Job Description

Job Purpose:

The successful candidate will provide and maintain a pro-active, effective and comprehensive Occupational Health Service to the trust and its external clients with the aim of promoting, improving and maintaining the health and well-being of employees.

You will be a clinical expert in Occupational Health Nursing and as such will provide strategic input on all matters relating to Occupational Health. The successful candidate will comply with the NMC Code of Professional Conduct at all times. They will also be responsible for clinical leadership ensuring a high standard of delivery.

Main Duties:

• Manage and develop the Occupational Health Department ensuring delivery of a high-quality service ensuring effective use of resources and adherence to internal and external service level agreements.
• Ensure that the Trust follows, develops and maintains legislation, guidance, policy and the required external and internal quality standards for the Occupational Health Service.
• Management of occupational health staff including, recruitment, PADR's, compliance of statutory mandatory training and performance management.
• Manage the budget for the department and review costings for external contracts and ensure external charges are recovered through the issue of invoices. To ensure CIP targets are met and to contribute to the delivery of new CIP targets.
• Attend regional OH manager's meetings and other professional nursing forums, working groups and committees to help promote and represent OH and keep abreast of new ideas and challenges for the future and consolidate knowledge.
• Develop, lead and implement the Occupational Health & Well being plan linking to the delivery to the flu vaccination programme.
• To adhere to SEQHOS standards ensuring the service has access to the provision of an Occupational Consultant Specialist to meets the needs of the standards.
• Identify opportunities for new business, producing tender documentation and ensuring the service operates on a commercial basis.
• Ensure that clinical standards are recognised, updated, implemented and monitored and that clinical governance in the department is robust, recorded, monitored and audited.
• Ensure departmental policies and protocols meet the standards required for accreditation for Health and Work and SEQOHS.
• Attendance at relevant meetings and committees that impact on the Occupational Health function and undertake advisory work on behalf of these committees as necessary e.g. Health and Safety, Infection Control, Patient Group Directions

Clinical Responsibilities

• To be the Trust's expert in occupational health advising on all aspects of occupational health and well-being.
• To undertake complex management referrals as necessary, and deal appropriately with complaints received by the department pertaining to nursing and clinical activity
• Provide appropriate Occupational Health advice that complies with the ethical guidance from the Faculty of Occupational Health Medicine
• Ensure appropriate treatment, advice and follow-up on the management of needle-stick injuries including the issuing of HIV PEP under the guidance of a PGD
• Referral of patients to Occupational Health Doctor or other agencies if required e.g. Psychologist/General Practitioner/Physiotherapist
• Develop achievable objectives and auditable evidence based clinical standards bench marking against other departments as required by MoHAWK.

Leadership responsibilities:

• Lead the occupational Health Team ensuring a positive working environment
• To be accountable for own clinical practice and responsible for improving own personal knowledge and professional competence.
• Communicate on complex, sensitive and routine issues at all levels of the organisations daily, both internally and externally for which the Occupational Health department provides a service
• Develop and deliver training programmes relating to health at work initiatives, Induction, sharps, DSE, Mental Health at work and others as appropriate
• Work with Managers across the Trust Health & Safety, Infection Control, Service managers and HR colleagues.
• Represent the service at appropriate committees, subgroups and meetings.
• Liaise with managers and risk management on all Health and Safety Infection Control
• The role requires leadership of an Occupational Health team, working autonomously and in collaboration with other health care professionals and as part of a multi-disciplinary /multi professional team
• Accountable for clinical decisions in line with own sphere of responsibility and NMC Code of Professional Conduct and Ethical guidance from the Faculty of Occupational Health Medicine
• Maintain high professional and clinical standards as laid down by the NMC Code of Professional Practice

Knowledge, Experience and Qualification Requirements:

• Knowledge of Occupational Health nursing.
• An understanding of current Occupational Health issues within the NHS
• Knowledge of Microsoft word, excel, power point, outlook
• Substantial post registration experience
• Experience of working within Occupational Health
• Experience of clinical audits.
• Experience of developing and implementing new policies
• Registered General Nurse
• Specialist Occupational Health Practitioner (SCPHN or equivalent)
• Evidence of continued professional development

Personal Attributes:

• Ability to produce and present reports.
• Good communication skills
• Good organisational and management skills in self and others
• Ability to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• Ability to work and travel to locations within the Trust
• Ability to work flexibly to meet the needs of the service
• Ability to work under pressure at times of increased activity within the Department.
• Ability to be able to deal with clients who are distressed on a regular basis