Community Tobacco Dependence Advisor

NHS; London; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 44,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in London seeks a Community Tobacco Dependence Advisor to deliver tobacco dependence treatment and support smoking cessation initiatives. The ideal candidate will have degree-level education, be trained as a Tobacco Dependence Advisor, and possess excellent communication skills. This role offers a salary between £35,964 to £43,780 per annum.

Qualifications

• Experience of successfully helping smokers to quit.
• Experience working with service users who smoke with complex health needs.
• Ability to manage own workload and prioritize tasks.

Responsibilities

• Deliver comprehensive tobacco dependence treatment services.
• Develop clinical treatment plans based on patient assessments.
• Provide training and support to staff regarding smoking cessation.

Skills

Excellent oral communication

Organizational skills

Ability to work in challenging environments

Knowledge of NHS Stop Smoking Services

Education

Degree level education or equivalent experience

Specialist Tobacco Dependence Advisor - Level 2 trained

Tools

Excel

Word

PowerPoint

Job description

Overview

Go back South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Community Tobacco Dependence Advisor

The closing date is 22 September 2025

At South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, we believe in providing excellent care which is delivered with pride and compassion. Everything we do is to improve the lives of the people and communities we serve and to promote mental health and wellbeing for all.

Funded by "Stopping the start: our new plan to create a smokefree generation", the Trust has been asked to host a Tobacco Dependence Advisor, as part of the Local Authorities' (Lambeth and Southwark) Stop Smoking Services strategy, to reduce smoking prevalence in people living with mental illness. The primary focus of the role is to provide a comprehensive tobacco dependence treatment service with smokers who have been referred for smoking cessation support, via a SLaM community pathway, for people living in Southwark and/or Lambeth. Providing confidential support for Trust staff who smoke and who work or live in Southwark or Lambeth is also anticipated. The post holder will assist with staff training to ensure a consistent approach and adherence with tobacco dependence treatment plans and compliance with the Trust Smokefree Policy (2024).

Main duties of the job

The main duties of this job are set out in detail in the attached Job Description. The post-holder will hold responsibility for delivering patient treatment, as well as local service development, leadership, and professional development.

About us

see attached Job Description.

The post holder will liaise regularly with the following:

COMMUNICATION WITH

FREQUENCY

Service Director / Clinical Director

As required

Smokefree Healthy Hospital Programme Lead

Daily

Smokefree Team Leader

Daily

Peer Group - Tobacco Dependence Advisors

At least weekly

Tobacco researchers (Nicotine Research Group, KCL)

