OUR WELLBEING OUTREACH SERVICE
Our Wellbeing Outreach Service is designed to help people living with a Serious Mental Illness (SMI) and Carers to have annual health checks.
Carers and people living with a Serious Mental Issue face considerable challenges in the lives which in turn increases the likelihood of poorer health conditions.
Health Checks help to identify heath concerns you may not be aware of, which improves access to early heath treatments or interventions for better health outcomes of the person.
Our Wellbeing Outreach Service works collaboratively with GPs to increase the uptake of Health Checks and flu vaccines within the Practice for patients with a Serious Mental Illness and carers.
Wellbeing Outreach Workers use their strong interpersonal and communication skills to collaborate with Practice Managers, Social Prescribers and GPs to increase the number of yearly health checks received.
Our Wellbeing outreach team are currently working with 8 GP practices in the Brent and will continue to expand on the number of practices we engage with.
A few ways the Wellbeing Outreach team engage with GP practices is by:
- Encouraging GPs to text their SMI patients about health check-ups and flu vaccinations, improving Carer identification and GP registration for SMI patients
- Promoting the benefits of health check-ups and flu shots to SMI patients and patients who are Carers
- Encouraging and reminding SMI patients & Carers of their Health check appointments and talking to them about any reservations or concerns.
Interactions between patients and Well-being Outreach Workers are confidential. Furthermore, Wellbeing Outreach Workers are required to follow-up with patients regarding treatments and outcomes following their health check appointment. For example, determine whether their health problems were addressed or whether they received assistance from their GP following the appointment.
Wellbeing Outreach Workers will also encourage individuals to keep up to date with their flu and covid vaccinations.
Wellbeing Outreach is regularly undertaken via talks and information stalls at community events around Brent and within GP surgeries. They are all designed to raise awareness on the benefits of health checks, alongside building rapport with carers and SMI patients to increase the take up of health checks and improve their wellbeing.
Also, our Wellbeing Outreach Workers are linked in and build connections with other support services in the borough, enabling them to make referrals and signposting where necessary to other services which may be required within Brent Carers Centre. For example, services such as respite, counselling, and form-filling assistance (including those services delivered by other agencies in Brent.)
If you are either:
a Carer or a person living with a Serious Mental Illness and would like support to get your free health check; or
a GP who would benefit from working collaboratively with our Wellbeing Outreach Service
Please call us on 020 3802 7070 and ask for the Wellbeing Outreach Service.