Social Prescribing Link Worker
This job is now closed
Job summary
K2 PCN (Grantham and Sleaford) are looking for a Social Prescribing Link Worker to join our Neighbourhood team. Link Workers will be part of a multi-disciplinary team within the local Primary Care Network to liaise with GPs.
We are looking for organised, self-motivated,and confidentindividualstojoin a newSocial Prescribing team working withadultswith complex physical health and mental health needs, enabling them to access the support they need to live independent and healthier.
The positions available are in the Grantham & Sleaford area of Lincolnshire, applicants must have experience of working with adults and have a background in health and/or socialcare or experience of supporting peoples wellbeing in a community setting.
Main duties of the job
Social Prescribing Link Workers (SPLW) are frontline non-clinical healthcare professionals. They operate as part of a multi-disciplinary team, serving as a key link between the NHS and the community. SPLW operates holistically and proactively to identify socio-economic and environmental factors which directly and indirectly impact health, especially those resulting from injustice and inequality.
They not only advocate for their patients, service users, and communities but support them to enact positive changes at an individual and community level. The SPLW uses a strength-based approach to increase people's confidence to take control of their health and wellbeing. Partnering with people, facilitating them to understand what matters to them from a holistic perspective, co-creating action plans and goals, and supporting them to access the most appropriate services. As a result, enables people to support themselves better and take control of their own wellbeing, reducing pressure on overused services such as A&E and emergency GP appointments.
About us
K2 are a GP Federation covering 16 practices. 10 in Grantham and surrounding villages and 6 in Sleaford. We cover 130,000+ patients across all sites
Neighbourhood Working describes an integrated approach to managing patients, through a blended workforce that encompasses both health and social care; to include acute, voluntary and community sectors where barriers to working are negated, the health and wellbeing needs of the individual are at the centre of decision-making, care is proactive and not reactive, and services are provided in a timely manner.
Services will be delivered within GP practice clinical governance with a focus on safety and continuous quality improvement. This will support the delivery of care which is patient-focused, promotes independence and ensures services continually adapt and develop in response to patient feedback and the needs of the community.
Details
Date posted
11 September 2024
Pay scheme
Other
Salary
£25,147 to £27,569 a year
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Full-time
Reference number
B0238-24-0025
Job locations
47 Boston Road
Sleaford
Lincolnshire
NG34 7HD
Grantham Health Clinic
St. Catherines Road
Grantham
Lincolnshire
NG316TT
Job description
Job responsibilities
Key responsibilities
Take referrals from the PCNs Core Network Practices and from a wide range of agencies, including pharmacies, health and care multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs), the emergency services, legal and welfare advice services, VCSE organisations, and through self-referrals (list not exhaustive).
Provide personalised support to individuals, their families and carers to access community-based activities and support that can help them to take control of their health and wellbeing through co-producing a simple personalised care and support plan and introducing people to appropriate activities, groups and services as described above
Work with appropriate supervision as part of the PCN to manage and prioritise your own caseload, in accordance with needs, priorities and support required by individuals. Refer people back to other health professionals/agencies, as appropriate or necessary.
Build ongoing relationships with local infrastructure organisations, community activities and support services to increase knowledge of the community support offer, and work collaboratively to develop effective partnership working to support the community offer to be sustainable, identifying gaps in provision, nurturing community assets and sharing intelligence on gaps or problems with commissioners and local authorities
Increase the strength and capacity of the community, enabling local VCSE organisations and community groups to both receive social prescribing referrals and to make referrals to social prescribing link workers. .
Promote social prescribing as an approach across the PCN and wider agencies, including its role in supported self-management, in addressing health inequalities and the wider determinants of health, reducing pressure on statutory services, improving access to healthcare and improving health outcomes, and in taking a holistic approach to care.
Referrals
Promote social prescribing as an approach across the PCN by attending relevant MDT meetings to build relationships and developing links with local agencies
Proactively develop strong links with local agencies to encourage appropriate referrals
Provide referral agencies with regular updates about social prescribing, including training for their staff and how to access information to encourage appropriate referrals.
Proactively encourage equitable participation in social prescribing through taking self-referrals and connecting with diverse local communities through a range of methods, particularly communities that statutory agencies may find hard to reach and where health inequalities are most prevalent.
Provide personalised support
Meet people on a one-to-one basis, making home visits and visits to community organisation
where appropriate and within organisations policies and procedures.
Use appropriate judgement to ascertain the number and length of sessions required, responding
to the needs of the individual and their circumstances, for approximately 6-12 contacts over 3 months.
Give people time to tell their stories and focus on the question, what matters to me?
