Social Prescribing Link Worker (Woodsley & Holt Park PCN)

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

Job summary

An opportunity has arisen for 2 Social Prescribing Link Workers to join an established team within the NHS in Leeds. This role aims to enhance physical and mental well-being through holistic support, promoting independence and resilience among patients. The successful candidates will work closely with GP practices to provide tailored support and resources, ensuring quality care for those in the community.

Qualifications

• Experience of working with people with mental health issues.
• Ability to demonstrate personal accountability and integrity.
• Excellent IT and record-keeping skills.

Responsibilities

• Promote service within GP practices and assess patient needs.
• Provide triage assessments and manage a caseload effectively.
• Build networks with community resources to support individuals.

Skills

Communication skills

Emotional resilience

Empathy

Organisational skills

Listening skills

Education

Level 3 qualification in appropriate training or apprenticeships

Job description

This job is working in the Woodsley & Holt Park areas of Leeds covering: Horsforth, Cookridge, Headingley, Kirkstall, Burley Park, Hyde Park, Woodhouse, Hawksworth, Abbey Grange.We are looking for 2 SocialPrescribing Link Workers to join our established team working alongside ourpractice and PCN staff. Our PCN staff currently include Social Prescribing LinkWorkers, Pharmacists, Pharmacy Technicians, Care Co-Ordinators (with differentspecialisms working with frailty and specific long term health conditions), Healthand Wellbeing Coaches, Physiotherapists, Podiatrists, Dieticians and MentalHealth Practitioners.

Main duties of the job

The Leeds Social Prescribing model aims to improve physical, mental, andsocial health and wellbeing, through a holistic approach to improving qualityof life and confidence in self-management and supporting independence. We work with our local population to improvethe way the needs of local populations are met. This will be both on a 1:1 basis and whereappropriate through the development of group work.The post holder will work closelywith GP practices in our Network, taking referrals to support individuals tobuild independence and personal resilience, enabling self management of theirhealth and wellbeing tailored to individual need. They will also take a lead in supportingadministrative staff to develop their signposting skills raising awareness ofthe different services on offer locally.You will be part of our Health andWellbeing team which is currently developing to meet the health inequalities inour area.

About us

We work closely with other PCN team members, our Primary Care Mental Health team and local third sector organisations to provide services to meet the wider needs of our patients.You will need to work independently to develop and promote the service while working alongside our existing Social Prescribing Link Workers. You will be required to work flexibly across our practices and in community venues.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 essential that you understand when it is appropriate or necessary to refer patients back to other health professionals/agencies. Recognising when patient needs are beyond the scope of the Link Worker role e.g., when there is a mental health need requiring a qualified practitioner.You will be a key link between our PCN services and our practice team, and referrals could include supporting patients to access the most appropriate service within our PCN as well as externally.You will provide support and guidance to cover the following areas of our assessment, so it is key you have a knowledge of these areas; housing, finances, social isolation and networks, emotional well-being, employment, volunteering, and hobbies and keeping healthy.You must be able to hold face to face sessions with patients with a focus on making positive steps forward for them through signposting, onward referrals, and support.

Job responsibilities

MAIN TASKS

• To promote the service within GP practices, developing close working relationships with the teams within practices and the Primary Care Network
• To provide a triage assessment with patients and assess their need for the service and the best appropriate action
• To appropriately risk assess patients to minimise harm and identify harm reduction where this is needed
• To complete referrals and signpost to specialist support quickly and effectively where necessary
• To provide a number of sessions with patients with a goal to moving them into appropriate services
• To work with a caseload of individuals to facilitate access to recommended community-based interventions and programmes of activity that benefit health and wellbeing. To support individuals into provision within agreed timeframes.
• To enable patients to manage their own mental & emotional health by using coping strategies and challenging unhelpful behaviour patterns
• To identify any barriers to people accessing services and activities and work with individuals to overcome these.
• To build networks with local community resources such as activities and services that may have an impact on health and wellbeing and support individuals to access these.
• To develop collaborative action plans with individuals which promote choice and complement any medical treatment or advice
• To identify any barriers to people accessing services and activities and work with individuals to overcome these
• To use a range of techniques and interventions to support people, including those with long term conditions, to self-manage their health and encourage behavioural and lifestyle change
• To provide short term interventions to individuals to sustain them while waiting to access appropriate specialist provision
• To facilitate access to recommended community-based interventions and programmes of activity that benefit health and wellbeing
• To support administrative staff to develop their signposting skills, to ensure patients are directed to the most appropriate service
• To monitor and record contacts and outcomes within SystmOne
• To ensure that client records and other information systems are completed accurately and within agreed timescales.
• To build networks with local community resources such as activities and services that may have an impact on mental health and wellbeing and support individuals to access these
• To develop multi-agency working across communities and voluntary and statutory organisations to improve health and address health inequality

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Level 3 qualification in appropriate training or apprenticeships.
• Practical knowledge of local services.
• Excellent listening and communication skills.
• Experience of working with people with mental health issues.
• Empathy.
• Emotional resilience.
• Non-judgmental approach to your work.
• Willingness to work as part of team.
• Good IT and record keeping skills.
• Willingness to undertake training and develop skills.
• Ability to demonstrate personal accountability, professional
• integrity, emotional resilience, and work well under pressure.
• Ability to organise, plan and prioritise on their own initiative,
• including when under pressure and meeting service expectations.
• Punctual, organised, and reliable.
• Ability to work flexibly and enthusiastically within a team or on
• their own initiative.
• Experience of working with people with complex needs.
• Experience of completing assessments and patient centred action
• planning.
• Experience of completing risk assessments.
• Experience of using SystmOne and/or EMIS.
• Previous experience of similar work within health or voluntary
• organisations.

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.