Health Education Specialists

Social Work & Counselling Services

Level 5585 of 1200 points

Job description

Health Education Specialists

Job purpose

To plan, deliver and evaluate health education programmes for individuals, families and communities, using needs assessment data to target them and grant funding to resource them, so that the populations served are helped to adopt healthy lifestyles and local health needs are met.

Skills

Substantive command of health education and promotion practice: curriculum design, group instruction and measurement of training effects; health needs assessment and survey method; preventive health-care subject matter such as smoking and vaccination; the psychology of learning and motivation; and group behaviour and cultural influence. An associate's degree is the most common qualification, with a substantial minority holding a bachelor's, together with several years of related experience and on-the-job training.
Works with the public, community and civic groups, schools, health agencies, providers and insurers, sustaining cooperative relationships and interpreting health information for people without technical background. Presents workshops, conferences and school and community sessions, and speaks publicly for programmes through press releases and media campaigns. Advises outside agencies on assessing their own needs, and instructs and supervises professional and technical staff.
Determines community health needs and the availability of services from survey data, sets goals to close the gap, and designs evaluations and diagnostic studies to judge programme quality and performance. Problems are open-ended and shaped by local circumstances rather than settled by precedent, and decisions are taken frequently with consequences for colleagues and programme results.
Develops operational plans and policies to achieve health education objectives, schedules programmes and events and the work of others around them, and works to funders' grant timetables. Sets long-range objectives and largely determines own tasks, priorities and goals under time pressure.
Work is carried out at a desk and in teaching and community settings, using databases to prepare materials and maintain records. No manual handling or dexterity demands.

Responsibilities

Supervises professional and technical staff in implementing health programmes, objectives and goals, leading delivery and carrying responsibility for their work outcomes and a share of responsibility for the health and safety of other workers. Designs induction training for new employees and continuing education for existing staff. Influence extends beyond the team through guidance to outside agencies on designing and delivering health education.
Administers the fiscal resources of health education programmes where these are delegated, overseeing spending against them, and prepares grant applications for funding. Does not set organisational budgets; discretion over spend is bounded by the programme allocation and the conditions of each award.
Develops and maintains health education libraries serving staff and community agencies, distributes reports, bulletins and visual aids, and maintains the databases, mailing lists and programme websites on which delivery depends. Ordinary care of a workstation and of programme resources.
Accountable for the accuracy of the health information issued in materials, press releases and web content for a general audience. Records activity data such as applications completed, presentations conducted and persons assisted, and compiles the assessments and evaluations on which programme and funding decisions rest.

Effort required

Sustained analytical attention to assessment and evaluation data, combined with the exactness required of published health information. Decisions are frequent, largely self-directed and taken under time pressure, with effects on colleagues and programme outcomes; parts of the work repeat while others require fresh design.
Deals directly with the public and works in close proximity to those served, giving assistance and personal support alongside instruction. Handles complaints and conflict situations, at times with people who are unpleasant, angry or discourteous, and reconciles differing views among community groups and agencies, calling for self-control and attentiveness to how others react.
Substantially seated work at a desk. No lifting or exertion.

Working conditions

Indoors in environmentally controlled surroundings without significant physical hazard, though contact with the public brings some exposure to disease or infection and work in close physical proximity to others. Psychosocial exposure arises from the volume of contact by e-mail, telephone and face-to-face discussion and from conflict situations.
Hours follow a regular established schedule for most incumbents, with a standard week common, a substantial proportion longer and a minority on irregular patterns. Determines own tasks, priorities and goals with freedom to decide within programme objectives, deciding frequently on matters whose impact reaches co-workers and results.

Skills

40% · 249 points▾

KnowledgeLevel 5 of 8
90 of 144 points
Specialised and theoretical knowledge within a field of work and an awareness of the limits of that knowledge. The job requires a comprehensive range of cognitive and practical knowledge to develop creative solutions to abstract problems.
Interpersonal and communication skillsLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Effective communication and interpersonal relationships. The job holder is required to adapt communication to different audiences and foster trust, cooperation and positive working relationships.
Problem-solving skillsLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Variable problems. The job involves dealing with different kinds of problems that require careful thinking, research into different options or adjusting existing ways of doing things. Guidance and resources may be limited.
Planning and organisational skillsLevel 3 of 5
43 of 72 points
Moderate organisational skills required. The job requires the organising and prioritising of multiple tasks, with some level of adjustment to plans on the basis of changing circumstances or deadlines.
Physical skillsLevel 0 of 5
0 of 72 points
Not applicable. The job does not require any particular physical skills (although there is likely to be some physical activity).

Responsibility

35% · 216 points▾

PeopleLevel 3 of 5
86 of 144 points
Moderate responsibility for people. The job includes overseeing or coordinating the work and well-being of others. This may involve supervising, providing regular support, managing conflicts, responding to an individual's needs and ensuring the personal and professional development of individuals.
Goods and equipmentLevel 2 of 5
34 of 84 points
Some responsibility for goods or equipment. The job involves the use and maintenance of equipment or stock, and the job holder is responsible for ensuring resources are used appropriately and safely.
InformationLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Moderate responsibility for information. The job involves managing information to ensure it is accurate, of high quality and secure. The job holder may make decisions about the handling of sensitive data.
Financial resourcesLevel 2 of 5
38 of 96 points
Limited responsibility for financial resources. The job involves handling limited financial resources, such as managing small budgets, processing invoices or participating in financial planning discussions.

Effort

15% · 79 points▾

Mental effortLevel 3 of 5
36 of 60 points
High level of mental effort. The job involves frequent concentration on complex tasks that require considerable mental effort, such as interpreting complex data.
Psychosocial and emotional effortLevel 3 of 5
43 of 72 points
Moderate psychosocial and emotional effort. The job requires the regular management of emotional responses, such as dealing with sensitive or challenging individuals or situations.
Physical effortLevel 0 of 5
0 of 48 points
Not applicable. The job does not require any physical effort.

Working Conditions

10% · 41 points▾

Environment (physical, psychological or emotional)Level 2 of 5
34 of 84 points
Occasional exposure to hazards or stress. The job involves occasional exposure to mild physical risks (e.g. working with light machinery, occasional noise) or psychosocial risks (e.g. occasional interpersonal conflict or minor repetitive tasks). Exposure occurs two to three times a year.
Organisational environmentLevel 1 of 5
7 of 36 points
Minimal organisational demands. The job requires standard working hours with no night shifts or irregular schedules. There is little or no need for travel or digital connectivity beyond typical working hours.