Social Prescribing Link Worker

NHS; Newton Aycliffe; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A public health organization in Newton Aycliffe seeks a Social Prescribing Link Worker to support patients in their health journey. Responsibilities include engaging patients with local services and promoting lifestyle changes. Ideal candidates should have a background in health/social care and excellent interpersonal skills. This full-time position offers the chance to make a difference in the community.

Qualifications

• Experience working in health and wellbeing or voluntary sector.
• Experience in a customer-facing role.
• Willingness to travel within network of practices.

Responsibilities

• Support patients to take control of their health and wellbeing.
• Engage patients with local groups and services.
• Work with partners for integrated care plans.

Skills

Excellent people skills

Highly organised

Creative problem solver

Good IT and administrative skills

Knowledge of social prescribing

Education

Health/Social Care Degree

Educated to A level/BTEC or equivalent experience

Job description

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Social PrescribingLink Worker to join our growing multi-disciplinary team.

Teamwork, flexibility, enthusiasm and the ability toprioritise tasks effectively are essential skills.

Main duties of the job

ob Title: SocialPrescribing Link Worker

Responsible to: TeamLead and PCN Clinical Director

Location: Practiceswithin Sedgefield 1 Primary Care Network

Contract Type: Permanent

Salary: Dependant onexperience

Hours: 1 x Full time 37 hours per week

Teamwork, flexibility, enthusiasm and the ability to prioritise tasks effectively are essential skills.

About us

Sedgefield 1 Primary Care Network is an innovative, dynamicPCN combining 4 local GP Practices based in Sedgefield area, with a populationof over 42,000 patients. We arecontinually seekingnew ways to support and improve local healthcareservices to our patient population.

We are committed to the ongoing development of our team, whichincludes mandatory and developmental training for all our staff. Team membersare encouraged to highlight any training they feel would benefit them in theachievement of their role.

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose

To support patients in our local community to take control of theirhealth and wellbeing by

Promoting prevention &lifestyle changes

Engaging patients andconnecting them with the wide range of groups and services

Working with the widerhealth, social care and voluntary network

Encouraging a holisticapproach for patients with chronic diseases

Building a relationship inthe journey of patients towards mental health services

Bereavement supportsupporting patient's familys and signposting them to an appropriatebereavement service where necessary

Supporting the practices inattaining their referral targets

Promoting and raisingawareness of the social prescribing service within the practices and partneragencies

KEYRESPONSIBILITIES

To work with patients in avariety of settings, in their own homes or in GP surgeries, to signpost them tolocal services/organisations which the patient themselves feels would be ofbenefit to reach their goals. These services may include befriending, weightmanagement, mental health support, smoking cessation, local social groups,leisure centres and volunteering.

To work with partnerorganisations to support the development and delivery of an integrated careplan for the client so all their needs are met in a holistic way.

To follow up with clients,update their records and support them on an ongoing basis.

To make and maintain contactwith local health and wellbeing service providers and build a network andknowledge of referral routes to and from service providers.

To ensure information aboutproviders and voluntary groups is shared locally across neighbouring networks

To undertake regulartraining to extend and update knowledge of health and wellbeing issues.

FURTHER AREASOF RESPONSIBILITY

Health andSafety/Risk Management

The post-holder must comply at all times with the Network Health andSafety policies, in particular by following agreed safe working procedures andreporting incidents using the organisations Incident Reporting System.

InformationGovernance

As an employee you will have access to information that is sensitive toeither an individual or to the organisation and you are reminded that inaccordance with the requirements of Information Governance, NHS Code ofConfidentiality, Data Protection Act 1998 and also the terms and conditions inyour contract of employment, you have a duty to process this informationjudiciously and lawfully; failure to do so may result in disciplinaryaction.

PerformanceAppraisal and Personal Development Planning

The network is committed to providing a high quality service through theeffective management and development of its employees. Each employee receivesan Annual Performance Appraisal and a Personal Development Plan.

Statutory andMandatory Training

All required Statutory and Mandatory training must be completed withinthe first three months of staff start date and refresher training must also beundertaken on a regular basis and in accordance with agreed policy.

SafeguardingChildren and Vulnerable Adults

The network is committed to safeguarding children, young people andvulnerable adults within its care. As anemployee you are accountable to ensure that you know how to respond when youare concerned for the safety of a child, young person or vulnerable adult.

InfectionPrevention and Control

All employees are expected to follow consistently high standards in theprevention and control of infection, especially with reference to hand hygiene,adherence to dress/uniform code and for clinical staff and all proceduresinvolving aseptic technique.

SpecialWorking Conditions

The post-holder is required to travel independently between practicesites and to attend meetings at other locations as required.

JobDescription Agreement

This job description is intended to provide an outline of the key tasksand responsibilities only. There may beother duties required of the post-holder commensurate with the position. This description will be open to regularreview and may be amended to take into account development within thenetwork. All members of staff should beprepared to take on additional duties or relinquish existing duties in order tomaintain the efficient running of the network.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Educated to A level/BTEC or equivalent experience in relevant field
• Health/Social Care Degree

Other

• Willingness to travel within network of practices and to visit patients in their own homes

Experience

• Experience working in health and wellbeing, public or voluntary sector or leisure and fitness environment
• Experience in a customer facing role
• Excellent people skills, interacting with all types of people and able to change communication style to fit the person
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Comfortable working with people from public, private and voluntary organisations
• Highly organised, managing time, resources and competing priorities in a structured and efficient way
• Highly motivated and willing to go out of your way to help clients
• Creative problem solver and willing to search for hard-to-find information
• Good IT and administrative skills
• Good understanding of health issues and the wider determinants of health and wellbeing
• Knowledge of social prescribing
• Understanding of health and social wellbeing and community/local/national services
• Using own initiative
• Experience working in a health trainer / advisor role
• Experience working in partnership with community organisations
• Experience promoting and / or marketing services to other organisations / the public

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.

Depending on experienceDependant on experience