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Specialist Stop Smoking Practitioners

Sunderland

Healthier, happier for longer, we make lives better

Contents
Contents ..................................................................................................................................... 1

Welcome & Introduction to the role ......................................................................................... 2

Employee Benefits ..................................................................................................................... 2

Our History ................................................................................................................................. 3

ABL Vision & Values ................................................................................................................... 4

Meet the ABL Leadership Team ................................................................................................. 5

ABL Services ............................................................................................................................... 6

Achievements............................................................................................................................. 7

About the role ............................................................................................................................ 8

Job Description ...................................................................................................................... 8- 8

Person Specification ..........................................................................................................10- 11

How to apply ........................................................................................................................... 11

The closing date for this vacancy is 8th March 2023 ............................................................... 11

1

Welcome & Introduction to the role

Hello and thank you for your interest in the Specialist Stop Smoking Practitioner’

(Community) role within our Sunderland Stop Smoking Service.

ABL is an exciting fast-paced, growing community health organisation. As an

experienced, CQC registered, provider ofcommunity health services, we are

passionate about delivering evidence based, innovative, effective and relevant

health care services in partnership with individuals, communities and

stakeholders.

Employee Benefits

2

Our History

ABL was founded in 2009 by people who believed they could and should change the world!

As a GP and former teacher, Sheena Bedi and Denise Leslie had first-hand experience of community

health services that had failed people, the very people who needed them most. The dynamic pair

believed they could provide a different, more flexible approach, by combining their expertise in

healthcare, education and experiences of the social and economic problems that held people back.

They vowed they would find a way to support and encourage people to lead healthier, happier lives

for longer, whatever their background. ABL was born, ABL stands for A Better Life.

ABL knew that if they put people at the heart of the services, stepped in their shoes and experienced

life from their perspective then they could start to create a new approach to healthcare.

Taking services into communities; making them accessible and by removing the traditional clinical

surroundings and approach, they became more engaging and responsive. By constantly assessing the

ABL approach and listening to the people and communities we work with, our services became a truly

responsive community healthcare offer.

ABL came to understand that a multi-disciplinary approach worked best, that by creating a shared

language with a range of professionals from varied backgrounds we could support the whole person

and empower them to really make a difference within their community.

To this day ABL still work and engage in this way, we are working not only to design and develop

services that treat and support people who are experiencing health problems, but are dreaming up

and creating effective ways that we can educate and empower people to eliminate health issues in

the future.

ABL staff believe they can change the world, we all deserve ‘A Better Life’. Do you hold these values

dear, does our way of working resonate with you, do want to be a part of our team?

3

ABL Vision & Values

Healthier, happier for longer – we make lives better.

Our organisational values revolve around our passion to make all our services:

• People Powered

• Bold

• Effective

• Thoughtful
  

4

Meet the ABL Leadership Team

Denise Leslie (BSc Hons, PGCE) Chief Executive and Founding Director
Denise, co-founded ABL with a passion and drive to make a difference to people’s lives

through innovative community-based healthcare services. Founded in 2009, in a small

office in Bolton, the company now delivers positive behaviour change services across

the country.

Nick Warnett (BSc Hons, PGCM) Commercial Director
Nick joined ABL after working in performance and quality at an NHS commissioning

organisation and has experience in designing and commissioning healthcare services

for hard to reach groups. Nick was drawn to ABL’s passion for making a difference and

having a sustained impact on people’s lives.

Donal O’Donoghue (MB BCh, BAO, FRCSEd, FRCSEd (Orth) Medical Director

Having been enticed by the holistic vision of the company, Donal joined ABL in 2017.

Donal is an experienced clinician, senior manager and former NHS medical director.

With four young adult children, Donal is passionate about ensuring every child has the

support they need to achieve their full potential. Since joining ABL, his focus has been

on quality, governance, and performance management.

Paul Richardson (FCA) Finance Director
Paul has more than 20 years’ experience working with PLCs, SMEs and private equity

investors, in social care, construction and the fire and security sectors. Paul has director

responsibility for Finance, HR and IT as well as supporting all parts of the business as

member of the executive team and main board of directors.

Andy Leslie (BSc Hons, PGCE, NPQH) Director of Operations and Governance
Andy has extensive experience in high level management roles at comprehensive

schools and academies, predominantly in deprived areas. He ensures ABL services are

education and prevention-based and that interventions are based on best teaching

practice.

5

ABL Services
Passionate about and committed to reducing health inequalities, ABL deliver a range of health and

wellbeing services across the country including:

Service Brief Description

Specialist Multi-disciplinary support including medical, psychological and therapy, nutrition,

dietetics and exercise behavior change support. For adults with BMI of 35+ to achieve
(Tier 3) Weight

and sustain long-term weight loss and provide support and referral for Bariatric
Management

surgery where appropriate.

