PCN Children & Adults Social Prescribing Link Worker

Job description

Job responsibilities

The post holder will promote social prescribing, its role in self-management, and the wider determinants of health and be proactive in encouraging self-referrals and connecting with all local communities, particularly those communities that statutory agencies may find hard to reach. This will include helping people identify the wider issues that impact on their health and wellbeing, such as debt, poor housing, being unemployed, loneliness and caring responsibilities; and helping people maintain or regain independence through living skills, adaptations, enablement approaches and simple safeguards. The post holder will encourage people, their families and carers to provide peer support and to do things together, such as setting up new community groups or volunteering.

The post holder will manage and prioritise their own caseload, in accordance with the needs, priorities and any urgent support required by individuals. The post holder must have a strong awareness and understanding of when it is appropriate or necessary to refer people back to other health professionals / agencies when the persons needs are beyond the scope of the link worker role e.g. when there is a mental health need requiring a qualified practitioner.

Collaboration

The post holder will build relationships with key staff in GP practices within the PCN, attend relevant meetings, and become part of the wider network team. The post holder will 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. This will include working 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. The post holder will seek regular feedback about the quality of

service and impact of social prescribing on referral agencies and will provide referral agencies with regular updates about social prescribing, including training for their staff and how to access information to encourage appropriate referrals.

Personalised support

The post holder will meet people on a one-to-one basis, making home visits where appropriate within organisations policies and procedures and give people time to tell their story and focus on what matters to me. This will include building trust with the person, providing non-judgmental support and respecting diversity and lifestyle choices. The post holder will work with individuals to co-produce a simple personalised support plan based on the persons priorities, interests, values and motivations including what they can 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 people may be eligible for a personal health budget, the Social Prescribing Link Worker will 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 groups and VCSE organisations

The post holder will support community groups and VCSE organisations to receive referrals, forge strong links with local VCSE organisations, community and neighborhood level groups, utilising their networks and building on whats already available to create a map of community groups and assets. This will include ensuring that local community groups and VCSE organisations being referred to have basic procedures in place for ensuring that vulnerable individuals are safe, that they meet in insured premises and that health and safety requirements are in place and that they act in accordance with information governance policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with the Data Protection Act. Where such policies and procedures are not in place, the post holder will support groups to work towards this standard before referrals are made to them. The post holder will work collectively with all local partners to ensure community groups are strong and sustainable and work with commissioners and local partners to identify unmet needs within the community and gaps in community provision. This will include supporting local partners and commissioners to develop new groups and services where needed, through small grants for community groups, micro-commissioning and development support.

Data Capture

The post holder will 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 and encourage individuals to provide feedback and to share their stories about the impact of social prescribing on their lives. This will include undertaking client needs assessments using the ONS4 Wellbeing and Patient Activation Measure (PAM) questionnaires pre- and post-interventions to assess the

impact on the clients wellbeing. The post holder will use the case management system to track the persons progress and provide appropriate feedback to referral agencies about the people they referred.

Communication

Utilise and demonstrate sensitive communication styles, to ensure patients are fully informed and consent to treatment.

Recognise the need for alternative methods of communication to overcome different levels of understanding, cultural background and preferred ways of communicating.

Delivering a quality service

Prioritise, organise and manage own workload in a manner that maintains and promotes quality, including participating in shared learning across the practice, PCN and wider organisation. Work as part of the team to seek feedback, continually improve the service and contribute to business planning.

Managing information

Use technology, read codes and appropriate software as an aid to planning, implementing and monitoring care, communicating information and reviewing and processing data for audit purposes.

Learning and development

Take responsibility for own learning and performance through continuous professional development, including participating in supervision, acting as a positive role model and assessing own learning needs.

Actively promote the workplace as a learning environment, encouraging everyone to learn from each other and from external good practice.

Disseminate learning and information gained to other team members in order to share good practice and inform others about current and future developments (e.g. courses and conferences).

Equality and diversity

Support the equality and diversity of patients, carers and colleagues by recognising the importance of peoples rights and interpreting them in a way that is consistent with policy, procedures and current legislation.

Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues by behaving in a manner which is welcoming, non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

Professional development

Participate in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own professional development

Work as an effective and responsible team member, supporting others and exploring the mechanisms to develop new ways of working

Work with your line manager to undertake continual personal and professional development, access regular supervision and take an active part in reviewing and developing the roles and responsibilities of the post.

Miscellaneous

Work as part of the team to seek feedback, continually improve the service and contribute to business planning.

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.

Post holder must be available to work weekends on a rota basis and be committed to working across multi sites.

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working directly in a community development context, adult health and social care, learning support, social housing, welfare rights, money advice and information services 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 supporting people with their mental health, either in a paid, unpaid or informal capacity
• Experience of partnership / collaborative working and of building relationships across a variety of organisations
• Experience of data collection and providing monitoring information to assess the impact of services
• Willingness to work flexibly, demonstrating problem solving skills and an ability to respond to sudden unexpected demands
• Competent in use of MS Office applications and Outlook
• Excellent communication skills (written and oral)
• Ability to develop effective relationships
• Ability to work as a team member and autonomously
• Ability to be self-motivated and proactive
• This role will be based in Dover Town and will involve travel between patient homes, practices and community venues so a full driving license is essential, mileage is claimable

Desirable

• Experience of working with the VSCE sector (in paid or unpaid capacity), including with volunteers and small community groups
• Experience of working in Primary Care or a GP Practice
• Knowledge of primary care networks and collaborative ways of working
• Experience of working with EMIS

Qualifications

Essential

• GCSE grade A to C (9-4) in English and Maths
• NVQ Level 3, Advanced level or equivalent qualifications
• Demonstrate commitment to professional and personal development

Desirable

• Royal Society for Public Health Qualifications

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

Dover Town Primary Care Network

Address

100-106 High Street

Dover

Kent

CT16 1EQ

Employer's website

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