Advanced Family Health Worker

Job summary

Children,Young People and Families Service

Post : Advanced Family Health Worker / Assistant Practitioner

Location : East Locality PHN

Hours : 30 hrs hours per week

Salary: Agenda for Change Band 4:

Contract : Fixed term 9 months - covering maternity leave

An opportunity has arisen for an Advanced Family Health worker/ Assistant practitioner (band 4), to work within the Public Health Nursing teams, specifically with Health Visitors, in the delivery of the Healthy Child programme to 0 -5 yrs .

You will need to be an enthusiastic practitioner with the ability to work as part of a team and be able to demonstrate a sound knowledge of child development.

This opportunity although fixed term, will offer support and learning for you to achieve competencies and skills in the role, which may enhance your future career potential.

If you are a team player, with excellent communication skills, committed to improving child outcomes, and are motivated to deliver high quality services to children and families, we would like to hear from you.

Informal enquiries to: Ali Strang, on (01752) 434008.

The closing date for receipt of completed application forms is: 21/08/26

"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"

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

Job Share(s) Considered

Main duties of the job

• The practitioner will work as part of a team, delivering evidenced based health care advice to parents & children 0 5 yrs with Public Health Nursing
• They will carry out specific assessments & supportive work as delegated by Public Health registered practitioners
• They will offer additional support as identified through assessments, including support for feeding, growth & development, sleep, behaviour & preparing for school readiness.
• They will work with parents and partner agencies including wider Health, Children's Centres, Nurseries, Speech & Language & Mental health services.
• The work will be mainly carried out in Clinics, nurseries, & in parents homes
• There will be a requirement to maintain electronic records.
• They will be required to access supervision appropriately & to support skill mix workers & students. See job description
• The Public Health Nursing service has 5 localities across the city made up of Health Visitors, School Nurses & Family Health workers, with support from a Team manager & central admin. The service is part of the Children's & Family directorate in LSW and delivers a Universal & targeted offer of support for children 0-19 yrs. The main role is to empower parents to achieve the best health & education outcomes for their children alongside partner agencies.
• Please note that we may close the job advert early if a high number of applications are submitted. Therefore, we recommend you submit your application at the earliest opportunity

About us

All new staff are welcomed and encouraged to develop in their role and beyond. With regular supervision and training available, alongside line management and appraisal.

Livewell Southwest is an independent, award-winning social enterprise delivering integrated health and social care services across Plymouth, South Hams, and West Devon, with specialist services in parts of Devon and Cornwall. Our teams work in community hospitals, GP practices, sports centres, and health hubs.

As an organisation with a strong social conscience we are guided by our values, kindness, respect, inclusivity, ambition, responsibility, and collaboration. We focus on transforming services to ensure sustainability, while empowering staff and those we serve.

We prioritise employees' development, offering protected CPD time, training pathways, leadership programs, and funding for qualifications like the Care Certificate and Nurse Training Scholarships. Our induction and preceptorship programs ensure a smooth transition into our organisation.

Livewell Southwest values diversity and encourages applications from all sections of the community, including those with armed forces experience, lived experience of mental health, neuro-diverse conditions and learning disabilities. If you need assistance or reasonable adjustments during the application process, contact the Recruiting Manager listed in the job advert.

Details

• Date posted: 14 August 2026
• Pay scheme: Agenda for change
• Band: Band 4
• Salary: £28,392 to £31,157 a year pro rata
• Contract: Fixed term
• Duration: 9 months
• Working pattern: Part-time, Flexible working
• Reference number: B9832-2026-NM-10387
• Job locations: 200 Mount Gould Road, Mount Gould, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 7PY, United Kingdom, East PHN, Plymstock Clinic, Horn Cross Rd, Plymouth, Devon, PL9 9BU, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities

Key Tasks and Responsibilities of the Post

JOB PURPOSE

The Assistant Practitioner will work as part of a team delivering therapeutic intervention, health and social care that focuses on the direct needs of the patients/service users. They will carry out specific planned clinical tasks and responsibilities to facilitate, assessment, treatment, planning and evaluation of patients in a specific clinical team.

The post holder will work independently within their defined scope of practice under the delegation and guidance of a registered professional. Applying specialist evidence-based knowledge of principles and procedures within a specific field of healthcare.

Assistant Practitioners have undertaken a broad range of theoretical and practical learning regarding healthcare and wellbeing to Foundation Degree level.

3. DEPARTMENTAL POSITION

4. SCOPE AND RANGE

Demonstrate and apply knowledge of the scope of practice of the Assistant Practitioner role within own clinical settings.

The post holder can deliver elements of health and social care and undertake clinical work in the domains that have previously only been within the remit of registered professionals. The role at times may transcend professional boundaries.

The Assistant Practitioner will have a level of autonomy and accountability to make decisions around patient care and refer on to other professionals where required.

To be responsible for own clinical practice, caseload management and workload.

To work without direct supervision but under the direction of the qualified staff in the performance of specific tasks for patients, as part of their treatment and rehabilitation programmes, but within limits of own competence.

To work as part of a muti disciplinary team to provide therapy, health and social care that focuses on the holistic needs of the patient, this may include attending MDT,case management meetings to present patient cases.

