who are supported to successfully quit smoking.
The post holder will contribute to the provision of a high quality, equitable maternity service by working flexibly and in innovative ways to target support and care to women and their families in the most deprived neighbourhoods, supporting the transition to parenthood and improving outcomes for families.
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is the largest employer in the county and with over 8,000 staff, we are one of the largest NHS trusts in the UK. We offer a generous annual leave allowance, excellent bank rates, access to the excellent NHS Pension Scheme, discounts for local shops, restaurants and services, access to our health and well-being hub, access to our two on-site nurseries, flexible working options, discounted public transport, reward and recognition schemes, exercise and activity classes and membership to our popular hospital choir.
Job description:
- Work with the Public Health Consultant Midwife and other team members in providing individualised tobacco dependency support to women and families in a flexible and innovative way.
- Support the day to day running of a tobacco dependency service to ensure safe, well organised and evidenced based care is offered routinely to all identified smokers on their caseloads predominantly based in areas of highest deprivation which have been identified as having highest rates of smoking
- Will take referrals directly from midwifery teams of all women and household members who smoke and live in specific localities within Gloucestershire.
- Respond effectively to referrals within stated timescales.
- Provide support in a range of settings, including women's homes and community hubs, for the delivery of a tobacco dependency service.
- Provide tobacco dependency support throughout pregnancy and the post-natal period, using the support of interventions such as CO monitoring and Nicotine Replacement therapy.
- Work alongside the Lead Midwife for Treating Tobacco Dependency to support this pilot which will explore the impact of in-house support for women and household members living in areas of high smoking prevalence who smoke. The role will include data collection to evaluate the pilot project.
- Work with minimal indirect supervision operating within the assessed level of competence and being accountable for all aspects of own work.
- Ensure accurate, clear, contemporaneous, legible records are kept with evidence of assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of care undertaken with the woman and family
- Contributes to the safeguarding of mothers and baby’s being aware of triggers for concerns and reporting concerns appropriately within the Trust and multi-disciplinary team.
- Maintain accurate patient records in line with Trust guidelines. Ensure that any database or client related data are correctly stored, processed and secured in line with departmental and Trust policies and to comply with IG requirements. Referral attendance and outcome records are kept and analysed for service evaluation and development
- To contribute to the monitoring and evaluation of the service, including the completion of the minimum data set requirement. This will include following up quitters who do not attend for planned support.
- Liaise closely with the Health Visiting services to ensure a smooth hand over of care of the family.
- Act as a smoke-free champion within communities promoting the smoke free message through their day-to-day work.
- Provide advice and support to maternity staff, including contributing to the training provided to reduce harm from tobacco and the promotion of smoke free settings.
Clinical Duties:
- Deliver tobacco harm reduction (smoking cessation) assessments, advice and support sessions, including administration of stop smoking medications, within recommended protocols and guidelines. This will involve face to face sessions in a variety of settings which will include the woman’s home and local venue’s such as Children’s Centres.
- Organise own caseload and work unsupervised in a busy team. Maintain a high standard of work and prioritise own workload according to the needs of the service, individual needs including equality, diversity, and social inclusion in all aspects of work
- Provide information to pregnant women and their families about stopping smoking, minimising harm and health related issues to themselves and their baby from tobacco in line with best evidence and guidance
- Develop and implement individually tailored treatment plans and provide behavioural support to pregnant women who engage with the Tobacco Treatment Service.
- Take and record carbon monoxide monitor readings following appropriate discussion with the client and informed consent.
- Advise pregnant women on the use of stop smoking pharmacotherapy, including NRT and e-cigarettes.
- Communicate smoking related issues in relation to an individual care package in a holistic way using interpretation services as required.
- To communicate this effectively both to the woman and professionals involved in her care liaising closely with her named community midwife or midwifery team throughout the woman’s programme.
- Help to facilitate smoke free environments ensuring families are aware of associated risks of increased SIDS for babies exposed to second hand smoke.
- Provide general health and lifestyle advice and support to women and families using the service e.g., Safe sleeping, ICON, stress management. This will include individual and group-based interventions, signposting and referring to other health, community and voluntary services.
- Knowledge and ability to support and facilitate women to make healthy lifestyle choices.