Job summary
Working with the Social Prescribing team based within OWLS, the role will include visiting individuals who have been referred to the project by GPs, NHS staff or other agencies, on a one to one basis, accessing their holistic situation and supporting and improving their health and wellbeing with non-medical intervention, such as linking them to activities and opportunities within the VCF (Voluntary Community and Faith) sector.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will work in collaboration with OWLS CIC to deliver a coordinated and high-quality Social Prescribing Link Worker service supporting clients to access and engage with the extensive range of support in the community.
The post holder will manage a caseload of clients through assessment to onward-referral, working with clients in the practice that have been referred by the GP. They will provide ongoing support for an allocated timeframe to promote engagement with identified services and achievement of goals.
The role requires extensive liaison with statutory and non-statutory services, to both generate referrals into the service and support access to relevant local services, so that seamless and joined up local services are provided for the individual. The post holder will have demonstrable high levels of emotional intelligence, with working practices based upon compassion and empathy.
In addition, the post holder will contribute to the development of the service and will participate in support, supervision and training as required.
About us
Employment will be with Out of Hours West Lancashire CIC
Limited (OWLS). We host roles on behalf of the three West Lancashire Primary
Care Networks (PCNs) and their member practices.
OWLS is a small GP owned and led not-for-profit primary care
organisation run by GPs and health professionals. As a not-for-profit
organisation all the money we generate through service contracts is reinvested
in providing patient care.
We were founded in the 90s by a small group of GPs to
provide high quality out of hours services. In 2017, we became the West
Lancashire GP Federation. The Federation supports and provides services
directly and with partners, for West Lancashire GP practices and provides a
vehicle to bid for and provide primary care services.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Take referrals from and make
referrals to a wide range of agencies within Primary Care Networks
- Co-produce personalised support
plans with individuals, their families and carers to take control of their
wellbeing, live independently and improve their health outcomes.
- Developing 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.
- 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.
Referrals- 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.
- 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.
- Work with the practice and
community staff, to identify and support individuals at risk of loss of
independence or hospital admission as a result of inadequate social support.
- 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.
- Help people identify the wider
issues that impact on their health and wellbeing, such as debt, poor housing,
being unemployed, loneliness and caring responsibilities.
- Develop a comprehensive knowledge
of wider support services for people with non-clinical needs that impact on
their wellbeing and health outcomes, such as social isolation, wellbeing,
housing, unemployment, welfare benefits.
- Help people maintain or regain
independence through living skills, adaptations enablement approaches and
simple safeguards.
- 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 appropriate, 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.
- The post holder will be required
to have awareness and training in relation to relevant safeguarding policies
and procedures and to raise any concerns regarding safeguarding on the
individual to the attention of the relevant nominated lead within the team.
Support community groups and VCSE
organisations to receive referrals
- Forge strong links with local
VCSE organisations, community and neighbourhood level groups, utilising their
networks and building on whats already available to create a map or menu of
community groups and assets.
- Develop supportive relationships
with local VCSE organisations, community groups and statutory services, to make
timely, appropriate and supported referrals for the person being introduced.
Work collectively with all local
partners to ensure community groups are strong and sustainable- Work with GPs, PCNs and wider
Multi-disciplinary teams as required.
- Work with commissioners and local
partners to identify unmet needs within the community and gaps in community
provision and support development of new groups and services where needed.
- Encourage people who have been
connected to community support through social prescribing to volunteer and give
their time freely to others, in order to build their skills and confidence, and
strengthen community resilience.
Data capture- 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.
- Encourage people, their families
and carers to provide feedback and to share their stories about the impact of
social prescribing on their lives.
- Support referral agencies to
provide appropriate information about the person they are referring. Use the
case management system to track the persons progress.
- Work closely with GP practices
within the PCN to ensure that they are receiving appropriate feedback about the
people they have referred.
- Manage own workload through
planning and organising own work schedule, obtaining and organising the
necessary information and resources.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Take referrals from and make
referrals to a wide range of agencies within Primary Care Networks
- Co-produce personalised support
plans with individuals, their families and carers to take control of their
wellbeing, live independently and improve their health outcomes.
- Developing 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.
- 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.
Referrals- 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.
- 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.
- Work with the practice and
community staff, to identify and support individuals at risk of loss of
independence or hospital admission as a result of inadequate social support.
- 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.
- Help people identify the wider
issues that impact on their health and wellbeing, such as debt, poor housing,
being unemployed, loneliness and caring responsibilities.
- Develop a comprehensive knowledge
of wider support services for people with non-clinical needs that impact on
their wellbeing and health outcomes, such as social isolation, wellbeing,
housing, unemployment, welfare benefits.
- Help people maintain or regain
independence through living skills, adaptations enablement approaches and
simple safeguards.
- 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 appropriate, 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.
