Date: 21 Jul 2026
Location: Taunton, GB, TA1 4DY
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Company: Somerset Council
Casual Health Improvement Practitioner
Closing date: 9 August 2026
Salary: £25,989 - £28,142 per annum – pro rata for part time hours.
Fixed-term contract until 31/03/2027.
Role summary
You’ll be supporting the development and delivery of a wide range of Public Health programmes, within a varied and exciting Public Health role.
Working in partnership with communities, you’ll be co-creating enabling environments for improved health and wellbeing. You’ll be helping to reduce health inequalities, with a particular focus on people most vulnerable and at risk. Programmes that you will be supporting will include public health training, community and workplace health checks, and smokefree behavioural support.
This is a casual post with specific shifts offered at delivery locations in Somerset. Example locations may be libraries, sports centres, shopping centres or community events, with an initial focus on the community blood pressure programme. You will be providing opportunistic blood pressure checks to people in a range of locations and providing follow-up healthier lifestyle advice. The working hours will be mostly weekend and evening opportunities with some weekdays.
We need people who are able to start immediately and able to travel across Somerset in a timely manner to delivery sites along with transport / carriage of equipment blood pressure testing kit and health promotion materials.
What you’ll do - key responsibilities
Promote the importance of living healthier lifestyles through evidence-based behaviour change techniques.
Increase population awareness and understanding of the impact of healthier lifestyle choices.
Motivate and empower communities, families and individuals to make and maintain positive, healthier lifestyle behaviour changes.
Support the co-development, delivery and evaluation of existing and new public health training programmes aligned to Somerset Public Health Priorities.
Work closely within and across Public Health Partnership Networking.
What we’re looking for – knowledge, experience & skills
Essential
Experience and knowledge of healthier lifestyle promotion using both population-based and client-based approaches across the life course.
Knowledge as to the impact of healthier lifestyle choices particularly in terms of healthier eating, physical activity, smoking cessation, and weight management.
Knowledge of the key dimensions of wellbeing and the inter-relationships with physical wellbeing (e.g. food choices and physical activity) and emotional wellbeing (e.g. resilience and stress management).
Basic understanding of epidemiology, disease processes and behaviour change.
Experience and knowledge of improving health and wellbeing whilst reducing health inequalities to individuals and groups.
Experience of developing health promotion resources.
Knowledge and experience of using the MS Office suite of programmes.
Experience of creating and maintaining concise records.
Experienced in working independently and creatively problem solving.
5 GCSE’s (or equivalent) Grade 4/C or higher – preferably including Maths and English.
Excellent interpersonal skills – influencing, negotiating and communication (written and verbal) whilst remaining sensitive and empathetic.
Enthusiastic and committed to improve community health and wellbeing, and to reduce health inequalities.
Ability to communicate and promote the benefits and impacts of healthier lifestyles to a wide range of people.
Confident to facilitate group sessions.
Ability to build and maintain good working relationships with groups and individuals across a range of backgrounds and in a range of settings.
Excellent verbal communication skills and the ability to speak to people from a range of different backgrounds.
Innovative, passionate, and encouraging in promoting healthier lifestyles for wellbeing using both population-based and person-centred approaches.
Empathetic, empowering, and sensitive to the lived realities of others when promoting behavioural changes for improved health and wellbeing.
Proactive with the ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team, contributing to shared goals.
Good organisational skills and ability to work to deadlines.
Ability to adapt to new working practices in response to organisational change and shifts in evidence base.
Professional telephone manner.
Strong administration skills.
Commitment to professional and organisational development.
Desirable
Experience or knowledge of developing community initiatives to promote healthier eating, physical activity, and weight management.
Knowledge of health promotion methods, adult learning principles, and behaviour change techniques.
Knowledge of community building and participatory approaches.
Knowledge of current trends and underlying principles in the need to reduce physical inactivity, stop smoking, and improve healthy eating.
Social media literacy and knowledge of social marketing techniques.
Experience and knowledge of delivering and evaluating practical cooking skills with a diverse range of communities and providers.
Knowledge of basic human nutrition.
Awareness of public health functions and the role of public health within local authorities.
Experience of facilitating group sessions with communities and/or multi-disciplinary providers (from diverse disciplines, backgrounds, and settings).
Experience in delivering health promotion programmes in school and workplace settings.
Experience or knowledge of monitoring and evaluation methods.
BTEC, A-Levels, HND, or Degree or equivalent professional qualification in a relevant field e.g. public health, health promotion, social care, or behaviour change.
Qualifications in: Motivational interviewing/coaching; Adult Education/Train-the-Trainer; Social Media Communication; Participatory Approaches
Registered public health practitioner
Qualified to undertake NHS Health Checks and Smokefree Behaviours – training will be provided if required.
Additional Information
This is a fixed-term position until 31/03/2027.
This is a casual post with specific shifts offered at delivery locations in Somerset. Example locations may be libraries, sports centres, shopping centres.
The working hours will be mostly weekend and evening opportunities with some weekdays.
25 days annual leave (pro rata)
Flexible working re: hours may be possible depending on delivery location requirements
Regretfully, we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role. We are only able to proceed with candidates who already have the right to work in the UK without the need for visa sponsorship
For an informal chat about the role, you can contact Orla Dunn
[email protected] or Andrea Osborne
[email protected]
A full job description will be provided to shortlisted candidates or on request.
