Neighbourhood Navigator Supervisor (Brompton Health PCN)

Purpose of the Role:

The Neighbourhood Navigator Supervisor will oversee and support the Neighbourhood Navigator team while also directly engaging in patient-facing activities. This role involves overseeing the daily activities of the team, managing operational aspects such as rota planning, holiday approvals, and return-to-work processes and appraisals while actively participating in navigation duties to ensure high-quality service delivery across the health and social care system. The post holder will also be actively involved in supporting the PCN leadership in the development of the service

The role will comprise of 50% leadership and supervision and 50% patient-facing with a defined caseload.

The role requires a proactive, caring, reliable, and dedicated individual who enjoys working with a diverse range of people and supporting a team to deliver exceptional service. The ideal candidate will have strong leadership skills, excellent written and verbal communication, and effective organisational and time management skills, which are essential for this role. The post holder should be experienced and confident in handling difficult situations, conflict resolution, and general troubleshooting.

What Neighbourhood Navigators Do:

Neighbourhood Navigators are central to helping people get the support they need to access health and wellbeing resources. They work directly with local communities to build trusting relationships, listen to what matters to individuals, and help them navigate the complexities of the health and care system. Their goal is to empower people, particularly those from ‘seldom heard’ groups, to become more active in managing their own health and care.

Brompton Primary Care Network is a group of 12 practices all based in the south of Kensington and Chelsea. South Kensington and Chelsea PCN covers five practices which are also all located in the south of the borough. The two PCNs are working together to pool resources and create a team of Neighbourhood Navigators across the south of the borough. Neighbourhood Navigators work with individual practices and also support the work of the Health and Wellbeing Hub covering the residents in the south of the Borough at Violet Melchett and Earls Court.

Neighbourhood Navigators support patients by:

• Listening actively to individuals' health and wellbeing needs, identifying areas where support is needed, such as overcoming economic barriers, accessing health services, or addressing social isolation and basic needs.
• Guiding people through the health system, including following up on non-clinical tasks from GP appointments and connecting individuals with appropriate community resources.
• Managing a caseload of people needing social prescription who need up to six sessions to address their non clinical needs
• Taking a holistic approach by linking people to community groups and services for practical and emotional support, thereby enhancing personal and community resilience, reducing health inequalities, and addressing broader determinants of health such as debt, poor housing, and physical inactivity.
• Collaborating with clinical leads to proactively identify and support patients with long-term conditions, focusing on key priority areas like diabetes, early cancer diagnosis, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension.
• Conducting screening such as cardiovascular disease, and supporting outreach events within the PCN.
• Running Community Corner, a drop in facility in Violet Melchett and Earls Court
• Hosting bi-weekly events at two locations across the South of the borough, targeting health and social needs of our local population (wellbeing, mental health, nutrition, physical activity and balance, art workshops, walking tours, gardening groups etc.)

As the Neighbourhood Navigator Supervisor, you will perform the duties of a Navigator while also supervising and supporting your team to excel in their roles.

Key Responsibilities of the Neighbourhood Navigator Supervisor:

1) Leadership and supervision:

• Supervise the Neighbourhood Navigator team, providing guidance, support, and oversight of day-to-day operations.
• Assist the Senior Leadership team in the recruitment and training of new team members.
• Oversee the team's workload and case management, ensuring that all patient interactions and referrals are managed efficiently and effectively.
• Lead a daily huddle between 9 – 9:45am to review and allocate all new referrals, escalate any referrals which may be inappropriate to the clinical supervisor and discuss any concerns about existing referrals. The huddle is also an opportunity to ensure that there is adequate cover for all events, Community Corner and CVD clinics.
• Support the Neighbourhood Navigators in developing productive relationships with their ‘buddy practices’ ensuring that all practices are clear about the scope and delivery of the service and any questions or issues are addressed proactively
• Support with recruitment, new starter orientation, onboarding, and all aspects of human resource processes, including training and development.
• Oversee the case management, and support with evaluations and reporting outcomes.
• Address capacity issues proactively, escalating in a timely manner where appropriate.
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with GP practices, health and social care professionals, and other stakeholders to ensure the effective integration of Neighbourhood Navigation services.
• Foster a supportive and resilient team environment, facilitating shared learning, emotional support, and professional development.
• Collaborate closely with the DTL and Partnerships Manager on staff performance, development needs, and operational improvements.

