We are looking for a Social Prescriber Link Worker to join our team within Bosworth Primary Care Network. Working 18.75 hours per week over four of our member practices – Ratby Medical Centre, Heath Lane Surgery, Desford Medical Centre, and Newbold Verdon Medical Practice.
Hinckley and Bosworth Medical Alliance is a GP Federation that supports 12 GP practices across Hinckley & Bosworth locality, which form 3 Primary Care Networks (PCNs).
We employ in excess of 40 PCN staff across a number of clinical grades and in supportive roles, and we continue to grow. This includes a team of 8 Social Prescriber Link Workers
As a rapidly growing Federation, we have structures in place to ensure that all staff have appropriate mentors and are supported in their professional development.
The starting salary for a full time person is £28,508.83 per annum increasing to £29,078.57 upon successful completion of your probation, and then a further increase to £29,660.28 at the first annual appraisal. This will be pro rata'd accordingly.
This advert is for a part time position, for 18.75 hours per week. Exact working patterns can be discussed individually, but any hours worked will need to correspond with GP opening hours. There is a possibility the hours for this role could be increased.
The role will require you to be a driver with access to your own car.
What is Social Prescribing
Social prescribing is a way of engaging patients in primary care with a resource which provides support within the local community.
In addition it provides GPs with a non-medical referral option that can align to existing treatments to improve health and wellbeing.
People want to be able to access information and support in a setting that is convenient and familiar to them, delivered by people they trust.
The Social Prescribing Link Worker will offer support in a clinic environment based within general practice as well at various locations within the community including the patient’s home.
The role will provide information and support to patients in addition to becoming the link between the patient, GP and other service providers.
The role will require managing and prioritising your own caseload, in accordance with the needs, priorities and any urgent support required by individuals.
Key Responsibilities
Receiving and actioning referrals from a wide range of agencies, working with GP practices within primary care networks (PCNs), pharmacies, multi-disciplinary teams, hospital discharge teams, allied health professionals, fire service, police, job centres, social care services, housing associations, and voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations. (List not exhaustive).
Providing personalised support to individuals, their families and carers to enable them to take control of their well-being, live independently and improve their health outcomes. Develop trusting relationships by giving people time and focus on what matters to them. Taking an holistic approach, based on the person’s priorities and the wider determinants of health. To co-produce a personalised support plan to improve health and wellbeing, to introduce or reconnect people to community groups and statutory services. It is vital that the Social Prescribing Link Worker has a strong awareness and understanding of when it is appropriate or necessary to refer people back to other health professionals or agencies.
To increase the strengths and capacities of local communities, and enable local VCSE organisations and community groups to receive social prescribing referrals. Ensure they 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 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.
Service Delivery
- Build a robust knowledge of health, social and third sector provision available within West Leicestershire and surrounding areas.
- Promote social prescribing, its role in self-management, and the wider determinants of health.
- Act as an advocate for patients and service users of the health and social care system.
- Build relationships with key staff in GP practices within the local Primary Care Network (PCN). Attend relevant meetings and integrate as part of the wider network team, providing information and feedback on social prescribing matters.
- Work proactively to develop strong links with all local agencies to encourage referrals, to recognise their requirements and enable confident approach to making referrals.
- Work in partnership with all local agencies to raise awareness of social prescribing and demonstrate how partnership working can reduce pressure on statutory services, improve health outcomes and enable a holistic approach to care.
- Provide referral agencies with regular updates relating to social prescribing, and include training for their staff to promote effective access to information and encourage appropriate referrals.
- Work proactively in encouraging self-referrals and connecting with all local communities, particularly those communities that statutory agencies may find hard to reach.
- To support patients on discharge from hospital admission.
- To support with the requirements as outlines in the PCN DES, including but not limited to providing additional hours for Extended Access.
Personalised Care and Support
- Build relationships with patients, their families and carers and carry out regular telephone consultations and reviews within the GP practice or community setting.
- Meet people on a one-to-one basis, undertaking home visits where appropriate within organisations’ policies and procedures. Give people time to tell their stories and focus on ‘what matters to me’.
- Build trust with the person, providing non-judgmental support, respecting diversity and lifestyle choices. Work from a strength-based approach focusing on a person’s assets.
