Social Prescriber

Job summary

DOR has an opportunity for a Social Prescribers to join our PCN. We are looking for someone who will support patients to access healthcare, community groups and statutory services for practical and emotional support. You will work with the PCN and practice teams to support patients with their health choices, strengthen community and personal resilience, reduce health and wellbeing inequalities by addressing the wider factors of health, such as debt, poor housing, social isolation, poor diet and physical inactivity.

Main duties of the job

• Manage the referral process, encouraging and promoting referrals from a wide range of agencies including, GP Practices within the PCNs, multi disciplinary teams MDTs, allied health professionals, voluntary, community and social enterprise VCSE organisations.

• 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 a personalised care plan to improve health and wellbeing, introducing or reconnecting people to community groups and statutory services. Helping people to maintain or regain independence through living skills, adaptations, enablement approaches and simple safeguards.

• Manage and prioritise a patient caseload, in accordance with needs, priorities and support required by individuals.

• Refer people back to other health professionals agencies where appropriate and when an individuals needs are beyond the scope of the Social Prescriber.

• To work within local communities and local partners identify unmet needs and, to support the setup of new sustainable community groups and services where there is a gap in local provision.

About us

Vertis Health is a fast-growing provider of community-based healthcare services to NHS patients within South Worcestershire. The organisation utilises the excellent clinical expertise that already resides within the local NHS environment and harnesses it with efficient administration pathways to provide patients with more convenient and accessible services. We hope that by doing this we will not only deliver pathway improvements to patients but also go some way to relieving the growing volume pressures that are being experienced within local hospitals and GP practices.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the referral process, encouraging and promoting referrals from a wide range of agencies including, GP Practices within the PCNs, multi disciplinary teams (MDTs), allied health professionals, voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations.

• 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 a personalised care plan to improve health and wellbeing, introducing or reconnecting people to community groups and statutory services. Helping people to maintain or regain independence through living skills, adaptations, enablement approaches and simple safeguards.

• Manage and prioritise a patient caseload, in accordance with needs, priorities and support required by individuals.

• Refer people back to other health professionals/agencies where appropriate and when an individuals needs are beyond the scope of the Social Prescriber.

• To work within local communities and local partners identify unmet needs and, to support the setup of new sustainable community groups and services where there is a gap in local provision.

• To ensure appropriate safeguarding procedures and practices are in place within local community groups and networks, supporting local groups to develop where necessary.

• To build effective relationships with key staff in GP practices, attending relevant meetings and becoming part of the wider network team, giving information and providing feedback on social prescribing.

• To work in partnership with other local agencies to raise awareness of social prescribing and to promote the service widely and its benefits.

• To seek regular feedback about the quality of services and the impact of social prescribing, preparing and providing both written and verbal feedback and reports on performance.

• To work with the PCN to recruit and support volunteers to facilitate, engage and mentor individuals to access community groups and services to build independence, self-confidence and resilience.

• 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 team to seek feedback, continually improve the service and contribute to business planning.

Other Responsibilities

• Work with service users families to provide information, advice and guidance to enable them to access other appropriate support and services.

• This role will involve working in different locations and will require you to travel. The ability and means to travel independently within Worcestershire is essential.

• Work flexibly, as there may be occasional evening and weekend work which will be considered as part of your normal working hours.

• A commitment to personal, professional and organisational development.

Location(s)

St. Johns House Medical Centre
299 Bromyard Road
Worcester
WR2 5FB

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Understanding of basic health and social care terminology

• Proven ability to recognise and manage risk

• Knowledge and understanding of safeguarding and the associated legislative framework

• Excellent interpersonal skills

• Ability to communicate confidently with staff at all levels

• Ability to work well across teams

• Good time management and an ability to prioritise and work to deadlines

• Ability to work on own initiative without direct supervision

• IT skills and experience in the use of Microsoft Office programmes

• Experience in health and social care

• Experience of working with individuals with complex needs and various communication challenges

Desirable

• Experience of using EMIS clinical system

• Experience of working directly in a community development context, adult health and social care, learning support or public health / health improvement (including unpaid work)

Collaborative Working Relationships

Essential

• 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. ICBs)

• 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

Qualifications

Essential

• NVQ level 3 or equivalent level of training and experience

Desirable

• Training in motivational coaching and interviewing or equivalent experience

Experience

Essential

• Understanding of basic health and social care terminology

• Proven ability to recognise and manage risk

• Knowledge and understanding of safeguarding and the associated legislative framework

• Excellent interpersonal skills

• Ability to communicate confidently with staff at all levels

• Ability to work well across teams

• Good time management and an ability to prioritise and work to deadlines

• Ability to work on own initiative without direct supervision

• IT skills and experience in the use of Microsoft Office programmes

• Experience in health and social care

• Experience of working with individuals with complex needs and various communication challenges

Desirable

• Experience of using EMIS clinical system

• Experience of working directly in a community development context, adult health and social care, learning support or public health / health improvement (including unpaid work)

Confidentiality:

Essential

• 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

Communication

Essential

• 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

Collaborative Working Relationships

Essential

• 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. ICBs)

• 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

Health & safety

Essential

• 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

• Actively 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)

• Reporting potential risks identified

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.