Job summary
Hours of work: Full time preferred (part time will be considered)
Base: Hybrid Across the GP Practices/Remote
This is an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic, self-driven social prescriber to join a small supportive team of very active social prescribers, to work in a patient facing role across the 4 practices improving outcomes for the networks population of approximately 44,000 patients. Crawley is a vibrant town. It is one of the most culturally diverse communities in West Sussex. There are many assets within Crawley and its population, but also a range of challenges.Crawley is one of the most affected areas economically as a result of COVID due to the reliance on Gatwick Airport.
An ambitious programme is currently underway to reduce health inequalities and improve the health outcome of the Crawley population by providing health services to the communities of Crawley that will meet their health need now, and for the future- making this an exciting time to apply for this role and make a real difference to the South Crawley population.
Main duties of the job
Social prescribing empowers people to take control of their health and wellbeing through referral to non-medical social prescribing link workers who give time, focus on what really matters to me and take a holistic approach, connecting people to community groups and statutory services for practical and emotional support. Social Prescribers support existing groups to be accessible and sustainable and work collaboratively with all local partners- local partnerships are strong in South Crawley and include social prescribers leading on a tackling neighbourhood health inequalities project focusing on young families- with a presence at community groups and the local free shop.
This role provides employment and management support to the South Crawley Primary Care Network, including the following practices:
About us
Alliance for Better Care CIC is a GP Federation that unites 47 NHS GP practices across 12 Primary Care Networks in Sussex and Surrey. We support our Primary Care colleagues as well as their patients, to transform how healthcare is managed within the community. As a membership organisation, our focus is to work in partnership with our members and help them to improve the provision of General Practices in the local area. We work with and listen to our GP Practices, PCNs, Hospitals, Community Organisations and the Third Sector. These vital partnerships ensure that, together, we deliver a truly integrated approach that offers the support and expertise needed to effectively serve our communities.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Key responsibilities
- Work with the GP practices within South Crawley PCN to provide personalised support to individuals, their families, and carers to take control of their wellbeing, live independently and improve their health outcomes.
- Develop trusting relationships giving people time to focus on what matters to me. Take a holistic approach, based on the persons priorities and the wider determinants of health. Co-produce a personalised support plan and improve health and wellbeing, introducing or reconnecting people to community groups and statutory services.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 when it is appropriate or necessary to refer people back to other health professionals/ agencies, when what the person needs is beyond the scope of the link worker role, i.e. when there is a mental health need requiring a qualified practitioner.
- Draw on and increase the strengths and capacities of local communities, enabling local VCSE organisations and community groups to receive social prescribing referrals. Ensure they are supported and can provide opportunities for the person to develop friendships and a sense of belonging, and build knowledge, skills and confidence.
Key tasks
- Build relationships with key staff in GP practices within South Crawley PCN, attending relevant meetings, becoming part of the wider network team, giving information and feedback on social prescribing.
- Promoting social prescribing with patients maintaining a focus on equity, and be proactive in developing strong links with local agencies
- Seek regular feedback about the quality of service and impact of social prescribing on referral agencies.
- Be proactive in encouraging self-referrals and connecting with local communities, particularly those communities that statutory agencies may find hard to reach.
- Provide personalised support
- Speak to people on a one-to-one basis, either remotely or by meeting in the community. Occasionally home visits may be beneficial and these can be supported by the team lead. Give people time to tell their stories and focus on what matters to me. Build trust with the person, providing non-judgemental support, respecting diversity, and lifestyle choices. Work from a strength-based approached focusing on a persons assets.
- Be a friendly source of information about well-being and prevention approaches.
- Help people identify the wider issues that impact on their health and well-being
- 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 persons 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.
- Where people may be eligible for a personal health budget, 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.
- Support community groups and VCSE organisations to receive referrals
- Forge strong links with local VCSE organisations, community and neighbourhood level groups, utilising their networks and building on whats already available to create a map or menu of community groups and assets for the PCN.
- 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 policies and procedures are not in place, give help and support to 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 GDPR/Data Protection.
- 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.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Key responsibilities
- Work with the GP practices within South Crawley PCN to provide personalised support to individuals, their families, and carers to take control of their wellbeing, live independently and improve their health outcomes.
- Develop trusting relationships giving people time to focus on what matters to me. Take a holistic approach, based on the persons priorities and the wider determinants of health. Co-produce a personalised support plan and improve health and wellbeing, introducing or reconnecting people to community groups and statutory services.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 when it is appropriate or necessary to refer people back to other health professionals/ agencies, when what the person needs is beyond the scope of the link worker role, i.e. when there is a mental health need requiring a qualified practitioner.
- Draw on and increase the strengths and capacities of local communities, enabling local VCSE organisations and community groups to receive social prescribing referrals. Ensure they are supported and can provide opportunities for the person to develop friendships and a sense of belonging, and build knowledge, skills and confidence.
