Physical Health Support Worker

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 inMid 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 3rdand voluntary sector organisations.

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.

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

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.
- To undertake baseline and regular physical health assessments to patients at the start of the care and monitor at defined intervals in line with the severity of their illness. This will include ECG, phlebotomy, side effect monitoring and physical health and wellbeing assessments.
- To maintain stock levels and ensure physical health equipment is stored and checked in accordance with policies and procedures.
- To readily identify when physical health assessments are outside of normal ranges by alerting senior practitioners and medical staff.
- To support patients in making behavioural change to support an improvement in their physical health, including supporting with the development and implementation of nutritional change and plans to reduce the use of purging behaviours, under the supervision of the MDT.
- To provide an assessment/intervention to ensure individuals are appropriately supported and facilitate links with specialist services as required.
- To support in partnership with clinical staff and service users in the planning and implementation of care.
- Provide information on health promotion.
- Support clinical staff in the monitoring of physical health, progress, level of functioning and alert the appropriate staff involved in the patient’s care.
- Provide support for patients with managing their medication including side effects.
- Support patients throughout their recovery through providing comprehensive and professional health checks.
- To liaise closely with patient carers in order to support any agreed change and ensure carers are aware of any risk management plans.
- To liaise closely with the full range of services within the local community; statutory and non-statutory services.
- Promote choice during all interactions.
- Use of IT including Microsoft Word/Excel/PowerPoint.
- To be open to learning and creatively finding solutions.
- To take personal responsibility to keep knowledge up to date.
- Undertake defined pieces of work with patients, which may include utilisation of brief interventions, problem solving etc.
- Develop and write up defined pieces of work under direct or indirect supervision.
- To maintain records, collect statistical data and store information in accordance with the r