- Anticipate barriers to communication.
- Be a friendly source of information about wellbeing and prevention approaches.
- Help people identify the wider issues that impact on their health and wellbeing, such as debt, poor housing, being unemployed, loneliness and caring.
- Communicate effectively with patients, families and carers recognising the need for alternative communication methods of communication to overcome different levels of understanding, cultural background and preferred ways of communicating.
- 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 person’s 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. Provide follow-up to ensure that they are happy, engaged, included and receiving good support.
- Where people may be eligible for a personal health budget, assist 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. Support community groups and VCSE organisations to receive referrals.
Support Community Groups to Receive Referrals
- Forge strong links with local VCSE organisations, community and neighbourhood to promote micro-commissioning or small grants if available.
- Develop supportive relationships with local VCSE organisations, community groups and statutory services, to make timely, appropriate and supported referrals for the person being introduced.
- Ensure that local community groups and VCSE organisations being referred to have basic procedures in place for ensuring that vulnerable individuals are safe and, where there are safeguarding concerns, work with all partners to deal appropriately with issues. Where such policies and procedures are not in place, support groups to work towards this standard before referrals are made to them.
- Check that community groups and VCSE organisations meet in insured premises and that health and safety requirements are in place. Where such policies and procedures are not in place, support groups to work towards this standard before referrals are made to them.
- Support local groups to act in accordance with information governance policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with the Data Protection Act.
- Work collectively with all local partners to ensure community groups are strong and sustainable.
- Work with commissioners and local partners to identify unmet needs within the community and gaps in community provision.
- Support local partners and commissioners to develop new groups and services where needed, through small grants for community groups, micro-commissioning and development support.
Work Collectively with Local Partners to Ensure Community Groups are Strong and Sustainable
- Work with commissioners and local partners to identify unmet needs within the community and gaps in community provision.
- Support local partners and commissioners to develop new groups and services where needed, through small grants for community groups, micro-commissioning and development support.
- 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.
- Develop a team of volunteers to provide ‘buddying support’ for people, starting new groups and finding creative community solutions to local Issues.
- Encourage people, their families and carers to provide peer support and to do things together, such as setting up new community groups or volunteering.
- Provide a regular ‘confidence survey’ to community groups receiving referrals, to ensure that they are strong, sustained and have the support they need to be part of social prescribing.
General Tasks
- Produce accurate, contemporaneous and complete records of patient contact, consistent with legislation, policies and procedures.
- Work sensitively and effectively with people, their families and carers to capture key information, enabling tracking of the impact of social prescribing on their health and wellbeing.
- Build relationships with patients, their families and carers and carry out regular telephone consultations and reviews within the GP practice or community setting.
- 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 person’s progress. Provide appropriate feedback to referral agencies about the people they referred.
- Work closely with GP practices within the PCN to ensure that social prescribing referral codes are inputted to the clinical system and that the person’s use of the NHS can be tracked, adhering to data protection legislation and data sharing agreements.
- Seek regular feedback about the quality of service and impact of social prescribing on referral agencies.
- Understand and apply legal issues that support the identification of vulnerable and abused children and adults, and be aware of statutory child/vulnerable patients’ health procedures and local guidance.
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.
- Adhere to organisational policies and procedures, including confidentiality, safeguarding, lone working, information governance, and health and safety.
- Work with your line manager to access regular clinical supervision, to enable you to deal effectively with the difficult issues that people present.
Miscellaneous
- Work as part of the team to seek feedback, continually improve the service and contribute to business planning.
- 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.
Benefits Include
- Access to the NHS Pension
- Eyecare Scheme
- Funded CPD Days (if appropriate)
- Access to NHS Staff Discount Scheme
- Minimum of 25 days annual leave per year, plus bank holidays (pro rata). Increasing with length of service
Please note that should this vacancy attract sufficient interest it may be necessary to close the vacancy at an earlier date. We therefore suggest that you apply at an early stage to avoid disappointment
Job Types: Part-time, Permanent
Pay: £28,508.33-£29,660.28 per year
Benefits:
- Additional leave
- Company pension
- On-site parking
- Sick pay
- Work from home
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Leicester LE6 0LE: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Licence/Certification:
- Driving Licence (required)
Work Location: In person
