Occupational Health Adviser
Service: Personnel Services
Grade scale: Grade 3 level 8
Reports to: Personnel Adviser
Purpose of the job
Manage and deliver occupational health services across the council, ensuring compliance with health and safety legislation and promoting employee well-being. The role involves health surveillance, pre-employment screening, health checks, addiction referral management, and providing specialist advice on occupational health and safety.
Key tasks and responsibilities
Health surveillance programme - organise and deliver health surveillance for employees exposed to workplace risks, for example: noise, vibration, dust. Conduct audiometric testing, HAVS assessments, lung function screening, and eyesight tests. Maintain accurate records and report findings to managers and Health and Safety teams. Ensure all equipment is calibrated annually.
Pre-employment health screening - screen health questionnaires and conduct medical assessments for candidates in high-risk roles. Provide reports to recruitment teams and refer complex cases to the council’s external Occupational Health Provider.
Health check programme - schedule and deliver lifestyle health checks (blood pressure, cholesterol, BMI). Provide health promotion advice and liaise with GPs for abnormal findings.
Specialist occupational health advice - advise managers on health surveillance outcomes and workplace adaptations. Support employees with health issues and contribute to wellbeing initiatives, including attending and supporting wellbeing events for staff as directed.
Carry out annual drivers screening and liaise with GPs as required.
Carry out night workers screening.
Addiction referral process - manage referrals, assess needs, arrange support services, and monitor progress. Liaise with internal and external stakeholders to ensure effective case management and support.
Person specification
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Criteria |
Essential |
Desirable |
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Education, qualification and training |
Registered General Nurse with current NMC registration. |
Trained in Noise and Vibration Health Surveillance If not trained/certificated in Noise and Vibration Health Surveillance, you will be required to undertake a course of study to become competent within this area, which the Council will support Diploma in Occupational Health Practice (or equivalent) Experience in health promotion |
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Skills, knowledge and experience |
Strong clinical assessment and decision-making skills Ability to work autonomously and manage workload effectively Excellent communication and interpersonal skills for liaising with managers, employees, and external agencies Problem-solving and initiative in developing health programs and adapting processes |
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Personal qualities |
Responsible for medical equipment maintenance and calibration. Ordering and managing stock for health checks and surveillance. Ensuring confidentiality and compliance with data protection standards. Direct contribution to employee health, safety, and wellbeing. Supports council compliance with health and safety legislation. Influences recruitment processes and workplace adaptations To work in a flexible, adaptable manner and to always act with discretion and tact Ability to work under own initiative Reliable and dependable |
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Other |
Committed and self-motivated To demonstrate behaviours consistent with honesty and openness: treating people consistently, fairly and with respect |
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Safer recruitment checks
As part of our approach to good practice and safer recruitment we carry out a number of pre-employment checks:
- Asylum and Immigration right to work in the UK.
- Reference check: external candidates require 2 references, one of which must be from present or most recent employer; Internal candidates require 1 reference from current line manager.
- Candidate Disclosure Scotland check, where applicable.
Behaviour framework
The council’s behaviour framework is a set of core behaviours that defines how employees approach work to enable the delivery of key tasks for the role. The expected behaviours for this role are:
Efficient
- Use initiative and drive to improve and develop systems and processes to increase efficiency achieving better outcomes in service delivery.
- Suggests ways to improve how others organise their own work.
- As a manager or professional/expert you actively seek solutions to deliver improvements and involves others in the development of solutions and improvements.
- Agrees SMART objectives for both team and individual employees reviewing progress to achieve successful outcomes.
- Manage budgets with no overspends and applying the council’s financial policies and procedures.
- Ensures sustainability and environmental awareness practices are being implemented and that they inform the development of new projects/initiatives.
Flexible
- Anticipates and responds flexibly to changing priorities and modifies practice to meet changing environment.
- Identifies and implements new ways of working.
- Supports individuals and team at times of both organisational and personal change making appropriate adjustments to accommodate individual needs where required.
- Expresses a positive approach to change and promotes the benefits of change to team and colleagues.
- Actively listens to customer feedback and takes action to improve customer experience.
Performing
- Use professional expertise and knowledge to ensure the council is leading best practice to improve outcomes.
- Ensure that the council is meeting it’s legislative and statutory requirements by keeping abreast of new initiatives and legislation.
- Evaluates and reviews the impact of service improvements from the customers perspective.
- Identifies trends and creates solutions.
- Ensuring that health and safety practices, policies and procedures are applied keeping employees and customers safe and minimising workplace accidents and injuries.
- Implements the council’s maximising attendance policy and procedure ensuring action is taken and recorded on people connect.
- Considers risk in the context of service development and delivery.
Working with others
- Promotes a positive team environment with good morale.
- Works with other teams and colleagues internally and externally, developing relationships and sharing knowledge, ideas and expertise to achieve outcomes.
- Provide objective and constructive advice and support if tensions arise.
- Shares knowledge with internal and external colleagues to achieve common objectives.
- Giving praise and recognition for good work.
- Use professional identity and expert knowledge to work across disciplines breaking down professional barriers to improve outcomes for individuals and communities.
- Encourages colleagues to consider different perspectives in their work.
- Adapts communication to encourage desired behaviour.
Leading
- Understands what needs to be achieved and ensures that this is communicated to team members.
- Expresses positive expectations of others to support their development.
- Recognise individual and team achievements thanking and praising others.
- Maintain a positive approach and motivate team when things go wrong, or demands are high.
- You identify talent and provide opportunities for those individuals who wish to progress or learn new skills.
- Takes responsibility for personal and team development needs taking account of learning styles and available learning/training methods of delivery.
- Uses professional judgement/expert knowledge to make informed decisions.