Job summary
- Main area
- Community and Dental Services
- Grade
- Band 5
- Contract
- Permanent: part time
- Hours
- Part time - 22.5 hours per week (Occasional some evening and weekend work required. Travel throughout the county of Oxfordshire is essential.)
- Job ref
- 267-CH7467735
- Employer
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Trust Headquarters,
- Town
- Oxford
- Salary
- £31,049 - £37,796 Per annum | Pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 09/10/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Senior Health Improvement Practitioner
Band 5
Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust has been rated as Good by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
We are a responsive and innovative Foundation Trust that places our values of Caring, Safe and Excellent at the heart of everything we do. We take great pride in our staff and believe that investing in you is key to us achieving our vision of outstanding care delivered by outstanding people.
We work with a wide range of partner organisations to deliver care and support to people in their own homes and from a number of hospitals and community bases. We focus on delivering care as close to home as possible for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset.
We actively support anti-racism, equality, diversity, and inclusion so, if you’re excited about this job opportunity and you meet our Trust values, but feel unsure about applying, then please get in touch and we will be happy to have a conversation with you.
We are also committed to increasing diversity in the workforce, that is why we actively encourage applications from those groups of people who are currently under-represented, which include amongst others: people with disabilities; men from all socio-economic backgrounds; people from diverse ethnic backgrounds; and people from the LGBTQIA+ community.
Good luck and we hope to hear from you.
Job overview
Are you dedicated about community health and wellbeing? Do you enjoy working with people of all ages and backgrounds to create positive change? If so, this could be the role for you.
Oxfordshire Community Dental Service, part of Oxford Health, has been commissioned by Oxfordshire County Council to lead on oral health improvement across the county. Our dedicated Oral Health Improvement Team works beyond the dental chair—empowering communities with the knowledge, skills and confidence to improve their oral health and overall wellbeing.
As a Senior Health Improvement Practitioner, you’ll play a vital role in developing and delivering impactful oral health programmes, projects and training. You’ll work directly with children, families, vulnerable adults, and the professionals who support them—across schools, community groups, health and social care settings, and more.
We’re looking for someone who is:
- A strong communicator and facilitator
- Confident working independently and collaboratively
- Skilled in engaging diverse communities and stakeholders
- Experienced in health promotion or community engagement
- Happy to travel across Oxfordshire (evenings/weekends occasionally required)
Please note: This is not a clinical or dental role—we're looking for a community-focused health promoter with a passion for prevention and education.
If you're ready to lead meaningful work that reaches far beyond the clinic, we’d love to hear from you.
Main duties of the job
Key Responsibilities:
- The post holder is a member of the Oxfordshire Community Dental Service Team and may be required, at times, to support the wider Dental Service.
- To provide holistic Oral Health Improvement training, information, events and activities countywide.
- To deliver and support the completion of Oral Health surveys.
- To deliver the Accreditation program.
- To actively support the creation of Communities of Practice throughout the county
- To work both independently and within teams to deliver Oral Health Improvement.
- To be innovative and contribute to the development of Oral Health Improvement and Oral Health knowledge.
- To deliver Oral Health Improvement at both strategic and local level.
Working for our organisation
Oxford Health is a great place to work and to be able to showcase the best of yourself when making an application please read the “candidate guide to making an application” and ensure your supporting statement is tailored to the role you are applying for and addresses any essential criteria.
As a Trust we provide physical, mental health and social care for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and Northeast Somerset. Our services are delivered at community bases, hospitals, clinics and people’s homes, delivering care as close to home as possible. Our vision is that no matter who you are or where you are, you will tell us that you receive: “Outstanding care delivered by an outstanding team”
Our values are: “Caring, safe and excellent”
We offer a wide range of benefits designed to support your career and wellbeing. These include:
• Excellent opportunities for career progression
• Access to tailored individual and Trust wide learning and development
• 27 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days with continuous service
• NHS Discount across a wide range of shops, restaurants and retailers
• Competitive pension scheme
• Lease car scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Mental Health First Aiders
• Staff accommodation (please note waiting lists apply)
• Staff networking and support groups hosted by our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion team
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
We hope that the advert has given you a clear understanding of the skills we are seeking and the opportunity at hand. You will need to use the “supporting statement” element of your application form to demonstrate your suitability for this role and you should refer to the job description, person specification and the guidance notes attached to this role to help you tailor your application.
The essential and desirable criteria will be used to shortlist for interview and you should ensure that you refer to these within your application to increase your chances of being selected for interview.
We are aware that some candidates may choose to use AI tools to support their application. We kindly remind applicants that submissions should remain an honest and accurate representation of their experience and must take care to ensure the use of AI tools does not generate an application that does not accurately reflect their knowledge, skills and values.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Relevant degree or professional qualification
- Ongoing professional development
Desirable criteria
- Oral Health qualification
- Teaching qualification
- Health Improvement qualification
Knowledge and Skills
Essential criteria
- • Knowledge and understanding of health and Oral Health Improvement Promotion.
- • Knowledge and experience of supporting individuals with behaviour change
- • Understand some of the difficulties faced when working independently
- • Interpersonal skills; experience of face to face, telephone and online working
- • Knowledge of Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Desktop Publishing, Data Entry, Outlook and the Internet.
Desirable criteria
- • Experience of delivering health messages via social media platforms
Experience
Essential criteria
- • Experience of delivering health/oral health improvement programmes/initiatives
- • Experience of independent working
- • Experience and able to manage own workload
- • Experience of partnership working
- • Experience of team working and ability to demonstrate that you are a team player.
- • Experience of managing data bases and inputting data onto excel.
- • Experience of managing stock control
- • Experience of analysing health improvement materials
Desirable criteria
- • Experience of project management
- • Experience of working with vulnerable individuals
personal qualities
Essential criteria
- • Professional approach,
- • Excellent communication and organisational skills.
- . • Awareness of limitations.
- • Able to lift and carry heavy loads (over 15kg) to move health promotion materials
Contractual requirements
Essential criteria
- 1. Holder of UK driving licence or have a licence to be able to drive in the UK.
- 2. Car owner/access to a car for work purposes
- 3. Able to work some unsocial hours (evenings and weekends).
- 4. Flexible and adaptable to meet the needs of the service.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Elizabeth Sherry
- Job title
- Advanced Health Improvement Practitioner
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07900051619
- Additional information
Additional contact information:
Sarah Buckingham (Clinical Director): 07920 545702
Sophie Burton (Senior Health Improvement Practitioner: 07345439456
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