Physical Health Connector

Job Title:  Physical Health Connector x 4

Salary: £25,750

Responsible to: Mental Health and Wellbeing Programme Manager  

Location: Birmingham and Solihull wide  

Hours of Work: 37.5 

Contract Type: Fixed term ending March 2026

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).  

Physical Health Connector 

We are looking for people that have a passion for inspiring others to improve their mental and physical wellbeing through emotional, practical and physical interventions. Creating trusting and trauma sensitive relationships, that empower and enable people to prioritise their physical health and mental wellbeing.  

The Physical Health Connector will support individuals who have been diagnosed with a serious mental health conditions and who are currently recorded on the Serious Mental Illness register with their GP to access their annual health checks. 

As part of an integrated primary care team, the role will provide advice, guidance, signposting and service navigation to access appropriate resources, opportunities and promote self-help care. Co-creation of personalised packages will ensure people get the right support at the right time.  

As part of your role, you will: 

• Offer self-help strategies for mental health concerns and facilitate access to physical health services. 
• Connect individuals with local resources, services, and opportunities. 
• Use motivational interviewing and a person-centered approach to support individuals based on their circumstances and clinical history. 
• Champion physical health monitoring for those with severe mental illness (SMI), addressing health inequalities in line with the NHS Long Term Plan. 
• Educate service users on the importance of physical health checks, support engagement, and liaise with healthcare providers for appointment coordination. 
• Increase awareness among primary care staff about SMI health checks, improve follow-up processes, and strengthen links with lifestyle services. 
• Support practices in understanding and overcoming challenges faced by individuals with SMI, including recall systems and culturally sensitive approaches. 
• Receive referrals for individuals who have not responded to GP outreach and develop strategies for engagement, including outreach models. 
• Adhere to policies, record KPIs, escalate concerns as needed, and comply with safeguarding protocols. 
• Use clinical outcome measures, provide feedback for continuous improvement, and collaborate with stakeholders. 
• Manage appointment bookings, send reminders, and maintain accurate records across relevant healthcare systems. 
• Work with internal and external partners to arrange engagement activities and develop innovative approaches to reach disengaged SMI patients. 

You will bring with you:

• At least 12 months of paid experience in the mental health field, supporting individuals to take control of their lives, particularly in relation to physical health. 
• Proven ability to support people with mental health issues in moving forward with their lives. 
• Experience using conversations (rather than structured questions) to assess an individual’s strengths, needs, and aspirations. 
• Ability to build therapeutic and empowering relationships while maintaining professional boundaries. 
• Develop, implement, and review risk management plans and co-designed support plans. 
• Maintain effective working relationships and promote collaboration with colleagues and local agencies across the Integrated Care System. 
• Practice in a non-discriminatory, inclusive manner, respecting identity, beliefs, and cultural practices. 
• Strong understanding of equal opportunities, social determinants of mental health, and recovery approaches. 
• Excellent verbal, written, and IT skills, with the ability to maintain accurate records on IT systems. 
• Knowledge of recovery-focused tools such as the Recovery Star. 
• Ability to work within service contract time scales and standards. 
• Resilient, flexible, and able to remain calm in stressful or challenging situations. 
• Actively engage in self-reflection, supervision, training, and personal development. 
• Experience liaising with professionals and local community networks, with knowledge of local services and resources. 
• A driving license and access to a vehicle are desirable but not essential. 

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

• 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.

Please submit a cover letter demonstrating how you meet the competencies required for the Physical Health Connector Ensure your application includes detailed responses to each of the questions outlined below:

• At least 12 months of paid experience in the mental health field, supporting individuals to take control of their lives, particularly in relation to physical health.

• Excellent verbal, written, and IT skills, with the ability to maintain accurate records on IT systems.

• Resilient, flexible, and able to remain calm in stressful or challenging situations.

• Ability to build therapeutic and empowering relationships while maintaining professional boundaries.

• Maintain effective working relationships and promote collaboration with colleagues and local agencies

Due to the high numbers of applications we received for our job vacancies, we may close application windows early, so we would encourage you to submit your application ASAP.

We will provide all applicants with an outcome on your application, this will usually be within 1 week of the application window closing.

Successful applicants will be required to be DBS checked prior to starting.

Our customers come from all walks of life and so do we, in recruiting for our team we welcome the unique contributions that you can bring. The Active Wellbeing Society is committed to being an equal opportunity employer, we recruit based upon capability and all applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. At The Active Wellbeing Society we are searching for people who share the passion for what we do with different backgrounds, perspectives and experiences, collectively making a difference.

If there is anything we can do to assist you in your application or preparations to be interviewed for one of our job vacancies please let us know and we can ensure you have a positive and comfortable experience.

Thank you for your interest in working for The Active Wellbeing Society, we look forward to receiving your application.

If you have any questions once you have read the Job Description or would like an informal chat about us, and/or, the role, please contact: [email protected] and we will be happy to help. As part of your application, please specify which vacancy you are interested in. Please note if you don't make reference to your preference, we will assume you are interested in either vacancy. Thank you once again.