Social Prescriber

Job description

Job responsibilities

Purpose of the role

Social prescribing empowers people to take control of their health and wellbeing through referral to non-clinical social prescribing link workers.

They give people time to focus on what matters to me and take a holistic approach to an individuals health and wellbeing.

Key Duties

As members of the PCNs team of health professionals, take referrals from the PCNs Core Network Practices and from a wide range of agencies to support the health and wellbeing of patients;

Meet people on a one-to-one basis, making home visits and visits to community organisation where appropriate and within organisations policies and procedures.

Proactively develop strong links with local agencies to encourage appropriate referrals

Assess how far a patients health and wellbeing needs can be met by services and other opportunities available in the community;

Co-produce a simple personalised care and support plan to address the patients health and wellbeing needs by introducing or reconnecting people to community groups and statutory services, and signposting where appropriate and as it matters to the person;

Evaluate how far the actions in the care and support plan are meeting the patients health and wellbeing needs;

Provide personalised support to patients, their families and carers to take control of their health and wellbeing, live independently, improve their health outcomes and maintain a healthy lifestyle (including, where appropriate, by referral to weight management services);

Develop trusting relationships by giving people time and focus on what matters to them;

Take a holistic approach, based on the patients priorities and the wider determinants of health, including supporting people to take up employment, training and welfare support;

Help people to identify issues that affect their health & wellbeing, and co-produce a simple personalised care and support plan

Explore and support access to a personal health budget where appropriate;

Manage and prioritise their own caseload, in accordance with the health and wellbeing needs of their population; and where required and as appropriate, refer patients back to other health professionals within the PCN.

Social Prescribing Link Worker(s) can discuss patient related concerns and be supported to follow appropriate safeguarding procedures (e.g. abuse, domestic violence and support with mental health) with a relevant GP.

Work with the person, their families and carers and consider how they can all be supported through social prescribing.

Provide follow up support to the person to ensure they are happy, able to engage, feel included and that they are receiving good support.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Has completed the NHS England and online learning programme accessed via the Personalised Care Institute website
• Demonstratable commitment to professional and personal development
• They enrolled in, undertaking or qualified from appropriate training as outlined by the Personalised Care Institute Core Curriculum and social prescribing link worker competency framework

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 supporting people with their mental health, either in a paid, unpaid or informal capacity
• -Experience of partnership/collaborative working and of building relationships across a variety of organisations
• -Have awareness and understanding of when it is appropriate or necessary to refer people back to other health professionals/agencies, when the persons needs are beyond the scope of the role for example, when there is a mental health need requiring a qualified practitioner

Desirable

• -Experience using EMIS system

Personal skills and atributes

Essential

• -Ability to work flexibly and enthusiastically within a team or on own initiative
• -Ability to actively listen, empathise with people and provide person-centred support in a non-judgemental way
• -Able to provide a culturally sensitive service, by supporting people from all backgrounds and communities, respecting lifestyles and diversity
• -Commitment to reducing health inequalities and proactively working to reach people from diverse communities
• -Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with people, their families, carers, community groups, partner agencies and stakeholders, adapting communication styles accordingly
• -Can demonstrate personal accountability, emotional resilience and ability to work well under pressure

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

DGS Health LTD

Address

Doctors Surgery

Perry Street

Northfleet

Gravesend

Kent

DA118RD