Health Coach

Hours: 0.6 FTE (24 hours per week)

Responsible to: Sport Otago Healthy Lifestyles Manager

Key Relationship with: Clients and their whānau, Primary Care Practices, General

Practitioners and Practice Nurses, Health NZ / Te Whatu Ora
Southern, Hospital, Community Services, Allied Health
Teams, Community Providers, Non-Governmental
Organisations, Consumers, Rural Hospitals, Rural
Providers, Accident Compensation Corporation, St John.

Functional Relationship with: Health Improvement Practitioner, Community Support

Worker, Primary Mental Health Team, Clinical Teams,
Practice Network Team, Sport Otago Programme Staff.

Sport Otago Vision: Otago: The world’s most active region.

Sport Otago Purpose: Empowering Otago to be active.

Sport Otago Values:

Edgy/Whakakārangi: To stand out from others. Modern, adaptive, innovative, tenacious, at the
forefront, experimental, push the boundaries.

Open/Pono: Being welcoming and accepting, honest, open to new ideas, willing to learn,
vulnerable, embracing diversity, having integrity.

Connected/Tūhono: Collaboration, partnership, teamwork, nurturing, maintaining, promoting,
and building our staff and communities strengths, looking after our people, respect for each
other and those we interrelate with – kotahitanga.

Excellence/Hiranga: Being the best we can be, being evidence based, always producing high
quality work, having high standards, our whānau live the organisations values and possess the
required skills, our practices keep our whānau safe and healthy.

He rōpū tina tika mātou e tautoko ana, a wero ana ki a mātou anō hei autaia.

He tangata, he tangata.

We are a friendly, inclusive team who support and challenge each other to be extraordinary.
It is people, it is people.

Purpose of Position

To work within the community and a General Practice as a regular team member, helping patients
gain the knowledge, skills, tools, and confidence to become active participants in their own care,
enabling them to reach their self-identified goals. The Health Coach is required to work
collaboratively with a patient to develop an active partnership, motivating them to make positive
lifestyle changes, reduce high-risk behaviours, manage stress, and improve their health and
wellbeing.

To be actively engaged with utilising an integrated ‘Model of Care’ that supports clients’ needs
and enables them to move seamlessly between services in General Practice and, if needed, Te
Whatu Ora, non-government mental health and addiction services, and other community support
networks.

To work with other Health Coaches and Community Support Workers, Healthy Lifestyles Manager,
and the Tōku Oranga (Access and Choice) collective to refine the services delivered for the New
Zealand context.

KEY TASKS PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

General Practice Team All relevant meetings for the General Practice team are attended.
Participation
Active participation within the Close working relationship with the General Practice’s Health
General Practice team and Improvement Practitioner is developed.
support for building team
competence in general health, Close working relationships with the Practice Nurses are
mental health, and addictions. developed.

Clear documentation of all General Practice related activity.

When referrals are received from other members of the General
Practice team, ensure the team members are informed and kept
up to date with the Health Coaching activities.

Service Delivery Knowledge of the Health Coaching model and ability to
Delivery of high quality implement the model, demonstrated by:
Health Coaching services.

Providing self-management support through: 

Providing information and education. 

Teaching health management skills. 

Working with individuals, whānau, and groups. 

Promoting behaviour change. 

Teaching problem solving skills. 

Encouraging participation and follow-up in health service
delivery. 

Working in partnership with the patient to assist them to
develop a behaviour-change action plan.

Bridging the gap between clinician and patient by: 

Serving as the patient’s liaison person. 

Ensuring the patient understands and agrees with the
health care plan. 

Providing cultural support.

Helping patients navigate the health care system through: 

Connecting the patient with resources and services. 

Ensuring the patient’s voice is heard.

Offering emotional support by: 

Showing interest and compassion. 

Teaching coping and stress management skills. 

Asking about emotional issues.

Serving as a continuity figure by: 

Establishing a trusting relationship. 

Being available at agreed times. 

Providing active follow-ups.

A patient-centred brief assessment will be undertaken at the first
point of contact. This will be a holistic assessment of need from
which the Health Coach will work collaboratively with the patient
to identify goals and a plan to achieve these.

Skills, knowledge, and attitudes for culturally safe practice are
demonstrated.

Clear and concise notes that comply with established standards
are entered within the practice’s Patient Management System.

All required client-related information and activities are recorded.

Accountability Participation in regular facilitated peer supervision.
Proficient and accountable.
Acts according to Sport Otago and WellSouth Primary Health

Network Code of Conduct, abides by policy and procedures,
legislation, and principles of governing professional body.

Relevant training is attended.

Engagement in continuing skills development.

Seeks appropriate professional and collegial support.

Team Membership Team meetings are attended as required.
Active engagement as a
member of Sport Otago and Organisation policies, procedures, and requirements are known
WellSouth Primary Health and complied with.
Network.

Person Specification

Professional Experience – Wheako Ngaio
Awareness and understanding of the implications of Te Tiriti o Waitangi to Sport Otago and the
WellSouth Primary Health Network as a public health organisation.

Experience working in primary care directly with patients as part of the health care team.

Experience working with Māori, Pasifika, and Youth.

It would be an advantage if the applicant has been trained in some of the following:

Positive Parenting Programme.

Smoking Cessation.

Motivational Interviewing.

Stanford Self-Management Support.

Flinders Self-Management Support.

Alcohol Brief Intervention Support.

Qualifications – Tohu Tohu
Recognised Health Coach Training (can be provided).

Business/Technical Skills – Hangarau Pūkenga

Flexible self-starter.

Embraces the philosophy of helping people to better manage their own health.

Willing to embrace new ways of working.

Ability to work at a fast pace with a flexible schedule.

Proven ability to be a team player.

Excellent communication skills.

Ability to work closely and collaboratively with key stakeholders.

An understanding and sensitivity to working with all cultures.

Ability to competently use computers, able to work with an electronic medical record.

Ability to work independently within agreed boundaries.

Respects differences.

Builds strong supportive relationships.

Acts according to sound ethical and moral values.

Personal self-management skills.

Demonstrated commitment to the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and promoting positive
outcomes for tangata whenua.