South Dublin County Partnership, in partnership with HSE Health & Wellbeing, delivers a suite of training courses and workshops in local communities to help people make healthy eating and lifestyle choices. A vacancy has arisen for a full-time Healthy Food Made Easy Programme Worker position in South Dublin County Partnership.
Position Summary
The Project Worker of the Healthy Food Made Easy Programme will organise and oversee the delivery of a suite of training courses and workshops, from the 6-week Healthy Food Made Easy course to Cool Dudes for children and the unique Weaning Workshop. The courses are delivered in community settings in the Tallaght, Clondalkin, Palmerstown, Lucan, Newcastle, Kildare & West Wicklow areas. The position requires to liaise with community dieticians and peer leaders and also deliver courses yourself as appropriate.
Job Description
The Food and Health Programme consists of a number of initiatives based on providing training courses around making healthy eating and lifestyle choices. The aims of the programme are:
1. To provide participants access to much needed information and training around their own and their families’ nutritional needs
2. To improve attitudes towards food and encourage healthy eating practices
3. To empower participants to make healthy, nutritious and economical food choices for themselves and their families
The “anchor” programme is the HSE-developed Healthy Food Made Easy course, in which members of the community are trained as peer leaders to deliver the 6-week course to groups in their local area. Healthy Food Made Easy (HFME) is a practical course which helps participants to plan meals, shop, cook and eat in a healthy way. Other programmes include Cool Dudes (for 9 – 13-year-old children), Healthy Hearts and Baby Food Made Easy (weaning workshops).
The Project Worker is responsible for coordination and delivery of the programme and, in conjunction with relevant partners, develop additional interventions where needs in relation to healthy eating and lifestyle are identified. The worker will also work with the Health House coordinator and the management of the Clondalkin Health House.
Key Roles and Responsibilities :
Manage the project at a local level
4. Publicise courses and target new groups, prepare flyers, posters and promote programme.
5. Identify appropriate community groups, “sell” the course and organise delivery.
6. Assign Peer Leaders for all courses / roster for weaning programme.
7. Coordinate with partners both internally and externally to ensure programmes are meeting target groups withing the communities.
Course delivery & development
8. Deliver weaning workshop’s.
9. Deliver Healthy Food Made Easy course where appropriate.
10. Identify additional needs in communities for nutrition and lifestyle interventions.
11. Delivery of programmes are to be a high quality standard.
Work with peer leaders
12. Coordinate training programmes being run with Peer Leaders.
13. Ensure Peer Leaders have correct and accurate information.
14. Have regular meetings with Peer Leaders.
15. Keep Peer Leaders supplied with workshop materials, course handbooks & necessary equipment packs.
16. Assist with the training of new Peer Leaders.
17. Advertise and recruit new Peer Leaders when required using SDCP Procurement Policies.
Reporting
18. Required reporting for senior manager, Slaintecare and HSE.
19. Record and analyze evaluations of courses.
20. Provide quarterly reports regarding courses, attendance, finance etc.
21. Liaise with the Community Dietitians & Dietitian Manager.
22. Liaise with Line Manager for annual funding application to Health Promotion Service.
Administration
23. Check peer leaders’ expenditure.
24. Arrange Peer Leaders payments for delivery of workshops and courses.
25. Invoice Host Groups and ensure payments are received.
26. Keep records of Project’s income and expenditure.
Collaborating
27. Participate in the Health & Wellbeing Team and attend meetings to share learning and identify joint initiatives.
28. Participate in Health Awareness activities such as Health awareness month and health promotion activities throughout the year.
29. Liaise with wider SDC Partnership staff team.
General
30. This is not an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities, and the successful candidate may be required to undertake other duties, in discussion with their line manager.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
ESSENTIAL
DESIRABLE
TRAINING & QUALIFICATIONS
31. Relevant third level qualification or significant relevant work experience.
32. Full & current driver’s license
33. Degree or Diploma in Community Development, Social Studies, Health promotion, Nutrition or Adult Education
34. Trained in the HFME Programme
EXPERIENCE
35. Experience delivering training / workshops to adults and children in community settings
36. Experience coordinating activities in a community setting
37. Experience of successfully helping people to make changes in their lives that affect their health and wellbeing
38. Experience of partnership working, inter-agency collaboration, negotiation and liaison with other organisations
39. Experience in working with (peer) leaders / tutors
KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS
40. Knowledge and understanding of issues and principles of delivering training in community settings (adult education, community development)
41. Knowledge and understanding of community development
42. Facilitation skills
43. Strong administration and reporting skills
44. Report writing skills
45. Knowledge of nutrition and health promotion / healthy lifestyles