At a Glance
- Tasks: Support individuals in overcoming life challenges and connect them with community resources.
- Company: Join Viaduct Care, a leading health organisation focused on community wellbeing.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible working, training opportunities, and employee assistance programme.
- Other info: Opportunity for career growth and to work within a dynamic, multidisciplinary team.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in people's lives while developing your skills in a supportive environment.
- Qualifications: Experience in health and social care, strong communication skills, and a passion for helping others.
The predicted salary is between 30332 - 37072 £ per year.
Senior Social Prescriber Link Worker (Band 5)
Are you a great listener, who is person centred, with apassion for helping people find practical solutions to life's challenges?
We have an exciting opportunity as a Band 5 Senior Social Prescribing Link Worker to cover Maternity Leave for 12 months.
In this role, you'll workclosely with GP practices within PCNs and the wider multidisciplinary team tosupport people whose health and wellbeing are affected by social, emotional orpractical issues.
You will help patients aged 18+ navigate non-medical needssuch as long term conditions, loneliness, mentalwellbeing, debt, housing concerns, or physical inactivity.
Rather than focusingpurely on medical symptoms, you will give people the time and a safe space toexplore "what matters to the patient" and connect them to empoweringlocal community groups and support networks.
You will also have line managementresponsibilities within this role.
Main duties of the job
The key aspects of the role include
- Well-being and Care planning, health coaching and delivery of self-management support based on a knowledge of individuals activation levels, using coaching and motivational interview techniques.
- Support for individuals to access appropriate community resources and services.
- Assist them to access information, form links with specific community and social groups, stay independent, and promote self-management of their health.
Full duties and responsibilities are outlined in the Job Description below.
About us
Viaduct Care CIC is the company structure for Stockport's GP Federation and represents all of its local GP Practices.
Covering a patient population of circa 300,000 practices are split into 6 PCNs with each serving a population of around 30,000-50,000 patients.
Viaduct Care represents the collective voice and interests of its member practices and as a key stakeholder in Stockport Together aims to influence and support the design and delivery of major service and system changes by being a strong and effective partner with other major service providers.
One of our priorities at Viaduct Care is to ensure that wellbeing and development of our team is at the forefront of everything we do.
We have recently launched our new employee assistance programme, assisting our team to get access to a range of advice 24 hours a day.
Additionally, we are keen to provide opportunities for team members to develop and grow including access to an extensive range of training and up to five paid study days per year.
Job responsibilities
Main Roles & Responsibilities
- To provide support to people with low level mental health and well-being needs (e. g. debt, poor housing, social isolation) and long-term conditions who need support to manage their health and wellbeing.
- To strengthen psychosocial, life and coping skills of individuals to develop resilience.
- To help patients access increased social support as a buffer against adverse life events.
- To increase access to resources and services which promote mental wellbeing.
- To receive referrals for the project from local health and social services professionals, as well as self-referrals.
- To provide support to patients who will benefit from proactive health management and self- care including being the single point of contact for the person or carer to simplify access and coordination of services
- To use a strength-based approach to identify key issues that impact on the persons wellbeing and supporting patients to understand and manage their own conditions and maintain an independent lifestyle.
- To support the development of a personalised plan, liaising with the practice team, patient/carer and other neighbourhood teams.
- To play an active role in practice/neighbourhood team meetings by gathering information and being prepared to update the team on patient progress towards goals etc.
- To support patients to access community facilities, groups and community activities/resources at a locality level and understand neighbourhood facilities.
- To work with PCNs to support the delivery of community based public health initiatives such as physical activity, healthy eating and social connectedness.
- To participate in relevant service audits and to follow up referrals and instructions as proposed by primary care staff.
Responsible for capturing and collating data that demonstrates a positive impact on the peoples outcomes.
- To attend supervision, case management and steering group meetings as required.
- To maintain professional and personal development.
- This post requires flexible working and scheduled working patterns to ensure service provision.
- To provide line management and case management supervision to a Social Prescribing Link Worker.
- To take a lead role within your PCN for the pro-active and community work and report monthly to the Community Development Manager
- To triage complex new referrals for the service.
This list of duties is not intended to be exhaustive, but indicates the main areas of work and may be subject to change after consultation with the post-holder to meet the changing needs of the service.
Person Specification
Qualifications
- English and Maths GCSE or equivalent.
- NVQ Level 3 Health and Social Care or relevant professional or vocational qualification at Level 3 or above, or equivalent knowledge and experience.
- Formal training in working with long term conditions.
Experience
- Minimum of 2 years experience of working with patients to achieve behaviour change or equivalent.
- Experience of supervising staff.
- Experience of working within a team.
- Experience of supporting people with low level/common mental health needs in the community.
