JOB DESCRIPTION AND PARTICULARS OF APPOINTMENT
Job Title: Senior Occupational Health Advisor
Post Number: P17094
Grade and SCP: Band 13 scp 39-43
Directorate: Enabling
Where your role fits at Shropshire Council
As Shropshire Council we are rightly proud of our achievements and we have proven to be a resilient local authority in our response to the many challenges we overcome, particularly over recent years. We will be continuing this momentum with ambition and a focus on delivering our four key priorities outlined within the Shropshire Plan: Healthy People, Healthy Environment, Health Economy and Healthy Organisation.
We are committed to achieving this by aligning everything we do to our vision ‘Shropshire – living the best life’; to tell everyone that Shropshire Council is a great place to be.
We will enable a skilled, happy, healthy, diverse, inclusive, empowered, and proud workforce that influences and leads change, addressing any inequalities.
As a member of the Occupational health Team within Enabling Service you will support the achievement of these key priorities, making a real difference to the lives of people in Shropshire.
The Occupational Health Team is a specialist clinical service committed to addressing the impact of work on health and health on work. We advise management to ensure they are complying with the relevant legislation and their duty of care to enable all staff to achieve their full capabilities at work.
Good health is good for business and a healthy workforce is a productive one. Attracting and retaining the best people is critical to business success.
Overview of your role
The post holder will have a key role in shaping and line managing the occupational health team and developing new ideas which could have a substantial impact on future organisation performance.
You will be:
responsible and accountable for 2.5 FTE members of staff, acting in a supervisory/managerial capacity, monitoring performance, supporting development and undertaking annual appraisals.
expected to lead and/or contribute to a range of projects and build relations with both internal and external partners in order achieve specified outcomes but will not have direct authority over those involved.
responsible for an approximate budget of £293,350 and manage a team room at Louise House and health surveillance equipment.
Responsible for preparing responses in line with Shropshire Council’s corporate processes and national/regulatory/statutory processes (e.g. complaints, MP enquiries, Information Governance requests, customer enquiries, media enquiries, HR staff investigations etc..). These responses should be in line with the quality and timescale expectations set out within Shropshire Council’s published procedures and/or case allocation emails and discussions.
Responsible for completing within expected timescales all mandatory corporate and role specific training. Training requirements will be detailed in your corporate induction and Personal Development Plan (PDP). Courses are accessed via the council Learning Management System via the Intranet.
What will you be doing?
• The Senior OH Advisor will be the lead clinical role (Occupational Health Practitioner) for the OH Team.
• The post holder will provide clinical supervision to two OH Advisors and casual post and support to the Occupational Health Technical Support Assistants.
• Demonstrate thorough working knowledge of current UK Health and Safety legislation, applying this to their own OH practice and the practices of the OH Team.
• Contribute to and lead on the development and implementation of clinical audits.
• Contribute to the development of OH standards and policies. Assisting in developing, establishing protocols and procedures at operational level to ensure safe and competent practice.
• Identify any trends of Occupational ill health within Shropshire Council, liaising with the Health, Safety and ICT Approvals Manager and other Managers as appropriate.
• At times, may be required to undertaken complex casework or support OH Advisors providing professional and evidence-based assessment and advice.
• Attend team meetings and contribute to team, policy and procedure developments.
• Ability to work autonomously and exercise accountability.
• Provide support to engage and monitor the performance of the contractor appointed to deliver the counselling service.
• Maintain accurate confidential health records.
What we expect of you
You will:
adopt a customer focused approach when delivering your service, ensuring engagement with service users and maintenance of an appropriate personal profile,
act as an advocate for your service and work collaboratively with colleagues across the whole Council to meet the needs of the people of Shropshire,
meet individual, service and personal development targets agreed through the Personal Development Review Process, learn from experience and are committed to continuous improvement individually and as an employee of the Council,
work with colleagues to meet your team’s key performance indicators, support a culture of team working and ensure the team functions successfully in support of the Council’s corporate and service objectives.
meet the behaviours and competencies adopted by the Council in the way in which they achieve their objectives and carry out their work.
A priority for the Council is the protection of vulnerable people, ensuring they are able to live as independently as possible. The post-holder will promote and engage with Council’s responsibility to safeguard the welfare of children, young people and adults, and protect their right to be safe from harm.
Expected to undertake all relevant training requirements specifically to the role including formal Hearing / Investigating Officer training relating to Disciplinary / Grievance policies and procedures.
