Online Testing Pathway Support Worker

Job overview

We are looking for a caring, organised and digitally confident Online Testing Pathway Support Worker to join the West Sussex Integrated Sexual Health Service (ISHS), based in Crawley. You will help run our online STI testing service, condom distribution schemes and community-based testing, working with health and community partners across West Sussex.

Online testing accounts for a large share of the service's testing activity, and this new role will help us respond quickly and safely to service users. You will support people through digital and self-managed care pathways, manage results and stock, and promote sexual health in a way that is inclusive, non-judgemental and confidential. No two days are the same, and you will be part of a supportive multidisciplinary team that includes nursing, medical, health advising, administration and management colleagues.

Main duties of the job

• Support service users through the online testing pathway by phone, SMS and email, helping them with sampling and understanding their care.
• Take additional history from service users where extra information or pathway support is needed, using a pre-determined template.
• Process online test results, inform patients by text, and manage positive results by updating the database and assigning them to the relevant healthcare worker.
• Liaise with pathology about missing or unclear results.
• Prepare and distribute online testing packs, and order and manage stock so supplies are always adequate.
• Complete accurate and timely clinical documentation, including registration, clinical episodes and coding.
• Assess service users aged 16 to 18 for safeguarding concerns and refer to trained staff where needed.
• Give basic health advice and signpost to other services for health and wellbeing support.
• Support events such as Freshers fairs, and provide training or demonstrations to community staff working with health inclusion groups.
• Monitor online testing requests and results against KPIs, and tell the lead when demand exceeds capacity.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The post holder supports the online STI testing and condom distribution service from Crawley, with these main responsibilities:

• Communication: supporting service users through digital and self-managed pathways by phone, SMS and email, with tact and empathy. This includes helping people who face language or sampling difficulties, giving basic health advice and signposting to other services.
• Service delivery: processing results and informing patients by text, managing positive results and liaising with pathology. The post holder also prepares and distributes testing packs, controls stock and works to KPIs, escalating when demand exceeds capacity. They attend team and hub meetings, carry out audits and contribute to policy reviews.
• People management: supporting e-rostering, allocation and budget reconciliation, and training new starters and community staff.
• Patient care: advising on specimen taking, including over the phone, supporting people at events such as Freshers fairs, and assessing 16 to 18 year olds for safeguarding.
• Learning and development: completing mandatory training, agreeing a development plan with the line manager and taking part in appraisal.
• Other: occasional weekend work and travel, regular data entry, and occasional exposure to distressing situations and bodily fluids at events.

Applicant requirements

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.