Social Prescribing Link Worker

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 me. They take a 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 work collaboratively with all local partners.

Social prescribing can help to strengthen community resilience and personal resilience and reduces health inequalities. These roles help address the wider determinants of health, such as debt, poor housing and physical inactivity. Increasing people's active involvement, supporting people with long-term conditions (including support for mental health), and those who are lonely or isolated can have a positive effect on wellbeing.

Main duties of the job

• Take referrals from and make referrals to a wide range of agencies within primary care networks.
• Develop trusting relationships by giving people time and focus on what matters to me.
• Take a holistic approach, based on the person's priorities and the wider determinants of health.
• 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.

About us

PML is a successful not-for-profit, GP-led organisation providing various NHS community and primary care clinical services to patients across Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire. We have evolved as a NHS healthcare provider since 2004 and in the last few years have grown significantly, now employing around 300 staff with a turnover of circa £16m. PML holds GMS contracts, as well as being a GP Federation representing circa 50 GP practices covering approximately 650,000 patients.

We welcome applicants from a diverse range of backgrounds and circumstances and people with protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010.

Job responsibilities

Referrals

• 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.
• 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.
• 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 person's priorities, interests, values, and motivations.
• 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.
• 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 what’s already available.
• Develop supportive relationships with local VCSE organisations, community groups and statutory services, to make timely, appropriate, and supported referrals.
• Ensure that local community groups and VCSE organisations being referred to have basic procedures in place for ensuring that vulnerable individuals are safe.
• Check that community groups and VCSE organisations meet in insured premises and that health and safety requirements are in place.
• Support local groups to act in accordance with information governance policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with the GDPR.
• Work collectively with all local partners to ensure community groups are strong and sustainable.
• Work with GPs, PCNs and wider Multi-Disciplinary teams as required.
• Work with commissioners and local partners to identify unmet needs within the community and gaps in community provision.
• Encourage people who have been connected to community support through social prescribing to volunteer and give their time freely to others.
• Develop a team of volunteers within your service to provide buddying support for people.
• Encourage people, their families, and carers to provide peer support and to do things together.
• Provide a regular confidence survey to community groups receiving referrals.
• Work sensitively with people, their families, and carers to capture key information.
• Support referral agencies to provide appropriate information about the person they are referring.
• Work closely with GP practices within the PCN to ensure that social prescribing referral codes are inputted to SystmOne.

Person Specification

Experience

• Experience of working directly in a community development context, adult health and social care, learning support or public health/health improvement.
• Experience of supporting people, their families and carers in a related role.
• Experience of supporting people with their mental health.
• Experience of partnership/collaborative working and of building relationships across a variety of organisations.
• Experience of working within primary care.
• Experience of operating GP clinical systems.
• Experience of working with the VCSE sector.
• Experience of data collection and providing monitoring information.

Other

• Ability to listen, empathise with people and provide person-centred support.
• Able to get along with people from all backgrounds and communities.
• Commitment to reducing health inequalities and proactively working to reach people from all communities.
• Willingness to work flexible hours when required.
• Meets DBS reference standards and has a clear criminal record.
• Access to own transport and ability to travel across the locality regularly.

Qualifications

• NVQ Level 3, Advanced level or equivalent qualifications or working towards.
• Demonstrable commitment to professional and personal development.
• Training in motivational coaching and interviewing or equivalent experience.

Skills and Knowledge

• Understanding of the wider determinants of health, including social, economic and environmental factors.
• Knowledge of community development approaches.
• Knowledge of IT systems, including ability to use word processing skills, emails and the internet.
• Knowledge of VCSE and community services in the locality.
• Able to support people in a way that inspires trust and confidence.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to identify risk and assess/manage risk when working with individuals.
• Able to provide leadership and to finish work tasks.
• Ability to maintain effective working relationships.
• Demonstrates personal accountability, emotional resilience and works well under pressure.
• Ability to organise, plan and prioritise on own initiative.
• 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.
• Knowledge of and ability to work to policies and procedures.
• Knowledge of the personalised care approach.
• Able to work from an asset based approach.

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.

£24,000 to £26,000 a year FTE depending on experience.