Tobacco Dependency Advisor

Southampton, England, United Kingdom

7/25/2025

Job Overview

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.

Please see below for detailed job description of the role.

Main duties of the job

This is an exciting opportunity to support the delivery of smoking cessation services to pregnant service users, both during pregnancy and post-birth. You will collaborate with our Smoke-Free Pregnancy Midwives and Midwives in both inpatient and community settings to help pregnant service users set a quit date and provide ongoing support for a smoke-free pregnancy.

Our goal is to reduce the current smoking rate during pregnancy to align with the national ambition of 6%. The service is led by Public Health Lead Midwives and is provided in community settings across Hampshire and Southampton, as well as to service users admitted to the maternity hospital. You will need to be organised and flexible to meet the evolving needs of the service. This role requires the ability to travel to various locations, so access to reliable transportation is desirable.

We care for approximately 4,800 pregnant service users giving birth each year in Southampton, and we take pride in our innovative approaches to improving long-term health outcomes for pregnant service users. Within the city, we serve a complex and vulnerable population, with areas of high social deprivation. Pregnant service users and families in these areas would greatly benefit from your support in helping them quit smoking. Currently, around 6.7% of pregnant service users are smoking when they first book their appointments.

Working for our organisation

University Hospital Southampton is one of England's largest acute teaching Trusts, offering a wide range of learning and development opportunities to support your career aspirations.

Located on the south coast with an international airport and direct rail links to London, Southampton offers an ideal setting to live and work, with the New Forest, South Downs and Jurassic Coast.

We believe that using technology wisely shows strong time management and commitment to innovation. However, personalizing your recruitment application to highlight your unique skills and experiences is crucial. Relying too heavily on generic, AI-generated content instead of drawing from your own strengths and accomplishments may lead to your application being rejected if multiple candidates present identical or similar information.

At UHS we’re committed to providing a flexible working environment where possible. Whether you are balancing family, study, or your wellbeing with your career, we want to support you so you can help our patients.

At UHS, we proudly champion individuality, recognizing that outstanding care is only possible with a diverse, inclusive team. We’re committed to creating an anti-racist, anti-discriminatory environment where everyone feels valued, safe, and empowered to make a meaningful impact in our communities. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences to join us in building a healthcare community where everyone can belong, thrive, and contribute.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

As a Tobacco Dependency Advisor you will:

• Record discussions using the Maternity digital system and smoking databases
• Work with midwives providing smoke cessation support to undertake regular contact with pregnant service users outside of antenatal appointments
• Work with midwives in the hospital to identify pregnant service users who currently smoke and provide them with advice and guidance about how to quit smoking
• Link with tobacco advisors in the wider Trust to understand how to improve the service we offer.
  
  

What We’re Looking For

• A person who is passionate about improving public health outcomes for pregnant service users and their families
• A person who is dynamic and works well with teams
• Someone who has great communication skills and can prioritise and plan their workload.
• Someone who is experienced in utilising Excel for data organisation, analysis, and reporting.
  
  

Previous experience in establishing therapeutic relationships.

The role can be flexible but would work across the working week and may include weekends.

Person specification

Trust Values

Essential criteria

• Patient First
• Always Improving
• Working Together
  
  

Qualifications / Training Required

Essential criteria

• Educated to GCSE (or equivalent) standard, with a pass in English and Maths
• Evidence of recent learning or development in health care.
• NVQ Level 3 or equivalent qualification or experience is essential
  
  

Previous or relevant experience necessary

Essential criteria

• Previous experience in a clinical environment
  
  

Desirable criteria

• Experience of providing direct patient care
• Experience of working within a team
  
  

Aptitudes And Skills Required

Essential criteria

• Ability to demonstrate enthusiasm for and an understanding of the role
• Ability to work on own initiative
• Ability to prioritise own workload
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to interact appropriately with patients, relatives, team members and other staff groups
• Ability to adapt to different situations
• Ability to work under pressure in often stressful/emotional circumstances
• Accuracy and attention to detail
• Additional skills e.g. ability to successfully undertake the required training to achieve competency
• Basic IT skills