- The post holder will be required
to have awareness and training in relation to relevant safeguarding policies
and procedures and to raise any concerns regarding safeguarding on the
individual to the attention of the relevant nominated lead within the team.
Support community groups and VCSE
organisations to receive referrals
- Forge strong links with local
VCSE organisations, community and neighbourhood level groups, utilising their
networks and building on whats already available to create a map or menu of
community groups and assets.
- Develop supportive relationships
with local VCSE organisations, community groups and statutory services, to make
timely, appropriate and supported referrals for the person being introduced.
Work collectively with all local
partners to ensure community groups are strong and sustainable- Work with GPs, PCNs and wider
Multi-disciplinary teams as required.
- Work with commissioners and local
partners to identify unmet needs within the community and gaps in community
provision and support development of new groups and services where needed.
- Encourage people who have been
connected to community support through social prescribing to volunteer and give
their time freely to others, in order to build their skills and confidence, and
strengthen community resilience.
Data capture- 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.
- Encourage people, their families
and carers to provide feedback and to share their stories about the impact of
social prescribing on their lives.
- Support referral agencies to
provide appropriate information about the person they are referring. Use the
case management system to track the persons progress.
- Work closely with GP practices
within the PCN to ensure that they are receiving appropriate feedback about the
people they have referred.
- Manage own workload through
planning and organising own work schedule, obtaining and organising the
necessary information and resources.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working with health sector and multiple stakeholders
- Experience and demonstrable evidence of incorporating patient/client views into the development of services e.g. co-production
- Good understanding of service improvement, innovation, performance improvement across a range of disciplines
- Experience of working with statutory sector
- Experience of holistic interviewing and assessment of individuals to produce an action plan
- Experience of working with and supporting volunteers
- An understanding of the VCF sector
- Ability to use a range of IT programmes
Desirable
- Understanding of the NHS and social care sector
- Experience of working with primary care e.g. GP practices
Skills and Knowledge
Essential
- Ability to communicate well with patients, carers, volunteers, colleagues and with professional staff in other organisations
- Knowledge and skill in the use of recording/maintaining data for reporting
- Ability to prioritise own workload, work unsupervised and take appropriate decisions
- Experience in effective use of softer skills listening, lateral thinking, body language and observation
- Excellent organisational and time management skills
- Ability to travel around the whole of West Lancashire using appropriate transport to undertake multiple appointments/meetings (in different geographical locations) to meet defined project time slots
Desirable
- An appreciation of services and help available for people living in West Lancashire
- Good networking skills
- Knowledge and understanding of health inequalities and what actions to take to narrow the gap in health inequalities
Behaviours and Values
Essential
- To respect client confidentiality at all times
- Good verbal and written communication skills
- Ability to work calmly whilst under pressure.
- Ability as part of a team as well as alone
- Well organised and methodical
- Able to work flexible hours to suit project needs
- Presentable with a friendly, approachable manner
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree and/or equivalent experience in health care/social care or related area.
- Hold certificate for (or be willing to work towards) Levels1 and 2 Safeguarding - Adults and Children
Desirable
- Qualification and/or experience in giving information and advice to individuals with differing needs in the community
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working with health sector and multiple stakeholders
- Experience and demonstrable evidence of incorporating patient/client views into the development of services e.g. co-production
- Good understanding of service improvement, innovation, performance improvement across a range of disciplines
- Experience of working with statutory sector
- Experience of holistic interviewing and assessment of individuals to produce an action plan
- Experience of working with and supporting volunteers
- An understanding of the VCF sector
- Ability to use a range of IT programmes
Desirable
- Understanding of the NHS and social care sector
- Experience of working with primary care e.g. GP practices
Skills and Knowledge
Essential
- Ability to communicate well with patients, carers, volunteers, colleagues and with professional staff in other organisations
- Knowledge and skill in the use of recording/maintaining data for reporting
- Ability to prioritise own workload, work unsupervised and take appropriate decisions
- Experience in effective use of softer skills listening, lateral thinking, body language and observation
- Excellent organisational and time management skills
- Ability to travel around the whole of West Lancashire using appropriate transport to undertake multiple appointments/meetings (in different geographical locations) to meet defined project time slots
Desirable
- An appreciation of services and help available for people living in West Lancashire
- Good networking skills
- Knowledge and understanding of health inequalities and what actions to take to narrow the gap in health inequalities
Behaviours and Values
Essential
- To respect client confidentiality at all times
- Good verbal and written communication skills
- Ability to work calmly whilst under pressure.
- Ability as part of a team as well as alone
- Well organised and methodical
- Able to work flexible hours to suit project needs
- Presentable with a friendly, approachable manner
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree and/or equivalent experience in health care/social care or related area.
- Hold certificate for (or be willing to work towards) Levels1 and 2 Safeguarding - Adults and Children
Desirable
- Qualification and/or experience in giving information and advice to individuals with differing needs in the community
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.
