Adult and Children & Young People Social Prescribing Link Worker

We are keen to recruit the right people to join our BYTES Social Prescribing Team. The team works across 5 GP practices Barwick, Yarm, Thornaby, Eaglescliffe and Stillington.

You will work with patients who are registered with GP practices that are part of BYTES Primary Care Network in Stockton. Your role will focus on delivering time specified support that improves an individuals health and lifestyle choices. Youwill work with individuals to help them identify their strengths and goals and support them to access activities and community links that are of interest to them. As part of the PCN team you will contribute to wider projects and work/events that are part of the PCN-led workforce priorities.

Main duties of the job

In this role, you will provide support to children and young people, their families, and adults across the BYTES PCN. Your caseload will be shaped by service demand, individual need, and the priorities of the wider team, requiring a flexible and responsive approach.

About us

Were proud to have directly helped 27,000 local people this last year, more than weve eversupported. Weve been working in local communities to improve mental health and wellbeing for 30 years and during that time our support has evolved, enabling us to help people in new and impactful ways.

We believe everyone has the right to enjoy good mental health and our team of trusted professionals provide expert support to help people lead full and happy lives. Whats more, we campaign locally to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding of what good mental health looks like.

Ours is a vibrant organisation towork for and our staff are our most important asset. We know just how important the benefits of a mentally healthy workplace are. So, it's only natural that our people and our culture are at the heart of all we do. Staff wellbeing is a high priority for us and we take great care and pride in making sure that every one who works with us feels valued and supported. We're dedicated, friendly and open, working together to improve the lives of local people experiencing mental health problems.

Job responsibilities

Development

• Work within the BYTES PCN to promote the role of Social Prescribing for patients
• Work in partnership with primary care staff to increase understanding of patients needs and how they can be met through social prescribing and existing community provision
• Build and maintain good links and connections with PCN colleagues
• Work in partnership with localcommunity provision to include and support individuals referred through this route
• Support the team to identify gaps in services and support available to individuals and feed this into service development and stakeholder discussions.

Delivery

• Receive electronic referrals from GPs and engage individuals in the service
• Support patients through the service pathway which includes:
• Triage, assessment and delivery of time specified, goal focused support
• Working with each individual to identify their strengths and goals
• Co-produce a plan with each individual to work towards their goals
• Introduce and connect individuals to organisations, groups, activities and services relevant to them
• Co-produce a safety assessment and plan to manage concerns around risk and vulnerability for each individual
• Deliver a range of direct interventions including:
• Emotional support and confidence building
• Helping individuals to develop coping strategies
• Supporting individuals to maintain relationships with friends and family
• Gather and record progress and outcomes with individuals including:
• Using an agreed outcome measurement tool
• Using electronic database/case management systems
• Capture, understand and learn from feedback provided by individuals using the service
• Manage workload in conjunction with PCN-led workforce priorities, this includes involvement in wider projects and work/events that are unique to BYTES network and may require additional training.
• Have a regular presence within GP practices and attend GP practice meetings, where required, and provide relevant information and feedback
• Manage a caseload of patients, ensuring referrers understand capacity and possible waiting times

Other Responsibilities

• Work within the values and policies of Teesside Mind
• Proactively participate in in line management supervision, caseload management supervision and peer support sessions
• Ensure confidentiality is upheld, in line with legislation and organisational policies
• Ensure health and safety of self and others
• Attend training and events as required
• Undertake other tasks commensurate with the position as required

Person Specification

Other Personal Qualities

• Car driver and use of own transport for work purposes
• Ability to work flexibly to meet the needs of the service. Teesside Mind operates between 9:00am and 7:00pm, Monday to Friday and you will be required to work within these hours
• Caring and trustworthy
• Welcoming and determined
• High level of enthusiasm, self-motivation, professionalism and ability to self-reflect

Experience & Qualifications

• Level 3 health and social care qualification or equivalent
• Working within trauma-informed approaches
• Engaging and working with those who may experience barriers to accessing services and who have complex health and social issues
• Working collaboratively with individuals in goal focused ways
• Close partnership working with other organisations / services for the benefit of the individual
• Working independently in the community (or in a relevant setting)
• Using outcome measurement tools with individuals
• Working closely with or within primary care settings

Knowledge

• Barriers and challenges faced by individuals in Teesside
• A range of emotional, health, social and vocational interventions and techniques
• Child and adult safeguarding procedures and relevant legislation
• Community and specialist services and support available to individuals in Teesside
• Structures and systems within primary care and secondary care health settings
• Local geographic knowledge of Teesside
• Safety assessment and safety planning
• Building relationships with individuals based on trust, respect and clear boundaries
• Excellent organisation and administration skills
• Ability to adapt and work with change
• Ability to manage own caseload, varied workload and prioritise effectively
• Ability to work with minimum supervision, use own initiative and make appropriate decisions
• Able to recognise when advice / guidance is required and seek this appropriately
• Well developed IT skills (including Office 365 and Microsoft Teams)

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.