Social Prescribing Link Worker - Loxford

Social Prescribing Link Worker - Loxford

Social prescribingempowers people to take control of their health and wellbeing through referralto non-medical link workers who give time to focus on what matters to me.They take a holistic approach, connecting people to community groups andstatutory services for practical and emotional support. Link workers supportexisting groups to be accessible and sustainable and work collaboratively withall local partners.

Social prescribing canhelp to strengthen community resilience and personal resilience, and reduceshealth inequalities. These roles help address the wider determinants of health,such as debt, poor housing and physical inactivity. Increasing peoples activeinvolvement, supporting people with long-term conditions (including support formental health), and those who are lonely or isolated can have a positive effecton wellbeing.

Main duties of the job

Takereferrals from and make referrals to a wide range of agencies within primarycare networks,

Co-producepersonalised support plans with individuals, their families and carers to takecontrol of their wellbeing, live independently and improve their healthoutcomes. Developing trusting relationships by giving people time and focus onwhat matters to me.

Takea holistic approach, based on the persons priorities and the wider determinantsof health.

Itis vital that you have a strong awareness and understanding of when it is appropriateor necessary to refer people back to other health professionals/agencies, whenwhat the person needs is beyond the scope of the link worker role e.g. whenthere is a mental health need requiring a qualified practitioner.

About us

Our mission in Redbridge is to strengthen, develop and support local general practice, to enable the delivery of high-quality care to local people. We are in the very fortunate position where all 4 of the Primary Care Networks (PCNs) in Redbridge are working together as part of the Redbridge-wide GP federation Healthbridge Direct. We are now at the very start of an exciting journey of building a team of over 100 additional clinical roles to support and enable the delivery of services within each of our 4 PCNs. We are building teams within and across the PCNs to enable peer support and team working both within and across professions. We have a unique opportunity in Redbridge to create something special and we want you to be part of it. We have the infrastructure, the relationships and the potential to create a team that will make a significant difference to GP practices, to outcomes for local populations, and to individual lives for patients across Redbridge.

Job responsibilities

Experienceof working directly in a community development context, adult health and socialcare, learning support or public health/health improvement (including unpaidwork)

Experienceof supporting people, their families and carers in a related role (includingunpaid work)

Experienceof supporting people with their mental health, either in a paid, unpaid orinformal capacity

Experience of working with the VCSE sector (in a paidor unpaid capacity), including with volunteers and small community groups

Experienceof data collection and providing monitoring information to assess the impact ofservices

Experienceof partnership/collaborative working and of building relationships across avariety of organisations

Knowledge of the personalised care approach

Understanding of the wider determinants of health,including social, economic and environmental factors and their impact oncommunities

Knowledgeof community development approaches

Knowledge of IT systems, including ability to use word processing skills, emails and theinternet to create simple plans and reports

Knowledge of VCSE andcommunity services in the locality

Person Specification Qualifications

• NVQ Level 3, Advanced level or equivalent qualifications or working towards
• Demonstrable commitment to professional and personal development
• Training in motivational coaching and interviewing or equivalent experience

Experience

• Ability to listen, empathise with people and provide person-centred support in a non-judgemental way
• Able to get along with people from all backgrounds and communities, respecting lifestyles and diversity
• Commitment to reducing health inequalities and proactively working to reach people from all communities
• Able to support people in a way that inspires trust and confidence, motivating others to reach their potential
• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with people, their families, carers, community groups, partner agencies and stakeholders
• Ability to identify risk and assess/manage risk when working with individuals
• Have a strong awareness and understanding of when it is appropriate or necessary to refer people back to other health professionals/agencies, when what the person needs is beyond the scope of the link worker role e.g. when there is a mental health need requiring a qualified practitioner
• Able to work from an asset based approach, building on existing community and personal assets
• Able to provide leadership and to finish work tasks
• Ability to maintain effective working relationships and to promote collaborative practice with all colleagues
• Demonstrates personal accountability, emotional resilience and works well under pressure
• Ability to organise, plan and prioritise on own initiative, including when under pressure and meeting deadlines
• High level of written and oral communication skills Ability to work flexibly and enthusiastically within a team or on own initiative
• Understanding of the needs of small volunteer-led community groups and ability to support their development
• Knowledge of and ability to work to policies and procedures, including confidentiality, safeguarding,
• lone working, information governance, and health and safety

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.