Build trust and respect with the person, providing non-judgemental and non-discriminatory
support, taking a strength-based approach that focuses on a persons assets.
Help people identify the wider issues that impact on their health and wellbeing, such as debt, poor housing, being unemployed, loneliness and caring responsibilities.
Work with individuals to co-produce a simple personalised support plan to address the persons health and wellbeing needs based on the persons priorities, interests, values, cultural and religious/faith needs and motivations
Provide information on what the person can do for themselves to improve their health and wellbeing
Physically introduce people to appropriate community groups and activities, peer support groups, or statutory services, ensuring they are comfortable, feel valued and respected.
Provide follow up support to the person to ensure they are happy, able to engage, feel included and that they are receiving good support.
Where people may be eligible for a personal health budget, 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.
Seek advice and support from the GP supervisor and/or identified individual(s) to discuss safeguarding concerns and follow PCN safeguarding policies around reporting and/or escalating concerns
Seek advice and support from the GP supervisor and/or identified individual(s) to discuss concerns outside the scope of the social prescribing link workers practice and make appropriate onward referrals
Supporting the community offer
Develop supportive relationships with local VCSE organisations, community groups and statutory services, to understand their offer and make timely, appropriate and supported referrals
Create strong links with local agencies to utilise existing networks and build on existing provision
Work collectively with all local partners to ensure community groups are accessible and sustainable
Support development of community groups and assets who promote diversity and inclusion
Encourage people who have been connected to community support through social prescribing to volunteer or to start their own activities and groups
Support existing local volunteering schemes to strengthen community resilience and explore potential to develop a team of volunteers to provide buddying support, peer support or to start new community-based groups or activities.
Data capture
Support referral agencies to provide appropriate information about the person they are referring, including demographic data and data on wider determinants, for example, caring status.
Provide appropriate and timely feedback to referral agencies about the people they referred.
Work sensitively with people, their families and carers to capture key information to measure impact of social prescribing on their health and wellbeing, using validated tools determined locally such as the ONS4 wellbeing scale to assess need and measure outcomes.
Encourage people, their families and carers to provide feedback on their experience, for
example, through patient satisfaction surveys, and to share their stories about the impact of
social prescribing on their lives.
Ensure that social prescribing referral SNOMED codes are coded appropriately into clinical
systems (as outlined in the Network Contract DES)
Adhere to PCN policies around data protection legislation and data sharing agreements,
ensuring people give appropriate consent.
Continuing professional development
Work with a supervisor and/or line manager to undertake continual personal and
professional development in line with the social prescribing Workforce Development
Framework Competency Framework
Attend appropriate mandatory training before working with people and be aware of
own competence, maintaining boundaries around scope of practice and referring onwards for
people whose needs fall outside of these boundaries
Adhere to organisational policies and procedures, including confidentiality, safeguarding,
lone working, information governance, equality, diversity and inclusion training and health
and safety.
Miscellaneous
Work as part of the MDT to seek feedback, continually improve the service, and contribute to service planning.
Contribute to the development of policies and plans relating to equality, diversity and inclusion, accessibility, and health inequalities.
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.
Visit people at home following an unplanned hospital admission and those with a history of repeat admissions.
Contact those that have suffered a bereavement to signpost to appropriate support networks.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Key responsibilities
Take referrals from the PCNs Core Network Practices and from a wide range of agencies, including pharmacies, health and care multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs), the emergency services, legal and welfare advice services, VCSE organisations, and through self-referrals (list not exhaustive).
Provide personalised support to individuals, their families and carers to access community-based activities and support that can help them to take control of their health and wellbeing through co-producing a simple personalised care and support plan and introducing people to appropriate activities, groups and services as described above
Work with appropriate supervision as part of the PCN to manage and prioritise your own caseload, in accordance with needs, priorities and support required by individuals. Refer people back to other health professionals/agencies, as appropriate or necessary.
Build ongoing relationships with local infrastructure organisations, community activities and support services to increase knowledge of the community support offer, and work collaboratively to develop effective partnership working to support the community offer to be sustainable, identifying gaps in provision, nurturing community assets and sharing intelligence on gaps or problems with commissioners and local authorities
Increase the strength and capacity of the community, enabling local VCSE organisations and community groups to both receive social prescribing referrals and to make referrals to social prescribing link workers. .
Promote social prescribing as an approach across the PCN and wider agencies, including its role in supported self-management, in addressing health inequalities and the wider determinants of health, reducing pressure on statutory services, improving access to healthcare and improving health outcomes, and in taking a holistic approach to care.
Referrals
Promote social prescribing as an approach across the PCN by attending relevant MDT meetings to build relationships and developing links with local agencies
Proactively develop strong links with local agencies to encourage appropriate referrals
Provide referral agencies with regular updates about social prescribing, including training for their staff and how to access information to encourage appropriate referrals.
