Community Health & Wellbeing Worker Ref: 47-25

Salary: Grade 9, starting £25,539 per annum 
Hours: Full-time, 37 hours per week
Basis: Permanent
Place of Work: Watton Medical Practice / Elizabeth House, Dereham

We have an exciting opportunity in an integrated role in partnership with Watton Medical Practice to help us identify and address rising inequalities in Watton. The team will sit within Breckland Council Communities service, working in Watton Medical Practice to ensure an integrated approach to providing holistic support.

We are seeking a resilient, positive, and adaptable, and who's willing to push themselves to make a real difference for local people.  This is a varied role where you'll need to learn on the go and be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment.

Community Health Worker Post is a full-time, 37 hour-a-week position. The role offers an agile and flexible working approach.

Main Duties of the Job

As part of the Community Health Worker team, you'll have lived experience and a strong understanding of community and health services in the Watton . You'll provide ongoing support to residents though delivering a diverse range of community-based activities including outreach assessments, community education, signposting, informal counselling, and advocacy.

You'll have emotional intelligence, and the ability to actively listen and empathise with people whilst providing person-centred support in a non-judgemental way.

Previous experience of supporting people, their families, and carers in a related role will be desirable, as will the ability to undertake administration tasks, data collection, and basic reporting using IT based platforms.

About you:

Collaborative

You actively look for ways to work with colleagues across different services, encourage their ideas and recognise their skills and talent. You consciously stay connected with your colleagues, recognising and celebrating their successes.

Ambitious

You challenge yourself to do things to the best of your ability by being open minded and taking ownership of your work. You are positive about the work you do, you work hard and are a proud ambassador for the Council.

Results-Driven

You understand our priorities and how you can make a difference. You are driven to achieve results, ensuring you provide the best possible service, wherever and whenever is best for the customer.

Empowered

You are energetic about challenging the status quo, you look for new ways to do things and embrace technology. You ask for support when you need it and take responsibility when things don't go well to learn for the future, without fear.

Supportive

You treat others how you would want to be treated. You are caring and understanding towards everyone. You prioritise your wellbeing so you can be at your best. You value your colleagues by treating them with kindness, dignity and respect.
 

Closing date: 9am, Monday 1st December

What's it like to work for us?

We are passionate about our people and pride ourselves on being a great place to work, we genuinely care and know that a happy workforce is a productive and motivated one! If you're still not sure, here are some stats from our 2024 staff survey to convince you..

• 94% said they feel trusted and empowered
• 90% of staff recommend Breckland as a great place to work
• 89% said they have had opportunities to learn and grow in the last 12 months
• 94% think Breckland provide positive action on health and wellbeing
• 91% said they felt supported by their manager

If you STILL need convincing, here's what some of our staff say...

• "Breckland is a fantastic employer, lots of opportunities and support"
• "Having only just started, it is a great place to work, everyone says hello, is smiley and chatty. I like the groups that are on, like carers shed and neurodiversity"
• "We are encouraged to take regular breaks and there are mental health first aiders and a wide range of good promotional aspects of healthy living and wellbeing."
• "In times of need the council offers excellent support."
• "BDC really does seem to care about the wellbeing and happiness of their staff."

At Breckland Council we have embraced the Government's agenda to modernise local government. Our approach is to lead change rather than follow it, and to add the best value we can to our communities. We achieve this by developing our employees to their full potential, providing them with the relevant knowledge, equipment, and authority to carry out their duties.

We are a dynamic and innovative organisation that is always testing and learning as we seek to continually improve. We have never stood still in response to the emergence of new opportunities, changing customer demands, and ongoing funding challenges. We have exciting plans for how to deliver the best possible services to our residents and businesses.

Breckland as a district is a special place nestled in the heart of rural Norfolk, spanning over 500 square miles of beautiful countryside and forest, with five Market Towns and over 140,000 residents. We care, we listen, and we support people and businesses within our district. We have big ideas and we are innovative in our approach, coming up with ways to meet the needs of the local communities that we serve. Through our actions, we want to make things better.

