Team Leader, Persistent Physical Symptoms Project

Job description

Job responsibilities

Main Duties

Manage a small team of Specialist Social Prescribing Link Workers, providing line management and 1-to-1 support. Ensuring that both workplace and clinical supervision is in place.

Contribute to setting of targets and achieving metrics as determined by stakeholder group.

Induction and training of new team members.

Manage a caseload of clients referred into the Persistent Physical Symptoms project.

Report directly to the Project Lead and provide regular updates as agreed.

Work as part of a multi-disciplinary team to develop person centred, community based personalised care and support plans for clients. Help people identify wider issues that impact on their health and wellbeing such as loneliness, self-care, low income, housing and caring responsibilities, and link them to appropriate services and support.

Promote social prescribing, its role in self-management, and the wider determinants of health. Coach colleagues in the principles of social prescribing.

Work independently in a manner that promotes excellent care and experience, while recognising professional and organisational requirements and boundaries.

Be professional with clients, colleagues, volunteers and professionals at all times.

Have an understanding of the evidence base around self-management support and person-centred care.

Adopt our quality improvement methodology and seek to continuously improve our systems for the value of our clients.

Provide personalised support

Act as an advocate for the client, guiding them through the complex journey with a multi-faceted approach that results in appropriate use of scheduled and unscheduled care services.

Deliver support face to face, over the phone or online at a location agreed with the client including home visits where appropriate.

Be familiar and up-to date with the wider offer from local or national health, social care and voluntary sector organisations, as relevant to people.

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.

Seek advice and support from senior staff to discuss client-related concerns (e.g. safeguarding, medical or medication-related queries, complex mental health issues), referring the client back to a suitable health professional if required.

Support community groups and the wider team

Develop robust and active relationships with care teams in primary care and connect well with other partners. Forge strong links with partner organisations, community and neighbourhood level groups. Contribute to the mapping of available assets.

Recognise and remedy gaps in provision by sharing intelligence, regarding shortfalls or problems in local provision, with commissioners and local authorities.

Encourage clients, their families and carers, who have been connected to community support through social prescribing, to volunteer and give their time freely to others, providing peer support, building their skills and confidence, and strengthening community resilience.

Demonstrate effective, professional and respectful communication within the team and organisation.

Data capture and clinical governance

Ensure accurate reporting and data collection for the entire team. Encourage individuals, families and carers to provide feedback and to share their stories about the impact of social prescribing on their lives.

Contribute to the development and implementation of all policies and systems as they relate to service delivery, in particular: health and safety, safeguarding, vulnerable adults and lone working.

Proactively review of risks and issues that could impact on individual care and wider service delivery.

Seek regular feedback about the quality of service and impact of social prescribing. Provide appropriate feedback to clinicians about the people they referred, where required.

Adhere to GDPR and Data Protection requirements at all times.

Produce relevant reports to both Project Lead and others as appropriate.

Professional development

Work with your line manager to undertake continual personal and professional development, taking an active part in reviewing and developing the roles and responsibilities.

Ensure all team members have a Personal Development Plan in place in line with the NHS England SPLW workforce development framework and the National Association of Link Workers Code of Practice.

Undertake relevant training as required.

Work with the wider team to share learning, and explore issues, to continually develop the service and enable you to deal effectively with the difficult issues that client groups present.

This list is not intended as an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities. The post holder will be asked to carry out other duties which are appropriate to the skills of the post holder and grade of the post as the priorities of the service change.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working in link worker role or similar.

Desirable

• Proven track record of engagement with people on to one basis and/or in groups.
• Demonstrable excellent knowledge of the local community.
• Experience of managing teams, undertaking line management, performance management and appraisals.

Knowledge and skills

Essential

• Excellent communication, interpersonal and listening skills.
• Skills to listen, influence, negotiate and motivate individuals in relation to health related behaviours.
• Understanding of how to deliver high quality, personalised support to individuals, their families and their carers in a way that develops trust and helps them to focus on what matters to me. Strong awareness and understanding of when it is appropriate/necessary to refer people back to other health professionals/agencies.
• Understanding of the wider determinants of health, including social, economic and environmental factors and their impact on communities.
• Knowledge of the personalised care approach.
• Knowledge of IT systems, particularly Microsoft 365 and GP clinical systems.
• Knowledge of health and lifestyle issues relating to mental wellbeing and mental health (gained through practical experience and/or a health related qualification).
• Sound understanding of the challenges faced by those with poor health literacy and the ability to support individuals to develop appropriate skills.
• Adaptable and flexible approach. An interest in/willingness to share learning with other Ways to Wellness projects and team members, as well as external partners.
• Ability to handle sensitive data with confidentiality.
• Ability to act upon own initiative, respond to changing situations.
• Good organisational and time management skills.
• Knowledge of the community resources available to people living with Long term Conditions.

Qualifications

Essential

• Training in Social Prescribing, Motivational Coaching and Interviewing, Personalised Care, or equivalent experience.
• Full driving licence and own transport.

Desirable

• Training in Information, Advice and Guidance.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

Ways to Wellness

Address

Ways To Wellness

Skinnerburn Road

Newcastle Upon Tyne

NE1 3RH

Employer's website

https://waystowellness.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)