Job summary
This is an exciting new role for a Social Prescriber with a special interest in the wellbeing of children and young people to join the Nexus Primary Care Network. The post holder will work equally across the five network practices but will be based at Mount Pleasant Health Centre in Exeter.
This role is primarily to work with children and young people aged up to 19, but may also involve work with their parents/carers. Social prescribing empowers people to improve their health and wellbeing through referral to a non-medical link worker who gives time, focuses on what matters to the individual and takes a holistic approach, connecting people to community groups and statutory services for practical and emotional support.
Main duties of the job
The post-holder will work with the GP practices within Nexus PCN to provide personalised support to children and young people, their families, and carers to empower them to improve their wellbeing and health outcomes.
The role will require managing and prioritising your own caseload, in accordance with the needs, priorities and any urgent support required by individuals on the caseload. It is vital that you have a strong awareness and understanding of the limitations of the role and when it would be appropriate or necessary to refer people back to other health professionals/agencies, i.e. when there is a mental health need requiring a qualified practitioner.
Please see the full Job Description for further information.
About us
NEXUS PCN is a network of five practices, covering an urban population of approx. 40,000 patients in Exeter. We are building an extensive and experienced multidisciplinary team and encourage close working relationships with other community staff including the Urgent Community Response team and Community Nurses. We have a well-established patient participation group and close links with voluntary sector organisations in the city. You will be an excellent communicator and work collaboratively with the whole PCN team to meet the needs of patients, support the delivery of policy and procedures and adapt to the requirements of patients, as needs change.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Key Duties and Responsibilities
- Provide personalised support to children and young people aged up to 19, to enable them to improve their wellbeing and health outcomes and to live independently
- Meet young people on a one-to-one basis and give them time to tell their stories and focus on what matters to them. Build trust with the person, providing non-judgemental support, respecting diversity and lifestyle choices. Work from a strength-based approach focusing on a person's strengths
- Co-produce a personalised support plan to improve health and wellbeing, introducing, connecting and supporting young people to community groups and statutory services
- Help young people identify the wider issues that impact on their health and wellbeing, such as debt, poor housing, being unemployed, loneliness and caring responsibilities
- Where necessary, physically introduce people to community groups, activities and statutory services, ensuring they are comfortable. Follow up to ensure they are happy, able to engage, included and receiving good support
- Work sensitively with young people to capture key information, enabling tracking of the impact of social prescribing on their health and wellbeing
- Encourage young people to provide feedback and to share their stories about the impact of social prescribing on their lives
- Manage and prioritise your own caseload, in accordance with the needs, priorities and support required by individuals on the caseload
- Work closely with the safeguarding lead to ensure any issues and concerns are escalated and dealt with quickly and effectively
- Refer young people back to other health professionals/agencies, when their needs are beyond the scope of the social prescriber role e.g. when there is a mental health need requiring a qualified practitioner
- 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
- Organise and help support safeguarding MDTs
Job description
Job responsibilities
Key Duties and Responsibilities
- Provide personalised support to children and young people aged up to 19, to enable them to improve their wellbeing and health outcomes and to live independently
- Meet young people on a one-to-one basis and give them time to tell their stories and focus on what matters to them. Build trust with the person, providing non-judgemental support, respecting diversity and lifestyle choices. Work from a strength-based approach focusing on a person's strengths
- Co-produce a personalised support plan to improve health and wellbeing, introducing, connecting and supporting young people to community groups and statutory services
- Help young people identify the wider issues that impact on their health and wellbeing, such as debt, poor housing, being unemployed, loneliness and caring responsibilities
- Where necessary, physically introduce people to community groups, activities and statutory services, ensuring they are comfortable. Follow up to ensure they are happy, able to engage, included and receiving good support
- Work sensitively with young people to capture key information, enabling tracking of the impact of social prescribing on their health and wellbeing
- Encourage young people to provide feedback and to share their stories about the impact of social prescribing on their lives
- Manage and prioritise your own caseload, in accordance with the needs, priorities and support required by individuals on the caseload
- Work closely with the safeguarding lead to ensure any issues and concerns are escalated and dealt with quickly and effectively
- Refer young people back to other health professionals/agencies, when their needs are beyond the scope of the social prescriber role e.g. when there is a mental health need requiring a qualified practitioner
- 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
- Organise and help support safeguarding MDTs
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- NVQ Level 3 Health and Social Care, or equivalent qualifications, or working towards
- Demonstrable commitment to professional and personal development
Desirable
- Training in motivational coaching and interviewing, or equivalent experience
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working with a range of professionals including senior clinicians
- Experience of working with children and young people or directly in a community development context, children's 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 partnership/collaborative working and of building relationships across a variety of organisations
Desirable
- Experience of working within a primary care setting
- Experience of data collection and providing monitoring information to assess the impact of services
Knowledge and skills
Essential
- Understanding of the wider determinants of health, including social, economic and environmental factors and their impact on communities
- Knowledge of community development approaches
- Knowledge of IT systems, including ability to use word processing skills, emails and the internet to create simple plans and reports
- Knowledge of motivational coaching and interview skills
Desirable
- Knowledge of the personalised care approach
- Knowledge of VCSE and community services in the locality
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- NVQ Level 3 Health and Social Care, or equivalent qualifications, or working towards
- Demonstrable commitment to professional and personal development
Desirable
- Training in motivational coaching and interviewing, or equivalent experience
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working with a range of professionals including senior clinicians
- Experience of working with children and young people or directly in a community development context, children's 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 partnership/collaborative working and of building relationships across a variety of organisations
Desirable
- Experience of working within a primary care setting
- Experience of data collection and providing monitoring information to assess the impact of services
Knowledge and skills
Essential
- Understanding of the wider determinants of health, including social, economic and environmental factors and their impact on communities
- Knowledge of community development approaches
- Knowledge of IT systems, including ability to use word processing skills, emails and the internet to create simple plans and reports
- Knowledge of motivational coaching and interview skills
Desirable
- Knowledge of the personalised care approach
- Knowledge of VCSE and community services in the locality
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.
