Occupational Health Specialist Nurse, Worcester WR5 1DD

Job summary

Do you enjoy the challenge of working in a busy servicewhere no two days are the same? An exciting opportunity has arisen for anenthusiastic and motivated Occupational Health and Wellbeing Specialist Nurseto join our professional and supportive SEQOHS accredited team atWorcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. The post is based at The Working WellCentre, Worcester, but will also involve cross site working, including travel to Coventry and Warwick in order to support the health and wellbeing needs of our workforce.

Working autonomously and as part of a multidisciplinaryteam, you will deliver a comprehensive, confidential and high-qualityoccupational health service to managers and staff across the organisation andexternal clients. This role requires advanced clinical decision-making skills,strong leadership capability, and the ability to manage a complex caseload.

You will contribute to service development, clinicalgovernance, and quality improvement initiatives while ensuring compliance withprofessional standards and organisational policies. You will also support with the day to day operational running of the service.

Previous applicants need not apply.

Main duties of the job

Undertakingcomprehensive evidence-based OH assessments, provide risk-based interventionsand offer expert OH advice in the management of sickness absence cases. Also,you will support the development of junior members of the team by sharing yourexpertise and support the development of others'competencies in OH&WB. Inaddition to your clinical responsibilities, opportunities to participate inpolicy and process development, auditing and other governance related activity,will ensure job variation and opportunity for growth.

Theideal candidate will be highly confident, have excellent communication skills,proficient IT skills and a flexible pro-active approach to be able to manage avaried and demanding workload.

About us

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is a largeacute and specialised hospital trust that provides a range of local acuteservices to the residents of Worcestershire and more specialised services to alarger population in Herefordshire and beyond.

The Trust operates hospital-based services fromthree sites in Kidderminster, Redditch and Worcester

Our workforce is more than 7,000 strong, and ourcaring staff are recognised as providing good and outstanding patient-centredcare. You could be one of them.

We are committed to recruiting the best people towork with us. Our values, which we ask all staff to demonstrate, underpin oureveryday work and remain firmly at the heart of all we do.

Being open and honest

Ensuring people feel cared for

Showing respect to everyone

We are committed to developing a culture of continuous improvement by embedding the principles of our Improvement System.

We are proud to have achieved Timewiseaccreditation - this means we are committed to embedding flexible workingwithin our organisation as a flex positive employer.

DBS Checks and Costs

Any applicants who are offered posts requiring aDBS check as part of their employment check will have the cost of this check(at the current rate) deducted from their salary. Please see link in SupportingInformation section for more details on DBS checks and costs.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose:

To support andcontribute to the effective provision of a high quality Occupational Health andWellbeing Service to the Trust and other public sector and privateorganisations. The postholder may liaise with other agencies in the planningprogrammes of care and/or health education programmes.

To promote andmaintain a systematic, holistic approach to occupational health and wellbeingprovision, its implementation and evaluation.

To participate inidentifying and maintaining a safe working environment and preventing illhealth that may be associated with work. Receive, interpret and manage highlycomplex health information from employees, managers and/or HR which may lead torestrictions being placed on an employees job role, such as addictions, bloodborne viruses or RIDDOR reportable incidents; providing highly specialisedadvice regarding work health assessments and fitness for work assessments inline with professional standards, legal obligations and local policy.

Undertake formalclinical audit programmes and evaluation, supporting the strategic direction ofthe service and provide assurance regarding the quality of clinical care andadvice.

To provide clear visible professional advice toemployees within the Trust and external clients.

Provide managementand professional leadership to Occupational Health Nurse Advisors and the widermultidisciplinary team within the Occupational Health department.

To assist the Head of OH and Wellbeing in leading andadvancing clinical practice in line with DH guidelines and legislation.

To provide allaspects of Occupational Health clinical practice. Assessing patients/clients,planning and implementing care, providing specialist advice and maintainingassociated records in accordance with departmental protocols.

KeyDuties:

Coordinatedaily clinics and provide professional leadership, advice, support and guidanceto the Occupational Health Nurse Advisors. Act as a professional role model andprovide strong, facilitative, and effective clinical leadership.

Manage owncaseload of management referrals for the purpose of sickness absence managementthrough assessment and planning of Occupational Health care of an individual.Provide specialist expertise and advice on highly complex cases such as thosewith multiple complex health or neurodiverse conditions for which managersrequire coaching and guidance to be able to support the employee in theworkplace. Develop highly specialised programmes of care to employees tomitigate health issues within the workplace.

Workautonomously as a specialist practitioner and be able to use own initiative andact independently, to take action when required. Will be required to work aloneas well as within the team.

Maintain and safeguard accurate confidentialclinical records including the recording of clinical outcomes and observations,tests results, and the secure storage of patient identifiable information onthe OH management system Cority in in accordance with Data ProtectionAct and Caldicott Principles, information governance and relevant legislation.

Undertakecomplex fitness for work assessments, using evidence-based practice toprovide highly specialist appropriate advice and support to managers, employeesand HR whilst considering relevant legal requirements e.g. Equality Act. Thiswill require the analysis of a range of possible options.

Assessany employee following an inoculation injury, undertaking a risk assessment forblood borne viruses and appropriate action in accordance with the DHguidelines.

Act as anexpert adviser on specific programmes of work as required, for example employeeinfection prevention or health surveillance interventions/programmes

Contribute to strategic OHwork, including attendance at key meetings representing OH e.g. Health andSafety, Infection Prevention and Control.

Participatein Health and Wellbeing initiatives.

Take asenior role in the development and provision of a high profile and pro-activeOccupational Health Service that will meet SEQOHS accredited standards.

Assist inthe development of the departments business plans and strategy.

Undertakedefined projects as agreed with the Headof OH and Wellbeing to support thedelivery of high quality clinically effective care.

Assistthe Head of OH and Wellbeing to monitor, reviewand develop Occupational Health policies and procedures to ensure they meetlegislation and DH recommendations and reflect standards of best practice.

Tosupport the Head of OH and Wellbeing/Deputy OH Manager and deputise as necessary.

Use highlevel specialist knowledge to develop and deliver training programmes toaddress specific health and wellbeing issues.

Communicationand relationship skills:

Provide and receive highlycomplex, sensitive and sometimes contentious information with clients wherethere are significant barriers to acceptance which need to be overcome,requiring a high level of interpersonal and communication skills and ensuring adviceis in line with legal standards e.g. fitness to drive, safeguarding

Communicateeffectively within the multidisciplinary team, with departments andorganisations to ensure services are well planned and co coordinated. Establishand maintain effective communication channels with all colleagues, managers andother professionals.

Respondto verbal / electronic/ written and telephone enquires in a helpful manner,prioritising messages and taking responsibility for ensuring the appropriatemember of the clinical team is informed where action is required.

Maintainand respect patient confidentiality at all times. To escalate cases to Head of OH andWellbeing/ Occupational Health Physician when appropriate.

Planningand Organisational skills:

Thepostholder will plan delivery of specialist occupational health nursing careand take overall responsibility for the department in the Head of OccupationalHealth/Deputy OH Managers absence.

Thepostholder will take responsibility for dealing with clinical queries andcomplex case management. …