Physical Health Support Worker

Are you passionate about supporting people to improve their physical wellbeing? We’re looking for a motivated and compassionate Physical Health Support Worker to join our dedicated team, where you’ll play a key role in delivering high‑quality, person‑centred care to the individuals we support. This is a truly rewarding opportunity to promote physical health, empower service users, and contribute to safe, effective and holistic care every day.

You’ll be joining Devon Partnership NHS Trust, working across a diverse mix of urban, rural and coastal communities. As part of the dynamic and skilled North Devon Core Teams, you’ll help us build on the excellent work already underway and continue driving forward positive outcomes for the people we serve.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer. Applications are encouraged and welcomed from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. Part‑time and flexible working applications will be considered and supported where possible. We particularly encourage applicants with lived experience of mental health conditions, neurodiversity or learning disabilities. We are a Disability Confident Leader.

Main Duties of the job

• Carrying out routine physical health monitoring: completing observations of blood pressure, pulse, temperature, height, weight and BMI in line with the PHM Model.
• Supporting phlebotomy pathways and blood sampling: taking bloods and supporting blood‑taking processes.
• Conducting ECGs and contributing to wider clinical monitoring requirements: assisting with ECG recording and supporting timely screening for individuals prescribed medication.
• Promoting healthy lifestyle interventions: providing advice and support to encourage positive health behaviours.
• Supporting the delivery of the Physical Health Hub & Spoke model: helping ensure equitable access to physical health monitoring across localities.
• Working collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team: liaising with nurses, practitioners, GPs and wider community colleagues to ensure high quality, person‑centred care.
• Accurately recording and maintaining clinical information: ensuring timely documentation of results, observations and follow‑up actions.
• Supporting service users with personalised, recovery‑focused care: helping individuals understand their physical health needs, build confidence, engage with monitoring and access further support where required.

Job responsibilities

The purpose of this role is to provide high quality, person‑centred physical health support to individuals under the care of Core Mental Health Services (CMHTs). This includes undertaking routine physical health monitoring, supporting phlebotomy pathways, assisting with ECGs and physical observations, promoting healthy lifestyle interventions, national screening programmes and delivering care in line with the PHM Model for the North, Mid, South and Torbay localities.

This role supports the capacity for physical health monitoring in line with Trust expectations that CMHTs provide timely and standardised monitoring for people with severe mental illness, including those prescribed antipsychotic medication, depot injections, mood stabilisers or clozapine. This role forms part of the wider workforce expansion, recognising the need for additional physical health skills capacity across community services.

Working under the daily supervision of mental health practitioners, the post holder will be an integral part of the multidisciplinary team, supporting the delivery of recovery‑focused interventions for patients with a range of mental health presentations in the community. This may involve close collaboration with multiple agencies such as Primary Care, Complex Care Teams, and Third Sector organisations.

Duties and Responsibilities

Communication and Working Relationship Skills

• Work closely with Registered Nurses, Pharmacists, Non‑Medical Prescribers, GPs, VCSE partners and MDT colleagues.
• Participate in MDT meetings as required to provide physical health updates and receive guidance.
• Communicate sensitively with people who may experience anxiety, neurodiversity, psychosis or health‑related distress.
• Record all results in the Physical Health Launchpad, SystmOne or EMIS, as appropriate.
• Ensure clear, accurate and timely documentation.
• Follow Trust procedures for blood‑sample labelling, ID verification and any interim solutions referenced in PHM meeting actions.
• Communicate effectively with people using services, considering any communication difficulties and responding appropriately.
• Participate in, support and maintain positive interventions and activity programmes that improve quality of life and mental wellbeing.
• Offer emotional support, advice, information and education to people using services, their carers and families, including signposting to other services.
• Foster and maintain strong working relationships with other community teams, health and social care professionals and inpatient services, sharing relevant information appropriately.
• Provide information and assistance to people using services and their carers to ensure they understand their rights, entitlements and care plan.
• Communicate any changes in a person’s presentation to the appropriate professional in a timely manner.
• Provide NHS advice on national screening programmes e.g. breast screening, bowel screening etc.

Analytical and Judgemental Skills

• The post holder will be aware of and work within their own limits and competencies.
• Take part in the constant assessment of risk and management of risk in conjunction with the qualified staff.
• Take part and be aware of Health and Safety matters as appropriate.
• Be punctual for work and conduct themselves in a professional manner in accordance with Trust Policies.
• Use resources appropriate to the needs of people using services.