2) Operational Duties:

• Maintain a caseload of patients, providing navigation support to help individuals access appropriate health and social care resources.
• Deliver personalised care by supporting patients in managing their own health, making informed decisions, and navigating the complexities of the health and care system.
• Oversee the collection and reporting of data on service impact, using systems such as SystmOne and the JOY platform to monitor referrals, track outcomes, and provide feedback to stakeholders.
• Overseeing the daily activities of the team, managing operational aspects such as rota planning, holiday approvals, and return-to-work processes.

3) Service Development:

• Identify opportunities for service improvement and contribute to the development of policies and procedures related to Neighbourhood Navigation.
• Have oversight of projects within the Navigation team, supporting when required.
• Work with the Digital and Transformation Lead to integrate digital tools into service delivery, ensuring that systems like the JOY platform are effectively used across the team.
• Contribute to service planning and innovation.

4) Team Development and Support

• Build team resilience, enhance shared learning, and provide wellbeing and practical support to the Neighbourhood Navigation team.
• Actively participate in and support existing peer support groups facilitated by the Senior Leadership team, taking an active role in organising and coordinating these sessions.
• Identify skill gaps and training needs within the team. Proactively seek and coordinate relevant training opportunities to enhance the team's capabilities in collaboration with the Senior Leadership Team.

Supervision and Line Management:

• Employed by the West London GP Federation on behalf of the PCN, the post will report to the LMA GP Federation Senior ARRS Manager in a matrix management arrangement with dotted line reporting to the Violet Melchett Senior Health and Wellbeing Development Manager. This will ensure that the postholder is involved in the development of integrated working and neighbourhood navigation in the south of the borough and that day to day operational issues are managed on site.
• Work with a named clinical lead or point of contact who will provide guidance, supervision, and support. The post holder will actively participate in regular group supervision ensuring that all of the navigators in the team also attend regularly.
• Work closely with the Senior Health and Wellbeing Partnership and Development to Manager and Digital and Transformation Leads in the south of the borough to develop the role of Neighbourhood Navigation.

General Responsibilities:

• Ensure compliance with safeguarding, data protection, and confidentiality policies, maintaining the highest standards of patient care and record-keeping.
• Promote equality, diversity, and inclusion within the team and in all interactions with patients, stakeholders, and the community.
• Adhere to health and safety guidelines, taking responsibility for managing risk within your area of work.
• Support the organisational culture and values, aligning your approach with the broader mission of Violet Melchett Health and Wellbeing Hub and PCNs in the south of the borough.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level or above *essential
• Familiarity with motivational interviewing techniques and other approaches that support patient empowerment *desirable

Experience

• Demonstrated ability to manage a team, including performance management, training, and development *essential
• Proven experience in a leadership role within a health or social care setting, preferably involving patient navigation or social prescribing *essential
• Experience of working with volunteers *desirable
• Experience of working with person centred planning *desirable
• Understanding and knowledge of primary care settings *essential

Skills and Knowledge

• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written; capable of producing reports and engaging with a wide range of stakeholders *essential
• Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to build relationships with diverse groups and effectively support a team *essential
• Computer literate, with proficiency in using digital platforms like SystmOne, email, internet, and standard databases for data collection, analysis, and reporting *essential
• Understanding of the wider determinants of health, including social, economic, and environmental factors, and their impact on individuals' wellbeing *essential
• Ability to identify and address service gaps proactively, demonstrating a commitment to professional and personal development *essential
• Flexible, proactive, and capable of working independently as well as part of a team *essential
• Tactful, diplomatic, and able to set clear boundaries while being supportive and approachable *essential

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: £34,000.00-£38,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Company pension

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 06/12/2024
Expected start date: 06/01/2025