Senior community navigator jobs

Description:

Job Title: Physical Health Connector 

Responsible to: Senior PHC

Location: Community based across Birmingham and Solihull with flexible outreach and hybrid working (work from home 3 to 4 days a week expected)

Contract: Fixed term to 31st March 2027

Working Hours: Fulltime 37.5 (9 day fortnight every other Monday-non working)

Salary: £26,227.50 

The Active Wellbeing Society

The Active Wellbeing Society (TAWS) is a community benefit society and cooperative working with communities to identify, mitigate and remove barriers that prevent them from living active and connected lives. 

 As part of our approach, we are excited to be working in partnership to develop a health connector service which will focus on improving health outcomes for people with severe mental illness.

We are working in collaboration with Primary Care Networks (PCN) and The Primary Care Mental Health Teams who are delivered as part of a partnership between Forward-Thinking Birmingham (FTB) and the Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust (BSMHFT).

Job Purpose:

The Physical Health Connector will work within TAWS to support people experiencing mental health challenges, severe mental illness (SMI), and health inequalities to improve their physical health and wellbeing.

The role focuses on relationship based support, community engagement, and system navigation, helping people overcome barriers to accessing physical healthcare and wider support. The post holder will act as a trusted, nonclinical bridge between individuals, communities, and statutory services, particularly primary care. 

Requirements:

• Build trusting relationships with individuals through outreach, community presence and one-to-one telephone support (predominantly phone support from home), with people who are underserved or disengaged from statutory services.
• Educate through practical, emotional and motivational support using strengths-based, trauma-informed and culturally responsive approaches to support engagement with physical health.
• Engage and encourage individuals to access physical health checks and screenings, helping them understand what to expect and how to prepare for appointments. Driving individuals towards attending their appointments is key to success.
• Identify and address barriers to engagement such as stigma, access issues or past negative experiences of healthcare. Over the phone, coordinate appointments, send reminders, follow up disengagement and advocate for reasonable adjustments and person-centred care.
• Drive stakeholder and partner organisation engagement as a link between TAWS, primary care, mental health services and community partners to support joined-up working. Build effective relationships with GP practices, PCNs, mental health teams and VCFSE organisations, representing the VCFSE perspective when required.
• Work collaboratively with partners to avoid duplication and champion community-led solutions. Map, promote and refer into local community assets and VCFSE services that support physical and emotional wellbeing.
• Maintain accurate records and contribute to monitoring and reporting requirements for funders and partners. Share learning, insight and community feedback to support service improvement and evaluation.

Experience, Knowledge and Values:

1. Experience of working in a voluntary, community, faith, social enterprise (VCFSE), community or outreach setting is essential.
2. Experience of supporting people with mental health needs, including Serious Mental Illness (SMI), health inequalities or social exclusion is required, with experience of psychosis, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or addiction being desirable.
3. A sound understanding of trauma-informed and strengths-based practice, with the ability to apply these approaches in day-to-day work.
4. Experience of working in connector, navigator, link worker, peer support or advocacy roles would be an advantage.
5. Strong communication and relationship-building skills, with experience of engaging individuals through a range of methods including telephone (primarily), digital and face-to-face contact.
6. Ability to build trust with service users and develop effective professional relationships across health and community networks.
7. Good organisational and data management skills, with experience of maintaining accurate records and working towards agreed targets and KPIs.
8. Experience of using health or case management systems (such as Rio, SystmOne, EMIS or bespoke systems), alongside strong verbal, written and IT skills.
9. Demonstrable experience of working collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders, including primary care, mental health services and community partners.
10. Resilient, flexible and able to remain calm in challenging situations, including when working with individuals affected by substance misuse, offending behaviour or homelessness.
11. A proactive, adaptable approach to managing competing demands and complex needs.

Additional Requirements

1. A full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle would be desirable.

Benefits:

We offer our team members a comprehensive staff benefits offering to include:

• 9 Day working week - every other Monday is Non-working!
• Annual Leave – 38 days! 25 days AL (increasing to 29 days with service) plus 5 wellbeing days and 8 bank holidays.
• Nest Pension – 8% employer contribution - 3% employee contribution.
• Heath Cash Plan – giving you discounts on everyday healthcare such as dental, optical, physio, prescriptions & more.
• Employee Assistance Programme (counselling and DRs on call 24hrs a day).
• Fantastic volunteering opportunities within The Active Wellbeing Society every month.

Age UK Merton is committed to being an equal-opportunity employer that reflects the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and experiences-diversity enriches the care we provide to older adults, and it strengthens us as colleagues. Embracing varied perspectives encourages us to think critically, grow continuously, innovate, and adapt together.

Living Well Health and Wellbeing Coordinator Role:

Referrals and assessment

• Triage and co-ordinate client referrals from a range of sources, primarily health and care, in conjunction with the Living Well Manager.  These can be for the Living Well service alone, or for “Living Well Plus” where additional support is given to those clients who may require hoarding or de-cluttering support
• Communicate with referral partners to understand the trigger for referral and liaise with clients to build trust and encourage initial assessment
• Work closely with Adult Social Care, regularly hot desking at Merton Civic centre and joining GP surgery Multi-disciplinary meetings to accumulate more referrals and build professional relationships
• Actively engage in taking part in community events and meetings to promote the Living Well service and increase referrals/referral pathways
• Hold ‘guided conversations’ to assess clients’ needs and home risk, these will be conducted on telephone and through home visits

Action planning and support provision

• Create person-centred action plans to enable clients to set realistic goals to improve their overall health and wellbeing.
• Connect individuals to support services catered to their needs at both Age UK Merton and external partners
• Provide ongoing support and co-ordination for clients to ensure that action plans are progressing, including regular liaison with partners across health, care and voluntary sector to achieve successful client outcomes
• Work with partners across health, care and voluntary sectors to build strong understanding of the service offer for older adults in the London Borough of Merton.
• Receive and respond to enquiries related to the programme by phone, in person and by e-mail
• Work closely within Community Support Service, carrying out joint home visits with appropriate staff to ensure better outcomes for clients as well as ensure streamlined/triaged support.

