TLCP Social Prescriber

Job description

Job responsibilities

Main Duty:

• Draw on and increase the strengths and capacities of local communities, enabling local VCSE organisations and community groups to receive social prescribing referrals. They will ensure those organisations and groups are supported, have basic safeguarding processes for vulnerable individuals and can provide opportunities for the person to develop friendships, a sense of belonging, and build knowledge, skills and confidence.
• Work together with all local partners and members of the PCN MDT to collectively ensure that local VCSE organisations and community groups are sustainable and that community assets are nurtured, by making them aware of small grants or micro-commissioning if available, including providing support to set up new community groups and services, where gaps are identified in local provision.
• Have a role in educating non-clinical and clinical staff within the organisation what other services and support are available within the community and how and when patients can access them. This may include verbal or written advice and guidance.

Other Duties:

• Work within the policies of scheme and Practices.
• Maintain a good working knowledge of health and safety procedures. Participate in data led evaluation of the service
• Promote client involvement in the management of the service
• Participate in regular supervision sessions and appraisals with your line manager. Attend training and development activities as identified and participate in meetings as required. Take an active role in reflecting, reviewing and developing professional knowledge, skills and behaviors
• Maintain administration systems and workspace used in a clean and tidy condition.
• Attend site MDTs to embed relationships and promote social prescribing across the PCN.
• Work flexibly to meet the needs of clients and use appropriate judgement to ascertain the number and length of sessions required, whilst being mindful of service capacity.
• Undertake any other duties that are commensurate with the post and within the post holders clinical competence.
• Proactively develop strong links with local agencies and seek regular feedback about referral quality, as well as the impact of social prescribing on referral agencies

Generic Responsibilities:

All staff at The Lewisham Care Partnership(TLCP) have a duty to conform to the following

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

A good attitude and positive action towards ED&I creates and environment where all individuals are able to achieve their full potential. Creating such an environment is important for three reasons: it improves operational effectiveness, it is morally the right thing to do, and it is required by law.

Patients and their families have the right to be treated fairly and be routinely involved in decisions about their treatment and care. They can expect to be treated with dignity and respect and will not be discriminated against on any grounds including age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. Patients have a responsibility to treat other patients and our staff with dignity and respect.

Staffs have the right to be treated fairly in recruitment and career progression. Staff can expect to work in an environment where diversity is valued and equality of opportunity is promoted. Staff will not be discriminated against on any grounds including age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. Staffs have a responsibility to ensure that you treat our patients and their colleagues with dignity and respect.

Safety, Health, Environment and Fire (SHEF)

TLCP is committed to supporting and promoting opportunities to for staff to maintain their health, well-being and safety. You have a duty to take reasonable care of health and safety at work for you, your team and others, and to cooperate with employers to ensure compliance with health and safety requirements. All personnel are to comply with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, Environmental Protection Act 1990, Environment Act 1995, Fire Precautions (workplace) Regulations 1999 and other statutory legislation

Confidentiality

TLCP is committed to maintaining an outstanding confidential service. In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information in relation to their health and other matters. They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately.

In the performance of the duties outlined in this job description, the post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients, their carers, practice or staff information. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential.

Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, or the members practices may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with PGPA policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data, or under the guidance of your manager.

This role profile is not exhaustive, and you may be directed to complete other tasks according to the skills and requirements for individual roles. These duties will always be reasonable and deemed within the expectations of your position.

Quality & Continuous Improvement (CI)

To preserve and improve the quality of our output, all personnel are required to think not only of what they do, but how they achieve it. By continually re-examining our processes, we will be able to develop and improve the overall effectiveness of the way we work. The responsibility for this rests with everyone working within the practice to look for opportunities to improve quality and share good practice.

We continually strive to improve work processes which deliver health care with improved results across all areas of our service provision. We promote a culture of continuous improvement, where everyone counts and staffs are permitted to make suggestions and contributions to improve our service delivery and enhance patient care.

Induction Training

As part of the TLCP, all personnel are to complete a induction programme; this is managed by the Manager.

Learning and Development

The effective use of training and development is fundamental in ensuring that all staffs are equipped with the appropriate skills, knowledge, attitude and competences to perform their role. All staff will be required to partake and complete mandatory training as directed by the training coordinator, as well as participating in the TLCP training programme. Staff will also be permitted (subject to approval) to undertake external training courses which will enhance their knowledge and skills, progress their career and ultimately, enable them to improve processes and service delivery.

Collaborative Working

All staffs are to recognise the significance of collaborative working. Teamwork is essential in multidisciplinary environments. Effective communication is essential and all staff must ensure they communicate in a manner which enables the sharing of information in an appropriate manner.

Service Delivery

Staff at The Lewisham Care Partnership must adhere to the information contained with the policies and regional directives, ensuring protocols are adhered to at all times. Staff will be given detailed information during the induction process regarding policy and procedure.

Security

The security of the site of work is the responsibility of all personnel. Staff must ensure they remain vigilant at all times and report any suspicious activity immediately to their line manager. Under no circumstances are staffs to share the codes for the door locks to anyone and are to ensure that restricted areas remain effectively secured.

Professional Conduct

At The Lewisham Care Partnership, staffs are required to dress appropriately for their role.

Leave

All personnel are entitled to take leave. Line managers are to ensure all of their staff are afforded the opportunity to take a minimum of four weeks plus bank holiday days leave each year(pro rota for part time), and should be encouraged to take all of their leave entitlement.

Person Specification

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

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.

Qualifications

Essential

• -NVQ Level 3, Advanced level or equivalent qualifications or working towards
• - Is enrolled in, undertaking or qualified from appropriate training as set out by the Personalised Care Institute
• Demonstrable commitment to professional and personal development

Desirable

• Training in motivational coaching and interviewing or equivalent experience

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.

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

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 Lewisham Care Partnership

Address

56 - 60 Loampit Hill

London

SE13 7SX

Employer's website

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