Health & Wellbeing Link Worker (Military Families Focus)
Richmondshire Primary Care Network (PCN)
Part-Time: 12 hours per week (with potential scope to increase hours once post is established)
Location: Richmondshire, North Yorkshire
Closing date 31/07/2026
Please include a covering letter explaining why you would be great for the job role with your application.
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join North Yorkshire sport and our primary care team at Richmondshire Primary Care Network (PCN). We are recruiting a Health and Wellbeing Link Worker with a dedicated focus on supporting military families and recently transitioned veterans, helping them navigate local health and care services and promoting positive wellbeing as they settle into life in Richmondshire.
Since 2015, the NHS and Ministry of Defence (MOD) have been working together on plans to enhance the range of health and care services for Catterick Garrison and the wider Richmondshire area to help address:
- capacity to support growing numbers of military personnel, dependants and families, as well as the residential population
- limited service integration and communication
- lack of parity in terms of service (military vs NHS)
- mental health and children’s service provision
- access to services
- quality of estates
- rurality and travel
The CICC will introduce an innovative alignment between the NHS and MOD to deliver an integrated service offer to military personnel, their dependents and veterans as well as local residents in Catterick and the Richmondshire area which is fit for the future. It is expected that the CICC will become a centre of excellence and a model of best practice for integrated primary care within our region and nationally.
About the Role
This role has been specifically developed to address the unique health and well-being needs of military-connected families and veterans who have either recently moved to the area due to posting or transitioned from military to civilian life. The Link Worker will support military families and veterans to connect with local services to improve health and wellbeing outcomes in the population.
You will work closely with GP practices, statutory agencies, and voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations to:
● Visit families in their homes or preferred community settings to offer personalised, non-clinical support.
● Provide information, advice, and guidance on available services (NHS, local authority, Armed Forces charities, and other VCSE partners).
● Conduct basic opportunistic health checks, such as measuring blood pressure, height, and weight, as appropriate.
● Offer low-level health education and signposting that aligns with current public health priorities and local health promotion campaigns.
This role will contribute to our broader ambition to deliver culturally responsive, accessible and family-centred primary care, and sits within a broader system-wide commitment to uphold the Armed Forces Covenant.
You will be employed by our local authority but work directly with the PCN
Who We’re Looking For
We are seeking a motivated and compassionate individual who understands the specific pressures faced by military families, including frequent relocation, social isolation, and unfamiliarity with health and social support services in the community. Experience of working with Armed Forces communities is highly desirable. You will bring strong interpersonal skills, a proactive attitude, and a commitment to improving health equity in a rural and military-populated region.
If you are committed and enthusiastic & looking for an exciting role within an evolving and innovative project, then we would be delighted to hear from you.
BASE: You will be based in the following locality
you will work within the PCN which covers the following practices: Scorton Medical Centre, Scorton ; Quakers Lane Surgery, Richmond ; The Friary Surgery, Richmond ; Doctors Lane Surgery, Aldbrough St John ; Catterick Village Surgery, Catterick ; Leyburn Medical Practice, Leyburn ; Harewood Medical Practice, Catterick Garrison and Central Dales Practice, Hawes
The successful applicant will be joining a dedicated multidisciplinary workforce delivering a personalised and integrated care service for all military families and veterans. They will become part of a forward thinking PCN which is committed to the development of a dedicated, caring and resilient multidisciplinary primary care workforce.
Key responsibilities
The Health & Wellbeing Link Worker will provide proactive, community-based support to military families and veterans who have recently relocated to the Richmondshire area.
Responsibilities may include but not be limited to the following:
1. Navigation and Signposting
Support individuals and families to understand and access relevant local services, including but not limited to:
● NHS GP practices and the full range of services they provide
● PCN-based services such as first contact physiotherapists, first contact mental health practitioners and social prescribers
● Armed Forces-specific support networks, social groups, and welfare services
● Local dental practices, opticians, and allied health services
● Pharmacy First services and local community pharmacies
● Weight management, smoking cessation, and healthy lifestyle services
● Maternity and early years services, including midwifery, health visitors, and Early Help/0-19 teams
● Local Authority teams, including children’s services, adult social care, housing, and family support
● Translation and interpretation services for families with English as an additional language
2. Health Education and Promotion
Deliver brief, evidence-based health education tailored to individuals and families, including:
● National screening programmes (e.g. cervical, breast, bowel)
● Childhood and adult immunisations
● Long-term condition awareness (e.g. asthma, diabetes, hypertension)
● Self-care and health literacy in line with current public health campaigns
3. Opportunistic Health Checks
Where appropriate, carry out simple health measurements, including:
● Height, weight, and blood pressure recordings
● Infant and child weight checks (as part of wider family wellbeing reviews)
● Ensure findings are recorded and communicated in line with clinical governance
4. Supporting Continuity of Care
● Gather information regarding current or historic specialist treatment, referrals, or planned procedures
● Liaise with GP practices to enable accurate and timely transfer of care, ensuring continuity for families relocating in accordance with the Armed Forces Covenant
● Develop a working knowledge of NHS referral pathways and local service eligibility criteria to support accurate and timely signposting
5. Advocacy, Cultural Competence and Escalation
● Build trust with families through culturally informed, trauma-aware engagement
● Develop a working understanding of military life, transitions, deployment cycles, and the specific cultural and ethnic contexts of Gurkha, Fijian, and other non-UK Armed Forces communities.