Key tasks
- Build relationships with key staff in GP practices within South Crawley PCN, attending relevant meetings, becoming part of the wider network team, giving information and feedback on social prescribing.
- Promoting social prescribing with patients maintaining a focus on equity, and be proactive in developing strong links with local agencies
- Seek regular feedback about the quality of service and impact of social prescribing on referral agencies.
- Be proactive in encouraging self-referrals and connecting with local communities, particularly those communities that statutory agencies may find hard to reach.
- Provide personalised support
- Speak to people on a one-to-one basis, either remotely or by meeting in the community. Occasionally home visits may be beneficial and these can be supported by the team lead. Give people time to tell their stories and focus on what matters to me. Build trust with the person, providing non-judgemental support, respecting diversity, and lifestyle choices. Work from a strength-based approached focusing on a persons assets.
- Be a friendly source of information about well-being and prevention approaches.
- Help people identify the wider issues that impact on their health and well-being
- 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 persons 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.
- Where people may be eligible for a personal health budget, 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.
- Support community groups and VCSE organisations to receive referrals
- Forge strong links with local VCSE organisations, community and neighbourhood level groups, utilising their networks and building on whats already available to create a map or menu of community groups and assets for the PCN.
- 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 policies and procedures are not in place, give help and support to 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 GDPR/Data Protection.
- 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.
Person Specification
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)
- 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
- Experience of partnership/collaborative working and of building relationships across a variety of organisations
Desirable
- Experience of supporting people with their mental health, either in a paid, unpaid or informal capacity
- Experience of data collection and providing monitoring information to assess the impact of services
Skills & Knowledge
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
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
Personal Qualities & 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
- Commitment to reducing health inequalities and proactively working to reach people from all communities
- Able to support people in a way that inspires trust and confidence, motivating others to reach their potential
- Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with people, their families, carers, community groups, partner agencies and stakeholders
- Ability to identify risk and assess/manage risk when working with individuals
- Have a strong awareness and understanding of when it is appropriate or necessary to refer people back to other health professionals/agencies, when what the person needs is beyond the scope of the link worker role e.g. when there is a mental health need requiring a qualified practitioner
- Able to work from an asset based approach, building on existing community and personal assets
- Able to provide leadership and to finish work tasks
- Ability to maintain effective working relationships and to promote collaborative practice with all colleagues
- Commitment to collaborative working with all local agencies (including VCSE organisations and community groups). Able to work with others to reduce hierarchies and find creative solutions to community issues
- Ability to organise, plan and prioritise on own initiative, including when under pressure and meeting deadlines
- High level of written and oral communication skills
- Ability to work flexibly and enthusiastically within a team or on own initiative
- Understanding of the needs of small volunteer-led community groups and ability to support their development
- Knowledge of and ability to work to policies and procedures, including confidentiality, safeguarding, lone working, information governance, and health and safety
Other
Essential
- Meets DBS reference standards and has a clear criminal record, in line with the law on spent convictions
- Willingness to work flexible hours when required to meet work demands
- Access to own transport and ability to travel across the locality on a regular basis, including to visit people in their own homes
Person Specification
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)
- 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
- Experience of partnership/collaborative working and of building relationships across a variety of organisations
Desirable
- Experience of supporting people with their mental health, either in a paid, unpaid or informal capacity
- Experience of data collection and providing monitoring information to assess the impact of services
Skills & Knowledge
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
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
Personal Qualities & 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
- Commitment to reducing health inequalities and proactively working to reach people from all communities
- Able to support people in a way that inspires trust and confidence, motivating others to reach their potential
- Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with people, their families, carers, community groups, partner agencies and stakeholders
- Ability to identify risk and assess/manage risk when working with individuals
- Have a strong awareness and understanding of when it is appropriate or necessary to refer people back to other health professionals/agencies, when what the person needs is beyond the scope of the link worker role e.g. when there is a mental health need requiring a qualified practitioner
- Able to work from an asset based approach, building on existing community and personal assets
- Able to provide leadership and to finish work tasks
- Ability to maintain effective working relationships and to promote collaborative practice with all colleagues
- Commitment to collaborative working with all local agencies (including VCSE organisations and community groups). Able to work with others to reduce hierarchies and find creative solutions to community issues
- Ability to organise, plan and prioritise on own initiative, including when under pressure and meeting deadlines
- High level of written and oral communication skills
- Ability to work flexibly and enthusiastically within a team or on own initiative
- Understanding of the needs of small volunteer-led community groups and ability to support their development
- Knowledge of and ability to work to policies and procedures, including confidentiality, safeguarding, lone working, information governance, and health and safety
Other
Essential
- Meets DBS reference standards and has a clear criminal record, in line with the law on spent convictions
- Willingness to work flexible hours when required to meet work demands
- Access to own transport and ability to travel across the locality on a regular basis, including to visit people in their own homes
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.
