Job responsibilities
Build a robust knowledge
of health, social and third sector provision available within the Durham Dales
and surrounding areas
Promote social
prescribing, its role in self-management, and the wider determinants of health.
Act as an advocate for
patients and service users of the health and social care system.
Build relationships with
key staff in GP practices within the local Primary Care Network (PCN). Attend
relevant meetings and integrate as part of the wider network team, providing
information and feedback on social prescribing matters.
Work proactively to
develop strong links with all local agencies to encourage referrals, to
recognise their requirements and enable confident approach to making referrals.
Work in partnership with
all local agencies to raise awareness of social prescribing and demonstrate 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 relating to social prescribing, and include
training for their staff to promote effective access to information and
encourage appropriate referrals.
Work proactively in
encouraging self-referrals and connecting with all local communities,
particularly those communities that statutory agencies may find hard to reach.
The Social Prescribing
Link Worker will have the capability of performing minor clinical skills such
as Basic Monitoring and Recording of Vital Signs, Blood Pressure Monitoring,
ECGs on behalf of the DDHF and GP practices. These skills may be carried out in
GP Practice, hub setting or the community.
To support patients on
discharge from hospital admission.
Build relationships with
patients, their families and carers and carry out regular telephone
consultations and reviews within the GP practice or community setting.
Meet people on a
one-to-one basis, undertaking 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-judgmental support, respecting diversity and lifestyle
choices. Work from a strength-based approach focusing on a persons assets.
Anticipate barriers to
communication.
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.
Communicate effectively
with patients, families and carers recognising the need for alternative
communication methods of communication to overcome different levels of
understanding, cultural background and preferred ways of communicating.
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. Provide follow-up to ensure that they
are happy, engaged, included and receiving good support.
Where people may be
eligible for a personal health budget, assist 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 neighborhood 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.
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.
Encourage people who
have been connected to community support through social prescribing
to volunteer and give
their time freely to others, in order to build their skills and confidence, and
strengthen community resilience.
Data capture
Produce accurate,
contemporaneous and complete records of patient contact, consistent with
legislation, policies and procedures.
Work sensitively and
effectively with people, their families and carers to capture key information,
enabling tracking of the impact of social prescribing on their health and
wellbeing.
Build relationships with
patients, their families and carers and carry out regular telephone
consultations and reviews within the GP practice or community setting.
Encourage people, their
families and carers to provide feedback and to share their stories about the
impact of social prescribing on their lives.
Support referral
agencies to provide appropriate information about the person they are referring
to. Use the case management system to track the persons progress. Provide
appropriate feedback to referral agencies about the people they referred.
Work closely with GP
practices within the PCN to ensure that social prescribing referral codes are
inputted to the clinical system and that the persons use of the NHS can be
tracked, adhering to data protection legislation and data sharing agreements
with the clinical commissioning group (CCG).
Seek regular feedback
about the quality of service and impact of social prescribing on referral
agencies.
Understand and apply
legal issues that support the identification of vulnerable and abused children
and adults, and be aware of statutory child/vulnerable patients health
procedures and local guidance.
Develop a team of
volunteers to provide buddying support for people, starting new groups and
finding creative community solutions to local Issues.
Encourage people, their
families and carers to provide peer support and to do things together, such as
setting up new community groups or volunteering.
Provide a regular
confidence survey to community groups receiving referrals, to ensure that they
are strong, sustained and have the support they need to be part of social
prescribing.
