Wigan Borough Federated Healthcare

Social Prescribing Link Worker

Information:

This job is now closed

Job summary

Social prescribing empowers people to take control of their health and wellbeing through focusing on what matters to me and taking a holistic approach, and connecting people to community groups and statutory services for practical and emotional support. Social prescribers support existing groups to be accessible and sustainable and help people to start new community groups, working collaboratively with all local partners.

Social prescribing can help to strengthen community resilience and personal resilience, and reduces health inequalities by addressing the wider determinants of health, such as debt, poor housing and physical inactivity, by increasing peoples active involvement with their local communities. It particularly works for people with long-term conditions (including support for mental health), for people who are lonely or isolated, or have complex social needs which affect their wellbeing.

Main duties of the job

  • Taking a whole person approach, with particular focus on mental and emotional wellbeing.
  • Promote 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.

About us

The successful candidate will be based at Wigan Central and North PCNs comprising of 13 GP surgeries. Joining enthusiastic, dynamic, friendly and mature PCNs. You can expect a warm welcome, doors are always open, and every voice is heard.

We constantly strive to improve patient pathways and health care outcomes. The post holder will play an integral role within the network and will be part of the MDT enabling this to happen.

We are flexible company and both full and part time applicants will be considered.

Details

Date posted

18 August 2023

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

Depending on experience Equivalent to Band 5

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

6 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

M0009-23-0057

Job locations

2nd Floor, Ashland House

Dobson Park Way

Ince

WN2 2DX


Job description

Job responsibilities

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 them. Take a holistic approach, based on the persons 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.

Job description

Job responsibilities

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 them. Take a holistic approach, based on the persons 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.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • NVQ Level 3, Advanced level or equivalent qualifications or working towards this level.
  • Demonstrable commitment to professional and personal development.

Desirable

  • Training in motivational coaching and interviewing or equivalent experience

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of supporting people, their families and carers in a related role (including unpaid work)
  • Experience of partnership/collaborative working and of building relationships across a variety of organisations
  • Experience of supporting people with their mental health, either in a paid, unpaid or informal capacity

Desirable

  • Experience of data collection and using tools to measure the impact of services
  • Experience of working with the VCSE sector (in a paid or unpaid capacity), including with volunteers and small community groups

Skills & Knowledge

Essential

  • Understanding of the wider determinants of health, including social, economic and environmental factors and their impact on communities, individuals, their families and carers
  • Understanding of, and commitment to, equality, diversity and inclusion.
  • Knowledge of IT systems, including ability to use word processing skills, emails and the internet to create simple plans and reports
  • Local knowledge of VCSE and community services in the locality

Desirable

  • Knowledge of the personalised care approach
  • Knowledge of community development approaches

Personal Qualities and Attributes

Essential

  • Ability to listen, empathise with people and provide person-centred support in a non- judgemental way
  • 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 role
  • Ability to organise, plan and prioritise on own initiative, including when under pressure
  • Demonstrates personal accountability, emotional resilience and works well under pressure

Other

Essential

  • Meets DBS reference standards
  • Willingness to work flexible hours when required to meet work demands
  • Current full driving licence and use of car or ability to travel across the locality on a regular basis
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • NVQ Level 3, Advanced level or equivalent qualifications or working towards this level.
  • Demonstrable commitment to professional and personal development.

Desirable

  • Training in motivational coaching and interviewing or equivalent experience

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of supporting people, their families and carers in a related role (including unpaid work)
  • Experience of partnership/collaborative working and of building relationships across a variety of organisations
  • Experience of supporting people with their mental health, either in a paid, unpaid or informal capacity

Desirable

  • Experience of data collection and using tools to measure the impact of services
  • Experience of working with the VCSE sector (in a paid or unpaid capacity), including with volunteers and small community groups

Skills & Knowledge

Essential

  • Understanding of the wider determinants of health, including social, economic and environmental factors and their impact on communities, individuals, their families and carers
  • Understanding of, and commitment to, equality, diversity and inclusion.
  • Knowledge of IT systems, including ability to use word processing skills, emails and the internet to create simple plans and reports
  • Local knowledge of VCSE and community services in the locality

Desirable

  • Knowledge of the personalised care approach
  • Knowledge of community development approaches

Personal Qualities and Attributes

Essential

  • Ability to listen, empathise with people and provide person-centred support in a non- judgemental way
  • 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 role
  • Ability to organise, plan and prioritise on own initiative, including when under pressure
  • Demonstrates personal accountability, emotional resilience and works well under pressure

Other

Essential

  • Meets DBS reference standards
  • Willingness to work flexible hours when required to meet work demands
  • Current full driving licence and use of car or ability to travel across the locality on a regular basis

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

Wigan Borough Federated Healthcare

Address

2nd Floor, Ashland House

Dobson Park Way

Ince

WN2 2DX


Employer's website

https://wiganhealthcare.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Wigan Borough Federated Healthcare

Address

2nd Floor, Ashland House

Dobson Park Way

Ince

WN2 2DX


Employer's website

https://wiganhealthcare.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Digital & Transformation Lead

Aine McGuinness

aine.mcguinness@nhs.net

01942369690

Details

Date posted

18 August 2023

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

Depending on experience Equivalent to Band 5

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

6 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

M0009-23-0057

Job locations

2nd Floor, Ashland House

Dobson Park Way

Ince

WN2 2DX


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