Social Prescriber

Job summary

Social prescribing empowers people totake control of their health and wellbeing through referral to non-medicallink workers who give time, focus on what matters to me and take a holisticapproach, connecting people to community groups and statutory services forpractical and emotional support. Link workers support existing groups to beaccessible and sustainable and help people to start new community groups,working collaboratively with all local partners.

Social prescribing can help tostrengthen community resilience and personal resilience, and reduces healthinequalities by addressing the wider determinants of health, such as debt, poorhousing and physical inactivity, by increasing peoples active involvement withtheir local communities. It particularly works for people with long-termconditions (including support for mental health), for people who are lonely orisolated, or have complex social needs which affect their wellbeing.

JOBSUMMARY:

Working within an integrated model ofcare to support the health and wellbeing of patients working closely with GPsand multi-agency teams to achieve:

Holisticcare planning, how needs can be met by services and other opportunitiesavailable in the community and the co-ordination of input

Information/adviceabout a range of services to promote health and wellbeing and maintainindependence within communities

Reducingdemand on statutory services and combat unnecessary GP appointments

Main duties of the job

Whiteparish Sugery are looking for a special personwith an interest in older people and carers, to join our team and share our passion and determination to improve the lives of vulnerable people, by helping us deliver a comprehensive social care service that meets the needs of its users.

This will involve taking referrals, ensuring that you target groups and communities most in need, and then supporting them to access help. Youll support residents to live independently within the community following discharge from hospital, connecting people to groups and services for practical and emotional support.

You will achieve this by working alongside the NHS providers and community social care providers as well as networking with other local voluntary organisations in a truly multi-agency approach. We value your input and we hope you will identify areas for improvement in the service that is provided, ensuring that it is utilised to the full within the community.

This is a real opportunity to be part of and develop an exciting social prescribing project. This rewarding role involves significant independent working, comprising of regular home and 1-2-1 visits to best support the community.

A positive and proactive team player, youll have an understanding of the voluntary sector and be determined to have a positive impact on the services that we deliver.

About us

Whiteparish Surgery is a forward thinking rural dispensing practice and part of Sarum Trinity PCN. It has a patient population of 7,500 that is served by a team led by 5 GP Partners and a full compliment of staff.

Staff benefit from access to the NHS Pension Scheme and free onsite parking.

Job description

Job responsibilities

SOCIAL PRESCRIBER

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, focus on what matters to me and 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 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 peoples 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.

JOB SUMMARY:

Working within an integrated model of care to support the health and wellbeing of patients working closely with GPs and multi-agency teams to achieve:

Holistic care planning, how needs can be met by services and other opportunities available in the community and the co-ordination of input

Information/advice about a range of services to promote health and wellbeing and maintain independence within communities

Reducing demand on statutory services and to combat unnecessary GP appointments

KEY RELATIONSHIPS:

Whiteparish Surgery for day-to-day operational work

Staff in the Primary Care Network, local government, voluntary and private organisations, suppliers of goods and services, the general public.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

1) Enabling access to local services, including personalisation support:

Take referrals from GPs and a wide range of agencies including pharmacies; hospital discharge teams; police; social care services; housing associations and allied health professionals.

Develop knowledge of local services to enable the individual to access a range of services to meet their needs and ensure individuals are engaged and connected with their local community and other organisations to make best use of resources.

Assess how a patients health and wellbeing needs can be met by services and other opportunities that are available in the community. Produce a simple personalised care plan to address the patients health and wellbeing needs by introducing or reconnecting people to community groups or statutory services. Evaluate how actions in the care and support plan are meeting the individuals health and wellbeing needs. Provide personalised support to individuals, their families and carers to take control of their health and wellbeing, live independently and improve their health outcomes. Develop trusting relationships by giving people time and focus on what matters to them Take a holistic approach based on the persons priorities and the wider determinants of health. Need to manage and prioritise their own caseload in accordance with the health and wellbeing needs of their population and refer people back to other health professionals within the Practice. Increase the strengths and capacities of local communities, enabling local voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations (VCSE) and community groups to receive social prescribing referrals. Work collaboratively with all local partners to contribute towards supporting local VCSE organisations and community groups to become sustainable through sharing intelligence regarding any gaps or problems identified in local provision with commissioners and local authorities. Inform and advise GPs and primary care staff, either written or verbally, about what services are available within the community and how and when patients can access them.

2) Co-ordination and integration:

Liaise with a range of multi-disciplinary professionals who are involved in a patients care, ensuring a smooth and coordinated approach, especially where multiple agencies are involved. Support the Practices agenda in the management of care and support and avoid unnecessary hospital admissions, residential care placements and unnecessary GP referrals. Actively participate in practice level multi-disciplinary team meetings. Identify when there is a need for urgent action or for a step-up in care and alert the relevant professional(s) and alert the relevant professional(s)

3) Record keeping and project evaluation:

Keep accurate and up-to-date records of client contact, including the use of GP databases (relevant training will be provided) Record and collate information, including case studies and reports, to demonstrate the impact of the service. Demonstrate an understanding of the impact of the service on wider health, social and voluntary sector services Contribute towards the development of the project and attend meetings as requested. Identify opportunities and gaps in services; feeding back information to the Practice Manager.

