Clinical Support Assistant

A rare and exciting opportunity has arisen for a clinical support assistant to join the Primary Care Physical Health Service (PCPHS) workingacross South Tyneside. The PCPHS is an outward facing team, working directly with General Practitioners (GP) and other Primary Care and third sector agenciesacross South Tyneside. The service is looking for highly motivated and enthusiastic individuals to jointhe team and help improve how care is implemented across the borough.The PCPHS is responsible for improving the physical health monitoring of individuals with a diagnosed serious mental illness (SMI) and/orlearning disability and/or autism in accordance with NICE Guidelines. It is well recognised that people within these population groups have a far lower lifeexpectancy than those in the general population (15-20 years in some cases), often due to avoidablephysical health conditions. This is due to a number of factors including poor access to health services, not always recognising a health
need, poor lifestyle choices and side effects topsychotropic medication., The PCPHS offer community-based assertive outreach work, as well as working directly into individual GP Practices. The successful applicantwill be required to complete yearly physical health checks for those individuals identified via the GP network - this will include blood monitoring, checking blood pressure, height, weight, BMI and in some cases offering an electrocardiogram (ECG). The role requires clinical skills andcompetence in not only offering a comprehensive physical health assessment but also low level therapeutic intervention regarding the individual'shealth, lifestyle and access to appropriate health services including signposting to external agencies and services.The PCPHS function as a clinical MDT from both within the organisation and with partner agencies and services to holistically and seamlesslymeet the needs of the population of South Tyneside.

We aim to attract and retain a diverse, talented and committed workforce, who are caring and compassionate, and therefore able to meet thedemands of a modern NHS, now and in the future. In return we can offer a dynamic working environment in which to build a career.