Overview
SocialPrescribers take a holistic approach, connecting people to community groups and statutory services for practical and emotional support. They also support existing groups to be accessible and sustainable and help people to start new community groups, working collaboratively with all local partners. They support patients by exploring the wider determinants of health, such as debt, poor housing, physical inactivity, and by increasing people’s active involvement with their local communities.
The goal of social prescribing is to connect or re-connect people to the vast array of services, activities and goodwill that exist in local communities. This role is to provide support to adults who are frequent users of NHS services due to mild or long-term mental health issues, loneliness, or social isolation, or who have complex social needs which affect their wellbeing. Social Prescribers are involved with the longer-term care co-ordination of a small number of patients with complex needs.
In this position, you will be employed by Primary Healthcare Darlington on behalf of Darlington PCN in a role funded through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) and the General Practice Network Contract Directed Enhanced Service (2024/25) (the DES). As part of your role, you will work closely with the PCN and the General Practices across Darlington.
Interviews for this post will be held Wednesday 5th November 2025.
Main duties of the job
Promoting the Living Well Service and its role in facilitating independence and in building community and personal resilience.
Creating a wellbeing assessment that takes into consideration the role and possible impact of the wider determinants of health on wellbeing.
Build relationships with key staff in GP practices within Darlington, attending relevant meetings, becoming part of the wider network team, giving information and feedback on the role of social prescribing.
Be proactive in developing strong links with all local agencies to encourage referrals, recognising what they need in order to be confident in making appropriate referrals.
Provide updates to referral agencies about the development of the service, including training for their staff on how to access information to encourage appropriate referrals.
Encourage self-referrals and connecting with all local communities.
About us
At Primary Healthcare Darlington (PHD), we are more than just a GP Federation; we are a supportive community of healthcare professionals working together to make a real difference. Established in 2014, we proudly support 11 GP practices and a growing population across Darlington, County Durham.
We work hand-in-hand with Darlington Primary Care Network, Darlington Borough Council, NHS Foundation Trusts, and the North East & North Cumbria ICB, giving our staff the opportunity to contribute to projects and services that directly improve health outcomes for our town.
Based just steps away from Darlington Memorial Hospital, we provide a mix of NHS, Public Health and Private Medical Services from our dedicated premises.
Benefits
We believe that the wellbeing of our staff is central to the care we provide. As part of our award-winning team, you’ll benefit from:
* A dedicated Wellbeing Lead and access to a range of wellbeing resources
* Free counselling services for all staff
* Protected time to focus on your professional development
* Access to high-quality training and career progression opportunities
* A friendly, supportive workplace with everyday perks from free tea and coffee to chilled, filtered water
* A culture that values collaboration, compassion, and innovation
Job description
Job responsibilities
Provide personalised support to individuals, their families and carers to take control of their wellbeing, live independently and improve their health outcomes.
Develop trusting relationships by giving people time to focus on what matters to them.
Based on the person’s priorities and the impact of the wider determinants of health on their life, you will co-produce a personalised wellbeing plan to improve their health and wellbeing that will include connecting or reconnecting them to community groups and activities and statutory services where appropriate.
The role will require managing and prioritising your own caseload, in accordance with the needs, priorities and any urgent support required by individuals on the caseload. It is vital that you have a strong awareness and understanding of when it is appropriate or necessary to refer people back to other health professionals/agencies, when what the person needs is beyond the scope of the link worker role (e.g., when there is a mental health need requiring a qualified practitioner).
Draw on and increase the strengths and capacities of local communities, enabling local VCSE organisations and community groups to receive social prescribing referrals. Ensure they are supported, have basic safeguarding processes for vulnerable individuals and can provide opportunities for the person to develop friendships, a sense of belonging, and build knowledge, skills and confidence.
Work together with all local partners to collectively ensure that local VCSE organisations and community groups are sustainable and that community assets are nurtured, for example by making them aware of small grants or micro-commissioning if available, including providing support to set up new community groups and services where gaps are identified in local provision.
Support PHD’s work in compliance with CQC requirements.
