Social Prescribing Link Worker

Job summary

Social Prescribing Link Workers empower people to take control oftheir lives, support low level Mental Health and promote self-care by givingtime to people to focus on what matters to me. They take a holistic approachto an individuals needs, connecting them to a diverse range of community groupsand statutory services for practical and emotional support, via a SocialPrescription.

Social Prescribing Link Workers also support existing community groups to beaccessible and sustainable and help people to start new community groups, whereappropriate, working collaboratively with all local partners.

Main duties of the job

The Social Prescribing Link Workers will work as a key part of the Primary Care Network (PCN) multi-disciplinary team working alongside Health Coaches and Care Co-ordinators, helping PCNs to strengthen community and personal resilience and reduce health and wellbeing inequalities by addressing the wider determinants of health, such as debt, poor housing and physical inactivity, by increasing peoples active involvement with their local diverse communities.

About us

In return successful candidates can expect:

33 days annual leave

NHS Pension

Peer support and team network

Candidates must also hold a driving licence and have accessto a car, insured for business use.

Successful candidates will be employed by Sunderland GPAlliance, on behalf of the PCNs. SGPA is a not-for-profit organisation owned bythe citys GPs, representing over 250,000 patients across Sunderland.

Job description

Job responsibilities

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Working under the guidance of the referring GP, take referrals from a wide range of agencies, including PCNs, GP practices and multi-disciplinary teams as well as the wider system and occasionally via self-referral. Provide personalised support to individuals, their families and carers to empower people to take control of their lives, support low level mental health and promote self-care. Encourage people to live independently and improve their health access and outcomes, as a key member of the PCN multi-disciplinary team. Engage and develop trusting relationships by giving people time and focus on what matters to me and taking a holistic approach, based on the persons priorities and the wider determinants of health. Co-produce a simple personalised care and support plan to improve health and wellbeing, including introducing or reconnecting people to appropriate community groups and statutory services. Manage and prioritise own caseload in accordance with the needs and priorities of individuals on the caseload. Maintain a strong awareness and understanding of when it is appropriate or necessary to refer people back to other health professionals/agencies. Work with a diverse range of people and their communities, to draw on and increase the strengths and capacity of local community groups, enabling local VCSE organisations to receive social prescribing referrals. Work collaboratively with all local partners to contribute towards supporting the local VCSE organisations and community groups to become sustainable. Ensure that community assets are nurtured, through sharing intelligence regarding any gaps or problems identified in local provision with commissioners and local authorities. Educate non-clinical and clinical staff within their PCN multi-disciplinary teams on what services are available within the community and how to access them.

Role Specific Key Tasks

Education

Promote all aspects of social prescribing across the PCN, Health & Social Care professionals and the wider system, including its role in self-management, addressing health inequalities and the wider determinants of health. 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 access and 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. Promote low level mental health guidance, signpost to self-help and the most appropriate service.

Referrals

Receive and action referrals for social prescriptions via agreed systems. Manage and prioritise referrals appropriately. Redirect referrals, using the agreed protocols, to more appropriate Social Prescribing Link Workers or agencies. Be proactive in developing strong links with all local agencies to encourage referrals. Support referral agencies to provide appropriate information about the person they are referring. Provide appropriate feedback to referral agencies about the people they referred.

Personalised Support

Listen to and talk with people and their families about what matters to me by giving people time to tell their stories. Be proactive in encouraging equality and inclusion, through connecting with diverse 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 SGPA policies and procedures. Build trust and respect with the person, providing non-judgemental and non-discriminatory support, respecting diversity and lifestyle choices. Work from a strength-based approach focusing on a persons assets. Be a friendly and engaging source of information about health, 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. 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 to address the persons health and wellbeing needs, based on the persons priorities, interests, values, cultural and religious/faith needs and motivations. Identify what individuals 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 culturally appropriate community groups, activities and statutory services, ensuring they are comfortable, feel valued and respected. 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.

