The GP Link Worker supports patients to improve their health and wellbeing by addressing non-medical needs. They work with individuals referred by GPs and other primary care professionals to connect them with community services, voluntary organisations, and local support that help tackle social, emotional, and practical issues affecting health to ensure problems and issues do not worsen and lead to ‘crisis’.
Responsibilities
* Receive referrals from GPs, nurses, and other primary care staff
* Meet patients (face‑to‑face, phone, or online) to understand their needs, goals, and circumstances
* Co‑produce personalised wellbeing plans with patients
* Create short, medium and longer‑term goals with clients, through ongoing personalised care and support planning, to provide appropriate support and achieve positive outcomes
* Empower patients to build confidence, independence, and self‑management skills
* Connect patients to appropriate community groups, voluntary organisations, and statutory services
* Maintain up‑to‑date knowledge of local services and referral pathways
* Build strong working relationships with community partners
* Support patients to access services and overcome barriers (e.g., confidence, transport, digital skills)
* Work closely with GP practice staff and the wider multidisciplinary team
* Attend MDT meetings and case discussions as required
* Provide feedback to referrers on patient progress and outcomes
* Identify safeguarding concerns and follow local safeguarding procedures
* Recognise and escalates risks related to mental health, domestic abuse, or vulnerability
* Always work within professional boundaries
* Maintain accurate and timely records using clinical systems and organisational systems
* Collect data and outcomes to support service evaluation
* Contribute to reports and audits as required
* Access regular “clinical supervision” meetings via each GP surgery to deal effectively with difficult issues that people present
* Undertake training as required and be prepared to travel throughout appropriate areas to attend any relevant meetings
* Undertake any other relevant duties that may be required by the management teams or wider service leads
* Willingness to work flexibly around the needs of the service
Person Specification
* Experience of working with people in a health, social care, community, or voluntary sector role
* Strong communication and active listening skills
* Ability to work with people with complex needs
* Knowledge of local community services or ability to build this knowledge quickly
* Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team
* Good organisational and IT skills
* Experience in social prescribing or primary care
* Understanding of health inequalities and social determinants of health
* Experience of behaviour change or motivational interviewing
* Relevant qualification in health, social care, or community work
Skills & Attributes
* Empathy, compassion, and a non‑judgemental approach
* Strong problem‑solving skills
* Ability to motivate and support people to achieve goals
* Professional, flexible, and resilient
* Demonstrates a passion for delivering agreed outcomes
* Works well under pressure
* Self‑motivated and able to carry out tasks with minimal supervision
* Strong team player and able to work effectively as part of a locality, area and Countywide team
* Flexible, innovative and adaptable and has a ‘can do’ approach and attitude
* Good understanding of the voluntary and statutory sector and ideally the specific locality area
* Skilled at using user feedback to demonstrate outcomes and improve services
* Demonstrates personal accountability
* Works confidently with service users, partners and stakeholders to find effective solutions
* Effective administrative skills and an excellent standard of IT skills including MS Office, the internet and appropriate software
* Essential to have experience of, or the ability to confidently learn, new systems or databases i.e. EMIS, Charity Log, Salesforce, Joy etc.
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