Proactively encourage equitable participation in social prescribing through taking self-referrals and connecting with diverse local communities through a range of methods, particularly communities that statutory agencies may find hard to reach and where health inequalities are most prevalent.
Provide personalised support
Meet people on a one-to-one basis, making home visits and visits to community organisation
where appropriate and within organisations policies and procedures.
Use appropriate judgement to ascertain the number and length of sessions required, responding
to the needs of the individual and their circumstances, for approximately 6-12 contacts over 3 months.
Give people time to tell their stories and focus on the question, what matters to me?
Build trust and respect with the person, providing non-judgemental and non-discriminatory
support, taking a strength-based approach that focuses on a persons assets.
Help people identify the wider issues that impact on their health and wellbeing, such as debt, poor housing, being unemployed, loneliness and caring responsibilities.
Work with individuals to co-produce a simple personalised support plan to address the persons health and wellbeing needs based on the persons priorities, interests, values, cultural and religious/faith needs and motivations
Provide information on what the person can do for themselves to improve their health and wellbeing
Physically introduce people to appropriate community groups and activities, peer support groups, or statutory services, ensuring they are comfortable, feel valued and respected.
Provide follow up support to the person to ensure they are happy, able to engage, feel included and that they are receiving good support.
Where people may be eligible for a personal health budget, 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.
Seek advice and support from the GP supervisor and/or identified individual(s) to discuss safeguarding concerns and follow PCN safeguarding policies around reporting and/or escalating concerns
Seek advice and support from the GP supervisor and/or identified individual(s) to discuss concerns outside the scope of the social prescribing link workers practice and make appropriate onward referrals
Supporting the community offer
Develop supportive relationships with local VCSE organisations, community groups and statutory services, to understand their offer and make timely, appropriate and supported referrals
Create strong links with local agencies to utilise existing networks and build on existing provision
Work collectively with all local partners to ensure community groups are accessible and sustainable
Support development of community groups and assets who promote diversity and inclusion
Encourage people who have been connected to community support through social prescribing to volunteer or to start their own activities and groups
Support existing local volunteering schemes to strengthen community resilience and explore potential to develop a team of volunteers to provide buddying support, peer support or to start new community-based groups or activities.
Data capture
Support referral agencies to provide appropriate information about the person they are referring, including demographic data and data on wider determinants, for example, caring status.
Provide appropriate and timely feedback to referral agencies about the people they referred.
Work sensitively with people, their families and carers to capture key information to measure impact of social prescribing on their health and wellbeing, using validated tools determined locally such as the ONS4 wellbeing scale to assess need and measure outcomes.
Encourage people, their families and carers to provide feedback on their experience, for
example, through patient satisfaction surveys, and to share their stories about the impact of
social prescribing on their lives.
Ensure that social prescribing referral SNOMED codes are coded appropriately into clinical
systems (as outlined in the Network Contract DES)
Adhere to PCN policies around data protection legislation and data sharing agreements,
ensuring people give appropriate consent.
Continuing professional development
Work with a supervisor and/or line manager to undertake continual personal and
professional development in line with the social prescribing Workforce Development
Framework Competency Framework
Attend appropriate mandatory training before working with people and be aware of
own competence, maintaining boundaries around scope of practice and referring onwards for
people whose needs fall outside of these boundaries
Adhere to organisational policies and procedures, including confidentiality, safeguarding,
lone working, information governance, equality, diversity and inclusion training and health
and safety.
Miscellaneous
Work as part of the MDT to seek feedback, continually improve the service, and contribute to service planning.
Contribute to the development of policies and plans relating to equality, diversity and inclusion, accessibility, and health inequalities.
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.
Visit people at home following an unplanned hospital admission and those with a history of repeat admissions.
Contact those that have suffered a bereavement to signpost to appropriate support networks.
Person Specification
Skills and Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of the personalised care approach. Utilises the evidence base for social prescribing interventions and activities.
- Understanding of the wider determinants of health, including social, economic and environmental factors and their impact on communities, individuals, their families and carers.
- Understanding of, and commitment to, equality, diversity and inclusion.
- Knowledge of community development approaches including asset-based community development and community resilience.
- Knowledge of IT systems, including ability to use word processing skills, emails and the internet to create simple plans and reports.
- Able to work from an asset-based approach, building on existing community and personal assets.
- Understanding of the needs of small volunteer-led community groups and ability to contribute to supporting their development.
- Ability to organise, plan and prioritise on own initiative,
- including when under pressure and meeting deadlines.
