Employer: Voluntary Action Angus, 5-7 The Cross, Forfar DD8 1BX

To deliver social prescribing in localities in Angus taking additional responsibility for connecting with wider VAA Locality workers third sector and strategic partner opportunities and connecting GP practices with community based opportunities which help improve wellbeing.

Key Responsibilities:

The role will involve supporting personal options and choice for patients to help improve wellbeing , referring patients to comprehensive social care services, taking referrals and ensuring that you target groups and communities most in need and helping them to live a healthier, happier life.

This is a very stimulating role that will allow you to work with a wide range of people such as GP’s Statutory partners such as Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP), Community Planning Partnership (CPP) and voluntary organisations and will also include patients with:

• one or more long-term conditions in need of support with improving mental well being
• who may endure loneliness or isolation
• experience poverty and inequalities which may be a determinant to poor health.
• have concerns about drug and alcohol issues
• who have complex social needs which affect their well-being

Person Specification

Personal Qualities and Attributes

• Ability to actively listen, empathise with people and provider person-centres support in a non-judgemental way
• Ability to provide a culturally sensitive service, supporting people from all backgrounds and communities, respecting lifestyles and diversity
• Commitment to reducing health inequalities and proactively working to reach people from diverse communities
• Ability to communicate effectively and clearly, verbally in writing, with people, their families, carers, community groups, partner agencies, 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. Be aware of when the person’s needs are beyond the scope of the link worker role. Eg when there is a need for a qualified health practitioner input
• Ability to work from an asset-based approach building on existing community and personal assets
• Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships and promote collaborative practice with all colleagues
• Commitment to collaborative working with all local agencies (including VCSE organisations and community groups). Able to work with others to reduce hierarchies and find creative solutions to community issues
• Can demonstrate personal accountability, emotional resilience and ability to work well under pressure
• Ability to organise, plan and prioritise on own initiative (including when under pressure and meeting deadlines)
• High level of written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work flexibly and enthusiastically within a team or own initiative
• Understanding the needs of small volunteer-led community groups and an ability to support their development
• Ability to provide motivational coaching to support people’s behaviour change
• Knowledge, and ability to work to, policies and procedures including confidentiality, safeguarding, long working, information governance and health and safety

Qualifications

• Demonstrable commitment to professional personal development
• Training in motivational coaching and interviewing or equivalent experience

Experience

• Experience of working in a community development context, adult health and social care, learning support or public health /health improvement (including unpaid work
• Experience of supporting people, their families and carers in a related role (including unpaid work)
• Experience of supporting their mental health, within a paid or unpaid informal capacity
• Experience of working with the VCSE sector in paid or unpaid capacity including with volunteers or small groups
• Experience of data collection and using tools to measure the impact of services
• Experience of partnership /collaborative working and of building relationships across a variety of organisations
• Knowledge of personalised care approach
• Understanding of the wider determinants of health, including social, economic and environmental factors and their impact on communities, individuals, their families and carers
• Knowledge of community development approaches
• Understanding of, and commitment to, equality, diversity and inclusion
• Knowledge of I.T. systems, including ability to use word-processing skills, email and internet to create simple plans and reports (eg word, powerpoint, excel)
• Knowledge of VCSE and community services in the locality
• Knowledge of the HHS workings including Primary Care

Other

• Is PVG Scheme Registered
• Willingness to work flexible hours when required to meet work demands
• Access to own transport and an ability to travel across the locality on a regular basis including to visit people in their own homes

Operational Development and Duties

1. To devise and implement an effective pathway for patients, addressing their holistic and non-medical needs. Principally, this will be devised with VAA locality workers, locality locator and other partners.
2. To ensure that a process of ‘soft handover’ is completed with each patient including: an initial assessment that includes:
   1. risk assessment
   2. an agreed action plan, assisting and encouraging clients to make their own decisions and choices
   3. conducting reviews with patients to ensure useful and sustainable benefits have been achieved
3. To develop and promote Social Prescribing and wider community involvement and participation in the Social Prescribing Project
4. To process and update monitoring information for clients including updating the Locality Locator
5. To produce monthly and quarterly reports in line with contractual agreements through VAA’s Appraised system
6. To ensure that end-of-programme evaluations and reports are produced as required for internal and external purposes where appropriate
7. To participate in training, learning and development as determined by the line manager and SP steering group
8. To market and represent the SP Project widely at all levels to ensure maximum awareness of the service

Other Duties

1. To ensure adherence to, and implementation of, all relevant legislation and VAA and GP practices policies
2. To participate in ongoing supervision and appraisals including relevant VAA internal reporting systems
3. To attend meetings of the Health Centres in Angus and participate in MDT activity as required
4. To create and maintain good working relations with HSCI members, staff, colleagues and clients
5. To operate Health and Safety at Work procedures
6. To carry out any other reasonable duties required by the VAA Manager
7. Work as a member of a team with senior workers, healthcare practitioners, GPs and partner agencies.

This job description will be subject to review in the light of changing circumstances and may include any other duties and responsibilities as may be determined in consultation with the jobholder. It is not intended to be rigid or inflexible but should be regarded as providing guidelines within which the individual works.

Please Note: The interview panel reserves the right to enhance desirable criteria at short- listing stage depending on the number of applications received.

The closing date is 5th November 2021.

For an application pack, please contact Katrina Taylor katrina@voluntaryactionangus.org.uk