Mental Health and Work Specialist WorkWell Norfolk


Company:	NHS Jobs
Salary:	from £22,400 a year
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Broadland Business Park, NR7 0WF
Job type:	Contract
Posting date:	15 Oct 2026
Closing date:	8 Nov 2026

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Summary

1. Key Responsibilities 1.1 Mental Health Assessment and Risk Management Undertake mental health assessments for participants identified at triage, by Work and Health Coaches or at MDT as needing clinical mental health input, jointly with the participant's Work and Health Coach wherever possible so the participant only tells their story once. Understanding of mental health recovery, secondary mental health services, and the challenges faced by people with severe or enduring mental health issues Assess and manage risk where participants express thoughts of suicide or self-harm (which is not an exclusion criterion), agreeing safety plans and advising whether WorkWell is the most appropriate service at that time. Advise the ANP and SPOA on triage decisions for referrals with significant mental health need, within the one working day triage standard on working days, with agreed arrangements for clinical cover on non-working days. Where a participant's needs go beyond a low-intensity offer, arrange a warm handover to the right service (for example NHS Talking Therapies, community mental health or crisis services) and follow up so that support is integrated into their WorkWell plan. Deliver care for accepted participants in partnership with their GP and/or existing mental health worker, keeping them informed of assessment, risk and outcomes. Recognise neurodiversity and learning disability and adapt assessment and support accordingly. 1.2 Brief, Work-Focused Interventions Hold a small, time-limited caseload [indicative size TBC] of participants needing clinical mental health intervention within the WorkWell model of approximately eight weeks. Deliver evidence-based, low-intensity psychological interventions, one to one or in groups (for example CBT-informed approaches, behavioural activation, anxiety and stress management, sleep and self-management support). Focus interventions on work: confidence and anxiety about returning, managing symptoms in the workplace, disclosure and conversations with employers. Contribute the mental health elements of the participant's personalised care plan and SMART goals, embedding Making Every Contact Count (MECC). Advise participants, coaches and (with consent) employers on reasonable adjustments, phased returns and changes of duties for people with mental health conditions. Where professionally eligible and assessed as competent, certify fit notes (Med3) for participants under WorkWell care in line with DHSC and DWP guidance, updating the clinical record and informing the GP. Use outcome measures (including EQ-5D and the Attitudes to Work and Health questionnaire) to review progress and inform discharge. 1.3 MDT Contribution and Case Consultation Attend the WorkWell MDT, providing the mental health perspective on case discussion, risk, onward referral and discharge decisions. Offer case consultation to Work and Health Coaches between MDT meetings, helping them continue to support participants with mental health needs within their competence. Review complex or stalled cases where mental health is a barrier to progress and recommend next steps. Prioritise limited clinical time with the ANP, balancing direct caseload, consultation, supervision and training so the role has the greatest impact across the six Norfolk neighbourhood areas. 1.4 Supervision, Training and Education Provide clinical supervision and reflective practice to Work and Health Coaches on the mental health aspects of their work, including the low-level interventions they deliver under supervision of a registered clinician. Design and deliver training for the WorkWell team on mental health awareness, risk conversations, safety planning and when to escalate. Support education for employers and system partners on mental health and work, a priority identified by employers in the ICB's engagement survey. Advise on the content of condition-specific self-care resources used by the team. 1.5 Clinical Governance, Records and Partnerships Work within the WorkWell clinical governance framework so that assessment, intervention and discharge are clinically safe, evidence based and in line with professional standards. Maintain accurate, contemporaneous clinical records, including updates to the participant's GP record (SystmOne or EMIS), in line with the relevant professional codes, UK GDPR and NPC information governance policies. Identify and escalate safeguarding concerns for adults and children, applying the Mental Capacity Act, in line with ICB and NPC policies. Report incidents and contribute to learning in line with the NPC Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) Policy. Build working relationships and clear referral routes with NHS Talking Therapies (including its employment advisers), Individual Placement and Support services, community mental health and crisis services, and VCFSE mental health providers. Feedback themes on unmet mental health need and gaps in local provision to the ANP and Clinical Lead to inform service improvement and ICB commissioning. 2. Communication and Stakeholder Engagement Communicate sensitively and effectively with participants experiencing distress, and with carers and families where appropriate. Liaise with GPs, mental health services and other professionals about participants' care, risk and outcomes. Explain mental health need and its impact on work in plain language to non-clinical colleagues and, with consent, employers. Contribute mental health information to service reports, audits and evaluation as required by the ANP and WorkWell Service Manager. 2.1 Other Responsibilities Working with the ANP, WorkWell Service Manager and wider team: Contribute to the development of WorkWell pathways, protocols and risk procedures for participants with mental health needs. Take part in clinical audit, including the quarterly Clinical Triage Audit where mental health cases are sampled. Participate in own clinical supervision and maintain professional registration and revalidation. Work flexibly within contracted hours to meet service need, by agreement. Undertake other ad hoc duties as requested by the ANP or WorkWell Service Manager.

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