Social Prescribing

Working with people in a holistic way to address their non-medical needs and enable them to take greater control of their health and wellbeing.

Social Prescribing

Working with people in a holistic way to address their non-medical needs and enable them to take greater control of their health and wellbeing.

Social Prescribing

Working with people in a holistic way to address their non-medical needs and enable them to take greater control of their health and wellbeing.

Welcome to our Social Prescribing Page

On this page you can find out more about Social Prescribing. You can read details of our one and a half day PCI Accredited SocialPrescriberPlus Training Programme, delivered online via Zoom and can download the Course Brochure. You can also click through to our Online Courses Page to view the SocialPrescriberPlus course dates and make a course booking. If you are seeking work in a Social Prescribing team you can scroll down to our footer where you can find a live feed of Social Prescribing related jobs and news items from across the UK, updated as soon as they are posted. Alternatively, go to the dedicated Jobs Board run by the National Association of Link Workers.

 

What is Social Prescribing?

Social Prescribers/Link Workers, Care Coordinators and Health Coaches give people time, focusing on ‘What Matters to Me’.  Using the principles of Personalised Care, they take a holistic approach to people’s health and wellbeing, connecting people to community groups and statutory services for practical and emotional support, and allowing people to take greater control over their health and wellbeing.

In 2020, in widespread recognition of the value provided by Social Prescribers, PCNs will be able to recruit fully funded Social Prescribing Teams, comprising a Social Prescriber, a Care Coordinator and a Health & Wellbeing Coach. This increase in capacity will be widely welcomed as the NHS and society addresses the many challenges posed by the coronavirus.

With considerable interest being expressed in these new roles from professionals across the health and social sector, there is a need for a comprehensive training programme that prepares new and prospective Social Prescribing team members to join the front line.  

The SocialPrescriberPlus Programme is Accredited by the Personalised Care Institute and provides the highest standard training, guidance and support in the specialist techniques and approaches used by Social Prescribers. The Programme equips them with the confidence to support their patients effectively in the unique and rapidly changing circumstances presented by the coronavirus pandemic.

“Hugely valuable! Absolutely necessary to do this course in order to become a SPLW!”

London Regional Workshop Attendee

The Online SocialPrescriberPlus™ Programme

The syllabus of the one and a half day online SocialPrescriberPlus Programme is applicable to all current and prospective Social Prescribers, Link Workers, Health Coaches and Care Coordinators, whether they are PCN/Practice based or operating in the Social sector or wider community. The Programme provides practitioners with all the skills, techniques and knowledge needed to work effectively with vulnerable patients or clients, helping them to navigate the wider health and social care system and take greater control over their health and wellbeing.

Regardless of the sector or nature of the role, members of Social Prescribing teams all require a similar set of skills and competencies. They will normally have been carefully selected or recruited for their combination of health care experience, soft people skills and a real desire to help their patients to live a healthier life. The SocialPrescriberPlus Programme is Accredited by the Personalised Care Institute and builds on these innate person qualities and provides the skills, techniques and competencies required to engage on a more effective and holistic level with their patients/clients.

Using a Personalised Care approach and a structured meeting and conversation model, Link Workers establish trust and rapport with their patients in order to focus on, for the patient,  ‘What Matters to Me’. The varied support that the Prescriber can provide, once this relationship is established, leads to more positive health outcomes and reduces the patient’s dependency on primary care services and long-term care needs.

With the change in working practices driven by the coronavirus, the Programme has been restructured to allow delivery by our accredited trainers through the Zoom online video conferencing platform. The course also provides extensive guidance on how to address the challenges posed when face to face contact with patients is impractical, and when telephone contact with patients self-isolating at home is the only means of holding a consultation.

Who should attend the SocialPrescriberPlus Programme?

The training programme is suitable for:

Newly appointed or currently in-role Social Prescribers, Link Workers, Care Coordinators and Health Coaches who wish to take a more professional approach to their role.

Those in other health and caring professions, or those with lived experience, who are considering applying for a Social Prescribing role in a Primary Care Network or voluntary sector scheme.

    Who should attend the SocialPrescriberPlus Programme?

    The training programme is suitable for:

    Newly appointed or currently in-role Social Prescribers, Link Workers, Care Coordinators and Health Coaches who wish to take a more professional approach to their role.

    Those in other health and caring professions, or those with lived experience, who are considering applying for a Social Prescribing role in a Primary Care Network or voluntary sector scheme.

      Using a Personalised Care approach and a structured meeting and conversation model, Link Workers establish trust and rapport with their patients in order to focus on, for the patient,  ‘What Matters to Me’. The varied support that the Prescriber can provide, once this relationship is established, leads to more positive health outcomes and reduces the patient’s dependency on primary care services and long-term care needs.

      With the change in working practices driven by the coronavirus, the Programme has been restructured to allow delivery by our accredited trainers through the Zoom online video conferencing platform. The course also provides extensive guidance on how to address the challenges posed when face to face contact with patients is impractical, and when telephone contact with patients self-isolating at home is the only means of holding a consultation.

      Delivery Methods

      Our SocialPrescriberPlus programme can be delivered face to face at your choice of venue or via the Zoom online conferencing platform.