● Escalate any health or welfare concerns to the clinical supervisor or lead GP as appropriate
6. Collaborative Working and Partnership Building
Develop and maintain strong working relationships with:
● PCN social prescribers and care coordinators
● Local GP practice teams, including military-specific practices
● Army welfare units and the Defence Medical Welfare Service
● Local VCSE organisations and statutory service providers
7. Confidentiality
- In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information in relation to their health and other matters. They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately
- In the performance of the duties outlined in this Job Description, the post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, practice staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to local practices and the organisation as business organisations. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential
- Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the organisation and practices may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the organisation and practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data.
8. Health & Safety
The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the organisation Health & Safety Policy, to include:
- Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines
9. Equality and Diversity
The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include:
- Acting in a way that recognises the importance of people’s rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with the organisations procedures and policies, and current legislation and also that of any practices you may be working in
- Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues
- Behaving in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.
10. Personal/Professional Development
The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the organisation as part of this employment, such training to include:
- Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development
- Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work.
11. Quality
The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the organisation and member practices, and will:
- Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk
- Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision
- Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the team’s performance
- Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients’ needs
- Effectively manage own time, workload and resources.
12. Communication
The post-holder should recognise the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:
- Communicate effectively with other team members
- Communicate effectively with patients and carers
- Recognise people’s needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly.
13. Contribution to the Implementation of Services
The post-holder will:
- Apply the organisations policies, standards and guidance and those of general practice where appropriate
- Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work
- Participate in audit where appropriate.
14. Special Working Conditions
· The post-holder is required to travel independently between practice sites (where applicable) and to attend meeting etc. hosted by other agencies
· The post-holder will be expected to support the work of the PCN and its constituent practices as required.
ANY OTHER DELEGATED DUTIES CONSIDERED APPROPRIATE TO THE POST.
This job description covers the main duties that the post holder will be expected to undertake. These duties may be revised from time-to-time following consultation with the post holder.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Criteria
Qualifications / Education
● GCSE Grade A-C in Maths and English or skills level 2 Maths & English or equivalent
· Relevant health and/or social care qualification or equivalent experience
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
● Experience of working with Armed Forces Community and/or strong understanding of the needs of this population including an understanding of the Armed Forces Covenant
● Experience of delivering services to vulnerable individuals who may have multiple needs
● Experience of empowering individuals to make informed choices regarding their physical and emotional wellbeing
· An understanding of safeguarding for vulnerable adults and ability to implement relevant policies and procedures
· Experience of collaborative / partnership working and of building relationships across a variety of organisations
Desirable
● Significant experience of working in partnership and collaboratively with agencies across the public and voluntary sector
● Applied knowledge of risk assessment and management
● Experience of data collection and providing monitoring information to assess the impact of services
● Training in motivational coaching and interviewing or equivalent experience
● Experience carrying out basic health checks such as weight, height and blood pressure
Skills
Essential
· Excellent communication and negotiation skills to build and nurture relationships at a personal and community level with an ability to relate well to individuals of all ages and all backgrounds
· Ability to effectively time manage and prioritise own workload in accordance with the needs, priorities and any urgent support required by individuals you are working with
· Empathetic approach, ability to develop trusting relationships
· Ability to work flexibly and effectively both independently as part of a wider team
· Ability to record referrals and keep accurate up to date records using GP clinical systems – Systm1 – and competent in the use of Microsoft Office
· Excellent holistic assessment skills, experience of providing empowering support to adults in a way which improves health and wellbeing
· Ability to act with confidentiality, discretion and regard to sensitivity of information
· Clear and polite telephone manner
· Demonstrates personal accountability, emotional resilience and works well under pressure
· Able to work with others to reduce hierarchies and find creative solutions to community issues
Desirable
· Ability to record referrals and keep accurate up to date records using GP clinical systems – Systm1
· Knowledge of the personalised care agenda
· Understand confidentiality and the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)
Other
· Positive work ethic – professional, enthusiastic, dependable and conscientious
· Proactive approach to personal development and the updating of skills and knowledge
· Positive approach with ability to work on own initiative and make a proactive contribution to the development of the role
· Access to own transport and ability to travel across the area
· Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check
Pay: Up to £29,500.00 per year
Work Location: In person
