Career Grade Public Health Intelligence Officer

Social prescribing is a mechanism for linking patients and those accessing care with local, non-medical sources of support, recognising that many things that affect our health like loneliness, stress, anxiety or low levels of activity can’t be treated by doctors or medicine alone. Social prescribing connects people to non-medical support to address these issues and other unmet needs.
Voluntary Action Rotherham hosts a range of Social Prescribing teams and we currently have several new opportunities available. In one of these various Social Prescriber/Link Worker roles, you could:

• Help an adult who is isolated join a befriending group, an art class or a community gardening project, based on what works for them.
• Connect a young person struggling with anxiety to attend a support group and meet new friends.
• Support a recent stroke survivor to connect with activities to rebuild their skills and confidence.
• Work with someone struggling with depression or mental illness to gradually introduce them to activities and support groups in their local community.

As a Social Prescriber you will work alongside a team of clinical colleagues within an NHS setting with a defined area of need or patient cohort. You will support individuals to determine “what matters to them most” and co-design a personalised care support plan to help and empower them to take control of their health and wellbeing, live independently and improve their health outcomes.

Forging strong links with existing local voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisations and neighbourhood level groups you will also be involved in supporting local partners and commissioners to develop new groups and services where needed.

As well as having experience of working in the community sector or the NHS in a paid or voluntary role, you will have an understanding of the wider determinants of health including social, economic and environmental factors. As well as being a team player, you must have the ability to motivate and influence others through a person-centred approach and possess personal drive and resilience.