Senior Health Care Support Worker - Physical Health

Job overview

Whilst we welcome all applications from all suitable candidates, unfortunately, we will not be offering sponsorship for this role.

An exciting opportunity has arisen within Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Trust to be part of a Physical Health Team providing services to people with Severe Mental Illness. The team predominantly covers Mid Essex, including the main towns of Chelmsford, Braintree and Maldon and the surrounding area.

This role requires regular travel between sites, and in the community. You will therefore need to have reliable transportation to meet this requirement. Applicant must be a car driver with a current UK driving license, unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be undertaking physical health checks and wellbeing assessments for people with severe mental health illness. Promote and encourage healthy lifestyles and will assist people to access the support they need to recover from their mental health and physical health problems, promoting and maintain recovery. They will also support the locality in ensuring the Severe Mental Illness (SMI) registers are updated.

In return we offer regular supervision, access to training and development, an individual personal development plan to enable you to explore your own career and development options within the health and social care environment.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• The post holder will contribute to assessment of both physical and mental health needs. With a focus on improving the physical health of people of severe mental illness, the post holder will understand the relationship between physical and mental wellbeing.
• To work with other agencies to deliver a systems approach in ensuring service users physical health and wellbeing needs are met.
• The post holder will partake in the physiological assessment of our service users who have been identified as having severe mental illness. They will take and record physical health checks including blood pressure pulse, weight and BMI. They will also carry out venipuncture for required blood tests.
• The post holder will support the implementation of new digital technology used for assessing a persons’ physical health needs.
• The post holder will have a good understanding of the clinical guidelines of physical health monitoring and recognise when action needs to be taken due to deteriorating health.
• To assess patients holistically. Assessing lifestyles, exercise, activities, mental health, nutrition, smoking, alcohol, drug use and frailty. Giving advice on healthy lifestyles following evidenced based practice and signposting our service users to other services.
• The post holder will work alongside other professionals within the community mental health teams and wider mental health and physical health services including primary care.
• The post holder will work as part of the multidisciplinary team.
• The post holder will review the SMI registers and identify service users for physical health assessments.
• The post holder will arrange physical health assessments with the service users within their preferred environment, offering an outreach model of care.
• To provide information on health promotion in a way that is meaningful for the service user.
• To work with service users, families, carers and relevant staff to develop physical health care plans.
• To ensure information is recorded accurately, in a timely manner on the electronic patient record, and shared when appropriate with health and social care professionals, service users, carers and families.
• To promote positive physical health to patients, carers, families and staff.
• To contribute to regular audit and data collection to demonstrate effectiveness of physical health clinics and interventions offered, with the support of colleagues.
• To support service users to think more about their physical health needs and identify their own physical health goals, and to support monitoring with goals identified.
• To provide regular input to quality improvement meetings, to continue to support service improvement in promoting positive physical health for people with severe mental illness.
• To form professional relationships with service users and communicate with them in a way that respects their views, autonomy and culture.
• Report regularly to the clinical supervisor/team leader to discuss any concerns or issues.
• Make good use of clinical supervision to discuss casework, make plans for action, reflect on and implement best practice.
• To ensure the required contact times are adhered to and that allocated activity levels are met.
• To assist in the reporting of daily service user and non-service user contact information and is returned on time.
• To demonstrate effective communication, sharing of information and participation in developments within the service.
• To work within clinical protocols, guidelines, and the team standard operating procedure.
• To provide information to assist in the investigation of complaints, safeguarding vulnerable adults/children and serious incidents.
• To actively engage with patients, obtain their views and encourage their involvement in service delivery.
• To ensure adherence to Trust policies and procedures relating to health and safety at work.
• To be responsible for safe storage and maintenance of equipment needed to carry out duties, ensuring standards of infection control and health and safety are maintained.
• To be responsible for own use of Trust property, e.g. mobile phone, laptop and other equipment.
• To monitor stock levels for use in own service and request new equipment as appropriate.

All staff should comply with the Trust’s Anti-Discriminatory Statement, Employee Charter, Trust Policies and Procedures, Code of Conduct and Equality and Diversity.

Applicant requirements

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.