BARCA-LEEDS Job Description

POST: PEP Link Worker (Patient Empowerment Project)

Salary: £19,000

Hours: 37 hours per week

Duration: Temporary contract funded to 31/8/15

Employed by: BARCA-LEEDS

Managed by: PEP Project Coordinator

MAIN PURPOSE OF POST

This is a key post delivering a new service in Leeds. The post-holder will provide direct support to a caseload of patients referred mainly via GP practices in West Leeds. The post-holder will facilitate them to set personal goals and improve their health by making referrals to existing or new support groups, or by ensuring they receive personal support. Networking with local agencies and recruiting and supporting volunteers and sessional group leaders, the post-holder will ensure that a wide range of opportunities are developed.

The new PEP service will introduce a social prescribing model across West Leeds and is recruiting a total of nine new posts to this service. A pair of workers, one Coordinator and one Link Worker, will work closely together to cover approximately a quarter of the West Leeds area. You will be based either with BARCA or one of our main partner organisations – Leeds MIND or Better Leeds Communities.

MAIN TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

External working with clients

1.  Liaise, and directly work, with referred patients.

2.  Build a positive working relationship with referred patients, identify their aspirations and develop their confidence to set themselves self-improvement goals

3.  Work with clients to increase their self-sufficiency in terms of health improvement, health maintenance and social inclusion by supporting them to meet their self-improvement plans.

4.  Refer and support patients to engage in appropriate and meaningful activities, services and groups that will enable them to meet their goals.

5.  Encourage, inspire and organise group leaders and volunteers to develop and self-manage healthy living activities, interventions and group sessions.

External working with groups and organisations

6.  Actively network with a wide range of organisations from grass roots groups to national campaigning organisations and develop partnership working opportunities

7.  Work collaboratively within the PEP partnership model which includes VCS agencies and GP practices

8.  Positively promote the work and activities of PEP

Internal working

9.  Work collaboratively as part of a team including attending internal meetings and steering group meetings as required

10.  Contribute to setting up and running effective administrative, monitoring and evaluation systems

11.  Contribute to written materials including reports, publicity and other information as required.

12.  Act in accordance with organisational policies and practices, including financial procedures, and be responsible for any financial or budgeting tasks required

13.  Assist in the publicising of the PEP program initiatives including via social media where appropriate

14.  To provide holiday and sickness cover for the Project Coordinator

GENERAL TASKS COMMON TO ALL Barca-Leeds Employees:

To recognise and work within the ethos of the Project.

Four elements define the stance of Barca-Leeds -

·  The Mission Statement: “To enable the children, young people and adults of the West Leeds area to develop to their full potential for the benefit of themselves and the community”

·  A commitment to community development, always identifying individuals and areas which lead to a greater sense of community

·  A commitment to the participation of the community and to users and workers participation in both the planning and delivery of the service

·  A commitment to ensure it is the individual workers responsibility to promote and safeguard the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adult they are responsible for, or come into contact with.

Plus

·  Undertake project and practice evaluation as directed, monitoring your work and writing reports as required.

·  Work with volunteers and be involved in recruiting and supporting them through training and supervision.

·  Receive managerial and personal supervision and to be appraised regularly in line with Project policy.

·  Work in co-operation with all paid/unpaid workers and the Project management, attending staff and team meetings as required.

·  Each worker must attend all team meetings.

·  Each worker is entitled to receive supervision at a minimum of once every 6 weeks.

·  Where appropriate attend external clinical supervision as arranged by their line manager.

·  Attend full staff meetings.

·  That weekend and evening work may be required.

·  That it may be necessary to provide appropriate cover in staff absences etc across the organisation not just within their individual project.

·  Undertake personal training as agreed with your line manager.

·  Maintain in all work a positive attitude to combat oppression and discrimination on any grounds.

·  Adhere to the policies and practices of the Organisation.

·  Undertake any other reasonable duties as and when required.

This job description may be subject to change.

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