4) General responsibilities:

Be a champion to promote co-ordinated care and support for all, providing regular updates to the Practice Manager and clinical team. Consider how to introduce best practice already being developed through other local service providers. Work collaboratively with the other Social Prescribers in the PCN and wider. Take part in Practice and PCN events and activities as agreed. Establish strong links with Whiteparish and PCN staff and contribute to the wider aims and objectives of the organisation. Work in accordance with the Practices policies and procedures. Attend training courses as required. To carry out any other duties as may be reasonably required from time to time.

5) Confidentiality:

This involves:

In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather sensitive information in relation to their health and other matters. They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and confidentiality and act appropriately

In the performance of duties outlined, the post-holder may have access to practice business information. This too must be regarded as strictly confidential.

Any breaches of confidentiality will be treated as a disciplinary matter and may result in instant dismissal

6) Health & Safety:

This involves:

Assisting in promoting and maintaining their own and others health and safety and security as defined in the Practice Health and Safety Policy Using personal security systems within the workplace To identify risks involved in work activities and to undertake such activities sin a way that manages those risks Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and keeping them free form hazards Reporting potential risks as identified Demonstrate due regard for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children

7) Equality and Diversity:

The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers, colleagues and partners They will act in a way that recognizes the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with Practice procedures, policies and current legislation. They will behave in a way that is welcoming to all individuals, which is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings, priorities and rights.

8) Research Projects:

Co-operate and participate as required in research projects within Whiteparish Surgery and Sarum Trinity PCN.

9) Professional Development:

Maintain continued education by attendance of courses and study days as deemed useful or necessary for professional development and Whiteparish Surgery needs. Attend or complete virtually, annual mandatory courses Taking responsibility for own developmental learning and performance Taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal development.

10) IT:

Commitment to the use of IT, data entry, read coding and targets etc., as required by Whiteparish Surgery.

OTHER

This involves:

Carrying out other duties that are required within the role as it evolves within the development of the organisation All staff are expected to work in a flexible way, undertaking tasks which are not specifically covered by their individual description when the occasion arises These additional duties will usually cover unforeseen circumstances or changes in work and they will normally be compatible with the post-holders regular type of work If the additional responsibility or task becomes regular or frequent part of the staff members job, it will be included in the job description in consultation with the member of staff This Job Description is neither exhaustive nor exclusive and will be reviewed periodically in conjunction with the post holder. The post holder is required to carry out any duties that may reasonably be requested by the Partners or management team. Person Specification

Experience

Essential

Experience of working directly in a community development context, adult health and social care, learning support or public health/health improvement (including unpaid work) Experience of supporting people, their families and carers in a related role (including unpaid work Experience of partnership/collaborative working and of building relationships across a variety of organisations

Desirable

Experience of supporting people with their mental health, either in a paid, unpaid or informal capacity Experience of working with the VCSE sector (in a paid or unpaid capacity), including with volunteers and small community groups Experience of data collection and providing monitoring information to assess the impact of services

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

Understanding of the wider determinants of health, including social, economic and environmental factors and their impact on communities Knowledge of community development approaches Knowledge of IT systems, including ability to use word processing skills, emails and the internet to create simple plans and reports Knowledge of motivational coaching and interview skills

Desirable

Knowledge of VCSE and community services in the locality Knowledge of the personalised care approach

Other

Essential

Meets DBS reference standards and has a clear criminal record, in line with the law on spent convictions Willingness to work flexible hours when required to meet work demands Access to own transport and ability to travel across the locality on a regular basis, including to visit people in their own homes

Personal qualities and attributes

Essential

Ability to listen, empathise with people and provide person-centred support in a non-judgemental way Able to get along with people from all backgrounds and communities, respecting lifestyles and diversity Commitment to reducing health inequalities and proactively working to reach people from all communities Able to support people in a way that inspires trust and confidence, motivating others to reach their potential Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with people, their families, carers, community groups, partner agencies and stakeholders Ability to identify risk and assess/manage risk when working with individuals 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 when there is a mental health need requiring a qualified practitioner Able to work from an asset based approach, building on existing community and personal assets Able to provide leadership and to finish work tasks Ability to maintain effective working relationships and to promote collaborative practice with all colleagues Commitment to collaborative working with all local agencies (including VCSE organisations and community groups). Able to work with others to reduce hierarchies and find creative solutions to community issues Demonstrates personal accountability, emotional resilience and works well under pressure Ability to organise, plan and prioritise on own initiative, including when under pressure and meeting deadlines 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 and ability to support their development Knowledge of and ability to work to policies and procedures, including confidentiality, safeguarding, lone working, information governance, and health and safety

Qualifications

Essential

NVQ Level 3, Advanced level or equivalent qualifications or working towards Demonstrable commitment to professional and personal development

Desirable

Diploma in counselling or psychotherapy Training in motivational coaching and interviewing or equivalent experience

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