Social Prescribing Link Worker
PartnersHealth
This job is now closed
Job summary
Salary - £25,700
£13.14 per hour
If you are innovative and would love the exciting challenge of joining an up and coming patient focused service within a Primary Care Network in Rushcliffe, then this could be the job for you.
If you are self-motivated, enthusiastic and a committed person whose passion is to support and empower individuals to take control of their health and wellbeing, we are looking to recruit a Social Prescribing Link Worker to work within the Rushcliffe PCN.
Main duties of the job
Social Prescribing aims to address non-medical issues that may be causing or exacerbating long term health problems such as mental health, social isolation or have complex social needs which affect their wellbeing. The role is to adopt an holistic non-medical approach, co-designing a social prescription to improve health and wellbeing based on what matters to the individual and their individual strengths and needs and integrating services around the person. The aim in the longer term is to reduce the number of clinical and medical interventions required, to promote independence and resilience and improve wellbeing.
About us
The social prescribing link worker role involves;
Promoting prevention & lifestyle changes.
Engaging patients and connecting them with the wide range of groups and services.
Working with the wider health, social care and voluntary network.
Encouraging a holistic approach for patients with chronic diseases.
Ideally you will have worked in a similar role, but this role would also be suited to someone with good local knowledge, appropriate experience and enthusiasm. If you are proactive, enthusiastic, person-centred and hold a clean driving licence with unlimited access to a car then we would love to hear from you.
For more information, please contact Morgan Sharpe on 07309850937.
Date posted
16 April 2024
Pay scheme
Other
Salary
£25,700 to £28,500 a year
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Full-time
Reference number
A0045-24-0026
Job locations
Rivermead
Cotgrave
Nottingham
NG12 3UQ
Job description
Job responsibilities
Social prescribing empowers people to take control of their health and wellbeing through referral to non-medical link workers who give time, focus on what matters to you and take an holistic approach, connecting people to community groups and statutory services for practical and emotional support. Link workers support existing groups to be accessible and sustainable and help people to start new community groups, working collaboratively with all local partners.
Social prescribing can help to strengthen community resilience and personal resilience, and reduces health inequalities by addressing the wider determinants of health, such as debt, poor housing and physical inactivity, by increasing peoples active involvement with their local communities. It particularly works for people with long-term conditions (including support for mental health), for people who are lonely or isolated, or have complex social needs which affect their wellbeing.
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Take referrals from a wide range of agencies, working with GP practices within primary care networks, pharmacies, multi-disciplinary teams, hospital discharge teams, allied health professionals, fire service, police, job centres, social care services, housing associations, and voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations (list not exhaustive).
Provide personalised support to individuals, their families and carers to take control of their wellbeing, live independently and improve their health outcomes. Develop trusting relationships by giving people time and focus on what matters to me. Take a holistic approach, based on the persons priorities and the wider determinants of health. Co-produce a personalised support plan to improve health and wellbeing, introducing or reconnecting people to community groups and statutory services.
The role will require managing and prioritising your own caseload, in accordance with the needs, priorities and any urgent support required by individuals on the caseload. It is vital that you have a strong awareness and understanding of when it is appropriate or necessary to refer people back to other health professionals/agencies, when what the person needs is beyond the scope of the link worker role e.g. when there is a mental health need requiring a qualified practitioner.
Draw on and increase the strengths and capacities of local communities, enabling local VCSE organisations and community groups to receive social prescribing referrals. Ensure they are supported, have basic safeguarding processes for vulnerable individuals and can provide opportunities for the person to develop friendships, a sense of belonging, and build knowledge, skills and confidence.
Work together with all local partners to collectively ensure that local VCSE organisations and community groups are sustainable and that community assets are nurtured, by making them aware of small grants or micro-commissioning if available, including providing support to set up new community groups and services, where gaps are identified in local provision.
KEY TASKS
Referrals
Promoting social prescribing, its role in self-management, and the wider determinants of health.
Build relationships with key staff in GP practices within the local Primary Care Network (PCN), attending relevant meetings, becoming part of the wider network team, giving information and feedback on social prescribing.
Be proactive in developing strong links with all local agencies to encourage referrals, recognising what they need to be confident in the service to make appropriate referrals.
Work in partnership with all local agencies to raise awareness of social prescribing and how partnership working can reduce pressure on statutory services, improve health outcomes and enable a holistic approach to care.
