Position Title: WOMENS HEALTH PROGRAM SUPPORT WORKER

Location: WOMEN'S HEALTH CENTRE, GLADSTONE

Purpose of Position:

 To raise the awareness of women, 15 years of age and over, with regard to all issues affecting their health and well being through provision of information, education, counselling and support, in a non-judgemental and confidential environment.

 To provide holistic health information and community education through facilitated discussions, workshops and health promotion activities.

 To facilitate easy access to health professionals.

 To increase the participation of women in the making of decisions which affect their health and the provision of health services. Encouraging and supporting them to take responsibility their own health.

Skills and competencies required
Value Competencies:

 Relationships: be able to build a healthy and safe rapport with clients and other staff members
 Advocacy: be able advocate for the rights and needs of clients to ensure the best possible outcomes.
 Empowerment: to assist clients to be empowered within their relationships with the Service.
 Accountability: be accountable to the clients and to the service
 Quality: provide a high quality service
 Be able to develop, implement and manage projects from conception to post evaluation.

Role Competencies:
 Work/knowledge: to be able to provide counselling services appropriate to the clients of Women’s Health Centre.
 Quality of work: to provide high quality counselling and support to women accessing the service and quality projects. To write case notes in a timely manner, which conform to the centre policies.
 Interpersonal Skills/Communication skills: demonstrate high levels of interpersonal and communication skills.
 Presentation skills: demonstrate ability to present appropriate and relevant information in a professional group setting/community setting.
 Team work: to be able to work effectively in a team.
 Problem solving: be able to problem solve in relation to the individual client, client context and the service context.
 Counselling skills: ability to articulate personal therapeutic frameworks used within counselling.
Accountable to:
The Management Committee through the Centre Manager

Salary and Conditions:
37.5 hours per week In accordance with SACS Award Community Service Worker Level 5 (CSW 5)

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Individual Support Work 70%
 Provide generalist face to face and telephone counselling services to women over the age of 15.
 Provide information and education on a one to one basis on health issues affecting individual women and make appropriate referrals when necessary.
 Support and advocate on behalf of women.
 Coordinate access to other screening services available locally eg. Breast Screening, Pap Smear, Counselling
 Encourage women to have more awareness of their bodies and to ask about services available to assist them.
 Maintain at all times the confidentiality of privileged information and be aware of the client’s rights.
 Assist the women’s health manager in formulating initiatives to actively reach clients who are not currently using existing services
 Participate with other staff to answer telephone calls, welcome women to the centre and to respond to their needs.
 Comply with centres policy regarding client case note recording and storage.

2. Health Promotion / Community Education/ Community Development 30%
 Engage women in formal and informal processes of consultation through which women’s health issues in the Gladstone Region are identified.
 Initiate programs in response to identified needs
 Develop and maintain accurate and up to date documentation of Women’s Health Centre programs.
 Initiate health promotion activities in the community.
 Provide workshops, informal talks and programs
 Discuss general health issues with the Gladstone Community when asked.
 Prepare, conduct and evaluate programs and processes.
 Liaise with other welfare/health workers and women to determine health issues, which need to be addressed.
 Participate in relevant/appropriate working groups and networks to represent the Centre and to promote women’s health issues.
 Research and respond to women’s health issues with a special focus on issues that impact upon women in the Gladstone Region.
 Encourage and assist formation of related support groups as identified and where appropriate within the Gladstone Region.
 Contribute to the development of Centre policies, protocols and procedures as required.
 Assist with research and preparation of funding submissions.
 Assess and update Centre information and resources including the lending and reference libraries.
3. Outreach Support
 Provide outreach support to the 4680 region.
 Research and respond to identified needs of rural and isolated women.
4. Training and Professional Development
 Participate in regular internal and external supervision.
 Attend workshops, conferences and training on areas of relevance to the position, as may be negotiated with the staff and management group.
5. Accountability
 Participate in weekly staff meetings and report on work undertaken.
 Participate in weekly supervision with centre manager.
 Provide a written report to Management Committee, in accordance with centre policy each month to the management committee.
 Attend meetings on a rotational basis with other staff.
 Prepare reports to the funding body as required.
 Participate in Staff Development
 Participate in the Performance appraisal process biannually.
 Collect and document relevant data for statistical purposes.
 To be committed to quality improvement of the workplace.
 Perform other duties as may be negotiated from time to time by the Management Committee.
6. Administration – Duties of all workers
 Undertake word processing, filing, replying to correspondence, photocopying and to be personally responsible for management of own work and time, being as self-sufficient with administrative duties as is possible.
 Assist in maintaining the high standard of cleanliness within the centre.
 Assist in maintaining a tidy and aesthetic environment.