Professional Standards
All our members are required to adhere to our Code of Practice, a set of codes ensuring we maintain high standards of service. The Code of Practice is non-model specific which increases consistency in professional practice, ensures professional competence and public confidence. It is a helpful guidance for employers and social prescribing link workers on what is expected of them to protect the people they serve and themselves.
How to use the codes
- To inform high quality social prescribing practice
- As a reflective tool for both employers and social prescribing link workers
- As a self assessment tool for improving practice for both employers and social prescribing link workers
- To identify learning and development needs for both employers and social prescribing link workers
Code of Practice for Employers of Social Prescribing Link Workers
As an employer, the Code of Practice for Employers of Social Prescribing Link Workers sets out your responsibilities for making sure your social prescribing link workers are competent and supported to achieve the Code of Practice for Social Prescribing Link Workers.
As an employer of social prescribing link workers you are required to:
- make sure people are suitable and are the right fit for your social prescribing model
- have the infrastructures and systems in place to support social prescribing link workers to
meet their Code of Practice - provide learning and development opportunities to enable social prescribing workers to
enhance their skills, knowledge and build resilience
Code of Practice for Social Prescribing Link Workers
As a social prescribing link worker, the Code of Practice for Social Prescribing Link Workers sets out your responsibilities for meeting the standards and ensuring professional competence.
As a social prescribing link workers you are required to:
- promote the holistic wellbeing, rights and interests, of individuals and carers
- build and maintain the trust and confidence of people who use services and carers
- promote the independence of people who use services while protecting them, as far as
possible, from danger and harm - act with integrity, uphold public trust and confidence in the social prescribing link worker
profession
Failure to comply with the Code may result in action against the member and risk adverse publicity for the member and their organisation.
Post nominal letters or membership logo
Your membership designation or logo is something to truly be proud of as it demonstrates your ongoing commitment to high standards of ethics and upholding public trust in the profession and service.
- In order to use ANALW you must have an up to date Associate membership with NALW
- In order to use MNALW you must have an up to date Professional membership with NALW and be a practising social prescribing link worker
- In order to use our membership logo as an individual or organisation, you must have professional membership with NALW.
The potential consequences of misusing our membership designation or logo could involve legal action as we take the protection of our intellectual property seriously
Complaints about a member
- If you feel a member has breached our code of practice or misused our membership designation or logo you can raise a complaint by emailing complaints@nalw.org.uk
Professional Practice and Development Committee
The Professional Practice and Development (PPD) committee is a standing committee of the NALW whose purpose is to develop resources, including setting up education standards, accreditation framework, enhancing our code of practice and CPD process and develop other required materials to serve as a resource to SPLWs as well as help meet national health priorities.
The committee members include representatives from professional bodies, NHS, Public Health, workforce development and professional practice experts, social prescribing manager, and social prescribing link worker.
