About The Organisation
Here at NHS Lanarkshire, we put the patient at the heart of everything we do. Each colleague within the organisation plays a key role in how we deliver our healthcare services. We proudly serve a population of 655,000 across rural and urban communities in both North and South Lanarkshire. NHS Lanarkshire is comprised of Acute Services, Corporate & Property & Support Services, and North and South Lanarkshire Health and Social Care Partnerships which provide integrated primary healthcare and social care services to local communities and surrounding areas.
The Role
The Childsmile programme is tasked with reducing inequalities in oral health and ensuring access to dental services for every child across Lanarkshire. Childsmile combines targeted and universal approaches to tackling children’s oral health improvement through the four programme components (Core, Practice, Nursery and School). The post focuses on Childsmile Core, the Nursery and School Toothbrushing Programme and is approximately 60% of time on this programme.
Childsmile Core is a Scotland-wide initiative to help improve the health of our children’s teeth, through the distribution of free dental packs and supervised toothbrushing programmes in all nurseries and in priority schools. The postholder will be involved in delivering the Childsmile Core programme in a variety of nurseries and primary schools across Lanarkshire.
Childsmile Nursery and Childsmile School provide clinical prevention programmes offering twice-yearly fluoride varnishing, through public dental services for children attending nurseries and primary schools. The postholder will spend about 20% of their time making fluoride varnish applications and 20% in care homes, providing oral health advice, toothbrushing advice and fluoride varnish applications to residents.
Contract Types
- Permanent
- Fixed‑term contract for 12 months. Where a post only has temporary funding and an existing member of NHS Lanarkshire staff wishes to apply, this will be treated as a secondment. The employee must already have written agreement from their line manager to be released on a secondment before applying for the post.
Key Responsibilities
- Regular liaison with nursery and teaching staff.
- Educate clients in toothbrushing skills.
- Orally communicate detailed information in a clear and concise manner as part of structured training activities, requiring persuasive, motivational, negotiating and tactful skills.
- Provide and monitor the supply of materials.
- Overcome barriers such as lack of understanding, attitudes to health, cognitive abilities and behavioural difficulties.
- Provide support, continuous monitoring and reinforcement of the programme.
Qualifications
- Qualified Dental Nurse with chairside dental nurse experience.
- Previous experience as a Dental Nurse or Oral Health Educator.
- Registered with the GDC.
- Knowledge of the impact of oral disease on general health, underpinned by continued professional development.
- Must hold a full UK/EU/EEA driving licence.
Benefits
- Annual leave – 35 days including public holidays.
- Generous NHS pension scheme.
- Annual incremental salary progression.
- Paid sick leave increasing with length of service.
- NHS discounts and more.
EEO Statement
NHS Lanarkshire is dedicated to building a diverse workforce where everyone can thrive, develop and succeed based on their skills, knowledge and talent – regardless of race, disability, gender, sexual orientation or care experience.
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