As required

Service Managers

As required

Community Team Leaders

Daily

Nursing staff

Daily

Medical staff

Daily

Allied HP staff

Daily

Patients/carers

Daily

NHS Stop Smoking Services

As required

Clinical Governance staff

As required

Job responsibilities

Treatment Provision

• Following a referral notification, respond to the referral and carry out comprehensive assessments of smokers needs, including the assessment and recommendations for the use of stop smoking pharmacotherapies. This will require the post-holder to work autonomously to deliver high quality evidence-based tobacco dependence treatment in line with the SLaMs Smoke Free Policy (2024), Department of Health & Social Care and NICE guidance, and NCSCT best practice guidance.
• Respond to individual patient needs by analysing and interpreting personal factors. That may also include communicating with patient care teams and family members or carers to be able to compare and weigh up treatment options before making judgements and developing clinical treatment plans.
• Deliver one to one, drop in and group-based treatment for patients and staff smokers and, provide opportunistic brief advice to smokers within clinical and home environments (patients, carers, staff, visitors) in a kind, caring and compassionate manner.
• The post-holder will be expected to hot-desk and provide in-reach treatment appointments and be able to utilise text messaging and other digital support systems to ensure additional layers of support are accessible to patients.
• The post-holder will will be required to move across sites and visit many different settings both on and off Trust sites.(which may include include patient accommodation) to deliver, where appropriate, treatment as well as smokefree based groups and activities.
• Liaise with clinical teams regarding the safe and effective care for the management of medication associated with stopping and restarting smoking. Facilitate access to pharmacotherapy (or, vapes) in line with Trust protocols.
• Hold local responsibility for distribution and safe use of expensive equipment and is able to maintain stock control and security of stock (mostly vapes used in treatment).
• Participate in the development, implementation, success and sustainability of SLaMs Smokefree Policy (2024) and the Trusts strategic objectives for reducing smoking prevalence in Aiming High; Changing Lives 2021-2026 by contributing to the development and implementation of SLaMs Tobacco Dependence Community Care Pathway.
• To support the above, the post-holder will maintain a comprehensive data set to capture service activity, this will include referral attendance and outcome records to enable service evaluation and development.
• Act as a resource for staff in relation to stop smoking issues, and support or signpost to overcome issues.
• Effectively manage and prioritise daily tasks, ensuring timely completion of projects by organizing workload, setting realistic deadlines, and adjusting as necessary to accommodate changing priorities of theirs and others (colleagues and service users) commitments.
• Supports and contributes to research and development work by carrying out research, making sure patients are aware of the Trusts Consent 4 Contact programme, and recruiting participants for studies linked to the smokefree programme.

Leadership and supervision

• Act as a role model and ambassador for the Trust Smokefree Programme. Keep informed of and share best practice with other health care professionals to keep the service at optimum performance and, attend regular in-house supervision and training sessions with the wider Smokefree Team.
• Support the professional development of colleagues and students and promote the uptake of SLaMs smoking cessation training pathway.

Personal and professional development

Keep informed of the latest evidence-based practices, guidelines, and emerging trends in tobacco dependence treatment, including advancements in behavioural therapies, pharmacological interventions, and public health strategies.

Regularly review research, attend relevant training or professional development opportunities, and engage with professional networks to enhance knowledge and skills. Apply these insights to improve treatment protocols, deliver effective interventions, and support individuals in achieving long-term tobacco cessation while maintaining a high standard of care.

Attend regular in-house supervision and training sessions individually, and together as required with the wider team and members of the smokefree programme.

Comply with the SLaM code of ethics, Professional Conduct, national and local procedures.

Respect the individuality, values, cultural and religious diversity of patients and staff and contribute to the provision of a service sensitive to those needs

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level or equivalent experience
• Specialist Tobacco Dependence Advisor - Level 2 (NCSCT) trained or equivalent
• Evidence of CPD, particularly in relation to Tobacco Dependence Treatment

Knowledge/Skills

• Excellent oral, written, and presentational communication skills
• Computer literate, including, Excel, Word and PowerPoint and ability to use databases
• Ability to manage own workload, prioritise work, delegate where appropriate and work well in a challenging environment
• Adaptable to different working situations, can work with people of all capabilities and attitudes
• Ability to present complex, sensitive information to a range of groups; including, staff and members of the public
• Ability to communicate potentially contentious information using developed communication skills, particularly in recognition of tobacco dependence treatment
• Knowledge of NHS & Local Authority Stop Smoking Services

Experience

• Experience of successfully helping smokers to quit
• Experience of working with service users who smoke who have complex physical and/or mental health diagnoses, ideally in a community mental health setting
• Experience of working autonomously and lone-working activity

Knowldge and Skills

• Ability to use evidence to inform service delivery and development
• Effective interpersonal, motivational, and influencing skills
• Ability to understand and interpret national public health policies and apply them at a local level
• Knowledge of health improvement (smoking cessation) theory, practice, and evidence base
• Knowledge of relevant policies and NICE guidelines related to tobacco dependence
• Knowledge of mental health disorders and their treatment
• Knowledge of brief interventions in substance abuse/alcohol

Experience

• Experience of multi-professional and cross sector partnership working

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.

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

£35,964 to £43,780 a yearper annum inclusive of HCAS