Specialist Practitioner Occupational Health (XR06)

Leeds Teaching Hospitals; Leeds; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS trust in the United Kingdom is seeking a motivated Occupational Health Advisor to join their dynamic Occupational Health Team. This role includes supporting a diverse workforce, providing clear advice on fitness for work, and managing health cases. The ideal candidate will have strong clinical skills, a relevant nursing qualification, and experience in health service management. This position offers the chance to contribute significantly to workplace health and wellbeing in an acute hospital setting.

Qualifications

• Experience in day-to-day management of patient services.
• Experience in writing reports and policies.
• Experience supporting staff health and safety.

Responsibilities

• Provide high quality Occupational Health clinical services.
• Support and advise staff health and wellbeing.
• Manage body fluid exposure incidents effectively.

Skills

Teaching, supervising and assessment skills

Organisation skills

Team player

Problem solving

Uses initiative to resolve issues

Education

Registered Adult Nurse

Degree level education

Specialist community public health nursing qualification

Recognised teaching/assessing qualification

Job description

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a motivated and experienced Occupational Health Advisor (Band 6) to join our dynamic Occupational Health Team at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

The post holder will play a key role in supporting the delivery of a high-quality, evidence-based occupational health service to a large and diverse NHS workforce within an acute hospital setting.

You will work as part of a multidisciplinary team that includes Occupational Health Nurses, Physicians, Advisors, Technicians, and Administrative staff to promote the health, safety, and wellbeing of staff, helping the Trust maintain a safe, healthy, and productive workforce.

Main duties of the job

Clinical Practice

Undertake management referrals, providing clear, balanced, and evidence-based advice on fitness for work, workplace adjustments, and rehabilitation.

Carry out pre-placement and pre-employment health assessments, ensuring compliance with NHS Employers standards and immunisation requirements.

Support the management of sickness absence cases, liaising with HR, line managers, and employees to facilitate early and sustainable return to work.

Administer and record vaccinations in accordance with national immunisation schedules, including Hepatitis B, MMR, Varicella, TB, and seasonal influenza.

Provide advice on infection prevention and control, including post-exposure management (e.g., needlestick or blood/body fluid exposures).

Professional and Advisory Role

Act as a source of specialist advice on occupational health matters, supporting line managers and HR in implementing Trust policy and legislative requirements (Equality Act 2010, Health & Safety at Work Act).

Contribute to policy development, audit, and quality improvement within the OH service.

Maintain accurate and confidential clinical records using the G2 Occupational Health system in accordance with GDPR and NMC standards.

Provide mentorship, supervision, and support to junior OH nurses, technicians, and students.

Contribute to multidisciplinary case discussions, peer review, and continuing professional development activities.

About us

Our values are part of what make us different from other trusts, so we see this as a strength, as well as a responsibility. They have been developed by our staff and set out what they see as important to how we work. Our five values are:

Accountable

Empowered

All our actions and endeavours will be guided and evaluated through these values.

The Occupational Health Team currently comprises of One Consultant, an Occupational Therapist, a sessional Psychiatrist and a team of nurses together with a supportive administrative team. There is a robust health and wellbeing offer for staff including an EAP and physiotherapy service. Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has a strong commitment to the Health and Wellbeing of our employees and as a member in a supportive team, you will be at the centre of improving the lives of our staff.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals is committed to our process of redeploying 'at risk' members of our existing workforce to new roles. As such, all our job adverts are subject to this policy and we reserve the right to close, delay or remove adverts while this process is completed. If you do experience a delay in the shortlisting stage of the recruitment cycle, please bear with us while this process is completed, and contact the named contact if you have any questions.

Job responsibilities

To provide high quality Occupational Health clinical services to the staff of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and to external clients and organisations. To support and advise on all aspects of staff health and wellbeing from pre-employment throughout the employee journey. To assess and advise on staff fitness for work, to promote their health and to ensure their health and safety.

To undertake clinical procedures with dexterity and accuracy as required (for example health surveillance procedures, vaccine administration, phlebotomy).

To administer immunisations in accordance with Occupational Health Written Instructions and national guidelines.

To manage body fluid exposure incidents (for example from needle-stick injuries).

To provide screening and treatment for staff exposed to infection, in accordance with Infection Control guidelines, and on advice and instructions of Occupational Health Physicians.

To provide skin assessment consultations advising on investigations and treatment, referring to specialists or Occupational Health Physicians as appropriate.

Responsibilities for client care

To assess, plan, implement and evaluate specialist clinical Occupational Health nursing care. To provide compassionate care that is sensitive to the individual client and their situation.

Working to Key Performance Indicators to ensure a timely service is provided to staff and managers, including to external clients.

To be a point of contact for HR colleagues and managers seeking advice from Occupational Health.

To assess fitness for pre-employment clearance, to produce written reports where needed to advise on adjustments.

To support absence management, to assess fitness for work and to advise on safe return to work including adjustments, rehabilitation and phased return to work programmes, encompassing legislation, including Health and Safety and Equality Act legislation.

To undertake face-to-face, telephone and video consultations during periods of absence and to prepare for return to work, advising on temporary or long-term adjustments.

To produce clear and concise written reports.

To support staff with long-term health issues, advising on their safety, health and wellbeing in the workplace.

Person Specification

Experience

• Experience of day to day management of patient services and of managing or contributing to service development.
• Leadership including line management of staff.
• Experiencing of managing health and safety in the workplace.
• Experience of report writing.
• Experience of supporting staff health and wellbeing, and health and safety in the workplace.
• Experience of or contribution to writing policies, and participating in clinical audit.

Skills & behaviours

• Teaching, supervising and assessment skills.
• Organisation skills.
• Team player.
• Problem solving.
• Uses initiative to resolve issues within their own control.

Qualifications

• Registered Adult Nurse.
• Degree level education (or demonstrable evidence of working to that level).
• Evidence of continued professional development.
• Specialist community public health nursing part of the register (level 3 NMC register) or Occupational health qualification.
• Recognised teaching/assessing qualification or demonstrable evidence.

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.