Social Prescribing Link Worker in Sowerby Bridge

Calder & Ryburn Primary Care Network (PCN) consists of four GP practices and has a combined patient list of over 43,000 patients. Our practices are Bankfield Surgery, Brig Royd Surgery, Stainland Road Medical Centre, and Station Road Surgery. We have grown as a collaborative PCN over the past five years and now have over 30 members of staff working across the PCN.

Calder & Ryburn PCN is looking for a self-motivated individual to join our growing personalised care team. The team currently consists of care coordinators and social prescribing link workers who all work in GP practices across the PCN supporting patients from within the PCN footprint. This exciting role will be working within Brig Royd Surgery and will join the fantastic practice team and PCN colleagues.

Main duties of the job:

• Undertake work in line with PCN directed priorities.
• Facilitating transport options to enable attendance at surgery, support groups, and social schemes.
• Interrogate Practice records to identify patients where the biggest impact could be made, in line with PCN priorities.
• Be practice-based and work proactively to empower people to take control of their health and wellbeing.
• Establish a clear referral pathway from practices within the PCN and for self-referral from patients registered with practices in the PCN.
• Build and maintain an understanding of existing social prescribing and navigational services available.
• Provide personalised support to individuals, their families, and carers to take control of their wellbeing.
• Develop trusting relationships by giving people time and focus on what matters to them.
• Maintain a record of action and outcome that can be used for case studies.
• Promote social prescribing and its role in self-management and active care navigation.
• Meet people on a one-to-one basis, providing non-judgemental support.
• Help people identify the wider issues that impact on their health and wellbeing.
• Work with individuals to co-produce a simple personalised support plan.
• Where appropriate, physically introduce people to community groups and activities.
• Work closely with GP practices within the PCN to ensure that social prescribing referral codes are inputted to EMIS and SystmOne.
• Adhere to Pennine GP Alliance policies and procedures.
• Undertake all necessary training recommended for the role.
• Work flexibly in line with the needs of service.

Person Specification:

• Able to support people in a way that inspires trust and confidence.
• Able to work from an asset-based approach.
• Demonstrates personal accountability and emotional resilience.
• High level of written and oral communication skills.
• Demonstrable commitment to professional and personal development.

Qualifications:

• NVQ Level 3, advanced level or equivalent qualifications or experience.
• Training in motivational coaching and interview or equivalent.
• Training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).

Other Requirements:

• Flexibility to work outside core office hours.
• Maintain confidentiality at all times.
• Full UK driving licence.

Skills:

• Proven ability to listen and empathise with people.
• Commitment to reducing health inequalities.
• Ability to communicate effectively with various stakeholders.
• Ability to identify risk and assess/manage risk when working with individuals.
• Ability to maintain effective working relationships.

Experience:

• Experience of getting along with people from all backgrounds.
• Experience of working directly in a community development context.
• Experience of supporting people in a related role.
• Experience of partnership/collaborative working.
• Experience of working with or in a general practice.

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.