Social Prescriber in Southampton

We are on a mission to reshape the way we work with our patients to provide personalised care. We are excited to be recruiting a Social Prescriber to join our Social Prescribing team and work within our growing wider team in Southampton West Primary Care Network. This role is pivotal to achieving the changes we are aiming for, and we are investing in creating a well‑supported and expanding multi‑disciplinary PCN team working across our diverse population.

As a Social Prescriber you will help patients connect to activities, groups, and services in the community to meet the practical, social and emotional needs that affect their health and well‑being. The Social Prescriber role gives patients time, focusing on what matters to them. The support allows patients to take control of their health and well‑being.

Main duties of the job

Social Prescribers are a key part of our Primary Care Network multidisciplinary team. They work alongside our integrated team of Health & Wellbeing Coaches, Peer Support Workers, Mental Health Practitioners and Care Coordinators to provide an all‑encompassing approach to personalised care and promote and embed the personalised care approach across the PCN. Social prescribing link workers work collaboratively across the health and care system, targeting populations with greatest need and risk of health inequalities. They collaborate with partners to identify gaps in provision and support community offers to be accessible and sustainable.

Social prescribers will work with patients of all ages with a whole population approach and support people who:

• have one or more long term conditions
• are lonely or isolated
• have complex social needs which affect their well‑being

They manage and prioritise a caseload, according to the needs, priorities and support required by individuals in the caseload. They identify when a person’s needs are beyond the scope of the Social Prescribing role and refer them back to other health professionals or organisations.

About us

Southampton West Primary Care Network (PCN) consists of the 9 GP surgeries in the west of the City and covers 84,000 patients. Our mission is to work collaboratively to develop high quality services for our patients, so that we can improve health outcomes that enable people to live well, for longer, whilst developing resilient primary care. The PCN already hosts a strong and supportive multi‑disciplinary wellbeing team consisting of mental health practitioners, peer support workers, social prescribers, care coordinators, Health and Wellbeing Coaches, pharmacists and first contact physiotherapists.

Job responsibilities

Social Prescribers are a key part of our Primary Care Network multidisciplinary team. They work alongside our integrated team of Health & Wellbeing Coaches, Peer Support Workers, Mental Health Practitioners and Care Coordinators to provide an all‑encompassing approach to personalised care and promote and embed the personalised care approach across the PCN.

Description of the Role:

The role will involve coproducing a "Social Prescription" with individuals referred to the service which provides the individual with positive health and wellbeing outcomes through addressing non‑medical/social issues in their life, such as housing, debt or social isolation.

Key responsibilities:

• To undertake holistic assessments and co‑design Health and Wellbeing Plans with individual service users, identifying support needs to ensure maximum engagement in improving their health and wellbeing.
• Develop trusting relationships by giving people time and focus on what matters to them.
• To provide service users with continuity and a coordinated experience of care, remaining a point of contact throughout the individual’s social prescription.
• Take a holistic approach, based on the person’s priorities and the wider determinants of health.
• The role will require social prescribing link workers to manage and prioritise their own caseload, in accordance with the health and wellbeing needs of their population.
• To work in partnership with all voluntary and community organisations to build a comprehensive database of local resources to design and support the Social Prescription Menu.
• Identify and engage effectively in a non‑judgemental and respectful manner with members of the community from all backgrounds, abilities and ages, listening and interpreting complex health information into understandable terms about health and health improvement.
• To support and develop GPs and primary care health teams’ knowledge on how to identify patients suitable for social prescribing service referral on a quarterly basis.
• Utilise and maintain comprehensive data and evaluation systems, including individual health outcome tools.
• Support the development of the service taking into consideration feedback from service users, PCN member practices, and other local services with which Social Prescribers work collaboratively.
• To keep records of your work and adhere to confidentiality, information sharing protocols and provide monitoring information as required.
• Where required and as appropriate, the social prescribing link workers will refer people back to other health and social care organisations within the city where appropriate.

Key Result Areas:

• Improved health and quality of life
• Increased patient satisfaction
• Fewer primary care consultations
• Reductions in the number of hospital admissions, visits to Accident and Emergency, and outpatient attendances
• A decrease in the use of wider hospital resources
• Reduction in 999 calls
• Increased awareness of non‑health interventions

General responsibilities of all employed staff

In the performance of the duties outlined in this Job Description, the post‑holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, practice staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to the practice as a business organisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential.

Confidentiality

Health & Safety

Equality and diversity

Personal and professional development

Quality Communication

Contribution to the implementation of services

Person specification

• An NHS experience, health care provider or community services
• Worked previously in social prescribing
• Previously worked within primary care
• Must be qualified to GCSE or above
• A health, social care, counselling or other relevant professional or academic qualification
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Passion to help others; ability to work across multiple agencies in health and social care
• Work non‑judgementally with a wide cohort of people
• Demonstrate high levels of emotional intelligence
• Experience in giving health advice to individuals
• Proven skills in collating information and data on community resources and organising these in up‑to‑date and accessible formats for a range of different service users from various communities.
• Excellent record‑keeping skills and the proven ability to write comprehensive reports for a variety of stakeholders.
• Excellent IT skills and ability to do own administration using database, PowerPoint, SystmOne, EMIS and other IT packages.
• The ability to work autonomously and to plan, prioritise work under pressure and adapt to new models of working.
• A proven understanding of safeguarding for children and vulnerable adults and ability to implement relevant policies and procedures.
• Excellent holistic assessment as well as consultation skills and experience of providing empowering support to adults in a planned and structured way to improve health, recovery and well‑being outcomes.
• Knowledge of social care systems

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.