But we know that we can't do it alone. We are a collaborative organisation and we work together with others to make a greater impact. We are also an organisation where our employees can grow and develop and are empowered to achieve and succeed. We are proud of our area, and by driving investment and enabling opportunities, we can maximise its full potential. We want to inspire aspiration to live, work, visit, or do business here: we want our district to be one of choice.

We will support and enable growth and change in our thriving, welcoming places where people and businesses choose to be, knowing their ambitions can be not just fulfilled but exceeded. By listening to people, by understanding what they need and by working together, we can shape what we have to offer. By doing so, we can benefit those who are already here and those who choose to come to live, work, visit, or do business.

We offer excellent conditions of service, including:

• A local government pension scheme (14 per cent employer contribution).
• Attractive holiday package (25 days increasing after three years' continuous Local Authority service by one day per year up to the maximum of 28 days, plus bank holidays)
• Free car parking.
• Remote-enabled working arrangements.
• A newly refurbished office. See what it is like working here by watching this short film: 
  

Our commitment to talent development, on the job learning and upskilling, training and professional memberships, will keep your knowledge and skills up to date.

Job summary

Key responsibilities:

• To undertake proactive and holistic assessments of the health and social needs of individuals and families residing in Watton and close surrounding area.
• To provide information, advice and guidance in a range of formats to enable people to access appropriate services.
• To deliver personalised health promotion to families whilst providing health literacy support.
• To provide lifestyle advice such as in relation to stopping smoking, alcohol consumption, healthy diet and physical exercise.
• To provide up to date messaging on immunisation, vaccination testing and improve communication with the community about attending appointments.
• To provide basic health education around breastfeeding, immunisation and screening.
• To identify those eligible for childhood immunisations and adult health and cancer screening and encourage the uptake of missed appointments.
• To support chronic disease diagnosis and management through improved adherence to medication and early identification of signs and symptoms.
• To identify household determinants of ill health and health seeking behaviours and play an active role in resolving these through linkage to the health and social care system.
• Support households to navigate the health and care social system and access the appropriate services for their needs.
• Adopt health coaching and motivational approaches, including problem solving and goal setting.
• Keep digital records that reflect household and community need.
• Compliment GP records with the collected community outreach data.
• Contribute your work to the local GP and multidisciplinary team.
• Facilitate networks within communities to strengthen sources of informal support.
• To provide as appropriate, client advocacy for those experiencing difficulties due to language/cultural barriers and to engage with service providers and local authorities.
• Provide information packs to residents on a range of subjects.
• Liaise with a range of service providers to help them understand relevant issues that may need to be considered or impact on someone's ability to access a service.
• To act promptly to report all Safeguarding concerns in accordance with agreed procedures.
• Support referral agencies to provide appropriate information about the person they are referring. Provide appropriate feedback to referral agencies about the people they referred.
• Attend Breckland Collaboration Meetings, adding to cases and bringing cases with consent.
• Co-ordinate and plan community events.
• Engage with community groups and services, attending these when appropriate.
• Complete community neighbourhood rounds with other CHWW's communicating and co-ordinating these effectively.
• Undertake any tasks consistent with the level of the post and the scope of the role, ensuring that work is delivered in a timely and effective manner.
• Undertake home visits to housebound patients, conduct Blood pressure readings and pick up vital information to feedback to the Medical Practice
• Liaise with a range of stakeholders to enhance the Community Health & Wellbeing Worker role and profile.
• Duties may vary from time to time, without changing the general character of the post or the level of responsibility.

On occasion there may be the need to work one day at the weekend, at Flu clinics or community coffee mornings
 

This job description is not exhaustive.

The job description outlines the current position and will be subject to review in the light of development within the service, in consultation with the post holder as detailed in your Contract of Employment.

