Job responsibilities
JOB PURPOSE
• To lead and develop the Social prescribing team in the delivery of an effective and responsive support service.
• To support the identification and implementation of new ways of working to increase efficiency and effectiveness of the service.
• Maintain a high level of confidentiality in the team’s work.
• To deal effectively with patient queries and escalate any complaints to the service to management.
• To promote a healthy and fair working environment for the Team
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
• Report to Social Prescribing Manager
• The Senior Link Workers will share their expertise and provide a supportive environment for the team and work closely with their line manager to implement and develop the Social Prescribing Link Worker Service.
• To ensure that the team works to deadlines and prioritises workload, working towards KPI’s and targets set for the service.
• Ensuring the smooth running of the team by authorising annual leave, managing performance and attendance and being the first point of contact for mentoring the social prescribing link workers with the casework, escalating to Management or clinical lead/supervisor/patients GP for advice when necessary
• Ensuring when authorising annual leave and training requests for the team, that the service is adequately covered in their absence.
• To support quality of work and outcomes in the team by ensuring the team receives appropriate supervision, feedback and development (including appraisals, 121s and absence management meetings) and feeding back to Management with any development/capability needs.
• Supporting recruitment processes, induction and training of new staff.
• To oversee the patient experience from first contact to discharge, identifying opportunities to improve flow through the service.
• Support data analyst team and manager to produce service reports and data referring to KPIs and service specifications and identify trends, issues and suggest improvements or solutions
• Ensure that information is communicated effectively within the team and that the team work to PICS Policies, Procedures and Values.
• To represent the PCN, Social Prescribing and PICS in a professional manner at all times and advocate for the positive benefits of the social prescribing service.
• To motivate team members to deliver a quality service, leading and attending meetings and community development work in the PCN.
• Must be responsible, calm and are able to plan and prioritize their work activities, to ensure the service objectives are met.
• Take referrals from a wide range of agencies, working with GP practices within primary care networks, pharmacies, 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 (list not exhaustive).
• 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 by giving people time and focus on ‘what matters to me’. Take a holistic approach, based on the person’s priorities and the wider determinants of health. Co-produce a personalised support plan to 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 – e.g. 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, have basic safeguarding processes for vulnerable individuals and can provide opportunities for the person to develop friendships, a sense of belonging, and build knowledge, skills and confidence.
• Work together with all local partners to collectively ensure that local VCSE organisations and community groups are sustainable and that community assets are nurtured, by making them aware of small grants or micro-commissioning if available, including providing support to set up new community groups and services, where gaps are identified in local provision.
KEY TASKS
Referrals
• Promoting social prescribing, its role in self-management, and the wider determinants of health.
• 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.
• Be proactive in developing strong links with all local agencies to encourage referrals, recognising what they need to be confident in the service to make appropriate referrals.
• 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.
• Provide referral agencies with regular updates about social prescribing, including training for their staff and how to access information to encourage appropriate referrals.
• 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 all local communities, particularly those communities that statutory agencies may find hard to reach.
Provide personalised support
• Meet people on a one-to-one basis, making home visits where appropriate within organisations’ policies and procedures. 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 approach focusing on a person’s assets.
• Be a friendly source of information about wellbeing and prevention approaches.
• Help people identify the wider issues that impact on their health and wellbeing, such as debt, poor housing, being unemployed, loneliness and caring responsibilities.
• Work with the person, their families and carers and consider how they can all be supported through social prescribing.
• 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 person’s 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. Follow up to ensure they are happy, able to engage, included and receiving good support.
• 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 what’s already available to create a map or menu of community groups and assets. Use these opportunities to promote micro-commissioning or small grants if available.
• 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 such policies and procedures are not in place, support groups to work towards this standard before referrals are made to them.
• Check that community groups and VCSE organisations meet in insured premises and that health and safety requirements are in place. Where such policies and procedures are not in place, support 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 the Data Protection Act.
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, through small grants for community groups, micro-commissioning and development support.
For more information please see the supporting documents.
