About this role
Job summary
This is an exciting opportunity to join Horizon Primary Care Network in a new Drug & Alcohol Social Prescribing Link Worker role, developed as part of a 10-month pilot to strengthen support for people affected by drug and alcohol use across our communities.
Working within our established Social Prescribing service, you will support people across the spectrum of substance use, from those beginning to recognise that their use is becoming problematic to those experiencing dependence or already accessing specialist treatment.
You will build trusted, non-judgemental relationships and work with people to understand what matters to them. Using a person-centred and harm-reduction approach, you will support individuals to make positive changes while addressing wider issues such as housing, finances, employment, relationships, social isolation and wellbeing.
You will also play an important role in connecting primary care with specialist drug and alcohol services and community organisations, helping people overcome barriers to accessing and staying engaged with support.
As a new pilot, this is an opportunity to help shape and develop the service from the outset. We are looking for someone who is compassionate, approachable and able to engage people who may previously have struggled to access support. Relevant professional, voluntary and lived experience will all be valued.
Main duties of the job
No two days in this role will be the same. You will work directly with people affected by drug and alcohol use, building trusted relationships and supporting them to identify what they would like to change and the steps that will help them get there.
You will manage your own caseload, meeting people in primary care and community settings and providing flexible, personalised support. This could involve helping someone reduce the harm associated with their substance use, reconnect with specialist treatment, address housing or financial difficulties, improve their wellbeing, find meaningful activities or rebuild their social connections.
You will work closely with GP practices, the wider Social Prescribing team, specialist drug and alcohol services and community organisations to make sure people receive coordinated support and do not fall between services.
You will use tools such as AUDIT, the Severity of Dependence Scale and ONS4 to help understand need and demonstrate progress, alongside patient-led goals and feedback.
As this is a new pilot, you will also have the opportunity to shape how the service develops, build local pathways and contribute to demonstrating its impact and future value.
About us
Bury GP Federation works across 25 GP practices and is committed to providing health and wellbeing services to our communities. Established in 2012, we have been instrumental in transforming health services to ensure care is accessible, effective and delivered locally.
The remit of a GP Federation is to work in collaboration with partners to deliver health services and to support GP practices. With unprecedented challenges facing the NHS, Bury GP Federation works closely with its GP members to help reduce the pressures on practices and improve healthcare for patients.
GP practices remain at the heart of primary care, but working together to deliver services as part of the Federation and as Primary Care Networks enables practices to better meet the needs of an increasing patient population through personalised, co-ordinated and integrated health and social care.
We deliver a wealth of health and wellbeing servicestailored to support the needs of our population. This includes providing additional evening and weekend GP appointments, home visits, clinical assessments, wellbeing support, specialised clinics and a wide range of services from expert pharmacists, paramedics, physiotherapists, social prescribers, care co-ordinators and mental health practitioners.
Job description Job responsibilities
Main Duties and Responsibilities
Patient Support
Receive and manage referrals into the Drug & Alcohol Social Prescribing service.
Build trusting, non-judgemental relationships with patients who may have experienced barriers to accessing support.
Undertake proportionate, person-centred assessment of drug and alcohol related needs and wider social circumstances.
Support patients to identify personal goals and develop individualised care and support plans.
Work with patients according to their readiness for change; abstinence is not a requirement for support.
Use motivational and behaviour-change approaches within training and competence.
Provide appropriate harm-reduction information and support within the boundaries of the role.
Review progress and adapt support as patient needs change.
Specialist Drug & Alcohol Services
Maintain a good understanding of local drug and alcohol treatment pathways.
Support patients to access appropriate specialist treatment where required.
Facilitate supported referrals and help patients overcome barriers to engagement.
Support re-engagement where patients have previously disengaged from treatment.
Work alongside specialist drug and alcohol services where patients require both treatment and Social Prescribing support.
Avoid duplication of existing specialist provision.
Caseload and Record Keeping
Manage an allocated caseload effectively and safely.
Maintain accurate, timely patient records within EMIS.
Use agreed Social Prescribing and pilot-specific coding consistently.
Record referrals, assessments, interventions, outcomes and case closure accurately.
Maintain an accurate active caseload and contribute to regular data-quality reviews.
Work in accordance with information governance, confidentiality and data-protection requirements.
Outcome Measurement
Use agreed outcome measures, including AUDIT/AUDIT-C, Severity of Dependence Scale and ONS4 where appropriate.
Record patient goals, progress and wider social outcomes.
Repeat outcome measures at agreed review points and case closure where possible.
Recognise reduction in harm, improved control and progress towards patient-defined goals as valid positive outcomes.
Partnership Working
Work collaboratively with Horizon PCN practices, Social Prescribers, Care Coordinators, Clinical Pharmacists, Mental Health Practitioners and wider PCN teams.
Develop effective working relationships with specialist drug and alcohol services, neighbourhood teams and relevant community organisations.
Attend appropriate MDT, neighbourhood and service meetings.
Contribute to coordinated care planning where required.
Promote awareness and understanding of the Drug & Alcohol Social Prescribing service.
Safeguarding and Professional Boundaries
Remain alert to safeguarding concerns involving adults and children.
Recognise situations requiring clinical, mental health, safeguarding or urgent escalation.
Follow organisational safeguarding and lone-working procedures.
Seek advice and supervision for complex or high-risk situations.
Maintain clear professional boundaries at all times.
The postholder will not:
Diagnose substance dependence.
Prescribe or recommend medication changes.
Manage detoxification or withdrawal.
Provide clinical treatment outside their competence.
Replace specialist drug and alcohol treatment.
Independently manage clinical risk requiring a registered clinician.
Pilot Monitoring and Evaluation
As this role forms part of a 10-month pilot, the postholder will:
Contribute to collection of agreed KPI and outcome data.
Support collection of patient feedback.
Identify suitable anonymised case studies.
Contribute to monthly performance monitoring.
Participate in midpoint and end-of-pilot evaluation.
Provide feedback on patient need, referral patterns, service gaps and barriers to engagement.Contribute to service improvement and development throughout the pilot.
Contribute to service improvement and development throughout the pilot.
Person Specification
Experience Essential
Experience of supporting people with drug and/or alcohol use, complex social needs, health inequalities or other barriers to accessing services, gained through paid, voluntary or relevant lived experience. Experience of building positive, trusting relationships with people who may be reluctant to engage with services. Experience of providing person-centred support and working with individuals to identify goals and make positive changes. Experience of working collaboratively with other professionals, services or community organisations. Experience of managing competing priorities and working independently within agreed boundaries. Experience of maintaining accurate and confidential records.
Qualifications Essential
Level 3 qualification in health, social care, community development, counselling, substance misuse or a related area, or equivalent relevant experience. Evidence of relevant continuing professional development and willingness to undertake training appropriate to the role. Willingness to undertake specialist drug and alcohol, Motivational Interviewing, harm reduction and other relevant training as required
Desirable
Social Prescribing - Learning for Link Workers
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.
Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Employer details Employer name Bury GP Federation
Address Unit 1, Europa House
Barcroft Street
Bury
Lancashire
BL9 5BT
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.burygpfederation.com/ (Opens in a new tab)