Experience and Knowledge

Essential

Skills & Experience

• Evidence of collaborating and relationship building, with either professionals, residents or organisations to reach a common goal.
• Experience of supporting people, families and carers in a related or similar role (including unpaid work)
• Ability to actively listen, empathise with people and provide person centred support in a non -judgemental way. To gain outcomes giving the resident choice.
• Administration and/or scheduling experience.
• Able to support people in a way that inspires trust and confidence.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with people, their families, carers, community groups, partner agencies and stakeholders.
• Ability to identify risk and assess/manage risk when working with individuals.
• Can demonstrate personal accountability, emotional resilience, and ability to work well under pressure.
• Good problem solving with creative thinking and  self-awareness.
• Strong awareness and understanding of when it is appropriate or necessary to refer people back to health professional/agencies when the persons needs are beyond the scope of the role.

Knowledge & Understanding

• Basic understand how the health and care system is constructed and the importance of integration to change outcomes for residents in Breckland.
• In depth knowledge of the community and local services/organisations
• Understanding of basic reporting.
• Knowledge of local community agencies, services, resources, demographics and culture.
• Knowledge of, and ability to work to, policies and procedures, including confidentiality, safeguarding, lone working, GPDR, and information governance, and health and safety.

Desirable

• Evidence of planning community outreach sessions.
• Basic Knowledge of project management.
• Understanding of child development
• Knowledge of the NHS and broader services
• Knowledge of basic health promotion and protection.
• Community experience providing advocacy and support which has included public contact.

Qualifications

Essential

• Demonstrable commitment to professional and personal development
• Basic computer skills and basic data entry, including documentation of visits
• Full UK Driving Licence.

Desirable

• Community Health and Wellbeing Workers Level 3 Apprenticeship and/or completion of relevant qualification which has included public contact through internship, volunteer experience or other experience.
• To live in the local area near Watton.
• Have some knowledge of other cultures and speak other languages.

Essential Behaviours

Collaborative:

I look for ways to work in partnership with colleagues across services, Members and external partners #oneteam

I listen supportively to the ideas of others, building on their ideas, while sharing my views and knowledge

Ambitious:

I always ask myself 'How could we do this better?

I am a proud ambassador for the Council, taking pride and responsibility for the work we do and encouraging others to do the same

Results Driven:

I make sure I am clear on what I need to achieve, keeping a focus on results and solutions

I am flexible ensuring I provide the best possible service, wherever and whenever is best for the customer

Empowering:

I embrace new technology and look for new ways for our services to become digital not forgetting to be accessible for all

I take responsibility if things don't go well and learn from it for my own and for the organisation's development

Supportive:

I treat others as I would want to be treated myself ensuring I am welcoming, friendly and approachable

I treat everyone with kindness, dignity and respect, valuing their thoughts, background and experience

Health and Safety (exposure to risk)

Frequent use of VDU Screens, and clinical systems.

Moderate exposure to individuals in residents' homes, with unexpected or unpredictable situations, these might be smell, noise, situations that are distressing.

Moderate exposure to weather conditions

In frequent lone working.

Breckland Council's Terms and Conditions are in accordance with the National Joint Council for Local Government Services Administrative, Professional, Technical & Clerical Services (APT&C). These are collective agreements negotiated between the council and APT&C. The exception are those conditions affecting salary, which are subject to a locally negotiated salary structure.

Other Terms and Conditions may be implemented following collective agreements negotiated with the Trade Union recognised by Breckland Council for collective local bargaining purposes. The Principal conditions are set out below:

If you would like an informal chat regarding this role, please email Sarah Illsley, Health & Wellbeing Team Leader

Closing date - 09:00, Monday 1 December 2025

Equal Opportunities

We are committed to being an Equal Opportunities employer, recognising the benefits of sustaining a workforce that reflects the diversity of the community we serve. We welcome applications from anyone who feels they meet the requirements of our vacancies. These are listed as essential requirements on the person specification.

DBS Requirement

Please be aware that if you are selected for this role there will be a requirement to undertake a DBS check as part of pre-employment checks.

Apply online