Social Prescribing Link Worker

We are looking to recruit a Social Prescribing Link Worker to work within our existing teams to deliver services to our patients.

Because this role is solely working for Sloan Medical Centre and not across the PCN.

• Salary £24,350 - £26,300 (depending on experience)
• Hours: 37 hours (full time)
• Holidays: 5 weeks
• Cycle to work scheme

Main duties of the job

Social prescribing empowers people to take control of their health and wellbeing through referral to non-medical link workers who give time to focus on what matters to them and take a holistic approach.

Social prescribing can help to strengthen community resilience and personal resilience and reduce health inequalities by addressing the wider determinants of health, such as debt, poor housing, and physical inactivity, by increasing people's 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. Explore and assist people to access personal health budgets where appropriate.

This role will involve monitoring quality and outcomes data and completing admin tasks for colleagues within the team.

About us

Our premises are modern and purpose-built and we have a branch site on Blackstock Road, S14. Our team consists of 4 Partners, 6 Salaried, 2 Advanced Clinical Practitioners, 3 Practice Nurses, a Nurse Associate, 2 HCAs, and a Phlebotomist. We have a well-established management team and a brilliant admin team and are a training practice for Registrars and Medical Students.

We believe in person-centred, holistic care, working in partnership with our patients and local community. We are national leaders in social prescribing and have a tailored long-term condition service. We pride ourselves in being at the cutting edge of education, innovation, and service delivery. We have a strong focus on high-quality patient care and working as a team.

We support the green agenda, believe in low carbon transport and personal health & well-being. We hold weekly team meetings which include MDT, SEA, and educational sessions.

Job responsibilities

The purpose of the role:

Social prescribing empowers people to take control of their health and wellbeing through referral to non-medical link workers who give time to focus on what matters to them and take a holistic approach, connecting people to community groups and statutory services for practical and emotional support, with link workers supporting existing groups to be accessible and sustainable.

Social prescribing can help to strengthen community resilience and personal resilience and reduce health inequalities by addressing the wider determinants of health, such as debt, poor housing, and physical inactivity, by increasing people's 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:

1. Take referrals from our clinical teams, providing telephone consultations with patients (and possibly carers etc.) and occasional community-based appointments (i.e., housebound patients, community service events).
2. Monitor referrals and assess appropriateness for the Social Prescribing Service.
3. 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, when what the person needs is beyond the scope of the link worker role.
4. Make contact with new referrals, ensuring they have been provided information about the social prescribing service and provide additional information when requested.
5. Develop relationships by giving people time and focus on 'what matters to me', taking a holistic approach based on persons' priorities and wider determinants of health.
6. Signposting patients to support in the local community and undertaking onward referrals where appropriate.
7. Provide personalised support to individuals, their families, and carers to take control of their wellbeing, live independently and improve their health outcomes, supporting them with issues such as debt, housing, employment, loneliness, and caring responsibilities.
8. Liaise and communicate with Patients, Carers, Advocates, Health and Social Care professionals, voluntary sector, and stakeholders.

Adhere to organisational policies and procedures including confidentiality, professional boundaries, lone working, safeguarding, and information governance.

Disclosure and barring service check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (exceptional order) 1975. As such, it will be necessary for a disclosure submission to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check previous criminal convictions.

Person Specification

Experience

• Completed the HCA Care Certificate module.
• Experience of working within a community, social care or voluntary sector.
• Good working knowledge of voluntary and community services across Sheffield.
• Experience of working within a Primary Care setting.

Qualifications

• GCSE Grades A to C in English.
• Has completed the NHS England and online learning programme 77 accessed via the Personalised Care Institute website.
• Is enrolled in, undertaking or qualified from appropriate training as outlined by the Personalised Care Institute Core Curriculum and social prescribing link worker competency framework.

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.

£24,350 to £26,300 a year depending on experience.