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Community Food & Nutrition Worker (Full Time)

We currently wish to recruit the positions of a Sláintecare Healthy Communities – Community Food and Nutrition Worker on a full-time basis.

The purpose of this role is to enhance community health and well-being by developing nutrition capacity, knowledge, and skills across our community. The person in this position will collaborate with various statutory and community organisations to create and execute evidence-based strategies to improve the food environment in communities, tackle food poverty, and diminish health disparities as part of Sláintecare Healthy Communities. However, it’s important to note that the post-holder will not provide clinical, therapeutic, nutritional interventions, or care.

The ideal candidate will have direct personal knowledge of the community and voluntary sector and/or have a positive track record of working collaboratively in community settings.  Please note this is not a clinical role and some evening work may be required.

Key Responsibilities:

• Leadership & Development
  • Support the delivery of workshops and programmes to a range of key targeted groups in the community, based on the national Healthy Eating Guidelines – Healthy Food for Life, Healthy Eating for one, Healthy Aging, Healthy Eating for Menopause, Healthy Eating for all, Community Kitchen,
  • Work with and support a range of statutory and community organisations to develop and implement evidence based effective responses to improving the food environment in communities, addressing food poverty and reducing health inequalities as part of Sláintecare Healthy Communities
• Communication
  • Work with local Sláintecare Healthy Communities committees
  • Work with local HSE Health Promotion Service
  • Work collaboratively with the Healthy Food Made Easy Coordinator as necessary
  • Work collaboratively with others to assist with communications, PR, and promotional activities, where appropriate
• Coordination
  • Co-ordinate the activation of agreed national campaigns that address healthy lifestyles and Healthy Food for Life guidelines in local communities
• Training Needs
  • Identify and respond to nutrition training needs and resource development arising from strategic national and local agendas and participate in agreed networks and collaborations
  • Undertake any other relevant tasks as may be assigned from time to time
• Monitoring & Feedback
  • Report to the Health & Wellbeing Coordinator
  • Meet with the HSE Senior Community Dietician who will support this role and discuss strategies for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the Programme and provide feedback on programme activities
  • Evaluation, monitoring and collection of data to demonstrate the level of participation and impact within communities and the effectiveness of nutrition interventions
• Finance & Admin
  • Undertake administrative duties, related to the post, as required
  • Complete NSP individual registration forms and forward required participant data to the HSE
• Additional Duties
  • The above job description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties involved and consequently, the post holder may be required to perform other duties as appropriate to the post which may be assigned to him/her from time to time and to contribute to the development of the post while in office.

The Person:

Essential Qualifications & Eligibility Criteria:

• A minimum of a Level 8 qualification in the area of nutrition and health (outlined below)
• Must be a member of, or eligible for membership of the Association for Nutrition (AfN) via the direct entry pathway

Candidates must demonstrate all of the following as relevant to the role:

• Significant work experience in a role that has involved health promotion and improvement
• Experience in the area of health behaviour change
• Experience of working collaboratively with multiple stakeholders
• Have the requisite knowledge and experience to carry out the duties of the post to meet the needs of all stakeholders

Knowledge & Skills:

• A working knowledge of key policies, strategies and plans including Sláintecare, Healthy Ireland, A Healthy Weight for Ireland-Obesity Policy and Action Plan, Healthy Food for Life
• An understanding of research, evidence and information management to inform practice, monitor progress, and improve services
• Commitment to Continuous Professional Development, including a willingness to undertake specific training/gain competence in new areas of practice
• Willingness to engage effectively in professional supervision
• Excellent MS Office skills including, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook

Planning, organising and delivering results:

• The ability to set high standards for quality of work and of Programme goals achievement
• Effective planning and organising skills including awareness of resource management and the importance of value for money
• Effective time management skills including the ability to effectively prioritise multiple tasks and to ensure the delivery of results
• Ability to take responsibility to initiate, develop and implement plans and programmes
• Ability to proactively identify areas for improvement and to develop practical solutions for their implementation
• Ability to embrace change and adapt local work practices accordingly
• Take responsibility for the achievement of delivery targets

Communications and Interpersonal Skills:

• Effective interpersonal skills: the ability to build and maintain effective working relationships
• The ability to present information clearly, concisely and confidently both verbally and in writing, tailored to the needs of the audience
• Excellent written communication skills including report writing, briefings and presentations
• The ability to facilitate and manage groups
• Excellent attention to detail
• Track record of building and maintaining key relationships

Team Player Skills:

• The ability to work independently as well as part of a team
• Effectively builds and maintains relationships. Understand and value individuals and their respective roles
• Actively communicates and consults with team members/relevant others as required
• React constructively to setbacks and is able to both give and receive feedback
• The ability to achieve results working collaboratively, constructively and in an inclusive manner with all key stakeholders
• Flexibility, adaptability and openness to working effectively in a changing environment

Salary: The salary is on a 7-point scale. The person appointed will commence on the first point of the scale €51,528.

Location: Northside Partnership, Kish House, Greendale Road, Kilbarrack, Dublin 5

Annual Leave: 22 days per annum (pro-rata)

Travel & Subsistence: Travel and subsistence will be paid at public sector rates

Probation: A probationary period of 6 months will apply

To apply please on the link below. Please select the appropriate position from the drop-down list, complete the form and upload a CV and Cover letter.

Closing date: 5:00 pm, Thursday 25th July 2024

Those successful at the shortlisting stage of this process will be called forward to interview please note interviews will take place on Thursday 1^st August 2024

Northside Partnership is an equal opportunities employer

Qualifications and eligibility criteria

The minimum eligibility criteria of a Level 8 qualification in the area nutrition and health.  For convenience included is a table of courses from Irish academic bodies deemed to meet this criteria: