About this role
Job summary
Do you enjoy the challenge of working in a busy service where no two days are the same? An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and motivated Occupational Health and Wellbeing Nurse to join our professional and supportive SEQOHS accredited team at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. The post is based at The Working Well Centre, Worcester, but will also involve cross site working, including Coventry and Warwick in order to support the health and wellbeing needs of our workforce.
This role is integral to supporting the organisations strategic priorities around staff health, safety, and wellbeing, enabling a healthy and productive workforce.
The post holder will manage a varied and often complex caseload, providing evidence-based clinical advice to managers and staff on fitness for work, sickness absence, rehabilitation, and workplace adjustments. You will act as an autonomous practitioner within your scope, using specialist knowledge to assess health risks and support employees in maintaining or returning to work safely.
Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, you will contribute to the delivery of a proactive service that not only responds to referrals but also focuses on prevention, early intervention, and health promotion. This includes supporting organisational initiatives aimed at improving staff wellbeing, reducing absence, and enhancing employee experience.
Previous applicants need not apply.
Main duties of the job
The role requires excellent clinical reasoning, strong communication skills, and the ability to build effective working relationships across a wide range of stakeholders, including managers, HR, and external agencies. You will also contribute to service improvement, audit, and the ongoing development of Occupational Health practices in line with current legislation, best practice, and organisational policies.
To support and contribute to the effective provision of a high quality Occupational Health and Wellbeing Service.
To promote and maintain a systematic, holistic approach to occupational health and wellbeing provision, its implementation and evaluation.
To participate in identifying and maintaining a safe working environment and preventing ill health that may be associated with work. Receive, interpret and manage complex health information from employees, managers and/or HR.
Provide clear, highly specialised, impartial advice to both managers and employees, following work health assessments in line with professional standards, legal obligations and local policy significantly enhancing workplace health, reducing sickness absence, and preventing work-related injuries.
Undertake formal clinical audit programmes and evaluation, supporting the strategic direction of the service and provide assurance regarding the quality of clinical care and advice.
About us
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is a large acute and specialised hospital trust that provides a range of local acute services to the residents of Worcestershire and more specialised services to a larger population in Herefordshire and beyond.
The Trust operates hospital-based services from three sites in Kidderminster, Redditch and Worcester
Our workforce is more than 7,000 strong, and our caring staff are recognised as providing good and outstanding patient-centred care. You could be one of them.
We are committed to recruiting the best people to work with us. Our values, which we ask all staff to demonstrate, underpin our everyday work and remain firmly at the heart of all we do.
Being open and honest
Ensuring people feel cared for
Showing respect to everyone
We are committed to developing a culture of continuous improvement by embedding the principles of our Improvement System.
We are proud to have achieved Timewise accreditation - this means we are committed to embedding flexible working within our organisation as a flex positive employer.
DBS Checks and Costs
Any applicants who are offered posts requiring a DBS check as part of their employment check will have the cost of this check (at the current rate) deducted from their salary. Please see link in Supporting Information section for more details on DBS checks and costs.
Job description Job responsibilities
Job Purpose:
To support and contribute to the effective provision of a high quality Occupational Health and Wellbeing Service to the Trust and other public sector and private organisations.
To promote and maintain a systematic, holistic approach to occupational health and wellbeing provision, its implementation and evaluation.
Provide clear impartial advice to both managers and employees to optimise health and wellbeing at work, supporting the reduction in sickness absence and prevent work related ill health and injury.
To participate in identifying and maintaining a safe working environment and preventing ill health that may be associated with work.
To promote and implement workplace health and wellbeing initiatives.
To work with private organisations and deliver high quality Occupational Health and Wellbeing Service within agreed service level specifications.
To contribute to an atmosphere conducive to learning, audit and the use of nursing based research / evidence based rationale for clinical practice.
Key Duties:
To work autonomously and independently and where appropriate to seek support and guidance in relation to more complex issues.
Undertake assessments and provide health at work advice to managers and staff following a referral during their employment. To inform managers of the findings within the defined department timescales and in line with confidentiality and consent requirements.