What are your conditions of Service
The conditions of service are those laid down by Shropshire Council, which have been adopted and amended as necessary from those laid down by the National Joint Council for Local Government Services.
Your primary work base will be at Louise House, Shrewsbury with the requirement to regularly work from home.
This post carries eligibility to join the Local Government Pension Scheme. Information about this will be sent with any formal offer of appointment.
Annual leave entitlement is a pro rata flat rate scheme of 207 hours (28 days) annual leave plus bank holidays, with five days extra awarded to those staff with five years local government service giving an entitlement of 244 hours (33 days). Two days of an employee’s allowance (pro rota for part time staff) must be taken at Christmas for any potential Christmas closures. Employees who work in a building/service which is required to open over the Christmas period, the two days leave (pro rota) can be carried over into your next leave year but must be used by the end of March.
The appointment is subject to three months’ notice in writing on either side.
The appointment is subject to six months’ satisfactory probationary service during which time the notice period will be one week on either side.
Smoking is not allowed in Council buildings, in Council vehicles or in any Council place of work.
It is a condition of your appointment that you provide a suitable vehicle for the performance of your duties and that this is readily available for use during normal working hours. You are entitled to claim for reimbursement of the costs of travel on council business at the rate of 45 pence per mile.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
All the criteria below, both essential and desirable, will be assessed via your application form; further methods will be used to support this in the interview/selection stage should your application progress. Please refer to this document and the job description when completing your application, giving examples. A re-wording of the criteria listed will not guarantee an interview.
Method of Assessment: S – Scenario, I – Interview, P – Portfolio, T – Test, D – Documents
Qualifications and training
Essential:
• NMC Registered General Nurse with at least 5 years post qualification experience
• Occupational Health Degree, or relevant demonstrable experience
Desirable:
• Technical skills: audiometry, spirometry, and HAVS screening
• NEBOSH Cert.
Experience and knowledge
Essential:
• Significant experience in working in an occupational health advisory role.
• Experience of investigating clinical complaints and developing guidelines and standards to underpin safe and effective practice.
• Experience of delivery projects with clear outcomes for a business.
• Sound knowledge and understanding of OH theories and practices.
• Experience of managing and/or clinically supervising OH staff.
• Experience of facilitating and presenting to all levels of managers.
• Experience of influencing and engaging with managers at a senior level.
• Excellent written and oral communication and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent administration skills and the ability to maintain clear accurate records.
• Contribute to a positive absence culture by the training and development of managers, on sickness absence management, rehabilitation and stress.
• Ability to work autonomously in accordance with team plan to agreed standards and operational procedures.
• Ability to manage projects and deliver outcomes.
Desirable:
• Ability to use Microsoft Office, (Word, Power point and spread sheets), Outlook,
• Working for an organisation with a diverse workforce.
• Political awareness.
Specialist skills and abilities
Essential:
• Demonstrate a significant knowledge of best practice in current occupational health practice and relevant Health and Safety legislation.
• Provide robust and clear advice to influence strategic direction
• Evidence based management referral reports.
• The understanding of and the ability to maintain medical confidentiality and provide clear guidance to all managers within a complex non-medical organisation.
Desirable:
• Knowledge of legislation and best current practice regarding manual handling, asbestos and workstation safety and stress management
Personal skills and attributes
Essential:
• Ability to work calmly under pressure and to deadlines in a demanding work environment.
• Self-assured.
• Robust/Resilient
• Enthusiastic and flexible approach.
• Team player.
• Shows initiative.
• Ability to deal with and influence people at different levels in the organisation.
• Commitment to personal and professional development
• Commitment to equalities
• Tact, understanding, patience and sensitivity
Desirable:
• Coaching and mentoring experience
Decision making impact and innovation
• Ability to constructively challenge and influence others, through excellent negotiation and influencing skills, including senior leaders, politicians, partners, and stakeholders to
achieve identified outcomes.
• Ability to identify and communicate potential innovations to improve outcomes for the
Council and / or its customers
• Ability to provide visible leadership and direction.
• Ability to embed and instil performance ethos in team members to motivate and deliver
performance outcomes.
• Ability to develop and empower others appropriately using a range of motivational skills.
• Open, approachable and facilitative.
• Solution focussed.
If you are interested in this role please do reach out to me via email or telephone!
amberrayment@carringtonblakerecruitment.com
020 753 766 07
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