- Knowledge of the voluntary/social care sector in Stockport.
- Experience of managing a caseload of participants and keeping up to date records using a database.
- Experience of working without direct supervision.
- Experience of using community based activities and resources to support individuals.
- Experience of working with the BAME community.
- Experience of working with individuals with long term conditions.
- Evidence of working within a multidisciplinary team.
Skills and Abilities
- Good communication and interpersonal skills, including an ability to build rapport and establish good one to one relationships.
- Ability to deal with challenging behaviour and difficult conversations.
- Ability to sensitively empower and engage with people who have poor wellbeing and other health related needs.
- Ability to work with people from a range of agencies and organisations to develop effective working relationships.
- Evidence of ability to work both autonomously and to seek support and guidance when appropriate.
- Ability to effectively manage a variable workload.
- Ability to work flexibly in an innovative and developing role.
- Additional Attributes
- Willingness to work in settings across Stockport.
- Commitment to working towards Viaduct Care CICs values and ethos as an organisation.
- An understanding of the important of user/carer involvement.
- 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.
- £32,073 to £39,043 a year Pro rata based on 37.5 hours per week
- #J-18808-Ljbffr
Senior Social Prescriber Link Worker (Band 5) in Stockport employer: Viaduct Care
Viaduct Care CIC is an exceptional employer dedicated to the well-being and development of its team, offering a supportive work culture that prioritises employee growth through extensive training opportunities and a new employee assistance programme available 24/7. As a Senior Social Prescriber Link Worker in Stockport, you will play a vital role in enhancing community health by connecting individuals with essential resources, all while enjoying a collaborative environment that values your contributions and fosters professional development.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Social Prescriber Link Worker (Band 5) in Stockport
✨Dive into Local Community Groups
Social work thrives on community connections, so get involved in local groups or forums specific to your interests. Whether it’s volunteering at local shelters or joining community action boards, these are great ways to boost your visibility and make direct contacts that could lead to opportunities like the one at Viaduct Care.
✨Attend Social Work Events and Workshops
Keep an eye out for workshops, seminars, or conferences in social work. These events are fantastic for meeting professionals in the field, learning about emerging trends, and spotting job openings. Plus, you might just bump into someone from Viaduct Care!
✨Showcase Your Passion and Expertise
Use platforms like Instagram or LinkedIn to share your journey and insights into the social work sector. Whether it’s writing about your experiences or sharing relevant articles, this helps to establish you as an engaged professional. Potential employers, like Viaduct Care, will notice your enthusiasm!
✨Leverage Your Network
Don’t hesitate to reach out to professors, mentors, or even past colleagues who are in social work. They might have inside knowledge about openings at Viaduct Care or be able to connect you with someone who’s hiring. Networking is key, especially in a full-time role where relationships matter.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Social Prescriber Link Worker (Band 5) in Stockport
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Social Work:In your cover letter, let us see your passion for social work shine through! Talk about the experiences that made you want to pursue this career—whether it’s volunteering, personal experiences, or academic projects. We want to know why this field matters to you.
Emphasise Relevant Qualifications:Make sure your CV highlights any relevant qualifications, like degrees in social work or certifications like a DBS check. If you've done any workshops or training, don’t forget to include those as well. We're keen to see your commitment to your professional development!
Detail Your Experience with Clients:Since this is a hands-on field, detailing any direct experience you have with clients is crucial. Whether it's internships, volunteer roles, or previous jobs, highlight those experiences in your CV to show us you've got the practical skills necessary for the job!
Tailor Your Application to Viaduct Care:Before hitting send, make sure to tailor your application specifically to Viaduct Care! Research our mission and values, and refer to them in your cover letter. This shows us that you understand our work and are genuinely interested in being a part of our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Viaduct Care
✨Understanding the Role of Empathy
In social work, understanding and demonstrating empathy is key. Be prepared to share personal experiences or scenarios where you effectively showed compassion and support. This helps show that you genuinely care about the well-being of others, which is crucial in social work.
✨Demonstrating Knowledge of Frameworks
Familiarise yourself with the frameworks and models used in social work, such as the Strengths-Based Approach or the Ecological Perspective. Be ready to discuss how these frameworks apply to your work, especially if you can tie them into real-world examples or case studies you've encountered.
✨Showcasing Your Multi-Disciplinary Skills
In a full-time social work role, you'll often collaborate with healthcare professionals, educators, and law enforcement. Be prepared to describe your teamwork experiences and how you've effectively communicated with other disciplines to achieve the best outcomes for clients.
✨Preparing for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that put you in hypothetical social work situations, such as dealing with a crisis or managing a complex case. Think through your thought process for these scenarios beforehand, considering how you'd assess the situation and what steps you'd take, as this demonstrates your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.