Key Tasks
Accepting referrals from multiple sources.
Creating a wellbeing assessment that takes into consideration the role and possible impact of the wider determinants of health on wellbeing.
Build relationships with key staff in GP practices within Darlington, attending relevant meetings, becoming part of the practice team, giving information and feedback on the role of social prescribing.
Be proactive in developing strong links with all local agencies to encourage referrals.
Meet people on a one-to-one basis, making home visits where appropriate within organisational policies and procedures.
Give people time to tell their stories and focus on what matters to them. Build trust with the person, providing non-judgemental support, respecting diversity and lifestyle choices. Work from a strengths-based approach focusing on a person’s strengths.
Be a friendly source of information about wellbeing and prevention approaches.
Help people identify the wider issues that impact on their health and wellbeing, such as debt, poor housing, being unemployed, loneliness and caring responsibilities.
Work with individuals to co-produce a simple personalised support plan based on the person’s priorities, interests, values and motivations.
Manage expectations by explaining clearly what they can expect from the groups, activities and services they are being connected to and what the person can do for themselves to improve their health and wellbeing.
When appropriate, accompany people to community groups, activities and statutory services for support.
Encourage people, their families and carers to provide peer support and to do things together.
Communicate effectively and sensitively and use language appropriate to clients and families/carers. Use a range of verbal and non-verbal methods of communication as appropriate for clients.
Use available translation services for those clients who use English as a second language.
Key Objectives
To engage, facilitate and support adults to connect to activities that will help to reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation while supporting them to build positive relationships and improved connections with their community.
Improved engagement into a range of provisions and social opportunities.
Developing and encouraging the self-motivation needed to set personal goals and develop aspirations.
Improved understanding of risks to their overall wellbeing, manage and reduce personal risk, increased ability to make positive choices to keep safe and well.
Data capture
Work sensitively with people, their families and carers to capture key information, enabling tracking of the impact of social prescribing on their health and wellbeing.
Work closely with GP practices within the PCN to ensure social prescribing referral codes are entered into SystmOne so that the person’s use of the NHS can be tracked.
Adhere to data protection legislation and data sharing agreements with the PCN and Integrated Care Board (ICB).
Professional development
Work with your line manager to undertake continual personal and professional development activities.
Take an active part in reviewing and developing your roles and responsibilities as a social prescriber.
Work with your line manager to access regular caseload management, peer supervision, clinical supervision and guidance on becoming a reflective practitioner as this will enable you to deal sensitively and effectively with the difficult issues that people present.
Miscellaneous
Collect feedback from your clients on the social prescribing service you delivered.
Be prepared to actively seek out ways to improve the Social Prescribing service and raise the profile of the service in Darlington.
Undertake any tasks consistent with the level of the post and the scope of the role, ensuring that work is delivered in a timely and effective manner.
Duties may vary from time to time, without changing the general character of the post or the level of responsibility.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
* GCSE/NVQ level 2/3 or equivalent level of training and experience
* Understanding of basic health and social care terminology
* Proven ability to recognise and manage risk; knowledge of the needs of older people, safeguarding and the associated legislative framework
* Good 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 strict deadlines
* Ability to work on own initiative without direct supervision, understanding where clinical input is needed
* IT skills and experience in the use of Microsoft Office programmes
Desirable
* Familiarity with IT systems currently in use in health and social care settings
Experience
Essential
* Experience in working directly in a community development context, adult health and social care, learning support or public health/health improvement (including unpaid work)
* Experience in supporting people, their families, and carers in a related role (including unpaid work)
* Experience in supporting people with their mental health, either in a paid, unpaid or informal capacity
* Experience in working with the VCSE sector (in a paid or unpaid capacity), including with volunteers and small community groups
Desirable
* Experience in partnership/collaborative working and of building relationships across a variety of organisations
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.
Employer details
Employer name
Primary Healthcare Darlington
Address
Forsyth House
20 Woodland Road
Darlington
County Durham
DL3 7PL
Employers website
https://primaryhealthcaredarlington.co.uk/
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