General

• Record information on the CRM database, Charity Log, including service monitoring data and provide accurate and timely monitoring reports as required for funders
• Engage in exporting personal monthly KPIs as required by the Living Well Manager
• Cover the Community Navigator Role when needed with the Community Support service team on a rota basis
• Create two Case Studies quarterly, reflecting on successful outcomes for clients
• Carry out reviews with clients to capture the client’s journey from assessment to closing the case; showcasing how the client has improved their health and wellbeing outcomes
• Understand the process for raising safeguarding concerns and the route of accountability
• Comply at all times with the policies and procedures of Age UK Merton 
• Ensure that Age UK Merton’s Equal Opportunities policies, principles and practices are observed and implemented throughout service delivery
• Attend staff meetings, personal supervision and appraisal meetings
• Be aware of own training needs and participate in training/education to improve performance considered relevant to the post and to achieve agreed targets
• Act as a representative of the values, beliefs and principles of AUKM at all times
• Undertake any other duties that are requested and commensurate with the grade and remit of the post

Social Prescribing Link Worker

We have rewarding opportunity for a Social Prescribing Link Worker to focus on ‘what matters to me’ and taking a holistic approach to people’s health and wellbeing. If you feel you could connect to people, community groups and statutory services for practical and emotional support, we would love to hear from you!

Position: Social Prescribing Link Worker

Location: Birmingham & North Solihull based in GP Surgeries

Hours: Full time or part-time hours

Contract: Variety of contracts available

Salary: £27,619 per annum pro rata for part-time

Benefits: The provision of workplace wellbeing support and activities, hybrid working where the role allows, flexible working and a range of family friendly policies.

Closing Date: Midnight on Sunday 31st May

Interview Date: Rolling interviews, so apply early.

The Role

Social prescribing link workers will work as a key part of the primary care network (PCN) multi-disciplinary team. Social prescribing can help PCNs to strengthen community and personal resilience and reduces health and wellbeing inequalities by addressing the wider determinants of health, such as debt, poor housing and physical inactivity, by increasing people’s active involvement with their local communities. It particularly works for people with long term conditions (including support for mental health), for people who are lonely or isolated, or have complex social needs which affect their wellbeing.

Responsibilities include:

• Working with direct supervision from the Programme Lead/Senior Link Worker and input from the PCN’s Clinical Lead GP, take referrals from staff in GP practices within the local PCN.
• Provide personalised support to individuals, their families and carers to take control of their health and wellbeing, live independently and improve their health outcomes, as a key member of the PCN multi-disciplinary team.
• Developing trusting relationships and taking a holistic approach, based on the person’s priorities and co-produce a simple personalised care and support plan to improve health and wellbeing, introducing or reconnecting people to community groups and statutory services.
• Work collaboratively with all local partners to contribute towards supporting local community groups and organisations, making themselves aware of local resources and “assets” through mapping and then building a relationship with these organisations.  Also sharing intelligence regarding any gaps or problems identified in local provision with commissioners and local authorities. 
• Social prescribing link workers will work collaboratively with GP’s and have a role in promoting social prescribing and educating non-clinical and clinical staff within their PCN multi-disciplinary teams on the benefits of social prescribing
• Raise awareness of other services available within the community and how and when patients can access them. Linking into the work of Neighbourhood Network Schemes, locality Adult Social Care & Community Mental Health Teams.

About You

As a Social Prescribing Link Worker, you will have a Level 3 qualification in a relevant field (Health & Social Care, Health Trainer, Health Improvement, Community Family Worker, Psychology) or be working towards/willing to work towards.

You will have:

• Demonstrable commitment to professional and personal development
• Experience of working directly in a community based context (including unpaid work)
• Experience of supporting people with a mental health need and or complexities/vulnerabilities
• Experience of delivering one to one support
• Experience of partnership/collaborative working and of building relationships across a variety of organisations
• Knowledge of VCSE and community services in the locality
• Understanding of the wider determinants of health, including social, economic and environmental factors and their impact on communities, individuals, their families and carers
• Understanding of the barriers faced by those living in isolation
• Knowledge of IT systems including ability to use word processing skills, emails, the internet and able to create simple plans and reports
• Ability to complete paperwork, keep records and carry out own administration
• An interview is guaranteed to suitably qualified and experienced people with disabilities and all successful applicants will be subject to an enhanced DBS check

About the Organisation

A leading provider of services to the health and social care sector, with the aim is to reduce inequalities in learning, employment and health. As an employer the organisation is proud to offer a range of benefits to staff including provision of workplace wellbeing support and activities, flexible working and a range of family friendly policies and subsidised parking.

You may also have experience in areas such as Floating Support, Befriending, Community Family Worker, Social Worker, Community Navigator, Peer Support Worker, Welfare Support, Family Worker, Family Support Worker, Benefit, Care, Therapeutic, Therapy, Advice, Adviser, Health, Wellbeing, Social Care, Social Care Services, Health and Social Care. #INDNFP

Please note this role is advertised by the recruitment agency acting for the client – Not For Profit People.