Tobacco Dependency Advisor

Overview

Tobacco Dependency Advisor - University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust. The closing date is 06 February 2026.

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us. Please see below for the detailed job description of the role.

Main duties of the job

This is an exciting opportunity to support a new project to enhance the delivery of the NHS long-term plan for tobacco dependency and delivering smoking cessation support to a group of service users during their admission in the hospital. You will work in a small team within the inpatient and community setting to support service users in setting a quit date and provide ongoing support. The tobacco dependency team are excited to offer a position to applicants who are passionate about promoting public health and supporting our patients to stop smoking. This service opportunity enables us to continue to assist patients beyond their discharge from the hospital, maintaining support throughout their quit smoking journey. We are looking for candidates who are enthusiastic about providing continuity of care, tailoring personalised support to a variety of needs and have experience in establishing excellent therapeutic relationships. We are aiming to reduce our current smoking rates in Southampton and at the point of admission to the hospital. The service is led by a clinical lead and delivered in both the trust and in the community. We work closely with other teams to offer individualised support for each patient.

About us

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.

Job responsibilities

• As a new team, we currently care for about 120 patients a month; as the service develops, these patient numbers are expected to grow. Within the city we have a complex and vulnerable population with high areas of social deprivation, so the support needs to be tailored to adapt to these needs.
• Due to the nature of this role and service, this role is on-site and the hours are as advertised. Please talk to us at interview about the flexibility you need, and we will explore what's possible for the role and service.
• This vacancy does not meet the Home Office threshold for sponsorship, therefore we are unable to accept applications from candidates who do not have the right to work in the UK.
• As our Tobacco Dependency Advisor, you will:
  • Work with the Tobacco Dependency team to identify service users at the point of referral to provide information about smoking during their admission to the trust and how to quit with support.
  • Accurately record discussions using an electronic proforma
  • Work with MD teams to identify inpatients who currently smoke and provide them with advice and guidance on how to quit smoking
  • Complete referrals to other agencies
  • Provide smoking cessation support to undertake regular support upon discharge
  • Be competent with Excel and using spreadsheets to record the data required
  • Need to stay up to date with any training needs
  • Offer behavioural change support and medication to aid the patient in commencing their smoking journey
  • Assist with data collection and audits
  • Assist with staff training

What we are looking for

You will need to be passionate about improving public health outcomes for service users who smoke, deliver individualised advice and support both in person and over the telephone. You need to be dynamic and be able to liaise with various teams. Have great communication skills and be able to prioritise your workload. The role can be flexible across the working week.

Job description / Person specification Person Specification

Aptitudes and skills required

Essential

• Ability to demonstrate enthusiasm for and an understanding of the role
• Ability to prioritise own workload
• Accuracy and attention to detail
• Additional skills e.g. ability to successfully undertake the required training to achieve competency
• Basic IT skills

Qualifications / training required

• 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

• Previous experience in a clinical environment
• Experience of providing direct patient care
• Experience of working within a team

Trust Values

• Always Improving
• Working Together

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Salary

£27,485 to £30,162 a year Per Annum (PA) Pro Rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working, Home or remote working