Social Prescribing Link Worker

Social prescribing empowers people to take control of their health and wellbeing through referral to non‑medical link workers who give time, focus on what matters to them, and take a holistic approach connecting people to community groups and statutory services for practical and emotional support. Link workers, working collaboratively with all local partners, support existing groups to be accessible and sustainable and help people to start new community groups.

The GP‑Led Primary Care Networks within Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale focus on the population profile and the community needs. These networks comprise a range of clinical and non‑clinical roles working closely and in collaboration with the wider community assets and support networks. The Social Prescribing Link Worker is pivotal to supporting people through connection to and engagement with bespoke activities in relation to improving health and well‑being, resulting in achievement of personalised goals and self‑care.

• Social Prescribing Referral Management.
• Promoting social prescribing, its role in self‑management, and the wider determinants of health such as housing, finance management and employment.
• Build relationships with key staff in GP practices within the local Primary Care Network (PCN).
• Be proactive in encouraging self‑referrals and connecting with all local communities particularly the hard‑to‑reach groups.
• Work with the network lead, employer and local partners to identify unmet needs within the community and gaps in community provision.
• Work with your line manager to undertake mandatory training and continual personal and professional development, taking an active part in reviewing and developing the roles and responsibilities.

The GP‑Led Primary Care Networks within Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale focus on the population profile and the community needs. These networks comprise a range of clinical and non‑clinical roles working closely and in collaboration with the wider community assets and support networks.

• Wellfield Health Centre
• Castleton Health Centre
• Dr Hamid's Practice
• Middleton Health Centre
• The Kingsway Practice
• Kirkholt Medical Practice
• The Hive Health Centre

• Act as the central point for the referral within the Primary Care Network, managing the coordination and connection of people to the local community statutory and voluntary assets.
• Working autonomously, take referrals from a wide range of agencies, working with GP practices within primary care networks, pharmacies, multi‑disciplinary teams, hospital discharge teams, allied health professionals, fire service, police, job centres, social care services, housing associations, and voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations.
• Triage and oversee the referral process to ensure the individual receives the most appropriate level of personalised support to meet their needs. This may be with the Social Prescribing Link Worker, or may be more suitably placed with partners e.g., Community Connectors, Health Trainers.
• Establish relationships with referred people to determine personalised support to individuals, family and carers in pursuit of holistic independent control of choice and support of what matters to them.
• Utilising the Our Rochdale Directory of Services, together with community and voluntary service networks and build on what’s already available to create a map or menu of community groups and assets.
• Build a robust relationship and pathways with the statutory services and community groups to ensure effective connection of individuals, family and carers.
• To establish links with the PCN Mental Health Multi‑Disciplinary Team, attending referral review meetings as required and playing an active role in the triage of referrals and escalating patients with more complex needs to other team members.

• Promoting social prescribing, its role in self‑management, and the wider determinants of health such as housing, finance management and employment.
• Build relationships with key staff in GP practices within the local Primary Care Network (PCN), attending relevant meetings,…