Social Prescribing Link Worker - Maternity Cover

Social prescribing is a way of engaging patients in primary care with a resource which provides support within the local community. In addition it provides GPs with a non-medical referral option that can align to existing treatments to improve health and wellbeing. The Social Prescribing Link Worker will offer support in a clinic environment based within general practice as well at various locations within the community including the patients home. The role will provide information and support to patients in addition to becoming the link between the patient, GP and other service providers. The role will require managing and prioritising your own caseload, in accordance with the needs, priorities and any urgent support required by individuals. Key Responsibilities Receiving and actioning referrals from a wide range of agencies, working with GP practices within primary care networks (PCNs), pharmacies, multi-disciplinary teams, hospital discharge teams, allied health professionals, fire service, police, job centres, social care services, housing associations, and voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations. (List not exhaustive). Providing personalised support to individuals, their families and carers to enable them to take control of their well-being, live independently and improve their health outcomes. Develop trusting relationships by giving people time and focus on what matters to them. Taking a holistic approach, based on the persons priorities and the wider determinants of health. To co-produce a personalised support plan to improve health and wellbeing, to introduce or reconnect people to community groups and statutory services. It is vital that the Social Prescribing Link Worker has a strong awareness and understanding of when it is appropriate or necessary to refer people back to other health professionals or agencies. To increase the strengths and capacities of local communities, and enable local VCSE organisations and community groups to receive social prescribing referrals. Ensure they are supported, have basic safeguarding processes for vulnerable individuals and can provide opportunities for the person to develop friendships, a sense of belonging, and build knowledge, skills and confidence. Work together with all local partners to collectively ensure that local VCSE organisations and community groups are sustainable and that community assets are nurtured, by making them aware of small grants or micro-commissioning if available, including providing support to set up new community groups and services, where gaps are identified in local provision. Service Delivery Build a robust knowledge of health, social and third sector provision available within West Leicestershire and surrounding areas. Promote social prescribing, its role in self-management, and the wider determinants of health. Act as an advocate for patients and service users of the health and social care system. Build relationships with key staff in GP practices within the local Primary Care Network (PCN). Attend relevant meetings and integrate as part of the wider network team, providing information and feedback on social prescribing matters. Work proactively to develop strong links with all local agencies to encourage referrals, to recognise their requirements and enable confident approach to making referrals. Work in partnership with all local agencies to raise awareness of social prescribing and demonstrate how partnership working can reduce pressure on statutory services, improve health outcomes and enable a holistic approach to care. Provide referral agencies with regular updates relating to social prescribing, and include training for their staff to promote effective access to information and encourage appropriate referrals. Work proactively in encouraging self-referrals and connecting with all local communities, particularly those communities that statutory agencies may find hard to reach. To support patients on discharge from hospital admission. To support with the requirements as outlines in the PCN DES, including but not limited to providing additional hours for Extended Access. Personalised Care and Support Build relationships with patients, their families and carers and carry out regular telephone consultations and reviews within the GP practice or community setting. Meet people on a one-to-one basis, undertaking home visits where appropriate within organisations policies and procedures. Give people time to tell their stories and focus on what matters to me. Build trust with the person, providing non-judgmental support, respecting diversity and lifestyle choices. Work from a strength-based approach focusing on a persons assets. Anticipate barriers to communication. Be a friendly source of information about wellbeing and prevention approaches. Help people identify the wider issues that impact on their health and wellbeing, such as debt, poor housing, being unemployed, loneliness and caring. Communicate effectively with patients, families and carers recognising the need for alternative communication methods of communication to overcome different levels of understanding, cultural background and preferred ways of communicating. Help people maintain or regain independence through living skills, adaptations, enablement approaches and simple safeguards. Work with individuals to co-produce a simple personalised support plan; based on the persons priorities, interests, values and motivations, including what they can expect from the groups, activities and services they are being connected to and what the person can do for themselves to improve their health and wellbeing. Where appropriate, physically introduce people to community groups, activities and statutory services, ensuring they are comfortable. Provide follow-up to ensure that they are happy, engaged, included and receiving good support. Where people may be eligible for a personal health budget, assist them to explore this option as a way of providing funded, personalised support to be independent, including helping people to gain skills for meaningful employment, where appropriate. Support community groups and VCSE organisations to receive referrals. Support Community Groups to Receive Referrals Forge strong links with local VCSE organisations, community and neighbourhood to promote micro-commissioning or small grants if available. Develop supportive relationships with local VCSE organisations, community groups and statutory services, to make timely, appropriate and supported referrals for the person being introduced. Ensure that local community groups and VCSE organisations being referred to have basic procedures in place for ensuring that vulnerable individuals are safe and, where there are safeguarding concerns, work with all partners to deal appropriately with issues. Where such policies and procedures are not in place, support groups to work towards this standard before referrals are made to them. Check that community groups and VCSE organisations meet in insured premises and that health and safety requirements are in place. Where such policies and procedures are not in place, support groups to work towards this standard before referrals are made to them. Support local groups to act in accordance with information governance policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with the Data Protection Act. 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. Support local partners and commissioners to develop new groups and services where needed, through small grants for community groups, micro-commissioning and development support. Work Collectively with 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. Support local partners and commissioners to develop new groups and services where needed, through small grants for community groups, micro-commissioning and development support. Encourage people who have been connected to community support through social prescribing to volunteer and give their time freely to others, in order to build their skills and confidence, and strengthen community resilience. Develop a team of volunteers to provide buddying support for people. Encourage people, their families and carers to provide peer support and to do things together. General Tasks Produce accurate, contemporaneous and complete records of patient contact, consistent with legislation, policies and procedures. Work sensitively and effectively with people, their families and carers to capture key information, enabling tracking of the impact of social prescribing on their health and wellbeing. Build relationships with patients, their families and carers and carry out regular telephone consultations and reviews within the GP practice or community setting. Encourage people, their families and carers to provide feedback and to share their stories about the impact of social prescribing on their lives. Support referral agencies to provide appropriate information about the person they are referring. Use the case management system to track the persons progress. Provide appropriate feedback to referral agencies about the people they referred. Work closely with GP practices within the PCN to ensure that social prescribing referral codes are inputted to the clinical system and that the persons use of the NHS can be tracked, adhering to data protection legislation and data sharing agreements. Seek regular feedback about the quality of service and impact of social prescribing on referral agencies. Understand and apply legal issues that support the identification of vulnerable and abused children and adults, and be aware of statutory child/vulnerable patients health ...