Stop Smoking Our stop smoking advisors support smokers for a minimum 12-week intervention.

and Tobacco Whilst we support all smokers, we offer targeted support to priority groups including,

Control people with long term conditions, primary care, secondary care, maternity services,

mental health, adult and children’s social care and 0 to 19 services.

Community Support adults with a BMI >25-40 to take realistic, small steps to becoming more

(Tier 2) Weight active, making positive food choices and goal setting.

Management
ABL also offer healthy weight pathways including integrated tier 2, tier 3 adult and

family weight management services (in commissioned areas only).

Family Weight Specialist and community family weight management for families and young people.

Management Includes a multi-disciplinary approach with family focused support including nutrition,

exercise and behavior change.

Low Calorie Part of a new NHS programme which provides a low calorie diet treatment for people

Diet who are overweight and living with type 2 diabetes. The service supports people to

Programme make healthy lifestyle changes, achieving remission wherever possible. The

multicomponent programme combines specialist nutrition, psychology, and physical

activity support.

Intensive Our IPS service take a whole family approach to supporting children and young people

Personalised with a learning disability and/or Autism, who display challenging behaviours. We work

Support with individuals and their families to understand the reasons behind behaviours and

implement a co-produced behaviour support plan, with the aim of keeping the child

at home and out of long term hospital stays or residential care.

Patient An award winning service facilitating and leading quarterly health care councils in 35

Participation in prisons across the North of England, enabling patients to be actively involved in

Prisons decisions about their healthcare services within their custodial setting.

Integrated We offer realistic and practical support for people to make life long healthy behaviour

Wellbeing changes, supporting people to manage their weight, stop smoking, move more, drink

Services less alcohol and falls prevention.

Workplace Supporting workplaces such as museums, hospitals and councils across the North

Health West to understand health and wellbeing needs of their employees. Includes training,

nutrition analysis, tailored workplace health packages.

6

Achievements

We’ve supported over We’ve supported over Over 14,500 of our clients Over 16,000 of our clients

6,000 people to quit 11,000 people to lose have increased their have improved their

smoking. weight. physical activity. mental health.

We are awards winning: Co producing pioneering, We are Investors in We are a Disability
Social Impact award, innovative research People Accredited. Confident Leader.

Growing Business projects across our
Awards November 2022. smoking services.
HSJ Partnership Award in

2020

ABL team collecting their Social Impact Award .

ABL Prison Team, collecting their HSJ Partnership Award
for their innovative procurement project that gave a

serving prisoner a voice in the procurement process of
healthcare services.

7

About the role

Job Description
Specialist Stop Smoking Practitioners

Job Title: Specialist Stop Smoking Practitioners.

There are multiple posts available. Each role, in addition to
working within the community, will have a responsibility with
specific client groups.

Location: Throughout Sunderland

Salary: £21,756 - 26,000 per annum depending on experience

Hours: Full time

Type of Contract: Permanent

Accountable/Responsible to: Head of Specialist Stop Smoking Service

Staff Accountable to Postholder: None

Role Purpose:

The role of Stop Smoking Practitioner is to support the delivery of evidenced based, equitable stop smoking

services to help to reduce the inequalities throughout Sunderland. This will include the delivery of services

within areas of most deprivation and the targeting specific client groups. For example, Mental Health, Young

people or those discharged from hospital with long term conditions. It is essential that the postholder can

work flexibly, independently and as part of a team.

Duties and Responsibilities

This post will work under the line management of the Head of the Specialist Stop Smoking Service. The role will

be varied, challenging, and rewarding as the services develop as part of the national 10 - year plan.

You will be a motivated, empathetic, passionate, organised, and proactive individual.

Key Responsibilities

• Motivate and empower clients to make changes to address their addiction.

• Liaise with health and other professionals to ensure partnership working is embedded in routine care

pathways for specific clientele.

• Explain to clients the principles of the Stop Smoking Service to enable them to make informed choices.

• Deliver evidence-based stop smoking interventions appropriate to the individual client. These include one to

one, drop in, group sessions, telephone, or digital support, these must be in accordance with the NCSCT

Standard Treatment Programme.

• Maximise the impact of smoking cessation on health gains and reduce health inequalities.

• To understand the analysis of health and equalities data.

• Provide a high quality, efficient and cost-effective services throughout a diverse range of community and

health settings.

• Lead peer support group sessions for successful quitters following intervention to prevent relapse.
  

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• Provide evidence-based education in all aspects of smoking cessation and behavioural change as well on- going

motivational support.

• Work with individuals to set realistic sustainable goals, including a harm-minimisation approach.

• Manage a caseload, and ensure all care records are accurate and in line with ABL and national standards.