Provide referral agencies with regular updates about social prescribing, including training for their staff and how to access information to encourage appropriate referrals.
Seek regular feedback about the quality of service and impact of social prescribing on referral agencies.
Be proactive in encouraging self-referrals and connecting with all local communities, particularly those communities that statutory agencies may find hard to reach.
Provide personalised support
Meet people on a one-to-one basis, making home visits where appropriate within organisations policies and procedures. Give people time to tell their stories and focus on what matters to me. Build trust with the person, providing non- judgemental support, respecting diversity and lifestyle choices. Work from a strength-based approach focusing on a persons assets.
Be a friendly source of information about wellbeing and prevention approaches.
Help people identify the wider issues that impact on their health and wellbeing, such as debt, poor housing, being unemployed, loneliness and caring responsibilities.
Work with the person, their families and carers and consider how they can all be supported through social prescribing.
Help people maintain or regain independence through living skills, adaptations, enablement approaches and simple safeguards.
Work with individuals to co-produce a simple personalised support plan based on the persons priorities, interests, values and motivations including what they can expect from the groups, activities and services they are being connected to and what the person can do for themselves to improve their health and wellbeing.
Where appropriate, physically introduce people to community groups, activities and statutory services, ensuring they are comfortable. Follow up to ensure they are happy, able to engage, included and receiving good support.
Where people may be eligible for a personal health budget, help them to explore this option as a way of providing funded, personalised support to be independent, including helping people to gain skills for meaningful employment, where appropriate.
Support community groups and VCSE organisations to receive referrals
Forge strong links with local VCSE organisations, community and neighbourhood level groups, utilising their networks and building on whats already available to create a map or menu of community groups and assets. Use these opportunities to promote micro-commissioning or small grants if available.
Develop supportive relationships with local VCSE organisations, community groups and statutory services, to make timely, appropriate and supported referrals for the person being introduced.
Ensure that local community groups and VCSE organisations being referred to have basic procedures in place for ensuring that vulnerable individuals are safe and, where there are safeguarding concerns, work with all partners to deal appropriately with issues. Where such policies and procedures are not in place, support groups to work towards this standard before referrals are made to them.
Check that community groups and VCSE organisations meet in insured premises and that health and safety requirements are in place. Where such policies and procedures are not in place, support groups to work towards this standard before referrals are made to them.
Support local groups to act in accordance with information governance policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with the Data Protection Act.
Work collectively with all local partners to ensure community groups are strong and sustainable
Work with commissioners and local partners to identify unmet needs within the community and gaps in community provision.
Support local partners and commissioners to develop new groups and services where needed, through small grants for community groups, micro-commissioning and development support.
Encourage people who have been connected to community support through social prescribing to volunteer and give their time freely to others, in order to build their skills and confidence, and strengthen community resilience.
Develop a team of volunteers within your service to provide buddying support for people, starting new groups and finding creative community solutions to local issues.
Encourage people, their families and carers to provide peer support and to do things together, such as setting up new community groups or volunteering.
Provide a regular confidence survey to community groups receiving referrals, to ensure that they are strong, sustained and have the support they need to be part of social prescribing.
Data capture
Work sensitively with people, their families and carers to capture key information,
enabling tracking of the impact of social prescribing on their health and wellbeing.
Encourage people, their families and carers to provide feedback and to share their stories about the impact of social prescribing on their lives.
Support referral agencies to provide appropriate information about the person they are referring. Use the case management system to track the persons progress. Provide appropriate feedback to referral agencies about the people they referred.
Work closely with GP practices within the PCN to ensure that social prescribing referral codes are inputted to EMIS/SystmOne/Vision and that the persons use of the NHS can be tracked, adhering to data protection legislation and data sharing agreements with the clinical commissioning group (CCG).
Clinical Governance
Identify risk issues that impact on peoples health or social care needs.
Take appropriate action to the significance of the risk and consistent with protection procedures, applying protection procedures, following lone worker procedure.
Demonstrate effective team working inclusive of all relevant professionals.
Report all accidents / incidents, and all ill health, failings in equipment and / or environment to line managers.
Contribute towards audit and data collection as required.
Once assessed as competent will be accountable for their own practice within their area of
responsibility when identified and agreed with the line manager.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Social prescribing empowers people to take control of their health and wellbeing through referral to non-medical link workers who give time, focus on what matters to you and take an holistic approach, connecting people to community groups and statutory services for practical and emotional support. Link workers support existing groups to be accessible and sustainable and help people to start new community groups, working collaboratively with all local partners.
