Health Promotion Officer

SOUTHERN METROPOLITAN REGION

PALLIATIVE CARE CONSORTIUM

The Southern Metropolitan Region Palliative Care Consortium includes palliative care providers from Bayside Health, Southern Health, Peninsula Health, Calvary Health Care Bethlehem, South East Palliative Care, Peninsula Hospice Service, Royal District Nursing Service, and the Divisions of General Practice (SMR).

An exciting opportunity exists in the Southern Metropolitan Region to coordinate a health promotion project in the area of palliative care.

The successful applicant will have

  • Relevant tertiary qualifications
  • Extensive experience in health promotion / community development
  • Excellent communication skills
  • Knowledge of the palliative care sector would be an advantage

This is a part-time (22.8 hours per week, neg.) contract position until end of June 2009. Remuneration will be negotiated with access to attractive salary packaging arrangements. Victorian Drivers License and access to personal car essential.

For further information and a position description, contact Tanja Bahro, Consortium Manager on 0406 998231.

Email your applications to or post to:

Tanja Bahro, Consortium Manager

SMR Palliative Care Consortium

Locked Bag 2500, Cranbourne 3977

POSITION DESCRIPTION

POSITION TITLE Health Promoting Palliative Care Coordinator

(HPPC Coordinator), Southern Metropolitan Palliative Care Consortium (SMRPCC)

LOCATIONSouth East Palliative Care, Cranbourne

REPORTS TODirect: Consortium Manager, SMRPCC

Indirect: La TrobeUniversity Palliative Care Unit via Project Manager at PCV

DATEOctober 2008

MAIN PURPOSE OF POSITION

Utilising a community development framework implement the ‘Strengthening Palliative Care in Victoria Through Health Promotion Project’ within the Southern MetropolitanPalliative Care Region.

This La Trobe University Palliative Care Unit project partners with Palliative Care Victoria and aims to;

  1. Strengthen the capacity of Victorian palliative care service planners, staff and volunteers to adopt a Health Promoting Palliative Care (HPPC) philosophy by providing education and training in HPPC approaches
  2. Embed HPPC into Victorian palliative care services strategic planning and operational planning, organisational policy and practice
  3. Increase public awareness of, and participation in, palliative care provision by promoting palliative care service partnerships with other primary care agencies, community service organisations and groups.

This supports the Victorian palliative care policy framework articulated in the Department of Human Services’ document – Strengthening Palliative Care: apolicy for health and community care providers 2004-2009.

KEY POSITION FUNCTIONS

  • Work with the SMRPCC to implement a planned partnership approach to health promoting palliative care which includes community development initiatives, health and death education, and partnerships with other palliative care services, primary health care providers and community organisations
  • Develop and coordinate a Health Promoting Palliative Care Resource Team (HPPCRT) to;
  • Build the capacity of palliative care staff and volunteers to support clients and family members within a health promoting approach
  • Develop strong links with other relevant agencies participating in health promotion activities
  • Work with local community organisations and groups to raise awareness of and elicit interest in HPPC
  • Support and mentor local HPPC initiatives
  • Allocate seed funding for the use of local HPPC partnership projects
  • Allocate support to local HPPC community projects and ensure that each is evaluated properly
  • Ensure at least 2 mini partnership projects are completed by December 2008
  • Participate in policy development and implementation of health promotion guidelines that support best practice standards in palliative care
  • With the support of Latrobe University Palliative Care Unit ensure the delivery of best practice palliative care health promotion education for primary health care providers, specialist teams and the community
  • Report regularly to the consortium and to the Project Advisory Committee, via the HPPC Project Manager, on HPPC activities in the region

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

Internal:

Direct Report (as above)

Members of the SMRPCC

Specialist Palliative Care Services in Southern Region.

External:

Other participating consortium HPPC Coordinators

LatrobeUniversity Palliative Care Unit (Acting Director and Project Training Officer)

Palliative Care Victoria (Project Manager)

Members of the Project Advisory Committee via Project Manager

Stakeholder groups, such as regional PEPA participants, Integrated Cancer Services, Primary Care Partnerships, Commonwealth Carer Respite Centres, Divisions of General Practice, Community Groups and other relevant groups or individuals.

EXPERIENCE / SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS

Essential:

Tertiary qualification in health or social sciences

Excellent written and oral communication skills

Effective presentation skills

Effective change management skills

Ability to collect, analyse and present data

Computer proficiency in Microsoft Office suite

Strong administration and organisational skills

Desirable:

Post graduate qualification in Palliative Care or Community Development

Previous experience in project work

Attachement

HEALTH PROMOTING PALLIATIVE CARE

Put simply - ‘StrengtheningCommunity Capacity in End of Life Care’

Most people living with a terminal illness spend most of their time with families, friends and workmates OUTSIDE any formal health system or palliative care service.

Health promoting palliative care is about encouraging and supporting palliative care services to use their accumulated knowledge of death, dying and loss to work in partnerships with their communities to strengthen their understanding and ability to care. This will increase the provision of proactive and responsive people centred care.

It is time to remind the community of the place of death and dying as a part of life and support them to relearn the old ways, and develop new ways, of caring for one another.

For more information on the ‘Strengthening Palliative Care in Victoria through Health Promotion Project contact:

Sue Salau, Project Manager, , ph (03) 9662 9644

Bruce Rumbold, Project Sponsor, , ph (03) 9285 5259

Or go to

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