      The benefits of using Zoom include:

      • Access the SocialPrescriberPlus workshops on phone, tablet or desktop
      • No Zoom account needed by participants
      • Every delegate has access to a full video recording of the entire workshop.
      • HD Video and HD Voice.
      • Zoom’s Breakout Rooms allow pairs and group working, and skills practice
      • View presenter slides and fellow participant screens at the same time.

      The Online SocialPrescriberPlus™ Programme

       Advanced Online Training for Social Prescribers, Link Workers, Care Coordinators and Health and Wellbeing Coaches

      Our SocialPrescriberPlus™ Programme has four main elements:

      Pre-Training Consultation
      Prior to the start of any training we consult and work closely with the PCN Clinical Director and Practice Managers to understand the future role and responsibilities of the Social Prescriber within the Practice or organisation. This allows us to craft the Programme so that the case studies and examples reflect the role that the Social Prescriber will be undertaking and the environment in which they will be working.

       Three Half Day Workshops
      The SocialPrescriberPlus Programme is divided into 3 half day workshops or modules, two of which normally take place on the same day and the third which takes place several weeks after the delegates take up their new role. They are designed to provide delegates with the knowledge and skills needed to gain the trust of patients and encourage them to take greater responsibility for managing their conditions. 

      Module 1 – The role of the Social Prescribing Link Worker in the Practice or Community (Half Day)
      This module introduces the concept of Social Prescribing and helps delegates to understand their role in relation to their patients, the rest of the PCN/Practice team, the community and the wider health and social sector. The module focuses particularly on building trust and rapport with patients on the phone or face to face, and on the soft skills needed by the Social Prescriber to represent the views and needs of their patients to their Practice colleagues and to other service providers in the wider health system. It includes sessions on the philosophy of Personalised Care, Understanding Behaviour Change, negotiation and advocacy skills, history taking, record keeping, networking and presentation skills, as well as a new focus on telephone consultations and techniques in the age of coronavirus. 

       Module 2 – Case Management skills with the Patient (Half Day)
      This module looks at the approaches and techniques central to engaging effectively with the patient. It introduces, explains and provides practice in the skills and techniques by which the Prescriber can encourage the patient to take a more pro-active approach to managing their health and wellbeing.  Using anonymised video case studies, audio clips and practical exercises the module covers the key competencies of Active Listening, Health Coaching. Making Every Contact Count (MECC) and Motivational Interviewing. Delegates are introduced to the Patient Activation Measure and to other tools for evaluating the impact of the support they provide to their patients.  

      Module 3 – Reflective Practice and Active Learning Session (Half Day)
      Module 3 takes place several weeks after the delegates have started their new role and is hosted by one of the delegates in their own Practice. In a facilitated learning environment, delegates are invited to present real life situations and case studies that have presented a challenge in their new role. The assembled delegates discuss the challenge and, through a structured process, provide feedback and suggestions to help the delegate with the challenge. It is an immensely powerful process and is designed to help delegates with their own particular challenges, as well as to provide a networking forum that will provide regular and enduring opportunities for the delegates to meet and discuss current topics and issues. Delegates are actively encouraged to bring along members of their team to the Reflective Practice session so that the entire team can benefit from the session. 

      Ongoing Support
      Whilst Social Prescribing can be immensely rewarding, the nature of one-on-one case management can also be isolating from colleagues and potentially lonely. The entire Programme is therefore designed to enable close and enduring professional friendships to be developed between the delegates, and to put in place networking structures that will allow delegates to draw on the professional support and friendship of their colleagues going forward. 

      Feedback and Evaluation
      We provide extensive evaluation and support for 12 months following the conclusion of training. This includes: 

      Verbatim delegate feedback from the Programme, provided to the Employing Manager or Clinical Director. Feedback forms include questions you may wish to ask delegates, as well as those we need to continually improve the programme. 

      Evaluation of the programme at the one month and 6 month points, and detailed feedback on the evaluation to the Employing Manager/Clinical Director. The one month evaluation is to identify any Social Prescriber that is struggling with the role, and allows us to provide immediate custom support. The 6 month evaluation is conducted in collaboration with the Clinical Director/Employing Manager and looks at metrics such as the difference made to the Practice through employment of a Social Prescriber, as well as measures such as whether other members of the Practice team have benefited from having a Care Navigator/Social Prescriber in post. 

      For the 12 months following the training we provide 24/7 telephone support to individual Social Prescribers and their teams. 

      Cost
      The cost of the Online SocialPrescriberPlus Programme is £397 plus VAT per delegate and includes 12 months of 24/7 telephone support following the training, together with access to all the materials used and ongoing collaboration and networking tools – allowing Social Prescribers to keep up to date with the latest Social Prescribing developments and to build lasting personal and professional relationships, and networks with colleagues. 

      A discount of 15% is available for more than 8 delegates from the same scheme. The Programme can be booked via Eventbrite and paid for using a credit card. Alternatively, an invoice can be requested. Please click on the button below to view the course dates and to book a course.

      “Extremely beneficial to anyone wanting to move into Social Prescribing!”

      Regional Workshop Attendee

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