Social prescribing can help to strengthen community resilience and personal resilience, and reduces health inequalities by addressing the wider determinants of health, such as debt, poor housing and physical inactivity, by increasing peoples active involvement with their local communities. It particularly works for people with long-term conditions (including support for mental health), for people who are lonely or isolated, or have complex social needs which affect their wellbeing.
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Take referrals from a wide range of agencies, working with GP practices within primary care networks, pharmacies, multi-disciplinary teams, hospital discharge teams, allied health professionals, fire service, police, job centres, social care services, housing associations, and voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations (list not exhaustive).
Provide personalised support to individuals, their families and carers to take control of their wellbeing, live independently and improve their health outcomes. Develop trusting relationships by giving people time and focus on what matters to me. Take a holistic approach, based on the persons priorities and the wider determinants of health. Co-produce a personalised support plan to improve health and wellbeing, introducing or reconnecting people to community groups and statutory services.
The role will require managing and prioritising your own caseload, in accordance with the needs, priorities and any urgent support required by individuals on the caseload. It is vital that you have a strong awareness and understanding of when it is appropriate or necessary to refer people back to other health professionals/agencies, when what the person needs is beyond the scope of the link worker role e.g. when there is a mental health need requiring a qualified practitioner.
Draw on and increase the strengths and capacities of local communities, enabling local VCSE organisations and community groups to receive social prescribing referrals. Ensure they are supported, have basic safeguarding processes for vulnerable individuals and can provide opportunities for the person to develop friendships, a sense of belonging, and build knowledge, skills and confidence.
Work together with all local partners to collectively ensure that local VCSE organisations and community groups are sustainable and that community assets are nurtured, by making them aware of small grants or micro-commissioning if available, including providing support to set up new community groups and services, where gaps are identified in local provision.
KEY TASKS
Referrals
Promoting social prescribing, its role in self-management, and the wider determinants of health.
Build relationships with key staff in GP practices within the local Primary Care Network (PCN), attending relevant meetings, becoming part of the wider network team, giving information and feedback on social prescribing.
Be proactive in developing strong links with all local agencies to encourage referrals, recognising what they need to be confident in the service to make appropriate referrals.
Work in partnership with all local agencies to raise awareness of social prescribing and how partnership working can reduce pressure on statutory services, improve health outcomes and enable a holistic approach to care.
Provide referral agencies with regular updates about social prescribing, including training for their staff and how to access information to encourage appropriate referrals.
Seek regular feedback about the quality of service and impact of social prescribing on referral agencies.
Be proactive in encouraging self-referrals and connecting with all local communities, particularly those communities that statutory agencies may find hard to reach.
Provide personalised support
Meet people on a one-to-one basis, making home visits where appropriate within organisations policies and procedures. Give people time to tell their stories and focus on what matters to me. Build trust with the person, providing non- judgemental support, respecting diversity and lifestyle choices. Work from a strength-based approach focusing on a persons assets.
Be a friendly source of information about wellbeing and prevention approaches.
Help people identify the wider issues that impact on their health and wellbeing, such as debt, poor housing, being unemployed, loneliness and caring responsibilities.
Work with the person, their families and carers and consider how they can all be supported through social prescribing.
Help people maintain or regain independence through living skills, adaptations, enablement approaches and simple safeguards.
Work with individuals to co-produce a simple personalised support plan based on the persons priorities, interests, values and motivations including what they can expect from the groups, activities and services they are being connected to and what the person can do for themselves to improve their health and wellbeing.
Where appropriate, physically introduce people to community groups, activities and statutory services, ensuring they are comfortable. Follow up to ensure they are happy, able to engage, included and receiving good support.
Where people may be eligible for a personal health budget, help them to explore this option as a way of providing funded, personalised support to be independent, including helping people to gain skills for meaningful employment, where appropriate.
Support community groups and VCSE organisations to receive referrals
Forge strong links with local VCSE organisations, community and neighbourhood level groups, utilising their networks and building on whats already available to create a map or menu of community groups and assets. Use these opportunities to promote micro-commissioning or small grants if available.
Develop supportive relationships with local VCSE organisations, community groups and statutory services, to make timely, appropriate and supported referrals for the person being introduced.
