PCN Social Prescriber Link Worker- Children and Young Persons

Job description

Job responsibilities

The role is primarily to work with children and young people aged up to 19 years (up to 24 years old for users with Learning Difficulties) but may also involve work with their parents/carers.

You will work closely with the GP practices, schools and colleges (if required) and a variety of established services to provide a range of support for children, young people and their families and deliver the appropriate level of support at the right time.

Social prescribing empowers people to take control of their health and wellbeing through referral to a non-medical link worker who gives time, focuses on what matters to me and takes 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 personal and community resilience and reduces health inequalities. It addresses the wider determinants of health, such as debt, poor housing, and physical inactivity, by increasing peoples active involvement with their local communities.

Provide personalised support to children and young people aged up to 19 years (up to 24 years old for users with Learning Difficulties) to enable them to take control of their wellbeing, live independently and improve their health outcomes.

Accept referrals from a wide range of agencies including GP practices within primary care networks.

Signpost young people and their families to appropriate community-based services.

Meet young people on a one-to-one basis and give them time to tell their stories and focus on what matters to me. Build trust with the person, providing non-judgemental support, respecting diversity, and lifestyle choices. Work from a strength-based approach focusing on a persons assets.

Co-produce a personalised support plan to improve health and wellbeing, introducing, connecting, and supporting young people to community groups and statutory services.

Help young people identify the wider issues that impact on their health and wellbeing, such as debt, poor housing, being unemployed, loneliness and caring responsibilities.

Form links with local Schools and other community enterprises.

Provide earlier intervention whilst waiting or avoiding the need to wait for triage from other services.

Work closely and communicate with other agency partners such as schools, Community Development Workers, Local Area Coordinators, Targeted Youth Service and Family Support Teams when necessary to ensure the local system is working in a joined-up way to provide the young person(s) with holistic care.

Where necessary, physically introduce people to community groups, activities, and statutory services, ensuring they are comfortable. Follow up to ensure they are happy, able to engage, included and receiving good support.

Work sensitively with young people to capture key information, enabling tracking of the impact of social prescribing on their health and wellbeing.

Manage and prioritise your own caseload, in accordance with the needs, priorities and support required by individuals on the caseload.

Work closely with safeguarding leads to ensure any issues and concerns are escalated and dealt with quickly and effectively.

Refer young people back to other health professionals/agencies, when their needs are beyond the scope of the link worker role e.g., when there is a mental health need requiring a qualified practitioner.

Attend regular MDT meetings (multi-disciplinary team).

Build relationships with key staff in GP practices within the local Primary Care Network (PCN), attending relevant meetings, becoming part of the wider network team, giving information and feedback on social prescribing.

Be able to work flexibly in-hours and out of hours.

Support the Primary Care Network in reducing inequalities by proactively seeking engagement from Children and Young People who may require early intervention and support.

Record interactions and outcomes using relevant NHS clinical/IT systems (e.g. EMIS, Joy)

Provide regular feedback to referring teams and support service monitoring and evaluation.

Develop youth-friendly approaches tailored to the developmental, emotional, and social needs of children and young people.

Work collaboratively with families, carers, schools, youth workers, and childrens services.

Champion the voice of young people, ensuring support is shaped by their priorities and goals.

Promote the service within schools, youth organisations, and through community events.

Adhere to safeguarding procedures for children, young people, and vulnerable adults

Person Specification

Personal qualities

Essential

• Ability to listen, empathise with people and provide person-centred support to children and young people
• 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 children and young people
• 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
• 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).
• 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
• 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 Health and Social Care, or equivalent qualifications, or working towards
• Demonstrable commitment to professional and personal development

Desirable

• Training in motivational coaching and interviewing, or equivalent experience

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working with a range of professionals including senior clinicians
• Experience of working with children and young people, childrens health and social care, learning support or public health/health improvement (including unpaid work)
• Experience of supporting children and young people, their families and carers in a related role (including unpaid work)
• Experience of supporting people with their mental health, either in a paid, unpaid or informal capacity
• Experience of the VCSE (Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise) sector (in a paid or unpaid capacity), including with volunteers and small community groups
• Experience of partnership/collaborative working and of building relationships across a variety of organisations

Desirable

• Experience of working within a primary care setting
• Experience of Systmone
• Experience of data collection and providing monitoring information to assess the impact of services

Other

Essential

• Meets DBS reference standards and has a clear criminal record
• 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
• Operates at all times in line with Confidentiality and Data Protection Act

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.

Employer details

Employer name

The Bradford Moor Practice

Address

Barkerend Health Centre

Barkerend Rd

Bradford

West Yorkshire

BD3 8QH

Employer's website

https://bradfordmoorpractice.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)