PCN Social Prescribing Link Worker (SPLW) inStamford inStamford PUBLISHED 30 OCT 2024

Social prescribing empowers people to take control of their health and wellbeing through GP referral to non-medical Social Prescribing Link Workers (SPLWs) based in GP surgeries who give time, focus on what matters to me and take a holistic approach, connecting people to community groups and statutory services for practical and emotional support. Social Prescribing Link Workers work collaboratively with all local partners.

Social prescribing can help to strengthen community 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.

- Part time hours will be considered

You will work alongside Social Prescribing Link Workers, Occupational Therapists and Care Coordinators within the PCN, with PCN GP Practices, as well as local community and voluntary services.

You will help provide a service that focuses on personalised care planning for each patient who requires this level of practical or emotional support.

• Build trust with the person and use active listening to focus on a what matters to me approach
• Receive and manage referrals from multiple sources
• Provide sensitive support to understand the wider issues that is impacting a persons health, such as debt, housing or loneliness
• Empower people to take control of their own health, wellbeing and independence
• Use the what matters to me approach to develop the personalised care and support plans with the help of multidisciplinary teams within the PCN
• Follow up with patients to ensure they are happy, engaged and if any further services are required
• Work with the team to review any unmet need within the community and potential creation of new services to tackle inequalities across the patch
• Apply a caring, resilient, and dynamic approach
• Understand the importance of relaying information whilst maintaining confidentiality
• Possess good computer skills to use local IT systems to support caseload. Knowledge of SystmOne is an advantage, although training will be provided
• Help maintain a directory of services and positive links within the community and local organisations

About us

Purpose of the role

Lakeside Healthcare are looking to employ a Social Prescribing Link Worker to assist in the provision of care for patients within our Primary Care Network Four Counties PCN.

The PCNs vision is to work together to deliver the best possible outcomes for our patients and staff. You will work in close partnership with our member practice teams as well as health, statutory and voluntary groups to create effective help and support for those that need it whilst being a key point of contact to enable patients to be supported within their local community.

Empower people to take control of their own health and wellbeing through GP referral to non-medical Social Prescribing Link Workers SPLWs based in GP surgeries who give time, focus on what matters to me and take a holistic approach, connecting people to community groups and statutory services for practical and emotional support. Social Prescribing Link Workers work collaboratively with all local partners.

Social prescribing can help to strengthen community 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.

Key responsibilities

• Liaise and engage with member practices to ensure Social Prescribing Link Workers (SPLWs) are valued and effective members of the PCN team.
• Establish and maintain effective liaison with stakeholders including health, voluntary, social, financial and education resources
• Work in partnership with local voluntary and community organisation to build a comprehensive directory of local resource to design and support social prescribing
• Ensure information on local voluntary and community resource is always up to date to enable effective and accurate signposting and linking of patients with services
• Train and develop wider practice teams to improve SPLW referral suitability and effectiveness
• Establish and maintain comprehensive data and evaluation systems
• Produce quarterly reports in relation to service delivery and progress
• Partake in audit as directed by the PCN Clinical Direct
• Take referrals from and make referrals to a wide range of appropriate agencies
• Ensure the social prescribing function within the PCN is successful and delivers the required service in line with NSHE guidelines
• Co-produce personalised support plans with individuals, their families and carers that help them take control of their wellbeing, live independently and improve their health outcomes
• Take a holistic approach, based on the persons priorities and the wider determinants of health
• When appropriate, refer patients back to other health professionals/agencies, if their requirements exceed the scope of a SPLW
• Ensure all relevant groups and organisations maintain basic procedures that include the consideration of vulnerable individuals and safeguarding concerns
• 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 and support development of new groups and services where needed, and thereby influence the development of services that will benefit this target population and tackle health and neighbourhood inequalities
• Work sensitively with people, their families and carers to capture key information, enable tracking of the impact of social prescribing on their health and wellbeing
• Provide one-to-one consultations (mindful of the organisations lone working policy), giving patients time to tell their stories and focus on what matters to me Work with the person, their families and carers and consider how they can all be supported through social prescribing
• Work with other link workers to create a wider team understanding of the service that can be offered to patients and opportunities for further improvement of the offer and patient outcomes