Ensure that local community groups and VCSE organisations being referred to have basic procedures in place for ensuring that vulnerable individuals are safe and, where there are safeguarding concerns, work with all partners to deal appropriately with issues. Where such policies and procedures are not in place, support groups to work towards this standard before referrals are made to them.
Check that community groups and VCSE organisations meet in insured premises and that health and safety requirements are in place. Where such policies and procedures are not in place, support groups to work towards this standard before referrals are made to them.
Support local groups to act in accordance with information governance policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with the Data Protection Act.
Work collectively with all local partners to ensure community groups are strong and sustainable
Work with commissioners and local partners to identify unmet needs within the community and gaps in community provision.
Support local partners and commissioners to develop new groups and services where needed, through small grants for community groups, micro-commissioning and development support.
Encourage people who have been connected to community support through social prescribing to volunteer and give their time freely to others, in order to build their skills and confidence, and strengthen community resilience.
Develop a team of volunteers within your service to provide buddying support for people, starting new groups and finding creative community solutions to local issues.
Encourage people, their families and carers to provide peer support and to do things together, such as setting up new community groups or volunteering.
Provide a regular confidence survey to community groups receiving referrals, to ensure that they are strong, sustained and have the support they need to be part of social prescribing.
Data capture
Work sensitively with people, their families and carers to capture key information,
enabling tracking of the impact of social prescribing on their health and wellbeing.
Encourage people, their families and carers to provide feedback and to share their stories about the impact of social prescribing on their lives.
Support referral agencies to provide appropriate information about the person they are referring. Use the case management system to track the persons progress. Provide appropriate feedback to referral agencies about the people they referred.
Work closely with GP practices within the PCN to ensure that social prescribing referral codes are inputted to EMIS/SystmOne/Vision and that the persons use of the NHS can be tracked, adhering to data protection legislation and data sharing agreements with the clinical commissioning group (CCG).
Clinical Governance
Identify risk issues that impact on peoples health or social care needs.
Take appropriate action to the significance of the risk and consistent with protection procedures, applying protection procedures, following lone worker procedure.
Demonstrate effective team working inclusive of all relevant professionals.
Report all accidents / incidents, and all ill health, failings in equipment and / or environment to line managers.
Contribute towards audit and data collection as required.
Once assessed as competent will be accountable for their own practice within their area of
responsibility when identified and agreed with the line manager.
Person Specification
Other
Essential
- Meets DBS reference standards and has a clear criminal record, in line with the law on spent convictions. Willingness to work flexible hours when required to meet work demands. Current full driving licence and sole use of car. Ability to travel across the locality on a regular basis, including to visit people in their own homes.
Skills & Knowledge
Essential
- Understanding of the wider determinants of health, including social, economic and environmental factors and their impact on communities. Knowledge of community development approaches. Knowledge of IT systems, including ability to use word processing skills, emails and the internet to create simple plans and reports. Knowledge of motivational coaching and interview skills.
Desirable
- Knowledge of VCSE and community services in the locality. Awareness of GDPR. Awareness of Safeguarding Children & Adults. Knowledge of the personalised care approach.
Qualifications
Essential
- NVQ Level 3, Advanced level or equivalent qualifications or working towards this level. Demonstrable commitment to professional and personal development.
Desirable
- Training in motivational coaching and interviewing or equivalent experience.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working directly in a community development context, adult health and social care, learning support or public health/health improvement (including unpaid work). Experience of supporting people, their families and carers in a related role (including unpaid work). Experience of working with the VCSE sector (in a paid or unpaid capacity), including with volunteers and small community groups. Experience of partnership/collaborative working and of building relationships across a variety of organisations.
Desirable
- Experience of supporting people with their mental health, either in a paid, unpaid or informal capacity. Experience of data collection and providing monitoring information to assess the impact of services.
