Oral Health Improvement Practitioner

Job summary

hours per week.

Plymouth Community Dental Service (PCDS), part of Livewell Southwest are looking for an enthusiastic and committed person to lead on their Oral Health initiatives.

This exciting new post will have the opportunity to work along side our amazing specialist lead team and to make a significant impact on the oral health of PCDS patients and the most vulnerable in the wider community.

If you have experience of leading and delivering oral health improvement programmes and enjoy working with communities to improve oral health outcomes, this new role might just the the job for you.

"please note that this role may not be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route, please refer to the Direct Gov website for more information with regards to eligibility"

Main duties of the job

The post holder will work within PCDS to develop, implement and evaluate defined OralHealth Improvement activities. Workingclosely with clinicians to ensure effective and efficient delivery of oralhealth programmes in line with national oral health strategies such as DeliveringBetter Oral Health, an evidence-based toolkit.

The post holder willundertake oral health appointmentswith patients of the service, including adults/children and those withadditional needs or who are medically compromised and to undertake fluoridevarnish application under the prescription of a clinician.

This role will also work within the wider Livewell services and other key external organisations supporting vulnerable groups in the local community with oral health initiatives and support the PCDS Fluoride varnish nurse team.

Please note that Livewell may close the job advertisement earlier than the specified deadline if a high number of applications are submitted. Therefore, we recommend you submit your application at the earliest opportunity.

All Livewell Southwest staff are expected to able and willing to work across a 7 day service.

Job Share(s) Considered

About us

Livewell Southwest is an independent, award-winning social enterprise providing integrated health & social care services for people across Plymouth, South Hams & West Devon, as well as some specialist services for people living in parts of Devon & Cornwall. With teams in community hospitals, GP practices, sports centres, health & wellbeing hubs.

As an organisation with a strong social conscience, we always value being kind, respectful, inclusive, ambitious, responsible and collaborative. Transforming services to make them sustainable, ensuring that we value, support & empower each other.

We are committed to involving the people we care for, families & carers in everything that we do, working towards co-production where we can. Helping us to deliver the right care for people, in the right place & at the right time. By putting people at the centre of what we do, we ensure to support people to lead, healthy independent lives & be the very best at helping people to live well.

Valuing our employees making an investment in their development a priority. We offer:

Protected CPD time for registered staff

Various development pathways and ongoing regular training packages for all staff

Leadership & mentoring programmes

Access & funding for training including Care Certificate, Assistant Practitioners Course & Scholarship Into Nurse Training

A Robust Preceptorship

A bespoke induction programme

Existing members of the NHS Pension Scheme can continue their membership when they join the organisation.

Job description

Job responsibilities

JOB PURPOSE

The postholder will work within the Plymouth Community Dental Service PCDS to develop, implement and evaluate defined Oral Health Improvement activities. Working closely with clinicians to ensure effective and efficient delivery of oral health programmes in line with national oral health strategies such as Delivering Better Oral Health, an evidence-based toolkit.

This role will undertake oral health appointments with patients of the service, including adults/children and those with additional needs or who are medically compromised and to undertake fluoride varnish application under the prescription of a clinician.

SCOPE AND RANGE

This post will provide a comprehensive oral health service for patients with complex needs, as well as evidence-based oral health promotion to key population groups, in line with national and local strategies for reducing inequalities in oral health.

The provision of Oral Health Promotion is multifaceted, requiring a range of inter-personal, presentational, and organisational skills, as well as an understanding of the impact of social and environmental determinants of health. The ability to work independently and flexibly is an essential part of this post.

Responsibility forPeople Management

Facilitate and support with on-going staff trainingin oral health promotion to the wider dental team and other healthcareprofessionals where appropriate.

Ensure oral health improvement programmes arepatient focussed.

Work together with peers to ensure service promotingoral health; identifying new ways of working regarding oral health promotionwhere necessary.

Collaborate and work in partnership, developing andstrengthening professional working relationships to improve oral healthoutcomes with other health care professionals.

Under take appraisals on junior staff wherenecessary

Responsibility for financial and/or physical resources

Ensure effective marketing and communication systemsare used within the service for oral health promotion, including the use ofdigital approaches. All resources to beproduced to a professional standard.

Organise, update and distribute oral healthresources to support intervention of the wider dental team.

Responsibility for administration

Identify appropriate measures of targeting patientgroups commissioned to be seen by the service regarding oral health promotion.

Ensure oral health promotion data is kept up to dateand reviewed at least annually.

