Network Engagement Lead

Job description

Job responsibilities

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE:

Helping to connect the BAME community to local groups and statutory services to improve access to health care.

To promote to the BAME community the benefits of cancer screening, vaccinations and immunisations, including Influenza and Covid-19, and health and wellbeing interventions.

The postholder will support existing groups to be accessible and sustainable and help people to start new community groups, working collaboratively with all local partners.

The postholder will work as a key part of the primary care network (PCN) multi-disciplinary team. Social prescribing can help PCNs to strengthen community and personal resilience and reduces health and wellbeing inequalities by addressing the wider determinants of health, such as debt, poor housing and physical inactivity, by increasing peoples active involvement with their local communities. It particularly works for people with long term conditions (including support for mental health), for people who are lonely or isolated, or have complex social needs which affect their wellbeing.

To support patients of the Central Liverpool Primary Care Network (CLPCN) and promote lifestyle changes, preventing ill-health by means of behavioural change techniques. The role will provide information and support to patients in addition to becoming the link between the patient, GP and other service providers.

JOB SUMMARY:

The post holder will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team.

The post holder may work with patients in the surgeries or in community settings.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS:

• All 9 GP practices in CLPCN, including clinicians, non-clinical staff and patients

Local community organisations providing a range of practical, health and well-being offers

Statutory health and social care services, and commissioners where appropriate

Healthwatch/ LiveWell Directory

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

The following are the core responsibilities of the BAME Community Engagement Link Worker, including but not limited to:

Contribute to improved health outcomes for the BAME community. This may include:

o Be a friendly source of information about health, wellbeing and prevention approaches

o Help people identify the wider issues that impact on their health and wellbeing, such as debt, poor housing, being unemployed, loneliness and caring responsibilities

o Help identify potential barriers to accessing services and groups, working with patients to have the confidence and information to enable access

o Work with families and carers and consider how they can all be supported through social prescribing

Working with direct supervision by a GP, work with a wide range of agencies, including PCNs GP practices and multi-disciplinary team: pharmacies, wider 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 (for registered patients)

Networking, learning and development with fellow Link Workers across Liverpool primary care networks, sharing best practice initiatives

Implement, maintain and embed a directory of services, incorporating referral processes to local services / organisations, user expectations and costs

Actively promoting community engagement within the PCN, through presenting to internal and external stakeholders, using dedicated noticeboards, patient information screens and the Network/ Practice websites and social media

Supporting practice staff

Building strengths and capacities of local communities, enabling local VCSE organisations and community groups to receive social prescribing referrals

Working collaboratively with local partners to contribute towards supporting local community groups to become sustainable, through sharing intelligence regarding any gaps or problems identified in local provision with commissioners and local authorities

Encourage people who have been connected to community support through social prescribing to volunteer and give their time freely to others, building their skills and confidence and strengthening community resilience

Develop a team of volunteers within your service 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

Encourage people, their families and carers to provide feedback and to share their stories about the impact of social prescribing on their lives

In addition to the primary responsibilities above, the post holder may be requested to:

Produce regular reports in relation to service delivery and progress

Partake in audit as directed by the audit lead

Confidentiality:

• As per both Government legislation and PCN policies, ensure that all confidentiality, data protection and information governance policies and guidelines are followed and strictly adhered to, reporting any infringements to the PCN Clinical Director or Manager.

Health & Safety:

• The post-holder will assist PCN H&S leads in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the local Health & Safety Policy and related Risk Assessments.

Equality and Diversity:

• The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues in line with local Policies.

Professional Development:

• Work with supervisor/ manager to identify opportunities to receive continuous professional development
• Work with any local networks for comparable link workers across Liverpool, including shared learning events, joint induction and training
• Attend and comply with specified mandatory training.

IT:

Use of EMIS Web.

Commitment to the use of IT, data entry, read coding and targets.

Extraction of data and use of spreadsheets to analyse and present information to determine trends or highlight potential problems, as required by the Connexus PCN.

Person Specification

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• B
• Excellent communication skills (written and oral)
• Strong IT skills
• Competent in the use of Office and Outlook
• Effective time management (planning and organising)
• Ability to work as a team member and autonomously
• Excellent interpersonal and listening skills
• Problem-solving & analytical skills
• Ability to follow policy and procedure
• Good understanding of local community services

Desirable

• e fluent in one/any of the following languages; Somali, Arabic, Chinese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Farsi, Kurdish, Spanish, Polish
• Ability to use EMIS patient systems
• Good understanding of the wider determinants of health

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working with the general public
• Experience of working in a health and social care setting or with relevant voluntary sector organisations
• Experience of working with vulnerable people
• Experience of group working in the community

Desirable

• Experience of working as a related link worker role

Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to GCSE level or equivalent.

Desirable

• Motivational interviewing/coaching qualification.
• NVQ Leve 2 in Health and Social Care or other relevant professional academic qualification.

Other

Essential

• Polite and confident
• Flexible and cooperative
• Forward thinker
• High levels of integrity and professionalism
• Sensitive and empathetic in distressing situations
• Ability to work under pressure
• Be a member of a BAME community
• Flexibility to work outside core office hours
• Ability to travel across sites/ or Liverpool including the PCNs Geographical footprint

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

Abercromby Family Practice

Address

Grove Street

Edge Hill

Liverpool

L7 7HG

Employer's website

https://www.abercrombyfp.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)