Personal Qualities & Training
Essential
- Ability to listen, empathise with people and provide person- centred support in a non-judgemental way. Able to get along with people from all backgrounds and communities, respecting lifestyles and diversity. Commitment to reducing health inequalities and proactively working to reach people from all communities. Able to support people in a way that inspires trust and confidence, motivating others to reach their potential. Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with people, their families, carers, community groups, partner agencies and stakeholders. Ability to identify risk and assess/manage risk when working with individuals. Have a strong awareness and understanding of when it is appropriate or necessary to refer people back to other health professionals/agencies, when what the person needs is beyond the scope of the link worker role e.g. when there is a mental health need requiring a qualified practitioner. Able to work from an asset based approach, building on existing community and personal assets. Able to provide leadership and to finish work tasks. Ability to maintain effective working relationships and to promote collaborative practice with all colleagues. Commitment to collaborative working with all local agencies (including VCSE organisations and community groups). Able to work with others to reduce hierarchies and find creative solutions to community issues. Demonstrates personal accountability, emotional resilience and works well under pressure. Ability to organise, plan and prioritise on own initiative, including when under pressure and meeting deadlines. High level of written and oral communication skills. Ability to work flexibly and enthusiastically within a team or on own initiative. Understanding of the needs of small volunteer-led community groups and ability to support their development. Knowledge of and ability to work to policies and procedures, including confidentiality, safeguarding, lone working, information governance, and health and safety.
Desirable
- Experience of working with over 65s.
Person Specification
Other
Essential
- Meets DBS reference standards and has a clear criminal record, in line with the law on spent convictions. Willingness to work flexible hours when required to meet work demands. Current full driving licence and sole use of car. Ability to travel across the locality on a regular basis, including to visit people in their own homes.
Skills & Knowledge
Essential
- Understanding of the wider determinants of health, including social, economic and environmental factors and their impact on communities. Knowledge of community development approaches. Knowledge of IT systems, including ability to use word processing skills, emails and the internet to create simple plans and reports. Knowledge of motivational coaching and interview skills.
Desirable
- Knowledge of VCSE and community services in the locality. Awareness of GDPR. Awareness of Safeguarding Children & Adults. Knowledge of the personalised care approach.
Qualifications
Essential
- NVQ Level 3, Advanced level or equivalent qualifications or working towards this level. Demonstrable commitment to professional and personal development.
Desirable
- Training in motivational coaching and interviewing or equivalent experience.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working directly in a community development context, adult health and social care, learning support or public health/health improvement (including unpaid work). Experience of supporting people, their families and carers in a related role (including unpaid work). Experience of working with the VCSE sector (in a paid or unpaid capacity), including with volunteers and small community groups. Experience of partnership/collaborative working and of building relationships across a variety of organisations.
Desirable
- Experience of supporting people with their mental health, either in a paid, unpaid or informal capacity. Experience of data collection and providing monitoring information to assess the impact of services.
Personal Qualities & Training
Essential
- Ability to listen, empathise with people and provide person- centred support in a non-judgemental way. Able to get along with people from all backgrounds and communities, respecting lifestyles and diversity. Commitment to reducing health inequalities and proactively working to reach people from all communities. Able to support people in a way that inspires trust and confidence, motivating others to reach their potential. Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with people, their families, carers, community groups, partner agencies and stakeholders. Ability to identify risk and assess/manage risk when working with individuals. Have a strong awareness and understanding of when it is appropriate or necessary to refer people back to other health professionals/agencies, when what the person needs is beyond the scope of the link worker role e.g. when there is a mental health need requiring a qualified practitioner. Able to work from an asset based approach, building on existing community and personal assets. Able to provide leadership and to finish work tasks. Ability to maintain effective working relationships and to promote collaborative practice with all colleagues. Commitment to collaborative working with all local agencies (including VCSE organisations and community groups). Able to work with others to reduce hierarchies and find creative solutions to community issues. Demonstrates personal accountability, emotional resilience and works well under pressure. Ability to organise, plan and prioritise on own initiative, including when under pressure and meeting deadlines. High level of written and oral communication skills. Ability to work flexibly and enthusiastically within a team or on own initiative. Understanding of the needs of small volunteer-led community groups and ability to support their development. Knowledge of and ability to work to policies and procedures, including confidentiality, safeguarding, lone working, information governance, and health and safety.
Desirable
- Experience of working with over 65s.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Employer details
Employer name
PartnersHealth
Address
Rivermead
Cotgrave
Nottingham
NG12 3UQ
Employer's website
Employer details
Employer name
PartnersHealth
Address
Rivermead
Cotgrave
Nottingham
NG12 3UQ
Employer's website
For questions about the job, contact:
Date posted
16 April 2024
Pay scheme
Other
Salary
£25,700 to £28,500 a year
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Full-time
Reference number
A0045-24-0026
Job locations
Rivermead
Cotgrave
Nottingham
NG12 3UQ