• To engage and recruit potential clients where appropriate, at promotional and community events.

• Identify opportunities to develop and improve services for clients.

• Maintain own knowledge of evidence-based methods and integrate new research into own practice

• Assist in the organisation of the workload ensuring effective and efficient communication to other staff

members.

• Attend stakeholder meetings as required.

• Attend regular Stop Smoking Service Meetings

• Attend training as required and keep up to date with the wider aspects of Tobacco Control

• Attend all training, internal and external as required.
  

Skills and Competencies Required

• Understanding of addiction

• Positive and proactive outlook with the ability to motivate, engage and support others to achieve the highest

standards and outcomes.

• Adept in communication; A strong communicator who adapts the message to fit the needs of the audience

including clients and staff at all levels.

• Build strong relationships; Foster trust and co-operation among colleagues and all stakeholders

• Quality driven; you naturally seek high standards and actively seek to improve them.

• Value, and remain open to new ideas and perspectives.
  

Standard Information

Information Governance

Employees of ABL Health must comply with the provisions of GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. The

postholder must not; either during the course of their employment, or following termination of their

employment, disclose any information relating to service users or employees, or of the lawful business

practices, of the organisation.

The postholder will be required, when and where appropriate to the role, to comply with the processing of

requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000

The postholder must comply with ABL’s policies that protect the information assets of the organisation from

unauthorised disclosure, modification, destruction, inappropriate access or use. The postholder will be

responsible for maintaining the clinical and/or corporate records that fall within the remit of this role to the

standards in ABL’s records management policies, and data quality processes and standards.

Health & Safety

Compliance with the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 – the postholder is required to fulfil a proactive role

towards the management of risk in all of their actions. This entails the risk assessment of all situations, the

taking of appropriate actions and reporting of all incidents, near misses and hazards, and a statutory duty of

care for their own personal safety and that of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions.

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Safeguarding is Everyone’s’ Business

ABL has a responsibility to ensure that all children / young people and adults are adequately safeguarded and

protected. As a consequence, all ABL’s employees, temporary staff and volunteers are required to adhere to

ABL’s safeguarding policies / procedures in addition to local and national safeguarding policies and to act upon

any concerns in accordance with them.

Smoke Free

ABL is Smoke - Free. Smoking is not permitted on any of our premises or the surrounding land including car

parking facilities.

Training

The postholder must attend any training that is identified as mandatory to their role.

The range of duties and responsibilities outlined above are indicative only and are intended to give an

overview of the range and type of duties that will be allocated. They are subject to modification in the light of

changing service demands and the development requirements of the postholder.

Equality, Diversity & Human Rights

It is the responsibility of every person to act in ways to support equality and diversity and to respect human

rights, working within the spirit and detail of legislation including the Equality Act 2010 and the Human

Rights Act 1998. ABL is an equal opportunities employer and aims to challenge discrimination, promote

equality and respect human rights.

Person Specification

Job Title: Specialist Stop Smoking Practitioner

Essential Desirable Method of
Assessment

Qualifications Relevant degree health / public health Experience of working within Application Form /
and / health professional qualification / the community / health & Social Interview /
Experience other higher education or significant Care setting Certificates /

experience in smoking cessation / Assessment
addiction / behaviour change

NCSCT Practitioner

Skills and Understanding of addiction Knowledge of child protection Application Form /
Knowledge and safeguarding children and Interview /

Skills/knowledge to utilise computer vulnerable adults Certificates /
software, including Microsoft Word, Assessment
Excel and Powerpoint Knowledge of the wider tobacco

control agenda
Ability to communicate effectively
both verbally and in writing at all Understanding of service key
levels with individuals, groups and the performance indicators
public

Understanding of the role of
A positive outlook with an ability to national guidance (NICE) in
inspire confidence, provide vision and healthcare settings
motivate people

10

Ability to influence using skills and Experience of engagement work
knowledge with key partners

Ability to prioritise work tasks Understanding and evidence of
adhering to information

Understanding concepts of behaviour governance policies
change and how to implement
these

Ability to evaluate and reflect on own
practice

How to apply
Application Form

As a Disability Confident Employer, we are committed to ensuring that our recruitment process is inclusive and
accessible. If you have a disability or learning difficulty which means you are unable to complete an application form,
please contact us to complete a telephone assessment. If you feel your disability or learning difficulty prevents you
from completing the application form, please contact us to discuss your personal circumstances.

We are happy to accept application forms electronically or written by hand. You can also request an application form
in a larger font size.

Contact Details

If you have any questions about the role or would like to discuss the post further, please contact:

NAME: Kerry Holmes, Divisional Operations Lead

CONTACT DETAILS: [email protected]

The closing date for this vacancy is 14th March 2023

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