- High level of written and oral communication skills.
- Confidently approaches difficult conversations.
- Able to provide motivational coaching to support peoples behaviour change.
Desirable
- Local knowledge of VCSE and community services.
- Knowledge of how the NHS works, including primary care and MDT working.
Personal Qualities and Attributes
Essential
- Ability to actively listen, empathise with people and provide person-centred support in a non-judgemental way.
- Able to provide a culturally sensitive service, by supporting people from all backgrounds and communities, respecting lifestyles and diversity.
- Commitment to reducing health inequalities and proactively working to reach people from diverse communities.
- Able to support people in a way that inspires trust and confidence, motivating others to reach their potential, adapting to individual levels of activation and health literacy.
- Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with people, their families, carers, community groups, partner agencies and stakeholders, adapting communication styles accordingly.
- 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
- Can demonstrate personal accountability, emotional resilience and ability to work well under pressure.
Qualifications
Essential
- Demonstrable commitment to professional and personal
- development.
Desirable
- NVQ Level 3, Advanced level or equivalent qualifications or working towards.
- Training in motivational coaching and interviewing or equivalent experience.
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 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 using tools to measure the impact of services.
- Experience of partnership/collaborative working and of building
- relationships across a variety of organisations.
- Ability to maintain effective working relationships and to promote collaborative practice with all colleagues.
- 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.
- Have 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 role for example, when there is a mental health need requiring a qualified practitioner.
Other
Essential
- Meets DBS reference standards and criminal record checks.
- Willingness to work flexible hours when required to meet work demands.
- Access to transport and ability to travel across the locality on a regular basis, including to visit people in their own homes and support people to attend activities as appropriate.
Person Specification
Skills and Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of the personalised care approach. Utilises the evidence base for social prescribing interventions and activities.
- Understanding of the wider determinants of health, including social, economic and environmental factors and their impact on communities, individuals, their families and carers.
- Understanding of, and commitment to, equality, diversity and inclusion.
- Knowledge of community development approaches including asset-based community development and community resilience.
- Knowledge of IT systems, including ability to use word processing skills, emails and the internet to create simple plans and reports.
- Able to work from an asset-based approach, building on existing community and personal assets.
- Understanding of the needs of small volunteer-led community groups and ability to contribute to supporting their development.
- Ability to organise, plan and prioritise on own initiative,
- including when under pressure and meeting deadlines.
- High level of written and oral communication skills.
- Confidently approaches difficult conversations.
- Able to provide motivational coaching to support peoples behaviour change.
Desirable
- Local knowledge of VCSE and community services.
- Knowledge of how the NHS works, including primary care and MDT working.
Personal Qualities and Attributes
Essential
- Ability to actively listen, empathise with people and provide person-centred support in a non-judgemental way.
- Able to provide a culturally sensitive service, by supporting people from all backgrounds and communities, respecting lifestyles and diversity.
- Commitment to reducing health inequalities and proactively working to reach people from diverse communities.
- Able to support people in a way that inspires trust and confidence, motivating others to reach their potential, adapting to individual levels of activation and health literacy.
- Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with people, their families, carers, community groups, partner agencies and stakeholders, adapting communication styles accordingly.
- 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
- Can demonstrate personal accountability, emotional resilience and ability to work well under pressure.
Qualifications
Essential
- Demonstrable commitment to professional and personal
- development.
Desirable
- NVQ Level 3, Advanced level or equivalent qualifications or working towards.
- Training in motivational coaching and interviewing or equivalent experience.
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 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 using tools to measure the impact of services.
- Experience of partnership/collaborative working and of building
- relationships across a variety of organisations.
- Ability to maintain effective working relationships and to promote collaborative practice with all colleagues.
- 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.
- Have 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 role for example, when there is a mental health need requiring a qualified practitioner.
Other
Essential
- Meets DBS reference standards and criminal record checks.
- Willingness to work flexible hours when required to meet work demands.
- Access to transport and ability to travel across the locality on a regular basis, including to visit people in their own homes and support people to attend activities as appropriate.
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
K2 Healthcare Ltd
Address
47 Boston Road
Sleaford
Lincolnshire
NG34 7HD
Employer's website
Employer details
Employer name
K2 Healthcare Ltd
Address
47 Boston Road
Sleaford
Lincolnshire
NG34 7HD
Employer's website
Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact:
Details
Date posted
11 September 2024
Pay scheme
Other
Salary
£25,147 to £27,569 a year
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Full-time
Reference number
B0238-24-0025
Job locations
47 Boston Road
Sleaford
Lincolnshire
NG34 7HD
Grantham Health Clinic
St. Catherines Road
Grantham
Lincolnshire
NG316TT