About this role
Job summary
We are seeking a compassionate and motivated Social Prescribing Link Worker to join our Primary Care Network PCN. This is a practice-based role working from Crowland Abbeyview Medical Centre, This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in supporting individuals to improve their health and wellbeing through personalised, non-clinical interventions.
Social prescribing empowers people to take control of their health by connecting them to community-based activities, services, and support. You will work holistically with individuals to understand what matters to them, helping them build confidence, independence, and stronger connections within their local community.
Main duties of the job
Work with patients referred from GP practices and partner agencies, including self-referralsProvide personalised support using coaching and motivational interviewing techniquesCo-produce simple, achievable care and support plans focused on individual needs and goalsConnect individuals to appropriate community groups, services, and activitiesPromote social prescribing across the PCN and wider partner organisationsProvide ongoing support and follow-up to ensure engagement and positive outcomesBuild strong relationships with voluntary, community, and statutory services VCSE sectorIdentify gaps in local provision and support community development initiativesEncourage volunteering and community participation to strengthen local resilienceEnsure accurate data collection, reporting, and use of clinical systems SNOMED codingAdhere to safeguarding, data protection, and organisational policiesMaintain a patient caseload, ensuring accurate reporting in clinical systems. Provide monthly reporting to your line managerAttend Meetings, supervision and Training.
About us
AHSL is a GP Federation that provides business support to South Lincs Rural Primary Care Network SLR PCN to help deliver Network contract also known as the Directed Enhanced Service DES. AHSL directly employs a range of clinical and non-clinical staff who are either based in local GP Practices, or work across the SLR PCN catchment. We are committed to providing the very highest quality service to our patients in a professional and friendly manner, and AHSL is equally committed to providing a pleasant working environment for its employees, offering equal opportunities to all and promoting and encouraging training and personal development.
Job description Job responsibilities
Purpose of the role
Social Prescribing empowers people to take control of their health & wellbeing through referral to non-clinical Social Prescribing link workers, allowing them time to focus on what matters to me, taking a holistic approach to an individuals health and wellbeing needs in a supportive manner, to increase confidence to live a more independent life within their local community.
Support people by connecting them to non-medical, community-based activities, groups and services that meet their practical, social and emotional needs, including specialist advice services, arts and culture, physical activity, and nature- and green-based activities.
Supporting the development of accessible and sustainable community offers by working in partnership with Voluntary Care Service Enterprise organisations, VCSE, local authorities and others to identify gaps in provision, and take a community development approach to enabling growth in community activities and groups. Using coaching and motivational interviewing techniques to support people.
Social Prescribing link workers:
Take a whole population approach, working with a range of people who may benefit from social prescribing, including lonely people, who have complex social needs, low-level mental health needs, long-term conditions, as well as working with priority populations identified by the Primary Care Network, PCN as outlined in the Network Contract DES
Help people to identify issues that affect their health & wellbeing and co-produce a simple personalised care and support plan using the Social Prescribing template. Together, the patient and Social Prescriber will set small, achievable goals, focusing on what is important to the person. Goals will be supportive and reviewed regularly with the person.
Empower people to take control of their own health and wellbeing.
Key Responsibilities
Take referrals from the PCNs Core Network Practices and from a wide range of agencies, including pharmacies, health and care multi-disciplinary teams MDTs, and welfare advice services, VCSE organisations, and through self-referrals list is not exhaustive.
Promote social prescribing as an approach across the PCN and wider agencies,
including its role in supported self-management, in addressing health inequalities and the wider determinants of health, reducing pressure on statutory services, improving access to healthcare and improving health outcomes, and in taking a holistic approach to care.
.Proactively encouraging equitable participation in social prescribing through taking self-referrals and connecting with diverse local communities through a range of methods, particularly communities that statutory agencies may find hard to reach and where health inequalities are most prevalent, ensuring that those people self-referring have equal opportunities
Provide information and guidance on what the person can do for themselves to improve their health and wellbeing
Provide follow-up support to the person to ensure they are happy, able to engage, feel included and that they are receiving good support.
Seek regular feedback via surveys, feedback forms, about the quality of service and the impact of social prescribing on referral agencies
Help people maintain or regain independence through living skills, enablement approaches and simple safeguards
Helping people to gain skills for meaningful employment, where appropriate.
Seek advice and support from the General Practitioner GP, supervisor and/or identified individuals to discuss safeguarding concerns and follow PCN safeguarding policies around reporting and/or escalating concerns.
Make appropriate onward referrals. Empower people where possible to reach out to their GP practice, care provider, ensuring they have relevant contact information to hand at all times.
