Job Description

Lead this new service in the London Borough of Sutton, helping to improve health and wellbeing outcomes for people with complex lives and unmet need.

Social Prescribing empowers people to take control of their health and wellbeing through referral to non-medical ‘Link Workers’ who give time, focus on ‘what matters to me’ and take a holistic approach, connecting people to community groups and statutory services for practical and emotional support. Link Workers support existing groups to be accessible and sustainable and provide feedback to groups and strategic partners to enable development, working collaboratively with all local partners.

Social Prescribing can help to strengthen community resilience and personal resilience and reduce health inequalities by addressing the wider determinants of health, such as debt, poor housing and physical inactivity, by increasing people’s active involvement with their local communities. It particularly works for people with long-term conditions (including support for mental health), for people who are lonely or isolated, or have complex social needs which affect their wellbeing.

Age UK Sutton is the commissioned provider for Social Prescribing Sutton, for an all-age service working as part of a specialist multidisciplinary team including GPs and nurses supporting those with complex needs.  The Head of Social Prescribing Sutton will be managing a team of six Link Workers who focus on providing support for patients’ non-medical needs.  These needs are often complex, and many patients referred to the service are frequent visitors to primary care, in particular their GP. The service is for adults over the age of 18 whose needs meet referral criteria.  The Head of Service and the Link Workers will be employed by Age UK Sutton as the contract holder but expected to develop strong relationships with a wide range of local providers whose services could benefit patients referred for support, who may be of any age.

As Head of Service, you will line manage the Link Workers, and assume leadership of the service, working closely with partners in Health and Care and the Voluntary Sector to promote and develop the service, producing regular monitoring and insight reports, and working with the Director of Services and Social Prescribing Sutton Steering Group to review and develop the strategic direction of the service.  This is a new role with significant opportunities for personal development as the service evolves.

To apply, please submit a CV and supporting statement detailing how you meet the attributes described in the person specification.

For an informal discussion about the role before applying, please contact Age UK Sutton's Director of Services, Hilary Dodd 

Please note that CVs not accompanied by a supporting statement will not be considered