Healthy Lifestyle Adviser Emergency Department Lifestyle Pilot

Job summary

The Emergency Department (ED) Lifestyle Pilot is a 12-month prevention and health inequalities initiative delivered within Emergency Department waiting areas across Kent. The service aims to use waiting time as an opportunity to engage patients and accompanying family members in meaningful conversations about their health, wellbeing and lifestyle.

The pilot will provide a visible, accessible and non-judgemental health promotion service that supports individuals to identify lifestyle risks, improve wellbeing and access appropriate support services. The service is based on the principles of Making Every Contact Count (MECC), behaviour change, trauma-informed practice and reducing health inequalities.

Lifestyle Advisers will work alongside ED teams to provide brief interventions relating to smoking, alcohol, healthy weight, physical activity, diet, emotional wellbeing, loneliness and wider social support needs. Advisers will agree simple action plans with individuals and make referrals into lifestyle, community and wellbeing services where appropriate.

The pilot aims to engage approximately 7,000 individuals during the first 12 months while testing the feasibility and effectiveness of delivering preventative public health interventions within Emergency Department settings.

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate will engage with patients, relatives and carers in Emergency Department waiting areas, delivering brief interventions and lifestyle advice using behaviour change and motivational interviewing techniques. They will complete lifestyle assessments and relevant health checks, support individuals to set goals and develop action plans, and refer or signpost them to appropriate local services, including smoking cessation, weight management and healthy lifestyle programmes. The role will also involve building effective relationships with Emergency Department staff and wider stakeholders, maintaining accurate records, supporting data collection and service evaluation, and contributing to the development of the pilot. The postholder will work in line with safeguarding, clinical governance, confidentiality and GDPR requirements, while participating in supervision, training and ongoing professional development.

About us

ABL Health Ltd is a dynamic, fast-growing community health organisation with an ambitious vision to create healthier lives and stronger communities. As an experienced, CQC-registered provider of community health and wellbeing services, we are proud to deliver evidence-based, innovative and person-centred care that makes a real and lasting difference.

We work in partnership with individuals, communities and system partners to design and deliver services that are locally rooted, strengths-based and responsive to need. Everything we do is driven by a commitment to reducing health inequalities, improving outcomes and ensuring people have access to the right support at the right time.

Job responsibilities

Role purpose:

To deliver a high-quality lifestyle intervention service within Emergency Department waiting areas, engaging patients and visitors in person-centred conversations about health and wellbeing. The post holder will provide brief behaviour change interventions, undertake lifestyle assessments, support individuals to develop action plans, and facilitate referrals into appropriate health, wellbeing and community services.

The post holder will act as the frontline representative of the pilot, working collaboratively with hospital staff, commissioners and community partners to maximise engagement, improve health outcomes and reduce health inequalities.

Key Responsibilities:

Service Delivery

Engage patients, relatives and carers within Emergency Department waiting areas in a professional and sensitive manner.

Deliver brief interventions using behaviour change and motivational interviewing techniques.

Promote healthier lifestyles and wellbeing through non-judgemental conversations.

Complete lifestyle assessments covering smoking, alcohol use, physical activity, healthy eating, healthy weight and wellbeing.

Support individuals to identify personal goals and agree practical action plans.

Deliver interventions in line with MECC principles.

Screening and Health Checks

Undertake health screening activities including blood pressure monitoring where appropriate.

Complete smoking assessments and carbon monoxide monitoring where required.

Undertake alcohol screening using agreed tools such as AUDIT-C.

Record relevant health and wellbeing information accurately.

Referrals and Signposting

Refer individuals into commissioned lifestyle services including smoking cessation, weight management and healthy lifestyle programmes.

Provide signposting to community, voluntary and social prescribing services.

Support individuals to access local services and overcome barriers to engagement.

Maintain knowledge of local support pathways and referral processes.

Partnership Working

Develop positive working relationships with Emergency Department staff.

Promote awareness of the pilot across hospital settings.

Work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to improve pathways and outcomes.

Participate in partnership meetings, service development activities and pilot evaluation work.

Data and Reporting

Maintain accurate and timely records using clinical and service databases.

Collect activity, outcome and demographic information in line with pilot requirements.

Support evaluation activities including feedback collection and follow-up activities.

Produce reports and performance information as requested.

Governance and Safeguarding

Adhere to organisational policies, safeguarding procedures and clinical governance requirements.

Escalate safeguarding concerns, risks or clinical issues appropriately.

Maintain confidentiality and comply with GDPR requirements.

Participate in supervision, training and continuous professional development.

Are you:

An experienced practitioner working in a community health or wellbeing environment, supporting individuals to make positive lifestyle changes.

Passionate about empowering clients to set and achieve realistic, client-led goals using evidence-based behaviour-change approaches.

Inspirational, positive and encouraging, with the ability to motivate and support clients to build confidence, overcome barriers and sustain healthy lifestyle changes.

Proactive and solution-focused, able to identify challenges to behaviour change and adapt support to meet individual needs.

An effective communicator who can engage, listen and tailor messages to suit diverse clients and communities.

Skilled at building trusting, supportive relationships with clients, colleagues and partners to encourage engagement and sustained participation.

Open-minded and reflective, motivated by new ideas and approaches to continually improve practice and outcomes for clients.

Please note that we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Level 3 qualification in Health, Wellbeing, Public Health, Health Promotion, Social Care or equivalent experience.

Desirable

• Level 4 qualification in Public Health, Health Promotion or related subject. MECC, Health Coaching or Behaviour Change qualification

Experience

Essential

• Experience delivering lifestyle, wellbeing, health improvement or behaviour change interventions.
• Experience of working directly with members of the public in a health, community or customer-facing role.
• Experience of assessing need and referring or signposting individuals into appropriate support services.
• Experience maintaining accurate records and using electronic data recording systems.

Desirable

• Experience delivering smoking cessation, weight management or health coaching services.
• Experience working with vulnerable, underserved or hard-to-reach populations
• Experience working with community, voluntary sector or social prescribing services.
• Experience supporting service evaluation, quality improvement or performance reporting.