Job summary
Employer heading
Physical Health Support Worker
Band 4
About Us
EPUT provides community health, mental health and learning disability services to support more than 3.2 million people living across Bedfordshire, Essex and Suffolk. Also:
- We are among the largest employers in the in the East of England region, with more than 10,000 staff working across more than 200 sites.
- We run the COVID-19 vaccination programme across mid and south Essex and Suffolk and north east Essex.
EPUT was formed on 1 April 2017 following the merger of North Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (NEP) and South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (SEPT). A new leadership team was established at the Trust in 2020.
Our vision and values
Our Vision
“To be the leading health and wellbeing service in the provision of mental health and community care”.
Our Purpose
“We care for people every day. What we do together, matters”.
Our Values
- We Care
- We Learn
- We Empower
Our strategic objectives
- We will deliver safe, high quality integrated care services.
- We will enable each other to be the best that we can.
- We will work together with our partners to make our services better.
- We will help our communities to thrive.
Our services
- Mental Health Services
- Community Health Services
- Learning Disabilities Services
- Social Care
Find out more about the services we offer in our service directory.
Job overview
*The successful candidate must have an Associate Practitioner qualification*
The Eating Disorders service is expanding its physical health remit and needs an appropriately qualified, enthusiastic and motivated individual to work within the team predominantly in Mid Essex, including the main towns of Chelmsford, Braintree and Maldon and the surrounding area. The post holder will undertake Physical Health Checks to include ECGs, phlebotomy, blood glucose monitoring, weight, height and other tests to monitor the health of patients under the service.
The Eating Disorders service operates across the county, with 2 office bases, one in Colchester and one in Basildon. Patients are seen in a variety of locations dependent on their level of need. The service works closely with other mental health teams, acute hospitals and GPs, as well as 3rd and voluntary sector organisations.
Regrettably, we cannot offer sponsorship for all of our job roles. If you apply for a role that we cannot offer sponsorship for, unfortunately your application form be rejected from the process.
Please note this vacancy requires a face to face interview with the Recruiting Manager. Applicants that are unable to attend a face to face interview need not apply.
Main duties of the job
You will develop strong links with patients, carers, colleagues and all organisations promptly from the point of initial contact. You will support and encourage the patient to improve and maintain good physical health and work alongside the patients, their carers and clinical colleagues in the development of a co-produced care and support plan that allows them to further support their future management and wellbeing.
The physical health support worker will be supervised by a specialist Eating Disorders clinician and will be closely supported as necessary in the management of risks and the delivery of care by the team. The support worker will have clear pathways of escalation and will work within the bounds of existing EPUT policies and procedures as required.
In order to apply for the post you will need to be able to demonstrate excellent communication skills with service users, carers and organisations. You will be highly motivated and display a good ability to work autonomously where possible. You may also have existing experience in physical health monitoring and/or eating disorders services.
Working for our organisation
EPUT are looking for motivated staff who shares our Trust values of Care, Learn and Empower. In return, EPUT can offer you a range of benefits and development including;
- Season Ticket Loans
- NHS discounts for staff
- Excellent Training facilities and opportunities
- Buying and Selling annual leave scheme
- The opportunity to work bank shifts and expand knowledge and experience in other areas
- Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars and Cycle to Work
- Day One Flexible Employer
The Trust supports and actively encourages flexible working for all employees. We offer many options and you are encouraged to ask the recruiting manager what is possible for this role. If appointed, you will have the opportunity to apply for a flexible working request from the first day of your employment
Join our Staff bank
What is Staff Bank?
Our EPUT NHS staff bank is an entity managed by the trust that hires clinical and non-clinical healthcare professionals to take on shifts at our trust hospitals and community settings. Here at EPUT we maintain our own bank of specialist staff to ensure that we are able offer safe and effective care at all times.
All our permanent staff are automatically enrolled onto the staff bank however this does not mean you have to work any additional shifts, but the option is there for you if you wish.
If you are joining our Trust in a fixed term role, please indicate on your New Starter Paperwork that you wish to join our staff bank.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System (ICS) brings together key health, care, community, and voluntary sector organisations from across our area. Our aim is to work together in partnership to join up health and care services, improving our population’s health and wellbeing and reducing health inequalities. One such example of this collaborative work is the launch of our HCA Academy, an ICS initiative between Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) and Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust (MSEFT) to support the incoming Health Care assistant (HCA) workforce. The academy models a ‘one workforce’ cross system approach to the onboarding, induction, education and experience of Healthcare Assistants.
To support this ‘one workforce model’ the successful candidate for this post will be required to attend our 5 day (Monday to Friday) face to face Induction Programme at our MSE ICS Education Hub at Brentwood Community Hospital. Your start date will therefore fall on one of two of the HCA Academy induction dates across the month, which will be discussed and agreed during the recruitment process.
Our HCA Academy Induction programme has been designed to train and support the successful candidate through the early stages of their employment at EPUT and will provide opportunities to enhance skills, knowledge and experience.
Further information will be provided post interview.
This will be followed by an additional 5 day (Monday to Friday) EPUT corporate / mandatory training welcome. (EPUT Welcome will be varied between face to face and virtual delivery).
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Associate Practitioner qualification
- Phlebotomy Skills
- Aware of deviations within physical checks that cause concern 2
Desirable criteria
- Knowledge of SSUS test
- NHS Experience
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Experience of working with people with mental and or physical health problems
- Experience of working within a healthcare setting and liaising with other Health professionals
Desirable criteria
- Experience of working with people with eating disorders
Additional Criteria
Essential criteria
- Holds a valid driving licence
- Has a car available for work purposes
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.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Fiona Stewart
- Job title
- Clinical Team Manager Eating Disorders
- Email address
- [email protected]
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