About the role
Stopping smoking is one of the most important changes a person can make for their health, but it's rarely something people achieve alone. That's where this role comes in.
As a Stop Smoking Advisor, you'll help local residents take a step they may have been thinking about for years. You'll provide the support, encouragement and practical guidance that helps people turn good intentions into lasting change. Whether someone is making their first attempt to quit or trying again after previous setbacks, you'll be there to help them stay focused, build confidence and keep moving forward.
This is a 14 month maternity cover opportunity to join a small, supportive team that plays an important role in improving the health and wellbeing of communities across West Northamptonshire.
This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore subject to an enhanced DBS certificate. It is also a regulated activity and will be subject to a Children and Adults Barred List check. West Northamptonshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
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What will you be doing?
Much of your time will be spent talking with residents who have decided they want to stop smoking. From the first conversation through to their smoke-free milestone, you'll be there to offer guidance, encouragement and practical support that helps them stay on track.
Using behavioural support techniques and motivational interviewing, you'll help people build confidence, stay focused on their goals and work through the challenges that can come with making a lasting change. Some people will know exactly where they want to start, while others may need help finding an approach that works for them.
You'll deliver support through a mix of telephone and face-to-face clinics, building relationships with the people you're supporting and providing regular encouragement throughout their journey. Along the way, you'll keep records up to date, manage appointments and make sure people can access the support they need when they need it.
The role also involves getting out into local communities, undertaking outreach work and helping to raise awareness of the support available. Whether you're attending a community event, speaking with local organisations or engaging with healthcare and community partners, you'll play an important role in promoting the service and encouraging more people to access it.
Whether you're helping someone prepare for their quit date, checking in after a difficult week or celebrating a milestone they've worked hard to reach, you'll play an important part in helping local residents improve their health and wellbeing.
Why join us
There aren't many roles where you get to see someone's confidence grow from week to week. In this role, you'll support people through a significant change in their lives and share in their successes as they reach milestones they may not have thought possible.
You'll join a friendly and experienced team who support one another, share knowledge and genuinely care about the people they work with. The role offers plenty of variety, opportunities to work within local communities and the chance to develop skills and experience that could open doors to a future career in public health, wellbeing or health improvement.
Alongside a rewarding career, you'll benefit from:
• Flexible, hybrid and family friendly working arrangements that help you balance work and home life
• Generous annual leave entitlement, with the option to buy additional leave
• Enhanced maternity, adoption and family leave provisions
• Access to our car lease scheme, making it easier to find a vehicle that suits your lifestyle
• A competitive Local Government Pension Scheme to help you plan for the future
• A wide range of employee benefits, discounts and savings on everyday spending
• Learning, development and career progression opportunities to support your growth
• Health and wellbeing support, including resources to help you look after your physical and mental wellbeing
About you
This role would suit someone who enjoys talking to people and takes genuine satisfaction from helping them achieve something they've set their mind to.
You might already work in health, wellbeing, social care, community support or a customer-facing role where you've spent time helping people work through challenges, make decisions or achieve personal goals.
The people using the service will all have different reasons for wanting to stop smoking. Some will be ready to get started straight away, while others may need reassurance, encouragement or practical support along the way. The people who do well in this role are those who can put others at ease, adapt their approach to different situations and build trust quickly.
You'll also be comfortable using IT systems as part of your day-to-day work. Managing appointments, keeping client records up to date and navigating different systems will all form part of the role, so confidence using technology and learning new systems is important.
You don't need to have worked in a stop smoking service before, but you'll have experience of working with people and supporting them in some way. Whether that comes from health, social care, wellbeing, community work or another similar environment, you'll understand how to build rapport, offer encouragement and help people work towards their goals. We'll provide the training and support needed to help you develop the specialist knowledge required for the role.
Our benefits
You can also see our full list of employee benefits on our careers site here: Why you should work for us | West Northamptonshire Council
About us
At West Northants Council, it’s about our people. People who thrive with ambition, bubble with new ideas, demand better ways of working, caring about every detail, and who never shy away from a challenge. Our culture is a gateway for new experiences. A place to forge new opportunities. To empower you in your career and unite you with like-minded people.
Our vision is ‘to make West Northants a great place to live, work, visit and thrive’. We truly stand by this and work hard every day to make this a reality. Our corporate values, THRIVE, stand for: Trust, High Performance, Respect, Innovate and Empower, they underpin everything we do and how we deliver services. Hear from our Chief Executive, Martin Henry, about building a career at WNC.
We are committed to ensuring diversity, equality, equity, and inclusion is woven into the fabric of WNC and everything we do, to enable all colleagues to develop and maximize their full potential. We are a disability confident employer, a member of the Armed Forces Covenant, and a Care Leaver Covenant partner
The following film was created by us to communicate our intentions - watch WNC colleagues explain what DEI means to us.
If you need additional support or reasonable adjustments during the application process, including needing the job description in another format or language, please email careers@westnorthants.gov.uk for support.
Please note we reserve the right to close the advert early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications, so we recommend applying as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
West Northants Council, where careers thrive.
Attached documents
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