Senior Social Prescriber in Worcester

Worcester City PCN is looking to appoint an experienced Senior Social Prescriber to support the delivery and development of high-quality social prescribing services across primary care. This role is ideal for someone with strong experience in social prescribing who enjoys working with people with complex needs, supporting colleagues, and contributing to service improvement. The post holder will work closely with GP practices, community organisations and voluntary sector partners to help individuals improve their health and wellbeing by addressing non-medical needs.

In addition to managing a complex caseload, the Senior Social Prescriber will provide day-to-day support to the wider social prescribing team, contribute to training and mentoring, and deputise for the Wellbeing Services Team Lead when required. This is a part-time role (22.5 hours per week) and offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact within a supportive and collaborative primary care environment.

• Manage a complex social prescribing caseload, supporting individuals with a wide range of non-medical needs
• Work collaboratively with GP practices, primary care staff, and community partners
• Provide advice, guidance and informal support to other Social Prescribers and Link Workers
• Support service delivery, quality improvement and pathway development
• Deputise for the Wellbeing Services Team Lead when required
• Maintain accurate records and contribute to monitoring and reporting outcomes
• Promote person centred, strengths-based approaches and reduce health inequalities

We are a federation of GP surgeries and PCNs in Worcestershire, serving over 600,000 NHS patients through a variety of local services. Our community of GPs are our stakeholders, meaning we are powered by the community we have created - and our goal is to find ways to make it easier for them to spend less time and money on administrative workload, and more time with their patients.

Our GP surgeries remain independent, while keeping the benefits of being part of a larger organisation - and we exist to protect the interests of our members through advocacy, business support & revenue generation. We are ambitious about growth in our network and so our diversified services help our PCNs to reinvest in vital local healthcare initiatives, providing a sustainable future for their communities.

At Vertis Health we want to build a diverse workplace, and so we encourage women, people of colour, LGBTQIA individuals, people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, foreign born residents, older members of society, and others from minority groups and diverse backgrounds to apply. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, religion, colour, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. All Vertis employees and contractors are responsible for maintaining a work culture free from discrimination and harassment by treating others with kindness and respect.

• Provide general administrative support to the Team Leader
• Draft and support development of service documents
• Be point of contact for team when Team Lead is on annual leave/training/sick
• Lead on projects such as Group work, drop ins, partnership projects with VCSE etc
• Review referrals with the Care Co-ordinator
• Co-lead team meetings if Team Leader is unavailable
• Network and attend meetings if Team Leader is not available
• Support Team Leader with induction process, training and mentoring of new staff
• Support Team Leader with caseload reviews as needed
• Support people by connecting them to community-based activities, groups and services that meet their practical, social and emotional needs, including specialist advice services, arts and culture, physical activity, and nature and green based activities.
• Provide personalised support to individuals, their families and carers to take control of their wellbeing, live independently and improve their health outcomes.
• Helping people identify the wider issues which impact on their health and wellbeing such as debt, poor housing, unemployment, loneliness and caring responsibilities.
• Co-produce personalised plans with the patient to improve health and wellbeing, introducing or reconnecting people to community groups and statutory services.
• Manage and prioritise caseload, in accordance with needs, priorities and urgent support required by individuals
• Refer people back to other health professionals and agencies where appropriate.
• Work within local communities and develop/maintain good working relationships with the VCSE sector/local community groups and organisations.
• To work within appropriate safeguarding procedures and practices.
• To build effective relationships with key staff in GP practices, attending relevant meetings and becoming part of the wider network team.
• To work in partnership with other local agencies to raise awareness of social prescribing and to promote the service widely and its benefits.
• To use appropriate systems for data capture, case management, feedback and reporting and adhering to data protection legislation and data sharing agreements.
• To work as part of the Wellbeing Services Team as well as the wider PCN, sharing best practice and maintaining strong working relationships.

This role will involve working in different locations, including occasional home visits, and will require you to travel. The ability and means to travel independently within Worcestershire is essential. Provide mentoring on a one-to-one basis as required. There may be occasional evening and weekend work. A commitment to personal, professional and organisational development.

Recognises the roles of other colleagues within the organisation and their role to patient care. Demonstrates use of appropriate communication to gain the co-operation of relevant stakeholders (including patients, senior and peer colleagues, and other professionals, other NHS/private organisations e.g. CCGs). Demonstrates ability to work as a member of a team. Is able to recognise personal limitations and refer to more appropriate colleague(s) when necessary. Liaises with other GP Practices and staff as needed for the collective benefit of patients.

In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information in relation to their health and other matters. They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately. In the performance of the duties outlined in this job description, the post holder will 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, and held in any format, is to be regarded as strictly confidential. Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data.

The post-holder should recognise the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to: Communicate effectively with other team members. Communicate effectively with patients and carers. Recognise peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly.

The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the practice health & safety policy, the practice health & safety manual, and the practice infection control policy and published procedures. This will include: Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines. Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks. Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills. Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards. Active reporting of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised. Keeping own work areas and general / patient areas generally clean, assisting in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness consistent with the scope of the job holders role. Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum annually).

The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include: Acting in a way that recognises the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with practice procedures and policies, and current legislation. Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues. Behaving in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

• Relevant qualification or training related to social prescribing, health, social care or community support
• Evidence of ongoing professional development relevant to the role
• Coaching, mentoring or leadership training

• Experience working as a Social Prescriber or in a comparable community-based support role
• Experience supporting individuals with complex needs
• Experience working in partnership with primary care and voluntary or community organisations
• Experience of maintaining accurate records and monitoring outcomes
• Experience providing support, guidance or mentoring to colleagues
• Experience contributing to service development or improvement

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work independently and manage a varied workload
• Commitment to person-centred, strengths-based working
• Understanding of health inequalities and community-based approaches
• Ability to deputise or act as a point of contact when required

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.

£29,000 a year £29000 per annum, pro rata (0.6 FTE/ 22.5 hours per week)