Community Link Worker

Home based but the role requires travel within the specified area, including home visits and supporting local hospitals. Role is full time, Monday - Friday, 35 hours per week.

Commissioned by Hertfordshire County Council, the Hospital & Community Navigation Service is comprised of ten voluntary organisations who provide hospital discharge and social prescribing services to Hertfordshire residents.

**Main purpose of the role**:

- Support those who are struggling with issues such as social isolation, housing, finances, not understanding or managing their health or wellbeing and making sure they have any advice and help needed to access appropriate services.
- Support people being discharged from hospital and reduce the likelihood of readmission by helping them to regain and retain independent living. As well as finding and accessing further support.
- Work with community based health and social care providers such as GP surgeries, adult care services and voluntary sector organisations to assist individuals who are in need of additional support and guidance (outside of statutory services) to ensure problems and issues do not worsen and lead to crisis

**Responsibilities**
- Hold a caseload of clients and provide support and information to those clients, so they can build sustainable relationships with groups, activities and services which will help build resilience and independence.
- To create short, medium and longer-term goals with clients, through on-going personalised care and support planning. Highlight any changes in a service users condition or circumstance ensuring that appropriate measures are taken to support the person.
- Link clients to existing resources in the community to help them to live well and avoid crisis. Identify any gaps in resources and relay to management. Ensure that clients develop sustainable relationships with organisations and services.
- Use a Case Management System to accurately record and report actions taken, allowing the service to demonstrate its outcomes.
- Liaise with social care, health, housing and other professionals to ensure that the needs of the individual are consistently met.
- Collect equipment like walkers and commodes from local hospitals and deliver them to clients and occasionally provide transport to service users home by car on discharge from hospital wards, A&E departments & community hospitals.
- Carry out essential shopping, prescription collections and urgent welfare checks as required.
- Assess the service users living environment through carrying out a risk assessment and providing information/advice whilst respecting their individual dignity, choice and rights.
- To undertake training as required and be prepared to travel throughout Hertfordshire to attend any relevant meetings.
- Willingness to work flexibly around the needs of the service, including weekend working and supporting other localities with casework when required.
- Focus on tackling health inequalities through the identification of the most vulnerable communities.
- Comply with Health & Safety policies and Data Protection policies including, but not limited to, those on lone working, manual handling, infection control and client confidentiality.
- Ensure service users health and wellbeing is preserved and safeguarding policies and procedures are followed at all times. Work with colleagues to ensure that health and safety legislation and risk assessments are understood and implemented.
- Work in partnership with the District and Borough Councils, Housing Associations, local Voluntary Organisations and Forums to ensure that the project is effectively used and understood.

**HCNS Person Specification**

**Skills & Knowledge**
- Demonstrates a passion for delivering agreed outcomes.
- Works well under pressure.
- Self-motivated and able to carry out tasks with mínimal supervision.
- Strong team player and able to work effectively as part of a locality, area and Countywide team.
- Flexible, innovative and adaptable and has a can do approach and attitude.
- Good understanding of the voluntary and statutory sector and ideally the specific locality area.
- Skilled at using user feedback to demonstrate outcomes and improve services.
- Demonstrates personal accountability.
- Works confidently with service users, partners and stakeholders to find effective solutions.
- Effective administrative skills and an excellent standard of IT skills including MS Office, the internet and appropriate software.
- To have experience or the ability to confidently learn new systems or databases i.e. Clear 2 system, Charity Log, Salesforce, Joy etc.
- Able to work and travel throughout the area on a regular basis as appropriate, and more widely as required.

**Experience**
- Recent experience of working directly in a community development context, adult health and social care, learning support or public health/health improvement (including unpaid work) is essential.
- Experience of liaising with agencies (stat