Social Prescribing Link Workers (SPLWs)

Social Prescribing Link Workers

What are social prescribing link workers (SPLWs)?

Social prescribing link workers (SPLWs) serve in a non-clinical capacity to help patients and service users take control of their health and wellbeing; they support individuals in creating a shared plan based on ‘what matters’ to them, and to help them connect with local community and voluntary groups and build up their confidence.
Additionally, SPLWs assist local community groups and services in becoming more accessible and sustainable, and support the formation of new ones. They are employed for their listening skills, empathy, and ability to support others.
SPLWs work with a wide range of people, including:

Those who are lonely or isolated
Those who need support with their mental health
Those with complex social needs
Those with one or more long-term conditions

What benefits can SPLWs bring?

Principally, social prescribing link workers (SPLWs) can help to ease the workload and release time for GPs and general practice nurses (GPNs), by consulting with patients that do not have an immediate need for medical or nursing attention. In fact, 1-in-5 patients come to practice appointments with a non-clinical issue, which SPLWs can also be better-equipped to deal with.
There is evidence that social prescribing can lead to a number of positive health and wellbeing outcomes, including a better quality of life and emotional wellbeing. When implemented properly, SPLWs can support patients and service users in easily connecting with an assortment of local groups and services, including (but not limited to):

Hospital discharge teams
Fire services
Police services
Job centres
Social care services
Housing associations
Voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations

Is funding available for them?

Social prescribing link workers (SPLWs) are one of the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) roles, and therefore PCNs can receive funding for employing them.
According to NHS England & NHS Improvement (NHSE / I), PCNs will be able to receive reimbursement for 100% of the role’s actual full-time equivalent salary, plus employer on-costs (NI and pension) and a contribution.

Are there any case studies?

As it turns out, NHSE / I have helpfully put together a page full of case studies for the social prescribing link worker (SPLW) role.
To access it, please use the link below
Click Here

In Development

What characteristics, training / qualifications, and competencies should they have?

There are no formal qualifications or competencies required to become a social prescribing link worker (SPLW). However, it is recommended that one has the following:

An understanding of the wider determinants of health, including social, economic, and environmental factors, and their effect on individuals, communities, and families
Demonstrable commitment to professional and personal development
Experience of partnership / collaborative working, and of building relationships across a variety of organisations
Experience of working directly in a community development context, adult health and social care, learning support or public health / health improvement (including unpaid work)
Knowledge of the personalised care approach
NVQ Level 3, Advanced level or equivalent qualifications or working towards (recommended by NHS, but entirely up to local partners whether or not this is included, so you may want to check)
Training in motivational coaching and interviewing, or equivalent experience

Additionally, NHS Careers recommend that SPLWs possess the following characteristics:

Excellent listening and communication skills
Empathy
Emotional resilience
Open-mindedness
A willingness to work as part of team
Good IT and record keeping skills
A willingness to undertake training and develop skills
For more information:

Are there any requirements to receive ARRS funding?

As noted under ‘Is funding available for them?‘, social prescribing link workers (SPLWs) can be reimbursed via the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS). However, to be eligible for this funding, there are requirements that SPLWs must adhere to.
For instance, as stated in Annex B of the Network Contract Directed Enhanced Service contract specification 2021 / 22:

“B3.3. Where a PCN employs or engages one or more Social Prescribing Link Workers under the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme or sub-contracts provision of the social prescribing service to another provider, the PCN must ensure that each Social Prescribing Link Worker providing the service has the following key responsibilities in delivering the service to patients:
- as members of the PCN’s team of health professionals, take referrals from
  the PCN’s Core Network Practices and from a wide range of agencies to
  support the health and wellbeing of patients;
- assess how far a patient’s health and wellbeing needs can be met by
  services and other opportunities available in the community;
- co-produce a simple personalised care and support plan to address the
  patient’s health and wellbeing needs by introducing or reconnecting
  people to community groups and statutory services, including weight
  management support and signposting where appropriate and it matters to the person;
- evaluate how far the actions in the care and support plan are meeting the
  patient’s health and wellbeing needs;
- provide personalised support to patients, their families and carers to take
  control of their health and wellbeing, live independently, improve their
  health outcomes and maintain a healthy lifestyle;
- develop trusting relationships by giving people time and focus on ‘what
  matters to them’;
- take a holistic approach, based on the patient’s priorities and the wider
  determinants of health;
- explore and support access to a personal health budget where
  appropriate;
- manage and prioritise their own caseload, in accordance with the health
  and wellbeing needs of their population
- where required and as appropriate, refer patients back to other health
  professionals within the PCN.”

Any example job descriptions?

Social prescribing empowers people to take control of their health and wellbeing through referral to non-clinical social prescribing link workers. They give people time to focus on ‘what matters to me’ and take a holistic approach to an individual’s health and wellbeing.
Social prescribing link workers:

Take a whole population approach, working with a range of people who may benefit from social prescribing, including people who are lonely, have complex social needs, low level mental health needs and long-term conditions
Help people to identify issues that affect their health & wellbeing, and co-produce a simple personalised care and support plan
Support people by connecting them to non-medical, community-based activities, groups and services that meet their practical, social and emotional needs, including specialist advice services and arts and culture, physical activity, and nature and green based activities
Use coaching and motivational interviewing techniques to support people to take control of their own health and wellbeing
Support development of accessible and sustainable community offers by working in partnership with VCSE organisations, local authorities and others to identify gaps in provision, and take a community development approach to enabling growth in community activities and groups

In Development

What clinical supervision do they need?

As noted in the Network Contract Directed Enhanced Service contract specification 2021 / 22, a primary care network (PCN) should provide a GP supervisor for the social prescribing link worker(s) (SPLWs).
NHS England & NHS Improvement (NHSE / I) elaborate on the specifics of this supervision in their induction guide, as follows:
“Your PCN will appoint a GP supervisor to provide direct supervision for your work. They will meet you regularly, provide line management, address any issues or concerns and help you to succeed in the role. This will include ensuring that you can raise patient-related concerns (such as abuse, domestic violence, or other safeguarding issues) and can refer individuals back to other health professionals as relevant, for further support, review or monitoring.
Where social prescribing link workers are employed by a partner ‘social prescribing provider’ agency, the GP supervisor will still be required. In this arrangement, the GP supervisor will also need to involve the partner organisation in regular progress updates about your role, enabling clear lines of accountability, effective, seamless, joint working and problem-solving challenges together.”
The guide also adds, separate from having a GP supervisor, that:
“As well as the ongoing support you will receive from the GP supervisor, you should have regular access to clinical or non-managerial supervision both with your GP supervisor and other relevant health professionals within the PCN. This ‘clinical’ or non-managerial supervision will help you to manage the emotional impact of your work and be guided by clinicians on dealing effectively with patient risk factors.”
For more information:

What should practice induction include?

Conveniently, NHS England & NHS Improvement (NHSE / I) have put together an induction guide for social prescribing link workers joining a primary care network. This seventeen-page document can signpost you to a range of resources and covers the following topics:

Why does social prescribing matter?
Who do you work for — and what is a primary care network?
What will be you be doing as a social prescribing link worker?
And more…

For more information:

What ongoing support is available for SPLWs?

NHS England & NHS Improvement (NHSE / I) have, in their social prescribing link worker (SPLW) induction guide, compiled a list of available support structures and mechanisms — including an online learning community, accessible by contacting england.socialprescribing@nhs.net.