GR -Healthcare Support Worker - Harm Reduction Team

Spittal Street Centre - Harm Reduction Team

A exciting opportunity is available to join the Harm Reduction Team based in Spittal Street Centre. We have a 1 year fixed term position available for a Clinical Support Worker to join the team. This is a full time post however part time requests will be considered and can be discussed during the interview.

Please note job share is an option.

The Harm Reduction Team continues to work in a variety of settings across Lothian, this includes:-

Drug Liaison Nurses ( DLNs)

NEON

Low Medication Programme ( LTMP )

Near Fatal Overdose Assertive Outreach (NFO)

Wound Care

NEON has a presence across Lothian and works in partnership with colleagues in West, Mid and East as well as the city centre.  The work remains focused on harm reduction, providing needles and syringes as well as the dispensing of Naloxone kits and DBST testing. Most of the work is centred on assertive outreach and the provision of a home visit service or hostel in reach.  We have continued to promote the injecting assessment tool with all our work and this has allowed us to understand the need of our clients and any trends that are prevalent amongst those using drugs, e.g. the increase of cocaine injecting and soft skin tissue infections.

The LTMP has a patient base of 60 whom are seen at the centre either daily or weekly and we continue to work with people who inject drugs in several body sites, people who may be in danger of overdose or at risk of contracting a blood borne virus (BBV). Patients have access to key work, groups, wound care and dental treatment as well as access to psychiatric assessment.

The staff team remain committed to addressing the needs of those in danger of NFO; ensuring people feel supported and have access to the range of services and staff skills on offer.

We continue to work positively with all our partners in the 3^rd sector, pharmacies or other professionals to ensure the best service for those we have a responsibility to train and support as well as ensuring good engagement for the patients and clients we come in contact with in the centre or on outreach.

For more information about the role, please read the flyer attached. For any questions you may have regarding the role, please contact :

James Shanley - james.shanley@nhs.scot

**Please note we anticipate a high level of interest in this position and may close the vacancy early once a sufficient amount of applications are received. Therefore, please make sure you complete and submit your application at an early stage** 

If you are an internal NHS Lothian Band 3 candidate we will not proceed with shortlisting and interview and instead you will move to our internal transfer process.  To find out more about the internal transfer process please click on the link below:

Internal recruitment application process for nursing vacancies (scot.nhs.uk)

If you would like to arrange a careers conversation to discuss your career, career pathways and opportunities within NHS Lothian please clink on the link below:

Career Conversations (scot.nhs.uk)

A link to the NHS Lothian Nursing and Midwifery Strategic Plan can be found via the link below:

https://services.nhslothian.scot/nursingandmidwifery/strategic-plan-2023-2028/

Find out what our staff say about working in NHS Lothian at:

https://careers.nhslothian.scot/acute-specialist-nurses/who-we-are/