Monitorand evaluate oral health promotion activities as required, maintain appropriaterecords and produce quarterly reports of activities undertaken relevant to anagreed work plan

Monitorand evaluate oral health promotion activities as required, maintain appropriaterecords and produce quarterly reports of activities undertaken relevant to anagreed work plan

Tocollate data and provide reports promptly for CDS managers, Dental Board andmeetings with commissioners

Responsibility for people who use our services

Lead on undertaking oral health clinics, providing appointmentswith patients of the service each week (including those with special needs /neurodivergent / medically compromised) and the application of fluoride varnishwhere necessary as prescribed by a clinician.

Work in partnership with the whole dental team andother relevant health professionals on oral health promotion.

Undertake oral health promotion in dental surgeriesacross the service, wider Livewell departments, residential homes and localschools where required as necessary.

Workresponsibly, independently and flexibly.

Havethe skills to work well with both adults and children across all the specialcare group

Responsibility for implementation ofpolicy and/or service developments

Responsible for ensuring oral health promotion isembedded into all aspects of health care delivery within the service in line with current guidelines such asDelivering Better Oral Health.

Communicate confidently and efficiently includingpresenting information to people from different backgrounds and abilities withvarying levels of literacy and health literacy.

Act as a point of contact and source of knowledgeand skills for both internal and external enquiries to the service regardingoral health.

Maintain up to date knowledge on national policiesregarding oral health and NICE guidelines where relevant.

Identify best practice in oral health promotion andincorporating the practice into key working relationships.

Develop and deliver interventions to improve oralhealth in conjunction with key national oral health guidelines such as mouthcare matters and delivering better oral health toolkit.

Complywith standards and evidence-based guidelines developed in the Community DentalServices through its Clinical Governance audit and training programmes

Other Responsibilities

You may be required to support the oral healthnurses with the fluoride varnish project with primary schools and oral healthmessaging.

You will also be required at times to undertakedental nurse duties clinically in surgery.

You may be required to represent the service on the Plymouth OralHealth Improvement Group, in conjunction with Plymouth City Council, PublicHealth and other oral health providers.

Ability to be able to visit different locations within the city tosupport with oral health promotion for the dental service.

COMMUNICATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS

This postholder will work with patients of the service, other dental colleagues to inform of up-to-date oral health promotion toolkits.

Oral health promotion will also be undertaken with wider Livewell colleagues (such as in-patient settings), local residential homes and local schools.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF THE JOB

This post will undertake oral health activity in a dental surgery setting as well as talks in local schools and residential homes.

Driving between different locations will be necessary.

Creation of and maintaining of oral health resources as well as collation of oral health promotion evidence to be collated using various administrative systems, such as excel and good keyboard skills required.

Person Specification

Knowledge and skills

Essential

Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills, including digital based. Understanding of the factors affecting oral health and the scope of oral health improvement programmes in improving oral health Ability to work on own initiative and organise own workload with minimum supervision and often working to tight and changing timescales. Ability to prioritise tasks. Excellent computer skills Evidence of good persuasive and motivational skills Ability to present information verbally to peers in a clinical setting. Make decisions as to best practice. Act in a professional manner at all times Organises tasks and activities to make optimum use of clinical time. Knowledge of the equipment and materials used in dental / surgical procedures. Competent in recognizing and dealing with medical emergencies. Carries out performance checks and daily maintenance on dental equipment. Knowledge of Health and Safety regulations. Knowledge of Cross Infection control measures. Carries out clinical and administrative work without direct supervision. Promotes best practice and a high level of patient care for the Plymouth Community Dental Services Ltd.

Desirable

Evidence of Continuing Professional Development. Knowledge of Dentally software system

Experience

Essential

Experience of working as a member of a team A minimum of 2 years oral health promotion post qualification. Experience of delivering / developing health education programmes.

Desirable

Experience of working in a sedation setting Assists with the induction of new staff. Trains and supports new and less qualified staff. Experience of working in the salaried, community or personal dental services within the NHS. Experience of working within Special Care Dentistry, paediatric and/or Oral Surgery. Experience in undertaking extra duties to support your team and/or service.

Specific skills

Essential

Specific skills Fluent in spoken and written English language. Calm reassuring manner Empathy with all patient/client groups including those with special care needs. Passionate in oral health promotion and promoting improved health and wellbeing. Able to motivate patients and clients. Proactive approach Positive outlook and self-motivated with a commitment to succeed. Works and communicates with all members of a multi-disciplinary team. Ability to travel to other locations as required. Computer literate including use of Dentally dental package. Application form / interview

Desirable

Computer literate

Qualifications

Essential

NEBDN Qualification/City & Guilds NVQ3 or equivalent in Dental Nursing Registered as a Dental Nurse with the GDC Post-certificate qualification in Oral Health promotion GCSE Grade A-C (or equivalent) English and maths

Desirable

NEBDN qualification in Dental Sedation Nursing Post-certificate qualification in fluoride varnish application Additional Dental Nurse qualifications.

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