In House Tobacco Dependency Advisor for Maternity Services

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Key Result Areas:

Work with the Public Health Lead Midwife and the maternity team to deliver a smoking cessation standard treatment programme for pregnant women, stop smoking support, and delivery of the smoke-free pregnancy pathway with those women and families. 

Specifically, the post holder will:

Provide 1:1 stop smoking support throughout pregnancy and the post-natal period, using the support of interventions such as brief advice, Carbon Monoxide (CO) monitoring and Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT). 

Work within hospital and community settings to deliver the NCSCT standard treatment programme for pregnant women.

Ensure that all referrals to the service are processed in a timely manner.

Work with the maternity team to provide CO training if necessary to staff working in maternity services.

Promote the general health and wellbeing of people who use the service by signposting them to healthy lifestyle advice and support services. 

Deliver tobacco harm reduction assessments, advice and support sessions, including advice on stop smoking quitting aids. This will involve face to face sessions in a variety of settings and venues across the Trust. Working with minimal indirect supervision operating within the assessed level of competence and being accountable for all aspects of own work.

Knowledge, skills and experience required:

An in-depth understanding of maternity care and experience working within a maternity or similar setting.

Training and knowledge on smoke-free pregnancy pathways and the available support.

Ability to plan and deliver stop smoking advice and support sessions, including advice on quitting aids and NRT, working within recommended protocols and guidelines.  This may involve individual, telephonic, on-line and group work sessions in a variety of settings and venues including hospital and community venues.

A sound understanding of developing individually tailored support plans including recommending treatments based on assessed needs.

Be able to provide evidence based general health, lifestyle advice and support to people using the service e.g. healthy eating, physical activity, stress management.  This will include individual and group-based interventions, signposting and referring to other health, community, and voluntary services.

Have experience in and be competent to participate in educating pregnant women and birthing people about the benefits of stopping smoking in pregnancy and give support to those women wanting to quit. Promote smoke free homes and support and advice for women, birthing people and families about passive smoking.

Be able to deliver Carbon Monoxide (CO) monitoring to a high standard and engage in the data collection and collation of CO rates in pregnancy and post-partum.

Maintain accurate up to date and comprehensive records at all times.

Ability to have difficult but motivational conversations with women, birthing people and their partners about the risks of smoking in pregnancy and the postnatal period

The above indicates the main duties of the post, which may be reviewed in the light of experience and developments within the service. Any review will be undertaken in conjunction with the post holder

Measurable Result areas:

Play an active role in the development of the smoke-free service targets and work with collaboratively with team members to share best practice and information to achieve these.

Undertake relevant training to maintain the skills and knowledge as necessary through participation in continuous development. The National Centre for Smoking Cessation Training (NCSCT) practitioner training is essential to this role.

Respond effectively to referrals within stated timescales – self-referrals from the individuals, and those from colleagues /other workers/GPs.

Ensure that the relevant equipment is provided and maintained on an agreed schedule. Report any failings of equipment or other environmental factors to the Public Health Lead Midwife.

To be involved in the monitoring and evaluation of client feedback, offering recommendations as part of the team to improve services. 

Be aware of how to report incidents, concerns or complaints and escalate any concerns or complexities to the Tobacco Dependency Co-ordinator for Maternity Services and the Public Health Lead Midwife.

Alert the appropriate line manager to any issues in work (including concerns about individuals or work in the community) and maintain confidentiality.

Undertake risk assessment within the work environment in order to ensure safety to self and others.

Work individually and as part of a team to deliver specialised services to a specific client group.

The post holder will frequently operate as a lone worker in accordance within trust guidelines.

Communications and Working Relationships:

Work with indirect minimal supervision from the Tobacco Dependency Co-ordinator for Maternity Services, operating at all times within the assessed level of competence. Clear professional boundaries and limitations will be discussed and monitored.

Work within the agreed and relevant policies and procedures and know how to access them.

Seek advice and support as and when appropriate.

Demonstrate good working relationships with all levels of staff

To liaise with others in the health and social care community in order to promote the stop smoking service and encourage appropriate referrals