Provide effective case management by assessing employees fitness for work following long term sickness absence, frequent short term sickness absence, or where the employee is experiencing health or disability issues impacting upon them at work.
Offer advice on fitness for work, return to work plans, workplace adjustments and ill health retirement.
Deliver immunisations and vaccination clinics. This will include venepuncture and administering vaccinations.
Using the agreed Occupational Health procedures and guidance to undertake a risk assessment for staff who have sustained a blood or body fluid exposure incident and to advise on any appropriate course of treatment including the need for Post Exposure Prophylaxis. To inform staff of the source/recipient blood results and any implications to working practice.
Give Infection Prevention and Control Advise to staff and line managers, including contact tracing following staff exposure to infectious conditions.
To work in partnership with clients to identify health hazards through the risk assessment process and to support with the implement of health surveillance programmes where appropriate in line with government legislation and Working Well policy.
To regularly undertake the role of the Duty Nurse Adviser providing telephone advice to all contracted clients on any Occupational Health concern, which may include pre-placement health issues, health capability to work, infection control and blood and body fluid exposure incidents. To advise on more complex issues as required.
Participate in Health and Wellbeing initiatives.
Support the health surveillance function of the department.
Participate in the induction and training of new employees.
To record accurate and confidential occupational health information into staff records following all appointments and communication with the department.
Communication and relationship skills:
To work as part of a multidisciplinary team where everyone has an essential professional contribution to make to the delivery of the occupational health service.
You will develop good working relationships with our key stakeholders.
Communicate sensitive/highly sensitive, confidential information concerning patients/clients requiring empathy, persuasion, and reassurance considering any barriers to understanding.
Establish and maintain effective communication channels with all colleagues, managers and other professionals.
Able to support Head of OH in the provision of a nurse led OH Service
Planning and Organisational skills:
You will be expected to manage your time effectively when managing cases and clinics.
Analytical and judgement skills.
Client Care:
Prompt production of reports to support clients and managers.
Responsibilities for People or Training:
Ongoing training within the department and externally.
Supporting colleagues to develop their skills.
Mutual learning.
Person Specification
Other Job Requirements Essential
Work with a high degree of confidentiality. Will require travel to other sites including Warwick and Coventry
Qualifications Essential
Registered Nurse on the NMC register Evidence of relevant professional development Post basic qualification at either diploma or degree level in Occupational Health or relevant experience Registered Nurse on the NMC register Evidence of relevant professional development Post basic qualification at either diploma or degree level in Occupational Health or relevant experience
Desirable
Relevant teaching qualification Relevant health promotion qualification
Experience Essential
Substantial post registration experience in general nursing Substantial Occupational Health experience Supervision of junior staff Experience of coordinating clinics and service requirements
Desirable
NHS Occupational Health experience
Personal Qualities Essential
Ability to energise and engage self and others Evidence of practicing the WAHT Values and Behaviours
Skills / Knowledge Essential
Up to date knowledge of current clinical and professional issues including NHS /DH /HSE legislation Ability to assess clients presenting to Occupational Health, plan and provide specialist advice dependent upon their particular health care need and work related issues Experience of undertaking audit or nursing research Supervisory experience of junior members of a team Up to date knowledge of current clinical and professional issues including NHS /DH /HSE legislation Ability to assess clients presenting to Occupational Health, plan and provide specialist advice dependent upon their particular health care need and work related issues Experience of undertaking audit or nursing research Supervisory experience of junior members of a team Knowledge of the health and Wellbeing agenda Ability to be able to decide how best to achieve expected results, whilst acting within clearly defined policies/ procedures and codes of conduct. Willingness to travel and work across site as required. Ability to carry out CPR Excellent IT skills: Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint
Desirable
Presentation skills Venepuncture skills Immunisation skills Spirometry skills
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details Employer name Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
Address Charles Hastings Way
Worcester
Worcestershire
WR5 1DD
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.worcsacute.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)