Community Asset Development

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. Support community groups and VCSE organisations to receive referrals. Forge strong links with a wide range of local VCSE organisations, community and neighbourhood level groups, utilising their networks and building on whats already available to create a menu of diverse community groups and assets, who promote diversity and inclusion. Develop supportive relationships with local VCSE organisations, culturally appropriate community groups and statutory services, to make timely, appropriate and supported referrals for the person being introduced. Work collectively with all local partners to ensure community groups are strong and sustainable. Work with commissioners and local partners to identify unmet diverse 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, building their skills and confidence and strengthening 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.

Collaborative working

As part of the PCN multi-disciplinary team, build close working relationships with staff in GP practices within the local PCN, attending relevant MDT meetings, giving information and feedback on social prescribing. Seek advice and support from the GP teams and/or identified individual(s) to discuss related concerns ( abuse, domestic violence and support with mental health), referring the patient back to the GP or other suitable health professional if required. Work with established VCSE organisations and existing Social Prescribing Link Workers to provide a robust and consistent approach to our Sunderland people. Explore ways of working and share good practice and learning across all social prescribing roles within the system.

Data Collection

Encourage people, their families and carers to provide feedback and to share their stories about the impact of social prescribing on their lives. 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.

Professional Development

Work with the GP teams and/or line manager to undertake continual personal and professional development, taking an active part in reviewing and developing the roles and responsibilities. Adhere to organisational policies and procedures, including confidentiality, safeguarding, lone working, information governance, equality, diversity and inclusion training and health and safety. Work with the GP teams to access regular clinical supervision, where appropriate, to enable you to deal effectively with the difficult issues that people present.

Service Development

Seek regular feedback about the quality of the service and impact of social prescribing on referral agencies. Work as part of the healthcare team to seek feedback, continually improve the service and contribute to business planning. Contribute to the development of policies and plans relating to equality, diversity and health inequalities.

Leadership

Be a system leader in the development, delivery and education of social prescribing, ensuring involvement where value can be added. Provide role coaching and mentoring for all staff where appropriate.

Other

Undertake any tasks consistent with the level of the post and the scope of the role, ensuring that work is delivered in a timely and effective manner. Duties may vary from time to time, without changing the general character of the post or the level of responsibility. Person Specification

Disposition

Essential

Confident and comfortable with difficult situations Patient, friendly and approachable Able to work under pressure and emotionally resilient Ability to work flexible hours which may include evenings or weekends Ability to actively listen, empathise with people and provide non-judgemental support Ability to respect and value individual lifestyles, backgrounds and cultures

Other

Essential

Full, valid driving licence and use of own car Meet DBS enhanced and Criminal Record checks

Motivation and Skills

Essential

Work effectively and collaboratively as part of a team but also autonomously High level and adaptable communication skills across a range of individuals of all ages, backgrounds and cultures with varying social and emotional needs Ability to help people identify issues that impact on health including debt, housing, unemployment and loneliness Understanding the impact of economic and environmental factors on peoples health and wellbeing Ability to support the development of small voluntary led groups Promote and maintain good working relationships with a variety of external partners. Understanding of and commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion Ability to work across multiple sites in the Sunderland area Provide motivational coaching with the ability to inspire trust and confidence

Qualifications

Essential

Demonstrable commitment to personal and professional development Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office applications

Desirable

Qualification or training in motivational coaching, or equivalent experience

Experience

Essential

Experience of supporting people, their families and carers in a paid or unpaid capacity Experience of supporting people, their families and carers with low level mental health issues Experience of working in a community setting Mental Health First Aid Ability to identify risk to self and others, Identifying and reporting safeguarding incidents

Desirable

Experience of working collaboratively with different organisations, building trust, confidence and partnerships Experience of accurately collecting, recording information and data whilst maintaining confidentiality Experience of working with GPs and/or other Health or Social Care providers or knowledge of how systems work NVQ 2/3 Mental Health (or working towards)

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