PCN Social Prescriber Link Worker in Northwich

We are looking to recruit to the post of social prescribing link worker, to work within our primary care network multi-disciplinary healthcare team, providing 1:1 personalised support to people who are referred to them by team members and local agencies. Please note this is a temporary / fixed term maternity cover role.

Main duties of the job:

• This post empowers people to take control of their health and wellbeing by giving time to focus on what matters to me.
• The social prescribing link worker will build trusting relationships with people, create a shared personalised care and support plan and connect them to local, diverse, and culturally appropriate community groups, voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations and services.
• They will also work with a diverse range of partners to provide support to community groups and VCSE organisations involved in social prescribing.
• This role helps people to work on their wider health and wellbeing, specifically addressing health access and outcomes and wider determinants of their health, such as debt, poor housing, and physical inactivity, as well as other lifestyle issues and low-level mental health concerns by increasing people's active involvement with their local communities.
• This approach particularly helps people with long term conditions (including support for mental health), people who are lonely or isolated, or who have complex social needs which affect their wellbeing.

About us:

Firdale Medical Centre is a member of Northwich Primary Care Network. We currently look after almost 11,000 patients as well as mentor and support one of the local nursing homes. The practice is led by three GP partners, and we employ three salaried doctors. To complete the clinical team we have two nurses, a health care assistant, a pharmacist, pharmacy technician and two Musculo-skeletal (MSK) specialists. We are also a teaching practice supporting foundation and specialty doctors. We like to think there is more to work than roles and responsibilities and it is essential for everyone to feel a part of the team and able to contribute to the services we provide.

Job responsibilities:

• Take referrals from GP practices within Northwich Primary Care Network (PCN), providing digital or practice-based consultations with patients (and possibly carers etc) and occasional community-based appointments, i.e. housebound patients, community service events.
• Provide personalised support to individuals, their families and carers to take control of their wellbeing, live independently and improve their health outcomes.
• Develop relationships by giving people time and focus on what matters to me.
• Take a holistic approach, based on the person's priorities and the wider determinants of health.
• Co-produce a personalised support plan to improve health and wellbeing, introducing or reconnecting people to community groups and statutory services.
• Integrate into and form part of Northwich PCN's GP Practices to provide the support needed across those locations.
• Liaise and communicate with patients, carers, advocates, health and social care professionals, voluntary sector and stakeholders involved in the wellbeing of your caseload and communities.
• 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 vital that you have a strong awareness and understanding of when it is appropriate or necessary to refer people back to other health professionals, when what the person needs is beyond the scope of the link worker role e.g. when there is a mental health need requiring a qualified practitioner.

Qualifications:

Please refer to attached job description.

Overview:

You must be a good listener, have time for people and be committed to supporting local communities to care for each other. You should have experience of working positively with people facing complex social and emotional challenges. You will have great interpersonal skills in supporting people, community groups and local organisations. The postholder will work with a diverse range of people from different cultural and social backgrounds. The ability to work confidently and effectively in a diverse, and sometimes challenging environment is essential. We are committed to having a workforce in which people from diverse backgrounds are supported and empowered to work with local communities to improve health access and outcomes for all and provide culturally appropriate and responsive public services.

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.