What is a Social Prescribing Link Worker

What is a Social Prescribing Link Worker
What is a Social Prescribing Link Worker? Social Prescribing Link Workers use strength-based approaches to increase people’s confidence to take control of their health and wellbeing. They work in partnership with people, actively listening to understand what matters to them from a holistic perspective, cocreating action plans and goals to meet their needs. This means they need to gain and maintain people’s trust and confidence.

Social Prescribing Link Workers undertake varying roles and responsibilities dependent on the local social prescribing model. However these generic core summary applies.
Someone who:
✓ Uses a strength based approach to increase people’s confidence to take control of their health wellbeing
✓ Builds trust and relationships with people
✓ Gives people time to talk about what matters to them
✓ Actively listens to understand what matters to people from a holistic perspective
✓ Co-creates solutions with people
✓ Enables and supports access to solutions
✓ Facilitates joined up care and social inclusiveness
✓ Is knowledgeable about the range of local support available to help with people’s wellbeing issues
Recommended references:
Code of Practice for Social Prescribing
NHS England Social Prescribing reference guide for Primary Care Networks
Read More: Setting Social Prescribing Link Workers up for success: what you must know