TLCP Social Prescriber

The TLCP Social Prescribing Link Worker will have a key role in supporting delivery of the Comprehensive Model of Personalised Care. They are a key role in the PCN to strengthen community and personal resilience as well as reducing health inequalities by addressing the wider determinants of health.

Main duties of the job

• Take referrals from within TLCP PCN. These could come from a number of sources such as GPs, nurses, pharmacists and care coordinators.
• Provide personalised support to individuals, their families and carers to take control of their wellbeing, live independently and improve their health outcomes.
• Develop trusting relationships by giving people time and focus on what matters to them.
• Take a holistic approach, based on the person's priorities, and the wider determinants of health.
• Co-produce a simple personalised care and support plan to improve health and wellbeing, introducing or reconnecting people to community groups and statutory services.
• Evaluate the individual impact of a person's wellness progress.
• Manage and prioritise their own caseload, in accordance with the needs, priorities and any urgent support required by individuals on the caseload.
• Where required and as appropriate, refer people back to other health professionals within the network eg when there is a mental health need requiring a qualified practitioner.
• Have a role in educating non-clinical and clinical staff within the organisation about what other services and support are available within the community and how and when patients can access them. This may include verbal or written advice and guidance.

Job responsibilities

• Draw on and increase the strengths and capacities of local communities, enabling local VCSE organisations and community groups to receive social prescribing referrals. They will ensure those organisations and groups 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 and members of the PCN MDT 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.
• Have a role in educating non-clinical and clinical staff within the organisation about what other services and support are available within the community and how and when patients can access them. This may include verbal or written advice and guidance.

Other Duties:

• Work within the policies of scheme and Practices.
• Maintain a good working knowledge of health and safety procedures.
• Participate in data led evaluation of the service.
• Promote client involvement in the management of the service.
• Participate in regular supervision sessions and appraisals with your line manager.
• Attend training and development activities as identified and participate in meetings as required.
• Take an active role in reflecting, reviewing and developing professional knowledge, skills and behaviours.
• Maintain administration systems and workspace used in a clean and tidy condition.
• Attend site MDTs to embed relationships and promote social prescribing across the PCN.
• Work flexibly to meet the needs of clients and use appropriate judgement to ascertain the number and length of sessions required, whilst being mindful of service capacity.
• Undertake any other duties that are commensurate with the post and within the post holder's clinical competence.
• Proactively develop strong links with local agencies and seek regular feedback about referral quality, as well as the impact of social prescribing on referral agencies.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

Patients and their families have the right to be treated fairly and be routinely involved in decisions about their treatment and care. They can expect to be treated with dignity and respect and will not be discriminated against on any grounds including age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. Patients have a responsibility to treat other patients and our staff with dignity and respect. Staff have the right to be treated fairly in recruitment and career progression. Staff can expect to work in an environment where diversity is valued and equality of opportunity is promoted. Staff will not be discriminated against on any grounds including age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. Staff have a responsibility to ensure that they treat our patients and their colleagues with dignity and respect.

Person Specification

• Ability to actively listen, empathise with people and provide person-centred support in a non-judgemental way.
• Able to provide a culturally sensitive service, by supporting people from all backgrounds and communities, respecting lifestyles and diversity.
• Commitment to reducing health inequalities and proactively working to reach people from diverse communities.
• Able to support people in a way that inspires trust and confidence, motivating others to reach their potential, adapting to individual levels of activation and health literacy.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with people, their families, carers, community groups, partner agencies and stakeholders, adapting communication styles accordingly.
• Commitment to collaborative working with all local agencies (including VCSE organisations and community groups). Able to work with others to reduce hierarchies and find creative solutions to community issues.
• Can demonstrate personal accountability, emotional resilience and ability to work well under pressure.

Skills and knowledge

• Knowledge of the personalised care approach. Utilises the evidence base for social prescribing interventions and activities.
• Understanding of the wider determinants of health, including social, economic and environmental factors and their impact on communities, individuals, their families and carers.
• Understanding of, and commitment to, equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Knowledge of community development approaches including asset-based community development and community resilience.
• Knowledge of IT systems, including ability to use word processing skills, emails and the internet to create simple plans and reports.
• Able to work from an asset-based approach, building on existing community and personal assets.
• Understanding of the needs of small volunteer-led community groups and ability to contribute to supporting their development.
• Ability to organise, plan and prioritise on own initiative, including when under pressure and meeting deadlines.
• High level of written and oral communication skills.
• Confidently approaches difficult conversations.
• Able to provide motivational coaching to support people's behaviour change.
• Local knowledge of VCSE and community services.
• Knowledge of how the NHS works, including primary care and MDT working.

Qualifications

• NVQ Level 3, Advanced level or equivalent qualifications or working towards.
• Is enrolled in, undertaking or qualified from appropriate training as set out by the Personalised Care Institute.
• Demonstrable commitment to professional and personal development.
• Training in motivational coaching and interviewing or equivalent experience.

Other

• Meets DBS reference standards and criminal record checks.
• Willingness to work flexible hours when required to meet work demands.
• Access to transport and ability to travel across the locality on a regular basis, including to visit people in their own homes and support people to attend activities as appropriate.

Experience

• Experience of working directly in a community development context, adult health and social care, learning support or public health/health improvement (including unpaid work).
• Experience of supporting people, their families and carers in a related role (including unpaid work).
• Experience of supporting people with their mental health, either in a paid, unpaid or informal capacity.
• Experience of working with the VCSE sector (in a paid or unpaid capacity), including with volunteers and small community groups.
• Experience of data collection and using tools to measure the impact of services.
• Experience of partnership/collaborative working and of building relationships across a variety of organisations.
• Ability to maintain effective working relationships and to promote collaborative practice with all colleagues.
• Ability to work flexibly and enthusiastically within a team or on own initiative.
• Knowledge of, and ability to work to, policies and procedures, including confidentiality, safeguarding, lone working, information governance, and health and safety.
• Have awareness and understanding of when it is appropriate or necessary to refer people back to other health professionals/agencies, when the person's needs are beyond the scope of the role for example, when there is a mental health need requiring a qualified practitioner.

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.