Develop supportive relationships with local Voluntary Care Sector Enterprise, VCSE organisations, community groups and statutory services, to understand their offer and make timely, appropriate and supported referrals
Promote diversity and inclusion when developing or supporting new community groups.
Encourage people who have been connected to community support through social prescribing to volunteer or to start their own activities and groups
Support existing local volunteering schemes to strengthen community resilience and explore potential to develop a team of volunteers to provide buddying support, peer support or to start new community-based groups or activities.
Data capture
Support referral agencies to provide appropriate information about the person they are referring, including demographic data and data on wider determinants, for example, caring status, any safeguarding concerns.
Provide appropriate and timely feedback to referral agencies about the people they referred.
Work sensitively with people, their families and carers to capture key information to measure impact of social prescribing on their health and wellbeing, using validated tools determined locally such as the ONS4 wellbeing scale to assess need and measure outcomes.
Encourage people, their families and carers to provide feedback on their experience, for example, through patient satisfaction surveys, and to share their stories about the impact of social prescribing on their lives.
Ensure that social prescribing referral SNOMED codes are coded appropriately into clinical systems as outlined in the Network Contract DES using the Social Prescribing template aligns to Personalised care and Support Plan
Adhere to PCN policies around data protection legislation and data sharing agreements, ensuring people give appropriate consent. at the start of the episode of care with the Person/ Patient.
Provide monthly data feedback as required by the PCN. Using current and any future data collection systems in a timely manner.
Continuing professional development
Work with a supervisor and/or line manager to undertake continual personal and professional development in line with the social prescribing Workforce Development Framework Competency Framework, including:
Work with your supervising GP and/or line manager to access regular clinical/non-managerial supervision
Take an active role in reflecting, reviewing and developing professional knowledge, skills and behaviours
Attend appropriate mandatory training before working with people and be aware of own competence, maintaining boundaries, both personal & around scope of practice and referring onwards for people whose needs fall outside of these boundaries
Adhere to organisational policies and procedures, including confidentiality, safeguarding, lone working, information governance, equality, diversity and inclusion training and health and safety.
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/workforce-development-framework-social-prescribing-link-workers/
Miscellaneous
Establish strong working relationships with GPs, practice teams and relevant multidisciplinary teams and work collaboratively with other health Social Prescribers, Health and Wellbeing coaches, Mental Health and Wellbeing coaches, care co-ordinators, supporting each other, respecting each others views and meeting regularly as a team.
Act as a champion for Social Prescribing, as a part of the PCNs personalised care offer for patients and organisations
Demonstrate a flexible attitude and be prepared to carry out other duties as may be reasonably required from time to time within the general character of the post or the level of responsibility of the role, ensuring that work is delivered in a timely and effective manner.
Identify opportunities and gaps in the service - and review risks and issues that could impact on service delivery - and provide feedback to continually improve the service and contribute to business planning.
Work in accordance with the practices and PCNs policies and procedures.
Contribute to the wider aims and objectives of the PCN to improve and support primary care, working to the PCNs priorities in accordance with the DES.
Work as part of the MDT, to seek feedback, promote the benefits of Social Prescribing value to patients, carers and the system. Continually work and engage to improve the service
Undertake any tasks consistent with the level of the post and the scope of the role, ensuring that work is delivered in a timely and effective manner.
Duties may vary from time to time, without changing the general character of the post or the level of responsibility.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Completed a PCI accredited Social Prescriber training course or be willing to complete one prior to taking referrals. Compassionate, reflective and self-aware and will enjoy working with a wide range of people Able to provide a culturally sensitive, inclusive service, by supporting people from all backgrounds and communities, respecting lifestyle, equality, diversity and providing high quality, non-judgemental support. The candidate will be compassionate, reflective & self-aware, will enjoy working with a wide range of people. Commitment to reducing health inequalities and proactively working to reach people from diverse communities. Able to support people in a way that inspires trust and confidence, motivating others to reach their potential, adapting to individual levels of activation and health literacy. They will be a commitment to collaborative working with a keen team work ethic, working alongside, local agencies (including VCSE organisations and community groups) Able to work with others to reduce hierarchies within the community. Can demonstrate personal accountability, emotional resilience and ability to work under pressure, having a proactive and flexible attitude, ability to work using own initiative. Experience of working in a multidisciplinary team with demonstrable networking experience NVQ Level 3, Advanced level or equivalent qualifications or working towards. Reflective listening skills.
Desirable
Experience of working in health and social care care/community development setting or similar Relevant training and experience in Self-Management Education(SME) Experience of successful partnership working across statutory, voluntary and community sector.
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 Allied Health South Lincolnshire Limited
Address AHSL
Abbeyview Medical Centre
Thorney Road
Crowland
Peterborough
PE6 0AL
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://slrpcn.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)