Social Prescribing Link Worker

**Social Prescribing Link Worker**
- Hours: 15 per week
- Responsible to (Employment and Organisational): The Dracaena Charity Adult Wellbeing manager
- Responsible to (Operations Management and Supervision): The Clinical Lead
- Salary: £25,411 - £28,019 depending on experience (pro rata)
- Holidays: 5.6 weeks plus Bank Holidays (pro rata)

**Interviews will be held on Tuesday 9th September 2025 at the Dracaena Centre, Falmouth**

This is an exciting opportunity to join a new partnership-based Community Mental Health and Wellbeing team based at the Dracaena Centre in Falmouth. Whilst you will be employed by the Dracaena Centre (a registered charity 1116299), you will be seconded to work within the Community Mental Health and

Wellbeing Team where you will be Supervised by the Clinical Lead.

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 and take an 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 help people to start new community groups, working collaboratively with all local partners.

Social prescribing can help to strengthen community resilience and personal resilience and reduces 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**
- Take referrals from a wide range of agencies, working with GP practices within primary care networks, pharmacies, multi-disciplinary teams, hospital discharge teams, allied health professionals, fire service, police, job centres, social care services, housing associations, and voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations (list not exhaustive).
- Provide personalised support to individuals, their families and carers to take control of their wellbeing, live independently and improve their health outcomes. Develop trusting relationships by giving people

time and focus on what matters to me. Take a holistic approach, based on the persons priorities and the wider determinants of health. Coproduce a personalised support plan to improve health and wellbeing, introducing or reconnecting people to community groups and statutory services.
- The role will require managing and prioritising your own caseload, in accordance with the needs, priorities and any urgent support required by individuals on the caseload. 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/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.
- Draw on and increase the strengths and capacities of local communities, enabling local VCSE organisations and community groups to receive social prescribing referrals. Ensure they are supported, have basic safeguarding processes for vulnerable individuals and can provide opportunities for the person to develop friendships, a sense of belonging, and build knowledge, skills and confidence.
- Work together with all local partners to collectively ensure that local VCSE organisations and community groups are sustainable and that community assets are nurtured, by making them aware of small grants or micro-commissioning if available, including providing support to set up new community groups and services, where gaps are identified in local provision.

**KEY TASKS**

**Referrals**
- Promoting social prescribing, its role in self-management, and the wider determinants of health.
- 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.
- 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.
- Provide personalised support
- 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. Build

trust with the person, providing non
- judgemental support, respect