Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The post holder will work with the CURE Team, and other key members of the maternity team, to be responsible for delivering evidence-based behavioural support and treatment to a caseload of pregnant women and their partner or household member who are tobacco dependent. This will be delivered in a variety of clinical and home settings, using the support of interventions such as Carbon Monoxide (CO) monitoring and Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT). They will be accountable for all aspects of their own work; this includes organising their diary and workload according to the needs of patients. They will provide a high degree of confidentiality, always complying with Information Governance policies and accurately record and report activities and results. They will initially contact clients via telephone and then meet with the tobacco dependent client to provide research based behavioral and nicotine replacement therapy. Contact will be flexible to the client’s needs and to promote engagement in the service. It will include face to face and telephone appointments, settings will be inpatient, and community based in community hubs and the patient’s home. Skills required will include motivational interviewing techniques, empathy to support the clients progress in initiating and sustaining change in tobacco dependency to improve their own health and the risk to the unborn baby. It will also involve having difficult and sensitive conversations. The client base will include patients with learning difficulties, mental health, and language barriers. There may be barriers to this communication such as learning difficulties, age, speaking another language. The postholder will be responsible for navigating this by arranging the use of the appropriate resources available to provide the patient with the advice and care they need to stop smoking.

The postholder will be responsible for using social prescribing skills to send a referral for patients to support services when this is required. For example, if a patient is not financially independent, they may require referral to support them. By supporting this way, it may enable the patient to focus on the benefits of stopping smoking.

The successful candidate is responsible for the delivery of the service key performance (national guidance) and reporting indicators for tobacco dependency in maternity, for example those requested by external agencies.

They will also be responsible in the development and dissemination of publicity and support materials for the service, in collaboration with the communications team and the service including contributing to National campaigns such as ‘Stoptober’ and ‘No Smoking Day’