Physical and Mental Health Officer

Role Purpose

The purpose of this role is to support people who have significant mental health issues and those from diverse ethnic backgrounds who may face barriers in accessing physical health checks. The role will provide longer term support in some cases, so people can address some of the barriers which might be in the way for them to consider their physical health positively. The roles will provide a service across Hammersmith and Fulham, Ealing and Hounslow. The role will be delivered within Primary Care and therefore you will be expected to build relationships within those settings and with community VCSE organisations to ensure that the service supports people within their own communities. 

We are recruiting for 3 positions:

• Hammersmith and Fulham service 
  • 4 days per week position
  • 2 days per week position 
• Hounslow service
  • 2 days per week position

Key Responsibilities 

• Get to know and build relationships with staff within Primary Care to enable a supportive and productive referral route into and out of the service
• Work within communities and Primary Care to find out what services are available for people to access
• Build relationships with staff in Primary Care, VSCE organisations, local communities that don't access services and local community mental health teams
• Build relationships with those who are accessing the service and work in a person-centered way to find out their needs. Particularly working to engage people from diverse ethnic backgrounds
• Build an accessible route into the service for people which will lead to an increase in physical health checks and longer-term support if needed
• Be inclusive and make reasonable adjustments where necessary i.e interpreters, Easy Read literature, disability accessible buildings for meetings etc.
• Conduct basic physical health checks following robust training from health professionals 
• Support people in connecting to other services both VCSE and Primary Care
• Alert Primary Care staff and the local authority/mental health teams if there are any concerns that have not already been identified
• Signpost and refer clients to other services during and after the intervention 
• Promote health education and the service across the borough

Person Specification 

• Experience of conducting physical health checks
• Experience or working with those who have serious mental health issues 
• Experience of developing kind relationships to create a sense of belonging
• Knowledge of health literacy i.e weight management, diabetes, blood test, smoking etc.
• Experience of motivational interviewing 
• Experience of supporting people in a way which recognises and develops potential
• Experience of involving people in the development of services and support
• Good understanding/awareness of the barriers people with mental health issues face in terms of achieving good or improved physical health
• Ability to promote health and engagement
• Experience of working with those with other needs in addition to mental health such as learning disabilities or substance misuse

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

HFEH Mind are committed to creating and fostering a culture that promotes safeguarding and the welfare of all children and adults at risk. Our safer recruitment practices support this by ensuring that there is a consistent and thorough process of obtaining, collating, analysing and evaluating information from and about candidates to ensure that all persons appointed are suitable to work with children and vulnerable adults.

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.

Equal Opportunities

We are an equal opportunities employer; and are proud to employ a workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons from all backgrounds.