Job overview
Band 7 HIV Health Adviser
Total Hours: 33.5 hours a week
Location: HIV Service, St Georges Hospital, London
This is an exciting opportunity for someone who has significant experience working as a Health Adviser in a HIV/Sexual Health setting. The role involves working with people in the out-patients department and as in-patients on the ward. We welcome applications from candidates who can demonstrate an enthusiasm for improving the lives of people living with HIV and who would enjoy working as part of a small, supportive, and effective team. The successful candidate will have a flexible approach to their work, excellent communication skills and a commitment to providing the best possible care. The Health Adviser role is a highly valued one within the service.
For further information please contact: [email protected]
Main duties of the job
- To provide counselling support and health education to patients attending the HIV clinic and to those who are in-patient on the ward in relation to any aspect of their HIV care. This will include attending ward rounds.
- To provide crisis intervention and on-going support as appropriate.
- To identify patient risk and work with patients in promoting a healthier lifestyles approach, using evidence based motivational and risk reduction techniques.
- To work with local services to support patients facing challenges around their alcohol/drug use.
- To provide support, where appropriate, to partners, significant others and family members.
- To provide psychological support for in-patients under the Infection Care Group.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Job Description
Post: HIV Health Adviser
Base: Courtyard Clinic, St Georges Hospital, and also working
at other service sites within Wandsworth
Grade: Band 7
Hours of Work: 33.5 Hours per week
Reports to: HIV Team Lead
Trust Vision & Values
Our mission is to provide excellent clinical care, education and research to improve the health of the populations we serve.
Our vision is to become an excellent integrated care provider and a comprehensive specialist centre for south west London, Surrey and beyond with thriving programmes of education and research.
We expect all our staff to share the values that are important to the Trust; being Excellent, Kind, Responsible & Respectful, and behave in a way that reflect these.
Job Summary
The main components of the role of the Health Adviser are counselling, health education, partner notification, advocacy and safeguarding.The post involves working closely as part of the MDT to care for our cohort of people living with HIV. The work will cover both the out-patient based service, the in-patient ward, and other departments within the hospital. The post holder will need to have had significant experience working as a Health Adviser in either a HIV or sexual health setting.
The post will involve working closely with other Health Advisers as part of a small, supportive and effective team and liaising closely with HIV/Sexual Health clinics nationally.
Emotional Support
- To provide counselling support and health education to patients attending the HIV clinic and to those who are in-patient on the ward in relation to any aspect of their HIV care. This will include attending ward rounds.
- To provide crisis intervention and on-going support as appropriate.
- To identify patient risk and work with patients in promoting a healthier lifestyles approach, using evidence based motivational and risk reduction techniques.
- To work with local services to support patients facing challenges around their alcohol/drug use.
- To provide support, where appropriate, to partners, significant others and family members.
- To provide psychological support for in-patients under the Infection Care Group.
Patient Safeguarding
Partner Notification
- To attend and take a key role in organising and managing the monthly HIV patient MDT meeting and other meetings as needed in the service.
- To organise and attend relevant internal and external safeguarding meetings as required.
- To complete safeguarding referrals to social services and other organisations as necessary.
- To attend relevant safeguarding meetings.
- To ensure all potential vertical HIV transmission cases are handled according to national guidelines.
- To identify sexual contacts of patients diagnosed with HIV or sexually transmitted infections and facilitate their attendance at a clinic for testing and treatment. To fully document partner notification outcomes.
- To audit PN outcomes on a regular basis.
- To liaise with other HIV and sexual health clinics nationally to facilitate partner notification.