Planning and Organisational Skills

• Deliver brief interventions and health promotion conversations, including smoking cessation or transition to safer alternatives, weight management, diet, hydration and exercise, medication adherence, engagement with structured physical activity offers and screening programmes.
• Work alongside peer support workers, social prescribers and VCSE partners to encourage meaningful health behaviour change.
• Support individuals who require enhanced engagement due to poor health literacy, social isolation or severe mental illness, as identified within CMHT discussions.
• Maintain accurate records of all activity.
• Liaise appropriately with other agencies to support the delivery of care.
• Attend meetings and other communication events linked to the work of the team, as directed by the team leader.
• Independently or jointly monitor a person’s mental health to ensure safety. This may require intensive or frequent monitoring as directed by mental health practitioners and in accordance with the care plan.
• Observe and report changes in mental health presentation to qualified staff so that the care plan remains up to date; recognise fluctuations in mental health.
• Encourage social and physical activities as outlined in the care plan.
• Promote independence and recovery.
• Recognise signs of abuse and follow appropriate procedures to elevate concerns.
• Participate in, support and maintain positive interventions and planned activity programmes to enhance quality of life.
• Record contacts, interventions and observations on the electronic care record and seek professional validation when required.
• Maintain up‑to‑date clinical knowledge relevant to the role and current mental health practice developments.

Responsibility for Patient/Client Care, Treatment and Therapy

• Carry out routine physical health observations, including blood pressure, pulse, temperature, height, weight, BMI, NEWS2 scoring, waist circumference and metabolic monitoring, physical side‑effect screening using Trust‑approved tools (e.g. Lester Tool).
• Support venepuncture pathways once trained, including baseline and follow‑up blood tests.
• Assist with ECGs, ensuring appropriate preparation, positioning and patient support.
• Support clozapine and depot monitoring clinics by collecting and recording physical health data in line with Trust SOPs.
• Escalate abnormal or deteriorating physical health parameters to registered practitioners immediately.
• Staff physical health monitoring clinics, including community hubs, CMHT bases and satellite locations.
• Provide outreach or home‑based visits for individuals unable to attend clinics, ensuring equitable access when clinically appropriate.
• Support the hub and spoke PHM model, contributing to consistent practice across localities.

Responsibility for Policy and Service Development Implementation

• Contribute to improving the PHM model by identifying barriers, supporting cohort identification work, and feeding back operational issues.
• Participate in audits, data quality improvement and evaluation of physical health services.
• Comply with all DPT policies, protocols, procedures relevant to the role.
• Report any observed incidence of unprofessional behaviour, accidents/incidents, untoward occurrences or faulty equipment.
• Participate professionally in service development and proposed service changes.
• Complete all core training requirements and other appropriate training courses pertinent to the role, as agreed by the team leader.

Responsibility for Finance, Equipment and Other Resources

• Assist in maintaining the safety and security of the environment.
• Help maintain cleanliness and tidiness of the environment (including equipment).
• Have knowledge and understanding of counter‑fraud.
• The post holder will have no direct responsibility for finance, but they will need to adhere to relevant Trust policies on financial issues.
• Use Trust NHS resources in a sustainable way.

Responsibility for Human Resources, e.g. Supervision, Training, HR Advice and Management

• Attend mandatory baseline and advanced physical health training programmes arranged by external providers or the Trust for Band 3 staff.
• Observation training.
• Venepuncture training.
• ECG training.
• Infection control training.
• Physical health monitoring SOPs training.
• Engage in supervision and engage in personal responsibility for ongoing competency development.
• Work independently with people in their own homes and other settings in the community or as part of another role under daily supervision from an identified mental health practitioner.
• Actively participate in regular supervision from a mental health practitioner and an annual appraisal in accordance with Trust policy.
• Participate in and support students learning alongside other members of the team.

Person Specification

Physical Skills

• Ability to carry out physical health observations accurately.
• Good communication skills, including with people who may be distressed, ambivalent, or socially isolated.
• Ability to work independently and within an MDT.
• Understanding of confidentiality, safeguarding, and infection control.
• Basic IT skills including electronic record systems.
• Mobility throughout the area covered by the trust.

Knowledge and Skills

• Knowledge of mental health and a basic understanding of physical health presentations.
• Awareness of safeguarding principles.
• Demonstrate an ability to make and sustain professional therapeutic relationships.
• Good communication and listening skills.
• Ability to work with people in a group and individual basis.
• Demonstrate an ability and awareness to maintain personal boundaries.

Experience

• Experience working in health or social care.
• Experience supporting individuals with mental health needs.
• Experience providing direct care or health support activities.
• Experience in community or clinic‑based physical health services.
• Experience recording clinical data in electronic systems.

Planning and Organisational Skills

• Able to plan work, time management, completing records and recording observations etc.
• Take leadership and direction from qualified staff.
• Participate in unsupervised tasks and provide accurate feedback to relevant parties.

Qualifications

• GCSE English and Maths or equivalent.
• Care Certificate (or willingness to complete within 6 months).
• Willingness to undertake venepuncture, ECG and physical health training.
• NVQ Level 3 in Health & Social Care.
• Previous training in physical health monitoring, phlebotomy, or ECG.

Values

• Compassionate, respectful, non‑judgmental approach.
• Commitment to inclusion and reducing health inequalities.
• Enthusiasm for improving physical health outcomes for people with severe mental illness.
• Self‑motivation.
• Ability to work changing shift patterns as required.
• Maintain confidentiality, empathy, compassion and patience towards individuals with mental health illness.
• Patience and tolerance in challenging situations.

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.

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