Physical Healthcare Practitioner

Transformationunitgm; London; On-site; GBP 31,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a leading NHS trust as a Physical Healthcare Practitioner, part of a dedicated team improving the health of patients with mental health conditions. In this role, you will conduct assessments, support health checks, and actively participate in the delivery of holistic care. The position offers a fantastic opportunity to contribute to essential health services and make a real difference in patient outcomes.

Benefits

NHS Discounts

Generous annual leave

NHS pension scheme

Flexible working opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience in a health and social care setting.
• Knowledge of treatment outcomes and care planning.
• Ability to assess clinical situations quickly.

Responsibilities

• Conduct supervised specialist assessments of patients' physical health needs.
• Support health promotion and deliver care as part of a mental health team.
• Maintain clinical records and track health data.

Skills

Excellent communication

Teamwork

Adaptability

Knowledge of healthcare practices

Education

NVQ Level IV in healthcare or equivalent

Job description

Main area Haringey Division, Physical Health Team in Core Community Team Grade NHS AfC: Band 4 Contract Fixed term: 12 months (End date likely 30/06/2026) Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 455-NLFT-0167

Employer North London NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site St Ann's Hospital Town London Salary £31,081 - £33,665 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 29/06/2025 23:59 Interview date 08/07/2025

Physical Healthcare Practitioner

NHS AfC: Band 4

Thank you for your interest in the North London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFT). This is an exciting time to join us and be part of our journey to improve mental health care across North London and deliver excellent services to our local people. We will achieve this through the North London Way, as we:

• Collaborate at every level by living our values to create the right conditions for us all to work together.
• Develop our new Trust culture, to help make our new Trust a great place to work and to receive great care.
• Empower our teams to lead the planned improvements in our services, by skilling them and giving them the tools to make the changes.
• Focus on delivering excellence at every level to improve our performance and ensure consistently high-quality care across all our services.
• Ensure that research, quality improvement, and technology lead the way and are embedded in our services.
• Take a trauma informed approach to everything we do

We proactively welcome diversity in our workforce and pride ourselves on being an inclusive employer. We aim to recruit from our local communities and provide opportunities to all including apprenticeships, veterans, care leavers and more.

The North London Way to deliver, Better Mental Health, Better Lives, Better Communities.

Patients with severe and enduring mental illness are known to have poorer physical health outcomes than the general population. For this reason, North London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFT) is providing support to patients around their physical health needs.

The post holder will work together with team members conducting supervised specialist assessments of patients, focusing on their Physical health needs. They will lead on ensuring that patients with enduring mental health conditions are not discriminated by virtue of their mental illness in terms of their physical health. The post holder will lead on supporting patients carrying out physical health checks as specified in the Lester tool, health screening, health promotion and lifestyle advice.

This information will support in identifying referral to the appropriate physical health care settings as well as monitoring health conditions. Patients may also be facilitated with active support from the Physical Health Practitioner to access their GP if necessary.

The post holder will be expected to develop an understanding of the physical health needs of patient group.

The post holder will be responsible for participating and assisting in the delivery of care/services to patients as part of a Mental Health Care Team, in this case the Community Mental Health service, working under the direct supervision of a registered nurse.

Main duties of the job

MAIN TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

· Under the direction of the Physical Health Clinical Nurse Specialist, undertake a range of duties which involve patient care independently.

· Assist in the coordination of care delivery for patients with mental health conditions in the community teams, including those with severe and enduring mental illness under the supervision of a registered nurse, in close collaboration with the psychiatric multidisciplinary team, patients and other stakeholders.

· Work under the supervision of qualified nurse, but they work independently with patients.

· Have informed basic knowledge and understanding in the psychological, social, physical, and spiritual needs of all patients.

· Support health promotion and physical health groups as per the co designed care plan.

· Actively participate in the physical healthcare and rehabilitation of patients.

· Maintain clear, timely, comprehensive, and contemporaneous written clinical records on all patients in accordance with Trust policies.

· Utilise IT skills and knowledge to access and input physical health data collected onto the Trust Electronic System (Rio).

· Use the strength-based assessment / trauma informed care, assess patient’s physical health needs.

Working for our organisation

North London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFT) is committed to improving mental health care across North London to deliver excellent services to our local people.

• We will provide consistently high-quality care closer to home.
• With our partners in North London and each borough we will ensure equity of outcome for all
• We will offer great places to work, providing staff with supportive environment to deliver outstanding care.
• We will be more effective as an organisation by pioneering research, quality improvement and technology.

Why NLFT?

• We develop and retain our staff through leadership behaviours and managers programme and many more opportunities.
• We promote flexible working and support staff with a range of health and wellbeing initiatives.
• NHS Discounts, generous annual leave and NHS pension scheme
• Excellent internal staff network

The post holder will be aligned with our Values:

• We Are Kind
• We Are Respectful
• We Work Together
• We Keep Things Simple
• We Empower
• We Are Proudly Diverse

In order to meet the needs of the Trust you may be required from time to time to work at different locations to your normal place of work. This may mean that you are required to work at any location that fall under Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey or Islington. The Trust reserves the right to require staff to work at such other places or locations as it considers reasonable and necessary on a temporary or permanent basis.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

· Actively participate in the physical healthcare and rehabilitation of patients.

