Job summary
- Main area
- Tobacco Advisory
- Grade
- Band 5
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time
- Part time
- Job ref
- 371-TAPMHS826-B
- Employer
- Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Tobacco Advisory , Prospect Park Hospital
- Town
- Reading
- Salary
- £31,049 - £37,796 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 23/11/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Tobacco Dependence Advisor
Band 5
Job overview
Are you passionate about helping others make life-changing improvements to their health and wellbeing? We’re looking for a Tobacco Dependence Advisor to join our small, supportive team of three at Prospect Park Hospital in Reading.
Smoking remains the largest cause of preventable illness and early death in the UK, and people experiencing mental health challenges are among the most at risk. Since becoming a smoke-free trust in 2015, Berkshire Healthcare has been committed to supporting patients on their journey to better health — and you can be part of that.
You’ll play a vital role in helping patients to quit or reduce smoking during their hospital stay and continue their smokefree journey after discharge. You’ll work closely with patients, clinicians, and wider health teams to deliver personalised support, education, and follow-up care.
What You’ll Be Doing:
· Supporting inpatients through evidence-based interventions to stop or reduce smoking.
· Providing motivation, encouragement, and practical advice tailored to individual needs.
· Working collaboratively with healthcare professionals across the hospital.
· Contributing to reducing health inequalities and improving long-term patient outcomes.
This role offers a Monday–Friday working pattern (8am–4pm or 9am–5pm).
Applications for this role will be reviewed in the order they are received. The advert may close early if the right applicant is found.
Main duties of the job
-
Act as the Hospital Tobacco Dependence Advisor promoting the Trusts smoke free policy
-
This post holder will provide a high-quality tobacco dependence treatment service, ensuring all patients referred are screened and monitored using carbon monoxide testing.
-
The Tobacco Dependence Advisor will work autonomously within the Mental Health Inpatient service.
-
To coordinate the referrals received and carry out comprehensive assessments and devise individual treatment plans to either help patients stop, or to reduce harm from tobacco smoking
-
To provide risk assessment and support the MDT to mitigate the risk for patients who are on the caseload and ensure good communications of any risks with ward clinical teams
-
To be responsible for the liaison between inpatients services and specialist community Smoking cessation services to ensure seamless support for patients on discharge.
-
To take the lead in post discharge liaison with CMHTs and the physical health team if appropriate.
-
Follow up at 1 month to ascertain smoking status post discharge from hospital, providing face to face review if requested by the patient.
-
The post holder will help facilitate training on tobacco harm reduction and smoking cessation to staff and support any staff quit attempts ensuring they receive appropriate support.
Working for our organisation
Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated ‘outstanding’ by the CQC, we’re committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we’re committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.
Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:
- Caring for and about you is our top priority
- Committed to providing good quality, safe services
- Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions
Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:
- Flexible working options to support work-life balance
- 27 days’ annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
- Generous NHS pension scheme
- Excellent learning and career development opportunities
- ‘Cycle to Work’ and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
- Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
- Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
- Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
- Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
- Free parking across Trust sites
If you share our values and would like to come and work for us, please submit your application as soon as possible as we'll occasionally close roles early that have a high number of applications.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The “must haves” for this role:
-
Health Related Qualification or NVQ/QCF Level 5 in Health and Social Care/or Foundation degree or evidenced relevant equivalent experience.
-
Significant experience working with patients who have acute mental health needs
-
Previous experience of / or a specialist interest in reducing health inequalities and health related harm from Tobacco Dependence.
For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.
We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted. For further application tips – see the help with your application document attached once you click apply.
We’re committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.
Please note: We are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.
While we are a licensed sponsor, we must follow the criteria set by UK Visas and Immigration for sponsoring overseas nationals under the Skilled Worker route. After reviewing this position, we believe it does not meet the requirements for sponsorship.
For more information on Skilled Worker visa eligibility, please visit the GOV.UK website: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa
We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please don’t hesitate to call: Helen Phillips on 0792567278 or email: [email protected] who’ll be delighted to help.
Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.
Person specification
Education/Qualifications/Training
Essential criteria
- Health related qualification e.g. NVQ /QCF Level 5 in Health and Social Care or higher; or
- Nursing Associate Qualification or
- Foundation Degree Health and Social Science; or
- significant equivalent relevant experience in inpatient mental health setting together with relevant short courses and willingness to undertake required level 5 health care qualification
- Good general educational qualifications including English
- IT literate
Continuous Professional Development
Essential criteria
- Commitment to undertake further required training, professional development and self-improvement to support patient care and experience (Level of training required will be dependent on existing level of qualifications and competency)
Previous Experience
Essential criteria
- Previous experience in supporting others in developing skills
Desirable criteria
- Experience in health promotion
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Essential criteria
- Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing at all levels including with patients, carers and MDT members/Trust employees
- Ability to take on and complete delegated tasks
- To be able to demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills
- To be able to demonstrate skills in promoting patient engagement in individual and group interventions
Desirable criteria
- To be able to demonstrate understanding and knowledge of recovery focused interventions
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.
Application numbers
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Helen Phillips
- Job title
- Drug And Alcohol Lead
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07920 567278
List jobs with Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust in Nursing and Midwifery or all sectors