Social Prescribing Link Worker

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key Duties and Responsibilities

1. To provide personalised support to individuals, their families and carers to take control of their wellbeing, live independently and improve their health outcomes

1. To develop trusting relationships by giving people time and focus on what matters to me

1. To manage and prioritise your own caseload in accordance with the needs, Teldoc priorities and any urgent support required by individuals on the caseload

1. To have a strong awareness and understanding of when it is appropriate or necessary to refer people back to other health professionals or agencies, when what the person needs is beyond the scope of this SPLW role

1. To work as part of a multi-disciplinary team in a patient facing role using expert knowledge within the SPLW areas and to promote social prescribing and its role in self-management

1. To work together with all local partners to collectively ensure that local VCSE organisations and community groups are sustainable and that community assets are nurtured

1. To 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

1. To ensure that social prescribing referral codes are inputted to EMIS system and that the persons use of the NHS can be tracked, adhering to data protection legislation and data sharing agreements with the CCG

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

1. To work in partnership with all local agencies to raise awareness of social prescribing and how partnership working can reduce pressure on statutory services, improve health outcomes and enable a holistic approach to care

1. To be proactive in encouraging self-referrals and connecting with all local communities, particularly those communities that statutory agencies may find hard to reach

1. To meet people on a one-to-one basis, making home visits where appropriate within organisations policies and procedures giving people time to tell their stories and focus on what matters to me and building trust with the person, providing non-judgemental support, respecting diversity and lifestyle choices. The role requires working from a strength-based approach focusing on a persons assets

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

1. To 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

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

1. To participate in the management of patient complaints when requested to do so and participate in the identification of any necessary learning brought about through incidents and near-miss events

1. To work with individuals to co-produce a simple personalised support plan s. Where people may be eligible for a personal health budget, to help 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

1. To forge strong links with local VCSE organisations, community and neighbourhood level groups, utilising their networks and building on whats already available

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

1. To work with your line manager to access regular clinical supervision, to enable you to deal effectively with the difficult issues that people present

1. To undertake all mandatory training and induction programmes

Confidentiality:

• 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 and their carers, practice staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to the practice as a business organisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential
• Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data.

Health & safety:

The post-holder will oversee a full range of promotion and management their own and others health and safety and infection control, as defined in the practice Health & Safety policy, the practice Health & Safety manual, and the practice Infection Control policy and published procedures. This will include (but will not be limited to):

• Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines
• Awareness of national standards of infection control and cleanliness and regulatory / contractual / professional requirements, and good practice guidelines
• Active observation of current working practices across the practice in relation to infection control, cleanliness and related activities, ensuring that procedures are followed and weaknesses / training needs are identified, escalating issues as appropriate
• Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks across clinical and patient process
• Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills, and initiate and manage the training of others across the full range of infection control and patient processes
• Monitoring practice facilities and equipment in relation to infection control, ensuring that provision of hand-cleansing facilities, wipes etc. are sufficient to ensure a good clinical working environment. Lack of facilities to be escalated as appropriate.
• Actively identifying, reporting, and correction of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised
• Keeping own work areas and general / patient areas generally clean, sterile, identifying issues and hazards / risks in relation to other work areas within the business, and assuming responsibility in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness across the business in consultation (where appropriate) with other sector managers
• Demonstrate due regard for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults.

Equality and diversity:

The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include:

• Acting in a way that recognises the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with practice procedures and policies, and current legislation
• Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues
• Behaving in a manner that is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

Personal/Professional development:

The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the practice as part of this employment, such training to include:

• Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development
• Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work

Communication:

The post-holder should recognise the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:

Communicate effectively with own and other team members

Communicate effectively with patients and carers

Recognise peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly.

Contribution to the Implementation of Services:

The post-holder will:

Apply practice policies, standards and guidance.

Participate in audit where appropriate.

Other Duties: This job description is intended as an outline of the general areas of activity in which the post holder will be expected to participate. It may be reviewed and amended according to the changing needs of the Practice. Changes will be undertaken in discussion with the post holder.

Safeguarding:

The Practice is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment.

Infection Control:

As an employee you have a responsibility to abide by all Infection Control Guidelines provided by the Practice.

Probationary Period:

This post is subject to the requirements of a six month probationary period for new staff only.

Smoke Free Policy

There is a smoke free policy in operation in Teldoc. In accordance with this policy smoking is discouraged and is not permitted anywhere within the buildings or within 15 metres of Teldoc main buildings.

Person Specification

Other

Essential

• Access to own transport and ability to travel across the locality on a regular basis, including to visit people in their own home

Personal Attributes

Essential

• Ability to listen, empathise with people and provide person centred support in a non-judgemental way
• Able to get along with people from all backgrounds and communities, respecting lifestyles and diversity
• Ability to communicate complex and sensitive information effectively with people at all levels by telephone, email and face to face
• Ability to identify risk and assess/manage risk when working with individuals
• Demonstrate personal accountability, emotional resilience and works well under pressure
• Knowledge of and ability to work to policies and procedures, including confidentiality, safeguarding, lone working, information governance, and health and safety

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

• Understanding of the wider determinants of health, including social, economic and environmental factors and their impact on communities
• An understanding of the range of support and services available to people in Telford & Wrekin
• Excellent communication skills and confidence in networking with other stakeholders.
• Ability to work as a team member and autonomously.
• Clear, polite telephone manner
• Excellent organisational and time management skills and ability to prioritise a busy workload.
• Computer literate and confident working with common applications (e.g. Microsoft Office).

Desirable

• Knowledge of Health & Social Care networks in the community.

Qualifications

Essential

• Applicants must have a good standard of general education with English and Maths to GCSE level A* to C

Desirable

• Training in motivational coaching and interviewing or equivalent experience

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)

Desirable

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

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

Teldoc

Address

Limes Walk

Oakengates

Telford

Shropshire

TF2 6JJ

Employer's website

https://www.teldoc.org/ (Opens in a new tab)