· Maintain clear, timely, comprehensive, and contemporaneous written clinical records on all patients in accordance with Trust policies.

· Utilise IT skills and knowledge to access and input physical health data collected onto the Trust Electronic System (Rio).

· Use the strength-based assessment / trauma informed care, assess patient’s physical health needs.

· To be conversant with physical health illness that occur in Serious Mental health Illness (SMI).

· Carry out the physical health check of patients and record in physical health monitoring form, reporting any abnormal data to the Physical Health Clinical Nurse Specialist /GP i.e. Any changes in the patient’s physical health condition, or any significant factors relevant to the patient.

· Provide health promotion information and healthy living either individually or in a group setting.

· Provide audit information around physical health as required.

· To be able to undertake phlebotomy duties when directed by registered Nurse/Psychiatric doctors.

· Carry out ECG on patients as required.

· Have informed knowledge and understanding of the Mental Health Act 1983 amended 2007 Part 3 of the Act and other legislations such as Safeguarding Children and Adults,

· DOLS, Mental Capacity Act 2005 and others relating to care of patients in the community.

· To be able to work and travel across a geographical area or across integrated teams, using the guidelines of the Trust Lone Working policy.

· Recognise and respond appropriately to aggressive behaviour and incidences, completing a Ulysses form as necessary as per Trust policy.

Organisational

· Work as member of a multi-disciplinary team.

· Attend all formal and informal meetings as requested by the line manager.

· Report any complaints or concerns to the manager as necessary and give verbal reports on any unusual or untoward incidents.

· Be aware of and apply work practices in line with health and safety requirements and Trust policies and procedures.

· Maintain standards of professional behaviour and appearance.

· Take part in the induction of new staff to the team/unit.

Development

· Participate in the annual appraisal of work activities, agreeing objectives and a personal development plan in line with the Trust’s implementation of the Knowledge and Skills Framework.

· Attend mandatory training and other training programmes as identified by the Physical Health Clinical Nurse Specialist.

· Actively participate on all aspects of physical health care audit including quality improvement initiatives.

Person specification

Essential and Desirable

• Knowledge: Awareness of patient care within the wider context of the organisation, in particular around health inequalities Have an understanding of the importance of user/carer involvement. Awareness of treatment outcomes, recovery tools, care planning, assessment of risk
• Experience: Experience in a health and social care setting. Experience of liaising with other health agencies
• Skills and Abilities: Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Ability to assess clinical situations quickly and use initiative. Able to work on own initiative. Able to work as part of a team. Well-developed interpersonal skills
• Personal Attributes: Motivated and enthusiastic. Adaptable to change. Committed to equal opportunities. Able to work using a non-judgmental attitude. Contribute to improving the quality of life for patients.
• Evidence of recent study and • NVQ Level IV in healthcare or equivalent OR • Two years (minimum) working experience in adult/mental health setting.
• Knowledge of the roles within the multi-professional team.
• An understanding and positive regard for the needs and rights of people with mental health conditions and their carers.
• Ability to travel across a geographical area and various locations within the trust. Ability to work flexibly to meet the needs of the service.
• Ability to work closely and form good working relationships with a wide range of people Interested in further professional development.
• Ability to adapt to changing environments, needs and demands of the service.
• Have an understanding of the importance of user/carer involvement.
• Able to work on own initiative and as part of a team.
• Work Related circumstances:Ability to travel across a geographical area and various locations within the trust. Ability to work flexibly to meet the needs of the service.
• Personal Attributes: Motivated and enthusiastic. Adaptable to change. Committed to equal opportunities. Able to work using a non-judgmental attitude. Contribute to improving the quality of life for patients.

References will be required to cover your last 3 years of employment/training. One has to be from your current or most recent employer and the others from your previous employer. The references should be from persons with management responsibility or HR.

If you have been unemployed for a period of four years or more, please give the details of your last employer and one character referee of your choice (not members of your family). If more applicable, references will be requested from your teacher or head of faculty. Please ensure you provide full contact details.

Vacancies that are advertised as Fixed Term Contracts will also be available as secondment opportunities for substantive internal staff.

Please be aware that your documents eg. Passport/NI Card, will be electronically scanned using Home Office accredited Verification System.

Due to the high number of applications that are received for some posts, we will close vacancies before the stated closing date once the first 50 applications are received. Therefore, please apply as soon as possible.

All non-medical posts with the Trust are subject to a probationary period of six months, during which time you will be required to demonstrate to the Trust’s satisfaction, your suitability for the position in which you will be employed.

Should you not hear from us within three working weeks of the closing date for this post, then regretfully in this instance, you have not been shortlisted.

By applying for this role, you accept in the event you are successful that your personal data may be transferred from the Trust to another NHS organisation where your employment transfers within the NHS. This is in accordance with the streamlining programme which is aimed at improving efficiencies within the NHS both to make costs savings for NHS organisations but also to save you time when your employment transfers.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

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.

Name MAUREEN OYEMWIMINA Job title Clinical Nurse Specialist (Physical Health) Email address [e-mail] Telephone number 02082137438