Identify personal development needs that ensure consolidation of knowledge, skills, and competency to undertake the therapy, care and treatment of responsibilities assigned.

To undertake a range of clinical activities relevant to your specific service area for which you have trained and assessed as competent to undertake.

5. MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

To provide holistic evidence-based interventions and care to patients in accordance with national and organisational approved policies and procedures and individual care plans.

Develop, implement, and evaluate individual care plans under the appropriate delegation and guidance of a registered professional.

To be involved with monitoring the patients progress, making treatment decisions while assessing and re-assessing the patients progress.

Takes responsibility around risk management, feeding back concerns, and is aware of how to manage risk and safety in groups or other settings.

To educate patients and carers, empowering patients to take positive steps towards improving their health and wellbeing where able. Such as providing advice on importance of exercise and other aspects of life to encourage healthy living.

To demonstrate a working knowledge and understanding of conditions and clinical presentations relevant to the clinical area.

To demonstrate an understanding and application of professional, local, and national guidelines and legislation relating to health and social care provision.

5.1 Responsibility for People Management

Act in ways which support equality and value diversity.

Demonstrate own duties to new or less experienced staff, and where appropriate participate in induction and support programmes in relation to new staff and volunteers.

To assist in the recruitment of relevant grades of staff, as required.

Contribute towards developing a culture of learning and towards developing high quality learning environments.

Develop skills in relation to coaching, teaching individuals, carers other staff.

To be actively involved in team effectiveness by attending staff meetings and contributing as a team player to team development.

Support and supervise junior members of the team as required - to participate in providing instruction, learning opportunities and assessment of Bands 2or 3 staff, students and other trainees as required.

To recognise and understand different roles and responsibilities of individuals working in Livewell Southwest.

To delegate work to others as required.

5.2 Responsibility for financial and or physical resources

To use and maintain resources efficiently and effectively and to provide evidence of these efforts.

Exercise personal duty of care in the safe use and storage of equipment

Be environmentally aware and prudent in use of resources and energy.

Use electronic resources to input, save and retrieve information making use of eRecord systems.

To adhere to relevant trust policies on financial issues.

5.3 Responsibility for administration

Prioritises workload effectively, this could include scheduling your workday appropriately or managing your own diary of appointments and visits (as well as mileage if applicable) This requires a high level of time management and organisation skills.

To undertake any non-clinical clerical duties as necessary. This may include maintaining stock levels, ordering equipment, and filing, dealing with telephone calls, and cleaning.

To participate in audit as part of service review and improvement processes.

To comply with legislation, policies, procedures, and other quality approaches relevant to the work being undertaken.

To report accidents, incidents or complaints following LSW procedures and policies and to comply with the most recent Health and Safety at Work Act.

To attend and contribute to relevant team,service meetings.

To access and respond to work related emails and other information on a regular basis through Livewell Southwest intranet.

To actively participate in the planning and implementation of operational policies, projects, and service development within the team.

Maintain confidentiality as outlined within data protection policies.

Responsibility for people who use our services

To always uphold Livewell Southwests values of being Kind, Respectful, Inclusive, Ambitious and Responsible.

Work as part of a designated clinical team delivering care and, or therapy that focuses on the direct needs of the individual.

To manage a defined group of patients using evidence based/client centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions and contribute to the service provision.

To demonstrate a working knowledge and understanding of conditions relevant to the clinical area and those patients presenting with multi pathology.

To work under the direction of registered staff in the performance of specific tasks for patients, as part of their treatment and plan of care.

Contribute to the delivery of complex care.

Safely use a range of non-invasive and invasive interventions whether therapeutic, technological or pharmacological, within scope of the role. You may be involved, dependant on clinical team, in the use of technical and creative skills to assist in the provision of a flexible based therapeutic activity programme as part of the therapy service provision to adults using the service. For example, assessment for mobility aids and basic falls assessments as required.

You may have involvement in the completion of non-standardised and standardised cognitive assessments, capacity assessments and clinical risk assessments.

You may use a selection of both standardised and non -standardised assessments to assist and aid diagnosis of cognitive, sensory, perceptual, behavioural, physical psychosocial and social functioning.

Knowledge and understanding of the Mental Capacity Act and use this to conduct basic mental capacity assessments and participate in MDT processes such as DST completion and CHC.

To be responsible for the holistic assessment, treatment, evaluation, and modification of a treatment plan and make the clinical decision of when to discharge.

If applicable to your team, to assess, prescribe and authorise a range of agreed equipment and make recommendations for minor and major adaptations to increase/enable or compensate for independent function, teaching compensatory techniques as required.

To take the appropriate action to manage an emergency situation and summoning appropriate assistance and complete accurate reporting systems.

Depending on clinical area you may be responsible for medication management for a group of patients, including stock checking, ordering medication, transcribing medication onto a system.

If applicable to your role you may be responsible for the administration of medication to patients via different routes.

Depending on clinical area, to competently risk assess patients to support self-administration of medications and/or to provide support to those regaining independence with managing own medications

• If required support patients with all aspects of care including daily living, providing personalised care, and promoting independence.

Please see full job description

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).