Social Prescribing Link worker

Halo PCN has an exciting opportunity for a social prescribing link worker to join our team on a full-time basis, for 37.5 hours per week. You will work alongside the GP practice teams at Harvey Group Practice and the Lodge Health Partnership and be an integral part of the general practice team, working in each practice and across the HaLo PCN, as well as part of wider community groups and their multidisciplinary teams.
Social prescribing empowers people to take control of their health and well-being through referral to non-medical 'link workers' who give time to focus on what matters to each individual, taking a holistic approach and connecting people to community groups and statutory services, for practical and emotional support.
Social prescribing can help to strengthen community resilience and personal resilience whilst reducing health inequalities by addressing the wider determinants of health such as debt, poor housing, and physical inactivity by increasing people's active involvement with their local communities. This role can be particularly beneficial to patients with long-term conditions, those with mental health issues and those who are lonely or isolated or who have complex social needs which affect their wellbeing.
The main responsibilities of the role include:

• 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.


• develop trusting relationships by giving people time and focus on 'what matters to them' and evaluate the individual impact of a person's wellness programme.


• be a friendly source of information about wellbeing and prevention approaches.


• help people identify the wider issues that impact on their health and well-being such as debt, poor housing, being unemployed, loneliness and caring responsibilities.


• help people maintain or regain independence through living skills, adaptations, enablement approaches and simple safeguards.


• forge strong links with local VCSE organisations, community, and neighbourhood level groups, utilising their networks and building on what's already available.


• 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.


• 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 relationships with key staff in GP practices within the local Primary Care Network (PCN), attending relevant meetings, becoming part of the wider network team, giving information and feedback on social prescribing.


• ensure that social prescribing referral codes are inputted to EMIS system, and that the person's use of the NHS can be tracked, adhering to data protection legislation and data sharing agreements with the ICB.


• liaise with the practices and, where practicable, to standardise the social prescribing process across the PCN.


• support the delivery of Standard Network Hours with the flexibility to work in the evenings (until 8pm) or on Saturdays on a regular or ad hoc basis.


• provide targeted support and proactive reviews for vulnerable, complex patients and those at risk of admission and re-admission to secondary care.


• contribute to public health campaigns (e.g. flu clinics) through advice or direct care.


• educate non-clinical and clinical staff within PCN MDTs on the community support offer, how and when patients can access it, and the value of non-medical community-based interventions. This may include verbal or written advice and guidance.


• 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.
  
  NVQ Level 3, Advanced level or equivalent qualifications or working towards.


• Demonstrable commitment to professional and personal development.


• Experience of partnership/collaborative working and of building relationships across a variety of organisations.


• Experience of working directly in a community development context, adult health, and social care, learning support or public.


• Experience of supporting people, their families, and carers in a related role (including unpaid work).


• Experience of working with the VCSE sector (in a paid or unpaid capacity), including with volunteers and small community groups.


• Dealing with the public in face to face and telephone interactions.


• Some knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) or ability to learn quickly.


• Customer care skills.


• Ability to actively listen, empathise with people and provide person-centred support in a non-judgmental way.


• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with people, their families, carers, community groups, partner agencies and stakeholders.


• Works well under pressure.


• Self-motivated and able to carry out tasks with minimal supervision.


• Works confidently with service users, partners, and stakeholders to find effective solutions.


• Strong team player and able to work effectively as part of a locality, area and countywide team.


• Flexible, innovative, and adaptable and has a 'can do' approach and attitude.


• Good understanding of the voluntary and statutory sector and ideally the specific locality area.


• Demonstrates personal accountability.


• Ability to travel across the locality on a regular basis, including to visit people in their own homes.


• Willingness to work flexible hours when required to meet work demands.


• Current full driving license and sole use of car.


Desirable:

• Training in motivational coaching and interviewing or equivalent experience.


• Qualified in Social Prescribing.


• Experience of working in General Practice.


• Knowledge of how the NHS works, including primary care and MDT working.


• Familiarity with clinical software such as EMIS.
  
  HaLo PCN is a thriving network of 2 GP practices in the St Albans area. With over 30,000 patients between them, the PCN is led by our clinical director and supported by our PCN manager, working in partnership with our practice managers.


Disclosure and Barring Service Check

Please note 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 to check for any previous criminal convictions.